The Daily Northwestern Monday, January 27, 2020
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8 SPORTS/Men’s Basketball
Wildcats fall by 12 at home to Ohio State
Remembering Matthew
Find us online @thedailynu 4 OPINION/Tekriwal
Political protests belong in Olympics
BLACK MEN group to talk reparations City residents to discuss legacy, impacts of racism By MAIA SPOTO
the daily northwestern @maia_spoto
Courtesy of Lori Ann Gerdisch
Friends, family share memories of the McCormick junior By AUSTIN BENAVIDES
daily senior staffer @awstinbenavides
It was in a car ride with Lori Ann, his mother, when Matthew Gerdisch asked her,
“What do you think life will be like in 50 years or 500 years on Earth?” When his father recounted the story, he said his wife was unsure of the future, especially because of all the current problems in the world, but he said
Gerdisch wasn’t as uncertain — he said he knew life was going to be great. In the last six months before he died as a result of a rhythmic heart condition, the Zionsville, Ind. native was set on the future. Working alongside his
father, Dr. Marc Gerdisch, the junior was speaking with one of the world’s premier electrophysiologist and heart surgeons, Mark La Meir, to develop a training fellowship » See GERDISCH, page 6
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Before city-implemented reparations can achieve meaningful structural change, the black community in Evanston needs to understand its own trauma, said Baxter Swilley, a member of the BLACK MEN’s group. The BLACK MEN’s group stands for “Building Leadership and Community Knowledge, Mentoring, Empowering and Neighborhoods,” and is an initiative of A Work of Faith Ministries, Inc. It gathers African American city residents of all backgrounds for a series of conversations that address institutional racism in areas that include housing, education, employment and finances. Meetings focus on self-agency and rebuilding in the face of oppressive rules and policies. “(The series) is a platform for a myriad of other conversations that need to be had,” Swilley said. City Council passed a resolution last November to support a $10 million reparations fund to support African American residents. Founder and chairman of A Work of Faith Kenneth Wesbrooks said the discussions center less on how officials should allocate reparations money and
more on the reasons why reparations are necessary. He said individuals are not sure what to ask for in regards to reparations, because they don’t know how to articulate the ways in which institutional racism has affected them. “There’s a lot of healing that needs to take place,” Wesbrooks said. “People are hurt, people are confused, people are angry.” Wesbrooks said racial inequity issues have decreased faith in local government, fostering a sense of mistrust that reform in the political system is possible. The BLACK MEN’s group meetings take the temperature of the community as reparations initiatives move forward, Wesbrooks said. He said the group engages community members with a grassroots approach to reform, instead of operating from the top down. “There are still a few of us that believe that we can still use the system to make change and create change,” Wesbrooks said. “But you have to get the voice of the people in order to do that.” All genders and ages are welcome to participate in the trauma discussion series. AWOFINC also supports BLACK WOMEN’s and BLACK YOUTH groups. Meleika Gardner, a member of the E-Town Sister Circle and owner of Evanston Live TV, said education and youth involvement are crucial components of the BLACK initiative. As a result, in the spring, Evanston Live TV and the BLACK » See BLACK MEN, page 6
Donna More touts legal background at campaign event
Cook County State’s Attorney candidate criticizes opponents, emphasizes justice and accountability By MAIA SPOTO
the daily northwestern @maia_spoto
Donna More, a Democratic primary challenger for Cook County State’s Attorney, called for balance and accountability in the criminal justice system during a Saturday reception in support of
her campaign. More, who grew up in Evanston and now works in legal private practice, addressed about 75 community members at a local family’s home last Saturday near Lee Street Beach on the importance of operating as a lawyer rather than a politician. The former Cook County and federal prosecutor is
Serving the University and Evanston since 1881
running against incumbent Kim Foxx, former Chicago Ald. (2nd), Democratic Committeeman Bob Fioretti and another former Cook County prosecutor, Bill Conway, in the Democratic primary elections on March 17. She said Foxx is attached to the Democratic political machine, and she criticized Conway’s family wealth and his experience in
legal work, saying Conway hasn’t practiced law in years. More’s campaign manager, Baxter Swilley, said Foxx is leading a national reform movement against mass incarceration, but that Chicago is not America. He said that crime disproportionately targets poor communities in Cook County, and it is the state’s attorney’s responsibility
to balance social justice with public safety. “We want criminal justice reform,” Swilley said. “But we also want someone who’s going to put murderers and rapists in jail.” More said she plans to hold people accountable in Cook County, but her model of accountability does not always involve incarceration.
For example, she said she will push for teenagers who commit low-level, nonviolent crimes to perform community service or work after school instead of spending time behind bars. More also discussed Foxx’s approach to the Jussie Smollett case in 2019. She said she » See MORE, page 6
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