Running head: ST.

ANDREWS COMMUNITY ANALYSIS 1

Community Analysis of the St. Andrews Community:

Census Tract 104.07

Esme Yarnell & Samantha McDaniel

University of South Carolina

St. Andrews Community Analysis 2

Table of Contents

Introduction…………………….………………………………………….………………………3

St. Andrews History…………………….………………………………………….…………….4

Community Profile………………………………..……………………………………….........5-9

Demographics……………………………………………………………………………..5

Employment/Poverty Status…..……………………….…………………………………..6

Education………………………………………….………………………………………8

Local Government: ………………………………..……………………………………...9

Community Values/Strengths……………………………………………………………………10

Community Issues/Concerns……………………….……………………………………………12

Conclusion………………………………………….……………………………………………14

Addendum………………………………………….…………………………………………….14

References ……………………………………………………………………………………….17
St. Andrews Community Analysis 3

Introduction

The Saint Andrews Community covers census tract 104.07 within the city of Columbia,

South Carolina, Richland County. The U.S. Census Bureau (2010) reference map outlines the

physical boundaries of Census Tract 104.07. The St Andrews community is located within

Richland County and has a total population of 20,493 residents (United States Census Bureau,

2010). According to the American Community Survey Results of 2010, 28.3% of the residents

are Caucasian, while 65.7% are African American, 3.7% of residents are Hispanic or Latino,

2.2% identify as two or more races, and 2% are Asian.

Map of Census Tract 104.07

St. Andrews Community Analysis 4

History

The St. Andrews community in Columbia, SC is technically defined as a census-

designated-place. This means that it has no official legal bounds, but that it holds a significant

concentration of residents within the city of Columbia. This also means that knowledge of

history existing regarding this area is scarce. Therefore, this area background can be understood

best through community insight as well as important landmarks, including Columbia High

School, St. Andrews Park, and the Pine Grove Rosenwald School.

Columbia high school is the high school designated to serve older students in the St.

Andrews area and is found right at the heart of the neighborhood. The school was officially built

in the St. Andrews neighborhood in 1975. The original building was a part of the Columbia

Female Academy beginning in 1816, located closer to the downtown area. The building became

the first public high school in Columbia in 1895 (formerly known as Washington Street School).

Later the building was moved and re-established as Columbia High School in 1915 where it is

now located in St. Andrews (Macy, 1984).

One of the most significant historical landmarks in the St. Andrews area, is the Pine

Grove Rosenwald School. The Rosenwald school building program began in 1912, and was “a

major effort to improve the quality of public education for African Americans in the early 20th-

century South” (Pine Grove Rosenwald School, 2011). The purpose was an attempt to build safe,

healthy, and purposeful school buildings for African American students, who at the time often

went to school in broken buildings without proper desks or chairs. The school was built in 1923,

and designated a Historic Landmark in 2009, as the last Rosenwald school left in the county.

This landmark speaks to a very clear depiction of generational poverty, specifically for African

American students in the south, and how it acted as both a cause and effect on access to
St. Andrews Community Analysis 5

resources, or lack thereof. The St. Andrews park is another space that has existed in the

community dedicated to community involvement, through health and community resources such

as a gym, kitchen, meeting rooms, and other recreational resources.

Through research of the area, the impact of cyclical poverty on community resources has

also been seen through generations of community violence. The St. Andrews area is known for

its reputation as a rougher part of Columbia, with higher rates of crime. Combing through years

of St. Andrews local news, one can see easily how heavily concentrated violent crime rates have

been, consistently in this community. According to realtors familiar with the area, “St. Andrews’

violent crime on a scale from 1 (low crime) to 100, is 83… The U.S. average is 31.1. St.

Andrews’ property crime on a scale from 1 (low) to 100, is 78… The U.S. average is 38.1.”

(Sperlings, 2018). These numbers have been further supported by qualitative communications

with students and employees in the community, noted over the course of generations. This has

created an overall feeling of lack of safety in this area specifically. Students at Columbia High

School, noted hearing “about 5 gunshots every night” (Personal communication, 2018). Students

explained that they have grown up and gotten used to the need to “be ready, at all times” because

at any moment there could be a risk (Personal communication, 2018).

