In the age of obscene music videos, drugs, and loose educational standards, an all too familiar occurrence is controlling our society. A story echoes loudly throughout our communities: the story of lost youth, unborn potential and unharnessed brainpower. Education has become the focal point in today's society. From job opportunities to social standing, a strong educational background is a crucial component to success. In urban communities, there is currently an epidemic battle against the success of lower income students and families. Urban decay involves the deterioration of both living conditions and educational opportunities in inner city communities.  Urban decay has become widespread in the past few decades and has been the source of a decline in potential for young urban students.  Moreover, improving the state of these communities has proved difficult for community leaders, government officials, and families of these communities because of a lack of resources. The declining educational system in these inner city, urban communities poses a problem not only to these isolated communities, but also on a larger scale to society in general. The fact that an entire group from a less favorable socioeconomic background is receiving less than acceptable education is a problem we all must face. We must realize that without a more involved approach to these issues, mainly by our government and with support from the communities, there will be no way to improve these conditions. And here is where the story of lost youth begins and ends.
            The story of two urban youths echoes the theme of urban decay. Two brothers age thirteen and seventeen. The parents of these children had a relationship that faded away long ago. Their home could be found deep within the urban community, deep enough that one might call it the ghetto. The brothers' names were Justin and Arian. The two brothers were on divergent paths. The older of the two, Justin, was a very creative poet and musician, a very intellectual type. Arian was, by most definitions, average in academics.  Nonetheless, he was quick-witted and full of potential. The mother of the two boys had recently been declared disabled and the family's economic stability declined very rapidly. This time period was confusing for the mother who had to support her two children with no job. She immediately sprung into action with the help of extended family and friends to make sure her youngest would be all right. She decided that it would be best to send him off to school in an adjacent town not in the grips of urban decay. As she struggled to stay afloat, urban decay was lurking in the darkness waiting to strike at an unguarded youth. Here is where my story begins. The current despair in the educational system and decline in success of students in the community truly affected my family.
            “Until many more…minority students…are very successful educationally, it will be virtually impossible to integrate our society’s population...completely, especially at leadership levels. Without such progress, the United States also will continue to be unable to draw on the full range of talents in our population during an era when the value of an educated citizenry has never been greater.”  This quote states it best, that without a serious and dedicated effort toward improving the current system, minorities and students from low-income backgrounds will be paralyzed in the business world that our society is centered around. Jay P. Greene (PhD and Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research), in an article entitled “High School Graduation Rates in the United States,” established the correlation between low-income minority students and low graduation rates.  There is also a close correlation between rural areas and much lower graduation rates. Greene found that the graduation rate for minorities in general was very low compared to the national trend. He found that in 1998 the national high school graduation rate was 71%; for African Americans and Hispanics, it was 56% and 54%, respectively. A book entitled Minorities in Higher Education cited the statistic that Hispanic Americans had attained 2.9% of the doctorate degrees in the US in 1991.  This low number is a bad omen for the lower income and minority community.
            Here is the story of my older brother lost in a daze of low graduation rates and the politics of the street.  This had become the fate of Justin. My older brother, who won the science fair during middle school and taught me the meaning of DNA. Deoxyribonucleic Acid, a pillar of life.  Many questions arose in my mind: Why was my brother lost when we both share similar DNA?  Why couldn't he just keep going to school, keep being the perfect role model? But as I battled with my own questions my brother was swept away. A high school dropout, a hustler, a rapper – this was the fate of the older brother. He was a product of the streets. As Justin lost his way, my mother slowly lost her will. She began to lose the fight against urban decay. She was tired and worn out from many hospital visits. She was so exhausted that she even lost a son to the ghetto.  Lost him to the helpless urban community.
            There is a lack of interest in urban school systems.  Surrounding communities and, at times, the government neglect these communities, which are desperate for economic and academic support. In order to develop a solution to the current urban decay, the government and communities must demonstrate an active interest.  The government must budget schools' art programs, new math and science curriculum, and finally develop academic resource programs. The only way to ever improve these school systems must be to show a constant interest in the academic success of inner-city kids.  Furthermore, there is a lack of success in high-need urban communities unlike their suburban, upper class counterparts. This is the one of many major dilemmas pertaining to these issues. The low graduation rates I mentioned previously are indicative of the current urban decay. There is an evident problem and the most efficient thing to do when addressing an issue is to establish the exact dilemma, then determine the causes, and finally draft a resolution or way to fix the current system. The problem is an evident lack in opportunities for low-income households to thrive in the educational systems they are provided within their communities. The causes of this problem are the low budgets, unqualified teachers and facilities, and a scarcity of materials.
            At the age of sixteen, I began a new journey. A strong willed individual and a force to be reckoned with on the academic field. After being moved to a school thirty minutes away from my home, from the urban decay, all my distractions disappeared. New problems arose such as why I was one of only thirteen minorities in the school I was attending. And why isn't everyone from my background privileged enough to have a good education. But as these questions arose they also were squashed by my never-ending thirst for knowledge. I took this opportunity to receive a decent education as a gift.  I quieted my inner voice and learned all I could so one day I could change the world. I became a competitor of sorts battling against the advances of urban decay. I would go home every night waiting for the time that the urban decay would make its strike at me. But I was ready, ready to fight back.  I was a vigilante, fighting every moment against the very beast that took my brother. I volunteered, and tutored other youth in hopes of shielding them from the dark beast. Unfortunately, I would watch all my efforts be rendered useless as more and more youth fell to the streets. So I thought to myself one night that with my academic strengths I could go to a prestigious college and demand respect and eventually come back to my community with a new weapon in hand. So I took out my pen and poured my heart into one application, to one great school. And it was done, I had made my last effort to escape out of the sites of urban decay long enough to get stronger. I sent off the application, and waited for what seemed like an eternity. I was a young scholar waiting day after day just hoping for a good outcome.
            The mother and the two brothers were all weak in their own ways by this time. The mother tired from five spinal surgeries. The older brother a hustler still, but also a father of a beautiful baby girl. Myself a tired scholar. The ending has not come yet for any of us. I was accepted into my college. And now I am preparing for life, and awaiting my next battle with urban decay.