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 5, Issue 24 Editor-in-Chief Baci Weiler Managing Editors Bridget Newsham, Sam Stecklow Deputy Editor Adam Przybyl Senior Editors Julia Aizuss, Christian Belanger, Mari Cohen, Andrew Koski, Hafsa Razi, Olivia Stovicek Politics Editor Adia Robinson Education Editor Rachel Kim Stage & Screen Editor Nicole Bond Visual Arts Editor Rod Sawyer Food & Land Editor Emeline Posner Music Editor Christopher Good Contributing Editors Elaine Chen, Mira Chauhan, Amy Qin, Rachel Schastok, Kristen Simmons, Michael Wasney, Yunhan Wen Data Editor Jasmine Mithani Radio Exec. Producer Erisa Apantaku Radio Editor Sam Larsen Radio Hosts Andrew Koski, Olivia Obineme Social Media Editors Bridget Newsham, Sam Stecklow Visuals Editor Ellen Hao Deputy Visuals Editors Kahari Black, Ellie Mejía, Lizzie Smith Photography Editor Jason Schumer Layout Editor Baci Weiler Staff Writers: Maddie Anderson, Leah von Essen, Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Kiran Misra, Anne Li Staff Radio Producer: Bridget Vaughn Fact Checkers: Abigail Bazin, Sam Joyce, Bridget Newsham, Adam Przybyl, Hafsa Razi, Sam Stecklow, Tammy Xu Staff Photographers: milo bosh, Kiran Misra, Jason Schumer Staff Illustrators: Siena Fite, Natalie Gonzalez, Katherine Hill, Courtney Kendrick, Kamari Robertson Webmaster Publisher Operations Manager
Pat Sier Harry Backlund Jason Schumer
The Weekly is produced by an all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We distribute the paper 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
Cover illustration by Katie Hill
IN CHICAGO IN THIS 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
ISSUE
CLEAR as Mud The Chicago Police Department wants you to know that they’re not just meatheads: they can sink money into algorithms and data, too. Last year, the department released data from a “Strategic Subject List” where individuals’ likelihood of being in a crime was scored on a zero to 500 scale. Just two weeks back, billionaire Ken Griffin put $10 million toward its “Strategic Decision Support Centers,” where University of Chicago Crime Lab wonks will analyze gunshot noise and other data. But even if you shelve the racial profiling and the inherent violence of policing, there’s one small snag: the police’s data is full of holes. As Mick Dumke of ProPublica Illinois reports, the CPD’s “gang database”—part of its central data warehouse, called CLEAR—is based in large part on circumstantial evidence, like tattoos and secondhand comments from sources. It also contains thirteen “people who are supposedly 118 years old [and] two others listed as 132.” The notion is funny, but the stakes for those on the list are not: the CPD “regularly [cites] the database during criminal investigations, immigration enforcement and court proceedings,” and getting off the list is near-impossible. As usual, the CPD’s technocrat rebrand holds up better in press release than in practice.
why won’t chicago say what it’s
Illinois Spends Less Than One Cent Per Book Per Prisoner There are few statistical drops quite as drastic as the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) plunge in spending on books for inmates in the last few years. According to data obtained from an public records request by Illinois Newsroom, the state prison system spent roughly $750,000 each year on books in the early 2000s, but last year spent a mere $276 across its 28 correctional facilities. Of course, when it comes to allocating financial resources for educational programming in a state-run prison system that’s struggling to cover the cost of running its facilities, books are low on the hierarchy of needs. According to director John Baldwin, IDOC is still behind on its payments from debts incurred during the state’s budget stalemate back in 2016, and has requested more than $400 million before the fiscal year ends in June to pay off its existing obligations. There isn’t a specific budget appropriation for reading materials, but when asked by Illinois Newsroom about the drop-off in funding over the last eighteen years, IDOC officials didn’t give a response. Which isn’t surprising—prison libraries generally aren’t hot priorities for cash strapped facilities. But given studies that show the direct effect increased educational programming has on reducing recidivism rates, maybe it’s time to reassess priorities and add a few more titles to the bookshelves?
creating as she goes
Who Cursed South Works? The curse of the South Works land continues, this time in the form of soil contamination found on the 440-acre chunk of land. This is not the first times developers have hit road bumps in their attempts to repurpose the old U.S. Steel site located in South Chicago. After the U.S. Steel factory itself closed in 1992, there was a short-lived plan to install a Solo Cup factory. Then, in 2004, the developer McCaffery Interests indicated interest in purchasing the site, but would ultimately walk away from the deal a little more than a decade later because U.S. Steel was not ready to to sell. Most recently, the city announced in 2017 that it had reached a deal with two European developers—Barcelona Housing System (BHS) and Emerald Living—interested in erecting 20,000 residential units and an assortment of other commercial and office spaces on the site. Both companies bill themselves as environmentally savvy companies, and have put forth plans to turn South Works into a model green community packed with modular structures. Environmental savviness or no, it looks like the actual environmental conditions of the site—a vague report of soil contamination that neither the developers or the city have yet elaborated on—have put off the construction plans yet again. We’ll see if BHS and Emerald Living make it past this hurdle, or if their plans will bite the (contaminated) dust just like McCaffery Interests’ did.
communities respond to school closings
offering amazon?
“It’s a very neocolonial way of dealing with the population.” rachel schastok...............................4 opinion: filthy schools signal a deeper problem for cps
“A next step would be to pull out of the venture that privatizes our custodians.” gina caneva.......................................6 reflections on a tender power
Exploring the pain, resilience, and spirituality of Black women tammy xu...........................................7 She will not allow herself to be boxed in. bridget newsham.............................8 the summer camp guide
Nearly thirty camps, youth programs, and internships for South Side kids (and adults) to explore staff....................................................9 a lot to lose
It was only through the process of amassing signatures and talking to neighbors that Harper four out that the prospective buyer wasn’t a neighbor, but a landlord. amy qin............................................17 The lack of public meetings or transparency regarding significant CPS decisions remains a problem. katie gruber....................................19
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ON OUR WEBSITE SOUTHSIDEWEEKLY.COM
SSW Radio soundcloud.com/south-side-weekly-radio WHPK 88.5 FM Tuesdays, 3pm–4pm Support the Weekly southsideweekly.com/donate Join the Weekly southsideweekly.com/contribute APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 3
L
ucy Parsons Labs, a Chicago- and San Francisco-based nonprofit that works toward more transparency in government and business, first gained attention in 2014 for its use of public records lawsuits to uncover the Chicago Police Department’s (CPD) undisclosed purchase and use of Stingray cell phone surveillance devices. In addition to concerns about surveillance, a 2016 investigation the nonprofit published with the Reader lent visibility to the CPD’s controversial use of civil asset forfeiture, the process by which police can seize money or goods they believe are connected to a crime. The CPD drew from its civil asset forfeiture funds to purchase the Stingrays and other surveillance equipment, their investigation found. In recent months, Lucy Parsons Labs (LPL) is back in the spotlight with a new lawsuit against the city over its refusal to release its bid to Amazon for HQ2, the tech giant’s second North American headquarters. Several cities have released their bids, which are available on the public records site MuckRock. The Weekly spoke with LPL director Freddy Martinez over the phone to find out more about the suit and what HQ2 could mean for Chicago. This interview has been edited for space and clarity. How was Lucy Parsons Labs founded?
DAVID ALVARADO
Why Won’t Chicago Say What It’s Offering Amazon?
Transparency activist Freddy Martinez on his lawsuit against City Hall BY RACHEL SCHASTOK 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
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In about 2015, we started doing [public records] requests around this invasive surveillance equipment [Stingray] that was owned by the police. We were able to prove that they were using it, and we were able to prove that they were not getting warrants. They had no policies or procedures for handling the surveillance equipment. From there we just kind of kept building steam, and that’s how [LPL] came to be. I had a lot of friends and colleagues who were also interested in the topics that we were pursuing, so that’s how the group was formed. Before the nonprofit, there was a group of us working informally, and then we just formalized it.
