Sana Ansari

11/13/13
HEA 603
Ethnographic Interview Paper: Walltown, Durham Neighborhood
Neighborhood
The Walltown community is located between Downtown Durham and the I-85 highway
corridor. It is north of Duke University and borders several Duke student homes. The community
is predominately African American, with a growing Latino and Caucasian population. There are
several convenience stores and churches, but the community lacks grocery stores and public
schools. Walltown has a history of receiving outside community support from Duke University
and various organizations such as Self-Help.
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to learn about the needs of Walltown and how
community organizations within Walltown are addressing them by either working by themselves,
with other Walltown organizations, and with external agencies. Walltown is a historically African
American neighborhood that suffered from crime, high vacancy rates, and dilapidated homes.
During the 1990s, Self-Help partnered with Walltown to provide housing renovations, and Duke
University began funding different community projects and continues to have a visible presence
in the community. The intended audiences are Walltown community leaders and external
organizations that could become potential funding sources.
Methods
Our group focused on gathering perspectives from churches and the recreational center
agencies that we believed held important positions within the neighborhood and exerted
influence over Walltown residents. Each group member was responsible for contacting her

interviewee, and interviewees were selected based on their positions within their respective
organizations and through recommendations from a church secretary. Each informant was
interviewed in pairs with one group member asking questions and another member taking and
transcribing notes. Each interview followed a similar structure and responses were grouped
together based on themes.
Results
The major themes that emerged in the interviews are issues of racial profiling, mental
health and substance abuse concerns, Duke Universitys involvement with Walltown, and how
agencies address health concerns.
Racial Profiling
Racial profiling is viewed as a growing problem in Walltown. Jonathan Wilson Hargrove
from the Rutba house believes that mistrust of the police is common within [Walltown], as
police often stop people for petty issues such as stopping a few feet after a stop sign, and then
ordering a drug search of the individual or vehicle (2013). As a result, there is a clear tension
between community residents and the police. Wilson has requested mediation meetings with the
chief of police, but so far his attempts have been unsuccessful. He would like to see increased
university involvement in providing research and reframing racial profiling as a community
problem and not simply a law enforcement issue.
Pastor Daniels from St. Johns Baptist Church echoed similar sentiments regarding racial
profiling, however he organized a workshop with the NAACP president, Durham police officers,
the mayor, and the Walltown community. The goal of the workshop was to provide a forum for
community members to speak and discuss their thoughts on racial providing and to create a
committee who will work with the police. Pastor Daniels adds, I wanted the mayor and police to

know that we dont want them to mistreat community residents [] young people are always
being targeted (2013).
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Issues
All of our church representatives discussed mental health and/or substance abuse issues
found among residents and their congregations. Walltown has a history of crime and drug
violence. Although crime rates have gone down, drug activity is still a problem, but most of it
has been taken off the streets and goes on how in homes (Wilson, 2013). Pastor Daniels
mentioned that the police sometimes turn a blind eye towards drug issues. He also said that one
house in particular is known to be a place for drug business, and he has visited it several times to
intervene and talk with people there.
There is a connection between substance abuse and mental health concerns. Wilson said
that residents resort to drugs because of mental health issues brought about by social and
economic situations (2013). Residents with mental health issues have nowhere to turn to for
support, and they may end up in prison which can exacerbate their mental health issues. Mental
health concerns have been found among older people as well. Anne from Watts Street Baptist
Church has seen the prevalence of mental health concerns among her elderly congregation.
Dukes Involvement in Walltown
Duke University has had a presence in Walltown for decades. In 1997, Walltown church
leaders received a grant from Duke Endowment to purchase a building and form the Walltown
Neighborhood Ministry (Daniels, 2013). Juann Jones from the Walltown Recreational Center
said that Duke provides a lot of monetary support. He said that everyone knows Sam from
Duke; although he does not know what Sams position is at Duke, Sam is visible within the

community. Duke has also been involved with health services, such as partnering with another
church to provide free medical diagnostic medical testing for one weekend.
Addressing Health Concerns
All interviewees mentioned unique ways in which their agencies address health concerns.
The Walltown Recreational Center provides basketball competitions, fitness classes, cooking
demonstrations, and exercise machines for individual use. Watts Street Baptist Church offers
yoga classes where participants pay a small fee. Anne used to provide hands-on, intervention
based care [by] helping older members of [her] congregation think of options for medical care
(2013). St. Johns Baptist Church provides health assessments that are conducted by a retired
nurse. The church also offers classes on diabetes, hypertension, prescription drug counseling, and
pre-surgery counseling.
Discussion
Other themes that emerged include access to healthy foods and sustainable employment.
Interviewees mentioned that the lack of a grocery store in Walltown is a barrier to accessing
healthy foods. Some residents walk to the Kroger that is north of Walltown. The nearest grocery
store is Whole Foods, and residents do not shop here since they do not want their entire
disposable income going towards their groceries. The presence of convenience stores and several
shut down businesses reflects the plaguing economy of the neighborhood. Walltown is in need of
sustainable businesses that can employ members of the community.
It would be helpful to hear the polices perspective on racial profiling and on what terms
and conditions would they be willing to work with community leaders to find a common ground.
We would also like to learn more about Dukes relationship with Walltown and how/why funding
has changed over the years. We would also like to gather feedback from community residents

and what their views are on Dukes involvement with Walltown, how they feel about racial
profiling, and how they think community leaders can address these issues.
Conclusion
The church secretary mentioned that Walltown provides a plethora of programs to address
health needs, keep residents away from drugs and violence, and promote communal relations.
However, these programs have a negligible effect if there are not enough jobs to keep people
mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy and off the streets. Therefore, Walltown needs to
have a revitalization of its economy, and community leaders should think of ways to empower
community members to achieve self-sufficiency and sustainable employment.
There is an identified need for increased programming that can address the needs
mentioned by community leaders (racial profiling, substance abuse, mental health). However,
consistent funding is needed to keep programs running. Interviewees mentioned that several
funded programs came to an abrupt end when funding sources depleted, particularly the
programs held at the Walltown Neighborhood Ministries. Potential funding sources should be
expanded to include other agencies, and funders and community leaders should be able to work
together to outline substantive outcomes of programs, the duration of funding, and the feasibility
of having programs running without funding.