November 11, 2020 by South Side Weekly

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

ARTS, CULTURE, POLITICS

SOUTHSIDEWEEKLY.COM

Envisioning New Futures ARTISTS AND WRITERS ON WHAT A BETTER WORLD COULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW TO GET THERE

FREE

Lorem Ipsum

Local journalism has never mattered more. Now through December 31st, all donations to the South Side Weekly are doubled by NewsMatch. Your support makes our work possible. Please consider making a one-time or recurring donation today. Donate online @ bit.ly/newsmatch2020 or scan the code with your phone’s camera. Donte by mail: South Side Weekly, 6100 S Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60636. Checks should be made payable to our fiscal sponsor, “Experimental Station”.

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent non-profit newspaper by and for the South Side of Chicago. We provide high-quality, critical arts and public interest coverage, and equip and develop journalists, photographers, artists, and mediamakers of all backgrounds. Volume 7, Issue 30 Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor

Jacqueline Serrato Martha Bayne

Senior Editors

Christopher Good Rachel Kim Adam Przybyl Olivia Stovicek Sam Stecklow

Politics Editor Education Editors Literature Editor Contributing Editors

Jim Daley Ashvini Kartik-Narayan Michelle Anderson Davon Clark Mira Chauhan Joshua Falk Lucia Geng Robin Vaughan Jocelyn Vega Tammy Xu Matt Moore

Staﬀ Writers

AV Benford Kiran Misra Jade Yan

Data Editor Radio Exec. Producer

Jasmine Mithani Erisa Apantaku

Director of Fact Checking: Tammy Xu Fact Checkers: Abigail Bazin, Susan Chun, Maria Maynez, Elizabeth Winkler, Lucy Ritzmann, Kate Gallagher, Matt Moore, Malvika Jolly, Charmaine Runes, Ebony Ellis, Katie Bart Visuals Editor

Mell Montezuma Haley Tweedell

Deputy Visuals Editor Photo Editor Staﬀ Photographers: Staﬀ Illustrators: Tolentino

Shane Tolentino Keeley Parenteau milo bosh, Jason Schumer Mell Montezuma, Shane

Layout Editors

Haley Tweedell Davon Clark

Webmaster Managing Director

Pat Sier Jason Schumer

IN CHICAGO Resiliency is a popular buzzword these days. But while it can take many forms, one of the clear takeaways from the current global crisis is that a return to the way things were is not tenable. In this dystopian present, it seems like more and more folks are seriously considering the possibility of radical futures previously unimaginable. For this special issue, we asked artists and writers to share their visions for the future at this time of urgent, unprecedented social upheaval. Journalistic coverage of both the COVID-19 pandemic and the movement for racial equity, reparations, and police abolition often focuses on the social, economic, and personal costs of change. We invite readers to engage with its regenerative, creative potential. What would a world without police look like? What about a world with universal health care, or guaranteed basic income? How might society re-construct itself to align with values that prioritize human rights, or the safety of our ecosystem? What might bring us joy? The 2020 election season is behind us and despite the ongoing noise from D.C., we collectively join the world in breathing a sigh of relief, and daring to allow space for cautious optimism. This election had the highest youth turnout rate in American history, and Black women showed up to vote against Trump in record numbers. In Chicago, the 21st Ward cast the most votes in the city for Joe Biden. Still, as the results show, there’s plenty of work to do. Governor J.B. Pritzker’s bid for a “fair” income tax did not pass, despite Cook County voting overwhelmingly for it, after wealthy opponents poured millions into squashing it. Controversial Cook County Judge Michael Toomin—criticized for his overly punitive approach to juvenile justice—remains on the bench. And of course, while Biden and Kamala Harris handily took Chicago, as predicted, an alarming number of voters on the Far Northwest and Southwest sides did vote for Donald Trump. Meanwhile, cases of COVID-19 continue to climb in the city, with an average of 1,686 new cases diagnosed daily. In this historic moment, we see this issue as a strategy for breaking through COVID fatigue and election chaos—a platform for imagination, idealism, hope, and whimsy in South Side communities disproportionately affected by the pandemic and burdened by Chicago’s entrenched structural racism. We hope it inspires you to take a break and imagine your own brighter tomorrow. If you do, and want to share, email us at editor@southsideweekly.com or share on social media with the hashtag #sswfutures.

Cover Photo by ThoughtPoet

Demonstrators marched as a preemptive response to the possibility that Trump would suppress votes by mail jade yan...................................................4 PAINTING OUR FUTURE AFTER

2020

Pilsen mural creates a vision where everyone fits jacqueline serrato................................7 RENOVATIONS

A comic mell montezuma..................................10 INTO THE FUTURES

Five forward-thinkers offer strategies for finding your path to the future erisa apantaku......................................10 ONE DAY I WANT TO WAKE UP AND SEE...

A poem kelsey stone..........................................15 (IKNOWFOLKSASS) THE INTERLUDE

Ghetto fabulous as the all-American dream thoughtpoet........................................16 I WANT A GOD WHOSE HEAVEN IS GOLDEN

A Golden Shovel davon clark..........................................24 A LETTER TO MY COUSINS

Coming to terms with family history when your family name is “Daley” bobby vanecko.......................................26 TO THE

FUTURE

With Re-Writing the Declaration, playwright Quenna Barrett imagines a participatory path toward freedom Danyella Wilder.................................28

Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to:

For advertising inquiries, contact: (773) 234-5388 or advertising@southsideweekly.com

WHAT DOES YOUR IDEAL AMERICA LOOK LIKE?

BACK

The Weekly is produced by a mostly 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.

South Side Weekly 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637

IN THIS ISSUE

THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED IN PART BY ILLINOIS HUMANITIES. ILLINOIS HUMANITIES ACTIVATES THE HUMANITIES THROUGH FREE PUBLIC PROGRAMS, GRANTS, AND EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES THAT FOSTER REFLECTION, SPARK CONVERSATION, BUILD COMMUNITY, AND STRENGTHEN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. ILLINOIS HUMANITIES IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND THE STATE’S AFFILIATE FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES.

ACTIVISM

What Does Your Ideal America Look Like?

A selection of the “dream Americas” envisioned by demonstrators who marched the day after the general election to demand that all votes be counted in the general election. "JPEG" HOLDS A FAKE GUILLOTINE DECORATED ON THE SIDES WITH PLASTIC SNAKES. PHOTO BY JADE YAN

n Wednesday, November 4, a demonstration at Daley Plaza drew more than 1,000 people, including representatives from labor unions, environmental groups such as the Sunrise Movement, and racial justice organizations including the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. Despite the wide range of organizations and their different goals, on Wednesday they all had one aim: to make sure every vote is properly counted in the 2020 election. The demonstration was a preemptive response to the possibility that President Donald Trump would suppress votes from people who voted by mail in states including Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona, and particularly amongst Black and brown populations. On Thursday, the lame-duck president tweeted calls to “STOP THE COUNT.” On Saturday, the Associated Press called Pennsylvania, and thus the election, for president-elect Joseph R. Biden. “There are efforts right now to stop votes that were sent in by the mail from being counted,” said Erica BlandDurosinmi, executive vice president of the healthcare union SEIU HCII, in an interview. “We want every vote counted.” Bland-Durosinmi was one of the

4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

speakers who addressed the crowd from a stage opposite the Picasso. After the speakers concluded, people began to march, filling the street and walking from Daley Plaza to Michigan Avenue, flanked by bike marshals in DayGlo vests on either side. A line of police on bikes mirrored the bike marshals, and police cars, marked and unmarked, trailed the crowd as it left Daley Plaza. The march headed north and then west on Wacker, passing the Trump International Hotel and Tower and the Wabash Avenue bridge, still raised to prevent the demonstrators from crossing the river. Police took photos of the march and directed traffic. The march then headed back down Clark Street and returned to Daley Plaza, where it dispersed. The rally was peaceful, with no significant altercations between demonstrators and the police. “My only intention at the rally was to peacefully say that my vote should be counted,” said Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73 in a phone interview afterward. The Weekly asked demonstrators, including Palmer, what their ideal America would look like. Interviews have been edited for clarity and length.

