■
Mt. Sinai makes push to hire more Black and Brown doctors
PAGE 10
FREE Vol. 35 No. 42
October 20, 2021
■
Also serving Garfield Park
■
austinweeklynews.com
@AustinWeeklyNews
@austinweeklynews
@AustinWeeklyChi
SSpecial i l section i INSIDE
West Side intersection could get more walkable Streetscape improvements coming to Harrison and Homan will be based on recommendations from a community plan By PASCAL SABINO Block Club Chicago
A tricky intersection often avoided by West Side pedestrians will soon be upgraded with better street infrastructure and public art to make the crossing safer and more walkable. The improvements are thanks to years of community-led work planning ways to make North Lawndale safer and more welcoming for pedestrians. The need to improve the streetscape at the troubled intersection was identified by the WALK-H project, a local effort to make the Homan Square neighborhood of Lawndale more walkable. Improvements may include a ground mural designed to slow traffic, curb extensions and crosswalks aimed making the intersection safer for pedestrians. The WALK-H initiative began in 2019 as a walkability study intended to get to the bottom of why many residents don’t feel comfortable walking through the neighborhood. Improving walkability has been a key goal of the transportation committee of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, a neighborhood See INTERSECTION on page 3
Keeping the legacy alive
PAUL GOYETTE/Contributor
Black Panther Party Cub Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. (shown speaking in the black jacket) and Mother Akua Njeri (show seated to his right) during Friday’s dedication outside of the Hampton House in Maywood. Congressman Danny K. Davis (shown left in gray suit) was also in attendance. Read more on page 11.
West Garfield Park Aldi closes permanently The store at 3835 W. Madison St. was one of just two grocery stores located in the West Garfield Park community
By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
The only Aldi grocery store location in West Garfield Park has closed, leaving the community with only one grocery store — the Save-A-Lot location at 420 S. Pulaski Rd. The Aldi store was located at 3835 W. Madison St., at the east end of the Madi-
son/Pulaski commercial corridor. The exact timing of the closing is unclear. Reports of the store’s closing started appearing on social media on Oct. 9 and by Oct. 11, the store’s sign was gone and workers could be seen removing shelves and other furniture from the building. Aldi didn’t respond to calls and emails seeking comment, but a Google search for
the store at 3835 W. Madison St. returns a search result showing that the store is permanently closed. Attempts to reach 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin, whose district includes the store, were unsuccessful. The grocery store chain still has four locations in or near the West Side, and West Garfield Park still has a handful of See ALDI on page 12
2
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
SHOW YOUR KIDS THAT
SAVING MONEY CAN BE FUN! Our new branch is now open, and we’re committed to helping everyone in your family reach their financial goals, even the youngest members! It’s never too early to help your child develop smart money habits that will carry them into adulthood. Setting up even a small savings account for your child can provide them with a strong foundation for college and beyond. To learn more about how we support Oak Park families, visit bankoakpark.com/celebrate.
HELP YOUR KIDS START SAVING WITH OUR
JUNIOR SAVERS ACCOUNT! 1
GET $10
3
Earn interest on EVERY dollar in your account!
NO minimum deposit to open!2
when you open a new Junior Savers account by 12/31/21 and bring this in or mention this offer.4
To open an account for the child in your life today, visit the branch or go to bankoakpark.com/juniorsavers10 and enter Junior10 to redeem this offer.
After you open an account, join our exclusive Junior Savers Club.5 ✓ FREE events
✓ FREE giveaways
SCAN THE QR CODE TO OPEN AN ACCOUNT TODAY!
✓ FUN take-home activities
Talk to a banker for more details!
YOU CAN COUNT ON SERVICE FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW OAK PARK:
Melissa Cleveland Vice President and Director of Retail Banking
Chris Griffith Director of Commercial Development
OAK PARK’S COMMUNITY BANK 151 N. Oak Park Ave. | Oak Park, IL 60301 708-948-0405 | www.bankoakpark.com
Get to know us better at oakparkbank.com/meetus. Oak Park Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A. 1. Junior Savers Account. At account opening, child(ren) must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present a valid Social Security number(s). 2. Fees. A maintenance fee of $5.00 will be imposed every calendar month if the balance in the account falls below $200.00 any day of the calendar month once the Junior Saver has reached the age of 22. Transaction limitations will apply. Fees may reduce earnings. 3. Junior Savers Bonus Information. This Junior Savers account bonus offer is valid for new accounts opened January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021. This Junior Savers account bonus offer is not available to active employees of Wintrust Financial Corporation (‘WTFC’) and its subsidiaries. Multiple Junior Savers accounts opened and titled in the same name, will only qualify for 1 bonus payment. Your new account must be open, in the same product, and have a balance greater than zero to receive the bonus payment. Balance is determined as of the end of each Business Day as the funds currently in your account including deposits and withdrawals made in the Business Day. The $10.00 bonus payment is subject to IRS 1099-INT reporting and may be considered income for tax purposes for the tax year in which the bonus was paid. Banker instructions: Enter offer code WFC00EVJS010 during account opening. 4. Junior Savers Bonus Qualifications. (i) Open a new Junior Savers account; (ii) tell us you are aware of this bonus offer at account opening; and (iii) you must be under the age of 22 when you open your new Junior Savers account. After you have completed all the above bonus offer qualifications, we will deposit this bonus payment into your new account within 60 calendar days after account opening. 5. Junior Savers Club. Membership is for those under the age of 22 with a customer relationship. See a personal banker for more details. A listing of WTFC locations can be found here: wintrust.com/locations.
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
AUSTIN WEEKLY
news
Equity Editor/Ombudsman/Editor Michael Romain Senior Editor Bob Uphues Digital Publishing & Technology Manager Briana Higgins Contributing Reporter Igor Studenkov PROVIDED
A 3D rendering (above) of streetscape improvements at Homan Avenue and Harrison Street, one of the most dangerous intersections in North Lawndale. Murals (below) painted on curb extensions were used in Kansas City to slow traffic.
INTERSECTION
Human enhancements coming from page 1 group dedicated to improving the quality of life by targeting issues like health, transportation and safety. The transportation committee worked with the School of the Art Institute Homan Square and local youth to conduct the study that gathered feedback from residents and assessed the conditions at 22 intersections to figure out the issues that discouraged people from walking. The assessment showed that at many crosswalks, cars frequently zoom through stop signs and fail to yield to pedestrians, while 80 percent of traffic lights didn’t have a pedestrian countdown timer at all. A particularly troublesome intersection was the corner of Homan and Harrison. It was poorly lit, lacked a crosswalk and had a poorly marked bump-out that cars frequently cut across while turning. That intersection became a focus of later projects since pedestrians must cross that street to get to the Kedzie-Homan Blue Line station, and it is next to the onramp to the Eisenhower Expressway, said Taykhoom Biviji, a project manager with SAIC Homan Square. “It’s a public transportation junction and it connects to the highway. The study told us there’s a lot of concern around this intersection,” Biviji said. “People getting off the train or walking home from there, they would want somebody to pick them up. Or, they’d get off at a different stop, avoiding this resource they have in the community.” The WALK-H assessment made several recommendations for making the neighborhood more walkable by improving street infrastructure like crosswalks and adding signs, lighting, art and greenery to make the area more desirable to walk through. The recommendations were designed to be a blueprint for future infrastructure investments to make
Lawndale safer, the team said. For a second phase of the WALK-H project, the team worked with community members to create a mural with built-in LED lights at the intersection as a way to implement some of the improvements recommended by the initial study. The mural’s design and colors were decided through resident feedback. The lighting is aimed at making the dark corner feel safer, and the art is meant to reflect the cultural identity of the neighborhood and draw attention to the area so people feel more comfortable walking.
“When we were installing the mural, we had a lot of residents that started coming out, either adding a few brush strokes or talking to students who worked on the design,” Biviji said. “Community members felt really good to see art at this intersection where there’s really nothing else besides a gas station.” The third phase of the project is funded by a $25,000 grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative. The WALK-H team partnered with the Chicago Department of Transportation to apply as the city’s sole entry for the Asphalt Art Initiative grant, which provided funding for 26 projects nationwide that use art to improve street safety and revitalize public places. The WALK-H initiative will further study the Homan and Harrison intersection to better understand the issues there and “identify what kind of infrastructure would make the most sense,” Biviji said.
