Growing Pains

When I was growing up on those cold and hard streets, I have seen them all: danger, smoking gunshots, and paranoia. My name is Marcus Dandridge, and I am here to tell you about one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in America, which is North Memphis, Tennessee. It has a significant impact on my life; it shaped my thought and behaviors. I have experienced a lot, developed my own ideas, and how I overcome adversity. I grew up in North Memphis, and it influenced me in a myriad of ways.

As a young child, I expressed my ignorance and innocence to the people and surroundings until I ran into a myriad of things that forced me to become socially conscious within my general surroundings, such as drug paraphernalia, gunshots in my neighborhood, violent activities I was involved with, and being with wrong people at the wrong places. These things were normal for me around my community; however, a series of unfortunate events occurred and revamped the landscaping of my neighborhood which made a turn for the worse.

At the age of twelve, a string of various murders took place within my community, within my city, and also in other cities across the country, which lead to lots of southern hip-hop artists promoting the Stop Snitching campaign. I thought that this was an excellent idea. A lot of my favorite artists were supporting this movement; also, no one likes a tattletale.

Since this trend caught on heavily within my community, situations most definitely took a turn for the worse. While going to the basketball courts one late afternoon, I witnessed a brutal ambush attack against one of my classmates. In shock, I took off and ran back home; however, by the time I was able to make it at least halfway home, I too was brutally attacked by the same thugs who told not to say anything.

As terrified as humanly possible, I kept my mouth swollen shut for days, with lots of other aches and pains, until my mother forced out the truth and made me go back to stand my ground. A few years passed, and the same “rules” for snitching still applied. So there were many times where I, of course, “snitched”; this became a routine at this point in my life, in my adolescence stage. I once again came home with either my jaw shattered or my eye as black as space itself. At this pivotal point, I came to the striking realization that fear can be a form of power.

For the mere fact that many of my peers and even friends had fear instilled into them about the consequences of snitching, which, in turn, caused many of them to turn their heads to issues within our community. Living in a city where over 2,067 different crimes occur per 100,000 people yearly is very ominous.

Considering when I pretty much knew 75% of the people who did the crime, or knew individuals who knew the ones who did the offense, I, as a young boy, did not have any choice but to stay silent. My old neighborhood has remained silent for years on such actions that are still occurring. In other communities around the city, others will continue to be silent on these issues due to the one principle that still remains in effect: Stop Snitching.

Through all the beatings, taking, and delivering them, how did I manage to rise above the adversity in such a dangerous neighborhood like North Memphis, Tennessee? Well, that is easy to explain. Yes, I have a past and have done my dirt, just like anyone else. However, it took for me to stand up and say enough is enough.

It is time to make a change and do better things, and I did that with a focus in high school, support from my family, and most importantly, prayers from my loved ones. I then rose to the occasion and finally got myself out of America’s most dangerous neighborhood. Once I start my career and get it underway, I will then look the city in its mean and hateful eyes and give back to those who grew up just as I did.

I will educate the youth never to stop dreaming, and always to push forward, so they do not have to go through the things I went through or see the things that I have witnessed in those mean, cold, and ruthless streets of The Land Of Extremes, North Memphis, Tennessee.

Thankfully, I moved away from my beloved city, to make a way to give back to others that are currently going through what I once went through.