ACTIVISM

SUZANNE WAGNER STANDS AMIDST THE CROWD IN DALEY PLAZA HOLDING A “NEVERTHELESS WE PERSISTED” SIGN. PHOTO BY JADE YAN

Suzanne Wagner, fifty-nine “The environment is my most important thing, so that’s what I’m really looking for for the future. I don’t know if it’s the Green New Deal or something else, but we need to do something. I feel like a Democratic president is more likely to get us back on track with climate change and get us back into the Paris Accord, which we officially left [on November 4].” Erica Bland-Durosinmi, executive vice president of SEIU Healthcare “We’re dealing with a lot—we’re in a pandemic, there are racial injustices, and

America needs to heal. So I hope that once we are clear on who the winner is, no matter who it is, that we are on a path to healing and moving forward, because a lot of people are losing their homes, people have lost their jobs in this pandemic, and those people need help. [I hope] we start to have conversations about what is really going wrong in this country, [such as] acknowledging that there is a wealth gap. Hand workers what they actually deserve to earn—a living wage—and acknowledge the work that they do to provide for companies that get rich off their labor and their backs.”

“JPEG,” mid-thirties (carrying a fake guillotine) “A whole lot less billionaires, a whole lot less control and oligarchy of the racist right. [I want a] change to the white supremacist belief state we have going on here. These are just a few of my grab bags: I’d like to see ICE completely abolished, I’d like to see more open border policies, I’d like to see vengeance on the one percent to be honest, don’t we all want a little bit of that? That’s why I got the guillotine.”

“Bingo,” thirty “A better change for the community and environment, Black Lives Matter, No Justice No Peace—I’d like to see [that] change in the community and the country. [Change looks like] more jobs, more opportunities.”

Keerti Gopal, twenty-one, Sunrise Movement organizer “I would want to see us with a Biden presidency, and him taking aggressive action on climate change right away. I want to see us taking steps towards defunding the police, shutting down border camps and [creating] bolder federal legislation in favor of addressing climate change, addressing justice inequity, taking these crises as seriously as they merit. I would love to see the pandemic under control, and us to be able to leave our houses safely … I’m here because I think that that future is possible, and it’s really within our hands to fight for it and make it happen. People who are here today represent so many different sub-movements that are all coming together and saying we all want the same thing, which is a just fair election and for the people’s votes and voices to be acknowledged, which is a basic tenet of democracy.”

Anonymous, seventy-eight “[An America that is] truly democratic, lacking in racist caste system [with a] decent social net, decent education, policy that deals with the climate crisis. The reason I’m here is because I’m a German immigrant; I came over in 1951 after the war. I was born during war … I read a lot about Hitler and his rise to power in Germany. I hate to see this—Trump, the way he doesn’t uphold the law. He’s impeached but won’t allow people to testify. He breaks the law everyday. He supports people who are white supremacists and who are ... Nazis, actually.”

“T,” thirty-five (there with Chicago Democratic Socialists of America) “I want us to still be here, just democratic and functioning at the very least. Hopefully the U.S. will have Biden as president, but [what matters] is getting a functioning democracy. [My most ideal America is] one where there is justice for all, where people have similar opportunities, where people aren’t oppressed, where people aren’t exploited, no war, where people have the basic necessities.”

Anonymous “[An America] with a lot less racism.” Claire “No America.”

Andrea Cañizares-Fernandez, twentyfour, organizer with Sunrise Movement “My ideal America would look like prioritizing the voices of marginalized communities, and having a system and economy and a government that uplifts the needs of poor, working class, Black and brown communities, instead of the wealthy, the one-percent corporations. [I want us to] move away from capitalism and neoliberalism and find a more sustainable way of life that actually represents the needs of this country and not the vocal minority. As a proud member of Sunrise Movement, I think that that can be accomplished through something like the Green New Deal, which really puts climate action at the forefront but at the same time makes it clear that marginalized communities need to be at the forefront of major change, in order to save this earth and

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

“My ideal America would look like prioritizing the voices of marginalized communities, and having a system and economy and a government that uplifts the needs of poor, working class, Black and brown communities, instead of the wealthy, the one-percent corporations.”

THE WABASH AVENUE BRIDGE NEXT TO THE TRUMP TOWER IS RAISED AS PROTESTORS MARCH PAST HOLDING SIGNS SAYING “FUCK TRUMP (AND BIDEN 2)” AND “STOP TRUMP’S RACIST VOTER SUPPRESSION.” PHOTO BY JADE YAN

prevent mass death, mass migration and severe natural disasters. “Lots of things can be done in the next three months that will be steps towards this ideal future: one is listening to all of the mass protests that have been going on for the past several months. [Another is] moving away from the police system that we have, and defunding the police—that is an ask that Black and brown communities have been asking for for a long time, and it’s time this country listens. [I hope Biden will] emulate the first one hundred days that FDR had, but make it the Green New Deal, and make it less oppressive [than FDR’s New Deal was to Black Americans] and more just and equal. I think that something we 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

need to prioritize is lifting the minimum wage to at least $15 per hour across the country, and focusing on public transport that is accessible to all, and ideally is free.”

fears and angers —there’s no good that comes out of it. [I would also like to see] more love in our society, [without] cell phones and busy this, busy that.”

Dian Palmer, President of SEIU Local 73 “Racial justice, economic justice, climate justice, leadership—meaning the president and political leaders—that actually cares about its citizens. And not so much that they just do what the citizens want, but the things they do, they do from a place of caring and consideration. I would like to live in harmony with my neighbors. I believe that folks should not stoke the fears and anxieties of others. Words matter, and what we say to folks that feeds into their

Rebecca Martinez, Chicago Teachers Union organizer “As a woman of color, as a Latinx woman, my ideal America looks like an America built on the ideals of equity, racial justice, education justice, transparency. [It is a] society that respects working-class people and meets the aspiration of people of color and Black people. And it’s an America that seeks to reconcile its history of white supremacy. I think I want to see an America that is reflective, reflecting on how people have been behaving. I can

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

see that we can have a better society here, but it has to be rooted in love and racial justice and the dignity and humanity of all people, especially those who have been historically marginalized and oppressed. [This] sounds very lofty, but right now it’s kind of hard to explain where people are at—it’s painful to say that 67, 68 million people voted for a racist, fascist, awful human being. And it’s hard to recognize that. I believe that we can be a better country—we are who we’ve been waiting for and we need to step into that. ¬ Jade Yan is a staff reporter for the Weekly. She focuses on covering politics and police reform, and last wrote about mask use during the pandemic.

