summer after I graduated high school and directly saw the results of the rioting that occurred upon the assassination of Martin Luther King, I have not had bullets flying through my home or gangs walking my streets.  I am admittedly ignorant when it comes to direct experience of which you have written.  I can only rely on books and movies to gain a small perspective.  One such movie that I recommend for an installation of spiritual hope is FINDING FORRESTER.
http://www.imdb.com/title/t t0181536/

Is it at all an accurate portrayal of life?

"Finding Forrester" is the story of Jamal Wallace's life in the rough world of the inner city. Although Jamal is intellectually gifted, he puts little effort into his schoolwork to avoid criticism from his friends. On a dare, he sneaks into a recluse's apartment and, to his surprise, befriends the inhabitant. The man helps Jamal with his writing, in exchange for Jamal keeping a secret: the man is William Forrester, the secluded author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Avalon Landing, his only published book. When a highly selective private school, Mailor Callow, sees Jamal's test results, he is offered a scholarship. Jamal accepts, although it is a major culture shock to go to this elite school. He is immediately befriended by a board member's daughter and becomes a prominent figure on the school's basketball team, which eases the transition.

Later, a professor named Crawford accuses Jamal of plagiarism because he handed in a re-written essay of one of Forrester's works that was published in a magazine back in the days. The essay had been written by Jamal in Forrester's apartment, and despite the fact that he was told to keep anything he wrote in Forrester's house in Forrester's house, he turned it in. In the end, Forrester pays a surprise visit to the school to address the professor's accusations in person, and reads Jamal's apology letter in order to prove his innocence.

by gatekeeper50 on 02/12/2009 05:53:02 PM EST