Austin Weekly News 101321

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West Side nonprofit breaks on affordable apartments

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FREE Vol. 35 No. 41

October 13, 2021

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Also serving Garfield Park

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West Side d leads l d in vaccines, page 6

Johnson’s bid to end Columbus Day at county level hits snag Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson’s proposal to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day delayed in committee

By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor

An attempt by a West Side county lawmaker to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day has stalled in committee.

First District Cook County Board Commissioner Brandon Johnson introduced the proposed resolution during a Cook County Legislation and Intergovernmental Relations Committee hearing held virtually on Oct. 5.

In a voice vote, committee members decided to defer the proposed resolution, which had overwhelming support from people who offered public comments during the hearing.

Several commissioners who spoke out against the proposal said that they appreciate the dialogue the proposal has sparked, but thought that it was too divisive.

“This debate has turned sour with many people unwilling to listen and discuss the essence of this issue,” said Commissioner Frank Aguilar (16th). “You don’t have to take something from another group [in order to] make yourself stronger.”

West Side Commissioner Dennis Deer, whose See COLUMBUS on page 10

KENDALL MCCAUGHERTY, HALL + MERRICK PHOTOGRAPHERS

The Sounding Boards Garden has several murals that were created in the summer of 2020 in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

George Floyd murals find permanent home on West Side

The murals, which were painted on plywood from boarded-up storefronts, have been turned into a permanent installation at the Sounding Boards Garden

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

Several murals painted during last year’s George Floyd protests have been brought together on the West Side to create a community garden that preserves the art and gives residents a place to reflect on them.

The murals form the backbone of the Sounding Boards Garden, built on a formerly vacant lot next to Harmony Community Church, 1908 S. Millard Ave. The church partnered with Eastlake Studio to create the garden, install the murals and build a performance area for neighbors to use.

“This was a vacant lot. There were just some cars piling up here. But we want to

be a service to our community, with our community, and that means making beautiful spaces,” said James Brooks, pastor of Harmony Community Church.

Sounding Boards, a nonprofit launched

by Eastlake, helped create the murals after last year’s protests. Since many storeSee MURALS on page 4

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

Nonprofit breaks ground on affordable apartments United for Better Living held a groundbreaking ceremony on Oct. 9 for a planned 43-unity affordable apartment building in West Garfield Park

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

United for Better Living (UBL), a West Garfield Park human services nonprofit, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on Saturday for a four-story, 43-unit affordable apartment building that will be built at 4531-59 W. Washington Blvd., across the street from its headquarters at 4540 W. Washington Blvd.

Rev. David Todd Whittley, the president of United for Better Living, said during an interview a day before the groundbreaking that his organization wanted to provide good housing that would still be affordable to an average community resident.

He described the C.A.R.E. Manor as a part of the nonprofit’s mission to serve West Garfield Park. It will have 30 two-bedroom units and 13 three-bedroom units, with rents based on what the average rent is in the community.

Courtesy Marseil “Action” Jackson

Officials break ground on a 43-unit affordable apartment building in West Garfield Park on Saturday.

The project will cost $18 million, with some of the funding coming from the Chicago Department of Housing and the National Equity Fund, a nonprofit that specializes in building affordable housing. Whittley expects the development to be finished in the summer of 2022. While the construction isn’t expected

DO IT FOR THE WESTSIDE VISIT

to start until early next year, the nonprofit wanted to do a groundbreaking event on Oct. 9 to let the community know that the project is coming.

Saturday’s groundbreaking was attended by numerous lawmakers, including Ald. Jason Ervin (28th), Congressman Danny K. Davis (7th) and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said that the West Side housing development will benefit the West Garfield Park community.

“As the West Side goes, so goes the city of Chicago,” the mayor said.

“This community I call the donut hole of the West Side, but we’re getting it filled up, y’all,” said Ervin.

“We at National Equity Fund are looking forward to partnering with UBL not only on this development, but as you expand north, east, south and west,” said Matt Reilein, the CEO of National Equity Fund.

United for Better Living was founded by Bennie Allison, the founding pastor of the nearby Corinthian Temple Church of God In Christ, 4520 W. Washington Blvd., where Whitley currently pastors.

Originally established in 1983 to provide scholarship programs for West Garfield Park youth, it has since significantly expanded its mission to include tutoring and GED preparation, various after-school and summer programs, computer training, clothing drives and networking events for local businesses.