Like previous arms of the WALK-H project, the Homan and Harrison intersection improvements will be co-designed with residents living in the surrounding area. The team will host community engagement meetings where residents can work with urban designers from the city’s transportation department to decide what infrastructure upgrades will be made. The final project could include artistic elements like a ground mural covering the entire intersection, or eye-catching sidewalk bump-outs. The art draws more attention to the intersections, which will “make the experience for pedestrians really great when they’re walking, but also … reduce speeding,” Biviji said. A similar project in Kansas City was funded by the Asphalt Art Initiative grant in 2020 to make safer a tricky intersection with tough crossings, sharp turns and a speeding problem. The project, led by Midtown KC Now and Street Smarts Design + Build, added curb extensions on each corner that were each covered by a mural painted by a different artist. The improvements slowed average car speeds by 45 percent, according the team’s analysis. By working with residents to design a plan for improving street infrastructure and the look and feel of the intersection, the project will give people in the area a stronger feeling of ownership over their neighborhood, Biviji said. The walkability plan is also aimed at attracting more infrastructure investment from the city which can be guided by the ideas already expressed by residents, he said. “Our hope is that this will start bringing in more city infrastructure into the neighborhood,” he said. “It’s an experience for the neighborhood to really see what is possible and what they can go for.” 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
Reporting Partners Block Club, Austin Talks Columnist Arlene Jones Staff Photographer Alex Rogals Design/Production Manager Andrew Mead Editorial Design Manager Javier Govea Designer Susan McKelvey Sales & Marketing Representavies Lourdes Nicholls, Marc Stopeck Development Manager Mary Ellen Nelligan Development & Sales Coordinator Stacy Coleman Circulation Manager Jill Wagner Publisher Dan Haley Business Manager Joyce Minich
BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Judy Greffin Treasurer Nile Wendorf Deb Abrahamson , Gary Collins, Darnell Shields, Sheila Solomon, Eric Weinheimer HOW TO REACH US 141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302 PHONE 773-626-6332 FAX 708-467-9066 CIRCULATION Jill@oakpark.com ONLINE www.AustinWeeklyNews.com TWITTER @AustinWeeklyChi Austin Weekly News is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. It is distributed free of charge at locations across Austin and Garfield Park. Our hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advertising rates are available by calling our office. Printed entirely on recycled paper. © 2021 Growing Community Media NFP.
3
4
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
While future of St. Catherine-St. Lucy parish is uncertain, its school finds generous partners
Alliance between Oak Park’s Fenwick High and SCSL, where most students are from Austin, starts with rebuilt gym By F. AMANDA TUGADE
tin and Washington boulevards. It has also been stated that SCSL school, After seven months of renovations, St. where the vast majority Catherine-St. Lucy School (SCSL) unveiled of students are from Ausits refurbished gym, but as Mike Doody, one tin, will continue to opof the project’s foremen, stood amidst the erate though possibly in finished product, he said there’s more to conjunction with another local Catholic School. Dethis story than meets the eye. During a dedication ceremony Oct. 7, cisions on the future of Doody spoke in front of nearly 100 guests the Oak Park parishes are about the years it took to get the renovation expected soon. “I do not know what the project off the ground, offering gratitude to the many people who donated their time and Renew My Church efforts money. The over $200,000 project – which are going to bring,” Shais expected to wrap up by the end of this ron Leamy, SCSL princimonth – included the installation of new pal, said in an interview flooring, windows, ceiling lights, bleachers with Wednesday Journal before the ceremony. “We and scoreboards. “I didn’t really know what I was in for. I hope that our church stays didn’t know where we’re going,” said Doody, open in some format. It’s a as he stood behind the lectern and tried to beautiful space.” Like most educators, piece together the project’s start five years ago. “What I did know was that an amazing Leamy described the last school was serving an amazing community. 19 months of the panALEX ROGALS/Staff Photographer [St. Catherine-St. Lucy] was really a hope demic as a “rollercoaster,” and potentially losing the Michael Doody speaks to attendees on Thursday, Oct. 7, during the gymnasium dedication ceremony at for this community.” The project also comes at a time when school’s parish church St. Catherine-St. Lucy in Oak Park. the school experienced a dip in enrollment just tacks on another oband its parish faces significant changes. St. stacle. But one thing she $200,000, and built a “dream team,” a fiveMaking big steps Catherine-St. Lucy parish, one of four Cath- has learned, especially the last year and a member group of volunteers to help iron Back at the dedication ceremony, Dooolic parishes in Oak Park, is moving toward half, is that moments of uncertainty call for out the details of the project, Doody said. dy shared the journey leading up to last the decision-making phase of the Chicago flexibility. On top of that, Fenwick High School part“You’re almost hesitant to predict what March when the gym renovation project archdiocese’s Renew My Church project. nered with SCSL this spring and matched Facing declining church attendance, weak- the future would be,” Leamy said. “Even began. the $200,000 donation. Those funds were It all started with the late Lauren Heath, ening finances and an aging and shrink- this summer, we were a little bit worried later used to transform the gym’s baseing number of priests, parishes across the about our enrollment, and then all of a sud- a longtime Oak Park resident and mother ment into a tutoring center, while the rest archdiocese are being grouped for potential den, in August, we saw a huge uptick, and of six who worked to bring her community of the money was pooled into a scholarship and Chicago’s Austin community together. things are really looking good for us.” mergers and closures. fund to help SCSL students attend Fenwick “We’re just so grateful for everything During her lifetime, Heath and her husIn Oak Park there are currently multiple High School. scenarios for how SCSL, Ascension, St. Ed- that’s happened,” she said. “We’re going to band, Kent Barnett, led the fundraising Doody said Malnati called St. Catherinemund and St. Giles may be reconstituted. do our best to stay centered in who we are efforts for Horizons for Youth, a ChicagoSt. Lucy a “beacon” and wanted to “take Among those scenarios, only SCSL faces and the mission of our school and moving based nonprofit that offers resources for the school to the next level,” and with the children and families. potential shuttering of its church at Aus- forward.” Heath was a “tremendous woman,” said project nearly done, a new chapter awaits. At the ceremony, Leamy leaned against Doody, who believed all children deserve one of the gym’s walls, listening to a choir a chance to learn, grow and succeed, and of SCSL and Fenwick students singing hoped to erase that “divide” – Austin Boulevard, the single street that historically together, their voices folding perfectly in Rev. Dr. Reginald E. Bachus, Pastor separates suburban Oak Park from Chi- harmony. “We’re very fortunate to have a lot of peocago’s Austin neighborhood – and instead, 5200 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL 60644 ple who believe in us and a lot of partners build a bridge. 773-378-6600 When Heath died five years ago, Barnett who support us,” Leamy said. “Believe me, fbcchicago.org thought of carrying out his wife’s mission without the support of all those partners facebook.com/friendshipbcchicago and reached out to Doody, a former board and without our teachers and staff all JOIN US FOR ONLINE SERVICES member of Horizons, to lead the way. The coming together and working together, we would not be in this space. There’s a lot of rest is now history. • FACEBOOK @FriendshipBCChicago people that have really pushed our school What happened next, Doody said, was • YOUTUBE @The Friendship Baptist Church of Chicago a series of conversations with Barnett, forward.” Sundays who later looped in Rick Malnati, a close “It’s really a powerful feeling just to - 9:30 AM Sunday School • 11:00 AM Worship Service friend and former Fenwick High School know that others believe in you and the Wednesdays basketball coach. They drafted the plans journey that you’re on, and we’re just goto revamp SCSL’s gym. Barnett and Mal- ing to keep making those big steps,” said - 6:00 PM Bible Study nati, along with other donors, raised over Leamy. Staff Reporter
“The” Friendship BAPTIST CHURCH
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
Advocates say new legislative map hurts Black West Siders The Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting has filed a federal complaint alleging that the new map reduces majority-Black legislative districts in a way that violates the Voting Rights Act By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
A local voting rights advocacy group has filed a federal complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice over the state’s recent redistricting effort, which the group says negatively affects Black voters, particularly those on the West Side. The Illinois African Americans for Equitable Redistricting (IAAFER) filed the complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) on Oct. 18, alleging that the Illinois General Assembly reduced the number of majority-Black state legislative districts in a way that violates the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Although the number of Black Illinois residents has declined since 2010, representatives with the group said the population decline doesn’t justify halving the number of majority-Black districts in the state. Valerie Leonard, the co-founder of the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council and who serves as the convener for the group, said that the new legislative map, which was approved Aug. 30, reduces the voting power of Black, lower-income West Siders in favor of more well-off white voters. For now, the group is waiting for the DOJ’s response, but Leonard said that they are prepared to sue the state if the federal department declines to pursue the complaint. The boundaries of all legislative districts must be changed once every 10 years based on the census results, to ensure that each district has similar population numbers. Each state Senate district contains two state House districts. Under the Illinois constitution, the General Assembly had until June 30 to complete the remap. Due to the fact that the 2020 Census data didn’t arrive until August, the state adopted provisional maps based on American Community Survey data. Once the data came out, it approved a revised map Aug. 30. IAAFER already had concerns about the earlier map reducing African-American voting power. They argued that the new map reduced the number of majority-Black state representative districts from 16 to eight and reduced the number of majority-Black state Senate districts from eight to four. Leonard said that, on the West Side, the
group took issue with the 9th and 10th state House districts, which are part of the 5th state Senate district. The two House districts have encompassed most of majority-Black portions of the West Side. Under the 2011 map, the 9th District included most of North Lawndale. The 10th District includes East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park, along with a slither of Austin. According to the new map, the new 10th District retains East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park, and includes a slightly larger portion of Austin, but it also includes portions of majority-white communities like Lincoln Park, Wicker Park and West Town. The change to the 9th District follows a similar pattern, adding more census tracts from the majoritywhite areas. Leonard argued that the change hurts Black voters in several ways. Black candidates running for elected offices would have a more diverse electorate to appeal to, which would make elections more expensive. “It doesn’t cost as much to create a message in a homogenous community as it would in a more diverse community,” she said. “The more diverse the community, the more interests you have to serve.” Leonard also argued that the setup would advantage non-Black candidates, noting that the districts include parts of some of the wealthiest communities in the state. “You’ll eventually have people from some of the poorest communities in the state that happen to be Black competing with more affluent communities on the east side of the district,” she said. “Those races are probably going to be more expensive to win. We’d be competing with big money.” Legislators have argued that just because there are fewer majority-Black districts doesn’t mean Black candidates can’t win elections. And there is already precedent. Most of state Rep. Camille Lilly’s 78th District, which largely spans the west suburbs, isn’t majorityBlack, and neither is about two-thirds of State Rep. La Shawn Ford’s 8th District. But Leonard said that those are the exceptions; they won’t be the rule under the new map. “In many cases Blacks are winning because races are crowded,” she said. “If you have a one-on-one race between a Black person and a white person, the race may become a bit more challenging.” Ford has had his seat since 2006 and hasn’t had any serious opposition since 2008. Lilly was appointed to her seat in 2010 and has not faced any serious competition since then. Leonard said that, while IAAFER is hopeful that the DOJ will investigate their complaint, if it doesn’t, they are prepared to take legal action against the state government. “We would need to find an attorney who’d represent our interests,” she said. “We would have the attorney look and see if there’s a case, and have them file a lawsuit on our behalf — on behalf of the Black voters in Illinois.”