POLITICS
Why did you decide to sue the city for the details of its HQ2 bid? We read about some of the details of the city’s bid for HQ2 and learned that people who were employed by Amazon would pay taxes to Amazon instead of the state, which is a very strange thing. [Ed. note: A mayoral spokesperson reached by CityLab in November on this issue refused to confirm or deny specifics of the bid.] After reading lots of things like this we decided to file suit. We also saw that MuckRock, which does a lot of public records requests, was trying to get Amazon bids across the country. So we decided to join and try to get the Amazon bid from the city of Chicago. The city is trying to claim an exemption under section 7(1)(h) of FOIA, which applies to proposals and bids for any contracts filed with the city, even though the HQ2 bid involves a bid the city has filed with a private corporation. Why might they try to cite that exemption if it doesn’t seem to apply? One thing that’s particularly curious about public record requests is that a lot are filed by corporations. They do it because if you know how much your competitor bids on a particular service, then you can undercut them. This exemption is about making it so that proposals or bids for contracts are not released before a final selection is made. So it really applies to services that the city is going to provide. But this is a proposal that the city is putting out, offering its services to a private corporation. Our argument in court will likely be that the exemption is being misapplied, because the information is presumed open except for in a very limited case. We think that the city is trying to expand the scope of this exemption. That also applies to proposals that haven’t already been submitted—the city has already sent Amazon their bid, so it’s not like if it was made public, it would change anything about the proposal the city has already made. So for them to claim that it’s exempt because the final selection hasn’t been made is a bit strange. Apart from that issue, could you tell me a bit more about what you’re hoping to uncover or achieve with the lawsuit? What would be an ideal outcome for you? We really see this lawsuit as part of a broader socioeconomic problem in the city of
Chicago. The CHA has [tens] of thousands of people on public housing waitlists, CPS is closing schools for what they claim are budgetary reasons, the city closed half the mental health clinics. So the city cries poor on the one hand, and on the other hand tries to give out massive corporate welfare at the expense of essentially the entire city of Chicago. For me personally, I think the ideal outcome would be to invest the two billion dollars that they’re trying to give away into things like housing, education, and public transportation. [Ed. note: this figure reflects the city and state’s combined bid.] But with this bid in particular, I think it’s really important that the details not be secret. Look at the history of how these corporate giveaways look. Foxconn in Wisconsin isn’t going to break even for a hundred years, and that assumes that Foxconn as a company exists in a hundred years and that the jobs haven’t been automated away. Tesla wanted to build a factory and kept pitting cities against each other and eventually got more than a billion dollars extra in giveaways. So keeping this secret is only going to harm Chicagoans in the future, because what the secrecy really does is pit cities against each other in this almost Hunger Games style where it’s about how much you can give away to Amazon. We should also bear in mind that Amazon is one of the richest corporations in the world. They don’t pay any federal taxes; they don’t need any money from us. If the bid were released, do you think public opinion would turn against Amazon? It’s hard to say. When it comes to these large powerful institutions, you’d like to think that one small action can have a real impact. But I think Lucy Parsons Labs has had success in doing investigations and activism to actually have an impact, so I’m hopeful on that front. There has been an uptick in stories in which people talk about the issue of giving a bunch of money away to Amazon, so I’m hopeful, because it does seem like there’s more of an interest in this now. In an interview with MuckRock, you said, “Secretive bidding is really a race to the bottom for communities.” Could you expand on that? And if that’s true, why would the city be so hesitant to release the bid? As I mentioned earlier, the real long-term interests for building high-quality jobs and the kinds of things that make a good
workforce are the things that cities should be investing in now, like good education, infrastructure, and healthcare. But the opposite is happening. You’re front-loading these massive giveaways and asking someone to come in and use all your infrastructure. I think the secrecy here is frustrating for a number of reasons. People who work at Amazon might not even know that their taxes are being diverted to Amazon and not to the state of Illinois, but that’s something that they should know. You also see weird giveaways that other states have tried to do: in one case, they wanted Amazon to own part of the town. If you put all of these things in aggregate, you can see that because everyone participates in this secrecy, everyone’s getting scammed together. These are recurring themes. But it’s not surprising to me, because, again, it seems like the mayor’s office is only interested in providing for a small segment of the population. Comparing the proposed South Side sites—the Michael Reese Hospital in Bronzeville and the Rezkoville lot north of Chinatown— with the other proposed sites, the majority of which are North Side or downtown sites in affluent or gentrified areas, it seems like there are different stakes here for the South Side communities that would stand to be affected. Many of the sites are on the North or Near North Side. It’s not surprising that the majority of them are near well-developed and well-off areas. On the other side, there are very few on the South Side. It’s really not surprising because if you look at the process of development in the Cabrini-Green area for example. I went to high school near Cabrini-Green, and I go back there and don’t even recognize it. If you think about it in the broader context of gentrification, we already know that the proposed Obama [Presidential Center] is going to be pushing people out, it’s already driving housing costs through the roof in those areas. So you think about it in that context; the housing that might get proposed on the South Side, it’s not for [current South Siders]. Those decisions are being made about people but not with them. I think it will probably lead to very rapid gentrification and displacement of long-time Chicagoans.
If you look at the history of examples like Seattle, San Francisco, or Oakland right now, you can see a very rapid demographic shift. For example, in Oakland, there was a study done that showed that most people that leave the area are long-time residents. Another study showed that the people who come into the area make around $12,000 a year more than the people who are leaving. I really do think history will show that Amazon will not destroy, but rapidly change the experience of living in Chicago. Chicago is one of the few major cities that has reasonably affordable housing. Even in Chicago it’s not affordable—you can’t live on minimum wage and afford a two-bedroom apartment. But the cost of housing is still about fifteen percent lower than Seattle. And I don’t think that that’s going to stand if Amazon tries to come into town. Something that ties a lot of the projects you’ve been involved in together is a focus on invasive surveillance technology. Does that concern carry over to this specific lawsuit and Lucy Parsons Labs’ interest in Amazon as well? Yeah, absolutely. One of the ways that gentrification works is that there’s massive overpolicing of communities that are on the borders. It’s a very neocolonial way of dealing with the population. This happened in the public housing units, it happened in Oakland. So we have done a lot of work on policing and police transparency, and we expect that that’s going to be the model of clearing the land. We see it as part of a bigger systemic issue of how you get people to leave their homes if they’re not willing to go. A nice way of doing that is just locking them all up in jail. So we do think about it—that’s likely a thing that will happen, and that’s a pretty massive concern for us. ¬ Rachel Schastok is a contributing editor to the Weekly. She’s back in Chicago after a couple years working as a translator in Spain. She last wrote for the Weekly about photographer Todd Diederich in February 2015.
Along those lines, what effect do you think HQ2 would have on the demographic geography of the South Side? APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5
EDUCATION
OPINIONS & EDITORIALS
Filthy Schools Signal a Deeper Problem for CPS
What is lost in Chicago Public Schools’ custodial privatization scheme? BY GINA CANEVA
D
uring my first year of teaching in Chicago Public Schools, at Corliss High School in Pullman, a colleague and I started a boys volleyball team. We had only three volleyballs for practice, but an even bigger problem I had was an essential one—I had a net that could not be raised. During the first practice, I ran around frantically asking about a missing tool called “a crank” in volleyball terms. My athletic director sent me to the custodian, who first responded by asking, “Boys volleyball? We never had that here.” He walked with me to the gym, and I showed him my useless net. He said he’d be back soon and reappeared with a socket wrench. It worked perfectly, and at the end of the practice, when I found him to return it, he said, “Mrs. Caneva, you can keep it for your season. I’ll find you if I need it.” We used it for the next three seasons. I thanked him for this and during the next three years that I worked there, I came to realize that besides keeping my classroom and the first floor impeccably clean, he was also the utility man for our building, stepping in to do almost anything asked, often going unnoticed. When I left Corliss, I wrote a thank-you note to all the colleagues I was close with, including this custodian. At my current school, Lindblom Math and Science Academy in West Englewood, I continued to see the impact of a solid janitorial staff on students in ways that extend beyond the cleanliness of the building. We had a beloved custodian who worked most of his career at Lindblom. When he retired, our principal announced the news at a pep rally. The entire school gave him a standing ovation. Soon after retirement, quite unexpectedly, he passed away. Our students made him a memorial, which sits outside of our school. In 2014, CPS decided to privatize janitorial services and grant contracts to two companies— SodexoMAGIC, led by former basketball star Magic Johnson, and Aramark, the company predominantly in charge of CPS’s lackluster food service. Before the privatization, most of our janitorial staff wore
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Lindblom sweatshirts and polos. After the switch, they were required to wear Aramark shirts, symbolic of a switch in our custodians’ allegiance—from a school community to a private company. At the time, CPS claimed that the change would save the district money, provide cleaner schools, and lessen the responsibilities of principals across the city. Instead, CPS has paid out hundreds of millions of dollars to companies that have left schools filthy— the Sun-Times found last month that just thirtyfour of 134 schools passed during a recent “blitz” of inspections—and workers stretched. Some janitors have even reported to the Sun-Times that they were buying their own supplies to keep our schools clean, and that CPS officials had cheated to pass outside audits. CPS has never publicly quantified the amount of money saved or lost by these privatization measures, but in January 2017 signed a half-billion dollar contract with both companies to clean most of its buildings, and recently signed a $259 million addition to that contract. At Lindblom, which includes 1,350 students and nearly one hundred staff members, we have only two Aramark janitors working at the school during the day. What used to be a norm for cleaning has now become a form we have to fill out about our needs for cleaning. We also now have to pay extra money,from our school budgets for services that used to fall under our custodial staff ’s standard responsibility, such as setting up for standardized testing, school dances, and graduations. We lost several CPS janitors who were dedicated to Lindblom, including one whose son attended school here; they were sent to other school sites when the privatization took place. Relinquishing control of the custodians also meant relinquishing accountability, as schools no longer are in charge of hiring, firing, or even assessing them. Even though the media has reported on, and parents citywide have massive complaints about, the lack of quality privatization produces, CPS continues to push this practice forward without transparency in cost savings or in quality control.
