FRESH
START PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER PRISON
KEITH A. LABORER / LOCAL 6
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NOW OPEN FOR RENT! B/ACE PODCAST
STUDIO
We are proud to announce our new four-person podcast studio space! Available to rent by the hour, the studio offers a wide range of podcasting equipment including Shure Microphones, Rode Pro Mixer, Headphones, Audacity, Pro Tools, and more.
Give us a call at (312) 989-3910 or email us at contact@bacemagazine.com to tell us about your podcast, and we will tell you how we can help!
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ADVERTISE WITH US Build your brand and support the community by purchasing an ad. The profits from the magazine provide financial assistance to candidates who need help with union dues, construction PPE, tools, and other support to be successful in the construction trades.
Please contact: contact@bacemagazine.com for our media kit.
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CONTENTS The mission of B/ACE has always been to Bring Awareness Through Community Engagement.
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Trade Talk
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Community Outreach Editor’s Picks
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Community Spotlight “Meeting The Movement”
18 Cooking With Class
20
Face of B/ACE
B/ACE Boss Fashion Forward
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Project On The Horizon
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Preparing For Life After Prison
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EDITOR’S NOTE events, and finding creative ways to engage the community. As the temperature begins to rise, there is also revitalization in the construction industry. We eagerly anticipate new groundbreakings and more projects on the horizon. Change is also happening at B/ACE magazine. We are pleased to officially announce our new Editor and Communications Director, Angela Archer. She has been a part of our team in various capacities and brings such a diverse editorial background to B/ACE that it only made sense to make it official. Angela has over 15 years of communications experience with companies such as Comcast and Lifetime Networks. I am confident that she will help us continue to tell great stories creatively and innovatively.
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he vaccination process is underway, and the COVID-19 numbers are trending downward. And at B/ACE, we are looking forward to connecting with the people we love, attending in-person
The mission of B/ACE has always been to Bring Awareness Through Community Engagement. To that end, our team has decided to move away from producing content quarterly to providing engaging content on a more frequent basis. We continue to evolve and meet our community on the most engaging platforms available. So be on the lookout for more B/ACE TV, community events, and creative collaborations. There is so much going on. Why wait?
Rachel Ivy Editor-In-Chief 6 / BACEMAGAZINE.COM
ALERT! All of our exciting content, community events, documentaries and construction chats are now streaming on B/ACE TV!
B/ACE
DON’T MISS THIS EXPERIENCE! Scan the QR code with your phone to subscribe
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Community Outreach Construction Cares Continues Outreach to Construction Community
In December, we partnered with the Garfield Park Alliance to provide seven of our candidates with $250 each, just in time for the holidays.
Construction Cares, Alderman Walter Burnett Jr., and State Representative Jawaharial Omar Williams
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS Present
Hosted by Construction Cares, Gabrini Green Legal Aid & New Leaf Illinois
TOPIC:
DECODING ILLINOIS CANNABIS LAW
6:00pm - 7:30pm Now that cannabis is legal for adult recreational use in Illinois, we’re answering your questions and giving you the 411 on what the new law means for you.
We also joined forces with New Leaf, State Representative Williams, and 27th Ward Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr. for the second installment of our Know Your Rights Webinar series. Cabrini Green Legal Aid hosted the event designed to help participants understand the details of the new Illinois cannabis law.
January 27, 2021 You must pre-register to attend. Scan the QR code with your phone’s camera, or click the link below to register
We made laborer Quintina Travis’ day by paying her union dues.
Knowledge is Power! Know Your Rights!
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https://constructioncare.org/events/
You can support our efforts to help vulnerable members of the construction community.
DONATE TODAY!
Visit www.constructioncare.org to donate!
Construction Cares provides underserved members of the construction industry with the training, financial, and emotional support they need to remain actively employed in the industry.