Demographics

The St. Andrews community has a diverse population among their residents. According

to the American Community Survey Results of 2010, 28.3% of the residents are Caucasian,

while 65.7% are African American, 3.7% of residents are Hispanic or Latino, 2.2% identify as

two or more races, and 2% are Asian. The total population of the community is 20,493 people,

with 1,370 residents foreign born. (United States Census Bureau, 2010). There are a total of

9,638 occupied housing units in St. Andrews, 49.8% of which are family households. Out of
St. Andrews Community Analysis 6

these households about 60% of residents live with their own child or a related child under

eighteen years of age.

Within the St. Andrews Community 93.8% of residents were native born and 58.9% were

born in the state of South Carolina. Meaning that more than half of the population were born and

continue to live in South Carolina. 91% of the population speak only English at home and only

5.7% of the population speaks English less than “very well.” According to the Census Bureau

findings, the residents were most likely to trace their ancestry to either German, English, or Irish

decent.

The age groups with the largest populations in St. Andrews are people 20-24 years old

and 25-29 years old, they encompass 12.8% and 11.5% of the community. The median age of a

community member is about 30 years old. Females account for 53.7% of the St. Andrews

Community where as men only account for 46.3% of the community.

Employment/Poverty Status

In the St. Andrews Community, a significant concern is poverty level and factors

that affect cyclical poverty. These factors can be broken down generally into five major

categories: employment, poverty status, public assistance attainment, and the duration of poverty

across generations. Starting with employment, there are 34,671 residents over the age of 16

living in the St. Andrews Community (United States Census Bureau, 2016). Of these residents,

an estimate of 10.3% are unemployed and 57.5% are currently employed. The average annual

income of households is $50,220. The majority of households earn between $50,000 and $74,999

annually (20% of households). Significant numbers of residents earn between $15,000 and

$49,999 annually (48.8% of households). However, it is important to pay attention to the number

of residents who earn less than $15,000 annually, which equals 13.6% of residents currently
St. Andrews Community Analysis 7

employed. 13.6% equals roughly 3,000 residents living on an annual salary of less than $15,000

(United States Census Bureau, 2016).

Within the Census Tract, there are a total of 16,412 households (United States Census

Bureau, 2016). According to the US Census Bureau, 3,020, or 18.4% of these St. Andrews

households are currently receiving government assistance in the form of Food Stamps/SNAP

benefits (2016). In Census Tract 104.7, the majority of households have 1-2 workers (U.S.

Census Bureau, 2016).

To continue the analysis of community disparities, poverty status of families within the

last 12 months should be noted. Within the last year, 28.2% of families living with children

under the age of 18 lived below the poverty line in St. Andrews and 46.1% families received

Supplemental Security Income (SSI), cash public assistance, or Food Stamps/SNAP during the

past year (2012-2016 Community Survey). Most importantly, poverty status of families within

multiple decades should be noted. In the 2000 census, the Census Bureau cites about 3% of the

St. Andrews population to be receiving public assistance, and 765 families, or 9.3% of families

fell below the federal poverty line. For householders who are single mothers, this poverty rate

increases up to 21.1%. The highest percentage of families living in poverty in St. Andrews is

paired with households of single mothers, with children under 5 years -- this was 39.6% (U.S.

Census Bureau, 2000). In 2000, the Census Bureau documented the median household income to

be $36,182, as compared to 2016 which now documents it to be $39, 406 (U.S. Census Bureau,

2016). These numbers display the ways in which poverty is cyclical and its effects can be long

lasting to the community.

When considering the connections between education and poverty, the Census Bureau

cites about 32.4% of individuals (ages 25 and over) living below the poverty level in St Andrews
St. Andrews Community Analysis 8

who have less than a High School degree. In contrast, only 12.9% of people living below the

poverty line in St. Andrews have earned some college or associate’s degree and 14.5% have

earned their high school diploma (U.S. Census Bureau, 2016). This shows that a significant

number of people in St. Andrews are living in poverty and have also not obtained a high school

degree (both a cause and effect of poverty). Across many years, the Census Bureau continuously

cites statistics that show this (U.S. Census Bureau, 2012, 2013, 2014).

