March 20, 2019 by South Side Weekly

Reality Itself Is Always Already The Case.

WINNER AUDIENCE AWARD

Awareness Festival

WINNER FIVE AWARDS OF MERIT

Impact Docs Awards

SATURDAY MARCH 23, 2019 12:00 NOON

THE GENE SISKEL FILM CENTRE 164 North State Street Chicago IL 60601

Tickets: www.consciouslightfilm.com/screenings

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent nonprofit newsprint magazine written for and about neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. We publish in-depth coverage of the arts and issues of public interest alongside oral histories, poetry, fiction, interviews, and artwork from local photographers and illustrators. The South Side Weekly is dedicated to supporting cultural and civic engagement on the South Side and to providing educational opportunities for developing journalists, writers, and artists. Volume 6, Issue 21 Editor-in-Chief Adam Przybyl Managing Editors Emeline Posner, Sam Stecklow Deputy Editor Jasmine Mithani Senior Editors Julia Aizuss, Christian Belanger, Mari Cohen, Bridget Newsham, Olivia Stovicek Chief of Staff

Manisha AR

Education Editor Music Editor Stage & Screen Editor Visual Arts Editor Food & Land Editor

Rachel Kim Christopher Good Nicole Bond Rod Sawyer Emeline Posner

Contributing Editors Mira Chauhan, Joshua Falk, Carly Graf, Ian Hodgson, Maple Joy, Sam Joyce, Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Rachel Schastok Amy Qin, Jocelyn Vega Staff Writer Kyle Oleksiuk Data Editor Jasmine Mithani Radio Exec. Producer Erisa Apantaku Social Media Editors Bridget Newsham, Sam Stecklow Director of Fact Checking: Sam Joyce Fact Checkers: Abigail Bazin, Bridget Newsham, Adam Przybyl, Sam Stecklow, Elizabeth Winkler, Tammy Xu Visuals Editor Ellen Hao Deputy Visuals Editors Ireashia Bennett, Siena Fite, Lizzie Smith Staff Photographers: milo bosh, Jason Schumer Staff Illustrators: Siena Fite, Natalie Gonzalez, Katherine Hill Interim Layout Editor J. Michael Eugenio Deputy Layout Editors Haley Tweedell Webmaster Operations Manager

Pat Sier Jason Schumer

The Weekly is produced by an all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We distribute each Wednesday in the fall, winter, and spring. Over the summer we publish every other week. Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to: South Side Weekly 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 For advertising inquiries, contact: (773) 234-5388 or advertising@southsideweekly.com

IN CHICAGO

A week’s worth of developing stories, odd events, and signs of the times, culled from the desks, inboxes, and wandering eyes of the editors

Blocking Chicago From Bringing It Home When the Bring Chicago Home coalition—consisting of various local anti-homelessness groups—first sought City Council approval for a ballot referendum that would ask voters to weigh in on whether to increase the real estate transfer tax and use the money to combat homelessness in Chicago, they were hoping to get the question on the 2019 municipal elections ballot. But aldermen stalled the vote past the December 10 deadline, forcing Bring Chicago Home to set its sights on the 2020 ballot instead. Last week, at a meeting of the City Council Committee on Finance, a procedural mess engineered by mayoral ally Alderman Patrick O’Connor once again pushed back the vote. Bring Chicago Home is proposing a 1.2% tax for any buyer of property worth over $1 million, which the coalition says will generate $150 million to be used for housing and services for homeless people. Chicago voters are required to approve updates to the realestate transfer tax; if a majority votes in favor of a change, the City Council must enact it into law. When the matter went before the Finance Committee last week, Alderman Brendan O’Reilly argued that it really belonged in the Rules Committee. (For what it’s worth, O’Reilly represents the 42nd Ward, which includes parts of the Loop, Streeterville, River North, and Gold Coast and, according to the Sun-Times, has the most $1 millionplus homes sold of any ward.) Finally, the committee voted 11-10 to table the resolution. The vote had to be called twice—according to the Sun-Times, that’s because “aldermen were confused about what they were being asked to vote on.” Bring Chicago Home argued on Facebook, however, that Finance Committee Chair O’Connor erroneously tabulated the vote, forcing a recount and allowing late-arriving Alderman Matt O’Shea to slip in and make the deciding vote to table the resolution. We know the City Council can move fast when it wants to (see: controversial North Side megadevelopment Lincoln Yards), so it’s clear that some aldermen have a vested interest in preventing policy that could make a big impact in combating homelessness. We wish we were surprised. Several South Side aldermen voted to advance the resolution, including Leslie Hairston, Toni Foulkes, George Cardenas, and Pat Dowell. Anthony Beale, Patrick Daley Thompson, Howard Brookins Jr., and Carrie Austin were among those voting to table it.

IN THIS ISSUE look, don't touch

You would think that Maljković’s work is the main attraction, right? manisha ar........................................4 meet the challengers: deborah fosterbonner

“I’m not for sale, and I’m gonna do what I think is right.” sam stecklow....................................6 we real cool

The We Real Cool project empowers students to shape their own future. rod sawyer.........................................8 op-ed: lori lightfoot’s dark promises

“Preckwinkle and Lightfoot showed themselves, for the first time I’ve seen, in sharply different approaches to public safety.” maira khwaja...................................10

OUR WEBSITE S ON SOUTHSIDEWEEKLY.COM SSW Radio soundcloud.com/south-side-weekly-radio Email Edition southsideweekly.com/email Support the Weekly southsideweekly.com/donate Join the Weekly southsideweekly.com/contribute

Cover photo by Rod Sawyer MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 3

