Neighbors Celebrate Family and Youth Peace Day
Along with my collaborator Gloria Smith of the Black Star Project, I am pleased to share an update from the 2019 Family and Youth Peace Day. This project is one of eight projects the Chicago Peace Fellows collaboratively designed and supported to put our principles and insights into practice to build peace over the summer.
What has your team accomplished over the past two weeks?
There were over 200 people participating in the event on June 27! There were several organizations from Bronzeville involved. Chicago Cares coordinated the planning, Chicago Youth Programs on 54th and Prairie was the site of all activities, the Community Builders had a table offering affordable housing, Pastor Chris Harris of the Bright Star Church brought a bus load of youth from Kenwood, Cigna brought 60 volunteers who played games with young people, prepared lunch, and built five raised garden boxes. 2016 Ma’at helped with these projects and helped build planters while seniors from our asset mapping project came and participated. The event started at 10 am and ended at 3 pm.
All Bronzeville organizations described their programs and all present felt the event was successful.
What have you learned?
Organized groups that keep their commitments can be very impactful in very resource challenged communities.
What is coming up that's important?
In the coming week, we will begin installing block club signs and planning for additional Family and Youth Day celebrations. We need all the help we can get.
How can other Peace Fellows or the community support you?
As we complete our asset mapping and begin planning what the community wishes to see built in their community, some of GATHER staff may be helpful in creating the plan!!! If there are Peace Fellows or neighbors who have built housing or created community plans, they also could be helpful.
Peace Fellows visit Field Museum to Explore Role of Race in Peacebuilding
The Chicago Peace Fellows visited the Field Museum of Natural History on June 19, 2019, for a guided tour of the "Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina Hoffman" and discussion on the theme of the Role of Race and Representation in Peace Building with museum staff.
The exhibit brings to the public the controversy around the collection of bronze statues created by artist Hoffman in 1933, depicting people from different cultures across the globe, men and women, indigenous as well as white Europeans, including busts as well as figures in dramatic poses and conducting daily activities such as agriculture and hunting. The exhibit, originally called “The Races of Mankind,” was popular for decades, but later became the subject of a national anti-racism campaign and ultimately was put into storage. Recently, in an effort to account for the past and improve the museum’s connection with Chicago’s communities, the statues were brought out of storage and placed in a new context that features explanatory signs recounting the statues’ divisive history, and the Peace Fellows were asked by museum staff to provide their comment and critique.
The Field Museum’s Alaka Wali, curator of North American Anthropology, and Jacob Campbell, an urban environmental anthropologist with the Keller Science Action Center, hosted Fellows Frank Latin, Dawn Hodges, Pamela Phoenix, Jackie Moore, Jamila Trimuel, Gloria Smith and Robert Biekman along with GATHER alumnus Raymond Richard as well as photo artist Cecil M Donald; Deborah Bennett, senior program officer at the Polk Bros. Foundation; Kristen Mack, senior communications officer at the John D. and MacArthur Foundation; John Zeigler, director of the Egan Office of Urban Education and Community Partnerships at DePaul University; artist Mike Bancroft; and a delegation from the Goldin Institute led by Founder and Board Chairwoman Diane Goldin; Executive Director Travis Rejman; Chief of Staff Oz Ozburn; Delasha Long, media and content specialist; and Burrell Poe, coordinator of the Chicago Peace Fellows.
The meeting took place on Juneteenth, the anniversary of the date many African Americans discovered they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, and Alaka and Jacob welcomed the group in a Maori House built in 1881 on Tokomaru Bay, one of only four such Maori meeting houses outside of New Zealand. Jacob explained that the Field had acquired the house without consulting its Maori builders, but as the culture within the museum changed, they sought out leaders of the Tokomaru Bay communities and developed a relationship with them, ultimately securing permission to keep the house at the institution, albeit with instructions on how to properly respect and care for the structure.