In recent years, the federal government and many West Side nonprofits have pointed to the lack of good, affordable housing for families as a major need. Whittley said that, in his experience, there are people who want to live in West Garfield Park, but it’s just a matter of finding a place where they will feel safe and secure.

“We just see this as another opportunity for us to make the community better,” he said.

“People do want to live in decent housing, and that’s why we’re building this project, right across the street from our community center.”

Whittley said that the building will be accessible to people with disabilities. It will have a playground, 23 car parking stalls and 18 bike parking stalls. Each unit will have an in-unit washer and dryer, and a back porch-style balcony. Residents will also be able to take advantage of the nonprofit’s services.

“It’s going to be like a community within a community,” Whittley said.

He said that they are planning to hire a Black-owned management company to interview potential tenants starting early next year and that they are planning to hire a minority-owned construction contractor.

Whittley added that the nonprofit wants to hire West Side subcontractors to handle things like plumbing and landscaping. Although he didn’t commit to hard numbers, he said they intend to exceed city benchmarks.

Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

AUSTIN WEEKLY

news

Equity Editor/Ombudsman/Editor Michael Romain Senior Editor Bob Uphues Digital Publishing & Technology Manager Briana Higgins Contributing Reporter Igor Studenkov Reporting Partners Block Club, Austin Talks Columnist Arlene Jones PHOTOS PROVIDED

Young members of the North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association practice rowing.

On the West Side, rowing, ruby, lacrosse and chest

The North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association is expanding the kinds of sports and activities it offers to give neighborhood youth more options

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

West Side kids can try out new sports thanks to a neighborhood group devoted to breaking down barriers that keep some young people from participating.

The North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association is hosting community events to introduce neighborhood kids to lacrosse, rowing, rugby and chess, which are not typically offered at local schools. If kids show an interest, the association leaders connect them and their families to recreational or competitive city teams and clubs where they can take up the sport or activity.

The North Lawndale group is working with A Step Ahead Chess, Chicago Lions Rugby, the Chicago Training Center for rowing and Girls in the Game for Lacrosse to help kids get started.

“Basketball is king and queen in Chicago, so anytime we do anything with basketball, there’s a huge, huge showing,” said Claude Robinson, executive vice president for external affairs and diversity at UCAN, the youth development group that sponsors the athletic association. “We also wanted to show those youth who are passionate about basketball that there are other opportunities.”

Sports like rowing, lacrosse and rugby — some of which require expensive equipment and access to specialized facilities and coaching — aren’t common at most West

Side schools and youth centers.

UCAN and the North Lawndale group recently had a community sports day to demonstrate the sports to neighborhood kids and encourage them to give it a try. Ultimately, the group wants to develop a local culture around activities that haven’t traditionally had much of a foothold in North Lawndale, Robinson said.

“It takes time. You just don’t introduce something and all of a sudden it becomes a sport or activity of choice,” Robinson said.

“A lot of young people already think they have something they want to be part of and invest their time in. We want to provide an alternative that they could see and potentially get involved in.”

It’s important for West Side youth to have options for sports and recreation so they can find something they feel passionate about, Robinson said. Many young people have unstable home lives, and having structured environments where they feel warm and invited can keep them from going down the wrong path, he said. Sports, games and activities like chess give youth a way to “express themselves in a positive way,” he said.

“By having a multitude of opportunities, young people are learning teamwork, they’re learning how to deal with disappointment, how to deal with frustration, how to problem solve, conflict management.

All of these things are happening through sports,” Robinson said.

The North Lawndale Athletic and Recre-

ation Association was created as an initiative of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council after a 2017 community needs assessment showed a lack of competitive and recreational programs in the area.

Many of the programs offered by the athletic association are free. Programs that do have a fee are maintained at a highly affordable cost, Robinson said.

Building a world-class neighborhood athletic association to promote wellness is one of the strategies outlined in the North Lawndale Quality of Life Plan, a community-made blueprint to improved several key community issues like, including public safety, health, education and youth development.

The North Lawndale Athletic and Recreation Association served about 3,000 local kids last year. The group’s 2021 goal is to reach at least 5,000 kids through its programs and outreach.

“We want them to be involved in multiple things, and not only the sports aspect, but also being involved in your community, as well,” Robinson said.

Families interested in joining the programs can email Claude.Robinson@ UCANChicago.org.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.

CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

MURALS

Full of color from page 1 fronts had been damaged during civil unrest at the time, Sounding Boards brought together business owners and artists to paint murals on the plywood over the boarded-up windows.

The art pieces later were removed from the storefronts and put into storage before being repurposed for the community space.