VISUAL ARTS

Look, Don’t Touch “Also on View” at The Renaissance Society BY MANISHA AR

USEFUL ART SERVICES

o you ever wonder about the little things that inspire an artist to create a body of work? Everyone has a process. David Maljković’s exhibit “Also on View” offers viewers a chance to explore that process. The exhibition borrows its name from the same term used by museums 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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to promote smaller or ongoing shows—the phrase “Also on View” applies to shows that aren’t the main draw in the museum, while still encouraging visitors to explore them. Except you would think that Maljković’s work is the main attraction, right? It is Maljković’s larger body of work,

which you only get a glimpse of at The Renaissance Society, that is the main attraction. What is “Also on View” are the different objects representing his varied and diverse practice, drawing on a range from painting, photography, video, sculpture, sound, and in some cases hybrids like “A

Long Day for the Form” (2012–2014), which is a bronze sculpture nestled in a pile of styrofoam. The closer you get to the piece, the louder the sounds of crickets chirping become in your ears. Designed and laid out in collaboration with Karsten Lund, curator and longtime

VISUAL ARTS

admirer of the artist’s work, the exhibition is less a display of an artist’s trajectory and more an experiment in layout. There are several pieces titled “Alterity Lines” that come from a show with the same name that took place last year at Metro Pictures in New York. Three of the pieces from this show are HD video animations with no sound. In an interview for South Side Weekly Radio, Maljković described how these pieces grew out of sketches that he was initially unsatisfied with. “Frustrated Painter or Something about Painting” (2003–2018) offers another glimpse into process. Using PS Blue Back wallpaper (a paper in a brilliant color that pops), pigment, and wheat paste, Maljković recreated an image that was previously shown at Metro Pictures for The Renaissance Society exhibition. In his artist talk at the opening reception, Maljković shared the story of how this piece stemmed from a performance he did while working on a painting. He shared a brief vignette of how he struggled to come up with a piece and instead chose to present a performance using the blank canvas as a prop on top of which he placed a black leather jacket. For the piece at The Ren, Maljković adds hints of color to the black and white sketch. There isn’t an underlying theme of any kind that ties the work at the show together. The pieces are more like a private collection of materials, experiences, stories, and moments in time in the artist’s career. Sometimes they warp time and material, as with “Untitled,” a video and sound collage spread out across a fifth wall built in the space. On the side that faces the gallery entrance is a microphone on a stand nestled inside the wall, with an amplifier attached to it. As the space fills with people, the feedback becomes louder with every footstep that enters the space. On the other side is an assembly of films that Maljković worked on, projected onto the wall with no sound: “Out of Projection,” “Undated,” and “Afterform.” These films are not merely a prop. In an interview for Artspace, Maljković says that film is a natural progression from painting, as both require the artist to consider “how do you compose work, and how do you depict time?” For Maljković, the exhibition itself acts as a medium. The dates on many of the pieces span several years, showing how the artist has been working on them for an extended time. Every iteration is a revelation for him. Maljković is interested in the methodology used to make a piece, or even exploring the perception of an artist

rather than the work itself. Take for instance another piece: “Untitled” (2014), a fiberglass mold of Peugeot Moovie Car. The French car manufacturer Peugeot manufactured a series of concept cars that were not practical to drive. Intrigued, Maljković launched an artist investigation into the process, visiting the facility and filming workers attempting to drive the car on an empty road. Maljković shared images from this project in his artist talk. There is an absurdist notion raised in the presentation of Maljković’s works and the way in which they serve as artifacts of lived experiences rather than designed, conceptualized objects that embody an artist’s statement or practice. All of the pieces that Maljković produces, regardless of medium, hold within them individual pieces of a larger puzzle. Every piece pushes the boundaries of sculpture and tangibility of a work of art in that they feel tactile but can’t really be touched because of the value they possess. Instead, Maljković wants the viewer to experience the object by engaging with the ideas he is presenting to them. Using curatorial practice as a medium, he responds to the space. His work and presentation reframe the space instead of treating it like a blank canvas laid out for him to adorn with his work. He takes the unusual curvatures in the ceiling, the cross ventilation, the little corners that intrigue the viewer, and makes the viewer conscious of the physical space which both viewer and object occupy. ¬

USEFUL ART SERVICES

“Also on View.” The Renaissance Society, 5811 S. Ellis Ave., Cobb Hall, 4th fl. Through April 7. (773) 702-8670. Free and open to the public. renaissancesociety.org Manisha AR is the Weekly’s chief of staff and a writer who graduated from the New Arts Journalism program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is interested in film, video, performances, and storytelling. When she isn’t researching for a story, she spends time playing with her cat and drinking coffee.

USEFUL ART SERVICES

All of the pieces that Maljković produces, regardless of medium, hold within them individual pieces of a larger puzzle. MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

POLITICS

Meet the Challengers: Deborah Foster-Bonner The Weekly sits down with the accountant and activist in the runoff for 6th Ward alderman BY SAM STECKLOW HALEY TWEEDELL

Several days after the February 26 election, as the last votes trickled in, it was revealed that financial advisor and Chatham community activist Deborah Foster-Bonner had forced twoterm 6th Ward Alderman Roderick Sawyer, the son of former 6th Ward alderman and, briefly, mayor Eugene Sawyer, into a runoff. Running on a platform of community engagement, and assisted by, judging from precinct-level election data, widespread dissatisfaction with Sawyer’s tenure in the Chatham part of the ward (which is also made up of parts of Park Manor and Englewood), Foster-Bonner’s has been a small, mostly self-funded campaign—though she has picked up the endorsements of both the SunTimes and the Tribune. It remains to be seen whether she can make inroads in the parts of the ward where Sawyer did well, but the act of forcing a family dynasty into a runoff in Chicago is no small feat in and of itself. This interview, conducted at Foster-Bonner’s Chatham campaign office before the February 26 election, has been edited for length and clarity.

