Conclusion: Reclaiming Community

In order to work for success, especially success in terms of what the community wants, that community must work for itself, and outsiders to the community must respect its autonomy.

“The strength of any community lies in its ability to provide for and meet the needs of its residents.” [4] Although he had been displaced, Adrienne’s father continued to “be at the post and keep his hand on his family” to the best of his ability. Standing outside her apartment to ensure she was doing homework, he maintained a stake in Adrienne’s education, and she was encouraged to pursue it in college. Adrienne recalls a time when the community had stakes in the local economy, when they owned their businesses:

“You had a fruit and vegetable market down the street that was African American owned, and you could buy, you know, different fruits and vegetables. We had a dry cleaners. Everything that we needed was in that community. And the thing about it is, is that it was, you know, either black-owned, or, you know, Jewish-owned. And it was like- I guess it was, you know, I call it a melting pot because everybody, you know- everything you think you needed, you could get it right in that radius.” [2]

People claimed and possessed a sense of ownership in their businesses, and they were encouraged to go out and support them. Community organizations like “WHEDco [seek] to provide support for the Melrose community through programming and services in education and youth development, small business development, and social services.” [4] Although the service sector economy represents a huge institution which often works against the goal of self-ownership for everyone but the wealthy, small business ownership may present a small persistent series of steps heading towards a reclamation of residents’ local economies, their jobs, and with these plant a stake in their family, both communal and personal.