Poverty in the City

Starting Friday, Dec. 7, 90.3 will present a series of stories and features focusing on poverty and change centered around the story of Cleveland's Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

50 years ago it was a vibrant neighborhood, with shops and well-kept homes. But today, it is on the verge of a complete changeover: buildings sit in disrepair, shops are boarded up, kids become high school drop outs. What happened? What can happen now to turn this neighborhood back in the other direction?

We talk to Bernard Hill a kid from the neighborhood who is featured in the series, a 20-year-old kid who looks just like you might expect: sagging jeans, oversized t-shirt, and black do-rag on his head. He was raised by his grandmother -- along with 16 other children who weren't hers.

This series will be reported in collaboration with the Plain Dealer which will run a series of articles on this issue all next week. Bob Paynter (the lead reporter on the series) and April McClellan-Copeland, who grew up in Mt Pleasant, will preview the series on The Sound of Ideas, Friday Dec. 7.

90.3's Tasha Flournoy will be part of a joint interview with PD reporter Margaret Burnstein and Tenniya Anderson. Portions of this will air on Morning Edition of Dec. 11, followed by a second Sound of Ideas program on teen pregnancy/single parenthood and its connection to poverty (Dec. 11).

Thursday, Dec. 13 The Sound of Ideas Roundtable will be dedicated to a discussion of this problematic mix of poverty, drop out rates, teen pregnancy and urban blight.

The Sound of Ideas: A Deeper Look at Poverty in Mount Pleasant
Feature Story: Tenniya's Story: The Plight of Teen Pregnancy
Interview: Father Dan Recalls Neighborhood Changes
The Sound of Ideas: Teen Pregnancy and Single Motherhood
Feature Story: Keepers of Community
The Sound of Ideas: Rebuilding and Renewal: Securing a Prosperous Future for Our Communities

The Plain Dealer: A look at one of Cleveland's most troubled neighborhoods