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
PLAY IT SAFE! PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS CHECKING ACCOUNT FROM OVERDRAFTS AND FEES
5
6
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
Cycling while Black
Over 90 percent of tickets are for riding on the sidewalk. But on the South and West sides, where bike infrastructure is lacking, riding can be dangerous — and it’s kept cycling from catching on, advocates said By PASCAL SABINO Contributing Reporter
Cyclists riding in Chicago’s Black neighborhoods are eight times more likely to be ticketed by police than those riding in white neighborhoods, according to a new study. From 2017-2019, over 90 percent of biking tickets cops issued were for riding on the sidewalk, data showed. But on the South and West sides, where bike infrastructure is lacking, riding can be dangerous, leaving cyclists little choice but to ride on the sidewalk, said University of California researcher Jesus Barajas, the study’s author. “They don’t feel safe on the streets. When there’s no infrastructure, no place for a bike to be on the street, you’re going to feel safer somewhere separated from that traffic,” Barajas said. West Side neighborhoods, including Lawndale,New Garfield Park, Austin and Hum10X6 Austin Weekly OP COVID Testing boldt Park, had among the highest ticketing
rates for cyclists in the city, according to the study. The data also shows cyclists in Latino areas were ticketed at three times the rate of those in white neighborhoods. The lack of bike lanes and the policing of cyclists has kept cycling from catching on in Black and Latino neighborhoods, advocates said. Oboi Reed, founder of Equiticity, a West Side group rooted in racial justice that is building a cycling culture on the West Side, said the policing of cyclists keeps people from getting on bikes. “They are actively fighting against us addressing our health inequities by riding bikes, because they’re targeting us,” Reed said. “We’re trying to get more people on bikes, and they’re fighting against that.” Reed’s group organizes community bike rides that highlight how cycling can build community, support physical and mental health and help better ad Sep14-B.pdf 1 people 9/14/21 to 3:56 PM connect with their neighborhood and the city. Pub-
PROVIDED
Residents biking through the West Side with Boxing Out Negativity. lic safety and commerce in a neighborhood also benefit from a strong local culture of cycling, Reed said. “Some of these inequities could be positively impacted by bicycles and the activity of cycling,” Reed said. “Biking has a role to
play. I’m not suggesting it’s the only tool in our toolkit; I’m suggesting it should be one tool that Black and Brown people are able to reach in and use.” Though cycling is not a single panacea for all problems in a neighborhood, it can
Now Offering
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Center for Primary Care and Non-Life Threatening Injuries Clinic Hours of Operation:
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Closed on Sunday
1000 Madison Avenue Oak Park, IL 60302
CALL: 708-660-1800 for more information.
Walk ins accepted!
CO VI D
Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
-19
RAPID & PCR COVID TESTING
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021 be part of the solution to a host of systemic struggles and inequities facing communities of color, Reed said.
Where There Are Bike Lanes, Cyclists Are Less Likely To Be Ticketed On average, Chicago’s white neighborhoods have 50 percent more bike lanes than Black neighborhoods, the analysis found. About 6 percent of roads in Black neighborhoods have bike lanes, whereas 9 percent of roads have bike lanes in white neighborhoods, the study shows. “When there are bike lanes on a street, you’re about half as likely to get a ticket compared to if it didn’t have one. You have a lack of infrastructure that contributes to more tickets,” Barajas said. Ticketing is supposed to be used to keep the city safer by penalizing bicyclists who make streets and sidewalks more dangerous, Barajas said. But the study found no connection between the number of tickets issued for biking on the sidewalk and bike crashes. The neighborhoods that have the highest bike traffic tend to have the most bike accidents, but bicyclists are rarely ticketed in places with more crashes, Barajas said. “Those enforcement actions aren’t really tied to what they should be tied to, which is improving safety in the neighborhoods. They’re tied to other purposes,” he said.
Ticketing Cyclists As A Policing Strategy Community Policing Director Glen Brooks said in 2018 that Chicago police target traffic enforcement and cycling tickets in certain neighborhoods as a strategy for cracking down on more serious crime. The disproportionate number of tickets being issued in Black and Latino areas “isn’t a matter of targeting bicycles. This is a matter of targeting violence,” he said. “When we have communities experiencing levels of violence, we do increase traffic enforcement. Part of that includes bicycles. It isn’t a matter of fact that we are targeting people of color for bicycles. We are trying to do anything humanly possible to curtail the violence. We know there are a number of shootings that are directly tied to vehicles and bicycles,” Brooks said. In a statement this week, a Chicago police spokesperson wrote that cops “do not target individuals based on race.” “Officers may take enforcement action concerning bicyclist and traffic violations, which include Administrative Notice of Violations (ANOVs), when necessary to safeguard pedestrians, drivers, and residents,” the statement said. But the Police Department’s unequal enforcement of traffic laws is rooted in systemic racism, since Black and Latino neighborhoods bear the heavy burdens of expensive tickets, the emotional strain of over-policing and the risk of interactions with cops escalating into a serious legal issue, Reed said. The city needs to find ways to reduce violence “without this perpetual toll that it takes on our neighborhoods,” Reed
said. “It’s all about [police] executing a strategy to reduce violence in our neighborhoods,” Reed said. “We know it to be structurally racist, with no regard to how our neighborhoods are adversely impacted by these strategies.” The ticketing strategy is “clearly ineffective to keep anybody safe, really,” said Kyle Whitehead, spokesperson for the Active Transportation Alliance, a group that advocates for biking, cycling and transit in Chicago.
More Bikes Lanes Needed, Advocates Say The way to make streets safer isn’t through unevenly enforced ticketing practices, but by investing in protected bike lanes, Whitehead said. Many bicyclists in Black and Latino areas get ticketed for riding on the sidewalk only because “the streets are not designed to protect them … so [biking on the sidewalk] is a decision that’s actually safer and making it less likely to crash,” Whitehead said. The city’s $17 million plan to add 100 miles of new and upgraded bike lanes is a strong start to making the streets safer and more equitable, Whitehead said. But Black and Latino neighborhoods that are getting ticketed the most should be getting “a disproportionate amount of infrastructure and amenities,” he said. “The potential or a crash and this feeling of unsafety and discomfort on the street discourages you from riding there and maybe from riding altogether,” Whitehead said. Equiticity is one of many groups working to accelerate interest in cycling and add momentum to the bike culture emerging on the West Side. Others include Boxing Out Negativity, an athletic group that coordinates weekly community bike rides aimed at reclaiming the streets and promoting peace in North Lawndale. Youth development group YMEN launched a free bike library to make cycling accessible to everybody in the neighborhood. But racial ticketing disparities and the lack of infrastructure create a huge barrier that is “undermining the work that people on the ground are doing to create a real bike culture,” Whitehead said. In neighborhoods like Lawndale, the fear of a crash or an interaction with police that spirals into a violent confrontation is enough to deter many would-be bikers, Reed said. “We are literally making choices around our mode of travel based on the inequities that surround us. We don’t want to be a victim of police violence, so I’m not riding my bike,” Reed said. ” … We don’t want to ride our bike and get hit by a car. Ain’t no bike lanes in our neighborhood, so I’m not going around my bike, Subscribe to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make funds reporting from Chicago’s neighborhoods.