[quote]“The Field Museum was built as a colonial institution. The question about this exhibit and ‘The Races of Man’ is ‘Do they transcend that colonial burden?’ And how do we make them transcend? How do we repurpose an old and problematic collection?” -- Alaka Wali[/quote]
The group then toured “Looking at Ourselves: Rethinking the Sculptures of Malvina Hoffman,” as Alaka explained the statues had originally been used for “an explicitly racist purpose” despite the ambivalence of the artist, with the statues arranged in a way to show a purported hierarchy of human ‘types.’ Once prevalent among intellectuals, the idea of an evolutionary hierarchy among humans was thoroughly discredited as racist, and the exhibit was put away in 1969. But in 2016, the statues were restored and placed back on display with explanatory signs.
The Peace Fellows and the Field staff then returned to the Maori House for an extensive conversation. Frank Latin began by citing a recent study about Contract Buying in Chicago entitled "The Plunder of Black Wealth in Chicago” by Samuel DuBois at the Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University and mentioned a forthcoming documentary about the topic from filmmaker Bruce Orenstein, artist in residence at Duke. Contract Buying was a discriminatory practice of home selling that cost tens of thousands of African American families somewhere between $3.2 to $4 billion during the 1950s and 1960s.
[quote]“I’m seeing how much institutions like this contributed to what we see today. We’re dealing with the after-effects.” -- Frank Latin, Chicago Peace Fellow[/quote]
Cortez Watson, a new staff member of The Black Star Project, mentioned the Black List series on HBO as a useful counter-narrative to “The Races of Man,” noting that Volume One is available without charge on Vimeo.
Robert said that he was particularly affected by one statue, a bust of Ota Benga, an African man who had been placed in a cage in the Bronx Zoo in 1906 before protests led by African American-owned newspapers and advocacy organizations forced his release. As a resource, Robert recommended a book by African American advertising executive Tom Burrell entitled "Brainwashed" and a video discussing his work.
“We need to continue the struggle,” Robert said. “The struggle is real and deep.”
Jackie Moore said she was disappointed with the exhibit’s efforts at contextualization and worried that the statues were only perpetuating rather than dispelling stereotypes. She also urged the Field Museum to ensure that its admission prices were not preventing members of the community from seeing its exhibits. “All I saw was a different flavor of the same ice cream,” Jackie said.
[quote]“It makes me think, ‘What scientific racism are we being fed today? -- Deborah Bennett, Polk Bros. Foundation”[/quote]
GATHER alumnus Raymond Richard recounted his personal journey through the criminal justice system to advocate for rights and opportunities for returning citizens, and said the exhibit opened his eyes to the historical challenges faced by African Americans, particularly African American women.
“We don’t know our history,” Ray said. “If young people knew, they might make change.”
DePaul’s John Ziegler said the exhibit raised many important questions, especially “How do we begin to disrupt this narrative?”
“The thing that is really disturbing is that this is the Field Museum – you’re supposed to come here to learn something.”
Jamila Trimuel discussed a statue of a young Ethiopian woman, whose hair was braided in a style similar to that used by African American women today, explaining that American corporate culture continues to discriminate against African American women while American culture as a whole defines African American women as unattractive. “We have not grown,” Jamila said. “I could not have worn the hair style my sister rocked all those years ago.”
Dr. Pamela Phoenix said she was particularly disturbed by a statue of a naked white European man in an athletic pose.
“It looked like he was the hero,” Pamela said. “I thought, ‘Not this story again.’”
Several participants mentioned the connection to the conversation around reparations and the testimony of Ta-Nehisi Coates at the House of Representatives and his Case for Reparations from the June 2014 issues of The Atlantic, while others noted the resonance with the ongoing debate to remove Confederate Statues across the country.
Chicago Park District Explores Partnerships with Peace Fellows
On June 18, 2019, the Chicago Peace Fellows met with Derrick Faulkner, the Area Manager, and Art Richardson, the Regional Director, from the Chicago Park District. Together they held an open discussion of how the places and programs of the Park District can be used to further peace building and violence prevention over the summer. Art opened the conversation by acknowledging that "outreach is not engagement" and that the Park District relies on partnerships with community leaders like the Peace Fellows to authentically hear from the community and to establish collaborations that respond to the challenges and aspirations of all Chicagoans.
The Fellows were excited to learn about the Park District's "Summer Pass" initiative which allows one child per pass to attend any of their neighborhood Parks' summer programs free of charge. The Park District is rolling out this pilot program in specific west and southside parks to bolster participation and provide opportunities for youth who might not otherwise afford the fees of summer programs.