In my fourteen-year career at CPS, nearly all of the members on the custodial staffs in the three schools I have worked for have been people of color. They are poorly paid to begin with, and they are now facing poor working conditions which have turned into poor school conditions. All the while, the two private companies are not punished for their lousy performance except in empty threats from Mayor Rahm Emanuel. New CPS CEO Janice Jackson has taken the first steps in fixing the problem by spending an extra $7 million to hire 200 more custodians, and has stated that all of the city’s schools will be inspected by the end of the school year. But this comes after the media, outraged Chicago parents, the Chicago Teachers Union, and SEIU Local 1 (the CPS custodians’ union) brought the problem to the forefront. It is my hope that Jackson and other CPS leaders will begin thinking of practices that can assess these problems and others similar before they become crises. A next step would be to pull out of the venture that privatizes our custodians. In lieu of that, CPS needs to find ways to actually hold these companies accountable for their service. CPS also needs to be transparent with costs, as taxpayers’ dollars that once went to schools and their employees are now going to private companies serving up less than acceptable results. Our district has been nationally recognized for our students’ performance; it is the least we can do to provide our students with clean facilities and our custodians with better working conditions so that we can cultivate an environment conducive to learning. Gina Caneva is a fourteen-year Chicago Public Schools veteran who works as a teacher-librarian and Writing Center Director at Lindblom Math and Science Academy. She is a National Board Certified teacher and Teach Plus Teaching Policy Fellowship alum. She last wrote for the Weekly in November about CPS’s inability to provide good answers to questions from students, parents, and teachers. Follow her on Twitter at @GinaCaneva.
VISUAL ARTS
Reflections on a Tender Power Two artists on the experiences of Black women BY TAMMY XU
O
n Friday the thirteenth, the Rootwork Gallery, an arts space in east Pilsen, felt inviting and meditative as people arrived for the artists’ talk of “A Tender Power: A Black Womanist Visual Manifesto.” Soft music played as the founding curator of Rootwork, Tracie D. Hall, greeted attendees, answered questions, and served portions from an epic vegan lasagna to early arrivals. The exhibition is a thoughtful reflection on both the contributions of Black women to society and their families, and the burdens that they bear moving through the world. Hall, who created several of the pieces on display, incorporated Black spiritual practices like the use of mojo bags to carry spells and send prayers into her work. Her friend and fellow artist, Kimberly M. Harmon, contributed the rest of the artwork, which deals more closely with her experiences with her family. In the two years since Hall—a program director at the Joyce Foundation who previously served as an official with the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events—founded Rootwork, the gallery has provided a platform for artists specializing in spiritual, folk, street, and indigenous art to showcase their work. It takes its name from the Black spiritual practice “rootwork,” also known as Hoodoo, which originated in West and Central Africa and mixed with Native American beliefs and traditions during slavery. The gallery describes itself as a space that “showcases artistic expression that has healing, reconciliation, or the investigation of folk, street and indigenous cultures at its core.” As part of the display of “A Tender Power,” the spaces between artworks were filled with candles and whole lemons, with bunches of collards hung on the walls to brighten the mood. Hall explained that the fruit and vegetable decorations were inspired by her family—especially her grandmother, who was active in rootwork while Hall grew up. She recalled New Year’s
MILO BOSH
“A Tender Power: A Black Womanist Visual Manifesto.” Rootwork Gallery, 645 W. 18th. St. Open through May 18. facebook.com/rootworkgallery Eve at home, when people would kiss under collards instead of mistletoe, and explained the decision to include lemons: “[they] lift energy.” Said Hall, “I wanted to do that because some of the subject matter is really heavy, and I wanted people to come in here and balance the spirit and not be too sad or bereft.” The artists’ grappling with painful Black experiences sat at the core of the
show’s most moving works. “Nkisi Suit for Mamie Till”—a black dress staked to the wall with dozens of nails, paired with a black handbag and black shoes also run through with nails––took up the gallery’s western wall. Pinned to the clothing were miniature portraits of Mamie Till, her son Emmett, and the famous photo of Till crying over her son’s casket. The piece first appeared as a passive reflection on a mother’s grief and suffering–– but Hall, who created the work, explained that a nkisi is an “oath taker” or an “order taker,” and to create one means that “you’re asking it to do something, you’re making a pact with it.” In this case, the nkisi was a call
for Mamie Till to avenge Emmett’s death on his murderers in the afterlife. The murder of Emmett and Mamie Till’s decision to hold an open casket funeral, which took place at the Roberts Temple of God in Christ Church in Bronzeville, played an important role in the beginning of the Civil Rights movement––but it also had a profound effect on Hall. “When I saw Emmett Till’s body, I was twelve. I was just reading JET [Magazine] like you do, and having a good old time,” she said. “I ran into the kitchen where my mother was and I said, ‘What is this?’… My mother told me the whole story in about ten minutes and I never forgot it. And that’s when I realized I APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7
MUSIC
don’t trust nobody with my Black life.” Two of Harmon’s mixed media pieces, a pair of photographic portraits titled “Egun/ Oya,” capture her daughter playing in the woods. In the Yoruba language, Egun and Oya refer to ancestors and the cycle of life, and while reflecting on the pieces, Harmon spoke of the inspiration found in the “not apologetic, not curtailed, rawness of power” she saw in her daughter. The different manifestations and meanings of power was a theme that recurred throughout Hall and Harmon’s artists’ talk, which consisted of the women asking each other about their artwork and the way rootwork tied into their lives and their understanding of the world. Each woman answered the question of how she defined power. For Harmon, it is the ability to unapologetically speak her truth. To Hall, power is the capacity to overcome the challenges that life presents, “that moment when you collect everything that you have and begin to allow it to propel you beyond where you think you can go.” Hall’s understanding of power is reflected in the gallery space she has cultivated over the past two years, which she envisions as an unpretentious place to share and flesh out ideas. Rootwork has been a place for people to share experiences and collectively process life’s challenges, a place that is understanding, warm, and supportive. At the artists’ talk, one could see just how passionate this community was: the number of attendees grew to over sixty as people filled the folding chairs and packed every foot of space by the walls. Harmon thanked people for coming to the exhibition and giving energy through their presence and questions. Hall agreed, noting that often when the gallery closes there are new offerings at the altars, like food and candy and coins. Though she sees people going to all sorts of places and only taking, “people come here and they give.” ¬ Tammy Xu is a contributor to the Weekly. She grew up in Naperville and works as a software programmer. She last wrote for the Weekly about a new self-guided tourbook of South Side sites significant to the history of Black women this month.
