The Impact of Commercialism on BCNY members

A brief commentary

By Walter J. Eddie

Boy Club of New York  

I once had an opportunity to speak with a fashion consultant for a popular company. I asked where this “baggy, unkempt look” came from. I was nonplussed by the answer; it seems as though the fashion industry would, from time to time, send scouts/researchers into urban environments to spy-out what urban kids were wearing and doing that might be of interest to the broader community. In so doing, they stumbled on the “Baggy Look.” What they noticed was that kids were dressed in over-sized worn out clothes that would be better suited for someone twice their size. Of course given the creative imaginations of those in the fashion industry, they quickly named it the “Urban Look.” And it caught on.  

The reality behind the style is far less glamorous then the industry would have us imagine. Most of those kids were wearing “hand-me-downs” that a struggling parent would take from an older sibling and require their youngest members to wear. In other cases, the reality was just as stark, in that the parent(s) would purposely buy clothes several sizes bigger in anticipation of their children growing in leaps and bounds, and not having the money to go to the store and buy new clothes at every spurt of growth their children exhibited. Those growth spurts were exacerbated by the hormone rich fast food diets many of them were exposed to.

The irony is that what was once a simple means of making ends meet, has been morphed by the fashion industry into a costly and debilitating process for urban parents. Where it was simply an issue of receiving hand-me-downs from an older sibling; now the same parent and child would unconsciously be forced into buying the same oversized worn out style from some conveniently located over-priced boutique.   Correspondent Spencer Michels in an article for PBS’s online newsletter states that “Sixty (60) million Americans fall into the 13- to 24-year-old group, and in a booming economy, these kids find the money to spend on trendy items. They spend $103 billion a year. There's been an explosion in stores catering to teens, where a pair of baggy jeans can cost $60 to $80 on the low end. At schools across the nation this so-called "hip hop" style of dress is practically universal.”

A quick snap-shot of the demographic served by the Boys’ Club of New York finds that African and Hispanic Americans represent the bulk of our membership with 55% and 43% respectively.  The balance comprised of Asian or Pacific Islander, and White total a little more then 1%.  Overwhelmingly, 72% our boys come from single female households. The average income varies dramatically from those receiving government assistance; to those considered middle income homes with two breadwinners. What is crystal clear is that neither of these economic groups have the disposable income that can afford to stay abreast of the ever changing trends that the fashion industry is subject to. Currently, we’ve seen a burst of activity in the so called “Urban Market” which has reached fever pitch and is being exploited by individuals that came from many of the same neighborhoods they now prey upon.  FuBu; PNB-Nation; Sean-John; Roc-A-Wear (owned by Jay-Z aka Sean Carter); Phat-Farm by Russel Simmons; Akademics by Don Juan; 10-Deep; Polo; LaCoste; and it didn’t take long before Donald Trump would jump on the bandwagon…Cell phones and Blackberries, once the sole possession of movers and shakers in the field of business, have taken urban communities by storm. One can’t walk through our neighborhoods without seeing younger and younger children hooked on these items.

In the sneaker world things are just as out of control if not more so. We all know about Michael Jordon’s sneaker line, with items ranging from a modest $125.00 to $250 for a pair of sneaks that cost less then a cheap paperback book to make. Recently, the most upsetting and dynamic trend to take root in this industry is the “Throw-Back or Retro style.” It’s a simple matter of old styles being reborn and sold at a premium price. A store strictly dedicated to this phenomenon is the “Flight-Club” with branches located in New York and California. It’s a high-end sneaker store selling retro styles to young consumers. Five Hundred dollars ($500) is a common sale price for a pair of so called limited edition shoes. In the eighties, “Eight Ball Jackets” and expensive sneakers lead to a rash of robberies and murders, given the symbolic value attached to their ownership. In the 21^st Century things are no different. We still read accounts of teenagers been robbed at gun or knife-point for their wears. In speaking to a broad range of members in our East Harlem facility, many speak of the need to own the most expensive clothes, sneakers, jewelry, cars, latest video games, latest RAP artist CD or DVD; or flat screen TV's because they make a statement that you’ve got the cash that allows you to afford them, and that it sets them apart from their neighbors in the projects, which they identify as “the have-nots.” The connection of these products with major celebrities adds to the appeal and approval rating of the trend. If Sean John, Jay-Z or Allen Iverson says “gotta have it,” then “I gotta have it.”  Given their limited resources, many of our teens find themselves focusing on ways to obtain the highly coveted items, most often to the determent of their academic development. Many take on legitimate jobs working long hours to save enough money to buy the expensive clothes and shoes; while others invest the gift of time in the more unsavory occupations of “Slinging Rock” or “Robbing and Stealing” to feed the insatiable need. Furthermore, the culture and climate associated with the Hip-Hop model is often times mean and menacing. The images are often depicted as angry, hostile, and ready to fight at the drop of a hat, and generally for a cause unknown. The impact on our community is such that we in the Youth Development sector are forced to take certain precautions to create safe environments for members to engage in wholesome programs and activities. We’ve taken specific measures to make clear that the negative aspects of the culture will not be allowed in our facilities; no weapons, fighting, cursing, drooping pants, or provocative styles are permitted. Each day we do battle with younger and younger members who have been impacted by the trends and want to bring it into our clubhouses. Our position is firm, either get down with our program and rules or do not enter.

The exploitive nature of the industry is compounded when young men like Sean Combs, Jay-Z and others portray images of splendor and decadent wealth on TV and movie screens that are readily consumed by young and impressionable boys and girls; who are most often home alone after school with television and sugary snacks as their only company. Our aim at BCNY is to provide educational models for members and parents that help them become better and more responsible consumers. As we see it, it’s an uphill battle, given the relentless assault on the minds of young and old alike by radio and television. But we pursue it non-the-less, in that if we don’t, we become co-conspirators in undermining the development of the population we are hired to serve.

Walter J. Eddie currently serves as Director of The Boys’ Club of New York’s Jefferson Park Clubhouse in East Harlem. Mr. Eddie is responsible for the coordination and implementation of all educational and recreation based programs and activities designed specifically for the youth that utilize the facility. Mr. Eddie was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors in Criminal Justice and a Certificate in Business Administration from Mercy College, in Dobbs Ferry, New York. His Master of Science Degree in Education was earned from Herbert H. Lehman College. Mr. Eddie received his Professional Diploma in Supervision and Administration from Fordham University Graduate School of Education.