Each Fellow was also given a Summer Pass to pass out to a member of their communities.
[quote] "We measure success not by how much money we bring in, but by the number of children we serve. No family will be turned away from Park programs because of an inability to pay. We'll make it work for families." -- Art Richardson, Regional Director[/quote]
Art and Derrick spoke about the other free programming the Park District offers throughout the city, including initiatives like free music and art programs in Lawndale and mentoring and leadership camps. Such programming is paid for by large city events like Lollapalooza, through sponsorship from large companies such as Nike and LL Bean, or through partnerships with institutions such as the Lincoln Park Zoo.
Peace Fellow Robert Biekman asked how the Park District sought to "build community as a means of violence prevention instead of waiting for a tipping point" and then having to use programming as a reaction. Art Richardson shared his commitment to "recruit Ambassadors from the community" where local residents can enter into a "give and take relationship" with the park, working together as a partnership to build safe neighborhoods. Currently Park Advisory Councils (PACs) are the primary place for this to happen, but Art and Derrick both also noted how conversations with change makers such as the Peace Fellows lead to productive partnerships.
[quote]"It is better to do it together than fail alone." Art Richardson, Regional Director[/quote]
Peace Fellow Jacquelyn Moore asked about programming for teenage youth, a demographic she targets in her work. She shared that there is generally ample programming for young children but fewer opportunities for teens.
[quote]"You turn twelve and the world turns its back on you and then wonders why you are a mess." -- Jacquelyn Moore, Chicago Peace Fellow[/quote]
Art admitted that previous difficulties in working with teens had led to reduction of programs for that age group but gave examples of how the Park District is actively reversing that trend to create more opportunites for teens oustide of their successful youth employment programs. The "Extreme Team Camp" is a successful 6-week program that happens in 35 parks and is looking to grow.
Diane Latiker, a Peace Fellow from Roseland, asked about the Chicago Park District's strategy to follow-up with and stay engaged with the children and youth it serves. Derrick and Art invited advice and partnerships around keeping youth engaged and seeing them return to programs each year. Diane suggested that the Peace Fellows could work with the Park District to help create a follow up program, or perhaps be the follow-up mechanism, for the children, youth, and families that utilize the summer programs. "How can we be that continuity and connect for the Park District after the summer programs end?" she asked.
The two-hour conversation ended with the exchange of contact information and several follow-up meetings schedule for fellows with the manager of their neighborhood park. Art Richardson let all the Peace Fellows know that he would happily provide support and waive fees for Chicago Peace Fellow events and was looking forward to speaking individually with Fellows about their shared summer projects and neighborhood initiatives.
Peace Fellows Visit Telpochcalli in Little Village
On Friday, June 14, Chicago Peace Fellow Maria Velazquez invited her peers to the Telpochcalli Elementary School, an institution in the Little Village neighborhood that the community organization she leads, called the Telpochcalli Community Education Project, helped to create.
Maria hosted a street festival for members of the community to enjoy time together to start the weekend. The event featured a youth band and stoneware made by students of the school. The festival featured an all-youth band and food provided by local residents. The tortillas were hand-made and the aguas frescas (juice) were freshly squeezed. Around 100 members of the community sang and danced to enjoy the breezy spring evening.
According to their website, “Telpochcalli (Nahuatl for "house of youth") is a small school dedicated to integrating the Mexican arts and culture into an innovative academic and social experience and development of fully bilingual/biliterate students in English and Spanish. The school is comprised of students, teachers, parents and artists who aspire to nurture an understanding and appreciation of the self, family, community and world.”
Maria, a Chicago Peace Fellow, has been the executive director of the Telpochcalli Community Education Project for over three years. She started out as a volunteer at the school and when the position of executive director opened up, she was reluctant to apply at first. Maria can be shy but she is very loving and compassionate and works really hard to take care of the people she serves. She explained, “I do this work to help people. I really like to see people happy.”
