Pitch for Peace, Prosperity and Promise
Chicago youth present ideas for advancing and protecting the black community Lisa Beasley, with the Nova Collective corporate learning and communication firm, was calming a team before their pitch. "It's very scary to talk in front of people. If you start to get nervous and your heart starts beating fast, that's perfectly normal. That's human," she said. "I've
When Art and Activism Collide
Protesters with signs in Ferguson (Jamelle Bouie) Young people find voice, power and change The high school generation is galvanizing people worldwide to demand gun reform, and the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of protestors at the March For Our Lives this spring made their leadership clear. Now that the march is over, how can adults who came
Think Illinois has the country’s toughest gun laws? Think again.
This is the second article in our "Building Peace" series in Crain's Chicago Business posted May 31. It was written by Nina Vinik, director of the Gun Violence Prevention & Justice Reform Program at the Joyce Foundation, and Phil Andrew, director of Violence Prevention Initiatives for the Archdiocese of Chicago. The first piece is here. Chicago has a
Love in Lawndale
2018 Safe & Peaceful Chicago grantee Chi-Rise held a "Love in Lawndale" block party; executive director Messiah Equiano offers his reflections on the event. "We worked with the 7th and 8th grade students of Lawndale Community Academy to produce the event — they assisted us in planning and executing, and the event was a tremendous success!" This is
READI Chicago Program in the New York Times
In the New York Times, Tina Rosenberg writes about the READI Chicago Program to help young men caught up in criminal activity find legal work. It's run by Heartland Alliance and is one of the four core strategies to reduce gun violence funded by the Partnership for Safe and Peaceful Communities. Rosenberg, who founded Solutions Journalism Network, which
Peace Gardens Grow
As spring brings green, a back-to-back Safe & Peaceful Communities grantee illustrates all that can bloom from one planted seed Each Saturday, 15-20 kids showed up, ready to learn, play and get their hands dirty… ● "Beeology 101" taught them about how important bees are to the economy and ecology ● They imagined having fairies and pirates living in
What Role do Block Clubs Play in Chicago?
Discussion seeks to revitalize, leverage technology, and connect block clubs throughout the city Norm Whitenhill, a West Pullman resident, says he and his wife were one of the first African-American families to move on their block in 1974. They moved into their home on 121st and South Prairie and have seen a lot of transformations in the
From Exception to Norm
Chasing23's Darius Ballinger writes about how he's channeling pain to elevate potential I went through a lot growing up, had real pain: When I was five, my father died from a seizure; I'm the oldest of two, raised by a single mother. I spent most of my adolescent years in West Pullman. I didn't see black men
Guardians of Garfield Park
A couple finds divine purpose in serving and safeguarding the children in their neighborhood Victoria and Daniel Allen have a classic love story: 25 years ago they met in church as young adults, became best friends, got married and grew their family. But their desire to build a loving home for children didn't stop at their doorstep
31 Bullets
Source: The Chicago Sun-Times The Chicago Sun-Times has launched a campaign against gun violence called "31 Bullets". It takes its name from the number of bullets manufactured each year in America, 10 billion, divided by the total population. This results in 31 bullets sold for every child, woman, and man. In the coming months, the Sun-Times will be