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

Painting Our Future After 2020 “We have a crisis in vision and creativity to create a society where we all fit.” BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

on Pedro had wanted a mural inside of his carnitas restaurant before he passed away three years ago from illness, said owner and former spouse Magdalena Duarte as she stood in the parking lot gazing up at the brick wall. She lives on the second floor. Normally, the parking lot of Carnitas Don Pedro, located at 1113 W. 18th Street, would be crammed on a Sunday, with employees and customers inside shouting orders of “chicharrón”, “buche” (tripe), and other deepfried pork favorites wrapped in white

butcher paper, later to be feasted on with steaming tortillas. For nearly four decades, long before the dreaded g-word, Mexican families outside of Pilsen made the weekend pilgrimage, driving across neighborhood, city, and state lines to get a taste of the central Mexican state of Michoacan. But since COVID-19 entered the picture, the usual crowds have simmered down—though a line of customers now snakes down 18th Street and around the block. Long-time resident and customer Pablo Serrano put aside his DJ

equipment and months worth of karaoke bookings when the pandemic struck, and during that downtime— yearning to interact with community members— he remembered some unfinished conversations he’d had with the Duarte family, with whom he and his brothers have a long friendship. Serrano’s portfolio includes five Pilsen murals, and he wanted to capture the endurance of everyday communities who are not just surviving the pandemic and Trump in office in 2020, but are paving the road ahead. “We have a crisis

in vision and creativity to create a society where we all fit. I think there is a lot of trauma because we don’t see ourselves in the wider fabric of Chicago or in a lot of urban communities all across the country. So we’re fighting to make ourselves visible,” he said. “We wanted to create a vision for our community that includes everyone in it. Like, ‘Hey, I know you’ve been gangbanging, but in this dream, you fit. You’re not someone we’re just going to incarcerate, gentrify away, and displace,’” Serrano said.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

PHOTOS BY JACQUELINE SERRATO

Photographer Mateo Zapata had never picked up a brush, but he’d picked up a spray can. And more importantly, he comes from a maternal line of ceramic artists that goes back to Chile. He teamed up with Serrano to approach the family about commissioning a mural on the western-facing wall that, he hoped, conveyed immigrant women, Pilsen street vendors, and also the youth changing the city. “On the right side, we’re going to look to the future. It’s sort of letting the [youth] understand that whatever Chicago looks like in the future, they have control over that. They have the power to shape this city.” The left half of the 4,000-square-foot wall now features portraits of community elders, activists, and essential workers, to represent the neighborhood’s past and present, all visible from the street. But the second half—a blank facade for now—is a challenging and continuous work of their imagination that is enriched by everyday conversations. As they complete their work, Serrano and Zapata plan to incorporate the Chicago skyline, but also the diversity of a true multicultural city that in the future is working together and fulfilling all of its potential. ¬ Jacqueline Serrato is editor-in-chief of the Weekly. She last wrote about how South Side high schools voted to keep or remove Chicago police.

8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

ARTS

COMIC BY MELL MONTEZUMA

Into the Futures

Five forward-thinkers offer strategies for finding your path to the future BY ERISA APANTAKU

n this dystopian present, it seems like more and more folks are seriously considering the possibility of a radically new future. The pandemic and the uprisings against police violence and white supremacy have uprooted the status quo. Changes in day-to-day work, commerce, and recreation brought about due to the pandemic have spurred more discussions around large structural changes to society, such as universal healthcare, universal basic income, and the abolition of prisons and police. But of course, some people have been envisioning new futures—and doing the work to actualize them—for years and decades. At the South Side Weekly, we talked with five folks who have been thinking and doing the work of building new futures through their work as artists, abolitionists, designers, and organizers. This piece is not about the new futures they are imagining, but is instead about what processes and tools they use. Based on their input, we’ve created prompts for you to fill in. We hope you’ll see these activities as a way for you to think about what new futures you want for yourself and your communities. ¬

You can listen to excerpts of the interviews with these five people and do a set of audio prompts in the “Envisioning New Futures” series on SSW Radio at soundcloud.com/ south-side-weekly-radio. Erisa Apantaku (@erisa_apantaku) is the executive producer of South Side Weekly Radio. She recently helped produce a piece on West Side youth organizers. NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

ARTS

LORIN JACKSON

orin Jackson is a design consultant who studied interior architecture. This summer, amidst the uprisings against police violence and white supremacy, Lorin and her friends started Imagine Chicago 2020, a campaign aimed at getting communities to think about alternatives to policing. Part of that campaign involved wheatpasting posters of envisioned futures of public safety, affordable housing, healthcare, and public welfare at The Forum in Bronzeville. Lorin’s also spent time working

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MELL MONTEZUMA

10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

with young people and helping them cultivate their design thinking skills with organizations like Chicago Mobile Makers. I was interested in what tools from her work teaching design could translate to envisioning new worlds. “Deep observation,” Lorin told me. It starts with observation, but has to go beyond that: “I think a lot of times people may face a problem and not question it enough. They're not questioning it to get to a point of starting to come up with solutions.” Part

of her design process involves seeing the problem, documenting it, and then manipulating it. In her work with Chicago Mobile Makers, Lorin encourages youth to use simple materials like pencils, paper, and scissors to design solutions to the problems they’ve observed. Lorin emphasizes that everyone has the personal agency to make change. “Whatever's out your window might be boring to you. But if you think about it in a new way, it could offer some kind of possibility.”

ARTS

H KAPP-KLOTE

Kapp-Klote started the speculative fiction oral history podcast Working 2050 because he was burnt out. H cared deeply about his job; he was supporting community organizers in telling their stories by doing communications work for social movement campaigns, and had started doing that work because he wanted “to change the future.” But day after day, he felt miserable. He no longer felt like he could change the future. H began reading a lot of science and speculative fiction from writers like Octavia Butler, Ursula K. Le Guin, N.K. Jemisin, and adrienne maree brown. Although the technologies and environments of the characters were different, the feelings in the stories mirrored some of the feelings H was experiencing day in and day out. H believes that seeing stories reflected back at us can help us transform what we do. On Working 2050, H uses fictional stories about work in the future to reflect on work in the present. He drew inspiration from Studs Terkel’s now-classic 1974 oral history Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. In the Working 2050 episode “Pathfinder,” H explained to listeners that “when we imagine what the future could feel like—how people will feel about what they do all day—we get a little closer to changing that future for the better.” H, who has contributed to an op-ed in the Weekly, said that the pandemic has already changed people's perception of what change is possible in their day-to-day routines, because they’ve had to imagine it and implement it every day. “Think about your day-to-day. Think about how it's created and what about it could change and what about it is fixed. What of it is in your locus of control?”

ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHANE TOLENTINO

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

ARTS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY ALFREDO MEDRANO

BENJI HART

enji Hart is an author, artist, and educator working towards Black, trans, and queer liberation. Their interdisciplinary work is all about envisioning new futures. Benji sees police, prisons, and military abolition as central to liberation. They’re currently working on a piece called “The World After This One,” which uses spoken word and movement to examine “the ways that Black folks have historically used the materials of the present to imagine futures where Black people are free, even when the materials of the present are a source of Black oppression.” When we spoke about what processes Benji uses when envisioning new futures, they say they look to the past; that there are examples of liberation to be found in previous generations. Particularly as a Black, trans, gender-nonconforming person, Benji thinks a lot about the past before colonization, imperialism, and global capitalism. “My ancestors were living in balance in a different kind of way,” they explained. “Folks like me were safer at other points in history than we are now. Rather than imagining that Black trans and queer people have always been unsafe, have always been targets of violence, have always been living under the threats of harm, for me, it's so important to look to the past, to remember that in my own ancestry, there were times that we were revered, there were times that we were safe, there were times that we were protected and valued and validated as who we were.” For Benji, creating a future of liberation means, on a personal level, recognizing activities, relationships, and moments that bring them joy. “Once you know that feeling,” they tell me, “you know to look for it in other places. And you know deeply when you're not feeling it. You know when you're far from it.” Putting your time, energy, and other resources into things that bring you joy, and avoiding things that don’t, is a path towards a future of liberation. 12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