Maria gave other Peace Fellows a tour of the school and their community space. She showed her “living” asset map where she encourages parents and volunteers to add what they see as assets in the community to the map. She noted that it helps people see the value of their community and people really like doing it. Maria talked about her summer program with teens that is completely led by the teens. This summer, they are focusing on health and how they can have an impact.
“It took some time to get them going [in reference to the teen council], but now they are leading it and we are now working to get younger people involved so that they can learn how to lead earlier".
The Telpochcalli Community Education Project’s roots go back to 1998, when a group of parents in the Little Village neighborhood got together to advocate for better educational facilities. Just as it is now, Little Village’s population was growing fast with new immigrants as well as many young families, and the parents were upset by the failure of the Chicago Public Schools to fulfill a promise to build a high school in the neighborhood.
Many parents participated in a sit-in and hunger strike that got public attention and ultimately, a new administration at CPS agreed to build the Little Village/Lawndale High School. Under Maria’s leadership, the Telpochcalli Community Education Project has continued to be a strong advocate for Little Village, recently stopping a merger of the Telpochcalli Elementary School, which is already overcrowded, with a high school in the area.
The Chicago Peace Fellows will be active all summer with events and knowledge sharing. Stay tuned for more articles and opportunities to join us.
Peace Fellow Spotlight: Robin Cline
How has Gather informed the work that you do? Have you made any meaningful connections between Gather and your work?
These past few weeks, I’ve been reading “Winners Take All,” by Anand Giridharadas. This book, a sort of “emperor's new clothes” take on how social innovation projects are packaged in the modern context of wealth, philanthropy, and big technology, is not an enjoyable read. The book presents person after person involved in social innovation projects that at first glance are projects touted for the greater good, but upon closer inspection are problematized by deep power imbalances.
While making my way through this good but troubling read, I was spending time with neighborhood leaders from parts of Chicago struggling with violence in their communities. The book didn’t talk about people like us. In “Winners Take All,” there was no mention of the urgent and sometimes invisible work of boots-on-the-ground work folks do, bringing people together, connecting with those in need, being a bright spot resource for communities, noticing and connecting community assets.
[quote]I am thankful for the Peace Fellows opportunity to brighten the light on the invisible work we do in our communities, but most importantly, for making us visible to each other. I’ve gotten a lot of tidbits of wisdom in these last few months simply by being in the presence of the other fellows, but also from literal things they have said. -- Robin Cline[/quote]
A recent new friend from the Peace Fellows, Diane Latiker, shared that she tells teens she works with, “We don’t do what we don’t want to do.” I understood what she meant right away. That as a culture, we are we excited to shop for the shoes we want, we know how to crave the food we want, we know how to want certain things. But we are less skilled in knowing how to want important things, like peace in our communities, and civic action. As part of the Chicago Peace Fellows, I appreciate the time to think about how to activate and steward civic desire. And on the other hand, another Peace Fellow, Jacquelyn Moore, when speaking of desire, said, “Passion is not a business plan.”
Identifying and activating the passion, then putting tools behind it, came up over and over again in our conversations. The biggest advice from all the Fellows that was more implicit than stated was, “Don’t stop. Keep doing. That’s what we do.”
As we embark on making decisions about our Chicago Peace Fellows summer projects, I gather the advice, the experience, and the new shared language we have about technical and sticky problems, and am eager to “Not stop. Keep doing, because that’s we do.” I look forward to discovering how we make the space and set the conditions for peacemaking in our neighborhoods. GATHER has given us the gift of time to attune ourselves to others in this city who are doing the vital work of acknowledging and lifting up both the pain and the peace that exist alongside each other in our city. GATHER has given us a chance to work together, nudge each other with new shared language, help each other, and make what we do stronger.
What are some important updates in your current work?
I am lucky to work for two organizations doing community cohesion work in Chicago. I work for NeighborSpace, a land trust in Chicago that supports community-managed leaders in many neighborhoods throughout Chicago. Summer is a particularly vibrant time for NeighborSpace, as you can imagine. Neighborhood leaders are gearing up to host community builds, garden celebrations, skill shares, and planting days all over the city. We are particularly excited about this summer as our community partners kick off both nature play/build projects and programming in Little Village, neighborhood farms in Bronzeville, and urban ag projects in Englewood. I also lead the organization Opera-Matic, a participatory arts group based in Humboldt Park. We are presenting a three-part summer series in three Chicago Park District parks entitled “Lost and Found.”