The murals were designed to support the Black Lives Matter movement and amplify demands to end racial injustice. One piece painted by Chris Orta depicts a raised fist as an homage to the Black Power movement.

“No matter what, we always have the power to change things. All power to the people all the time,” Orta said.

Another mural, “If You Don’t Break The CHAIN … Who Will?,” shows the face of a Black child behind a chain with a broken link. Silhouettes represent the racial abuse Black people have suffered for centuries in the United States, from chattel slavery to lynchings to mass incarceration today.

“For as long as we can look back in history, there have been issues with racial inequality,” said Damon Lamar Reed, the artist behind the mural. “The chain is not only a physical restraint, but also a cycle that needs to be broken.”

The murals also form a semi-enclosed area around an elevated stage intended for community events and performances. The stage was designed by Eastlake Studio in collaboration with general contractor Redmond.

The back of the stage is built from a collage of plywood slats reassembled from other murals.

The garden is dedicated to families who

PROVIDED

The community stage at the Sounding Boards Garden is made from several deconstructed murals. have lost a loved one to violence and addiction, so residents can have a peaceful place to mourn and remember those that are gone.

“I see this project as a space that can be both healing and transformative for our families who grieve the loss of their loved ones, loved ones lost to senseless violence,” said Sue Foran, secretary for Harmony

Community Cares, the church’s nonprofit that runs food and youth programs.

The transformation of vacant lot into Sounding Board Garden is part of the Chicago Architecture Biennial. This year’s theme, Available City, is about reimagining public space in ways that fulfill the needs of people living in the surrounding area.

The garden will also be a featured site for Open House Chicago this month. Visitors can see the murals and tour the church and garden as part of Open House events 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 16 and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 17.

CONTACT: info@vfpress.news

PROVIDED

If You Don’t Break The CHAIN… Then Who Will, by Damon Lamar Reed.

PROVIDED

A mural being installed at the Sounding Boards Garden.

Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

West Side leads city in boosting vaccines West Side health organizations worked with neighborhood groups, churches, schools and block clubs to educate people about vaccines and overcome people’s reservations

By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago

A part of the West Side where residents are especially vulnerable to the pandemic has ramped up its vaccination rates, and local health leaders said consistent, one-on-one outreach is helping more people get their shots.

The patch of Garfield Park, Homan Square and North Lawndale making up the 60624 ZIP code logged the highest week-to-week increases in first-dose vaccination rates citywide for most of September, data from the Chicago Department of Public Health shows.

About 59.3 percent of residents living in the 60624 ZIP code have received at least one vaccine dose, and 51.2 percent are fully vaccinated, public health data show. In early August, just 50.7 percent of people had gotten one shot and 44.5 percent were fully vaccinated.

Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, said in a livestream the areas where vaccine rates are making the biggest strides align with those that had previously lagged and had larger unvaccinated populations.

“It is the neighborhoods where we have the most room to grow where we are seeing the most vaccinations being done in. Everything looks good,” Arwady said.

Efforts to improve vaccine uptake on the

CHICAGO MAYOR’S OFFICE

A Protect Chicago Plus vaccine site.

West Side have been led by West Side United, a collaborative of hospitals, residents and neighborhood groups aiming to eliminate disparities in health outcomes.

The collaborative has worked with local groups — like the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council and the Garfield Park Rite to Wellness Collaborative — to “go to places where people are looking for help,” said LaDarius Curtis, senior director for community engagement at West Side United.

Empowering local groups to help meet the health needs of residents has been a critical factor in their success, Curtis said.

PATRICK PYSZKA/Chicago Department of Public Health

A CTA Vaccine bus on the West Side.

We must “make sure those community groups have a seat at the table when creating policy for the people they serve,” Curtis said.

The health collaborative also worked with local hospitals, neighborhood groups and medical providers to make the shots available and educate people about the vaccines. Bringing doses to people who have already decided they want to get vaccinated helps local groups build relationships with people who haven’t yet made up their minds, Curtis said.

“The outreach efforts to explain the vaccine to people one on one has been really helpful,” he said. “The people who have wanted the vaccine have been the most important. There have been residents, churches, block clubs that have really asked us to come out and administer the vaccine.”

Rush University Medical Center is one of the hospital members of West Side United that has focused efforts on bringing vaccine access and health information to hard-to-reach populations in the area.

One of the biggest challenges has been “structural racism and a lack of trust in the health care system,” said Angela Moss, an assistant professor at Rush University’s college of community systems.