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EDITOR’S PICKS SPRING CLEANING
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Expandable 4-Tier Spice Rack Organizer With spring just around the corner, I’m getting very ambitious with many of my organizational projects. One of my lovely sorority sisters showed me her spice cabinet, and I fell in love. I ordered the jars separately.
HALO DINNERWARE You know I love setting my dining room table. And these pretty blush plates from Z Gallerie are a must have!
Nothing elevates your home like fresh flowers. And floral designs by Brittney Kee is my number one Editor’s pic. She does amazing work! I can’t wait for the world to open up again. This bouquet has “Spring Soiree” written all over it.
SPRING BUTTERFLY WALLFLOWERS FRAGRANCE PLUG Why not spruce up your outlet and add a beautifully inviting scent to your home? I love Bath & Body Works’ Wallflowers, especially near the entryways. This butterfly wallflower sings of spring. And I love the color combination!
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Meeting Moment
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We spoke with Illinois’ New House Speaker Rep. Chris Welch about his vision for the state and how he plans to use his platform to help the communities that need it most.
Illinois House Speaker Rep. Chris Welch has deep ties to the community he serves. Born and raised in his district, Welch is a graduate of Proviso West High School. He got his start in politics on his local school board in 2001. 20 years later, Welch is making history as the first Black Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives.
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You were class president in high school. Did you always know you wanted to have a career in politics? I’ve always enjoyed the strategy of politics, and I’m a people person. I love building relationships. But I never thought a position on my local school board would lead to being the first Black Speaker of the House of Representatives. Success is not easy in Illinois politics. How were you able to break down some of the barriers that exist and get to the position you’re in now? This business is all about relationship building. You have to be patient and treat everyone with respect. Even when you disagree, you have to remember to be civil and compassionate.
How does that work when you’re dealing with people who don’t share your values? It’s been more difficult in the era of Donald Trump. The discourse was so negative. It takes a lot of discipline not to fire back when people are firing at you. But there is real value in lowering the temperature. Is there one common concern you hear from your constituents right now?
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It takes a lot of discipline not to fire back when people are firing at you.
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Right now, everyone is talking about COVID. Our economy has been devastated, and people are frustrated. Small businesses are struggling. People are unemployed, and they can’t get through to the unemployment office. One of my priorities as a new leader is to figure out how to get relief to people who desperately need it right now. Having a new administration in Washington will help.
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Rep. Chris Welch Illinois House Speaker 14 / BACEMAGAZINE.COM
What can you do as Speaker if you don’t get immediate support from the Federal Government? I can use my elevated platform to bring awareness to the disparities that exist in Black and Brown communities. We don’t have the same access to COVID testing or healthcare as wealthier communities. But COVID is shining a light on something we’ve always known. And when you have a microphone like the one I have, you can’t be afraid to use it. Do you feel optimistic about your ability to work with other representatives across the state? I think we’re going to do some good things. My style is doing things in a bipartisan way. But Illinois has a supermajority of Democrats, so we’re going to get it done even without Republican support. We have to look past party labels and work together. People in those districts need rental and mortgage assistance too. This is not a Black or White problem. It’s a human problem. What do you do in your free time? My children are 8 and 6, so I’m a busy dad. My wife and I are both lawyers, and we’re both active in our kids’ lives. I love picking them up from school, being a baseball coach, and doing all of the things fathers do.
“On Martin Luther King Jr. day, my son asked me when Illinois was founded. When I told him 1818, I could see his face calculating. He responded, “That’s over 200 years! It took that long for a Black person to get your job?”
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I’m just opening the door for many more Black boys and girls to follow in my footsteps.
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What is your message to the people of Illinois? On Martin Luther King Jr. day, my son asked me when Illinois was founded. When I told him 1818, I could see his face calculating. He responded, “That’s over 200 years! It took that long for a Black person to get your job?” I told him that is what Dr. King was fighting for. I realized at that moment that he understood what was happening. We’re so used to being told that we can’t do something. I always tell people that if we believe it, we can achieve it. I may be the first, but I’m not the last. I’m just opening the door for many more Black boys and girls to follow in my footsteps. All of the firsts we’re seeing are no accident. The Black Lives Matter movement paved the way. When you organize and wake up people’s consciousness, things happen. I honestly believe that this is our moment.