This project highlights for families and neighbors the ways in which we honor both the loss we experience as a community and the empowerment we mobilize as a group when we remember our shared places together. At “Lost and Found” events this summer, we will sing, remember, find things, and enjoy each other.
Peace Fellow Spotlight: Gloria Smith
What are some important updates in your current work?
The Black Star Project is a multifaceted initiative known for its actions with programs on education, culture, economic and workforce development, mentoring, tutoring and youth development, public policy and advocacy and violence prevention. Our programs encourage a holistic, intergenerational approach to community building.
Phillip Jackson, our founding director, passed away in November 2018. Phillip was a great inspiration to many and we have been challenged to determine how best to continue cultivating and sharing his wisdom with the world. While many of our supporters keep up with our work through the Black Star Project website and Facebook page, we also have a radio program on WVON on Saturdays at 6 p.m. and a periodic newsletter that is shared with a national and international audience.
Some of our recent projects include economic empowerment and non-profit management workshops, Saturday university academic programs, and Becoming Chicago’s Next CEO, a summer program for interns interested in learning investment skills. Most recently, we participated, along with our Young Black Men of Honor, in the Chicago Community Trust’s On the Table event by sending a letter to Mayor Lori Lightfoot sharing their thoughts on addressing violence in the community.
As Phillip's sister, I along with my staff and a host of organizations and supporters remain very much engaged in “the good work” that Phillip left for us to do and to share with as wide a community as possible.
How has GATHER informed the work that you do? Have you made any meaningful connections between GATHER and your work?
“Gathering” is at the heart of our work at The Black Star Project. We know this: What has always strengthened and encouraged Black and Brown people is our histories of struggle, our creativity, our humanity in the face of trauma, our connection to elders and ancestors, and the love and encouragement we must pass along to our young people.
We believe that we need to be together. To spend time with each other – in small gatherings and large, sharing the wisdoms we’ve learned from our experiences. Our programs share the resources of history, spirit and culture that have provided strength and renewal to people struggling for the expression of their humanity in Chicago and elsewhere in the world. This is work we’ve done since our founding in 1996, work we remain committed to, and work that is very similar to the peacemaking efforts of GATHER and the Goldin Institute.
Where Non Violence is Personal
The Chicago Peace Fellows recently met with a unique group of activists who are teaching non-violence techniques to gang members in the city’s toughest neighborhoods.
“My job is to stop the violence,” said Kenya Hardy, street outreach worker with the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago. “I do whatever I have to do, like a cousin, like a big brother they can look up to.”
On some days, Kenya accompanies the young men he works with to court, but on others, he may help them get stable housing or even mediate a dispute with a girlfriend.
[quote]“I’m here to show them love and show them that violence ain’t the key.”-- Kenya Hardy[/quote]
The Peace Fellows met the staff of Institute for Nonviolence Chicago in their office in the Austin neighborhood on the far West Side on May 16, engaging in an intense conversation about which strategies are actually effective. Founded just three years old, teh Institute for Nonviolence Chicago operates in 3 of the city’s most violent neighborhoods, Austin, West Garfield Park and Back of the Yards, using an approach that takes into account the high levels of trauma in these communities and aims for restorative justice, rehabilitation over punishment and vengeance. Eighty percent of Nonviolence Chicago’s 20-person team is hired from these three neighborhoods.
Each of the neighborhoods comes with distinct challenges, according to Tara Dabney, the group’s director of development and communications. Austin receives the greatest number of people released from incarceration – called ‘returning citizens’ – while Garfield Park includes a major interstate highway, which attracts open air sales of illegal drugs and prostitution, and Back of the Yards has a conflict between different gangs that has persisted for several generations. In Austin and Back of the Yards, Nonviolence Chicago has been able to negotiate truces that have greatly reduced the number of homicides and other acts of violence, building relationships with open-minded police commanders and officers. These neighborhoods and six others account for one-half of the homicides in Chicago, and the ultimate goal is to convince elected leaders to use government money for anti-violence efforts.
