Until the age of 7 I grew up in an urban area then moved to a suburban area. I remember being taught that one must be tough especially when it came down to dealing with family matters. Growing up with such a big family from an urban area there tended to always be something going on. However, as children we were always taught not to talk about our problems to others. I vividly remember being told “what happens in this house stays in this house” and a lot happened in that house. However, I realized that within my other family members house there were a lot more happening. The difference was in my house we talked about our issues amongst ourselves, especially once we moved, but in my family members’ house issues were rarely spoken about.

It gotten to a point that I realized that there were possibility mental illnesses being formed. But remember there’s an unwritten rule; “what happens in this house stays in this house”.  I noticed that mental illness wasn’t even an option. Then I realized this wasn’t just something that was going on within my family. After finding interest in this topic I realized that in urban areas there are high rates of mental issues but they aren’t really addressed.

Studies say that some of the reasons that mental illnesses aren’t reported is because victims are afraid they would not be taken serious, they may be made fun of, or they would be thought of being weak. In addition, there is a lack of awareness and funding in these areas for mental illnesses.  

Before we talk about why mental issues aren’t being handled in urban areas I ask where do they originate from?

Many the mental illnesses that urban residents acquire originate from seeing struggle and heinous violence day to day. For instance, 47% of African Americans in urban areas have witnesses murder; 75% witness robbery, stabbing, shooting, or homicide within their elementary to high school years. In general, the crime rates in urban areas are entirely more than in rural areas.

In addition to these horrific statistics, per the National Institute of mental Health 1 out of 3 African Americans who need mental health care actually receive the care they need. I strongly believe this is due to the lack of awareness mental health has in urban areas.

For instance, very few people know what causes mental health issues. Do you?

Mental health issues are caused by stress. Stress is the unspecific physiological and psychological reaction to perceived threats to our physical reaction, psychological or social integrity. In urban areas people tend to have a survive not live mentality. the don’t feel they have their “own” space and violence is constantly all around them. Though these issues may not seem like the are directly effecting urban resident’s mental health it is known that it is.

This is starting to become a huge issue for Americans because America is showing signs of moving towards creating more urban areas due to the fast pace lifestyle that we are starting to acquire. There is research showing that there is a 20% increase in anxiety and 40% increase in mood disorder rates in urban areas.

Due to these alarming rates of mental health deficiencies increasing there are organizations that are working to improve mental health in urban areas. Take The Urban Mental Health Alliance (UMHA) , they are a non-profit organization that advocates for the wellness and mental health of urban families and communities. The UMHA offers an 8-hr training course where one could get certified in mental health first aid. This course teaches how to help someone who is developing a mental issue or experiencing a mental health crisis.

In addition to helping those with the mental issue there are programs that work to make the environment of urban areas more conducive to healthy mental stability. For instance, there is an organization that works to make urban areas visually more attractive. Have you heard that when you are around nicer things you feel better? That’s that goal of these types of organizations. They also work towards creating more discussions and better health care facilities.

Personally, I know simply bring awareness to mental health will help people like those in my family that live in urban areas. Thus, simple awareness is empowering and can be lifesaving.

 

In today’s America the educational system is consistently being called into question. There is always debate on how to regulate the different districts’ educational systems. It is not uncommon of for colleges to report that they have many students with various learning curves. Unfortunately, those with the largest learning curves tend to be from urban areas. Personally, I am from a suburban area and had a fairly good education however, now that I am in college I see that some of my friends that are from urban areas, such as New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, or Newark, struggle in major academic areas. For instance, I have witness one of my good friends go from being valedictorian in their high school to catastrophically struggling in STEM courses such as chemistry and math. Many professionals who look at the education systems in urban areas say this disadvantage is due to unqualified teachers and lack of funding. For instance, in the mathematic department many of those who teach have degrees in disciplines other than math.

In an era where professions in STEM field are promoted, students from urban areas are at a serious disadvantage. It is reported that many of the public schools in these areas have inadequate labs. Many of which are outdated and have very limited supplies which hinder the students’ education significantly. Though it may not be directly obvious because of these limitations in urban schools many students do not see STEM fields as viable professions for them. Thus, while the rest of the schools in suburban and rural areas are promoting professions in STEM fields urban schools are, unfortunately, hindering the ideology that STEM field professions are obtainable.

Beyond the inadequate labs and text books urbans schools tend not to teach the skills needed to be successful in the work place. It is seen that countless students from urban areas do not know how to go on an interview, send a proper email, or create a professional resume. In many suburban areas, these skills are taught in computer classes however in urban areas there is a lack in up-to-date technology which makes teaching professionalism a challenge. Therefore, when students from urban schools enter college and it is time to interview for jobs or summer internships they have a much larger learning curve than their counter parts.

Due to the fact that the inequalities between educational systems is no secret there are quite a few approaches that have been formulated to improving the educational system as a whole.

The number one thing that is needed is funding and policy changes. By increasing the funding of public school, specifically, and requiring certified teachers to teach their respective subjects there will be a great improvement in the educational system as a whole. In addition to more funding and sufficient teaches, an update in technology in these schools is vital. Studies have shown that better computer programs/software motive students to learn. For instance, subjects such as physics taught with computer program supplements interest students more, which lead to more success learning.

The environment of which a student learns is vital as well. Imagine learning in the freezing cold or the stifling heat in an overcrowded classroom. This is unfortunately the environment that some urban schools teach in. By upgrading the schools to state of art buildings can vastly improve the learning in urban areas.

So are there any programs or organizations that work towards improving these conditions? There are!

Programs such as Michigan State University’s (MSU) Teachers Urban Education Program teach teachers how to teach urban students. There are also organizations such as Facing History and Ourselves who hold symposiums to teach how maintain safe and progressive environments and recruit teachers to teach in urban. For example, the Engaging Education: Full Day Conference in Memphis invites 400 scholars, teachers, administrators, and reformers from different disciplines together to discuss these topics.

By supporting organizations and programs like those previous mentioned there will be a vast improvement the diversity in the STEM field. Urban students will be able to aspired to bigger and greater things. There will be less students like my friend who come from urban areas that struggle in academia due to their academic background. Therefore, we will no longer have a loss generation of scholars that could contribute significantly to society.