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ABOUT THE BED-STUY COMMUNITY

Bedford Stuvesant, Brooklyn is a community with large numbers of low-income, high-risk youth and one of the poorest and most socially downtrodden communities in the country with the income gap continuing to widen ascommunity residents are unable to gain access to adequate employment, training, and resources. The technology gap is also rapidly increasing due to the lack of adequate infrastructure, vocational training, and accessibility to modern technology.

More From WIKIPEDIA

Bedford-Stuyvesant (also known as Bed-Stuy or The Stuy) is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City, USA, borough of Brooklyn. Formed in 1930, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3, Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Brooklyn Community Board 16.[1] The neighborhood is served by the NYPD’s 79th [2] and 81st [3] Precincts.

 

For decades, it has been a cultural center for Brooklyn’s African-American population. Following the construction of the A line subway between Harlem and Bedford[6] in the 1930s, African Americans left an overcrowded Harlem for more housing availability in Bedford-Stuyvesant. From Bed-Stuy, African Americans have since moved into the surrounding areas of Brooklyn, such as East New York,Crown Heights, Brownsville and Fort Greene.

The main north-south thoroughfare is Nostrand Avenue, but the main shopping street is Fulton Street, which lies above the main subway line for the area (the A and C trains). Fulton Street runs east-west the length of the neighborhood and intersects high-traffic streets incuding Bedford Avenue, Nostrand Avenue and Stuyvesant Avenue. Bedford-Stuyvesant is actually made up of four neighborhoods:Bedford, Stuyvesant Heights, Ocean Hill and Weeksville.

As a result, Bedford-Stuyvesant is becoming increasingly racially, economically and ethnically diverse, with an increase of white and foreign-born African populations. As is expected with gentrification, the influx of new residents has sometimes contributed to the displacement of poorer residents. In many other cases, newcomers have simply rehabilitated and occupied formerly vacant and abandoned properties.
About 34 percent (46,547) of the residents are younger than 19 years old. Bedford Stuyvesant’s youth face many complex problems and are seriously affected by drug dealing and the skyrocketing levels of violence and crime. The district ranks in the top 10 percent in the prevalence of violent crime and murder. Gang recruitment is a serious concern and the community’s youth are often at very high risk because of poor academic skills and precarious financial situations in their families.

There is a serious need in Bedford Stuyvesant for educational and community programs to empower our youth to remain in school and demonstrate leadership skills. 

It is generally agreed that the real rates of unemployment, infant mortality, AIDS, and serious crime are even more dismal than those reported by the government because of the influx of illegal immigrants. According to “The Newest New Yorkers: An Analysis of Immigration to New York City in the Early 1990s” by the New York City Department of City Planning, from 1980 to 1996, Bedford Stuyvesant ranked among the top 10 neighborhoods receiving large numbers of immigrants, mostly from Caribbean and Spanish speaking countries.

Based on information from the New York City Office of Planning and Research, Bedford Stuyvesant is a district that encompasses families of diverse economic status, from middle- to low-income families. Many are second and third generation public assistance dependents. The chart below provides an overview of the problems facing children, youth and their families in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn.

Bedford Stuyvesant

  • African American & Caribbean 83%
  • Latino 15%
  • White 1%
  • Native American & Others 1% 
  • Incomes under 125% of the poverty level 53%
  • Families w/income less than 125% of poverty level 47%
  • Families w/children w/ income less than 125% of the poverty level 59%
  • Female householders w/children w/income less than 125% of poverty level 87%

source: New York City Office of Planning and Research

Brooklyn has large numbers of low-income and high-risk youth. Nonetheless, many are curious, energetic and determined. Current research indicates that high levels of unemployment, infant mortality, teen pregnancy, child abuse, AIDS, serious crime and other problems are far worse in the Bedford Stuyvesant Community than elsewhere in New York and other states around the country. The local youth face a multitude of problem and is seriously affected by drug dealing and continuing high levels of violence. Crime ranks in the top 5% in the level of crime and murder respectively. The community’s youth are often at high risk due to poor academic skills. 45% of the residents over 25 years of age lack a high school diploma.