Five Points is a bit of an interest of mine. We stopped there on the second Urban Hike, I've read several books about it, and I find its history a useful guide. Knowing about Five Points allows us to see how far we've come economically, spiritually, socially and politically. It is an indication of how much we've improved our lives, in a broad, general sense. When people say "things never are getting better" I remind them of Five Points. I'll mention Dickens. I'll mention the death of a president's son due to a staph infection in the 20th century (remember, a president in 1924 was getting some of the best medical care at the time). There may be some places in the U.S which are bad, but it's hard to say they are as bad as Five Points was, even in a relative sense.
It is easy to look back over periods of our life and see some things, particular to ourselves individually, and say "things are worse" while ignoring larger trends which clearly point to overall improvements. This is one reason small sample sizes should be considered, but not used as yardsticks. Many fall in for small sample sizes to 'prove' points which are often untrue.
All that said, Five Points is a wonderful place and time to learn about. The horrors of its existence, but also the great gains and learnings which took place during and after its existence are what make the U.S. a great nation. My own ancestors, the Irish, made up a good portion of the people living there. At the time, the Irish could realistically call themselves 'discriminated against' - but life was so much better than where they came from, all they focused on was moving forward. This isn't to say any discrimination should be supported or approved. Certainly not. But there are ways to recognize life is improving and getting better while also pushing back on behaviors and opinions which are misguided and drag us all down.
Having read Tyler Anbinder's excellent book, I'll recommend this virtual book talk. As I mentioned early on, some good things have come out of lockdowns. Not many, but virtual events of this and other type have been quite wonderful.