Black people still face disparities in health care: Black Chicagoans have lower life expectancies than white residents, dying an average of 8.8 years earlier. The maternal death rate for Black women in Chicago is more than 2.5 times higher than their white counterparts.

Skeptical residents won’t take the vaccines just because somebody tells them to, Moss said: Providers must earn the trust of residents by building relationships with them.

“It has to be consistently showing up where

you’re an invested part of the community, not someone coming in and telling you what to do,” Moss said.

To overcome those barriers, Rush has leveraged a team of nurses, volunteers and community health workers who do extensive street outreach and host health events to meet people where they are at and overcome distrust in the vaccines, Moss said. The teams go door to door, join community events and visit churches and schools to reach people, Moss said.

“We’re just talking with people, sharing information about the vaccine and talking with people, meeting people where they are and talking about their vaccine hesitancy,” Moss said.

The success in increasing vaccine rates on the West Side highlights the effectiveness of health initiatives that are embedded in the community, especially for hard-to-reach populations, Moss said. But these kinds of strategies must also be continued beyond the pandemic to tackle longstanding health inequities that made some communities so much more vulnerable than others, she said.

“What we should learn from this is long term, these programs that promote public health and population health should continue to be funded,” Moss said. “We should celebrate this success and continue to support it even after the pandemic is over.”

Block Club Chicago’s coronavirus coverage is free for all readers. Block Club is an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom.

CONTACT: pascal@blockclubchi.org

Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

L

Plenty to rant about, but praise for Terry Dean

ast week I wrote about using cameras to help solve crimes. And I still believe it is a tool that can greatly benefit law enforcement as well as the criminal justice system.

Because based on a couple of murders that were caught on camera this past week, we have some genuine killers roaming the streets of this country.

Some are killers of opportunity. Others are just coldblooded murderers who think nothing of taking someone’s life with a gun. Sadly, the black community all over this country is now filled with folks who will take a life. I think everybody saw the video of the woman who was parked in front of the delicatessen on Chicago’s Southeast Side, when the car pulled up and the guys got out shooting. Or the case up in Milwaukee, where they broke into a man’s house and shot and killed him while hollering at the wife to stay down. Or the shooting in the 1200 block of Mason that was like something out of the Al Capone era with two cars shooting at a house and the folks in the house shooting back.

If this state won’t reinstitute the death penalty and impose it, maybe some of the shooters’ penalty needs to be that they lose whatever hand they are dominant with.

Speaking of crime on the other end of the spectrum, the CPD is having a hard time recruiting people to join their ranks.

I do not lump all police into the category of a Jason Van Dyke, the same way I don’t

expect the police to lump all of us into the category of a known criminal. We need the police because what we don’t need are lawless individuals out here running the streets.

Speaking of the streets, I guess there must have been a shortage of asphalt.

Several major streets like Harlem from North Avenue to Irving Park remain unpaved for weeks. Now Harlem is finally getting paved. My street which had several huge potholes across the entire cul-de-sac also got paved. The black asphalt looks horrible sitting in the middle of the cement road, but rather than busting an axle going into those deep crevices, I guess it’s something we have to live with.

On a different note, the city of Chicago’s day of the week begins at midnight. So the young lady who’s been all over the news because the city towed her car overnight because she had until Oct. 8 to pay her bill gets no sympathy from me. Every year on the news, and it will soon occur this year as well, when the snow towing ban begins on Dec. 1, all the people who parked their cars on those streets on Nov. 30 will wake up to find them gone.

Lastly, I attended the funeral for Terry Dean, my former editor here at Austin Weekly News. It was an emotion-filled service where it was easy to feel the loss expressed by those who loved him. Terry was always the epitome of professionalism, and he will be truly missed while leaving a lasting imprint on those who knew him.

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

West Garfield Park childcare clinic moving Clinic operated by Sinai Community Institute is moving to the Lawndale Christian Health Center’s Belle Whaley Center in December

By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter

A clinic for mothers with young children located in the heart of West Garfield Park’s Madison/Pulaski commercial corridor is moving to North Lawndale in December.

The clinic, located at 3932 W. Madison St., is operated by the Sinai Community Institute (SCI) in North Lawndale and plans to move to the Lawndale Christian Health Center’s (LCHC) Belle Whaley Center, 3812 W. Ogden Ave. The clinic provides services for particiNew 10X6 Austin Weekly OP COVID Testing pants in the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, which provides

support for poor and working-class mothers who are either pregnant or have children up to age 5.