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Creating As She Goes Tatiana Hazel’s fearless, magnetic music BY BRIDGET NEWSHAM
W
hen Tatiana Hazel uploaded her first singles to YouTube at the ripe old age of thirteen, it was clear she was destined for big things. With a very mid-2000s side sweep and original songs about first loves and first heartbreaks, Hazel expressed with grace and confidence what most of us only wish we could have during our teen years. In time, her style and subject matter drew in thousands of views, springboarding her career and encouraging her to pursue music on a more serious level. Hazel has come a long way since the days of recording on her bedroom floor: she’s conceptualized a music video for her single “Losing My Mind,” performed at SXSW, and been promoted by Apple Music. But even after all these years, her relatability and creative energy remain the same. Though she’s traded her emo look for a self-designed wardrobe and bright blue mullet, the selftaught musician continues to produce work that is both deeply personal and undeniably Tatiana. Whether the focus is failed relationships from years back or exiting toxic relationships as an adult, Hazel’s music reads largely as a public diary. She isn’t afraid of being who she is and sharing that with the world. “Any time I get frustrated with something in life,”
RENEE ROLEWICZ
she shared over coffee, “I write about it [...] it makes me feel better.” Hazel’s actual sound is no less personal and creative than the subject matter it reflects on. From the neo-cumbia hit “Dímelo” to the experimental, Kate Bush-esque single “Time,” each track offers something a little different. When we talked, Hazel told me just how wide the range of artists she draws upon is: “I grew up with two older sisters who influenced me a lot…. They listened to heavy metal, punk, and hip-hop. And then my parents listened to Latin music, so I had a lot of different influences.” She is comfortable not staying within any one genre, preferring instead to let new and ongoing inspirations form her music. She will not allow herself to be boxed in. The confidence Hazel exudes is undeniable—and this is no accident. She explains that as a young woman, she rarely saw positive role models to admire. “Latino women, especially performers, are so sexualized,” she said. “There was no one for me to look at and say, ‘I want to be like her’… except Selena, and she’s not even alive… I wanted to create that for myself, and be a role model for others.” Even after inserting herself into the music industry, Hazel is wary of the sexism that pervades the business and the Chicago music scene. “It sucks that it’s a really maledominated field. It took me a long time to
break into because it’s harder to be taken seriously when you are a female, and you have to work entirely independently, away from the men who are running the scene.” Despite these challenges, Hazel has used her music and fellow female collaborators to carve out a name for herself and fight back against the patriarchy. “It’s all maledominated, and if it is women, they’re just talking about men and it’s not very empowering at all. My songs are…about doing things for yourself, and overcoming certain feelings and, being independent. I feel like that’s really missing in Latin culture.” In the coming months, Hazel plans to release her newest EP, Toxic, which––you guessed it—deals with the toxic elements and relationships surrounding her past. Where she will go from there is anyone’s guess, but Hazel does not intend to stop moving. “My music is all based on my life, and I don’t know where my life is going to go from here, so I am just writing as I go,” she said. “I don’t know what will happen next.” ¬ Bridget Newsham is a managing editor at the Weekly and is based out of Pilsen. She loves covering new and creative housing initiatives, education, and local artists. In her free time she loves a good swim (when it’s not too cold!), biking, and building sculptures. Follow her on Twitter at @BridgetNewsham.
SUMMER
ARTS Even though it’s just barely warm enough to feel like summer is on its way, this year we at the Weekly decided to present our guide to South Side summer camps in the spring, so that students and their families can begin planning out their not-so-dogdays well before school lets out. This guide features nearly thirty camps, youth programs, and internships for South Side kids to explore the best Chicago has to offer them—Afrofuturist dance therapy, robotics from scratch, community gardening in Pilsen, and everything in between. Adults, don’t fear: there’s something (one thing) for you in here as well. COMPILED BY RACHEL KIM ILLUSTRATION BY LILLY ASTROW
Art Summer Camp @ Olín Studio Olín Studio Chicago, 1957 W. 23rd St. July 5–August 3, Monday–Friday, 9am–3pm. Ages 7–12. $550 for the full duration; weekly rates available upon request. Register by April 30 for $30 off. (312) 874-3170. More information at olinstudiochicago.com/summer-camp Send your young one to a “culturally rich summer experience” at Olín Studio in the Heart of Chicago neighborhood, offering lessons in different visual arts, Mexican folk dances, music, mindfulness, and more. (Sam Stecklow)
ASM Newsroom @ Urban Prep Academy-Englewood Urban Prep Academy, 6201 S. Stewart Ave. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 10am–
2pm. Ages 14+. Free and paid available. (312) 742-4182. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org After School Matters (ASM) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing teens with opportunities in the arts. The ASM Newsroom is a great opportunity for teens to get hands-on journalism experience and to explore how the media works in their own communities. Teens will explore media through photography, writing, and journalism. The camp will culminate in participants creating a blog. They will also receive a stipend for their work. (Roderick Sawyer)
Community Actors: Perform, Engage, Lead University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, 301 E. Garfield Blvd. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 10am–2pm. Free. Ages 14+. (312) 742-4182. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9
The Community Actors Apprenticeship is a six-week program training teens to be impactful and engaged actors on stage and in society. Besides honing their theatrical chops, participants will also get the chance to think more deeply about social justice issues and about the ways they themselves might make a positive difference through art and activism. At the apprenticeship’s end, teens will present a short play or a collection of scenes that have to do with issues in their own communities. Stipends will be available to those who complete the program. (Michael Wasney)
The Revival Summer Camps The Revival, 1160 E. 55th St. Week-long camps, June 18–August 17. Monday–Friday, 9am–3pm. Ages 6–12. $300/week. (Financial assistance available; email theater@the-revival. com for information.) classes@the-revival.com. the-revival.com/camps The Revival, the two-year-old comedy club in Hyde Park, is offering week-long camps all summer. Attendees will participate in improv and music–related activities at The Revival’s theater, the nearby church, and neighborhood parks. Each week will culminate in a Friday performance in front of friends and family; for shyer campers, participation is “encouraged but not mandatory.” (Christian Belanger)
Hyde Park Art Center’s Creativity Camp Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. One- and two-week sessions from June 11–August 31. Monday–Friday, 9am–3pm. Group A: incoming grades pre-K–1, Group B: grades 2–3, Group C: grades 4–5, and Special Topics Camps: ages 10+. $355–$710/session, early registration and member discounts available. (773) 324-5520. More information at bit.ly/HPACCreativityCamp Creativity camp gives kids the chance to work with professional artists to develop their imagination and creativity, focus on their creative process, explore different themes and mediums, but mostly importantly, to have fun creating art! Campers will have a chance to work handson with provided materials and collaborate with other young campers! There are three categories to choose from: Visual Arts, Performance Arts & Special Topics in Art. Register today! (Roderick Sawyer) 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
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KLEO Performing Arts and Music Production KLEO Community Family Life Center, 119 E. Garfield Blvd. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 10am–2pm. Ages 13–18. Free. (773) 363-6941. Apply at afterschoolmatters.org or visit kleocenter.org Washington Park’s community-focused KLEO Center will become a hub for teen creativity once this program kicks off. Whether they take to the stage, the catwalk, or the mixing board, participants will gain firsthand experience with producing theater and live shows. Opportunities for collaboration and live showcases only sweeten the deal. (Christopher Good)