ARTS

ILLUSTRATIONS BY GABY FEBLAND

CHRIS RUDD

hris Rudd tells me that when he was growing up, his parents were always considering two different futures simultaneously: the probable and the preferred. His parents knew that, as a young Black man, he would at some point have interactions with police. Chris’ parents offered him scenarios from a probable future encountering police, and gave him tools to help him survive those interactions. At the same time, his parents were deeply committed to antiracist work and got Chris to imagine a preferred future free from police harassment and violence. “I think it's super interesting that Black folks, and I'm sure Latinos too, and other marginalized groups, we're always consistently imagining two futures at the exact same time and then creating scenarios in which to interact in those futures.” For Chris—a designer by trade—one of the major challenges in getting people to envision the preferred future over the probable one is time. His work involves bringing design tools to communities of color, and for him, that means giving people space to just stop and think about what their preferred future looks like. In the summer of 2019, Chris and a team from the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design set up a space in Bronzeville’s Boxville. They invited folks to fill in the blank for the following statement: “The future of _____ has to be different than the past.” “Every time people saw that,” Chris says, “they stopped for a couple of minutes and just said, ‘this is like the hardest thing I've ever had to answer.’” This surprised him. He knew it was a thought-provoking question; but he didn’t think it would deeply challenge folks. “When I crafted that statement, it was to really make people think about what was the most important thing that had to be different for a successful community.” Chris says that the prompt—because there’s only one blank space—really makes you think about the most important thing in your preferred future. NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

ARTS

CHANDRA CHRISTMAS-ROUSE

handra Christmas-Rouse remembers experiencing a lot of cognitive dissonance when she—a Black woman—entered the field of urban planning, a field that has historically been particularly insidious to Black communities. Early in her career, Chandra says she was trying to bring gender and race theory to urban planning, but now that’s reversed. She’s bringing the tools of urban planning to struggles for liberation. “I think about what type of city and what type of built environment looks like that truly has freedom at its core.” This summer, Chandra was announced as a recipient of the Threewalls RaD Lab+Outside the Walls fellowship, an award that supports nine

fellows imagining “alternative ways towards racial equity through the lens of radical imagination and racial justice.” Chandra’s work for the fellowship focuses on her neighborhood of Bronzeville and seeks to answer the question: “What if, when we dream, our neighborhoods gave us everything we need to realize our collective visions?” When Chandra and I talked about envisioning new worlds, she told me that her vision for the future is always rooted in the past. “I am never starting from scratch. I'm drawing on so much dreaming and work that has been done to get us to this moment.” For Chandra, the question:“what kind of ancestor do you want to be?” gets at the core of envisioning new futures,

because it requires people to think about values, culture, and tradition. Values are principles, standards, or the things people think are important in their lives. Culture is “the ways that you put [values] into practice in the world.” Tradition is culture passed down from generation to generation. Thus, values serve as a foundation for culture, which is the foundation for tradition. Asking the question “what kind of ancestor do you want to be?” allows you to think about what important aspects of your daily life and interactions within your community could be perpetuated as traditions in the future.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY HUMBERTO SALDANA

FILL IN THE BLANKS! BY CHANDRA CHRISTMAS-ROUSE

I live in the neighborhood of __________________. My (a place) neighborhood is __________________. (adjective) My community is where residents __________________ (verb) each other. We promote ___________________ (noun) and __________________ and _________________. (noun) (noun) I feel most safe when I see _____________________ (plural noun) in my neighborhood. When my neighbor needs extra care I call _____________________. (plural noun) My community of care feels like a _________________. (noun)

14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

ILLUSTRATION BY GWYN WHALEN

LIT

One Day I Want to Wake Up and See… BY KELSEY STONE

One day I want to wake up and see a different world Where we treat the people and places like a rare pearl Where Black lives do matter, Where skin tone isn’t a factor Where hair patterns don’t cause internal disasters

My body, her body, their body is respected No need to protest and march for simple protection No need to wave signs in the air No need to act like Solange and tell you don’t touch my hair We wouldn’t have to give our grandma money for groceries because our community would flow with currency We could have nice houses and parks like the affluent neighborhoods If we were given careers, dismissing the preconceived notions we’re just bums up to no good En Vogue said, “free your mind!” The UNCF said, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste” No student should worry about college expenses on their graduation date No school will close to satisfy gentrification Another clinic will be built to deal with his and her hallucination One day I want to wake up and see justice One day I want to wake up and simply exist, no separation, no fear for being us ¬

Kelsey Stone is a journalist from the South Side, growing up between Bronzeville and the Hundreds. He began his journalism career as an intern at Uptown Magazine and from there wrote for several publications, including Ebony Magazine. He recently released a poetry book, The Sirens: Poetry Inspired by the South Side of Chicago, which is available on blurb.com and Apple iBooks. This is his first piece for the Weekly.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

Â¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

PHOTO

(iKnowFolksAss) The Interlude Ghetto fabulous as the all-American dream BY THOUGHTPOET

hat would life look like for Black folks if police didn't exist? If police did not exist Black people would feel free. Free to go about our lives without fear. To be who we truly are as individuals in public spaces that are normally dominated by white folks and often drowning in white supremacy. To hold our heads high in these spaces without feeling judged, looked down upon, or made to feel like we’ve done something wrong just by the simple act of breathing. “(iKnowFolksAss) The Interlude” gives us an extreme, abstract glimpse into an urban Afrofuturist reality where the community holds the power now that police no longer exist. Our ability to win every war we don’t deserve to be in shows the persistence of our love for our future. We battle and still build community. We fall and still create the path for our children and the world they need next. We aren’t vanishing like you want. We aren’t the death of your ignorance. We are angels destined to change society in the form of delinquents. We are the answer to unchanged histories you know of. We simply are. ¬ Isiah ThoughtPoet Veney is a photographer and writer from the Chatham and Burnside area. Ever since his highlighted works with Truestar Magazine showcasing Chicago's musical talent he has been on a mission to capture and express powerful opinions and perceptions through imagery and writing of the Black experience. He currently lives in West Englewood, and was recently included in the Weekly feature "Who Are the Organizers?"

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

Â¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 Â¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

20 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

Â¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

"Our ability to win every war we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deserve to be in shows the persistence of our love for our future. We battle and still build community. We fall and still create the path for our children and the world they need next."

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ÂŹ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21

Assistant photographer: Journee Cuffi @whoisjournee Photo styling: Ariana Bailey @ari_fauna Makeup: Tiara Déshané @countingtiaras; Jade Landon @maryjade_773 Models: T Banks @Tbanksmultis; Calypso Simone @hoodpiscesheaux; @lisadecibel; @leevstree; Schenay Mosley @SchenayMosley; Naira @naira.bills (IG) @supernaira (Twitter); Solo the Dweeb; Sohaan Goss; Johari Osayi Idusuy, @iiosayijoii; Max Thomas 22 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

Lorem Ipsum

LIT

I WANT A GOD WHOSE HEAVEN IS GOLDEN BY DAVON CLARK, AFTER SABA

Golden Shovel is a poetry form in which each word of an existing poem becomes the last word of each line of a new poem. It was created by poet Terrance Hayes in honor of Bronzeville's own Gwendolyn Brooks, based off her classic poem "We Real Cool." After learning about it at a Young Chicago Authors workshop taught by Toaster Henderson, I've used it as a means of processing music and writing that sits with me. A particular concept around my art is the recognition of what has been made before me, and much of the art I do is inspired by another artist. Chicago artist Saba released his second studio album, CARE FOR ME, on April 5, 2018. Much of it paid homage to his cousin, John Walt, who was murdered the prior year. The album speaks on depression, anxiety, and memory in ways that I hadn't experienced much before. It quickly became my favorite album, and still is, and ultimately pushed me over the edge to make the decision to move to Chicago to live in its remarkably innovative art scene. This poem is a Golden Shovel based on the last song in that album, "HEAVEN ALL AROUND ME." It takes the perspective of his late cousin who’s in disbelief of his own murder. One of my hardest struggles in life is envisioning a future with me in it. After coming too close to death too many times and fighting too many institutions that have tried to push me towards it, telling myself that I'm alive has become a daily intentionality. Sometimes, that's all that I can handle, and that's okay. For me, a new and radical future is one where I'm in it with the homies. We're all okay. We're all happy. We're all making things that we want to and showing up late to work and getting no e-mails. While I don't always know how to maintain that vision for myself, the art and vitality that is made here in Chicago has helped me see that future, and I'm magnificently grateful for it. ¬ Davon Clark is a Lit and Layout editor of the Weekly. He likes flowers and the little things in life. 24 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