[quote]“In every large city where they have seen a major reduction, they have seen a large investment of public dollars” Tara Dabney[/quote]
Staff member Artemmeo Williams spent nine years in prison and found there were few services available for returning citizens when he emerged. Williams relied on his family “to reintegrate into society and not go back into prison.” In his work for Nonviolence Chicago, he provides the full spectrum of support to other young men coming back to the Austin neighborhood, even interacting with the Illinois Department of Corrections before their release.
“Whatever they need to sustain life, we’re there for them,” Artemmeo explained.
Asked by Peace Fellow Sokoni Karanja whether he might provide training to a South Side community, Artemmeo responded with enthusiasm.
[quote]“We’ll go to Mars if we have to.” Artemmeo Williams[/quote]
In her work in the Back of the Yards, staff member Elena Casada provides assistance to survivors of violence, who do receive limited government assistance but lose support after several weeks. Elena accompanies families to funeral homes, guides them through compensation applications, and finds counseling as well as support groups. She works with the understanding that her relationship with these families will be long-term, as the waiting lists for trauma-informed counselors are currently one year long.
“Whatever it takes to help them find a new normal, we do,” Elena said.
Peace Fellow Frank Latin, founder and executive director of Westside Media Project, asked the staff of Nonviolence Chicago about the effects of criminal justice policy on communities, and how to stop criminal activity.
Kenya Hardy answered that current policy makes it more likely that juvenile gang members will commit gun crimes, while many gang members actually prefer prison, because they receive stable housing and food as well as a modicum of security.
“The system is not working,” Kenya summed up. “Young men get comfortable and safe in prison. In jails, there’s a structure.”
Artemmeo added that in many cases, the young men involved in gangs wanted to get away from criminal activity, but had no resources to leave the gang structure.
“Our community is depleted of resources so we can’t do but run to the corner for a job,” Artemmeo said. “They’re not living. They’re surviving.”
Peace Fellow Maria Velazquez from the Telpochcalli Community Education Project noted that organizers at Nonviolence Chicago needed to be creative as well as flexible to respond to multiple needs and changing situations.
Peace Fellow Johnny Payton, who has extensive experience doing anti-violence work himself in the Cabrini Green public housing development and other communities, underscored the importance of building alliances across communities.
[quote]“We’ve just got to be here ‘hood to ‘hood to help each other.” -- Johnny Payton[/quote]
Peace Fellow Lisa Daniels lost her own son to gun violence seven years ago in an incident in which he was both a perpetrator and a victim, and currently serves on the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, where she is able to provide guidance and advice to try and stop other young men from killing or being killed.
[quote]“There has to be a place where we connect on a human level. They ain’t trying to shoot. They ain’t trying to kill. They want love.” -- Lisa Daniels[/quote]
For both the Peace Fellows and the outreach staff at Nonviolence Chicago, anti-violence work is highly personal. Case Manager Delano Macintyre added that he has a record for possession of a firearm himself and that his own son currently receives services from Nonviolence Chicago.
“I’m happy to see kids doing good,” Delano said. “If we don’t go to work, my son is in trouble.”
Ladies of Virtue Recognize Youth Leadership
On Saturday, May 18, the Ladies of Virtue (LOV), founded and led by Chicago Peace Fellow Jamila Trimuel, hosted their 2019 Recognition Ceremony to honor high school and eighth grade graduates as they move on to the next chapter in the program.
[quote]"Our 8th Annual Recognition Ceremony is a time where our Ladies of Virtue sisters showcase their talent, share what they learned throughout the year, and express how they made a difference in their communities.” -- Jamila Trimuel, Ladies of Virtue[/quote]
“Over 150 of our dearest supporters - comprised of our LOV family and friends, sponsors and community partners - joined us to recognize all of our girl's wonderful accomplishments," Jamila explained.
The youngest of the mentees, affectionately named the Gems, are drawn from the 4th – 8th grades. When the ladies graduate from the 8th grade, they become high school mentees, affectionately named Queens, which continues from the 9th through 12th grades. High school graduates are encouraged to join the LOV 4 Life program for alumni and sometimes even move on to become mentors themselves.