hat is the coalition or constituency behind your campaign, or that you’re running to represent? I’m running because people told me that I should, because I’ve been doing a lot of the stuff that the people wanted in the area anyway, and they were saying I should take it to the next level. I’ve done a summer program for about thirty kids for free, for the entire summer. Every year we do Halloweentown, where we turn a block parkway into a Halloween adventure area— we have the haunted house, the cemetery, the adults dress up, the kids dress up, get 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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scared half to death. We pass out candy, school supplies. I probably was the first, or one of the first [leader of a group this large] to do the private security cameras—we started out with forty buildings, then we bloomed to 150. I started to get people calling me from all around the city asking what happened. Some of the police officers would tell their friends, who live in different parts of the city and suburbs, and they would call and say, “What did you do, and how did you do it?” West Chesterfield got their two blocks [of ] cameras after we got ours, that was able to catch part of the judge’s murder. [Ed. note: In 2017, Cook County Associate Judge Raymond Myles was shot outside his home; video captured by security cameras in the neighborhood was cited by prosecutors in the charging of his alleged killer, whose trial is still ongoing.] We were the ones that stepped up and figured out what needed to happen to make it happen. Everyone owns their own cameras. We were able to, through volume, get reductions in the cost of the cameras and installation. [ReUnite Chatham, the neighborhood nonprofit Foster-Bonner leads,] formed because there was a store that was two and a half blocks from Dixon [Elementary School] that was trying to get a liquor license. Now, we’re dry over here—have been for years. Matter of fact, I’ve been over here since 1958, and to my knowledge, there’s never been a new liquor establishment opened since the ‘60s. So we were like, what do you mean, you’re gonna get a liquor license? For what? You’re two and a half blocks away from the school—why would you want to have a liquor license there? It seemed somewhat that that was gonna happen, so

we got started, we had petitions, we would stand out in front of the place to let them know we don’t want this here. We explained to them, had a group go in and talk to them and said, “We’re gonna get fifty old people.” Walkers, wheelchairs, canes. With all of that, you walk slow. So if we all come out at the same time to take our daily walk, what are the chances somebody’s gonna be able to get into your store? And they were like, “I will call the police.” I’m a beat facilitator. Go ahead, and when you call the police, we’ll call the TV stations to come and see why the police are coming to harass these senior citizens on the public way. So he got the gist and realized that we were serious, and no liquor license. What are some mechanisms of accountability you’d put in place once you’re in office? With almost anything I do, there’s accountability, because if I do something and [residents] don’t like it, believe me, I hear real quick. If I’m doing something right, they tell me. If I need to make a turn, they will tell me that as well. The biggest thing to me is communication. There’s no communication around here. If we talk to each other, if we share ideas, if we discuss differences, then we can coexist. And that’s one of the biggest things that’s missing. The alderman works for the people, the people don’t work for the alderman, and that’s not the sense that we get. It’s more like, the way the office functions, it’s like we work for him. And that’s why, I think, there’s a lot of dissension. People are not necessarily happy with some things.

Part of your platform is a cooperative grocery store for Chatham. Can you talk more about that? Now you’re talking about my fun thing. I met some people who were going to start a co-op in Rogers Park. I said okay, this sounds good. Let me go and investigate. So I went up to Rogers Park, listened to what they were saying. The guy came down and spoke to several of us. And I said, can I join? We’re talking about a huge distance for me, so I can’t make tons of stuff, but I want to be part of the process. So I joined them. I went to Indianapolis and got training on a larger scale. And the more I think about it, and the more things change around here, that’s something we need. I’ve been talking with the Small Business Administration, I’ve been talking to other food vendors and businesses, saying, why can’t we do this? Part of our problem here is crime. What’s part of the reason we have crime? No jobs. So we start looking and thought, wait a minute: we could do between a hundred and 500 jobs if we do this. And if we get the other businesses to get in on this, that means we’re expanding exponentially. I was talking to a gentleman down the street who has a business, he’s talking to some of the guys that are hanging on the corner, just walking the street. He said, they don’t have anything to do. They need to feed their family, you give them something where they don’t have to stand on a corner, they’ll do it. But they’re saying, oh you know, I got a record. Okay, what does that matter to us? Certain things you can’t do because of insurance licensing, but other things, we should be able to put you in here. And we should be able to do that with a living wage, and being an

POLITICS

investment advisor, you know, we’ve got to give them benefits. We’ve got to give them health insurance. We’ve got to teach them stuff that they need to know so that they can grow. I got that dealing with the kids in the summer program. I taught them how to start a business, write a business plan, the whole works. And if we do that on a scale, it’s not gonna get rid of everything that’s a problem, but it will definitely make a dent in what’s there. One thing we’re focusing on in this election is the fragmentation of Englewood into five wards. What are your thoughts on how you would approach working with four other aldermen who have sizable parts of the Englewood community? So deplorable. It shouldn’t be more than one or two aldermen, because you can’t function with that. I’m going to back up for a minute and talk about over here [Chatham]. To me, it’s similar. We have all these community organizations over here. They don’t work together. Everybody has their own agenda.

So what happens? Nothing gets done. It’s the same thing that needs to happen there. You need to engage the community to understand that these people work for them, and get them to understand and realize that they have power—they just need to be able to voice that power. But they can’t functions with all those different divisions. It’s not good for them. There needs to be a new way to do [draw ward maps]. You need to look at the root cause. Why are we losing population? We’re losing population because, what do we have? But then we have huge taxes. So we need to change the formula that’s being used in order to get us to the right composition. There’s no reason that I’m here [in Chatham], and I’m representing almost a third of the ward. I don’t know that [part of ] the ward. I’m trying to get to know that [part of ] the ward. I would open an office over there, [which will mean] I’ll be running back and forth like a crazy person. But that’s okay, because I’ve never done anything where I can’t figure it out. I’ve researched stuff left and right. I’ve got to go over there. I’ve got

to know the people. I’ve got to see exactly what their dynamics are, what’s missing to them. According to public records, there have been two properties that you own where the taxes were put up for sale due to delinquency. What was the situation with those?

accepting certain kinds of donations? I’ve always been, put your money where your mouth is. So if I’m not willing to put a stake in it, why should anybody else, is how I look at it. I am getting donations in now on a smaller scale, but I’m not beholden to anybody else, and that’s the part that’s important to me: that I’m not for sale, and I’m gonna do what I think is right.