On my quietest days I’m yellin' From the back of my head at Anything that doesn’t make me feel real. My Biggest fear is that one day, I’ll have to tell my mother About everything in this world that I don’t like. How everything I know Is nothing I can know for sure. You Hear a ghost in the wind; I only hear A ghost in me

But when the world around me is at its loudest, things get Easier to believe. In fact, I’ve taken a Liking to noise. Lots of it. The days that have little Going on are ones where myself and I become a bit closer, And I’m not a person I want to get to know better right now. I repeat: Give me more noise and I will show you what I can be with some care. Bus Rides are my heaven. An overly nice and talkative CTA driver Is my guardian angel. I feel the vibrato of voice pass Through my skin and it’s all the proof I need that I’m still me. Not that me is a dude I fuck with, but he’s someone I’d like to look up To one day. Don't We all just want to see Soft streets paved with gold and reasons to smile? As for me:

PHOTO BY DAVON CLARK

That looks like no more work days and lazy paramedics That will never have to touch a dead skin cell again. Here I am: I talk Of heaven like it’s far away but I know that just about Everything around me can be what I need it to be. Imagine: a boy prays, and he Doesn’t have to walk through hell to get the answers he need. Imagine: a boy lives, and he Doesn’t have to pray that he still will. I need To stop calling this depression a sin. That boy needs to get his. This world ain’t always gonna let him. I want a God that doesn’t need oxygen, Hunger, anxiety, or suffering. They Need to let me hug a new good moment here and there. I seem To do better when I’m incompetent About the bad things in me that I see On some days more than others. The consequence A God gives can tell me all I need to know about it. I walk Into my mother’s living room when Everything in me wants nothing to do with living and I can't Figure out why, and I hear My insecurities telling me it’s too late. I let them Bad thoughts get to me too much. They're Screaming at me, a choir of inaudible Demons that I’m giving a chance. I got So many days down behind me and up In front of me. I like To think I’ll see each of them. I gotta find a God whose heaven is golden and go To its church. I gotta find out the forensics Of a God that doesn’t make me search All over for blessings. I want every single follicle On my body to stay at ease. I promise, If I find a good Bible that loves me back, y'all will have a good man standing in front of you. I'm not Asking for much. I just don’t want to be a ghost. I promise I exist, y'all And I want to look like it. Without the halo and wings. Please, don’t ever let me forget that there's heaven all around me, there's heaven all around me, there's heaven all around me, there's heaven all around NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 25

JUSTICE

A Letter to My Cousins

Coming to terms with family history when your family name is “Daley” BY BOBBY VANECKO “To be black was to confront, and to be forced to alter, a condition forged in history. To be white was to be forced to digest a delusion called white supremacy. Indeed, without confronting the history that has either given white people an identity or divested them of it, it is hardly possible for anyone who thinks of himself as white to know what a black person is talking about at all. Or to know what education is.” —James Baldwin, “Dark Days” (1980)

ear Cousins,

In 1962, James Baldwin wrote in a letter to his nephew, “You know and I know that the country is celebrating one hundred years of freedom one hundred years too early. We cannot be free until they are free.” Baldwin was writing about white people finally freeing ourselves of the lie of white supremacy. More than half a century later, we are no closer to doing so, even though the recent uprisings in the wake of the police murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Walter Wallace Jr., and too many others, may be the largest in American history, and more white people than ever before have been in the streets protesting racist policing. This nationwide movement has eschewed failed moderate reforms and instead centered transformative demands like defunding and abolishing the police and the entire prison industrial complex (PIC). Abolition of the PIC is a decadesold political practice originally theorized by Black feminist writers such as Angela Davis, Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Mariame Kaba, and organizations such as Critical 26 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

Resistance and Incite! Women of Color Against Violence. Abolition demands the dismantling of our society built on white supremacy and racial capitalism, and the construction of a new society “built on cooperation instead of individualism, on mutual aid instead of self-preservation,” in the words of Kaba. Unfortunately, so far Chicago is one of the only major cities which has not been responsive to the demands of the movement. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is adamantly opposed to defunding the notoriously corrupt, racist, violent, and unreformable Chicago Police Department. Even though the movement has not secured many policy wins thus far, it is important to acknowledge that several forward-thinking Local School Councils have voted to remove police from their schools, and several progressive City Council members have endorsed defunding the police and proposed essential alternatives like a non-police mental health emergency hotline. In addition, the Movement for Black Lives in Chicago has attempted to keep the pressure up with marches, mass trainings, canvassing, and other inspiring direct actions. Ultimately, it remains to be seen whether the demands of the movement will be met during this administration, but I at least hope that this historical moment pushes more white people to have their own interpersonal reckonings about race, which would make you both less likely to be subject to any personal racist attacks. Those are very unlikely to be eliminated any time soon, but we must try to make that the reality—while also dismantling the

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

broader structures that produce “groupdifferentiated vulnerability to premature death,” which is Ruth Wilson Gilmore’s definition of racism. In Baldwin’s letter, he wrote, “Please try to remember that what [white people] believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure, does not testify to your inferiority, but to their inhumanity and fear.” There is still so much of that fear, that belief in white supremacy, throughout the country and even within our own family. I don’t have any memories from when it happened in the early 2000s, but I remember being so mad when I heard years later about how several of our family members were upset with your mom for marrying your dad, a Black man who immigrated to the U.S. from Guyana after meeting and falling in love with your mom when she was living in Guyana as part of the Peace Corps. While it is good that not as many people in the family would be as straightforwardly racist as that today, this is only one part of divorcing oneself from white supremacy. Many people in our family are still committed to white supremacy today, even if they are not racist interpersonally, because they support racist politics and policies like mass criminalization, privatization, and austerity, otherwise known as neoliberal capitalism. This socalled “socially liberal, fiscally conservative” politics is racist because it produces groupdifferentiated vulnerability to premature death. These policies are responsible for the thirty-year life expectancy gap between white and Black Chicago neighborhoods, and a nine-year racial gap

in life expectancy on average. Further, in this city and throughout the country, by all measures the Black/white wealth gap is at the same levels as it was in the 1960’s, and inequality continues to skyrocket as Black people are disproportionately killed and economically harmed by the coronavirus crisis. As Ohio State law professor Amna Akbar concluded in an October 31 essay in the New York Review of Books, “The impacts of Covid-19 are racialized because inequality is: Black, Latino, and Indigenous people are experiencing rates of infection two to three times that of whites and suffering the highest rates of death. These rates of illness and death are caused by segregated and exorbitantly priced housing, profit-driven health care, meager wages for essential work, and thousands of prisons, jails, and detention centers—all of which disproportionately affect Black people and people of color. This is what [abolitionist scholar Ruth Wilson] Gilmore means by a ‘vulnerability to premature death’ sanctioned by the state.’” This white supremacist status quo has been disrupted by the ongoing mass uprising in response to unrelenting police violence against Black people, in Chicago and throughout the country. At this historic moment, instead of using his power to stand with Black Chicagoans by working to enact the transformative change that our city needs, our parents’ cousin, Patrick D. Thompson—the current alderman of Chicago’s 11th Ward—has been blaming "outside antagonists and criminals" for looting and instead “standing with” police officers “everyday.”

