Code of the Street

Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City

By: Elijah Anderson

Narrated by: Vince Bailey

Inner-city Black America is often stereotyped as a place of random violence; in fact, violence in the inner city is regulated through an informal but well-known code of the street. How you dress, talk, and behave can have life-or-death consequences, with young people particularly at risk.

The most powerful force counteracting this code and its reign of terror is the strong, loving, decent family, and we meet many heroic figures in the course of this narrative. Unfortunately, the culture of the street thrives and often defeats decency because it controls public spaces, so that individuals with higher, better aspirations are often entangled in the code and its self-destructive behaviors.

Writing in the tradition of Jane Jacobs and William Julius Wilson, the author delineates the true workings of city streets. His most interesting characters are not the bullies and dealers, but the decent folks, young and old, who through entrepreneurship and creative self-help strategies are forging a viable alternative, an escape from the code of the street.

Winner of the Komarovsky Book Award, this incisive book examines the code as a response to the lack of jobs that pay a living wage, to the stigma of race, to rampant drug use, to alienation and lack of hope. An individual's safety and sense of worth are determined by the respect he commands in public - a deference frequently based on an implied threat of violence. Unfortunately, even those with higher aspirations can often become entangled in the code's self-destructive behaviors.

©1999 Elijah Anderson (P)2014 Audible Inc.

Still a great read in 2021

A long story about how F*cked up society is for about half the population in the US.

Great very insightful

The cognitive dissident involved in knowing right from wrong but still trying to adhere to the code of the streets is very well explained

Awesome research

This really gives me a better understanding of life in some of the most impoverished communities. I teach in S.E. Washington D.C and this definitely helps me cope with the way students operate. Thank you so much Mr. Anderson, I am looking forward to more of your books.

2nd half is worth reading the 1st half

The buildup and background information was a bit slow and took a long time. I almost stopped reading a few times until the book finally turned. The last half of the book is a very personal look at the factors outlined in the beginning. The ending is very powerful.

I am from Philly. I can relate!

The stories in this book were so compelling. I’m from Philly. I grew up during the era this story was told in. I could almost envision the things he was talking about. There are many people that I could recommend this book to.
The only issue I had was the narrator was speaking so slowly that it made the story hard to listen to. My solution was listening at 1.5 speed.

Listen on double speed!

Not sure if this option is available on non-Apple devices but if you are a lucky user of iPhone or iPod, listen to this book on double speed (click on a little red "speed" line in the bottom right corner of your screen). Then it's perfect!!! The book is absolutely riveting, deep, and thought-provoking. Changes your views by adding new perspectives. Totally worth it!

Great

Very detailed ethnography of the marginalized black population in Philly with potential solutions to remedy the issues the community faces.

very well written

an intense listen but full of information, personal stories and experiences that make for an unforgettable and compelling read. clear and powerful

ok book

i needed this book for a class. the narrator talked so slow i had to listen to it at double speed.

The Intruths of the areas

The negative portrayal of Philadelphia’s African American neighborhoods. The negative stereotypes of African Americans that do live in these low income areas. I worked in some of these areas as a Philadelphia Olive Officer for a number of years and I do not agree with his portrayal of the African American community. I could not finish this book! This book is a portrayal for people who do not know these areas. It caters to negative connotations about the “Hood”. The book did have some truth in it but overall I found the book offensive and an exaggeration of African American life in these communities discussed.