The program opened with a welcome video from founder Jamila Trimuel in which she recognized the legacy of her former mentor, the Rev. Willie T. Barrow. The Rev. Barrow paved the way for Trimuel to follow, leading her down the path to her passion of mentoring. Trimuel also acknowledged the Chicago Foundation for Women for their recent $35,000 grant to LOV to help with operations.
Throughout the ceremony, mentees from the Gems and Queens groups showcased their talents in the form of spoken word, theatrical skits, and dance performances. They also shared what they learned throughout the year and recapped some of their favorite moments, including college tours, senior trips, and a professional etiquette luncheon they attended earlier this year.
LOV took extra care of their seniors during the recognition ceremony by gifting them with scholarships in excess of $5,000 and care packages full of items to get the ladies started on their college journeys. Most importantly, each high school graduate was personally recognized by her mentor in a very emotional farewell speech that should guide them through college and into their adulthood.
Peace Fellow Spotlight: Pastor Robert Biekman
How has Gather informed the work that you do? Have you made any meaningful connections between Gather and your work?
I am grateful to the Chicago Peace Fellows for not only increasing my personal capacity as a leader but also increasing the Chicago Alternatives to Incarceration’s Collaborative organizational capacity as well. The skills I have learned and been reminded of through the Chicago Peace Fellows have been invaluable.
The adage, “If I only knew then what I know now!” is so fitting for my experience as a Peace Fellow thus far.
It’s good to be at many tables but I have a deep desire to increase my effectiveness as a leader and that’s what being a CPF is allowing me to do. Chicago Peace Fellows has connected the dots on aspects, work and concepts of this that I had an intuitive knowledge of, but now I possess the language to do the kind of “code-switching” necessary to articulate and communicate it to others more effectively.
[quote]You had me at “community of practice.” This is one of the most profound concepts that I have embraced; especially since a goal of the Chicago ATI Collaborative is to have system/community stakeholders work together. We are creating a community of practice![/quote]
The people in the cohort are extremely gifted and tremendously passionate. I have learned the concept of mind-mapping from one CPF and received both direct and indirect affirmation from them all. I look forward to meeting with them at the “workshop watering hole” and being blessed as well as restored for the next leg of the journey.
In their own way, each of them I have spoken to are “making bricks without straw.” I am blessed to have met them. Several of them will be working with the Chicago ATI Collaborative youth as a means of exposing the youth to the programs and services they offer.
What are some important updates in your current work?
- Received grant from United Methodist Church General Board of Church and Society
- Received Safe and Peaceful Communities Grant
- Met with Cook County Juvenile Probation to develop summer cohort Planning an orientation with youth and program service providers on June 6th or 10th for the Summer cohort.
Reflecting on Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson
On Thursday, May 9, 2019, Peace Fellows Velvian Boswell, Robin Cline and I as well as Goldin Institute staff Travis Rejman and Burrell Poe attended the City Club of Chicago's luncheon with Chicago Police Department Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Superintendent Johnson stated crime in the City of Chicago is down since 2016 and attributed the decrease to 2000 new recruits since 2017, changes in command staff due to promotions and retirements, and upgrades to technology including a new Strategic Support Center.
In addition, the superintendent shared details on various neighborhoods and his plans for the summer. Peace Fellow Robin Cline stated, “I’d be interested in hearing more about the pilot program that kicked off in January in the 25th District where they hired 12 new District Coordination Officers.” Robin provided a link to an Austin Weekly article related to the new strategy which emphasizes problem solving through building and maintaining relationships within the communities.
Velvian Boswell shared:
[quote]“I’m glad he acknowledged that some of our residents, especially those in the African American community, have been mistreated. I wonder how many of the 2,000 recruits he mentioned were African American. I also wonder what he could have done to benefit the community with the dollars spent on the technology center.”[/quote]
When asked about his legacy, the Superintendent stated he wants all of Chicago to be proud of its police department. He also said he's hopeful for a more positive narrative about the city.
I wanted to hear more about the Superintendent’s plans for youth and ways to stem violence and promote peace over the summer. I think there should be summer jobs for every youth who wants to work. After leaving the luncheon, I went to the 35th Street CPD main office to work with a group that’s helping young people expunge or seal their records so that they can obtain work.