Why I Don’t Care About My Neighborhood’s Bad Reputation
A Lifelong Watts Resident on the Perception, and the Reality, of the Much Maligned Area
Is there really something wrong with Watts? Or have we just taught ourselves to think that way?
I grew up in Watts, and for as long as I can remember I have been hearing negative stories about the community from family, friends, and the people I knew. At a very early age I learned that the crime rate was high, that the neighborhood was drug-infested, that the schools were hopeless, and that Watts was home to many ills.
I heard so much about its dangers that I planned my life around …
