The Violence Project

Tonight, from 7pm to 10pm, CeaseFire will target a series of blocks in Chicago’s North Lawndale Community and its surrounding neighborhoods to engage further residents on the block and discuss the efforts of violence interrupters, while potentially defusing any conflicts that may arise during these more violent hours and work to train residents in non-violent conflict.

Details:

Friday, May 9, 7pm - 10 pm

Christian Valley Baptist Church

1318 S. Homan

The paper of record brought its attention to the second city with a recent article on the deaths of Chicago students and the steps being taken to prevent more deaths from happening. It offers a very detailed overview for those who might not be familiar with the story, but ultimately stakes out familiar territory. We get the impassioned quotes from schools CEO Arne Duncan and Mayor Daley, balance from an expert and community resident, and, last but not least, a student. In the end, the article asks nothing or challenges the reader or those being interviewed. I felt led on by the beginning of the article because I thought the focus of the article would stay with the community groups who are escorting Crane Technical High School students to school, but by paragraph four it had already moved on. Left out again is the fact that many of these shooters and gang members are as young as the victims or/and drop outs. Left out again is the mention of students trying to organize and lead in their communities, rather standing idle as politicians and other leaders do the talking. Left out again are more community groups and churches who are marching and leaving their doors open late to save those on both sides of the gun. Not given enough depth is the issue of poverty and outside factors that are at the root of this violence.

Props to CLTV and Alexander Russo for shining a different light.

Chatham community marches for peace

Why Is The Mayor Of Chicago Destroying The Reputation Of His Own City School System?
Why Is The Press Letting Him?

This past weekend saw one of the most violent outbreaks across the city in recent memory. Reports vary on the total number of people who were shot between Friday and Sunday. The Chicago Sun-Times reports 37, while the Chicago Tribune and AP lists 32. What’s the same in each story is that six of the victims died, ranging in age from 18 to 65. The two youngest victims, Melvin Thomas and Rhonell Savala, were shot and killed right outside Free Salvation M.B. Churck on the South Side Friday night.

All but two of the shootings are reported to have been gang related. Police blame the rash of shootings on the warmer weather and gang tensions in different neighborhoods. They cited the last two years of the very same weekend to illustrate the cyclical nature of the violence. During the same weekend in 2007, 19 people were shot, while in 2006 the number was 21.

The shootings came in the wake of new report by the Chicago Police Department that showed crime down in the city for the first three months of the year, including a 1% drop in the murder rate in March of this year compared to March 2007. Police plan to deploy additional officers to what they call hot crime spots.

Overshadowed by the violence was the effort in communities to try and prevent it. One such event took place Saturday morning at Crane Technical High School, where student Ruben Ivy was shot killed one month ago. Students and other volunteers worked to clean the area around the high school and other designated blocks. In a press release, Ernest Gates, of the Near West Side Community Development Corp., stated:

“If something happens that involves a Crane student, there is a lot of negative coverage. The good kids are saying, ‘Hey, what about us?’ All the attention is placed on the kids with problems, but the vast majority of students are there to get an education and get on with their lives.”

Also on Saturday, La Dia de Los Ninos 3K Walk/Run was held to assist students at Benito Juarez High School with their future college education.

In addition, an e-mail campaign has recently surfaced calling for a citywide peace fast. No particular organization is mentioned, but it said to be the word of local-area ministers and clergy.

CITYWIDE PEACE FAST

‘A City United for Peace’
April 21st - 23rd, 2008
6:00am until 6:00pm

Thirty-one youths have lost their lives to gun violence this school year. Hence, the faith community of Chicago will corporately pray for unity and peace in our communities. Pastors and faith leaders are calling on all believers to deny themselves of something that will be a personal sacrifice from 6:00am until 6:00pm Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. You may deny yourself of food, meat, soft drinks, cell phones, or television but whatever you select should be something that is a sacrifice for YOU. Mark 9:29 says, ‘Some things come only by fasting and prayer!’ Therefore, we will fast and pray together as a city for three days for three specific things: 1. Provision, 2. Protection, and 3. Prevention. Jeremiah 29:7 says ‘Pray for the peace and prosperity of the city’. Violence anywhere is a threat to peace everywhere, so please JOIN US!

By all means, PLEASE share this email with everyone you know!

Thanks,

Proper Planning Prevents Poor Progress

I always appreciate using the arts to spread a message or just as a canvass to release, so here goes the details on a cool event coming up this weekend:

Yollocalli and Radio Arte present an Open Mic Night dedicated to the 23 young victims we have lost so far during this school year. Speak your mind and share your talent with the community as we all reflect on the recent violence with Chicago Public School youth. Poets, Spoken Word Artists, Musicians, Artists and kind hearted people are encouraged to attend.

FRIDAY APRIL 18th, 2008
4:00 - 8:30 PM
1401 West 18th Street

For more information please call (312) 455-9455 x 203, or tania@radioarte.org.

James Edwards/Medill

Chicagoans participated in one of the many nationwide ceremonies in memory of the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shootings. Organizers of the event in the Loop nixed the usual rally fare, preferring a symbolic act they hoped would draw passersby to their message, lying down silently on the ground in memory of each victim.

James Edwards/Medill

Richards Career Academy hosted a hip-hop workshop Wednesday with the goal of teaching students the importance of education through the music they love.

Washington High School Community Meeting

A Washington High School parent voices her displeasure with the recent developments at the school.

James Edwards/Medill

Parents, students and administrators gathered Tuesday at Washington High School to try and reestablish a dialogue after last week’s meeting that resulted in a fight breaking out. Both meetings were the result of growing violence and gang tensions at Washington and its surrounding Southeast side neighborhood.

In a three-hour meeting originally scheduled for less than two, rumors and innuendo were brought to forefront along with solutions. Among the main ideas discussed is expanding parent patrols in the neighborhood and around the schools. Parents, on the other hand, would like to see a better line of communication between families and the school. They expressed disappointment in not receiving notices and being out of the loop on various matters. Through the bickering, grandparent Dorothy Mendez held back tears in her plea for something to be done.

“The security at this school need to do their job. … Please parents take care of your children. These children are lighting up their cigarettes and marijuana.”

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.”

With the 4oth anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. approaching and the recent tragedies involving public school students, I thought it would be appropriate to share a video that I think has not lost an ounce of its relevancy. It is a speech by Robert F. Kennedy, entitled “The Mindless Menace of Violence.” It was given April 5, 1968, one day after the assassination of Dr. King. Enjoy.