American Paradox

Yesterday, my Community Building class with Bob Hansman went on another all-day Saturday, this time of the northern half of the downtown St. Louis area. That was, perhaps, one of the most intense experiences in my life...standing and walking for 7 hours straight...no time for bathroom stops...no time for eating, unless you brought snacks with you (of course I did). I was probably too tired to fully enjoy it, to fully consume and process all of the information that we unearthed...in retrospect however, I think that day is one that will forever be ingrained in my memory. I've been at Wash U for 3 years now...and I have seen more of St. Louis in these opening weeks of the semester, than I have in my previous years combined.

While on the tour, I was constantly struck with this notion of the "American paradox" (this may be a new coined phrase, or I may have read it somewhere). It amazes me how stark the differences are between neighborhoods, and between different areas of town.. and how these differences are further demarcated by "borders" that Bob speaks about. It amazes me that the inequality is so apparent that we refuse to acknowledge it it. Traveling on the border of North St. Louis, looking at the housing projects that still exist there...looking at how everything was in such disrepair (often times at no fault to the people that live in those communities, for example when Cardinals fans come to party in the parking lot near St. Patrick's Parish leaving tons of trash there). How do we not notice? or fail to recognize the dissonance? I was speaking to one of my classmates, saying how Americans have this romanticized notion of entrepreneurialship, independence and freedom, or that we still operate under the Horatio Alger illusion that one can pull himself up by his bootstraps. That stands in direct contrast to capitalism, the economic system that we champion. And that people can justify the resulting economic stratification with "that's just what capitalism is.. someone has to be on the bottom" WHAT SENSE DOES THAT MAKE? That is in direct contrast to the statement that "all men are created equal." What is even more interesting is that if one does champion equality...one is labeled as a "communist" or a "socialist," with such a negative connotation. Why? What's wrong with that? I think this paradox is epitomised by the following quote from our Voices that we receives a few days ago:

"There are a lot of reasons why you still have poverty in America. Most of these disadvantaged families don't have a clue as to how to get out of this cycle of poverty that they're in. And it's easy for us to have an abstract opinion about how they should do it; they should just take care of themselves, they should pick themselves up, they've got the same opportunities I have. You hear that sort of rationale quite a bit, and what you need is for everyone to step over that threshold of this sort of our world. We think that they should come into our world. What we should do is go into their world and understand it.

Sam Mockbee, c. 1990s"

It reminds me of the notion of "Structural Violence" that Paul Farmer (a noted anthropologist and public health advocate) coined. That term is so applicable to this course even. Literally, Farmer speaks that the way that infrastructure is developed (in the context of this class, Architecture) and how that can be directly violent, especially those who are oppressed, those who have no voice, have no say. The point that I think Bob, Tegogo, and Mikey were trying to make that design has direct implications...it isn't some theory... your drawings/plans will be manifested...and in one way or another, if you don't watch your assumptions, your thoughts, you may end up doing what we saw with the American Building.

The American Building was probably the most surreal examples of structural violence to me. as we learned yesterday it marks the northern end of the downtown area. Facing downtown there is a sort of grand ceremonial entrance... On one side of that you have the undecorated place where the design is for purpose and utility with few embellishments. In the back facing the housing projects is where the trucks come in and where the loud A/C system is located...facing the housing projects across the street. Think about how much sleep has been lost to those family living there.. not only dealing with the constant drone of the A/C, but also with increased traffic (which is very dangerous, particularly if you have younger children. On top of that, I recognized trees acting as a natural border between the American Building and the housing projects..maybe trying to hide them from view?

The point is that the design of this building itself is inherently violent (proximity to the street, A/C loud and maybe blowing out harmful chemicals(maybe coolants for instance?)). It amazes me. This BLATANT discrimination... Yet we say that everyone has an equal chance... an equal opportunity to make it to the top 1 percent of the population, who controls 99 percent of the wealth. These things aren't mistakes...Houses don't just crumble like they do in the Wellston neighborhood..Trash just doesn't magically accumulate in one area of town and not the other. There are conscious decisions that are made.. and not by the people who live in these neighborhoods.

Anyway, I feel as though I am getting into rant mode. the thing that troubles me is that these are people's lives that we are dealing with. That disrepair that...those crumbling houses...the noisy A/C system... that all has a direct impact on people's health. And we wonder why health disparities are so stark and prevalent in America? It's just as much a public health issue, as it is a design issue..

Well, those are my thoughts.... Until next time