The situation was, they were about to be taken from a client, and I bought them from the client. I talked to another gentleman who was going to buy it from me and pay the taxes. He hasn’t. All the current taxes have been paid, and he keeps saying he’s going to do it, so probably within the next week or two, I’m just going to go ahead and pay them off because they haven’t been bought. The [client] who had it thought a [developer] would buy it, but they went belly up.

Were you surprised to receive the endorsements from both of the major papers?

Through donations and loans, you are your campaign’s largest donor. Is there a specific reason for that? Are you not seeking or

Sam Stecklow is a managing editor of the Weekly and a journalist with the Invisible Institute.

Honestly, I was surprised. You know why? Because everything that everybody had been telling me was, you’re the new kid on the block, nobody knows you—even though I’ve been out here for years. But they didn’t know me because it was never about me. I never went trying to publicize what I was doing. ¬

MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

FASHION

We Real Cool

Betty Shabazz students flaunt their DesMoney-designed uniforms BY ROD SAWYER

he second floor of Betty Shabazz International Charter School felt immediately familiar. Teenagers bounced between white tiled walls, in and out of classrooms, freely running through the long halls while parents passed by cradling younger children. Chairs lined the hallway in two rows, neatly crowding and condensing audience members as they waited to be admitted into the classroom where the We Real Cool fashion show would take place. As chatter filled the remaining

space in the aisle, I tried to figure out why it felt like I had been here before. Like a home that makes you feel instantly comfortable, visiting Shabazz felt like returning rather than visiting. I was at Shabazz to cover the unveiling of the We Real Cool uniform initiative spearheaded by Desmond “DesMoney” Owusu, an alum of Shabazz, mentor, parttime instructor, and designer. Uniforms are supposed to establish a sense of value and responsibility in students. But Des felt that

uniforms often do the opposite and bore kids at best. Des launched the We Real Cool as a collaborative effort with students, with the goal of creating a uniform that engages students and helps them identify and connect with their peers. The We Real Cool project empowers students to shape their own future, the future of those around them, and the future of those that come after. As yet another kid flew past, it dawned on me: the post-school atmosphere of quiet. Those hours after the bustle of students

ROD SAWYER

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rushing from class to class ebbs, leaving the calm of after-school nights. In those evenings, school always felt different—an older school building commands a different level of respect and freedom at night. Once the standard academic activities were done for the day, extracurricular activities began. As I watch kids set up for the show, I flash back to my days in high school and middle school, when clubs and teams captured my imagination. The anticipation of these activities helped motivate me though the

FASHION

There were some ooo’s, some aaaa’s, and of course applause as each student showcased a new piece of the collection. academic day. The evening began as the audience was called into a classroom at the end of the hall. The room was decorated with drums and African flags. The posters on the wall remind students of important ancestors. This space was designed to hold and preserve history. Suddenly, a loud chant cut through the chatter, immediately silencing the room. Students emerged from behind two curtains on each side of the room in formation, chanting: “We are African people, struggling for national liberation. We are preparing leaders and workers to bring about positive change for our people. We stress the development of our bodies, minds, souls and consciousness…” As students stood, they asked the audience to stand just as they would for the Pledge of Allegiance. The students and parents of Shabazz recited the pledge in calland-response form, and though the students were shorter than most in the room, their voices radiated confident and tall. Shortly after this pledge, the DJ announced that the fashion show was to begin momentarily. Onlookers peered towards the curtains as students emerged, first making a dramatic appearance from behind the curtain before strutting to the middle of the room, striking a pose, occasionally giggling, and then returning behind the curtains on the other side of the room. The students modeled new uniforms marked with phrases such as “Village kid!,” “WANG,” “In Memory of Mama Ann,” or the school’s initials “BSICS” in a bright and illuminating red. There were some ooo’s, some aaaa’s, and of course applause as each student showcased a new piece of the collection. Displaying the traditional African colors of black, green, and red (symbolizing the people, the land, and the blood required for liberating struggle), the students stood tall, presenting the same level of confidence that they had when reciting the pledge. The night ended with a small speech

from Des, acknowledging all the students, parents, participants, and audience members who contributed to this project. Des noted that the uniforms were already approved by Shabazz for next year—though they’re not all funded yet. The students who participated in the show came out and bowed, and the parents and younger children applauded. As a videographer who had been recording the performance asked students to pose for a final photo, I jumped into action, trying to get photos of the smiling and serious faces alike with their fists held high. As I moved around clicking my shutter button, I thought back to when I was in high school and how experiences like this encouraged me to be proud of my history, to follow my own passions in life, and to take charge in shaping what I wanted for myself in the future. For each of the students present, this evening would mean something different. Some would be startled by their own confidence, reciting the chant in front of the classroom. Some would leave empowered to shape their own future, instilled with the values and sense of responsibilities that educators like Des sought to ingrain in students. For others, this evening would affirm their own sense of self, pushing them to continue to be proud of who they are, what they do, and how they can help others see that too. ¬ To read more about the project, check out the Op-Ed Des wrote for South Side Weekly here, and to support, visit werealcool.us. Rod Sawyer is a photojournalist based on the South Side, focusing mainly on covering graffiti and mural-art. He last wrote for the Weekly in February about sanctuary murals within the Sanctuary Cafe.

