Haughville, a working-class community on the city’s west side, is a place known to many for varying reasons. For some, the name is shrouded in infamy due to violence and poverty rates, but the residents who know the area and love it best wear their neighborhood affiliation like a badge of honor.
Teddrick Hardy is a Haughville kid. Though he says many would see his exterior and take him to be a “thug,” the 28-year-old is a whole lot more than what meets the eye. He’s a business owner, a former professional basketball player and, respectability markers aside, a product of his environment, as evidenced by his actions and the tattoo covering part of his forearm. Hardy, like many of his friends and contemporaries, loves the neighborhood he grew up in. It’s that same love that forced Hardy and others to mobilize when they saw things going downhill.
Teddrick HardyTimothy Saffold
About 10 weeks ago, Hardy and a group of his friends decided to meet up at Lentz Park, near Traub and Lynn streets, to clean up the area. They’d recently had a conversation about mental health awareness, the city’s crime rate and the lack of resources for youth. He says the park where he and his neighbors spent hours perfecting their jump shots had become an unsafe dumping ground.
“It was an area, filled with beds, bikes, dressers … it looked like people were just throwing things there when they moved or bought new stuff, they would just throw it in the park. As we got older, it got worse and worse,” Hardy said.
The group met up to clean the park and on the following Sunday, Hardy and the rest of the squad hosted a simple barbecue as a thank you. The gathering soon spun off into a weekly event attracting nearly 100 people. Recently, the loose collective of volunteers dubbed themselves Urban Activation and solidified their mission: empowering and motivating impoverished youth through self-efficacy to reduce crime. They also aim to provide a clean and safe environment to facilitate healthy social and educational workshops that create friendships and support groups in urban neighborhoods.
Hardy admits he was initially nervous, but seeing the rapid growth and interest from young people, residents and others has motivated him. “I thought it was a lost cause, trying to get the park back. … (That park) kept me out of trouble. It kept the crime rate low. For me and my friends growing up, it helped us build friendships.
“(Today,) everybody is (keeping) to themselves and I feel like that’s why they don’t like each other. A lot of the youth violence happens because I don’t know you and you don’t know me,” he said.
He shared that the first Sunday gathering was a bit rough — many of the youth were using foul language and wouldn’t follow the instructions of organizers. Last Sunday was a completely different story. Urban Activation volunteer Brandon Proffitt, owner of Basketball Life Enhancement, ran a group of children ranging in age from 7-12 through basketball drills. Onlookers noted the necessity of his admonitions to the children to keep their focus on the task at hand.
A few feet away Derrick Bush, another volunteer, stood over a smoking grill, flipping burgers and hotdogs in nearly 90-degree weather. He beamed when asked why he was spending his afternoon at the park.
Derrick BushEbony Marie Chappel
“This is my passion right here,” he said. “We’re going to make sure these little ones are OK. We were a little skeptical at first because we’re in the neighborhood. Something could happen, but we’re going 10 weeks strong with no drama. No B.S. We handling business and we’re out here doing good things for these kids.”
Haughville Neighborhood Association President Francetta Peterson knows well the satisfaction and sacrifice that comes with community work. She grew up in the area and has remained a resident throughout her life. About a decade ago, she found herself on the frontlines, advocating for something to be done with the overwhelming number of boarded up homes on her block. Peterson has led efforts to bring more lighting to the area, add beautification elements and assist homeowners in making sure their properties are up to code. One project, done in partnership with the Indianapolis Fire Department and funds from a CICF Crime Prevention Grant, involved giving property owners in need glow-in-the-dark address numbers for their homes.
Peterson said her passion and that of people like Hardy is a necessity to the area’s survival.
Submitted Photo
“If we don’t do it, who will? We are the ones who use these facilities and look at them, so why would we want to look at something so horrible?” she asked. “A lot of us are walkers, so why would you want to walk through trash all the time? Why not take care of what you got until you can get better? If you can’t buy better or wait until you can get better, take care of what you got.
“The truth is, we are one of the quietest, loving, family-oriented (neighborhoods). We are rich in resources,” she said, noting the area’s proximity to the bus line, downtown attractions, parks, a library and a grocery store.
She added that part of that taking care includes alerting the city to issues that need to be addressed, getting involved and changing the narrative of Haughville from one of danger and despair to that of renewed fervor.
Hardy says with the group taking ownership of the park, he’s seen violent confrontations decrease, as many residents view the park as a sanctuary or neutral ground where no conflict can take place.
“For the last 20 years, (residents) from Lynn Street to Belmont have covered that park. From the lines on the court, we spray painted them to the nets, cleaning, cutting the grass. In my experience, that is what I saw growing up,” he said. “The homeowners that lived around kept it up before people came in and started bringing it down, and that’s where I’m at. By me having a voice, I want to bring it back to where they had it.”
Hardy shared that he plans to expand Urban Activation to a more formalized organization with year-round programming but, for now, the focus is on making his neighborhood a place everyone can be proud to call home. Each Sunday, they will continue hosting workshops for the children and passing out free meals.
“We’re definitely not going to be the best area,” said Hardy. “But we’re definitely going to clean it up, and it’s going to be an area people won’t be afraid of.”
Professional trainer Brandon Proffitt volunteers a few hours each Sunday to train area youth at Haughville’s Lentz Park. In recent weeks, a group of Haughville residents has provided free food and activities for young people in the community. (Photo/Ebony Marie Chappel)
Ebony Marie Chappel
