The little town in the Nation's Capital began to be plagued by various drug problems, the secondary but most primary effect being the violence associated with distribution. Street “crews” would operate and pervade various neighborhood corners uptown and downtown with virtual impunity, as if they were street legal. Cocaine and crack gradually was perceived by some to be the city’s most prodigious industry. Streets were no longer referred to by landmarks. Instead, there were the drug streets each assigned their own drug crew notoriously run by the seemingly-invincible drug kings who nobody dared to mess with, not even the Five-O. The druggies werestreet-wise--they would never be caught dead with merchandise, but instead buried their wares underneath rocks, bricks, scrap tires, anything that a tout can craftily store his goods under and get his own kicks. If someone from Barry Farms, Condon Terrace or Wheeler Road decided to snitch to Seven-D (DC Police, 7th District), there was always the very real danger of serious repercussion -- getting hurt or worse honorable mention in tomorrow’s crime blotter. On street corners and playgrounds, kids perennially skipping grade school could rant with peculiar accuracy, the names of inner-city star dopers and touts in their neighborhoods, and the going rate for their wares. They uttered names and figures like some kids boasted batting averages of their favorite Major League All Stars in more peaceful neighborhoods. These "Children in the Hood' knew enough of drugs to recite the color, taste, and smell of heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, and rattle off the colors in a rainbow comprised of weed, pills and powder. Social workers working through the weekend in neglected pockets in Southeast on both sides of the river knew the names of such kids and were apprised of their issues -- sometimes even being more familiar than children of their own. As they ripped and wrote sheets after sheets of crumbled picture board, they utterly came to the bitter conclusion that the reason why so many inner-city children ended up involved in drugs was because they had no male authority figure at home they called “Dad.”
Many parents of these kids involved with drugs are the unwed mothers of Generation Y in the '70s and 80’s, who are bringing up their children by trial and error. In the absence of a properly structured family setup, kids form relationships with those who feed their hearts, their pockets and their egos.
If their peers are into drugs, it does not take long for the kids to fall prey to the sinister power of illicit trafficking also. Perception overrules and as they groom their image, these kids do not look upon drugs as something illegal. And when drugs bring in pocket money, enough cash to sample and perhaps ham on the kitchen table, it is viewed as a vice that is immensely positive in an economically deprived and repressed society.
Related Stories:
Washington City Paper, "Invisible Man", Jason Cherkis, Jul 6, 2001Washington City Paper, "Running Low on Rayful", Annys Shin, Sep 8 2000Is Rayful Edmunds, DC's most famous crack dealer another has-been? Rayfulcontrolled between 30-60% of city's crack market. Arrested 1989. He had grossed$30 in 4 yrs. Continued to deal drugs in prison.
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