JUSTICE

“Ultimately, that is why I am publishing this letter, because I do believe that this needs to be called out, and that we must dismantle the white supremacist policies and institutions enabled by our family, such as the Chicago Police Department.” Instead of defending Black lives by using his position on the City Council’s Public Safety Committee to give the community control of the police or otherwise reduce the power and scope of the CPD—and therefore reduce their ability to continue killing and brutalizing Black and brown Chicagoans—he does not support the Civilian Police Accountability Council ordinance, and wants to give even more power and resources to CPD. That is because he, like almost everyone else in our family, idolizes our great-grandfather Richard J. Daley, who was the horribly racist mayor of Chicago from 1955 to 1976. As I recently recalled in the Weekly, in the mid-twentieth century, roughly around the time he was mayor, “Chicago’s Black population grew from about 8.2 percent to 32.7 percent. At the same time, from 1945 to 1970, the city’s police budget grew 900 percent and the CPD doubled the number of cops on the streets.” These police killed, tortured, brutalized, arrested and incarcerated Black Chicagoans without cause and with impunity throughout these years, while the judicial system was as corrupt as City Hall and sent thousands of innocent people to prison. When Black and brown Chicagoans protested police brutality, segregation, and racial inequality, he denied that there was any problem, instead always emphasizing “law and order,” much like the current mayor and both candidates for president in 2020. Today, Illinois continues to incarcerate hundreds of thousands of people, a disproportionate number of them Black and from the Chicagoland area. Chicago has been recognized as the false-confession capital of the United States. The 2016 Police Accountability task force report (chaired by thenpresident of the Chicago Police Board

Lori Lightfoot) concluded, “CPD’s own data gives validity to the widely held belief the police have no regard for the sanctity of life when it comes to people of color.” This long, racist history and unrelenting oppression demonstrates that policing and prisons are inherently white supremacist institutions, so they must be defunded in the immediate term and made obsolete in the long term. Many people in the family will disagree with everything that I am writing, and they will probably tell you that our great-grandfather made these choices in a different time, and that this is what the voters demanded. They may also say the same thing for his role in resisting desegregation in public schools or fighting Martin Luther King Jr.’s campaign to desegregate Chicago’s neighborhoods, including the deliberately-segregated public housing projects, but they will most likely just not talk about those things at all. The first Mayor Daley was enduringly successful in shaping his city, and his legacy influences Chicago’s politics today. Chicago remains one of the most segregated cities in the country, while public schools, health facilities, and housing have been closed and divested from; at the same time police spending per capita has tripled since 1964. The structures of racial capitalism produce and perpetuate lasting disparities in employment, education, wealth, health, food and housing security, and life expectancy. That is why, as Saidiya Hartman writes, “The possessive investment in whiteness can’t be rectified by learning ‘how to be more antiracist.’ It requires a radical divestment in the project of whiteness and a redistribution of wealth and resources. It requires abolition, the abolition of the carceral world, the abolition of capitalism.”

As horrible as this history and present is, for the most part I have not gotten into too many detailed arguments over this history with the family yet, and I have not directly criticized our greatgrandfather very much, because I am very conflict-averse in general. That’s why I debated for a long time whether to try to get this letter published instead of just letting it be a letter that I give you when you are older. But as Baldwin said, “I think it does a disservice to a child to tell [them] things which are not true. Children cannot really be fooled.” Even if I have not until now directly called our family out for their racist policymaking amongst other family, I definitely do still speak out about racial injustice in conversations with them, and the most tension arises whenever there are family discussions about the current Black Lives Matter protest movement. In the midst of this historic uprising—when more white people than ever before are realizing their complicity in upholding white supremacy and taking action to demand change—many members of our family are still very pro-police. They are prone to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement with the “all lives” or the even worse and more directly white supremacist, “blue” lives matter refrain. It is always astonishing to me that some of our family members can repeat this racist nonsense while also ignoring our great-grandfather’s record, or the fact that as Cook County State’s Attorney our great-uncle, Richard M. Daley, later Mayor of Chicago, was involved in covering up evidence of Chicago police torture, and over one hundred torture survivors remain incarcerated. Well, they must know about this of course, but they still must not have a problem with the status quo enough to want to change it. I have a lot more hope for your generation

though, and I hope that by the time you are more politically engaged, you do not have to deal with as much of this conservative selective memory. Ultimately, that is why I am publishing this letter, because I do believe that this needs to be called out, and that we must dismantle the white supremacist policies and institutions enabled by our family members, such as the Chicago Police Department. But I do still hope that it doesn’t ruin too many relationships with loved ones, and I hope that you both find it useful. Above all, as Baldwin wrote to his nephew, “Take no one's word for anything, including mine, but trust your experience.” When you are finding strength to love and dream about what you believe the future of the world should look like, instead of looking to politicians like our great-uncles and great-grandfather, you should instead listen to your parents, and read people like Guyanese professor and political activist Walter Rodney and Trinidadian-American writer and communist organizer Claudia Jones, and learn from the many organizers in Chicago’s movement for Black liberation. As the American activist, minister, and P.h.D candidate Nyle Fort recently wrote in a letter to his incarcerated nephew, “I’m talking about dismantling a society that thinks it needs police, or prisons, or war, or guns, or borders, or fossil fuels, or private property, or the lie that some of God’s children matter more than others.” ¬ Love, Bobby Bobby Vanecko is a contributor to the Weekly. He is a law student at Loyola University Chicago. He last wrote about illegal lockouts and evictions for the Weekly.

NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 27

Back to the Future

With Re-Writing the Declaration, playwright Quenna Barrett imagines a participatory path toward freedom

BY DANYELLA WILDER

lack feminism is perpetually misunderstood. It’s either miscategorized with the “angry Black woman” trope as loud and intimidating or it’s ignored altogether. Chicago actor, director, and educator Quenna Lené Barrett—currently the associate director of education at the Goodman—took her own approach to clearing up the confusion with ReWriting the Declaration. It’s a piece of devised theater that uses history to elevate Blackness and celebrate the beauty, strength, and intersectionality of women, non-binary, and transgender people of color. Barrett, whose work is in the tradition of the Theatre of the Oppressed, has been organizing with local groups and collectives, including Black Youth Project 100 and the #LetUsBreathe Collective, for years. She said in an interview that she was on a bus ride back to Chicago from a Movement for Black Lives convening, 28 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

lamenting the failings of the Declaration of Independence, when prison abolitionist Mariame Kaba challenged her to do something about it, saying, “Well, you're an artist, you should rewrite it.” Barrett said she wants to challenge her audience to ask themselves how they view Black womanhood but also to think, “How do we move forward?” and “What do we need to do right now to change the system and shake things up” to get to a place of healing? She questions whether the United States has come to a serious place of racial reckoning, and explores what would happen should a group of BIPOC and femme students decide to take up Kaba’s challenge and rewrite the Declaration of Independence. Presented online from October 30 to November 8 by Free Street Theater, the piece takes the audience on a comedic, emotional, and hopeful journey with seven students and their teacher, “Miss Jefferson,” as they travel through time

¬ NOVEMBER 12, 2020

to 1776 and the writing of the founding national document. Together, they gradually become aware of the inequities between them and the men that crafted the text, which was neither designed nor intended to protect them. In an often stylized manner, the performers act out the emotions (disbelief, anger, sadness) that Black and brown people, and especially Black women, typically experience after realizing just how the nation continues to fail them; that the inalienable right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness claimed by the founders was for white men only. But their distress is quickly redirected into action as the class, with the help of their teacher and the audience, hilariously schemes to revise the document’s grievances so that the fabrics and foundations of this country are rooted no longer in bigotry, inequality, and oppression, but inclusivity. They rewrite it for the Rekia Boyds and Tony McDades of the nation—for those

left out, or pushed out, due to their racial identity or sexual orientation. The play offers the full Zoom experience: boxed screens, digital backgrounds, and the occasional overlapping of multiple voices. But the free admission and comfort of viewing from home can certainly make up for that. And the virtual platform experience did not weaken the fullness of performances one would expect in live theater. In fact, the unorthodox setting serves almost to heighten the nonconformist attitudes of the characters, bringing light to all corners of eccentricity the show has to offer. Each night a different member of Free Street acts as host. The nonprofit company has used theater to highlight social justice issues for more than fifty years. “As an artist, as a theater maker, their values align with mine,” said Barrett. Complete with makeshift props such as colonial wigs, and a brief impression of