CONTACT: info@vfpress.news
WE’RE BUILT TO SERVE
OAK PARK
As a local community bank, we offer financial solutions tailored to this area.
we reinvest your deposits with us...
When you bank locally...
Bank local to help our community GROW which builds up our local economy and nurtures growth in our area.
SPEAK WITH OUR EXPERT:
Melissa Cleveland Vice President and Director of Retail Banking
151 N. Oak Park Ave. | Oak Park, IL 60301 708-948-0405
Stop by to say hello or make an appointment at bankoakpark.com/invested. Oak Park Bank is a branch of Hinsdale Bank & Trust Company, N.A.
7
8
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
Mount Sinai making push to add more Black and Brown doctors Sinai Health System’s push to diversify its medical staff includes effort to add more Black and Brown medical residents, officials say By IGOR STUDENKOV Contributing Reporter
Sinai Health System, which owns and manages Mount Sinai Medical Center in North Lawndale, is currently trying to recruit more Black and Brown medical residents. Dr. Gina Walton, Sinai Health’s vice president of diversity and inclusion, said that recruiting more doctors who look like their patients and share their patients’ socioeconomic backgrounds has a tangible impact on those patients’ health. “When we have physician/patient concordance, we see improvement in health outcomes,” she said. “Our community is largely Black and Latino, and our hospital has very few Black and Latino [doctors].” Late last year, Sinai teamed up with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois to recruit more medical students who belong to Underrepresented in Medicine (URIM) minority groups – AfSee SINAI on page 10
PROVIDED
A screenshot of Sinai’s The residency program website, which features photos and biographies of minority residents who already work at Sinai hospitals and clinics; sections written in both English and Spanish; and a page with Dr. Gina Walton’s testimonial about her own experience as a Black, Spanish-speaking woman in the medical field.
DO IT FOR THE WESTSIDE VISIT
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
9
Einstein, Chappelle and the First Amendment
I
have a poster in my basement with a quote from Albert Einstein, which states, “Education is not the learning of facts but the training of the mind to think.” I’m not going to lie. Those words weighed heavily on my mind as I purposely tuned into Netflix to watch Dave Chappelle’s The Closer special. I have never really been a fan of Chappelle because I didn’t have cable, so I never saw any of his shows. Then this latest special came out and caused such outrage from a certain segment of our society that my curiosity was piqued. Unlike many folks who profess to not be judgmental, I was in that mindset. I wanted to see and judge for myself the basis for all the hoopla being raised. One hour and 12 minutes later, I can affirm with 100% certainty that I stand with Dave, even though I personally didn’t care for the way Chappelle tossed the word “nigga” about. In the Ivory soap reality (99.9% pure), the words “fool,” “idiot,” “moron” or “brother” could have easily replaced his usage of the n-word at various times and not lost any of the effects of his commentary. However, what Chappelle did in that special was to juxtapose certain realities that we are not supposed to think about next to the propaganda we are being fed! His special was educating us in the most kiss (keep it simple stupid) method there is. I found myself nodding my head in agreement while also experiencing several lightbulb moments. I even laughed at some of the stuff. What Chappelle had masterfully accomplished was to educate us so that we gave deep thought to certain realities. Thinking, as the great Einstein once stated, makes us more educated on the subject so that the wool can’t be pulled over our eyes. Thinking also gives us the opportunity to judge the different sides of a controversy. The ironies that Chapelle set forth also triggered my indignation buttons. As an example, rapper DaBaby kills a man in Walmart, and it’s really no big deal. His
ARLENE JONES
“I found myself nodding my head in agreement while also experiencing several lightbulb moments.”
career continues without missing a beat. But DaBaby expresses musings that offend the gay community, and he is immediately shut down, his appearance at concerts cancelled, and made to apologize. Is that not a situation that should be pondered? At whose feet should the responsibility for becoming indignant be placed in the former? It’s the age-old battle of tolerant
versus non-tolerant and where one falls in between the two. If the current cancel culture continues to thrive, why do we have a First Amendment that gives us freedom of speech? And if the current Chappelle controversy is about anything, it’s the ability of a comedian to offer humor, ponderings and musings without the swift sword of the
cancel culture shutting them down. The presumed power of cancel culture may be at a crossroads — finding out just how far it can go or if it has met its limit from those with education who take offense at its burgeoning display of power. And that is good. Because any power that goes unchecked can become the exact monster it was created to prevent.
Our Community Needs Community Journalism Reporting local news, telling local stories and keeping local officials accountable is more important now than ever before.
Let's keep Austin informed.
Read and Support the Austin Weekly News.
Partner with us. Donate at GrowingCommunityMedia.org
Growing Community Media NFP is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization
10
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
SINAI
Residency changes from page 8 rican-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. Given the health system’s demographics, they are putting particular emphasis on the first two groups. Sinai officials said they are doing their outreach push now, as medical students are looking to find hospitals where they can complete their residencies. The health system is also changing its process for evaluating candidates, hoping this results in more inclusion. Sinai is also in the early stages of working with area high schools and colleges to get more young people of color to study medicine. According to Walton, North Lawndale’s Mount Sinai Medical Center, 1500 S Fairfield Ave., the health system’s flagship hospital, offers five residency programs: internal medicine, family medicine, surgery, OB-GYN, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Last year, Blue Cross and Blue Shield launched the Health Equity Hospital Quality Incentive Pilot Program. The COVID-19 pandemic threw the existing healthcare inequities into sharp relief and, according to a statement issued at the time, the health insuranceNew company wanted to launch pro10X6 Austin Weekly Free Mammogram grams “aimed at improving health care
outcomes in minority groups, increasing goal. The residency program website feathe diversity and cultural competency of tures photos and biographies of minority the physician workforce and advancing residents who already work at Sinai hospiawareness on implicit bias.” tals and clinics; several sections are writThe pilot program is providing funding ten in both English and Spanish; and there and resources to help hospitals that serve is a page with Walton’s testimonial about Black and Hispanic communities, which her own experience as a Black, Spanishhave been disproportionately affected by speaking woman in the medical field. the pandemic, with the longThere is also a section on the term goal of “improving the hospital’s commitments to its quality of care by elevating a residents, which include “no focus on health equity and recode-switching,” not shying ducing racial and ethnic disaway from discussing racism and providing support “as if parities in care.” people’s lives depend on it, beAs Walton noted during the cause they [do].” interview, hospitals don’t ac“[We area] literally putting cept medical residents directly. faces of people who look like They use the National Residenthem on the website, speaking cy Matching Program (NRMP). GINA WALTON After hospitals interview the Vice President of diversity and the language that’s understood by them to make them feel more candidates, candidates and hosinclusion, Sinai Health included and represented,” pitals rank each other. The comWalton said. puter program then uses the Sinai is also reaching out to rankings to “match” candidates Black and Hispanic medical and hospitals. This means the student associations. Walton process is as much about hospiorganized several virtual open tals making a good impression houses for candidates and she on the candidates as it is about candidates making a good impression on said she is making herself available to the hospitals. minority candidates who might have quesThe matches will be made in March 2022. tions and concerns. Walton said that their goal is to increase “I find that students of color [in particuthe number of matches by 10 percent next lar] have been contacting me directly, tryyear. ing to get a better understanding of Sinai,” Walton said that Sinai is taking a multishe said. ad-3.pdf 1 9/16/21 5:06 PM prong approach toward achieving that At the same time, Walton said, Sinai re-
“When they look in the mirror, they need to have confidence.”
considering how it evaluates candidates. Instead of just looking at their records, they are looking at their backgrounds and other factors that may help them relate to patients. “[If] they’re African-American and grew up on the West Side, that’s going to help them,” Walton said. Finally, Walton said that Sinai is mindful of the fact that “ultimately, there are really not enough Black, Latinx, and Native/ Alaskan people” studying to be doctors, so they wanted to help establish “pathways” for students from elementary school onward to get into the profession. She said that she has already started conducting outreach at Chicago high schools and colleges, where she talks about the challenges students of color typically face in the industry and outlines the career path into medicine. Walton said that it’s important to get students to see that medicine is a field they can pursue. “When they look in the mirror, they need to have confidence,” she said. “Even though Black and Latinx and Native American students have systematically been excluded, we are making the way toward improvement, where they can become represented in medicine.” For more information about Sinai’s medical residency programs, visit https://residency.sinaichicago.org/.
CONTACT: info@vfpress.news
FREE Mammograms Breast Cancer is the most diagnosed cancer among black women!
Mammograms will be given throughout October for uninsured and underinsured Austin residents. C
Certain restrictions apply. Call for details.
M
Y
CM
MY
At The Loretto Hospital we are working hard to change that narrative. We know that the thought of having breast cancer is a scary thing. We also know that not knowing can be even scarier.
CY
CMY
K
Make yourself a priority and schedule your appointment today!