Education

The St. Andrews community has faced a lot of difficulties when it comes to their public

education system. The financial status of a community directly impacts the available resources

allocated to the communities public schools. The public elementary, middle, and high schools

that serve the St. Andrews community are all considered title one schools. This has a large

impact on the schools resources for children. A community member and student success

coordinator at Columbia High School, Susan Key explained that “it’s difficult to provide

students with everything they need to succeed in the classroom with the resources we have, so

often times I will spend my own money on items for students or I will work with community

partners to get students the resources they need.” Susan developed a partnership with the local

Bi-Lo in the community, they donate items that would have been thrown by the grocery store to

Susan to give to her students at Columbia High School.

87% of the community has graduated from high school or obtained a higher degree

(United States Census Bureau, 2010). Compared to the Forest Acres community, another suburb

of the greater Columbia area this graduation rate is low. The Forest Acres community has a

97.5% rate of community members who have graduated from high school or obtained a higher

degree. These two communities are no more than 20 minutes from each other by car, yet their
St. Andrews Community Analysis 9

educational attainment varies widely. This is due to the lack of resources in the St. Andrews

community compared to the Forest Acres community (United States Census Bureau, 2010).

When analyzing the statistics associated with education in the St. Andrews community

two patterns became clear. First, a large percentage of students do not complete past their

associates degree after beginning college. Second, African American males obtain high school

diplomas at a significantly lower rate than white males. 45% of males and 58.4% of females in

the community have received their associates degree yet only 13.1% of males and 18.6% of

females obtain their bachelors degree (United States Census Bureau, 2010). There is cause for a

question, why are so many community members stopping their education after their associates

degree, when receiving their bachelors degree could provide them with a significant increase in

pay and job opportunity? Next, white males receive their high school diploma at a rate of 88.1%

where as African American males receive their high school diploma at a rate of 80.7% (United

States Census Bureau, 2010). There is another cause for question here, why are white males

receiving their high school diploma at a rate almost 10% higher than African American males?

Local Government

The St. Andrews community is a part of district one in Columbia, South Carolina. St.

Andrews does not have its own community council. The city council member that represents

district one is Sam Davis. He received his Bachelors of Science degree in Political Science and a

Masters degree in Management/Administration from Webster University. He has also completed

additional studies in Public Administration at the University of South Carolina. Davis is also a

graduate of the Leadership South Carolina Program (City of Columbia, 2018).

The city of Columbia website has detailed information about each town within the city

with links attached taking the user to the towns community council website. Not only does the
St. Andrews Community Analysis 10

St. Andrews community not have their own community council but parts of the town are not

even included in the district map. This is a clear lack of representation for the community. This

lack of participation is not uncommon for the community. Community member Susan Key stated

that, “people in this area sometimes work two jobs just to keep food on the table for their kids, so

political participation is not something really on anyone’s to do list.” It seems that the

community does not have much political representation or participation which is likely a

feedback loop for the two.

Map of St. Andrews Community Council’s Jurisdiction

Community Values and Strengths

St. Andrews is a developing community; there are many resources that exist to help

support the community, including the St. Andrews Park, the Richland Library in St. Andrews,

the Comet bus system, as well as Communities in Schools which serves the dominant

elementary, middle, and high school in the area. Through practice experience, research, and

interviews from citizens in the area, this community has shown itself to uphold very strong
St. Andrews Community Analysis 11

values of independence, resilience, respect, and loyalty. These core values speak to the

community’s overall strengths.

According to social work research from Fraser, Richman & Galinsky, resilience is

defined as unpredicted or markedly successful adaptations to negative life events, trauma, stress,

and other forms of risk” (1999). The social work lens looks at resilience as an incredible

strength, especially among marginalized communities (who also often face more adversity).

Through this lens, social workers can hope to learn and understand what strategies community

members use in order to maintain functioning amongst high levels of stress to inform new

practice models.

The St. Andrews community has historically fallen on the edges of many of Columbia’s

resources and restoration projects. According to many Columbia residents, this gap has been

clear. Lindsey Johnson, a teen resident of Columbia, describes the city overall as “a growing city

with all the shopping, new restaurants and so many businesses coming in”. However, in

mentioning the city’s weaknesses, this area is a focal point. When discussing this region of the

city, Johnson explained her disdain, “I think it’s pretty much the crime, a whole bunch of drugs,

prostitution, poverty” (The State, 2014). While some citizens see this area as a weakness, others

point out the ways in which the city has isolated this area from its resources, “As soon as you get

out of, I call it my ‘downtown bubble,’ there’s all these places with no green spaces and empty

shopping centers, lack of transportation, things like that. So... connecting all those areas to the

pockets that have a lot of those great things is important” (The State, 2014). Despite this lack of

connection, the St. Andrews community has shown an incredible amount of resiliency in

maintaining their own census-designated-place.