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PROJECT ON THE HORIZON
University of Illinois Outpatient Surgery Center & Specialty Clinics (UIH OSC)
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This quarter’s Project on the Horizon feature is the new University of Illinois Outpatient Surgery Center & Specialty Clinics. It will consist of a 205,000 sf Outpatient Surgery Center and Specialty Clinic, which holds six floors of patient care plus basement and penthouse mechanical spaces. Departments in the building include Outpatient Pharmacy, Imaging with MRI and Pet CT, Transplant Clinic, Urology Clinic, Sterile Processing, Perioperative Services with 8 ORs, and clinics for Gastroenterology (8 procedure rooms), Transplant, Ophthalmology, and Otolaryngology. A two-story bridge over Taylor Street connects this facility to the existing hospital. Building construction is a structural steel frame with an exterior of architectural precast panels and curtainwall. The joint venture team of Pepper/Brown & Momen is building this project for Ankura, a private developer who is in a Public-Private Partnership agreement with UI Health. 17 /
CLASS COOKING WITH
Ever since she was a child in South Carolina, Lisa Shaw has understood the importance of being a good host. “Hospitality was everything to my family. If someone came into your house, you better have a glass of water or ice tea waiting for them on a coaster with a napkin,” she said. But Shaw had no idea that she would eventually build a thriving business based on her flair for entertaining.
Shaw was working on Wall Street until the September 11 terrorist attacks forced her to reconsider her career plans. She started throwing dinner parties for friends in the backyard of her Brooklyn apartment. The parties gained popularity with local artists until her place became the place to be. Shaw was having fun, but a friend suggested she use her talent to start a business. She decided to enroll in the culinary program at the Art Institute of New York City. And by the time she graduated with honors and found work in her field, she was married with two small children. But Shaw struggled to balance the demands of her new career and her new family. And she quickly learned that the restaurant industry wasn’t friendly to mothers. “Sometimes I would get to work at 5:30 in the morning and wouldn’t leave until midnight,” she says. Shaw grew frustrated with her inability to break the glass ceiling and decided that it was time to go out on her own. In 2019, Shaw launched Lisa’s Boutique Catering. But when COVID-19 forced events to come to a screeching halt, she had to pivot once again. “I kept looking for ways to make
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Photo from Lisa’s Boutique Catering website
myself stand out during the pandemic,” she says. She signed up for several free online workshops and used what she learned to develop creative ways to sustain her business, including catering virtual events and offering meal prep services. And her creativity is paying off. In the midst of the pandemic, Shaw launched an e-commerce business selling her homemade gourmet coffee cakes. “I started giving them out as gifts. I wasn’t thinking about selling them,” she says. Now, Coffey Girls Coffee Cakes have gained a national following. “Some of my biggest sales come from California and the East Coast,” she says. “It’s just a beautiful, fun passion project that has given me life.” Shaw believes that her ability to create unique dining experiences is what sets her business apart. She works with her clients to curate menus that will wow their guests. “The food and music are what people will remember most about an event, so I try to get my clients to think outside of the box. It’s easy to slap sauce on something. But getting something
homemade goes a lot farther,” she says. Her mojito chicken and signature mac and cheese are examples of her unique culinary creations and some of her client’s favorites. “The mac and cheese sauce takes 45 minutes to make,” she says. Looking ahead, Shaw says she wants to continue her catering business and expand the market for her coffee cakes. She also wants to find a way to use her culinary talents to educate young people in underserved communities on the importance of healthy eating. She believes early education can help reduce instances of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease that disproportionately affect people of color. “It’s nice to be able to turn what I love into a business. And not just one where I’m making money, but where other people can benefit as well,” she says.
