Janitor
Latrell Walker
In his work with neighborhood kids as a crew leader with IMPACT,
Latrell Walker tells them to "stay off the corners, don't hang
out," but they don't always listen to his advice.
One young man in particular he thought he was making progress
with. "I tried to bring him back, but he chose the streetcorner
instead."
That's where the trouble is.
"In summer, a lot of them work for IMPACT and we tell 'em to stay
in school, graduate and train for the real world," he says while
sweeping along Findlay Market, "but they don't always listen."
IMPACT employs and trains Over-the-Rhine adults, like Mr. Walker,
and youngsters for projects aimed at improving the appearance of the
neighborhood.
"This area is hard hit with trash," he says. "Keeping it clean
is hard. We run on donations, trying to keep kids busy and keep
Cincinnati beautiful."
He hasn't see a big difference in the neighborhood in the last
year. "As far as the violence, it's the same," he says. "I've seen
no change.
"I've has a couple of friends who've gotten killed for nothin.'
They were just in the wrong place, at the wrong time . . . weren't
doing anything wrong, just got in the way of something bad."
The key is to "stay off the corners," says the 32-year-old
father of two daughters who spends his time working or visiting them
in Laurel Homes.
"Hanging is bad. Real bad. Nothin' but trouble."
-Joy Kraft
Faces of Over-the-Rhine
Restaurant owner Paul Sebring
Taft senior Darrel Shields
Social worker Angela Coleman
Sarah Center director Sister Jeanette Buehler
Jordanian grocer Taraq T.A. Adwani
Filmmaker Steve Gebhardt
Gallery owner Suzanna Terril
Beauty shop supplier Chong Kim
Teacher's aide Kemberley Alexander
Waitress Karla Davis
Teacher Sharon Brooks
Dock worker Leo Sneed
Police officer Michael Ammann
Soup kitchen manager Denise McPherson
Artist Joseph M. Winterhalter
Janitor Latrell Walker
Fund-raiser Torren "T.J." Partridge
School social worker Joe Wilmers
Rehabber Greg Badger
Medical student John Eckman
Treatment counselor Calvin W. Wooten
Photographer Jimmy Heath
The Police
Violence up, arrests down
Changes made since April 2001
Q&A with Police Chief Streicher
Q&A with former F.O.P. president Keith Fangman
Neighbor to Neighbor
Community meetings produce results
Going beyond polite silence
What your neighbors said
What do you think?
What's happening in 145 communities
A sampling of communities:
• Mount Healthy
• Pleasant Ridge
• Milford
What institutions are doing
Related Links
Neighbor to Neighbor home page
Matters of Race: Bridging the divide in Greater Cincinnati
On the Same Page Cincinnati
Live Without Hate
Common Ground
Cincinnati 2001: Year of unrest
Unrest in the city: Archive of riot coverage
Unrest photo timeline
Jim Borgman on race
