Young breh here. I’ve noticed a lot of the old heads talk about the Crack Era when they talk about the 80s and how it made things much worse. But if you look at the economic and crime data, things were already bleak in the early 80s with crime and poverty. But if you listen to rap songs like Biggie’s Things Done Changed they make it sound like there was a lot more positivity before crack. For those who lived it especially in major cities like DC, NYC and LA would love to hear your insights.
What was inner city life like in the 80s Before Crack (1980-84)?
- Thread starter lib123
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Amerikan Melanin
Veteran
Kids played in the streets until the streetlights came on. I’m talking entire neighborhoods would be outside playing.
When crack hit people started putting bars and cages on their windows, made the housing look ugly but it was necessary to keep your house from getting broken into.
Kids had to be inside if you were in an active area. Crack vials everywhere.
Kids that used to be just the popular good athlete all of a sudden balling out of control.
The pretty girls got old dudes pulling up to hood in jettas and Saabs.
An increase in police presence in black areas.
I was mad young but I can clearly remember the change in my neighborhood. Jamaica Queens Ny.
When crack hit people started putting bars and cages on their windows, made the housing look ugly but it was necessary to keep your house from getting broken into.
Kids had to be inside if you were in an active area. Crack vials everywhere.
Kids that used to be just the popular good athlete all of a sudden balling out of control.
The pretty girls got old dudes pulling up to hood in jettas and Saabs.
An increase in police presence in black areas.
I was mad young but I can clearly remember the change in my neighborhood. Jamaica Queens Ny.
A lot of cities especially black communities still had good old auto plant jobs like my dad had for Chrysler, but the writing was on the wall because Chrysler, ford/gm etc wasn’t changing with times and then the battles with unions in regards to pay and benefits.
Family structures was still there in black communities base off the values of the silent generation and black communities still had neighborhood watch and u actually had police living in the communities.
Family structures was still there in black communities base off the values of the silent generation and black communities still had neighborhood watch and u actually had police living in the communities.
Depends on the city.
But if you're talking about NYC, there are tons of photos, videos and news articles highlighting that the city was falling apart well before Crack took off in the mid 1980s.
NYC was practically in shambles by the late 1960s.
But if you're talking about NYC, there are tons of photos, videos and news articles highlighting that the city was falling apart well before Crack took off in the mid 1980s.
NYC was practically in shambles by the late 1960s.