Check out Lisa’s Boutique Catering online – https://www.lisasboutiquecatering.com
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FACE OF B/ACE
KEITH
AUGUSTINE LABORER / LOCAL 6
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Keith Augustine always knew he wanted to get into construction. His father was a bricklayer, and Augustine was eager to follow in his footsteps. But deep down, he had doubts that he could make his dream a reality. “I never knew that it was reachable for me. I thought I was going to need more schooling,” he says.
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ugustine spent ten years in Louisiana, working in the oil industry. But after the BP oil spill of 2010, his company moved overseas, and he had to start over. That’s when a friend, who was already a laborer for Local 6, introduced him to the CEC. He says he is grateful for the personal support he’s received, which has been life-changing for him and his family. “I’ve been able to change the narrative with the kind of work I can do. I didn’t have to resort to anything illegal,” he says. He adds that the valuable tips he’s received have helped him stay employed as a laborer in an industry that can be uncertain, including the importance of being punctual. “If I had an interview, I would get to the site 30 minutes or an hour early,” he says. “Employers realized they could depend on me, and when I wasn’t working, they were looking for me.”
“I was blessed to meet Ms. LaFrancis and Ms. Rachel. They’re the ones who made it possible”
For Augustine, it’s all been worth it. His work in construction has enabled him to purchase vehicles and start a moving and cleaning service. “Life is good. I feel so blessed to be able to work throughout the pandemic. I was blessed to meet Ms. LaFrancis and Ms. Rachel. They’re the ones who made it possible,” he says. And the father of six and grandfather of two has no plans of slowing down any time soon. He hopes to have a construction company of his own someday. “I want to be able to open doors and provide jobs for my family and friends,” he says. When he’s not working, Augustine says he enjoys traveling. “I love California. I like the vibe and the people. You see so many different nationalities and lots of different people. I like that,” he says.
Augustine’s advice for people looking to get into the trades is to work hard and stay persistent. “You have to want this. I’ve had to get up lots of early mornings in blizzards to get to a training class. I’ve had to do a lot of things I didn’t want to do to be where I am now,” he says.
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Keith Augustine 23 / BACEMAGAZINE.COM
SPRING SKIN CARE TIPS PUTTING YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD Antonette Shearrill has been a clinical esthetician since 2007. She was inspired by her mother, who owned a hair salon. “I was her assistant. I had to help her if I wanted my hair done,” she says. And today, she is the owner of Face2Face Spa Studio in Berwyn, IL. “Skincare is my passion. It makes my day to help someone feel better about themselves,” she says.
We asked Shearrill to share some of her tips for great-looking skin this spring. “Skincare isn’t complicated, it’s just a process,” she says.
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Clean skin is important to a clear complexion. What cleansers are best for African-American skin? African-Americans have to choose their products carefully. Some products may be too harsh or cause pigmentation. I prefer professional products, which tend to have fewer fillers than drugstore brands. The drugstore products may be a few dollars cheaper, but you won’t get the same results. A professional can recommend the right products, show you how to use them, and develop a regimen to help you get your desired results. What about moisturizer? Moisturizers stay on the surface of your skin. I prefer hydrators, which absorb into your pores. But hydration is both internal and external, so you also need to drink lots of water. African-Americans tend to have semi-oily skin, so you should also make sure your moisturizer is made for your skin type. Just because it’s on the shelf doesn’t mean it’s for you. What is the best way to remove ingrown hairs? It’s best to let a professional remove them. The skin has to be loosened up before you
pull, so no hair is left behind. But if you’re going to do it yourself, you should prep your skin to make sure it’s ready to be tweezed or waxed. Cleanse, do a mask, and use an antiseptic first. Then try to pull in the direction that the hair is growing. Hold the area of the skin you’re pulling, so you can get all of the hair out. If the hair is long and it breaks, you’re just going to get another ingrown. How does diet affect your skin? A balanced diet is important because what you eat comes out in your skin. You can’t eat a lot of greasy, fatty foods and expect to have glowing skin. That’s just not how it works. Dairy can also cause breakouts. Instead, you should eat lots of greens and fruit. You can have a few french fries now and then, but proceed with caution. And drink lots of water.