Praize Productions Performing Arts Summer Camp Congregational Church of Park Manor, 7000 S. King Dr. July 2–July 27, Monday–Friday, 8:30am–3:30pm. Ages 4–16. $300 with a $50 registration fee. Before and aftercare services available for $5 per day or a $125 flat rate. Discounts for families enrolling multiple children. Breakfast and lunch provided. (312) 775-2046. More information at praizeproductions.com/summer Students enroll in intensive courses in dance, and an elective course, in this professionally-taught performing arts camp. The summer will culminate in a showcase of students’ acquired skills for friends and family. (Sam Stecklow)
Oh Art Camp Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. August 13–17. Monday–Friday, full day 9am–3pm, half day 9am–noon. Incoming grades 1–6. $400 full day; $250 half day. Supplies provided. Bring lunch. (773) 569- 8582. More information at bit.ly/OhArtCamp Held in the Zhou B Art Center and in its adjoining private garden, this camp introduces students to a variety artistic mediums including drawing, painting, and ceramics, through both individual and group projects. (Rachel Schastok)
After School Matters Youth Radio Gallery37 Center for the Arts, 66 E. Randolph St. June 25–August 2. Monday– Thursday, 9am–1pm. Free; stipends provided
StoryArts Summer Camp Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. June 25–July 20. Monday– Friday, 9am–3pm. Ages 11–14. $50 materials fee, scholarships available upon request. Lunch and snacks provided. Apply at bit.ly/StoryArts2018. storyartschicago.org StoryArts Summer Camp is an affordable, full-day summer camp for Mid-South Side middle school students who will be able to work with Chicago-based teaching artists to create films and spoken word poetry and dabble in music production. Students will be able to experience the processes behind making a video, cinepoem, zines, paintings, or comics. (Rachel Kim)
to eligible participants. Ages 14+. (312) 7424182. Apply at afterschoolmatters.org
DANCE
This camp offers students interested in radio or storytelling the opportunity to create their own radio shows and podcasts from start to finish, including the processes of writing, producing, editing, and broadcasting. (Rachel Schastok)
Red Clay Dance Youth Ensemble
Young Chicago Authors Write to the City
If you have the passion and drive to pursue a dance career, apply to Red Clay Dance Youth Ensemble. Receive professional training in afro-contemporary dance and learn various strength and conditioning techniques. Perform locally and work with top choreographers in the industry. Open to intermediate and advance dancers. (Maple Joy)
UIC School of Art & Art History, 400 S. Peoria St. July 23–27. $200. (773) 486-4331. More information at bit.ly/ WriteToTheCity A group of more than one hundred young poets, artists, and activists will take field trips to a wide variety of arts and culture institutions across Chicago. They’ll also build up their body of work through a series of workshops led by poets and artists. (Rachel Schastok)
Dyett High School for the Arts, 555 E. 51st St. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 10am–2pm. Application and audition required. Stipend available upon completion. Ages 14–18. (773) 624-8411. bit.ly/RedClayDance
Release! AfroFuturism Dance Therapy Hirsch High School, 7740 S. Ingleside Ave. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11
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M E M R2 U S 01 8 CLASSES
Intonation’s Rock-n-Pop Summer Camps
First Steps Creative Movement Pre-Ballet Ballet Pointe Modern Jazz Hip Hop
INTENSIVE & WORKSHOPS Little Dancers Young Dancers HPSD’s Summer Intensive:
Ballet, Jazz, Modern, West African, Musical Theatre, Contemporary
Young Choreographers Pointe Technique Summer Performance
e P ark d y Da H nce .org REGISTER ONLINE NOW! 5650 S. Woodlawn Ave, Chicago (773) 493-8498 12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
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Robert Taylor Park, 39 W. 47th St. Incoming grades 3–5, June 25–July 6 or July 9–July 20; Grades 4–7, July 23–August 3; Grades 6–8, August 6–August 17. Registration available until start date, $25 refundable registration fee. (312) 469-0554. intonationmusic.org Send your child and teen to Intonation’s Rock-n-Pop Summer Camps to let them flex their inner rock star. Intonation, which offers a series of intensive two-week-long summer sessions for children in third through eighth grade, gives participants in its programs the opportunity to learn how to play music by picking up the instruments themselves. At the end of each camp, participants will have had the opportunity to form their own band, prepare a song, and perform it for the community—three ingredients key for a fun summer, and maybe even for a future of fame and stardom as well. Registration is now available on Intonation’s website. (Michael Wasney)
1pm–5pm. Ages 14+. Stipend available upon completion. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org Join this dance therapy class in Avalon Park that promises to help you “create your own language through dance.” Combining the practices of hip-hop, modern, lyrical, and jazz dance, Release! AfroFuturism Dance Therapy will allow students to “dance their ideas into existence.” (Rachel Kim)
South Shore International Dance and Performing Arts Program South Shore College Preparatory High School, 1955 E. 75th St. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 9am–1pm. Free. Ages 14+. Stipend available upon completion. New applicants will be placed on a waitlist. (312) 742-4182. afterschoolmatters.org
Teens will take to the stage during this six-week dance and performing art apprenticeship. Participants will try everything from ballet and hip-hop dancing to performing scenes and delivering speeches. Teens can apply regardless of experience level—the apprenticeship is ready to accommodate those who’ve had years of dancing experience as well as those who’ve never busted a move in their life. Over the six-week apprenticeship, teens will work toward a final showcase, which they’ll perform in at the end of the program. Stipends will be available to those who complete the program. (Michael Wasney)
Now! r e t s i g 7th Re ugust 1 FOOD & LAND Pilsen Urban Garden Project: Art of Community Mariposas Garden, 1833 S. Carpenter St. June 25–August 4. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 9:30am–1:30pm; Wednesday 4pm–8pm. Stipends available. 13+. Must be enrolled in high school. SSN not required for application. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org. (312) 226-7767. elevartestudio.org Art and gardening go hand in hand. That’s the leading conviction behind this summer program for high schoolers run by the Pilsen-based arts education studio ElevArte. Four days a week, students will learn how to grow, compost, build, and curate. To round out the six-week program, students will invite family and friends for performances, exhibitions, and a presentation of the work they’ve done in the garden. (Emeline Posner)
JOBS & INTERNSHIPS
side, there’s something here for every enterprising tennis-lover. (Hafsa Razi)
STEM
Rainbow PUSH Coalition National Headquarters, 930 E. 50th St. June 23– August 25. Saturdays only, 9am–3pm. Registration fee $25. Register at bit.ly/ RainbowPUSHexcel The Rainbow PUSH nonprofit will host their summer STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) camp at their national headquarters in Kenwood. Students will be able to learn about computer graphics, robotics, and programming to build games, animations, apps, robots, and model airplanes. There will also be opportunities to show off their acting, dance, singing, spoken word, and sports skills. (Rachel Kim)
Hoops Basketball Program Chicago Vocational Achievement Academy High School, 2100 E. 87th St. June 25– August 2. Monday–Thursday, 2pm–6pm. Waitlist only. afterschoolmatters.org
New Beginnings Church of Chicago, 6620 S. King Dr. June 25–August 2. Monday– Thursday, 9am–1pm. Ages 14+. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org
XS Tennis Internship XS Tennis and Education Foundation, 1301 E. 47th St. June 25–August 2. Monday– Thursday, 9am–1pm. afterschoolmatters.org Being the next Serena Williams isn’t the only thing you can do in the tennis world—at the XS Tennis Internship, students will learn about a full range of careers, from competing as a player to coaching, running a tennis facility, or managing a local program. Whether you’ve got your eye on the ball or on the business
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Rainbow PUSH Excel Summer STEAM Program 2018
Youth Connections Pathways Robotics Challenge
Take your basketball skills to the next level, and learn to run the game at the Hoops basketball management program. Participants will learn how to set up games, enforce rules, and make big calls on the court. Toward the end of the training, you’ll get the chance to register as a basketball referee with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA); if you’re seventeenplus, you can also become a licensed sports official with the IHSA and work as an independent referee after the summer ends. (Hafsa Razi)
th - A June 25 4:30 p.m .m a able! Daily: 8 Enjoy
Dance
Art
Academics
Sports
Ra Messu-t Academy
Technology
Summer Camp Ages: 5 - 14 years old Aftercare: Available
Kenwood Academy 5015 S Blackstone Ave.