ROD SAWYER

Blackstone Bicycle Works

Weekly Bike Sale Every Saturday at 12pm Wide selection of refurbished bikes! (most bikes are between $120 & $250)

Blackstone Bicycle Works is a bustling community bike shop that each year empowers over 200 boys and girls from Chicago’s south side—teaching them mechanical skills, job skills, business literacy and how to become responsible community members. In our year-round ‘earn and learn’ youth program, participants earn bicycles and accessories for their work in the shop. In addition, our youths receive after-school tutoring, mentoring, internships and externships, college and career advising, and scholarships. Hours Tuesday - Friday 1pm - 6pm 12pm - 5pm Saturday

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A PROGRAM OF

MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

OP-ED

ELLEN HAO

Op-Ed: Lori Lightfoot’s Dark Promises Lori Lightfoot’s proposal to use closed schools for police academies should show progressives her true colors BY MAIRA KHWAJA 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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OP-ED

“Lightfoot has never been held accountable to a public that elected her; all her positions in government were appointed by Emanuel or Daley—and before that she was a federal prosecutor, then a corporate lawyer. Lightfoot has long protected and served policing and prison institutions, and has now made clear that she continues to do so.”

he same day that City Council voted to approve the new $95 million police academy plan in West Garfield Park, mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot spoke at the University of Chicago about the need to build an even more expensive and expansive police academy. Lightfoot clarified that she does not support the current proposal “as is,” but that “we absolutely need a new training facility,” and “to do it right it would cost far more than” $95 million. She cited the New York Police Department’s new $750 million training center as an example. To Lightfoot, a police training center done right should involve more community engagement and “academic development.” Notably, she said the city should consider turning some of the thirty-eight remaining vacant schools of the fifty closed by Mayor Rahm Emanuel into police training facilities. During the Chicago Public Safety Forum last week, hosted by the UofC’s Crime Lab, Harris School of Public Policy, and Institute of Politics, mayoral candidates Toni Preckwinkle and Lightfoot were featured separately for forty-five-minute question and discussion sessions about solutions to gun violence. For the first time in this election, there is a clear juxtaposition between the futures Preckwinkle and Lightfoot want to deliver, and how they envision a safe Chicago. Preckwinkle spent more time than Lightfoot talking about a variety of solutions to crime, including investing in free meals, after-school programming during the peak hours for crime—4-7pm—and turning more vacant properties over to a public land bank. Lightfoot focused all her answers on the criminal justice system.

Progressive voters who care about criminal justice reform should not vote for Lori Lightfoot. The stark image of shuttered schools turning into police training centers—instead of community centers, health facilities, literally anything else— should convince anyone that Lightfoot does not share a progressive vision for Chicago’s future. She offered a few other specific proposals that make clear, without question, her vision would increase incarceration and expand private, non-transparent partnerships within the Chicago Police Department. In addition to her schools-as-policeacademies idea, Lightfoot proposed that we reduce gun violence by increasing federal prosecution for gun crimes. “We don’t have enough prosecutions. They’re more afraid of federal prosecutions.” Increasing federal gun prosecutions has been a goal of the Trump administration, one that has resulted in nonviolent Black defendants being targeted. Lightfoot—let alone Trump—has yet to acknowledge how this proposal would inflate our federal prison population, or whom “they” is referring to. I imagine that she’s referring to young Black men. We should question her approach and her experience as a federal prosecutor in light of the lived experiences of Black teenagers and young adults who have faced gun charges. We might realize that for many young people who are caught in a cycle of court, prison, and death: the threat of federal prosecutions will not stop gun violence. Her past shows that she will not be responsive to calls for progressive reform and police accountability. Lightfoot was the head of the Office of Professional

Services, which was the first attempt at an oversight agency for the CPD: a precursor to the Independent Review Authority, which begat the current Civilian Office of Police Accountability. Between 2002-2004, only 1.8% of complaints made by civilians against officers were sustained, according to data from the Invisible Institute. Officers who used excessive force had a four in 1,000 chance of facing serious discipline. Lightfoot opened her remarks by saying that on “on day one” she would call Eddie Johnson to support him on his “mission to serve and protect” and reduce gun violence. She does not want to get rid of Johnson: “I don’t want to make him a lame duck and pander to the crowds that want him gone.” The “crowds” presumably refer to organizers and readers of papers like this, which recently published an investigation into Johnson’s undeniable history of tolerating and approving of misconduct. I am skeptical, then, of Lightfoot’s potential effectiveness in future negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police on behalf of the public, or in using the opportunity of a Consent Decree to change priorities of the CPD. There was not much pushback against Lightfoot’s proposals within the UChicago setting. Of course, Lightfoot’s vision would benefit the UofC enormously; she called for more investment in Strategic Decision Support Centers—policing centers where analysts from the UofC advise police commanders on where to deploy officers— saying the Crime Lab sponsored initiative “does more than our detectives can alone.” Her vision, like the Crime Lab’s, focuses on reducing gun violence through more targeted policing. Progressive organizers

believe that we will not police our way out of gun violence. To Lightfoot’s credit, she spoke first, right after the Crime Lab director Jens Ludwig introduced the subsequent conversations about “public safety” at large with a narrow framing about gun violence. Ludwig presented a slideshow that proposed how pervasive gun violence is driving Chicago’s depopulation. What Ludwig presented was not questioned by the interviewers or candidates, and possibly limited the imaginative potential of a conversation about various factors in public safety. Keeping with the traditions of UofC inquiry, the discussion and audience was largely removed from the neighboring South Side neighborhoods, the neighborhoods whose struggle with public safety were the subject in question. Preckwinkle and Lightfoot showed themselves, for the first time in this campaign, in sharply different approaches to public safety. Until this event, they have campaigned on similarly progressive rhetoric and proposals around public safety, and their differences have been hard to distinguish for many in the city. On a national level, the runoff election between two Black women has been seen as a progressive win, a rebuke of the Emanuel and Daley eras of heavy policing and school closures. And, it is. We will have a Black woman mayor, and that is an incredible, historical first for Chicago. That fact is not enough to deliver us to a progressive future. Preckwinkle will not radically transform the city; she said last Wednesday that she would add more community police, more training, and more black and brown MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

OP-ED

detectives. She did, however, focus more on addressing the root causes of violence, and recalled her experience as a teacher who attended students’ funerals. In her closing statement, she said, “We allow kids who have the least privilege to have the least invested in them. We have challenges and the root is our willingness to invest in children.” She will approach our city’s most painful issues with consideration and careful compassion, and she has shown to be responsive to organizing pressure. She is the mayor that progressives should want to organize under. Lightfoot has benefitted from a sharper communications team that has cast her as an outsider, with more inspirational soundbites, and the public believes it.