St. Andrews Community Analysis 12

Due to this resilience and strength, this community has built a generational foundation

steeped in perseverance and a drive to success, despite barriers. In working through

Communities in Schools in this area, this resilience and perseverance can be observed first hand.

Despite negative stereotypes from outside communities, the ones who live here have a passion to

succeed and incredible creativity to outsmart those barriers. This perseverance and strong-willed

community nature have played a large role in the longevity of this community, and is responsible

for the community’s current resources and programs. Through its resilience, the St. Andrews

community has also cultivated a strong sense of independence and self-sufficiency. In a

discussion regarding the average community citizen, community members explained that

“someone is always going through something in their life, in all aspects” and yet community

members do not ask for help, but rather “do stuff for themselves” (Personal communication,

2018). When asking about strengths in the community, one student interviewee felt that the

community tries to use existing resources to succeed, mentioning an “old sand field” that was

scarcely used, being turned into new apartments” (Personal communication, 2018).

Community Issues and Concerns

All interviews with residents of the St. Andrews community discussed issues of safety in

the community. These issues of safety are related to gun violence, drug abuse, gang involvement,

and local policing. Residents also discussed issues related to lack of funding. Such as, faulty

roads, low performing schools, inadequate access to healthy food, and poorly lit streets. All of

these issues are side effects of a larger problem in the St. Andrews community. Cyclical poverty.

Cyclical poverty is the widespread experience of poverty in a population that is experienced in

limited but cyclical duration (Britannica, 2018).

St. Andrews Community Analysis 13

Cyclical poverty is a complicated cycle with far reaching effects. Education and poverty

are complexly intertwined. Persons affected by poverty typically struggle in three areas,

instability/distress, poor nutrition/health, and poor brain development/cognition. Instability and

distress refers to how a persons home life significantly impacts their performance at work or

school. If a person is not sure where their next meal will come from, then how can they focus on

the school work or job related task at hand. Poor nutrition and health refers to the lack of access

persons who experience poverty have to healthy nutritious food and health care. Poor nutrition

and less access to health care can affect memory, reasoning, attention, emotion regulation, and

impulse control. When a persons physical needs aren’t being met it becomes easy for them to

fall behind in other areas of their life because their ability to function normally is reduced. Brain

development and cognition refers to the effects of poverty on brain health. Poor health and lack

of access to healthy food can lead to distraction, attention deficits, weak vocabulary, and poor

processing skills. (The cycle of education failure and poverty, 2017).

Lastly, community members at Columbia High School were interviewed regarding their

experience growing up in the St. Andrews community. From these interviews it became apparent

that there is an issue of LGBTQ shame, prejudice, and violence. Students discussed their

experiences of being gay in the community, one student stated that “black people don’t like gay

males.” Another student reiterated their peers statement, adding that “as a girl it’s a lot easier to

be lesbian or bisexual in the community, the guys are freaked out by gay dudes.” Additionally,

students described having difficulty telling their family members about their sexual orientation.

The students questioned whether or not their family would still accept them still if they knew

about their sexual orientation.

St. Andrews Community Analysis 14

Conclusion

Through observations, research and personal interviews, it is clear that the St. Andrews

community, specifically Census Tracts 104.07, is an area suffering from the effects of cyclical

poverty and systematic oppression of low income families. Issues related safety are a large

concern for community residents. Gun violence, drug abuse, gang involvement, and local

policing have negatively impacted the community especially residents who are African

American. The community, consists of mostly poor working class families who have a desire to

overcome their circumstances. The youth in this community have showed a motivation to create

a better life for themselves and their families through hard work and education but the lack of

opportunities for these adolescents plagues their ability to achieve their goals.

Addendum

In the St. Andrews community, as previously discussed, cyclical poverty is a

major and prominent social issue in the community that affects education, resources, safety, and

leadership among the area. To address this issue, it is the most practical to begin in the schools.

