EDDIE CONWAY: Like for the last year, since--after I got out of prison, I've been down here trying
to figure out how to make this court whole again in terms of repairing the broken basketball
poles. We got a lot of people that came on board to help us. We got the money to do it,
donations. We got the companies that certified, that qualified to do it. We got the contractors
that's going to actually do the work. The city said we needed to have--the Housing Authority
said we needed to have insurance to do it.
We got the American Friends Service Committee to cover the insurance, indemnity for anybody
that might get hurt or injured while we are repairing this stuff. The official company
that's going to do it has state certification for doing basketball courts. And now the Housing
Authority officials refuse to let us do it because they're worried about the consequences
later.
KEVIN LAWSON: And there's a lot of people around--that live right here wants to fix--.
CONWAY: Let's look at this one over here, because this--it looks like it has a backboard,
but there's--.
LAWSON: There's the backboard on there, but the rim is not there.
CONWAY: But there's no rim there.
LAWSON: You can see the rim's been broken.
GEORGE WAITE: But that's what I mean, but if--but this also should show that we don't
have to necessarily have everybody's cooperation if we just get a little bit of, you know,
I mean help. I mean, it's--I don't know. After today's over and I can--I got a lot of things
to say about what's been going on.
WILLIAM BULLEYE: They used to have rec centers all through the city, you know what I mean?
So when you got out of school you had somewhere to go other than hang out in the streets.
[Which is now] all they've got. They've got no rec centers, nowhere in the city. They
came up with the Boys and Girls club in the county, because you're on the [inaud.] some
kid that might--.
SPEAKER: But that's for the county.
BULLEYE: They ain't got it down here, though.
DARNELL LEE: I been living here almost ten years. I got five kids. And even though there's
no court out here my kids still come out and play. You know, they might throw the ball
up on the hoop. This one don't have none, that don't have none. You know, it'll be great
because the kids still play over here regardless of what's over here. This is like a playground
for them, but it's nothing over here. So they got to bring their own--you know, whatever
they want to play with.
JANET COTTRELL: I think this is nice. The children need somewhere to come and play.
It's a good start for us. I think it'll bring a lot of peace and happiness. And I'm glad
y'all came in and helped us out. Because we [in housing] whatever. But I appreciate y'all
being here. I really do. I really do.
JAMES BRESWELL: It's always good to help out with your community, man. You know, so much
going on as far as with [pigs] and the system and you know, children and youth generations
after generations coming up--you know man, it's always a pleasure to help out. But I
appreciate y'all coming around here, man. You know, helping out as much as we, assisting
y'all, you know. Any time y'all come around here and help out with the kids, you know
what I'm saying. Far as with us--you know, and they got some tending to, the community,
you know what I mean.
CONWAY: It's taken years. This court has been in disrepair. We have been in contact with
people in the City Hall. In the City Council. Officials, et cetera. Nothing was done. Finally
people decided to do it themselves. This is the result of it. And there's still two more
left to be done, we're going to do it. But we want to see that the young people in this
area have someplace to play other than on an empty court.