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In truth, Lightfoot has never been held accountable to a public that elected her; all her positions in government were appointed by Emanuel or Daley—and before that she was a federal prosecutor, then a corporate lawyer. Lightfoot has long protected and served policing and prison institutions, and has now made clear that she continues to do so. ¬ Maira Khwaja researches police and safety at the Invisible Institute and contributes to the Weekly. Her political opinions do not reflect the views of the Invisible Institute or the South Side Weekly.

EVENTS

BULLETIN

Aldermanic Runoff Debates

Demand the (Im)possible: The Future of Chicago Public Schools

25th Ward: Benito Juarez Community Academy, 1450 W. Cermak Rd. Wednesday, March 20, 6pm–9pm. Free with registration. bit.ly/25thWardPilsenDebate

University of Illinois at Chicago Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted St. Wednesday, March 20, 4pm–6:30pm. Free with RSVP. irrpp.uic.edu

25th Ward: Pui Tak Center, 2216 S. Wentworth Ave. Thursday, March 21, 5:30pm–8pm. Free. bit. ly/25thWardChinatownDebate

A panel of educators, historians, activists, and others will present roadmaps for a racially equitable future for Chicago Public Schools. Panelists include UofC sociologist Eve Ewing, longtime education activist Bill Ayers, UIC historian Elizabeth ToddBreland, and others. (Sam Stecklow)

CVE Report Release: Resisting Surveillance & Ending Youth Criminalization University of Illinois at Chicago Arab American Cultural Center, 701 S. Morgan St. Wednesday, March 20, 5pm–7pm. Free with registration. bit.ly/StopCVEChicagoReport #StopCVE activists and researchers will present on their findings on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Violent Extremism program and its work in Illinois and Chicago. Findings include that it disproportionately targets Muslim and Arab youth. (Sam Stecklow)

From the Porch of Gwendolyn Brooks: Student Writing Workshops Carver 47 Cafe, 1060 E. 47th St. Saturday, March 23, 10am–noon. Free with registration. bit.ly/BrooksPorchWorkshop In June, everyone will get to hear work written by students at the statue of Gwendolyn Brooks—which is in Kenwood’s Gwendolyn Brooks Park— hosted by the Chicago Literary Hall of Fame. Right now, middle and high school students can attend workshops to help them with their poetry-in-progress, taught by Jerikah Greene; this workshop for fifteen middle school students is the first. (Sam Stecklow)

20th Ward: Akarama Foundation, 6220 S. Ingleside Ave. Sunday, March 24, 2pm– 3:30pm. Free. bit.ly/20thWardRunoffDebate If you’re not deathly sick of election talk by now, and you live in a ward with a runoff election (on the South Side, that’s the 5th, 6th, 15th, 16th, 20th, 21st, 25th, and potentially 12th Wards), there are likely going to be debates and forums you can attend—the ones listed were just the ones we could locate by press time. Even if you don’t attend one of these events—don’t forget to vote! (Sam Stecklow)

VISUAL ARTS Creative Freedom: Writing In and Out of Prison Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield Blvd. Sunday, March 20, 7pm–9pm. Free. Bit.ly/CFWIOP Hosted by the Guild Literary Complex, this event will feature a panel of formerly incarcerated writers and writers who teach in prisons to share their perspective on writing about prison from both inside and out. The panel includes Tara Betts, Eric Blackmon, Michael Fischer, Reuben Taylor, and Mike Puican as moderator. (Roderick Sawyer)

2019 MFA Thesis Exhibition 1s: “Now & There” Gallery 400, 400 S. Peoria St. Friday, March 22, 5pm–8pm. Free. Bit.ly/2019MFA. Come by to see the first round of MFA thesis students from The School of Art & Art History at the University of Illinois at Chicago come together to present their explorations on themes such as dislocation, familiarity, place, nostalgia, and identity. Presenting work from the departments of Studio Arts, Photography, and Moving Image departments, this exhibit is the first of two receptions for UIC’s 2019 MFA thesis students. (Roderick Sawyer)

Opening Reception: Laura Aguilar: Show and Tell National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Friday, March 22, 6pm–8pm. Free. bit.ly/LauraAguilar Considered the “first comprehensive retrospective” collection of work of the photographer Laura Aguilar (1959–2018), this exhibit includes self-portraits, portraits of friends and family, portraits of members of the Chicana/Latina and LGBTQ communities, and much more. Come enjoy the opening and explore the ways through which Aguilar navigated her own identity and struggles. (Roderick Sawyer)

THE ITTY BITTY

EVENTS CALENDAR 6100 S Blackstone (773) 627-5058 More info online at buildcoffee.org

Tuesday, March 26 Holding It Together: Self Care for Sex Workers

Flowers in the Garden

6:30 pm — 8:30 pm

South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave. Saturday, March 23, 2pm– 5pm. Free. sscartcenter.org

This is a monthly meeting by and for sex workers focusing on self care. All genders welcome!

