Growing up in East St. Louis

Today I wake up and for a second I have hope that it will be different from the day before. I hope that when I walk outside, I can smell clean fresh air and see beautiful flowers and trees blooming. I hope that when I arrive at school we will have new floors, water fountains, text books, labs and clean desks. I hope that all the children arrive at school in new clothes and shoes and freshly groomed. I hope that when I go home at night, the garbage will be collected so that I can finally play in my own backyard. But then I get out of bed and it’s the same day as the one before.

East St. Louis is a scary place for one to visit. The crime rate is really high and any where you walk you are most likely to see garbage on the ground because garbage collection stopped over twenty years ago. The school is very poor and my classmates and I are not receiving proper education. Many teachers are quitting and we are not learning the required material. My parents wish they could move us out of the city, but with the two fast food jobs that they have they could never afford it. My parents did not have the best schooling either but they try to help us with our work when they can.

Ever since I was a little girl I have been interested in reading and writing. I have always hoped to become a writer one day, but I am always being shut down because of the schooling I receive. I was only introduced to children’s books because I found one laying at the playground one day. It took me a while to read it because I have not had the best schooling. When I get older I want to write a book about East St. Louis in hopes that people will read it and reach out to my hometown. Maybe I will be able to sell enough books to raise money and help clean up this town and change the school curriculum around. But some of my teachers tell me that no one will publish my book because I have a “ghetto education”. One of my teachers is very encouraging thought. She tells me that I can do anything I put my mind to. I always try and take her advice; she is a very nice teacher. I am hoping that my other teachers are wrong and when I sell my first book they would be proud of me because I have made a difference in my town.

My older brother does not value education like I do. He has been getting himself into trouble a lot lately. I try to tell him that school is important but it just tells me I am young and do not know anything yet. Maybe one day he will see that even though we live in East St. Louis and go to a “ghetto” school that we can still make the best out of it and try and learn.

Maybe tomorrow will be that new day I am hoping for. I will wake up and my hometown will start to change right before my eyes. But for now, all I can do is try and make the best of my education and keeping hoping I will wake up in a clean town.