One Community Steps Up
James Edwards/Medill
Last night close to three dozen South Side residents gathered to address the violence that has been plaguing their communities- in particular, violence against children and teenagers. They met at the Marquette park field house on 67th and Kedzie for a discussion entitled “Challenging What The Future Holds.” The event was put together by groups such as Friends of the Parks, United Voices for United Families, Greater Englewood Community and Family Task Force and the Beth Shalom Temple.
The two hour event was part townhall meeting and part commemoration, as those in attendance honored the 40th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. They used the teachings of King to look for a new way forward in reaching out to people on both ends of the violence.
The discussion turned more passionate with each succeeding speaker. Blanca Vargas, from the League of United Latin American Citizens, took her speech a step further when comparing the police security of local communities to the security for residents in Iraq, although her call to action was given just as loud of a response.
“We need to wake up our brothers and sisters and tell them that something has to be done.”
Sunday, April 6th, 2008
