▁positive . ▁The ▁African - American ▁gh ett os ▁did ▁not ▁always ▁contain ▁dil ap id ated ▁houses ▁and ▁d eter ior ating ▁projects , ▁nor ▁were ▁all ▁of ▁its ▁residents ▁pover ty - str icken . ▁For ▁many ▁African ▁Americans , ▁the ▁gh etto ▁was ▁" home ", ▁a ▁place ▁representing ▁authentic ▁" black ness " ▁and ▁a ▁feeling , ▁passion , ▁or ▁em otion ▁derived ▁from ▁the ▁rising ▁above ▁the ▁struggle ▁and ▁suffering ▁of ▁being ▁of ▁African ▁descent ▁in ▁America . ▁ ▁Lang ston ▁Hugh es ▁rel ays ▁in ▁the ▁" N eg ro ▁Gh etto " ▁( 1 9 3 1 ) ▁and ▁" The ▁Heart ▁of ▁Har lem " ▁( 1 9 4 5 ): ▁" The ▁buildings ▁in ▁Har lem ▁are ▁brick ▁and ▁stone / And ▁the ▁streets ▁are ▁long ▁and ▁wide , / But ▁Har lem ' s ▁much ▁more ▁than ▁these ▁alone , / Har lem ▁is ▁what ' s ▁inside ." ▁Play w right ▁August ▁Wilson ▁used ▁the ▁term ▁" gh etto " ▁in ▁Ma ▁Ra ine y ' s ▁Black ▁B ottom ▁( 1 9 8 4 ) ▁and ▁F ences ▁( 1 9 8 7 ), ▁both ▁of ▁which ▁draw ▁upon ▁the ▁author ' s ▁experience ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁the ▁Hill ▁District ▁of ▁Pitts burgh , ▁an ▁African - American ▁gh etto . ▁ ▁Although ▁African - American ▁neighborhood s ▁may ▁suffer ▁from ▁civ ic ▁dis in vest ment , ▁with ▁lower - quality ▁schools , ▁less - effect ive ▁polic ing ▁and