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
Education That is Far from Elementary
CPS students primed to channel their tragedies into activism and advocacy Thousands of students across the country participated in the National School Walkout to demand stricter laws against gun violence; for students at Henderson Elementary in West Englewood, this marked their third walkout. Henderson's peace marches are born from pain that hit too close to home — within
Young But Mighty
"Where I Stand" teens have a clear vision of safety, security and opportunity in Chicago When it comes to peace and justice, are you a burner or a builder? For 21 Chicago teens who met at Uptown's Institute of Cultural Affairs (USA), it boiled down to constructively burning down barriers and building new relationships, emphasizing ways and means
Ken Griffin provides $10 million investment in Chicago safety
Improving safety and reducing gun violence requires all of us to pitch in. Today's announcement from Mayor Emanuel and Ken Griffin is another reflection of Chicago's generous spirit and sense of shared responsibility to help our city meet our challenges. This money will support key elements of a larger aligned funding strategy to make our city safer,
GAPA Recommends Community Safety Oversight Board
Following release of the Police Accountability Task Force report in April 2016, several foundations came together to support a critical next step in the reform effort – the community engagement process that would shape a recommendation for a community oversight board. The Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) conducted an extensive community engagement process in developing its
Illinois House Passes Gun Legislation
After emotional pleas from Cardinal Blase Cupich and a chorus of gun safety advocates, the Illinois House passed legislation this week requiring gun dealers to be licensed by the state, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The House passed other measures to raise the minimum age to purchase an assault rifle to 21, to ban the sale
The Metropolitan Peace Academy: Professionalizing Street Outreach in Chicago
By Vaughn Bryant In Chicago, 764 people were murdered in 2016, a 58 percent increase over 2015. That number would have been even greater without the invaluable work of street outreach workers. In cities such as Los Angeles, Boston and Chicago, street outreach workers have been indispensable in diffusing violent situations, helping to prevent such situations from