According to Sinai, the services will remain the same and the new location will allow the clinic to expand its hours from three days a week to five days a week. The last day of service at the West Garfield Park space will be Dec. 17 and the clinic will start operating out of the Whaley Center on Dec. 20.

Sinai Community Institute develops and provides social services for residents within the hospital’s service area, which includes North Lawndale, West Garfield Park and East Garfield Park. As part of that, SCI operates several WIC clinics, but the West Garfield Park location is the only one north of the Eisenhower Expressway.

Like other clinics, it helps mothers buy healthy, nutritious foods for themselves and their children, offering nutritional counseling and help with applying for WIC financial benefits. Mothers can also get advice on breastfeeding and caring for children, health screenings for themselves and their kids, and referrals for other services. ad Sep14-B.pdf 1 9/14/21 3:56 PM The clinic will be moving into the heart of LCHC’s main campus. Sinai officials

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The current location of the clinic at 3932 W. Madison St., which is operated by the Sinai Community Institute. touted the fact that the clinic’s clients will be able to access the nearby medical facilities, including an immediate care clinic, a health and fitness center, an eye clinic and the main clinic.

The move would also improve services for LCHC’s existing patients and clients, officials said. According to its website, the Whaley Center already helps residents sign up for several aid programs, including the WIC program.

The new clinic will be located within easy walking distance of the Pulaski Pink Line ‘L’ station and CTA Bus Route 53, which serves Pulaski Road.

“We’re happy to be able to offer these important services for our community, in a convenient, easily-accessible location,” said Steve Foley, the director of SCI’s WIC services.

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

COLUMBUS Still in place from page 1 2nd District includes parts of Austin, West Garfield Park and North Lawndale, said he didn’t want “rob Peter to pay Paul,” adding that he wanted more dialogue to happen among those on both sides of the issue.

“As I talked with individuals who were on both sides of the equation, I asked several times, ‘Have you all come to the table to talk?

Have you all come to the table to see what you agree on and disagree on?’ I kept hearing, ‘No.’” Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison (17th) said he “didn’t appreciate the vitriolic rhetoric” that was included in the multiple drafts of the resolution.

“I would like to see the same amount of vigor, the same amount of communication, the same amount of discussion and debate over the violence that’s taking place in Cook County at this moment — violence that has many causes, but also is due to the experimental social justice policies” implemented by Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Cook County Circuit Court Chief Judge Timothy Evans.

“I think what commissioner Sean Morrison has indicated is exactly why we’re havNew 10X6 Austin Weekly Free Mammogram ing these conversations. The acts of violence against people of color is a very common trend

PAUL GOYETTE

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson speaks during a visit to a West Side senior center in 2019. Seated right, Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer. over the course of history,” Johnson said.

He added that the systemic violence of genocide, colonization and white supremacy addressed in the resolution and the violence on the West Side shouldn’t be considered separate issues.

In a statement, Johnson said that if Cook County had passed the resolution, it would have followed “14 states, 9 counties, over 165 cities and towns, and a few dozen universiad-3.pdf 9/16/21 5:06 PM ties and 1school districts — including Chicago Public Schools, Evanston Oak Park, Skokie,

and Niles Township — that already have made the change.”

Johnson, an Austin resident whose 1st District includes much of the West Side and several west suburbs, including Oak Park, said during an interview on Oct. 7 that the delay “is really an extension of our trauma,” adding that celebrating Columbus is inconsistent with other progress that’s been made at the county level.

“In 2020, the Cook County Board unanimously passed an ordinance recognizing

Juneteenth as the day we celebrate Black America’s emancipation from slavery,” Johnson stated.

“But while we celebrate slavery’s end in June, five months later, we honor the man who made the original sin of slavery possible,” he said. “It makes no sense, and it is a slap in the face to our county’s Black, Latinx and Native people.”

Johnson said that there were nearly 200 written testimonies submitted in favor of the resolution “and maybe four or five submitted in opposition.” That’s not including the “thousands of emails” sent to county commissioners from “almost 180 organizations,” Johnson said, adding that the groups represented “not just people of color, but Italian Americans.”

“We at the Italian Heritage Society of Chicago are disappointed that the commissioners once again let a small group of racially intolerant Italian Americans insist on a position that numbers us among the backwards counties of the nation, instead of one of the progressive ones where we belong,” said Gabriel Piemonte, the founder and president of the Italian American Heritage Society, in a statement.

“Columbus sailed for Spain and did not even know what Italy was in his lifetime,” stated Charlie Klepac, an Italian American who lives in Cook County. “Italy didn’t exist as a nation until the late 1870s. He had nothing to do with Italian American immigrants.”