Adverse Childhood Experiences have shown to have clear effects on growing children that

develop into effect of the community. Implementing ACE (Adverse Childhood Experience)

informed schools within the community and providing students with ACE Scholarships can help

end the cycle of poverty. ACE programs in schools provide students with the intellectual and

emotional skills and knowledge necessary to overcome the difficulties and inherent trauma that

comes from being a child growing up in poverty. ACE scholarships provides low income

families with a student in grades K-12 the opportunity to attend the private schools of their

choice (The Cycle of Educational Failure, 2017).

St. Andrews Community Analysis 15

According to the ACE Response Organization, “effective school ACE Response focuses

on ways to support students' healthy biopsychosocial development” (2018). This could be

implemented in many creative and independent forums, which allows for the St. Andrews

community to really use what is most relevant to presenting issues for each school and age

group. This includes, Sandel Elementary School, St. Andrews Middle School, and Columbia

High School. To kick start this program, educators in the community will be trained on trauma-

informed techniques in schools and how to implement this specifically in working one-on-one

with students. The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed a comprehensive

Child Trauma Toolkit specifically for educators, administration, and staff. This toolkit can act as

an initial guide by which educators can incorporate specialized strategies based on presenting

issues. These trainings should be implemented to all school staff at all school levels. In the St.

Andrews community, many schools already have the resource of Communities in Schools, which

often offers a social work perspective to issues in education and success. ACE Response training

and education for the individuals working in these offices specifically is crucial, as these offices

often work with the most at-risk students.

St. Andrews Community Analysis 16

It is very important to incorporate ACE-informed trainings in schools in the St. Andrews

area in order to begin from the ground up in addressing the cyclical poverty in the community.

The ACEs approach is an evidence-based intervention which incorporates community supports,

emotional intelligence, and holistic educational environments. Schools are merely the vehicle

that leads students, from toddlers into young adults, into engaging in their community from a

place of competence, safety, and wellness. Without ACEs, many students who may not be quite

“at-risk” enough to receive current resources are left to fall through the cracks. Children have

much more opportunity to thrive in an environment conducive to growth, which is stunted when

they lack the resources to process trauma.

St. Andrews Community Analysis 17

References

1) Britannica, T. E. (2017, July 24). Poverty. Retrieved April 05, 2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/poverty#ref223743

2) City of Columbia. Retrieved March 31. 2018. https://www.columbiasc.net/city-

council/council-profiles/sam-davis

3) Columbia High. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2018, from

https://www.richlandone.org/Domain/46

4) Cooper, B. (2014). St. Andrews Park. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
http://richlandcountyrecreation.com/centers/st-andrews-park/

5) Ellis, S. (2014, June 25). Columbia residents share city's strengths, weaknesses. Retrieved
April 02, 2018, from http://www.thestate.com/news/local/article13863257.html

6) Fraser, M. W., Galinsky, M. J., & Richman, J. M. (1999). Risk, protection, and resilience:
Toward a conceptual framework for social work practice. Social Work Research, 23(3),
131-143.

7) Give Your Support: ACEs in Education. (2018). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
http://www.aceresponse.org/give_your_support/ACEs-in-Education_25_68_sb.htm

8) Jones, S. (2018, March). Personal interview.

9) Key, S. (2018, March). Personal interview.

10) Maxey, R. (1984). The Columbia High School story. Columbia, SC: Palmetto Pub.

11) National Child Traumatic Stress Network. (2018, March 26). Child Trauma Toolkit for
Educators. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from https://www.nctsn.org/resources/child-trauma-
toolkit-educators

12) Pine Grove Rosenwald School. (2011). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
http://richlandcountyrecreation.com/rosenwald/index.html
St. Andrews Community Analysis 18

13) Reed, R. (2018, March). Personal interview.

14) Richland Library St. Andrews. (2018). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
http://www.richlandlibrary.com/locations/st-andrews

15) Sperlings. (n.d.). St. Andrews, SC Crime. Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
https://www.bestplaces.net/crime/city/south_carolina/st._andrews

16) Tucker, T. (2018, March). Personal interview.

17) The Cycle of Educational Failure and Poverty. (2017, July 27). Retrieved March 27,
2018, from https://www.stand-together.org/cycle-educational-failure/erences

18) United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2018, from
https://www.census.gov/
19) Ward, B. (2018, March). Personal interview.