Call: 312-485-0473
*If you qualify, you may also be able to make an appointment for a FREE pap smear.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month The Loretto Hospital | 645 South Central Avenue | Chicago, IL 60644
www.lorettohospital.org
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
11
A remembrance of the Black Panthers at the Hampton House During Oct. 15 event, community members unveiled projects meant to realize Hampton’s and Panthers’ legacy
tle Free Pantry. They also unveiled original artwork created from the original Hampton Family Bench. The projects were the result of a collaboration between eight different local community organizations across Proviso Township and Berwyn. Their collective goal is to transform the Hampton House into a space “to teach young people as well as adults about the legacy of Fred Hampton, the Hampton family as well By MICHAEL ROMAIN Editor as the significance of this space and what it means to Maywood, Proviso Township and On Oct. 15, dozens of community mem- to American history,” according to a statebers gathered outside the childhood home ment released ahead of the event. of Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman “When you show up to a Black Panther Fred Hampton in west suburban Maywood, Party Cubs event, you’re going to see a rainto mark the 55th anniversary bow coalition,” said Randall of the revolutionary party’s McFarland, the founder of founding. Hampton was asBest of Proviso Township, sassinated by law enforceone of the partner organizament inside of his West Side tions. apartment on Dec. 4, 1969. McFarland said Emanuel The Friday event wasn’t Lutheran Church in Hillside merely a commemoration, teamed up with a partner said Hampton’s son, Black organization to stock the Panther Cub Chairman Fred free food pantry outside of Hampton Jr. The day was an Hampton’s boyhood home. exercise in realizing HampThe pantry, he said, will be FRED HAMPTON JR. ton’s and the Black Panther stocked with non-perishable Chairman, Black Panther Party Cubs Party’s legacies of bottomfood items. up activism rooted in comBenjamin Henning, a community. munity organizer with the “A hero does something and you say, ‘Wow,’ community group Engaged Berwyn, said but you can’t emulate it,” Hampton Jr. said. his group was involved in creating the new “These brothers and sisters came from our artwork out of the original Hampton Famcommunity and transcended geographical, ily Bench and helping to restore the new gender and generational lines.” bench. They also installed the Little Free On Friday, Hampton Jr., along with his Library, he said. mother, Mother Akua Njeri, gathered to Oak Park activist Anthony Clark, whose unveil and dedicate a new People’s Bench, Suburban Unity Alliance was responsible an official Little Free Library, an improved for partnering with Hampton Jr. on the free “Feed Em’ All Community Fridge” and a Lit- community refrigerator setup outside of
“These brothers and sisters came from our community and transcended geographical, gender and generational lines.”
PAUL GOYETTE/Contributor
Community members stock the community refrigerator outside of Fred Hampton Sr.’s boyhood home in suburban Maywood on Friday. the Hampton House, called for community members to channel the legacy of Hampton Sr. and the Black Panther Party. That legacy dates back to Oct. 15, 1966, when Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seal formed the Black Panther Party for Self Defense in Oakland, California, in response to rampant and unchecked police brutality. With virtually no recourse or government intervention to count on, they took matters into their own hands and became their own advocates and protectors. “I thank my parents for truly teaching me what our school systems are not,” Clark said. “When I reached out to the Chairman about the fridge, he said, ‘Right on. Let’s do it.’ We cannot wait on anybody else to do the work we can do for ourselves. We truly can’t.” Maywood Mayor Nathaniel George Book-
S W E N FLASH!
er said he has had conversations with Congressman Danny K. Davis (7th), who was also in attendance on Friday, about ways of preserving the legacy of Hampton and the Panthers. “Since becoming mayor there have been multiple conversations we’ve been having … about the preservation of the house, the revitalization of the pool space and working on a cultural arts facility that can help with our youth,” he said. “Wauconda is [a town] in [Illinois],” Hampton Jr. said. “They’re booming [because of the film “Black Panther”] … You’ve got living, real history right here! … Let the world know. Geographically Maywood is small, but politically it’s a giant.”
CONTACT: michael@austinweeklynews.com
You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box.
Sign up for FREE at AustinWeeklyNews.com
12
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
Bring Home a Taste of Some of your Favorite Moments
RibFest Every Day! Mickey’s is the place!
Mickey’s Rib Special 1/2 Slab Dinner Full Slab Dinner B.B.Q. RIBS & CHICKEN BURGERS & HOT DOGS
$11.99
$17.99
includes fries or baked potato, coleslaw and garlic bread
525 N Harlem Ave, Oak Park (708) 848-3333 11am - 9pm Daily
3 Vienna Hot Dogs w/ Fries $ .49
8
Italian Beef Sandwich w/ Fries $ .49
8
IGOR STUDENKOV/Contributor
Wednesday
Gyros Plate Dinner 1 lb meat, 2 pita breads, fries & 3 cups sauce $10.99
Every day Special!
Gyros with fries $7.99
1/4 Lb Double Cheeseburger
Big Mickey! $ .99
2
Medicare has changed. Find out how it can affect you.
Important changes to the federal Medicare program became effective at the beginning of the year. As a result, retirees in your state may be eligible for coverage with new options. Find out if you qualify for Medicare Supplement insurance from Physicians Life Insurance Company that can help limit your out-of-pocket expenses.
For FREE information, call:
1-833-461-1514 or visit MedSupBenefit.com/weds
Get the facts that matter to you: • Critical dates for Medicare eligibility • Options that can help keep more money in your pocket • Medicare benefits many retirees may not be aware of In CO, LA, WI: Important Information: Medicare Supplement policies are available to people under age 65 eligible for Medicare due to a disability. We are not connected with, nor endorsed by, the U.S. Government or the Federal Medicare Program. Requests for additional information, including costs, exclusions, and limitations, require contact with an insurance agent or insurance company. This is a solicitation of insurance. L030, L035, L036, L037, L038, F001, F002 (LA: L030LA, L035LA, L036LA, L037LA, L038LA; WI: L535, L536, L537, L538, L539). 2600 Dodge Street Omaha, NE 68131. 6244_D
The Aldi in West Garfield Park on Oct. 11.
ALDI
Closed for good from page 1 stores that stock fresh food. But Siri Hibbler, head of the Garfield Park Chamber of Commerce, lambasted the closing, saying that the loss of Aldi means that the community is now a complete food desert. The lack of grocery stores on the West Side has been a problem for decades. Last spring, a group of West Side nonprofits set out to develop the West Garfield Park Corridors Plan, which, among other things, would develop “strategies to combat food scarcity.” Over the past couple of years, Aldi has significantly expanded its fast food offerings, while still offering many longer-lasting items at reduced prices. The chain has also been updating its stores. The location in Austin’s Island neighborhood, at 5629 W. Fillmore St., was renovated earlier this year. On Aug. 16, Aldi issued a statement, announcing that, because of its “aggressive growth,” it would hire “more than 20,000 new store and warehouse employees” in locations across the country. The chain touted that workers would earn wages of between $15 and $19 an hour, as well as benefits such as “health care and retirement plans, financial wellness and employee assistance programs, and generous paid time off.”
“ALDI cares deeply about its employees, customers and the communities it serves,” the statement read. Located near Hamlin Avenue, which serves as the West Garfield Park/East Garfield Park border, the Madison Street store attracted customers from both neighborhoods. When the Madison/Pulaski corridor was looted on May 31, 2020, the Aldi survived virtually unscathed thanks to heavy shutters and employees boarding up front doors early in the day, allowing the store to reopen sooner than the neighborhood’s Save-A-Lot. The sign on the store door read that Aldi “apologizes for any inconvenience” and directed customers to the Austin location; the two locations in West Humboldt Park, at 800 N. Kedzie Ave. and 1140 N. Kostner Ave.; and a location in Cicero at 4630 W. Cermak Rd. In North Lawndale. But the closing leaves West Garfield Park residents without many alternatives in their community. The Save-A-Lot location is still open. The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago operates a WIC Grocery Store at 3932 W. Madison St., which offers fruits and vegetables along with non-perishable items, but it’s primarily for families participating in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. “We deserve a grocery store,” Hibbler said.
CONTACT: igorst3@hotmail.com
AUSTIN WEEKLYNEWS Mail your letter to the editor to: Austin Weekly News,141 S. Oak Park Ave., Oak Park, IL 60302
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Outstanding Local JOBS: Top rated firm Alpina Manufacturing LLC founded in 1992, locally owned beautiful campus in Galewood, near Mars candy, 3 blocks north of Oak Park. We build and sell display framing systems to customers nationwide including Wal-Mart, Verizon, Circle K, Hospitals We are seeking to fill the following positions, all in Galewood, no travel. Full time, Part time, Flex hours for working parents or students. We train, no travel, work in Galewood. Open to any backgrounds. Excellent pay, salary, benefits, friendly caring management. National Accounts Rep, Production Manager or Trainee, Packaging Specialist trainee Display frame Production trainee, Office/Bookkeeping Assistant trainee. Visit www.fastchangeframes.com/careers for more details 6460 W Cortland St Chicago, IL 60707 Manufacturing
Discover 20+ jobs available in Downtown Oak Park! Line cook, servers, sales, and more. Visit downtownoakpark.net/ job-listings for details. Community Service Officer The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Community Service Officer in the Police Department. This position will perform a variety of public service, customer service and law enforcement related duties and responsibilities that do not require the services of a sworn police officer; and to perform a variety of administrative duties. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oakpark.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application no later than October 29, 2021. Parking Enforcement Officer The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Parking Enforcement Officer in the Police Department Field Services Division. This position will perform a variety of duties and responsibilities involved in the enforcement of Village parking regulations; and to provide general information and assistance to the public. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/. Interested and qualified applicants must complete a Village of Oak Park application. Part-Time Community Service Coordinator The Village of Oak Park is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Part-Time Community Service Coordinator (up to 10-15 hrs./week) in the Adjudication Department. This person monitors individuals who have been ordered to provide community service in the Village, coordinates with organizations that provide community service opportunities, etc. Applicants are encouraged to visit the Village of Oak Park’s website http://www.oak-park.us/jobs. First review of applications will be October 22, 2021. 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. Health Education Manager 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. Customer Service Representative 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. Environmental Health Supervisor 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.