Register Online @ ramessut.org or call 773- 887-2224
If your student is obsessed with robots, this camp held in West Woodlawn will be perfect for them. Students will be able to participate in a collaborative team atmosphere in order to take part of every step in the process of making a robot: from designing, assembling, programming, and operating. (Rachel Kim)
heART of Science Camp South Side Community Art Center, 3831 S. Michigan Ave. Two one-week sessions either August 20–24 or August 27–31. Early day camp from 9am–2pm, ages 5–12, $55/day or $225/week. Afternoon camp from 2pm–5pm, ages 4–12, $35/day or $150/week. Full day camp from 9am–5pm, ages 5–12, $75/ day, $350/week. Sibling discount available. Referral discount available. Bring a lunch with no nuts. Registration closes July 27. (708) 733-2936. bit.ly/heARTprogram Dionne Victoria Studios, INC. is hosting the heART of Science Camp in Bronzeville with an integrated arts and science curriculum focused on geology and geography. Students will study the
APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13
Summer Tennis Camp
Earth, its physical features, rocks, resources, climates, and populations. Activities include art classes, outdoor/indoor games, and community service. (Rachel Kim)
MISCELLANEOUS
Register Today! Enroll by May 30th For kids ages 5-18 years old 10 week & 2 week sessions available
The Dusable Museum Docents of the Future Dusable Museum of African American History, 740 E. 56th Pl. June 25–August 2. Monday–Thursday, 9am–1pm. Ages 14–22. Free. (773) 947-0600. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org This program offers teens the chance to learn all about African-American history at the Dusable Museum this summer. Through exploring the museums archives and exhibits, participants will gain important writing and public speaking skills. Topics covered include AfricanAmerican Folk Art and Slavery, the Chicago Renaissance, and the Civil Rights Movement. (Amy Qin)
Chicago Housing Authority Summer Youth Opportunities Locations and age requirements vary depending on program. Apply at onesummerchicago. org. Applications for most programs due by April 30. Stipends provided through One Summer Chicago. SSN required for application. (312) 786-6930. For questions, contact youthopportunities@thecha.org The Chicago Housing Authority will offer courses on a range of subjects: documentary filmmaking, public art design, game and graphic design, screenwriting, career exploration, and being a “peace ambassador” for your neighborhood. There is one essay prompt (150-825 words) for each program application, so make sure you pick your program(s) wisely! (Emeline Posner)
Morgan Park Academy’s Summer Camp Morgan Park Academy, 2153 W. 111th St. Incoming grades pre-K–12. Dates and times vary by camp. Tuition varies by camp ($98–$1,653). Before & after care provided for an extra fee. Some program prices increase after May 1. (773) 881-6700. Apply on mpasummercamp.org
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Morgan Park Academy is offering a multitude of week-long programs for any student to explore their interests. From Drone Flying Missions, MasterChef Camp, and Filmmaking Camp to Harry Potter Young Wizards Camp and Zombie Apocalypse Survival Camp, Morgan Park promises to expand your student’s horizons in a unique way. (Rachel Kim)
Project Pipeline Architecture Summer Camp Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology, 3360 S. State St. August 1– August 6, times vary. Incoming grades 6–9. $75; lunch provided. i-noma.org/projectpipeline-summer-camp Enroll your junior architect in this short five-day course from the Illinois chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects. The course is hosted at IIT, a school famous for innovative design, both in its students and throughout its campus. There real-world architects and planners will guide campers through all stages of design. (Sam Stecklow)
Design Apprenticeship Program University of Chicago Arts + Public Life, 301 E. Garfield Blvd. June 25–August 2. Monday– Thursday, 9am–1pm. Ages 14+. (773) 8340224. Apply on afterschoolmatters.org Teens will work in teams at UChicago Arts + Public Life in Washington Park’s Garfield Boulevard corridor to develop their carpentry, landscaping, and design skills. They will participate in the creation of a community-based design project that responds to a local need by building their project in the space’s woodshop using tools and assisting other community-oriented projects as well. (Rachel Kim)
MOMS Enrichment Center After School and Summer Program Foundations College Prep, 1233 W. 109th Pl. Mondays–Fridays, 2:30pm–7:30pm; Saturdays, 9am–2pm. Ages 5–high school. Transportation is provided for a reasonable fee; inquire regarding all costs at mec@momsenrichmentcenter.org, (312) 774-2069. momsenrichmentcenter.org
Coffee tastes so much better when you know the farmers Relationship Coffees • Direct Importing • Local Roasting
Free Spirit Media Flash Forward Internship Nichols Tower, 906 S. Homan Ave., 5th fl. June 26–August 11. Ages 16–24. Stipends from $1050 to $1400. Applications due April 30 at 5pm. (312) 444-0562. freespiritmedia.org/flash-forward Free Spirit Media is providing paid internships, fellowships, and assistant positions to young adults this summer through their program Flash Forward. Students will have the chance to participate in film production and audio casting, work with casting agencies and local news stations, and do much more. Did we mention that the three positions all come with a stipend? Apply today! (Roderick Sawyer)
MOMS Offers a wide variety of creative and educational pursuits for children, including life skills courses, internships at small businesses and organizations in the Roseland neighborhood, a Saturday youth music program, sports and arts and crafts days at local parks, and, for older participants, serving on a mock jury that hears real restorative justice cases involving Chicago students. MOMS Enrichment Center provides productive outlets for youth throughout the school year and summer. (Sam Stecklow)
ORIGINAL BRIDGEPORT HYDE PARK ART CENTER SOUTH LOOP ROOSEVELT COLLECTION bridgeportcoffee.net
DIG DEEP! Adult Retreat Br. David Darst Center, 2834 S. Normal Ave. May 5–6 or May 11–12. 18+. $60, including three meals and lodging. darstevents.org An overnight immersion retreat for adults, DIG DEEP!’s participants will explore the roots of food insecurity and social injustice through storytelling and community meals. Each weekend will be limited to fifteen participants, who will stay at the Bridgeport social justice education-focused Darst Center. (Sam Stecklow)
Rachel Kim is the education editor at the Weekly. She is a University of Chicago student originally from the suburbs of Georgia. Her favorite spot on the South Side is Humbert Park in Bridgeport and she is a devotee of the strawberry lemonade from Medici on 57th in Hyde Park. Her writing has appeared multiple times in the Weekly covering CPS, arts, and ice cream. APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15
PUPPETS
F
rom April 19–22, puppeteers staged free, family-friendly community performances in four locations on the South and West Sides as part of the Neighborhood Tour of the Chicago International Puppet Festival. Afrofuturist puppeteer Tarish “Jeghetto” Pipkins, recently featured in Missy Elliott’s “WTF” music video , and New York-based family puppeteer Joshua Holden entertained children and families at Marquette Park, the Sweet Water Foundation’s Think-Do House in Washington Park, the Experimental Station in Woodlawn (also home to the Weekly), and the Garfield Park Conservatory. Photos from the Sweet Water Foundation’s event, courtesy of Emmanuel Pratt.
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GARDENS
COURTESY OF SONYA HARPER
A Lot to Lose
The near-sale of a community garden in West Englewood raises questions about what it takes for gardens on the South Side to stay afloat BY AMY QIN
“H
ow’s the community garden doing?” That’s a question that 6th District State Representative Sonya Harper asks in most of her meetings with the city of Chicago, just for good measure. The city’s response to Harper is usually that the garden is doing fine, and that nothing’s changed. The garden she asks after is the Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden, which sits cozily between two homes on the 6100 block of South Wood Street, in West Englewood. Since 2012, when Harper and a few of her neighbors converted the vacant lot into a garden, the Wood Street garden has provided a dozen elevated garden beds for residents to grow tomatoes, chard, and several other vegetables, as well as a large open space with wooden benches for residents to convene at. But last September, in a Department of Planning and Development meeting, the answer Harper heard was not what she
expected at all. The garden, city officials said, was set to be sold along with 952 other vacant lots on the city’s South and Southwest Sides as part of the most recent round of the $1 Large Lots Program.The program, which launched in Englewood in 2014, is a cityrun initiative that helps residents purchase vacant, city-owned land on their block for the price of one dollar. The imminent sale of the garden stunned Harper and everyone who was involved with it. One of the qualifications to buy a Dollar Lot is to own and reside in property on the same block, which meant that whoever bought the lot that the Wood Street garden occupied would have to be someone who lived in the very neighborhood it served. “We knew that nobody would try to buy the garden from under our nose,” Harper recalled when she first heard the news. The garden had been a source not only of jobs for the neighborhood—it was a APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17
GARDENS
site for the One Summer Chicago initiative that provided part-time jobs for youth at high risk of violence—but of fresh produce and a safe space for kids to play, which West Englewood lacks relative to other neighborhoods in the city. The Department of Planning and Development (DPD) would not release any information about the Large Lot applicant to Harper at the time, citing that the information was not public until the sale was completed. So Harper and other members of the garden took to the streets, knocking on doors to acquire signatures for a petition to save the garden. Over 400 people—basically everyone who lived within walking distance of the garden—signed the petition to show their support. They visited the alderman and mayor’s office, and even showed up at city council committee meetings. It was only through the process of amassing signatures and talking to neighbors that Harper found out that the prospective buyer wasn’t a neighbor, but a landlord who owned a rental property on the block. With this information, Harper was able to get the city to block the sale. But major questions remained: how does a program designed to bring land back into the hands of neighborhood residents nearly approve the sale of a lot to someone who isn’t part of the neighborhood? And what does it take for the goal of community ownership to work out in practice?