STILLS FROM RE-WRITING THE DECLARATION COURTESY QUENNA BARRETT

THEATER

the Declaration is about creating joy—a place for BIPOC to find belonging and perhaps begin to heal from the trauma of systemic racism. Members of the virtual audience are invited to join the ensemble in songs and dance during scenes that symbolize the birth of rediscovery for BIPOC. A Puerto Rican student connects with the young Black women in their shared African ancestors. One by one each performer releases the fears that once held them back from spiritual growth. “I had a vision that I was powerless,” one says. “I had a vision that I was in chains…” It is an invitation for the audience to see the power of slowing down even when stirred by outrage. “We are always fighting, and sometimes part of the fight is resting so that we can gather the strength to keep going,” Barrett said.

now-outgoing President Donald Trump, Re-Writing the Declaration doesn’t take long to give the audience what they did not know they came for but definitely needed: a belly laugh. Barrett uses comic relief to address the apparent ignorance of those who have used their race as currency, because of privilege, both past and present. The satire is just the right concoction for today’s times of stress, leaving enough room for viewers to grasp the truth. For POC, namely Black people, the jokes are a coping mechanism that fosters a shared sense of suffering. In short, playful scenes, the cast members expand on multiple injustices, including systematic oppression. In one of the scenes, the women parodied a Maybelline cosmetics commercial, applying makeup while listing the many ways white and non-Black individuals have used their privilege as power to discriminate against Black people, like

When “Miss Jefferson” asks the young women what they have learned about themselves, one replies, “I am Black girl magic.” It is in this moment the audience realizes finding peace with one’s true self is the path forward to fighting against structural racism. That the journey will be enlightening just as much as it is damning, which makes it that much more beautiful. ¬

Danyella Wilder recently graduated with an M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University. Most recently, she has written about the effects of COVID-19 in Little Village and the effects of CARES Act funding on higher education. She is a Southern California native with a love for social justice, writing, and sustainable living. This is her first piece for the Weekly.

calling the cops for non-crime related matters. At the end, they whisper the slogan, “Maybe it’s Maybelline,” followed by a sarcastic, “Maybe it’s white supremacy.” In a game-show spoof called “Wheel of Restoration,” the audience is invited to amend the original grievances listed in the Declaration. In one round, audience members respond by correcting the document to include free health care, free higher education, and the decentering of white males from conversations. “I always wanted the play to be participatory,” Barrett said. “The idea is that if we open up, ‘Who gets a seat at the table?’ or ‘Who gets to say what this founding document is?’ we should all be able to do that.” The production also offers an artistic reaction to present-day offenses like the murders of Breonna Taylor and of Black trans and queer women. But rather than being rooted in fury or sorrow, Re-Writing NOVEMBER 12, 2020 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 29

APPLY NOW

CHROMEBOOK & INTERNET

FALL 2021 9TH GRADE

APPLICATIONS DUE DECEMBER 11! FIND US AS NOBLE ON

GUARANTEED FOR ALL STUDENTS

WHY CHOOSE NOBLE? Noble's class of 2020 earned $505 million in college scholarships Noble high schools are tuition free public charter schools, open to families living in the city of Chicago. Noble schools are ranked as 10 of the top 12 high schools in the city by CPS. Noble has 17 high schools, 1 middle school, and 12,000 students. Noble has a 98% college acceptance rate.

VIRTUAL OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE

TO ATTEND AN OPEN HOUSE, PLEASE RSVP WITH CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVE USING PROVIDED EMAIL.

NORTH / NORTHWEST GOLDER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 14 - 12:00PM - 1:00PM

RSVP: eserrano@goldercollegeprep.org

ITW DAVID SPEER ACADEMY SAT. NOV. 7 - 2:00PM - 3:00PM

RSVP: drivera@speeracademy.org

NOBLE STREET COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 21 - 10:00AM - 11:00AM

RSVP: jcotton@noblecollegeprep.org

PRITZKER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 14 - 11:00AM - 12:00PM

SOUTH BAKER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 14 - 11:00AM - 12:00PM

RSVP: cabell@bakercollegeprep.org

RSVP: odiaz@raunercollegeprep.org

ROWE-CLARK ACADEMY SAT. NOV. 21 - 3:00PM - 4:00PM

RSVP: cjohnson@roweandclark.org

RSVP: enrollment@drwtcollegeprep.org

CHICAGO BULLS COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 21 - 12:00PM - 1:00PM

GARY COMER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 7 - 3:00PM - 4:00PM SAT. NOV. 14 - 3:00PM - 4:00PM SAT. NOV. 21 - 3:00PM - 4:00PM

RSVP: ksesteaga@mansuetohighschool.org

RSVP: enrollment@butlercollegeprep.org

RSVP: vsingleton@garycomercollegeprep.org

HANSBERRY COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 21 - 2:00PM - 3:00PM

RSVP: enrollment@nobleagcollegeprep.org

JOHNSON COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 7 - 12:00PM - 1:00PM THURS. DEC. 3 - 5:00PM - 6:00PM

RSVP: office@nobleenglewood.org

NOBLESCHOOLS.ORG/SIGNUP

DRW COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 7 - 11:00AM - 12:00PM

BUTLER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 21 - 11:00AM - 12:00PM

RSVP: jhuazano@pritzkercollegeprep.org

RAUNER COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 14 - 10:00AM - 11:00AM

CENTRAL / SOUTHWEST

RSVP: golivares@bullscollegeprep.org

MANSUETO HIGH SCHOOL SAT. NOV. 14 - 2:00PM - 3:00PM

MUCHIN COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 14 - 1:00PM - 2:00PM

RSVP: dchatman@muchincollegeprep.org

THE NOBLE ACADEMY SAT. NOV. 21 - 1:00PM - 2:00PM

RSVP: gescobedo@thenobleacademy.org

UIC COLLEGE PREP SAT. NOV. 7 - 10:00AM - 11:00AM

RSVP: office@uiccollegeprep.org

833-BE-NOBLE @BeNobleSchools

GO.CPS.EDU PAID FOR WITH PUBLIC FUNDS.

SERVICE DIRECTORY SERVICE DIRECTORY SHOWCASE: JOE & RUTH REMODELING

MASONRY, TUCKPOINTING, BRICKWORK, CHIMNEY, LINTELS, PARAPET WALLS, CITY VIOLATIONS, CAULKING, ROOFING.

Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Rated A on Angieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List. FREE Estimates

Accurate Exterior & Masonry 773-592-4535 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

â&#x20AC;˘ Vintage Homes Restorations â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchens & Baths â&#x20AC;˘ Basements â&#x20AC;˘ Electric & Plumbing â&#x20AC;˘ Wall & Floor Tile â&#x20AC;˘ Painting & Carpentry

We Work With You To Meet Your Needs

773-575-7220 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

MASONRY -

+ Refrigerators, + Full Beds - $9900 Stoves - $9800 & Up + Single Beds - $6900 + Washers, Dryers + Bunk Beds - $19900 and Freezers + Chests - $4900 + Family Tables & + Sofa Sets - $22900 $ 00 Chairs - 115 + Lamps - $29/Pair

MASONRY, TUCKPOINTING, BRICKWORK, CHIMNEY, LINTELS, PARAPET WALLS, CITY VIOLATIONS, CAULKING, ROOFING.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Furniture For All!â&#x20AC;?