CITY RENTALS
CITY RENTALS
The Park District of Oak Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer!
ROOMS FOR RENT Large Sunny Room with fridge, microwave. Near Green line, bus, Oak Park, 24 hour desk, parking lot. $125.00. New Mgmt. 312-212-1212
AUSTIN RENAISSANCE APARTMENTS
Town Center Realty Group LLC
ITEMS FOR SALE
WANTED TO BUY
Chickering 1938 grand piano, 5’4”. Good condition. Refurbished and restrung in the past. Buyer must move. Reasonable at $1000.
Call 312-339-2370
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
WANTED TO BUY
WANTED TO BUY
PIANO FOR SALE
CLASSICS WANTED CLASSICS
Starting a New Business?
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, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang && Mopars Mopars Mustang Top $$ Etc. $$$$Top $$allallmakes, makes, Etc.
West Chicago Room for Rent Clean, quiet, secure building. No pets. Seniors welcome. Available 10/01/2021. Rent $500/month. Call 630-247-7936
Collector James Collector James 630-201-8122 630-201-8122
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT
CLASSICS WANTED ROOMMATE
RIVER FOREST–7777 Lake St. * 1116 sq. ft. * 1400 sq. ft. Dental Office RIVER FOREST–7756 Madison St. * 960 sq. ft. OAK PARK–6142-44 Roosevelt Rd. * 3 & 5 room office suites FOREST PARK–7736 Madison St. *2500 sq. ft. unit Strand & & Browne Strand Browne 708-488-0011 708-488-0011
CHURCH FOR RENT
A HUD subsidized affordable Apartment property announces the opening of its waiting list for both One and Two Bedroom Apartments! Resident rent is approximately 30% of gross household income, some restrictions apply. Our property is located on Washington Blvd in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Apartments offered with an occupancy of one to four persons. Properties feature modern kitchens, include appliances, and offer onsite maintenance. Austin Renaissance will accept requests for application packages by U.S. Mail postmarked no later than , September 15, 2021. Send or email a written request for an application package that includes your name, mailing address. Daytime telephone number, Email address, and the number of persons in your household to: Town Center Realty Group LLC, PO Box 64, Huntley IL 60142-0064 or Email requests to mrpaul.tcrg@gmail.com Application packages available by mail or email delivery only. No walk-ins accepted.
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
CHURCH FOR RENT
WANTED Restored
or Unrestored ROOMMATE WANTED FOR & Vintage Motorcycles N OAKCars PARK TOWNHOUSE ISO roommate for 3 floor townDomestic / Import Cars: house. Interested parties will need to submit to a background check and show last 2 months’ paystubs. Smoking allowed. Rent $850/month plus half of utilities. Parking can be purchased for approx. $600/yr. First and last months’ rent due when approved. Call 708-214-1141
Mercedes, Porsche, Corvette, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Muscle Cars, Mustang & Mopars
$$ Top $$ all makes, Etc.
AustinWeeklyNews.com
Collector James
630-201-8122
Publish Your Assumed Name
Legal Notice in • Austin Weekly News • Wednesday Journal • Forest Park Review • Riverside/Brookfield Landmark Call the Experts Before You Place Your Legal Ad!
Call Stacy for details: 773/626-6332
13
14
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
NOVENAS
ELECTRICAL
PRAYER TO ST. JUDE May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless, pray for us. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. By the 8th day your prayer will be answered. It has never been known to fail .Publication must be promised. Thank you Jesus. Thank You St . Jude. R.B. BLESSED VIRGIN (NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL) Oh, most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in my necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show me, herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to suc cor in my necessity (make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee (3 times). Holy Mary, I place this prayer in your hands (3 times). Say this prayer for three consecutive days and publish; your request will be granted. R.B.
You can get local news delivered right to your email in-box. Sign up for FREE at AustinWeeklyNews.com
NEVER FAIL NOVENA May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be praised, adored and glorified throughout the world, now and for-ever. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, I put my trust in you. Holy Mary Mother of Jesus, pray for me. St. Theresa child of Jesus, pray for me. St. Jude, helper of hopeless causes, pray for me and grant this favorI ask. Say this prayer 9 times a day for 9 days .R.B
Ceiling Fans Installed
ELECTRICAL
A&A ELECTRIC
Let an American Veteran do your work
We install plugs for battery-operated vehicles We fix any electrical problem and do small jobs We install Surge Protectors • Home Re-wiring • New Plugs & Switches Added • New circuit breaker boxes • Code violations corrected Service upgrades,100-200 amp • Garage & A/C lines installed Fast Emergency Service | Residential • Commercial • Industrial Free Home Evaluations | Lic. • Bonded • Ins. • Low Rates • Free Est.
708-409-0988 • 708-738-3848 Sr. Discounts • 30 Yrs. Exp. Servicing Oak Park • All surrounding suburbs • Chicago area
HANDYMAN
LANDSCAPING
HANDYMAN
BRUCE LAWN SERVICE
Roofing Repairs Concrete Repairs • Drywall All types of handiwork Call For Free Estimates
773-637-0692 Ask for John
Attention Home-Improvement Pros!
Reach the people making the decisions. Place an ad in Austin Classified!
Call 773/626-6332
Spring Clean-Up Aerating, Slit Seeding Bush Trimming, Lawn Maintenance brucelawns.com
708-243-0571
PAINTING & DECORATING CLASSIC PAINTING
Fast & Neat Painting/Taping/Plaster Repair Low Cost
708.749.0011
PLUMBING Supreme Plumbing & Sewer Services Installation: kitchens, baths, showers •Sewer Systems Piping Clogged drains •Water heaters
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Quality workmanship & service 20+ years’ experience Locally owned & operated
Free Estimates!
708-955-7844
johnlavin530@gmail.com License #PR-1234
WOOD
FIREWOOD UNLIMITED
Fast Delivery MIXED HARDWOODS CBH & MIX 100% OAK CHERRY OR HICKORY 100% BIRCH Seasoned 2 years Stacking Available
847-888-9999 Order online:
www. suregreen landscape.com
Credit Cards Accepted
Hire Local. Place an ad on AWN’s Local Online Job Board Visit AustinWeeklyNews.com/classified today! Contact Stacy Coleman for more information. (773) 626-6332 • scoleman@growingcommunity.org
Austin Weekly News, October 20, 2021
A CHICAGO STORIES SPECIAL
FRI OCT 22 8 PM wttw.com/improv
15
16
Austin Weekly October 2021ad.pdf RFMC BreastNews, Cancer-Oak Pk 20, Journal
1
10/11/21
11:07 AM
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
October 20, 2021
THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY PUBLISHED ITS FIRST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN CALLED AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. (AFT) IN 2018. THIS QUARTERLY PUBLICATION DESCRIBES HOW AUSTIN COMING TOGETHER (ACT) IS SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY TO IMPLEMENT AFT AND OTHER EFFORTS.
A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR AUSTIN
How the community is seeding lasting success by investing in its youth
IT ALL STARTS WITH OUR YOUTH PAGE 3 | AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PAGE 4 BRINGING AUSTIN’S VISION TO LIFE PAGE 7 Special thanks to these Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan legacy investors:
2
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
Since 2010, Austin Coming Together (ACT) has facilitated collaboration to improve education and economic development outcomes in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. Today, we serve a network of 50+ organizations committed to improving the quality of life in the Austin community. Our strategic plan is called Thrive 2025 and outlines how we will mobilize our resources to achieve 4 impact goals by the year 2025: Quality Early Learning, Safe Neighborhoods, Living Wage Careers, and Stable Housing Markets.
ACT BOARD OF DIRECTORS Officers
TREASURER
LaDarius Curtis
CHAIR
Senior Director of Community Engagement & Health, West Side United
Larry Williams Broker, State Farm Insurance
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
VICE-CHAIR
Darnell Shields
Angela Waller Community & Government Relations Director, Advocate Aurora Health
Austin Coming Together
Bradly Johnson Director of External Affairs, BUILD Inc.