T
he Dollar Large Lots pilot project began in Englewood in 2014, with 276 lots listed for sale. The idea behind the program was conceived during meetings between community organizations Resident Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.) and Teamwork Englewood, along with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the Local Initiatives Support Coalition (LISC), and the city. The goal of these meetings was to gather community input for the Green Healthy Neighborhoods Plan, a ten-to-twenty-year planning strategy to maximize the use of vacant land and other resources for Englewood and surrounding neighborhoods. Members of R.A.G.E. submitted recommendations to CMAP for a program that would allow homeowners to purchase any vacant city-owned lot for below market rates to use as they wish. Asiaha Butler, president of R.A.G.E., said that a lot of community engagement in the form of monthly meetings, surveys, and 18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY
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forums went into the process of developing a pilot version of the Large Lots Program. “We were very conscious of the fact that we didn’t want developers to take advantage of [the program], and we didn’t want churches to take advantage of it either because they already get the lots donated to them,” said Butler. Their goals were simply to provide an avenue for homeowners to add additional value to their home, and to provide a means to address the problem of vacant and abandoned property in the neighborhood. In Englewood, a history of disinvestment and residents moving elsewhere has contributed to a large stock of vacant lots and abandoned properties. The neighborhood currently has the highest number of city-owned vacant properties in Chicago, with 1,619 vacant lots and West Englewood closely following with 1,088 vacant lots. Nicole Johnson, data and communications manager at Teamwork Englewood, said that the 2008-2009 recession hit the Greater Englewood area particularly hard, with a significant number of residents being forced to leave their homes. What resulted were hundreds of what Johnson terms “zombie properties,” abandoned properties either sold to private investors, demolished and sold to the city, or foreclosed on. Between 2005 and 2011, Englewood had the highest share of foreclosed two- to four-unit buildings in the city. Those that underwent foreclosure often never finished the process, resulting in properties with vacant and abandoned buildings. Many of the abandoned properties that the city purchased were ultimately demolished and converted to vacant lots. One of the main goals outlined in the 2016 Englewood Quality of Life Plan II, written by Teamwork Englewood in collaboration with a LISC and a few other organizations, included the goal of reducing vacant, unmaintained residential and commercial lots by thirty percent over the following five years. The Large Lots Program has been perceived as a mutual win on this front for both the city and residents: through the program, residents have the opportunity to gain greater control over land in their neighborhood, and previously vacant lots are returned to the tax rolls. Since the Englewood pilot, the program has expanded to other South and Southwest Side neighborhoods including Auburn Gresham, Washington Park, Garfield Park, Gage Park,
and several others. In Englewood, “people are very aware [of the program],” said Johnson, who gets a lot of calls and inquiries from residents interested in buying Dollar Lots. “One of the residents purchased a lot and made it into an outdoor meeting space for dancing and music and just a nice little space as an extension of her home. So yeah, people have benefitted from [the program] immensely,” said Johnson. A number of grants, ranging from $1600 to $2500, made available by the Kresge Foundation and distributed by LISC and Teamwork Englewood, have been awarded to Large Lots owners to build community-oriented spaces like art walks and gardens. “It’s not easy to get a lot if you apply, especially depending on where it is,” Johnson said. Although there are more than enough Large Lots available for sale compared to the number people qualified to buy them, not all of them are equally as popular. The application process can become competitive when multiple people want the same lot. In those cases, the city will host an in-person lottery to determine the chosen applicant. According to data as of September 2017, in Englewood and West Englewood there were at total of 511 applications, with 110 applications receiving approval. Another obstacle the program faces is the low rate of homeownership in neighborhoods like Englewood, which means that only around thirty percent of residents would even qualify to buy a Large Lot. It is definitely a challenge that the program alone can’t solve, but Butler believes that Dollar Lots are a step in the right direction. “In Englewood,” she said, “we’re working really hard to make sure the current homeowners here find avenues to reclaim their land and neighborhood,” and to help them feel a sense of ownership and care about the land in their community.
T
he complications that arose with the case of the near sale of the Wood Street garden bring to light certain tensions around land ownership within the community. Under the Large Lots Program, any city-owned, residentially-zoned vacant lot within participating community areas is eligible to be listed as a Dollar Lot. But the one person who would most have benefitted the garden by purchasing the lot through the Large Lot Program— Rep. Sonya Harper— was unable to, and the one person who should not have been eligible to purchase
the lot—an absentee landlord—almost got away with it. Last fall, upon learning that the garden was eligible for purchase through the Large Lot program, Harper considered purchasing it herself. But even though Harper cared for and paid taxes on two properties on the 6100 block of S. Wood Street, she was unable to purchase the lot because neither of the property titles was in her name. The proposed buyer of the Wood Street garden, on the other hand, was a landlord who, according to Harper, was well known for being neglectful. In a neighborhood like Englewood, there are a lot of ghost, or absentee, landlords who Harper says “just buy land or property, and they either sit on them or don’t check on them very often.” The Large Lot Program does have additional stipulations for landlords who own multiple properties on the block and want to buy a Dollar Lot but don’t live there themselves. “We definitely didn’t want investors just cashing in, so there was some other level of support that we needed, if you were just a landlord,” says Butler. “It was a discussion, outside of churches and nonprofits, the buyer should be a resident who lives there—that was the whole purpose of the program.” Butler believes that Large Lot applications from landlords need a letter of support from the appropriate alderman indicating permission to purchase the Dollar Lot. (The DPD did not respond to multiple requests for confirmation, over phone and email, by publication.) Butler said that one landlord who owns several properties in Englewood was a good example of a landlord who might qualify for alderman permission: she had already been taking care of the vacant lots because they were next to the properties her tenants lived in. The alderman functions as a final check before a lot is approved to be sold. After all applications to buy a lot listed as a Dollar Lot have been gathered, the DPD sends a list of these lots to the respective ward aldermen. Each alderman then reviews the lots and has the authority to delete properties from the list—they have the final word, as the DPD will not go above the alderman. Properties that the alderman does not delete are assumed to have their implicit support. The list then goes for a final review by City Council to pass an ordinance authorizing the bulk sale of the lots, a process that, from application to closing, can take anywhere from nine to twelve months. In January, the Weekly filed a public
EDUCATION
records request with the Department of Planning and Development to view the status of the lot. It was found that as of January 20, the sale of Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden was denied and the garden is still in city hands—which Harper and members of the garden also only found out after the Weekly filed the request. Although it was a relief for them to hear that the sale was denied, questions still remain about how exactly it was denied under the existing provisions of the Large Lots Program. Was it retroactively removed from the list of lots set for sale by an alderman, or was this one lot voted out of the list by City Council because of pressure from Harper and the community? Of the 275 applications in Englewood that have been denied, how were the reasons for the denial of the Wood Street sale different from the others? (The Weekly contacted the office of Fifteenth Ward Alderman Raymond Lopez multiple times for a statement but did not get a response by publication.) In the case of Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden, there seemed to be a disconnect between the realities of Wood Street residents and those in City Hall. Harper, with a leg on both sides, happened to stand in a spot where she could identify the issue before it was too late. “If I was not state representative, I would not know that the garden was being sold until the moment it was gone,” said Harper.
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arper acknowledges that when they first started the garden, they were aware that they were on city-owned property. “What was a dumping site, we took and turned into something beautiful, but at the time we didn’t have rights to the land either.” After a month of canvassing neighbors, garden members know that the odds of having another potential Dollar Lot buyer from their block are slim. But because the city still holds title to the land, there is still a possibility that the city could sell the land or list it for sale as a Dollar Lot again. For now, as spring arrives and the growing season begins, the Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden will continue to serve the community. But Harper and the garden members are also actively looking out for the garden’s future. With the help of Grow Greater Englewood, a nonprofit that focuses on creating sustainable food economies, they are currently filling out applications for the garden to be purchased by community garden land trust
NeighborSpace. If the application goes through, NeighborSpace will purchase the lot from the City of Chicago, conduct a series of environmental tests of the land, and work with the garden leader to provide educational and organizational support and resources. “The day-to-day vision and stewardship of the garden is totally up to the neighborhood garden group, it’s totally neighborhood-driven,” said Ben Helphand, executive director at NeighborSpace. “We’re there to be behind the scenes and deal with bureaucratic needs so that community members can focus on gardening and community building.” Becoming a NeighborSpace site would provide permanent protection against potential development, allowing the garden to grow and expand in the next two years, according to Anton Seals, executive director at Grow Greater Englewood. Helphand says that NeighborSpace focuses primarily on existing gardens that need to be protected from changing land ownership. It would also provide an institutional ownership structure for the garden, rather than having one member shoulder the financial burdens of maintaining the garden. If Harper or another member were to buy Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden as a Dollar Lot, they would be solely responsible for the tax burden, an issue NeighborSpace resolves on its own. When the garden slipped through the cracks earlier last year and was set to be sold to a landlord as a Dollar Lot, how quickly neighbors rallied to do everything they could to save it was a clear sign of the potential for Wood Street Meet and Greet Garden to bring people together. “Our garden is kind of like our block club here on 6100 South Wood Street,” Harper said. “And if it has no other partnerships across the city or across the community, it just serves the purpose of keeping that community connected.” “It’s very intergenerational,” Harper added. “That’s important for a community like this that is struggling to become a community again, so we can begin to learn to trust our neighbors and use our own collective powers to effect change when some of our leaders aren’t doing that work.” ¬ Amy Qin is a contributing editor at the Weekly and a history major at the University of Chicago. She loves sunrises at Promontory Point and is always on the hunt for a good chicken and waffles. She last wrote for the Weekly about community building efforts in beloved South Side cafés in March.