To close out Women’s History Month with a bang, join the South Side Community Art Center for an exploration of the struggles and triumphs of women of African descent. This exhibit will run through June 22. (Roderick Sawyer)

Narratives of Necessity Three Seeds Gallery, 2130 W. 21st St. Saturday, March 23, 5pm–8pm. Free. Bit.ly/ NarrativesofNecessity. “Narratives of Necessity” is a solo show by Mark Nelson that relies on involves image time-lapse of images and symbolism as a way of revealing his work in layers. His work centers around speaking about current events and humanitarian issues, using in encoded satire. Come by for a chance to look through Nelson’s work and explore Three Seeds Gallery. (Roderick Sawyer)

Thursday, March 28 City Bureau Public Newsroom #101: Investigating Mexico’s Clandestine Graves 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm Nearly 40,000 people went missing in Mexico between December 2006 to October 2018, according to official records. These disappearances are largely attributed to the country’s drug war. This week at the Public Newsroom we’re hosting Mago Torres, a member of the team of independent Mexican journalists who sought to reveal how a decade of this drug war has turned Mexico into a burial ground.

South Side Story Time: Women's History Month Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield Blvd. Sunday, March 31, 10am– 11am. Free. bit.ly/2W6n95n South Side Story Time provides a space for young kids to explore new literature and for parents to socialize. Hosted by Keewa Nurullah of Kido and Megan Jeyifo of Arts + Public Life, this monthly morning event is sure to be a family favorite. (Roderick Sawyer)

Monday, April 1 The Experiment Open Mic 6:00 pm — 8:00 pm The Experiment is a free open mic at Build Coffee every first Monday of the month. Bring your songs, poems, music, stories, dances— whatever you can do in five minutes. Sign-ups open up at 6pm! MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

EVENTS

MUSIC Vic Spencer The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Thursday, Mar. 21, doors 9pm. $12. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com Vic Spencer keeps busy: he’s dropped a collaborative EP and solo mixtape (Crackheads Live Longer than Vegans) in just the past few weeks. His Bandcamp suggests a number of reference points for this output (Sean Price, MF Doom, Ol’ Dirty Bastard), but it’s the title he gives himself—“the Rapping Bastard”—that makes the best case for seeing him on Thursday. (Christopher Good)

My House Music Festival: Spring Fling Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. Friday, March 22, 9pm–1am. $20, includes two drink tickets. http://bit.ly/2Tfyqi2 You might remember the “My House” festival from summer nights in Pilsen, but if not, then you’ve got the chance to dance to house again this Friday. If you can look past the kind of weird organizers (realtors RE/MAX), then the lineup is hard to beat: M-Dok, Cqqchifruit, John Simmons, and juke icon Gant-Man, who spoke with the Weekly back in August. (Christopher Good)

Braindance Ordinance Digital Arts Demo Space, 2515 S. Archer, Suite #2. Saturday, March 23, doors 7pm, music 8pm. $10. As usual, DADS keeps the bits crushed and the lineups stacked. Come through for modular IDM, chiptune vaporwave, and more—courtesy of CCDM, Equip, Five Step Path, Saskrotch, et al. (Christopher Good)

The Modern Salon: South Side Edition Stony Island Arts Bank, 6760 S. Stony Island Avenue. Saturday, March 23, 7pm. Tickets $50–$250. bit.ly/2Cnh8K4 Spektral Quartet will elevate the twentyfirst century artist salon to new heights, with music, poetry, dance and visual art in conversation with one another, including 14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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original work from poet/songwriter/ performer avery r. young. (Nicole Bond)

An Evening with Thaddeus Tukes for Shelly Barnard Augustana Lutheran Church of Hyde Park, 5500 S. Woodlawn Ave. Friday, March 22, 7PM-9PM. Tickets $40 in advance, $45 at door, $20 students. For tickets or donations visit eventbrite at bit.ly/2OdPUdv Talented Hyde Park vibraphonist and composer Thaddeus Tukes will play a benefit concert to help parish administrator Shelly Barnard and family with medical bills. You can help by purchasing tickets for yourself and friends, donating food or drink by contacting office@augustanahydepark. org, and donating a talent or service for silent auction by contacting pastor@ augustanahydepark.org (Nicole Bond)

STAGE & SCREEN In the Blood eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Running now through Sunday, March 31. Fridays and Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 3pm and 7:30pm; Industry Night Thursdays, 8pm. $35, $25 seniors, $15 students. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org If you found yourself rooting for Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, you will be riveted once again by Hester La Negrita (Nyajai Ellison) in a contemporary drama, written by Pulitzer Prize winner SuzanLori Parks and inspired by the classic novel. This production is directed by Aaron Reese Boseman of Pulse Theatre Company as part of eta’s Vagabond Theatre Series, and includes an original musical score by Paris Ray Dozier. (Nicole Bond)

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuff Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Thursday March 14–Sunday April 14. $20–$74. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org Court Theatre welcomes playwright Ntozake Shange’s most well-known work, from which the genre choreopoem was coined. Director Seret Scott, who performed in the original Broadway production from 1976-1978, weaves Shange’s heartfelt, slice-of-real-life poems,

with music and choreographed movement to tell vivid stories through the characters of eight women of color navigating womanhood in sometimes painful yet always powerful ways. (Nicole Bond)

Beyond The Rainbow: Court Community Conversations Various South Side locations. March 14 through April 13. All events are free and open to the public with registration. Visit courttheatre.org to register. In conjunction with the production of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuff, Court Theatre has curated a series of community engagement programming focusing on themes from the show. March 14, 5:30pm–7pm A laying on of hands: An Opening Ritual is an opening ceremony presented in collaboration with spiritual leaders from McCormick Theological Seminary and the Lutheran School Theological Seminary, at McCormick Theological Seminary, 5460 S. University Ave. March 24, 4:30pm Phases of womanhood: Dramatists Guild Panel moderated by Tracie Hall of the Joyce Foundation features five female playwrights of color discussing Ntozake Shange’s influence on their work, at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. April 1, 7pm Sing your song: A Night of Personal Stories, performers Emily Hooper Lansana, Ann Douglas, LaDonna Tittle, Kristiana Rae Colon and Kemati Porter present original work in the FCG set. April 5, 9:15pm there wuz no air: A Community Conversation, is a post-show panel with leaders from men’s and boy’s group discussing what it means to be allies to women, at Court Theatre. April 8, 6:30pm Spotlight Reading Series: A Tribute To Ntozake is a staged reading of Shange’s play Boogie Woogie Landscapes, at the Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. April 9, 7pm Exelon South Side Youth Performance – FC Girls Project is dedicated to student work and will be followed by a post show reception at the Smart Museum of Art (directly across the courtyard) catered by Piccolo Mondo.

