Local minister says Penn disregards its community

The Rev. Marshall ShepardThe Rev. Marshall Shepardsays University cooperationThe Rev. Marshall Shepardsays University cooperationcan solve local problems. Having lived and worked in West Philadelphia for 30 years, the Rev. Marshall Shepard has seen the neighborhood change and evolve. As a prominent minister in the community, Shepard often has harsh criticisms of the University's role in the neighborhood. Shepard, pastor of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Tabernacle Church on 42nd and Wallace streets, blames Penn for recent crime and ill-will from neighborhood residents, saying the University treats the community as an enemy. "The University has never involved itself in any meaningful way with the neighborhood," said Shepard, who has served as the church's minister since 1967. "There has always been a wall -- literally and figuratively -- between the University and its surrounding community." Shepard, who said he was "programmed to be an activist," is the son of the late Rev. Marshall Shepard, Sr., a close friend of Martin Luther King and the first pastor of Mt. Olivet. A prominent civil rights activist, Shepard also serves on the boards of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Congress of Black Churches. He complained that the University has shown a complete disregard for the effect its expansion into West Philadelphia has on the community. Pointing to a lack of University capital investment in West Philadelphia, Shepard accused Penn of refusing to share its resources with the community. For example, he said, the University has not provided quality jobs on its payroll for residents or granted significant business contracts to local firms. "What the community needs is an infusion of capital," Shepard said. "That would be to the advantage of the community and the University." In Shepard's opinion, a lack of partnership with the University has resulted in unemployment and financial hardship in West Philadelphia. This, in turn, encourages crime against students, he said. He said when area residents become desperate, they often turn to criminal action. University students, who are perceived by the community as wealthy, become the target. And more interaction -- particularly financially -- between the University and its neighborhood may alleviate the problem. "If Penn were truly involved in the community, [crime] would solve itself," Shepard said. "They have got to spend some money to do it. "Penn would build up goodwill -- where people would not only care but feel protective towards Penn students," Shepard added. "This does not need academic studies -- studies are crap -- it needs action." Shepard put the issue into a national context by focusing on the relationship between crime and racism. "The problem with this country is racism -- and by that I mean a lack of opportunities for certain people," Shepard explained. "When people don't have opportunities, what are they going to do? I don't care whether it is Bosnia or Baltimore -- the result is the same. "We get so uptight about crime, but we don't mind at all if somebody is hungry or can't get an education," he added. Shepard also criticized the lack of student-community interaction, claiming students are not familiar enough with the community and are therefore fearful of West Philadelphia. Shepard cited racial tension within the student body that he thinks can be traced to dorms like W. E. B. DuBois College House, which allow for self-segregation. He criticized both students who choose to segregate themselves and the University for allowing such behavior, calling the system "enforced apartheid." But Shepard said he is optimistic about the future, noting that relations have improved since the hiring of University President Judith Rodin and Vice President for Government, Community and Public Affairs Carol Scheman. Scheman said she enjoys working with Shepard, who she called a "legend in the community and a moving force in the civil rights movement." However, Scheman said she does not agree with Shepard's claims that the University does not invest enough in West Philadelphia. "There is always more one can do," Scheman said. "But I can not agree that we are underinvesting in the community. "Problems in urban America go far beyond the ability of one institution to solve," she added. Shepard said he would like to see more University scholarships for promising neighborhood students. He also advocated establishing a permanent joint University-neighborhood committee, as well as programs in cultural and environmental studies that would include field work in West Philadelphia. Shepard said West Philadelphia residents have much to offer students. For example, they could share their experiences with Anthropology and Sociology majors. He expressed a firm belief that pooling resources between the University and the community would benefit both parties. "The merger of the resources of the University and the resources of the community offer fertile ground for economic and social gain," he said. Scheman agreed that interaction with the community is vital to the University. "Certainly the opportunities for getting to know our neighbors should not be underestimated," she said. Shepard and his congregation have done much for the community on their own. The 95-year-old Mt. Olivet Church also houses a day care center, apartments for the elderly and handicapped and a community center -- all named for the Rev. Shepard Sr. "It is beautiful just to keep on fighting the good fight," Shepard said. "But sometimes you would like to get things done without a fight."

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