Should you be doing anything different to your skin in the spring? You should change out your products every season. During the winter, you need more hydration because your skin tends to be dryer. You should be exfoliating at least twice a week in the spring to get rid of the dullness. Sunscreen is also important as the days get sunnier. The UVA, UVB rays, and free radicals can damage the skin.
Are women who use makeup to hide their imperfections doing more harm than good? I love makeup. But you don’t want to cover up your imperfections, you want to clear them. You can see what’s under the makeup, so you’re not hiding anything. You’re just clogging your pores. A good skincare regimen will make the makeup go on much smoother. And don’t go to sleep with your makeup on. Use makeup remover and a cleanser at the end of the day. I tell my clients that skincare is the new makeup. How often should you see your esthetician if you’re on a budget? I don’t believe that it’s not in your budget. I see that new handbag! But, if things are tight, you should go at least once every season. Get a treatment, let the esthetician recommend products, and come up with a routine. Then, it’s up to you to maintain it.
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A FRESH
START Preparing for Life After Prison
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prisoner’s release is an opportunity to rebuild their lives and re-establish connections with friends and loved ones. But a successful transition to society can be difficult. And for some ex-offenders, life on the outside is only temporary. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 76 percent of all inmates will return to jail within five years of their release.
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This cycle of recidivism can have a devastating impact on the lives of the offenders, their victims, and their families. It also affects the greater community, which bears some of the financial burdens of the jail and court costs associated with sending the offender back to prison. A focus on rehabilitation and support can give ex-offenders the tools they need for success and reduce the burden on the rest of the community. We asked some of our CEC candidates, who are exoffenders, for their advice on how to overcome some of the adversity that ex-offenders can face when trying to get a fresh start.
Finding work can be difficult for an ex-offender who may face discrimination from potential employers and various licensing restrictions. But providing inmates with education, skills training, and job placement assistance are just a few of the tools that can give them a solid base of support as they reestablish themselves after release.
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A positive network of support can also reduce the likelihood that an ex-offender will commit future crimes. Being surrounded by encouraging friends and family can help them stay on track and achieve their goals, especially during the more challenging times. As carpenter Sam Tart advises, “Surround yourself with people who want something out of life and are doing things the right way. Shake all the naysayers, whether they’re family or not. Just live and stay focused.”
Life after prison is not always easy. But as carpenter Tremain Leggans told us, having another chance at life makes all of the hard work worth it. “One key piece of advice I’d give to someone coming home from the joint is that your worst day out here in society is still better than your best day in the joint. Nobody owes you nothing, but you owe yourself everything!” he says.
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There are many organizations across the City of Chicago that provide support services to ex-offenders. Here are a few: Haymarket Center – www.hcenter.org Haymarket Center is a treatment center that supports ex-offenders who are ready for reform. They offer substance abuse and trauma services in addition to assisting parolees with their mental health and housing needs. Their family enrichment program teaches job readiness and money management skills. They also employ some program participants to help them build work experience for resumes.
Cara - www.carachicago.org Cara helps people impacted by poverty, homelessness, and incarceration by providing skills training and access to quality jobs. Their Cleanslate program connects participants with exterior jobs including landscaping and snow removal. Cara Connects offers administrative, customer service, and warehouse opportunities. Breakthrough Urban Ministries – www.breakthrough.org Breakthrough is a faith-based non-profit that supports residents of East Garfield Park with job training and financial education in addition to housing, health and wellness, and spiritual guidance. CTA Second Chance Program www.transitchicago.com/ secondchance/ This reentry program supports exoffenders who were incarcerated for nonviolent crimes. City of Chicago residents who complete an approved job readiness program must be referred to the CTA for participation in Second Chance. Program participants complete a skills training period which makes them eligible to apply for permanent positions with CTA.