April 13, 11am–4pm Loving her fiercely: A Day of Wellness features a day of meditation, art, and reiki with a vendor fair of female-run businesses, presented in partnership with the national nonprofit A Long Walk Home, whose work is dedicated to end violence against women and girls. The location for this event is to be announced.

Creative Freedom: Writing In and Out of Prison Green Line Performing Arts Center, 329 E. Garfield Blvd. Wednesday, March 20, 7pm–9pm. Free. guildcomplex.org As part of both the exhibition “Still Here: Torture, Resiliency and the Art of Memorializing” and the Guild Literary Complex Applied Words series, formerly incarcerated writers and writers who teach in prisons will share their work and their perspectives, in a reading and panel moderated by Michael Puican. Featured writers are Tara Betts, Eric Blackmon, Michael Fischer, and Reuben Taylor. (Nicole Bond)

CommUNITY Café: Celebrating The Sacred Cypher Harold Washington Cultural Center, 4701 S. King Drive. Saturday, March 30, 6:30pm– 10pm. Free with RSVP, donations welcome. bit.ly/SacredCypher Inspired by the hip-hop cypher, said to be a circle that levels the playing field of all who enter it, Inner-City Muslim Action Network will present an evening of storytelling, inspiration, and healing aimed to foster connection and exchange between artists and community. Partake in wellness work and food during the pre-show café hour, followed by live performances from Maimouna Youssef, K-Love The Poet, and Zeshan B. Co-hosted by Authentic Aseelah and Damon Williams, with DJ Moz Def. (Nicole Bond)

40th & State – Film Screening and Discussion Lutheran School of Theology, JKM Auditorium, 1100 E. 55th St. Saturday, March 30, 10:30am–12:30pm. Free. RSVP required. (773) 947-6322. mccormick.edu Filmmaker and playwright Micah Ariel

EVENTS

Watson will discuss her award-winning experimental documentary 40th & State, which asks what happens “when mourning becomes political and fighting becomes spiritual,” prompted by the grief of an entire church in the wake of the 1955 lynching of Emmett Till. (Nicole Bond)

A Tribute To Sarah Vaughan Blackstone Library, 4904 S. Lake Park Avenue. Saturday, March 23, 1pm–3pm. Free. bit.ly/CPLSarahVaughan The Afrikan Connection will present an all-ages multimedia tribute to jazz vocalist and pianist Sarah Vaughan, featuring a film about her life and career, a discussion, and live performance of her music by Black Elegance. (Nicole Bond)

FOOD & LAND Indoor Farmers Markets 61st Street Farmers Market: Experimental Station, 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. The second Saturday of every month, 9am–2pm. experimentalstation.org Pilsen Community Market: Honky Tonk BBQ, 1800 S. Racine Ave. Sundays, 11am– 3:30pm. facebook.com/pilsenmarket Plant Chicago Farmers Market: The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St. The first Saturday of each month, 11am–3pm. plantchicago.org Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean your need for fresh produce, chef demonstrations, and shopping with your neighbors is gone. This winter, the three above-listed markets are sticking around and moving indoors to make sure your needs are fulfilled. Each market offers slightly different pleasures, and all are worth making a regular habit. (Sam Stecklow)

Good Food Expo

brewers researchers, health care providers, and environmental activists for panels, workshops, information booths, and demonstrations. Family friendly. Word to the wise: there will be free soil testing on Saturday, so if you’re curious about heavy metal levels in your garden soil, bring a baggie of soil for an on-the-spot analysis by UofI researchers. (Emeline Posner)

Illinois Food Policy Teach-In The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St. Wednesday, March 20, 6pm–8pm. Free. Register at bit. ly/2HtBd4D

Come learn fundamental journalism skills. All workshops are free and open to the public.

RSVP

bit.ly/sswworkshops

Break bread over this year’s upcoming food and farm related legislation at The Plant. Hosted by the Chicago Food Policy Action Council and other local groups, this event provides a great opportunity for amateur and professional farmers alike to get a sense of the changes—to cannabis and hoophouse regulations, for example—to come. (Emeline Posner)

CCGA 7th Annual Conference: Gardening & Adapting to a Changing Climate Breakthrough FamilyPlex, 3219 W. Carroll Ave. Saturday, March 30, 9am–2:15pm. $25; $15 for students and children under 18. Meals included. bit.ly/2SIJynb Harboring questions about how the impact of climate change on the growing season? On seed viability? Indoor container gardening? At the seventh annual conference of the beloved Chicago Community Gardening Association, expert gardeners and farmers will answer these questions and more. Word to the wise: free soil testing will be available after lunch, so if you’re curious about heavy metal levels in your garden soil, bring a baggie of soil for an on-the-spot analysis by UofI researchers. (Emeline Posner)

UIC Forum, 725 W. Roosevelt Rd. Trade show Friday, March 22, 8:30am–8:30pm; festival Saturday, March 23, 8:30am– 8:30pm. Trade show and reception $55, festival free. goodfoodexpo.org The Good Food movement is international, but its roots in Chicago are set deep: this year marks the 15th annual Good Food Expo. The festival, which is part paidentrance trade show and part free festival, brings together regional farmers, bakers, MARCH 20, 2019 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15