See What I See
SPC grantee uses the power of the pen and lens to highlight West Siders perspectives so they can tell their own stories. Richard Marion was just a youngster — 6th or 7th grade, he can't recall — when he discovered The Westside Writing Project (WWP). "We used to go to Chicago Commons, going up there just after school, getting on computers, wasting
If You Build It…
Safe & Peaceful grantee uses baseball and softball as a way to come together and celebrate South Shore youth While sports/competitive participation are the core drivers of Lost Boyz Inc. offering, program coordinator Lee Smith recognizes that, too often, South Side youth need to have opportunities to just "be." "I take the kids on local field trips to broaden their
Little Garden, Big Vision
All photos by Hex Hernandez Second-year Safe & Peaceful grantee Jardincito Nature Play Community Garden uses nature as a conduit to showcase and serve the spirit of Little Village Located at 23rd and Whipple, Jardincito, or "little garden", is one of the very few greenspaces open to residents on Chicago's Southwest Side. "A lot of the gardens that we're
Indelible Images, Infinite Impact
Safe & Peaceful grantee uses decorative arts as a conduit for relationship-building built on peaceful connection. Harlan Community Academy junior ShaQuia Carmona and her classmates spent their Saturdays working to complete two murals, the newest additions to a series of projects now dotting Harlan's hallways. The murals — music-themed silhouettes of students in mosaic and gesso — were
AGAPE Werks, Mini Maker Faire
Through an atmosphere of technological and artistic innovation, the Chicago Southside Mini Maker Faire offered community members a chance to learn from and inspire each other while showcasing their wares and works. Safe & Peaceful grantee & event organizer Jackie Moore proclaims: "The Mini Maker Faire is a celebration of the people, of those folks who
Check[In], Mate
Safe & Peaceful grantee structures chess as a conduit to counteract the cycles of violence, conciliate its casualties, and connect police with communities Eight-year-old Terriah Pascal is always eager to challenge the cops. She has been doing it monthly for the past year. She's no troublemaker, though. Terriah is among the youth who participate in Not Before My Parents (NBMP)
Stand to Save Chicago
Student leaders protest gun proliferation August 11, across the street from the Trump Tower, a small group of high school students asked passersby to write the names of people who'd been affected by gun violence in chalk along the sidewalk. "We want everyone to actually see who has been affected by gun violence," one student said. "Seeing and
Why Can’t It Be Like This Every Day?
A teen activist talks about Safe & Peaceful grantee Kids Off The Block's 24 Hour Peace Jam, the organization's presence in his life, and his determination to bring about positive change. In Roseland, it can be wild; it's to the point that you can go places, but you have to watch your surroundings, always look over your
Brothers Standing Together (BST): Redemption, Love, Peace & Unity After Tragedy
An interview with BST founder Brother Richard Raymond, who reflects on forgiveness after his 3rd annual back-to-school "Peace in the Hood" basketball tournament was interrupted by gun-violence.
Kufi Club of Chicago
The KUFI Club of Chicago - through 2018 Safe and Peaceful grantee the Love Foundation - celebrated its first Crowning Ceremony this summer. This rites-of-passage coronation served as an important benchmark to acknowledge the power that young people have to be leaders and anti-violence activists in the Roseland community. "Rather than looking at children as problems