1259 N. Ashland Avenue

(773)

276-0599 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

OPEN 7:30 AM + FREE Layway 1000 OFF APPLIANCE with this ad

708-599-7000 House Cleaning Services

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; owned since 1999 Family

Accurate Exterior & Masonry 773-592-4535 â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

JOE & RUTH REMODELING General Contractors

- Family Owned Since 1982 -

Complete Remodeling Services Specialists in:

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

â&#x20AC;˘ Vintage Homes Restorations â&#x20AC;˘ Kitchens & Baths â&#x20AC;˘ Basements â&#x20AC;˘ Electric & Plumbing â&#x20AC;˘ Wall & Floor Tile â&#x20AC;˘ Painting & Carpentry

We Work With You To Meet Your Needs

773-575-7220

HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW!

Advertise in the South Side Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business & Service Directory today!!

valstor.net

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

ROOFING -

KELLY

Conrad Roofing Co.

PLASTER PATCHING DRYVIT STUCCO FULLY INSURED

SPECIALIZING IN ARCHITECTURAL: METAL WORK:

PLASTERING CO.

(815) 464-0606

PLUMBING -

MICHAEL MOVING COMPANY

of Illinois Inc.

â&#x20AC;˘ Cornices â&#x20AC;˘ Bay Windows â&#x20AC;˘ Ornaments â&#x20AC;˘ Gutters & Downspouts â&#x20AC;˘ Standing & Flat Seam Roofs

ROOFING WORK: â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Tile â&#x20AC;˘ Slate â&#x20AC;˘ Clay

â&#x20AC;˘ Cedar â&#x20AC;˘ Shingles â&#x20AC;˘ Flat/Energy Star Roof

(773)

286-6212

ZZZ FRQUDGURRĂ&#x20AC;QJ FRP

SELF STORAGE -

Moving, Delivery and Cleanout Jobs

Serving Hyde Park and surrounding communities

773-977-9000

www.bestmaids.com CONSTRUCTION -

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

PLASTERING -

Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Rated A on Angieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s List. FREE Estimates

MOVING -

CLEANING -

Self-Storage Big Storage Small Prices 6 Sizes Available No Long Term Contract 773-496-5248

Complete Remodeling Services Specialists in:

APPLIANCES -

MIKEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S FURNITURE

Construction Help Wanted

General Contractors

- Family Owned Since 1982 -

Let Us Help Build Your Business! Advertise in the Businessâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;& Service Directory Today!!

Residential Plumbing Service â&#x20AC;&#x201C; SERVICES INCLUDE:

Plumbing â&#x20AC;˘ Drain Cleaning â&#x20AC;˘ Sewer Camera/Locate Water Heater Installation/Repair Service â&#x20AC;˘ Tankless Water Heater Installation/Repair Service Toilet Repair â&#x20AC;˘ Faucet/Fixture Repair Vintage Faucet/Fixture Repair â&#x20AC;˘ Ejector/Sump Pump â&#x20AC;˘ Garbage Disposals â&#x20AC;˘ Battery Back-up Systems

Licensed & Insured â&#x20AC;˘ Serving Chicago & Suburbs

10% OFF Senior Citizen Discount License #: Call 773-617-3686 058-197062

Advertise in the Business & Service Directory Today!!

HELP YOUR BUSINESS GROW! â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

Advertise in the South Side Weeklyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Business & Service Directory today!!

CLASSIFIED Section

Self-Storage Big Storage Small â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Prices 6 Sizes Available No Long Term Contract 773-496-5248

valstor.net

083 Plastering001

143 9VVĂ&#x201E;UN Help Wanted

001

&215$' 522),1* &2 .(//< 3ODVWHULQJ &R JO & RUTH Specializing in Architectural Plaster Patching, REMODELING Metal Work, Gutters & We Specialize in Vintage Dryvit, Stucco. Downspouts, Bay WinHomes and Restorations! FULLY INSURED. Painting, Power Washing, GRZV &RUQLFHV 5RRĂ&#x20AC;QJ 815-464-0606 Deck Sealing, Brick Slate, Clay Tile, Cedar, Repair, Tuckpointing, Shingles, 145 Carpentry, Porch/Deck, Plumbing Flat/Energy Star Roof Kitchen & Bath 773-286-6212 7KH 3OXPELQJ Remodeling. *Since 1982* 'HSDUWPHQW Available for all of your Misc for Sale 267 residential plumbing )5(( Furniture for Sale 092 needs. 27â&#x20AC;? (diagonal) Toshiba TV. Lic. & insured. Serving Good Picture. FREE. Chicago & Suburbs. 0,.(Âˇ6 )851,785( 773-752-7112 Senior Discounts. Â´)XUQLWXUH )RU $OO Âľ &DOO -HII DW Beds, Sofa sets, Lamps, Kitchen Appliances, 3DQGRUD sterling silver more! bracelet, 7.5 inches - $60, Records/Music 146 Eddie Bauer blue down 773-276-0599 coat, size 8, good condition WILL BUY $15. Masonry 120 <285 9,1</ 773-493-9254 Records in good to Mint shape preferred. Blues, $FFXUDWH ([WHULRU Real Estate Services 300 Rock, etc. &DOO 0LNH DQG 0DVRQU\ Masonry, tuckpointing, 312.656.4882 brickwork, chimney, lintels, +8' %DQN )RUHFORVXUHV parapet walls, city violations, City & Suburbs FDXONLQJ URRĂ&#x20AC;QJ Self Storage 149 &DOO )UHG ' &OLQN We are licensed, bonded 773-294-5870 and insured. 5HDOW\ 6HUYLFHV 9DO6WRU 5DWHG $ RQ $QJLHÂˇV /LVW &RQVRUWLXP Self-Storage. Free Estimates Big Storage-Small Prices 773-592-4535 6 Sizes Available. No Long Term Contract To place your Movers 123 YDOVWRU QHW ad, email: 773-496-5248 0,&+$(/ 029,1* malone@ We Move, Deliver, and Do Clean-Out Jobs hpherald.com 773.977.9000

/<5;,9 7967,9;0,:

: )SHJRZ[VUL (]L /`KL 7HYR 5LPNOIVYOVVK :[\KPVZ Z[HY[PUN H[ HUK ILKYVVTZ Z[HY[PUN H[ +HDW ,QFOXGHG

6RPH XQLWV LQFOXGH DOO XWLOLWLHV 5HPRGHOHG YLQWDJH FRXUW\DUG EXLOGLQJ ZLWK KDUGZRRG Ă RRUV DQG RQ VLWH ODXQGU\ &ORVH WR 8QLYHUVLW\ RI ,/ JUR FHU\ VWRUHV UHVWDXUDQW ZDONLQJ GLVWDQFH WR 0HWUD WUDLQ ZDONLQJ GLVWDQFH WR 0XVHXP RI 6FLHQFH ,QGXVWU\ ODNH DQG PXFK PRUH $SSOLFDWLRQ IHH 12 6(&85,7< '(326,7 -VY H ZOV^PUN JHSS .VYKVU HUK MVY ZHTWSL WPJ[\YLZ NV [V V\Y ^LIZP[L ^^^ O\U[LYWYVW JVT

773-477-7070 â&#x20AC;˘ www.hunterprop.com

Let Us Help Build Your Business! Advertise in the Business & Service Directory Today!! Ad copy deadline:

1:00 p.m. Friday before Wednesday publication date. To Place your ad, call:

1-773-358-3129 or email:

malone@ southsideweekly.com

2020_11_2_aic_bisa_ssw.pdf

11/2/20

1:22 PM

Bisa Butler NOW O P E N

CMY

Portraits

ADVANCE T ICKE T S REQUIRE D Corporate Sponsor

Major funding for Bisa Butler: Portraits is contributed by the Cavigga Family Trust. Additional support is provided by The Joyce Foundation and Darrel and Nickol Hackett. Bisa Butler. The Safety Patrol (detail), 2018. Cavigga Family Trust Fund. ÂŠBisa Butler.