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Women’s History Month B/ACE magazine celebrates Mellody Hobson
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Starbucks named Mellody Hobson Chair of its Board of Directors, making her the only Black female chair of an S&P 500 company.
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B/ACE BOSS Interview with Sharon Lleva-Carter, Managing Director, Healthcare Real Estate at Ankura
This issue’s B/ACE Boss is Sharon Lleva-Carter, Managing Director, Healthcare Real Estate at Ankura. With over 30 years of healthcare architecture experience, she has been a tireless advocate for diversity and inclusion in her industry and has spearheaded initiatives designed to provide more opportunities for women and people of color.
In her role at Ankura, Carter works with leading health systems on real estate solutions that allow them to develop and improve their facilities. She is currently bringing her experience to the development and construction of UI Health’s Outpatient Surgery Center and Specialty Clinic. The two-year project is anticipated to create nearly 500 construction jobs and allow for additional access to healthcare for the city’s West Side residents.
We spoke with Carter who reflected on her career and shared her excitement about participating in the UI Health project. What inspired you to get into healthcare? My beloved aunt was an architect, and l liked her contemporary projects. My parents were physicians who came from the Philippines in the mid-1950s. I greatly respected how they helped people live better lives. Through the examples of three strong family members, I pursued a path that blended my interests. And seeing that my creativity and leadership skills could transform an idea into a facility that helps people fit so nicely with what I wanted in my life. Who are your mentors? I worked with the Chief Operating Officer at Northwestern Medicine. He was a strong leader who did not micromanage. And as a result, I built a strong, diverse, and inclusive team of professionals. This allowed for tremendous creativity and innovation. I also admired my mother, who grew up in a family of 13. She was not only a physician of color but also an alderwoman. I learned a lot from her strength and grit. Your company is involved in the construction of the new UIH Health Outpatient Surgery Center (OSC). Please talk about their diverse hiring initiatives. Ankura is a global company with a team of experts from around the world. Our global perspectives also tie into our clients’ interests. The UI Health OSC is on the West Side of Chicago, with staff, physicians, and administrators who reflect the community. The hospital felt strongly about the project team being local. Ankura put forth a hiring initiative of 30 percent MWBE on this project. However, we’re now at 40% with much more to bid and procure. It’s exciting to have CEC on board to support the recognition of local talent on this initiative. Do you ever envision a world where diverse hiring initiatives aren’t necessary? I do not envision such a world. Diversity hiring initiatives are not top of mind for most companies. Given the world’s current
workplace culture, diversity hiring initiatives are ideas with hopeful results. If the program is guaranteed to be successful, diverse hiring must be a requirement rather than a goal. What advice do you have for women of color in your industry? When I was in architecture & engineering school in the 1980s, there were very few women of color. I was learning alongside white male counterparts and convincing my student colleagues that my work was just as valid as theirs was challenging. But with continued diligence, I was able to show the importance of shared contributions to a team. I also had to work harder, which moved me to excel much faster through the college process. In an interview, women tend to speak to their past job experiences, while men try to convince the decision-makers to hire them based on what they say they will do. Men begin to imagine themselves in the job as if they’re already doing the work. Women should learn from that way of thinking and express themselves in a leadership mindset in both current and future positions. What do you like to do in your free time? I relish free time, especially with my husband and our two sons, who are in college. Like most families, we weren’t able to see each other much in 2020. But when on family trips, we like to include both physical and cultural activities. In 2019 we were able to hike in Peru and experience the rich culture. That was a bucket list trip.
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FASHION 46-year-old Chicago-native, Anthony Prince is using his creativity and perseverance to make a name for himself in the fashion industry. After being incarcerated for nearly 25 years, the father of two is getting a fresh start with Sinew, his own colorful line of custom urban sportswear for men, women, and children.