Ruth Kimble
Senior Director of Strategy & Operations, West Side United
Founder & CEO, Austin Childcare Providers Network
Reginald Little
Jerrod Williams
Mortgage Loan Originator, Fifth Third Bank
Law Clerk, Illinois Appellate Court
Dawn Ferencak
Directors
Senior Marketing Strategist, Chicago Parent
Sharon Morgan
SECRETARY
Tenisha Jones
Director of Graduate Support & Community Outreach, Catalyst Schools
Reverend Reginald E. Bachus
Deborah Williams Community Outreach & Engagement Specialist, Habilitative Systems, Inc.
In Memoriam BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jack Macnamara 1937–2020 FOUNDING BOARD CHAIR
Mildred Wiley 1955–2019
Pastor, Friendship Baptist Church
ACT STAFF Leadership Darnell Shields Executive Director
Shavion Scott Deputy Director
Andrew Born Research & Evaluation
*Also part of the ACT Leadership Team
Strategic Initiatives Sandra Diaz* Service Delivery Enhancement Manager, Austin Community Hub
Janelle Martin Hub Coordinator, Austin Community Hub
Jai Jones
Grace Cooper
Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub
Project Coordinator, Austin Forward. Together.
JeVon D. Moore*
Nicole Marcus
Planning & Investment Manager, Austin Forward. Together.
Neighborhood Network Liaison
Ethan Ramsay
Micro Market Recovery Program Coordinator
Lead Organizer, Austin Forward. Together.
By The Hand Club For Kids Cara Catholic Charities Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures Chicago Community Loan Fund City of Refuge Cluster Tutoring Program Defy Ventures Illinois Erikson Institute Friends of the Children Friendship Community Development Corp. of Austin
Natalie Goodin
Marketing & Development Alicia Plomin* Marketing & Development Manager
Dearra Williams Marketing & Development Associate
We’re hiring! AustinComingTogether.org
Engagement Specialist, Austin Community Hub
ACT MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS A House in Austin Academy of Scholastic Achievement Austin Childcare Providers Network Austin Community Family Center Austin Weekly News (Growing Community Media) Be Strong Families Beat the Streets Chicago Because I Care Bethel New Life Beyond Hunger BUILD Inc.
Dollie Sherman
Greater West Town Community Development Project Housing Forward I.C. Stars IFF Institute for Nonviolence Chicago Jane Addams Resource Corporation Kids First Chicago KRA Westside American Job Center Legal Aid Chicago (fka LAF) Manufacturing Renaissance Mary Shyrese Daycare
Maryville Academy Mercy Housing Lakefront New Moms OAI, Inc. Oak Park Regional Housing Center Open Books PCC Community Wellness Center Project Exploration Renaissance Social Services, Inc. Sarah’s Inn South Austin Neighborhood Association St. Joseph Services
St. Leonard’s Ministries Stone Community Development Corporation The Catalyst Schools The Journey Forward The Loretto Hospital The North Avenue District, Inc. Towers of Excellence UIC Jane Addams College of Social Work VOCEL Westside Health Authority West Side Forward Worldvision Youth Guidance
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
3
It all starts with our youth By Darnell Shields Executive Director, Austin Coming Together
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
W
hen I think of this African proverb, it reminds me of the power of collaboration, which is why Austin Coming Together (ACT) was founded in 2010. Since then, growing with the nonprofit and serving Chicago’s Austin community where I was born has shown me what this neighborhood is made of: resilience and limitless potential. There is no greater potential to be found than in our youth. But when family support, quality education, inspiring career paths, or even just grocery stores are hard to find, a child’s chances of reaching their potential becomes limited.
WE CAN’T WAIT Austin has one of the highest populations in Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods with just under 97,000 people spread out over the largest geographic neighborhood area. 26% of our community’s population is under 19, and nearly half are under 34 years old. However, too many of our young people are dying at an alarming rate. Without fully-resourced schools, family support, stable housing, representation in the justice system, and access to mental health services this will not change.
A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS Our youth are being negatively affected by decades of systemic inequities, lack of quality education, and poor policies. We must strengthen the system of supports for our young people if we are to relieve the burden of trauma many are carrying. Students transitioning from remote learning back to in-person are having trouble readjusting. They need space to talk and not be judged.
NOT JUST HEARING BUT AMPLIFYING Not only must we make space to actually hear what our youth want, but we are responsible for exposing them to inspiration to create those dreams. Serving as an authentic advocate for young people is the only way Aisha Oliver, fondly known as Mama Pooh, knows how to really connect with the kids she works with. As the Community Engagement Specialist at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Oliver is a fellow Austinite who is passionate about helping youth use their voice. She is also the Executive Director of Root2Fruit Youth Foundation and has seen a recent increase in the number of youths battling depression. They do not feel they have any resources to help them. Oliver and Root2Fruit “use creative initiatives that demonstrate an understanding of positive reinforcement and life skills to shape wellrounded, productive young adults.” But the environment in Austin makes it challenging. Always being around gang violence or generations of family members incarcerated “is like programming youth to destroy themselves,” as Oliver put it.
IGNITING HOPE “Many feel like they are not enough.” This is the story we must unwrite; the myth we must abolish. Austin and all its residents deserve the same investments as those living elsewhere in Chicago.
A handful of young people from the Austin Has The Mic program got the chance to learn and be mentored by the Digifé team during the creation of the Austin Forward. Together. documentary. Photo Credit: Digifé
CREATING CHANGE Extending an opportunity to those impacted most to take the lead in creating change is the foundation on which ACT was formed in 2010. It is also the basis of a qualityof-life plan, a framework for community leaders and residents to create their own strategies to break down the barriers that keep families from thriving, a model brought to Chicago in the 1990s through support from Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Chicago and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Austin Forward. Together.
Austin’s qualityof-life plan was published in 2018 young people at the forefront and is called Austin Forward. Paving this path will AISHA OLIVER, COMMUNITY Together. (AFT). take coordination ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, Through consensus of the entire LURIE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF CHICAGO workshops community. with over 500 After ten years at ACT and a lifetime in Austin, stakeholders and almost two years of I’ve learned the only way to build trust is planning, it has become a roadmap to a through collaboration. When you care enough shared vision that is owned and led by to give others the chance to participate, they Austin. will feel the fire that fuels them to do their best.
will make a way for us to put
Both ACT and the AFT quality-of-life plan work toward goals that include building the capacity of existing resources for our youth, while also generating key opportunities that will catalyze comprehensive neighborhood growth. “Austin Forward. Together. will make a way for us to put young people at the forefront,” said Oliver.
POWER OF COLLABORATION AFT is a massive body of work that requires the continued mobilization of dozens of community leaders, numerous private, nonprofit, and government organizations, and the attraction of hundreds of millions of dollars in additional public and private investments. By providing the organizational infrastructure, technical support, seed funding, and external relations, ACT supports local leaders and organizations to implement AFT’s 84 actions. Although there are excellent quality childcare facilities in Austin, schools are underutilized and after-school programs have long waitlists. From standardizing the education our babies get during those first early and crucial years, to helping local schools get more students and funding, to reminding our young people they are valued enough to chase their dreams, AFT and the projects spurred by them have already been making an impact. n
KEEP READING OR VISIT AustinComingTogether.org/AFT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW THE COMMUNITY’S PLAN IS EMPOWERING RESIDENTS OF ALL AGES TO OVERCOME DECADES OF INEQUITIES AND CRAFT THEIR OWN FUTURE.
4
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
These two development projects align with the Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) quality-of-life plan and its overarching vision for a thriving community. They will help progress AFT’s goals around Youth Empowerment and Austin having healthier and more engaged youth who are able to reach their full potential. More specifically, they will assist in establishing more safe spaces for youth; increasing opportunities for youth engagement and empowerment; and expanding supportive programs for local youth’s social, emotional, and physical well-being. AFT is a set of goals created by and for the community designed to address 23 strategies with 84 total actions across 7 Issue Areas between 2019 and 2023: Community Narrative, Education, Housing, Youth Empowerment, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Civic Engagement.
NORTH AUSTIN COMMUNITY CENTER By The Hand Club For Kids broke ground on August 11, 2021 to begin construction on their sixth site in North Austin which will serve 400 kids from kindergarten through twelfth grade. The innovative space will be a 150,000-square-foot professional-level sport, education and wellness facility on a 10-acre campus that will provide the same opportunity for growth, impact and sustainability that their other sites offer. Located on Laramie, it will have outdoor and indoor fields, including Chicago's only FIFA-regulation turf arena for year-round indoor sports.
THE BY THE HAND CLUB IN NORTH AUSTIN WILL: • Form a Community Advisory Committee to help ensure the project continues to be what Austin wants and needs • Offer 100 hours weekly of free activities for youth and adults • Make scholarships available for afterschool services for 400 K-12th grade students
By The Hand is a Christ-centered, after-school program that takes kids by the hand and walks with them from kindergarten through college, loving and nurturing them—mind, body and soul.