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

HELP WANTED

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LEGAL SECRETARY The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Legal Secretary in the Law Department. This position will perform a variety of responsible and advanced legal secretarial and clerical duties in support of the Law Department; perform complex clerical duties within the assigned work unit; and provide secretarial and administrative support to Law Department staff. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 22, 2021.

SEAMSTRESS WANTED

Seamstress wanted to sew designer’s collection. Must be able to sew complete garment.

Call Jeanine 708-899-8279 The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Health Education Manager in the Health Department. This position will take the lead on developing the community health needs assessment; develops health education programs and health awareness campaigns; implements and coordinates these programs/campaigns etc. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park. us/jobs. Position opened until filled.

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Customer Service Representative II in the Development Customer Service Department – Parking Division. This position provides customer service to the public by providing a variety of responsible customer service and receptionist work including high volume telephone traffic; and to perform the more complex customer service duties including but not limited to service requests, permits, parking passes, block party permits, accounts payable processing and vehicle stickers. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website at http://www. oak-park.us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application.

First review of applications is October 8, 2021.

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Budget and Revenue Analyst in the Development Customer Service Department.

This position will Serve the public with professional administrative and analytical duties in the areas of budget preparation, purchasing, payroll, data analysis and process improvement. Provides, prepares and maintains records, and financial and statistical reports and analysis which assist in the Village’s ability to improve business processes and gain efficiencies through better use of technology. Budget duties include assisting in the development, analysis and application of performance measures with regard to Village services and resources; preparing, modifying, tracking and monitoring Village expenses and transfers; and conducting budget-related research and analysis. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park. us/jobs. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. First review of applications September 24, 2021.

The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Environmental Health Supervisor in the Health Department. This position will direct, manage, supervise, and coordinate assigned activities with other Village departments, divisions, and outside agencies; and to provide highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Public Health Director. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park. us/jobs. Position opened until filled.

CIRCUS INSTRUCTOR The Park District of Oak Park is looking to hire a Circus Instructor to instruct circus classes and workshops to children and adults.

Classes vary between one day workshops and 6-12 week long classes that meet once a week.

Must have at least 2 years of Circus or instructor experience and experience in aerial skills.

Experience with the following circus skills recommended: hoop,unicycle, globe, diabolo/Chinese yo-yo, juggling and tumbling.

This is a part-time position, $13.00/ hour. To review the complete job description and apply online go to www.pdop.org/jobs https://www.paycomonline.net/ v4/ats/web.php/jobs/viewJobDetails?job=41090&clientkey=41D8300184906117978771C10E755DC6 The Park District of Oak Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer!

ROOMS FOR RENT Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave.

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ITEMS FOR SALE PIANO FOR SALE

Chickering 1938 grand piano, 5’4”.

Good condition. Refurbished and restrung in the past. Buyer must move. Reasonable at $1000.

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WANTED TO BUY

WANTED MILITARY ITEMS: Helmets, medals, patches, uniforms, weapons, flags, photos, paperwork, Also toy soldiers – lead or plastic – other misc. toys.

Call Uncle Gary 708-522-3400

YARD SALE Oak Park

YARD SALE 1036 N. EUCLID AVE. SAT 10/16 10:00AM-4:00PM No early birds.

Huge salesman sample sale with gift items in original packaging. Gently used household items: Nambe, Soap, Candles, perfume, LEGO, holiday items, jewelry, accessories, Pet, Microwave, reading glasses, linens, fancy dish towels, outdoor table w/ chairs, lamps, Van Gogh posters, gadgets, baskets, crafts, games, kitchen and more!

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TOOL, HARDWARE & GARAGE SALE 448 BERKSHIRE SAT-SUN, OCT 16 & 17 9AM-3PM

50+ years of tools and hardware!

POWER & HAND TOOLS: Electric, plumbing, woodworking, lawn care, lighting and automotive. Table saw, lathe, jointer, snowblower, freezers, large tool chests, metal and wood. FURNITURE: Chairs, tables, couch, dressers and filing cabinets.

OFFICE: Monitors, mice, blank CDs, disk storage and more. Some housewares.

CASH ONLY & YOU CARRY: Buyer responsible for removing large items. Bring your own MASKS (required) and bags.

CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS Restored or Restored or Unrestored Unrestored Cars Motorcycles Cars & & Vintage Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Import Cars: Cars:

Mercedes, Corvette, Mercedes,Porsche, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, MuscleCars, Cars, Ferrari’s,Jaguars, Jaguars, Muscle Mustang && Mopars Mopars Mustang Top $$ Etc. $$$$Top $$allallmakes, makes, Etc.

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CLASSICS WANTED Restored or Unrestored Cars & Vintage Motorcycles Domestic / Import Cars:

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

REAL ESTATE FOR SALE EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY

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ELECTRICAL Ceiling Fans Installed

All real estate advertising in this newspaper is subject to the Fair Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination based on age, race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin, or intention to make any such preferences, limitations or discrimination.

The Illinois Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental or advertising of real estate based on factors in addition to those protected under federal law.

This newspaper will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-6699777.

Austin Weekly News

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Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021

“The Problem We All Live With,” a 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell, depicts young Ruby Bridges walking with U.S. Marshals into William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960.

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When the cost of racial integration is too high

hen my family moved from Maywood to River Forest my junior year of high school, putting us within the boundaries of District 200, I made the tortured decision to transfer from Proviso East High School to Oak Park and River Forest High School.

The experience opened a crack in my soul that would eventually let in a truth I would not discover until years later: For a long time, I lived with an inferiority complex.

“Oak Park and River Forest High School is too hard,” a relative told me as I was processing the decision.

Proviso East, with all of its obvious problems, simply doesn’t have the resources and challenges and opportunities that OPRF can offer, my father told me.

During my senior year at OPRF, I was accepted into Morehouse, one of the most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America.

I considered the offer. Do I join the congregation of great Black leaders like Martin Luther King and Spike Lee and become a “Morehouse Man” or should I take my talents to the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign?

My high school counselor, who helped me get into Morehouse, echoed a mantra you’ll

hear on every HBCU college tour there is — at HBCUs, Black students get the support and the nurturing that white institutions simply cannot provide them.

At the time, I thought this was bunk, yet another example of this idea, perpetuated by Blacks and whites alike, that Black people always need a crutch. I wanted to be wherever the best resources were. Period. And if the school happened to be white (which was virtually always the case), then so be it. Sorry, Morehouse.

That decision is one of my biggest regrets. Only years later, after leaving college indebted and with this lingering sense of rootlessness, did I realize that my experience at U of I mirrored my experience at OPRF. At both schools, I felt suspended in an environment that was purely transactional, culturally vapid, unmoored, careerist, alienating — white-washed. I was only ever at either of these institutions in order to achieve the elusive mission of marketability, even if it came at the expense of losing the

sense of identity and community I had cultivated my whole life in Maywood and that I’m sure Morehouse would have deepened.

Black novelist Richard Wright wrote in his 1937 essay, “Blueprint for Negro Writing,” that “generally speaking, Negro writing in the past has been confined to humble novels, poems, and plays, prim and decorous ambassadors who went a-begging to white America.

“They entered the Court of American Public Opinion dressed in the knee-pants of servility, curtsying to show that a Negro was not inferior, that he was human, and that he had a life comparable to that of other people,” Wright wrote. “For the most part these artistic ambassadors were received as though they were French poodles who do clever tricks.”

Decades after Wright, this “French poodle” dynamic is still in general effect among Blacks in all kinds of white spaces — not just the literary arts. I know I felt it at OPRF and U of I: this constant sense of always being on display, ever-ready to demonstrate my worth

MICHAEL ROMAIN

in white institutions that, unbeknownst to my teenage self, were still not ready to accept my humanity at face value.

In the eyes of the white world, I would never be good enough. White institutions demonstrate this every day in ways subtle and unsubtle. I will not relay how this truth has played out in my own experiences because what’s the point? Half of you won’t believe me anyway (or will find something in my testimony to dispute).

In his 1935 book, Black Reconstruction in America, W.E.B. Du Bois tried to explain why interracial solidarity among Black workers and white workers in the post-Civil War South never materialized.

“It must be remembered that the white group of laborers, while they received a low wage, were compensated in part by a sort of public and psychological wage. They were given public deference and titles of courtesy because they were white. They were admitted freely with all classes of white people to public functions, public parks, and the best schools.

“The police were drawn from their ranks, and the courts, dependent on their votes, treated them with such leniency as to encourage lawlessness. Their vote selected public officials, and while this had small effect upon the economic situation, it had great

Austin Weekly News, October 13, 2021 effect upon their personal treatment and the deference shown them.

“White schoolhouses were the best in the community, and conspicuously placed, and they cost anywhere from twice to ten times as much per capita as the colored schools.

