To be young
I like being annonymous…not standing out; I’m not sure why this is but I find walking around the streets with a tripod and taking images in public isn’t something that I enjoy. Maybe it’s a weakness.
When I was in the Townships in Cape Town I always felt a strange sense of guilt when I walked around with my camera in open view. Whether this was a guilt born out of my position within the observer / observed relationship…or just the knowledge that many of the people who I encountered couldn’t even afford the roll of film that was in my camera; I’m not sure really.
Anyway, the work is slowly progressing now. On Friday I spent the third day at the offices of City United / Pheonix United in Aston. They are a club that seeks to empower young people through football and I admire their work greatly. Their aims is to give their members a sense of dicipline, purpose and focus. Their hope is to also try and guide the young adults away from the gangs, drugs and crime. And they’re doing a great job but having worked with young people before I know of course that you can lead the horse to water but…well you know the rest.
It’s been sad at times looking at these young black men who are at war with other young black men. Seventeen year olds who spend all day in the bookies looking for sure things that will never come. Men who are afraid to walk alone in areas that are not their ‘turf’. And so on Friday I trawled around in the back of a mini bus with a group of these young men and just listened to their stories whilst I tried to think back to when I was their age. There was so much hatred here directed both to members of their own group and to passers by outside of the mini bus. But are these just acts bravardo…young men being young men as they jostle to gain position with the group. Or is it something more?
Academic texts will tell you that male identity and social status within economically deprived areas are established through acts of violence and of course such is the case in Aston. Belonging to gangs such as the Champagne Crew, Rally Close Crew, Badder Boys, Burgers or Johnnies is what gives an individual an identity, role and purpose. I’m not sure what the answer is but ultimately we all want and need something to belong and at the moment there is vacuum causing them to find solace within the gangs. A solace that will only end in tears.
I think there is still hope for the young men in the mini bus…I’m not sure how deep they are in things yet. I know that the staff at Phoenix United are trying their best to help them but I’m not sure if time is on their side…I hope it is.