• Professional-level basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball and futsal camps, leagues and academies available for youth of all ages with fees on a slidingscale to ensure neighborhood access • Host the nonprofit Intentional Sports to provide best-in-class sports programs, competitive opportunities, and health and wellness training • Partner with the Grace and Pace Revise Center to provide education, health, awareness, advocacy and community-linked services to develop individuals' and families’ capacity to thrive • Help youth improve their cognitive ability, social interactions, and the likelihood of graduating high school, just by playing sports* *Maslen, P. (2015, December 29). The Social and Academic Benefits of Team Sports. Edutopia.
Content provided by By The Hand Club For Kids.
LEARN MORE ONLINE AT AustinComingTogether.org/AFT
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
BUILD THE FUTURE BUILD THE FUTURE is a bold $24 million campaign to invest in Austin youth with a full city-block campus, featuring 51,000 sq feet of new and renovated space surrounded by green playfields and gardens. This welcoming and supportive safe space will dramatically expand BUILD’s services and capacity, allowing them to open more widely to the community. Located at Harrison and Laramie at Austin’s Southern Gateway, the transformed campus will stand for growth, opportunity, joy, and every child’s right to grow up and achieve their potential. BUILD (Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development) is one of Chicago's leading gang intervention, violence prevention, and youth development organizations. BUILD’s mission is to inspire hope and offer opportunities so youth facing systemic obstacles can achieve positive futures. BUILD offers programs at 15 schools in six Chicago neighborhoods as well as the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and BUILD's Austin campus. BUILD THE FUTURE officially got underway after a groundbreaking event on August 12, 2021.
BUILD’s Iris Community Garden will remain untouched, more parking will be added, and other land surrounding the new buildings will be turned into greenspace and playfields.
THE BUILD CAMPUS TRANSFORMATION WILL INCLUDE: • A Youth Council to help ensure the project continues to be what Austin wants and needs • Expanded hours and days to grow capacity from 100 to 2,000 • Full-sized, climate controlled gym, track, and fitness center
Our youth have to be cultivated as leaders. We often say they’re the future but they’re the right now. BRADLY JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, BUILD, INC. AND CHAIR, PUBLIC SAFETY TASK FORCE, AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER.
• Art studios and classrooms, galleries, performance spaces, and fullyequipped recording studio • Makers lab, woodshop, and computing center, all hosting new workforce programs • Youth lounges and homework spaces • Mental health center will offer expanded services to youth and their families • Public cafe and community garden • New greenspace, playfield, and outdoor community event space
Content provided by BUILD Inc.
• A home for the Austin Peace and Justice Center (APJC) that will further the restorative justice goals of the Austin Forward. Together. quality-of-life plan
5
6
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3 Education
Housing
Public Safety
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Plan Leaders
Natasha Smith-Walker
Athena Williams
Bradly Johnson
Community Narrative
Crystal Bell
Project Exploration
Economic Development
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
Briana Shields
Jerrod Williams
Briana Janeé Arts
Kenneth Varner Healthy Schools Campaign
Dearra Williams
Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS
Lasondra Kern
Community Resident
Suzanne McBride Austin Talks
Michael Romain
Austin Weekly News
Alicia Plomin
Austin Coming Together
Ella Flagg Young Elementary School
Charles Anderson
Michele Clark High School
South Austin Neighborhood Association
STRATEGY LEADS
Heather Sattler
Austin Childcare Providers Network
Community Development Consultant STRATEGY LEADS
Erica Staley
Manufacturing Renaissance
Emily Peters
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Ruth Kimble
Madelyn James
Austin Childcare Providers Network
West Cook Homeownership Center
Allison McGowan
Community Resident STRATEGY LEADS
Shirley Fields Hunters Realty
Rosie Dawson
Marilyn Pitchford Heartland Alliance
STRATEGY LEADS
Adam Alonso BUILD Inc.
Bradly Johnson BUILD Inc.
Westside Health Authority
Edwina Hamilton
Athena Williams
Gina Young
West Cook Homeownership Center
BUILD Inc.
Catholic Charities
Pam Price
Bertha Purnell
Natasha Dunn
Jose Abonce
Chicago Public Schools VOCEL
Tina Augustus
Cata Truss
Roxanne Charles
Sean Schindl
Austin Chamber of Commerce Community Resident West Side Forward
BUILD Inc.
Youth Empowerment
Civic Engagement
TASK FORCE CHAIRS
TASK FORCE CHAIR
Carmen Scott-Boria
Deborah Williams
BUILD Inc.
D’elegance Lane
Community Stakeholder STRATEGY LEADS
Habilitative Systems Inc. STRATEGY LEADS
Arnold Bearden
Deonna Hart BUILD Inc.
South Austin Neighborhood Association (SANA)
Gina Young
Crystal Gardner
Catholic Charities
Community Resident
Aisha Oliver
Sharif Walker
Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago
Bethel New Life
Mothers OnA Mission28 The Policing Project
Ruby Taylor Taproots, Inc.
Kids First Chicago
Cindy Schneider Spaces-n-Places
INTERESTED IN JOINING AN IMPLEMENTATION TASK FORCE?
Contact ACT’s Lead Organizer, Ethan Ramsay at 630.474.4016 or eramsay@austincomingtogether.org for more information
AUSTIN FORWARD. TOGETHER. 2021 QUARTER 3
Austin Weekly News • October 20, 2021
7
Bringing Austin’s vision to life:
How the community’s story moved to the big screen and is inspiring youth
By Alicia Plomin Marketing & Development Manager, Austin Coming Together
T
aking every opportunity to lift up and inspire each other is how we can make a true difference. So when the pandemic prevented Austin Coming Together (ACT) and local leaders from convening hundreds at their annual summit celebrating the previous year’s progress towards their shared vision, they chose a new method that has already proven to reach even more people than past in-person events. Austin’s first-ever quality-of-life plan Austin Forward. Together. (AFT) documentary was released August 18, 2021, and gained over 1,000 views within the first month. The 15-minute film lets viewers hear directly from those carrying out the plan, a set of goals created by and for the community
Part of the documentary premiere included JaKayla Rogers sharing her experience working with other young adults and the nonprofit Territory to create a youth quality-of-life plan, a project inspired by Austin Forward. Together.
Community leaders and AFT funders attended the private premiere of the film at Austin’s Kehrein Center for the Arts.
designed to address 23 strategies with 84 total actions across 7 Issue Areas between the years 2019 and 2023: Community Narrative, Education, Housing, Youth Empowerment, Economic Development, Public Safety, and Civic Engagement. ACT and AFT leaders created a Request For Proposals to create the documentary that generated significant interest with seventeen responses. Each proposal was carefully reviewed based on criteria that included the company’s familiarity with Austin and ideas for how to offer local youth the chance to learn during the film creation and editing process. Two rounds of assessment resulted in Digifé being hired for the project. Digifé is a black-owned and led production company whose vision, experience, and willingness to mentor a handful of participants from the Austin Has The Mic program earned them the two-month contract. According to BUILD’s website, “Austin Has The Mic is a media partnership between BUILD and Westside Health Authority that uses digital media platforms and podcasting to reclaim the narrative of the west side and tell the positive stories that larger news outlets too often neglect.” A handful of young adults from Austin Has The Mic got to interview prominent
local leaders while also contributing their own ideas and perspectives in front of the camera. After more than 280 hours on the project, the final product showcased the history and challenges Austin is facing as well as the successes made toward completing the plan’s 84 actions. Not only did youth receive hands-on instruction of the basics in operating video equipment, composing a shot, crafting an effective interview, and setting up proper lighting, but they were inspired by seeing professionals that look like them. In fact, being part of the AFT documentary inspired Austin Has The Mic instructor and Co-Chair of the Youth Empowerment AFT Task Force, D’elegance Lane, to ask Digifé if they would be up for teaching her students a little more so they could create their own mini-documentaries on the topics of their choosing. Programs like Austin Has The Mic and opportunities like working with Digifé are prime examples of how we can empower and give hope to our youth while leveraging their gifts and talents to build a brighter future for us all. “For twenty years I wasn’t truly aware of where I lived or who was around me.
[Recently] I came to discover this isn’t a lonely race against the dismantling of the harmful system our people have felt trapped by. We’re all joining together day by day to make incremental changes that will outlast us.” said Ziolet Nellum, Austin Has The Mic podcast Host, writer, self-proclaimed imaginest, and one of the students mentored by Digifé during the AFT documentary and the youth-made films that followed. Another youth involved was college sophomore and Austinite Tobias Bell, who was grateful for the chance to take away skills that are transferable in other roles, hobbies, or potential career paths. Bell said it is extremely important for young people to express their creativity but also to speak up about the ways conditions are improving. In the film, Bell describes the Austin Has The Mic program as “a way to give the mic back to Austin,” and the documentary serves the same purpose. As a community convening organization working with numerous partners, ACT recognizes that meaningful change through youth leadership takes time and ongoing investment. This project is a storytelling tool showing the authentic Austin: a community that is empowering itself. n
WATCH THE SHORT FILM AT AustinComingTogether.org/AFT