The newspapers specialized on news that flattered the poor whites and almost utterly ignored the Negro except in crime and ridicule.”

Nowadays, there’s a lot of talk about anti-racism, which centers the “public or psychological wage” of whiteness. There’s relatively little discussion, however, about the flip side of that coin — the psychological tax of perceived notions of Black inferiority, which many Black people, myself included, have internalized.

In his 1933 essay, “On Being Ashamed of Oneself: An Essay on Race Pride,” Du Bois writes about the promise of that glorious moment “between emancipation and 1900,” when the “theory of escape” from this country’s racial caste system “was dominant. We were, by birth, law and training, American citizens.

“We were going to escape into the mass of Americans in the same way that the Irish and Scandinavians and even the Italians were beginning to disappear,” Du Bois writes. “The process was going to be slower on account of the badge of color; but then, after all, it was not so much the matter of physical assimilation as of spiritual and psychic amalgamation with the American people.”

The order of the day among most Blacks at the time was a rigorous show of patriotism and a commitment to racially integrated struggles to realize their American rights.

But one of the most “practical difficulties connected with this program” is the “fact that we are still ashamed of ourselves and are thus [stopped] from valid objection when white folks are ashamed to call us human.”

In his 1935 essay “Does the Negro Need Separate Schools?” Du Bois presciently illustrates my teenage self at OPRF while considering which college to attend; my family members talking resignedly about East’s relative impoverishment to OPRF; my relative’s desire to box me into her self-imposed limitations.

“As long as the Negro student wishes to graduate from Columbia, not because Columbia is an institution of learning, but because it is attended by white students; as long as a Negro student is ashamed to attend Fisk or Howard because these institutions are largely run by Black folk, just so long the main problem of Negro education will not be segregation but self-knowledge and selfrespect,” Du Bois wrote.

I’m done expecting white institutions to “let us in” and I’m now hip to the hard reality that integration in America has always, without exception, come at the cost of our physical, psychological and social-emotional well-being. I’m currently of the faith that, as it stands, Black people cannot penetrate white spaces without sacrificing our “selfknowledge and self-respect.”

What’s also troubling is that when it comes to our historic efforts to integrate schools in America, Black children have routinely been offered up as sacrificial lambs.

Now, whenever I see the iconic image of 6-year-old Ruby Bridges flanked by large U.S. Marshals on her mission to desegregate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans in 1960, I don’t just see heroism, I see child abuse.

Du Bois lambasted Black parents who “almost universally disparage their own schools” and look “down upon them” while forcing their “little children into schools where the white children, white teachers, and white parents despised and resented the dark child, made mock of [her], neglected or bullied [her], and literally rendered [her] life a living hell.

“Such parents want their child to ‘fight’ this thing out, — but, dear God, at what a cost! Sometimes, to be sure, the child triumphs and teaches the school community a lesson; but even in such cases, the cost may be high and the child’s whole life turned into an effort to win cheap applause at the expense of healthy individuality,” he adds.

“In other cases, the result of the experiment may be complete ruin of character, gift, and ability. …”

How many Black children’s lives were ruined so that successive generations of Black children can freely attend white schools only to still be despised (and at OPRF, with such subtlety and complexity that some children, usually the “good ones,” barely notice what’s happening until well after we’ve matriculated).

I know I may run the risk of sounding like an ingrate, but I have no interest in treating our Black heroes like Ruby Bridges as if they’re museum pieces over whom we should simply ooh and aah. Ruby Bridges was a human being before she became a hero. I’m genuinely interested in her life and how it can inform my own, not in genuflecting before the altar of badly taught history.

“If the American Negro really believed in himself; if he believed that Negro teachers can educate children according to the best standards of modern training; if he believed that Negro colleges transmit and add to science, as well as or better than other colleges,” Du Bois wrote, “then he would bend his energies, not to escaping inescapable association with his own group, but to seeing that his group had every opportunity for its best and highest development.

“He would insist that his teachers be decently paid; that his schools were properly housed and equipped; that his colleges be supplied with scholarship and research funds; and he would be far more interested in the efficiency of these institutions of learning, than in forcing himself into other institutions where he is not wanted.”

Sometimes I wonder what kind of country we would be currently inhabiting if, instead of fetishizing integration, Black people took Du Bois’ advice and insisted on a much more collective, more expansive vision of freedom — one that encompasses all Blacks, not just the ones who are “good enough” to escape from Black spaces by heroically enduring the psychic hazing so often required to enter and remain in white ones.

CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com

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