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FORWARD Prince spent most of his time in prison reading, studying, and reflecting. But he and some of his fellow inmates also took an interest in designing creative clothing items. They started by adding hoods, pockets, and buttons to make ordinary pieces more fashionable. Prince knew that if he maintained the same creative spark he had in prison, he could produce something even more amazing when he returned to the outside. In November 2020, Prince was released as a result of the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice bill intended to cut unnecessarily long prison sentences. He continued designing and launched his line, Sinew out of the trunk of his car. Today, Prince sells his designs at his Tri-Taylor-area boutique where he customizes activewear pieces using materials like leather, Naugahyde, and suede. He says Karl Kani and Phat Farm are his biggest design influences. Prince says the name Sinew, which means ‘to renew and revive,’ came to him while studying the Bible during his incarceration. He says that it was through God’s grace that he was able to get out of prison and have an opportunity to start his own business. “When I was incarcerated, I made sure I got up early every morning to read or workout,” he says. “I realized that I had to keep my mind strong to stay focused and hopeful that God was working with me.”
When asked what advice he would give former inmates trying to reestablish themselves Prince says, “Never give up and never give up hope that God is working in your favor.”
Trade Talk:
Fred Vaughn, Tuckpointer
Fred Vaughn got his start in construction as a laborer. But when he reached the top of the pay scale, he knew it was time for a change. “They weren’t giving me any more raises. It was either stay there at $14 an hour or become an apprentice,” he says. So the father of five decided to set out to learn a new trade – tuckpointing. Vaughn says good handeye coordination is critical to success in his trade, which requires using two contrasting colors of mortar in the joints of brickwork. “When you’re applying the cement between the joints, you have to follow a pattern,” he says. “You’re holding the mortarboard, and you’re holding a tool, so your hands are always full,” he says.
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Jobs can require work on tall buildings, so Vaughn points out that tuckpointing is not suited for anyone who is afraid of heights. “If you can’t ride a roller coaster, don’t even try it,” he says. Safety on the job is essential. One mistake could put the lives of you or your partner at risk. “You have to follow the rules when you’re on a scaffold and make sure your safety equipment is correct. You want to go home safe every night,” Vaughn says. Despite the risks, Vaughn says tuckpointing is a fairly easy trade once you get the hang of it. But he adds that it can be difficult for people of color to break in. Vaughn credits CEC with connecting him to job opportunities. “They’re the only ones I could count on to help me get jobs,” he says. Vaughn says some of the best career advice he’s ever received came from his father, who helped convince him to stick with his trade when he felt like giving up. “He said, ‘You can’t do anything else. You either have to master it, or it’s going to break you,’” Vaughn said.
“Even though it’s a predominantly male trade, women are coming in. You can’t act like the stereotypical construction worker sitting on your lunch pail whistling at women. That’s over with now.”
Tuckpointing is seasonal work. Most companies start hiring in March, and the work usually lasts until November or December. During his downtime, Vaughn says he relies on unemployment and tries to find side jobs when possible. When he’s not working, Vaughn says he enjoys watching football and hanging out with friends. “I want to try fishing one day, but that might have to be something for retirement,” he laughs. Vaughn says anyone interested in tuckpointing as a career should go for it. But he stresses that it’s just as important to watch what you say as it is to do good work on the job site.
“Even though it’s a
predominantly male trade, women are coming in. You can’t act like the stereotypical construction worker sitting on your lunch pail whistling at women. That’s over with now,” he says. “What you might think is a joke, someone else might take personally.”
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COMMUNITIES EMPOWERED THROUGH CONSTRUCTION The CEC is committed to community. We believe that every community has qualified candidates who would love to be a part of the ongoing developments in their communities. We are constantly looking for potential candidates who are currently in the construction industry or who have a desire to be in the industry. If you are looking to join our network, please complete the Online Application. www.communities4construction.com
Website: communities4construction.com Phone: 312-989-3903 Fax: 312-989-3910 Address: 2532 W. Warren Blvd Chicago, IL 60612
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