A weapon so intertwined with American history and culture that it is probably more symbolic of this country than the eagle. Like poor communities around the globe, America's urban poor face decimation from disease and poverty, made worse by the easy availability of weapons. But here, the expectations are different. Spurred by the American dream, some seek their fortune in the back streets and alleys, thinking it will lead to Main Street. Though there are many positive African-American role models in Baltimore, the negative images tend to dominate.
Media feed on the image of the roughneck, Timberland-wearing, gunslinging black male.
I think the media has more influence now than ever. As a young person, you are searching for role models, people like yourself. But that is limited when all you see are sports and entertainment figures or thugs. Warfield attributes the draw of the drug trade to both a lack of community resources and a disconnect between generations. Also, the civil rights movement caused a change in the black community.