Communities Respond to School Closings Activists and educators discuss the process and consequences of closing schools BY KATIE GRUBER
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n 2013, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) closed fifty public schools largely on the South and West Sides—the largest school closing in a single city in American history. Four months before, trying to head off the public backlash that quickly followed regardless, the district self-imposed a five-year moratorium on school closings. That moratorium lifted this year and in March, CPS consolidated four Englewood high schools into one and voted to close the level 1+-rated National Teachers Academy (NTA) elementary school to turn it into a neighborhood high school for the South Loop and Chinatown. As these closures, mergers, and consolidations—and the activism around them—have heated up over the past four months, the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum at the University of Illinois at Chicago hosted three panel discussions as part of its project “Making the West Side: Community Conversations on Neighborhood Change,” of which the Weekly attended two. In the welcoming remarks for the second panel discussion, “West Side/South Side: Coalitioning Around School Closures,” museum director Jennifer Scott drew connections between the advocacy of Jane Addams and her colleagues on behalf of newly-arrived immigrants over one hundred years
ago and the activism on behalf of families in CPS today. During both forums, each panelist provided a different perspective on the lack of process and transparency in school closings. Candace Moore, an attorney for Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights’ Education Equity Project, noted during the second panel that while it is true that many schools that were closed were under-enrolled, partly due to the shifting population of Chicago, “the conversation of how we got that way is never had.” One of the takeaways from the forum was that any focus on present-day issues that does not acknowledge the actions taken in the past that contributed to those present-day issues will be incomplete. In the final forum in the series, “More Schools for Sale? CPS Before and After the Moratorium,” moderator Kalyn Belsha, who covers education for the Chicago Reporter and recently completed a yearlong series on the aftermath of the school closings, noted that Kansas City, which closed twenty-eight schools from 2009-2010, has been held up as a model for how a city should handle the repurposing of school buildings. However, CPS ignored this model, Belsha said. After the Chicago schools were closed, many buildings sat unused for so long that
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their physical conditions worsened, which in turn reduced their possibilities for being sold or repurposed. Today, ten schools are still empty and lack plans for repurposing. Members of the panel talked about the myriad problems surrounding the process that CPS used to close the schools: poor public engagement, the practice of frequently changing the guidelines by which schools would be closed, the lack of transparency in determining which schools would be closed and which would be saved, or inconsistency with the way the process was applied. Panelist Katherine Gladson, a staff attorney at LAF (formerly known as the Legal Assistance Foundation) who has represented children in foster care impacted by the closings, mentioned the case of Moses Montefiore Academy, previously the district’s last school for special needs students and closed in the midst of the moratorium. Its students largely returned to their neighborhood schools or sought private options. Beatriz Ponce de Leon, executive director of community education nonprofit Generation All, said that CPS employed “a sham public process” and as a result missed “an opportunity to really engage the people that were gonna be impacted by those closures.” Gladson also noted that the challenges shouldered by schools that received the students from closed schools were significant. She said that students with special needs were particularly at risk: their records and Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), documents that lay out the special accommodations that students with special needs will receive at school, were often lost or not followed in the transition to a new school. Moreover, the instructions to receiving schools were all the same, even though “we know that schools have very different needs and serve very different populations,” she said. Members of the second panel also explored the relationship between CPS’s poor financial choices over the years and district decisions to close or merge schools. Byron Sigcho, Director of Pilsen Alliance, identified several problematic actions taken by the Board of Education in recent years: contracts given to friends and political supporters and toxic loan swaps led to higher-than-anticipated debt payments, both of which drained the coffers of CPS. With decreased financial resources for schools, many—especially those in low-
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income neighborhoods—have suffered. They are labeled as underperforming and as a result, end up under-enrolled, ultimately slated for closure. The case for NTA, however, is different: it is neither underperforming nor under-enrolled. Moore concluded that the fact that NTA is slated for closure— despite these factors and despite the incredible amount of advocacy by the NTA community—signals that “the process is fundamentally broken.” Now, in addition to trying to save the school, fixing the process through which decisions are made is “part of the target.” When asked by moderator Amara Enyia, a public policy consultant and 2015 mayoral candidate, if there was ever a situation in which closing a school is the right thing to do, South and West Side social worker Simone Woods said, “If, in fact, we do have a school that is underutilized and underperforming in the actual context and there is no corruption that is involved in that [decision to close], then of course” it could make sense to close a school. “However,” she added, “there is a right way to do things.” The goal, she said, is not to leave children feeling as though they are somehow at fault. At the third forum, panel members identified one exemplary case of a CPS school change: the merger of Near North Side elementary schools Jenner Academy of the Arts and Ogden International School of Chicago, approved on February 28, 2018. Jenner, previously a nearly allBlack, under-enrolled elementary school served students from Cabrini-Green or other subsidized housing projects nearby. Ogden International was an overcrowded K-12 school that served a higher-income white population in Gold Coast. Members of the two schools’ communities worked together for two years and underwent extensive transition planning with the help of outside consultants. Beginning in the fall, 2018, Jenner will be consolidated into Ogden and their attendance boundaries will be merged, with both buildings being utilized by the student body. Regardless of one-off successes, the lack of transparency from the district troubled panelists in both discussions. Beatriz Ponce de León of Generation All mentioned that there were no public hearings held regarding CPS’s new online application for high schools, called GoCPS,
COURTESY OF HULL HOUSE MUSEUM
and that when parents asked the district for more time to consider the system, CPS declined. In addition, CPS has refused to release the algorithm that GoCPS uses. CPS CEO Janice Jackson recently held some community meetings around the city, though Ponce de Leon noted that they were invitation only, not open to the community. At the end of the third forum, Belsha asked the panelists for suggestions on how to help Chicagoans better understand the issues. Ponce de León suggested attending Local School Council meetings to get a better view of school-level concerns. She said that groups such as Raise Your Hand, Generation All, and the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council offer good sources of information and Belsha acknowledged the many excellent education reporters in Chicago. Panelist and architect Paola Aguirre, whose Borderland Studios is working with the Hull-House Museum on a current exhibit, urged audience members to share the information they gain with others. Likewise, during the first panel, moderator Enyia praised the widespread activism led by students themselves, and asked panelists what supporting young people in their organizing work looks like. Moore observed that adults can get worn down after facing repeated no’s, but “young people can push you to ask for more.” Sigcho pointed to the increasing presence of #NoCopAcademy on Twitter
and said that young people were leading the way here. Woods noted that in many cases it was the students who were instrumental in getting their parents on board with supporting various issues. Sigcho acknowledged that working with young people was challenging, but he said he “feels optimistic because of the youth.” A current exhibit in the museum, “Claiming Space: Creative Grounds and Freedom Summer School,” like the panel discussions, provided an inspiring bridge between past and current activism. One of the pieces of art made by the children at Sumner Math and Science Community Academy with West Side artists featured the bullet belt that Harriet Tubman is famously pictured with reimagined as a paper belt with crayons spray-painted silver. By taking courage from heroes in the past and acknowledging the challenges they overcame, activists are collaborating to find ways they can creatively tackle and overcome the challenges of the present. ¬ Katie Gruber is a contributor to the Weekly. She is from Cincinnati but has lived in Hyde Park since 1996. Her book “I’m Sorry for What I’ve Done”: The Language of Courtroom Apologies was published by Oxford University Press in 2014. Since then she has been active in issues surrounding public education. She last wrote for the Weekly about CPS’s school rating system in February.
EVENTS
BULLETIN Aquinas Literacy Center Tutor Training Aquinas Literacy Center, 1751 W. 35th St. Friday, April 27–Saturday, April 28. Contact volunteer coordinator. (773) 927-0512. aquinasliteracycenter.org For the last twenty years, the Aquinas Literacy Center has been providing one-on-one English language tutoring to adult immigrants in McKinley Park. The center relies on volunteers for their work; participate in the training session at the end of April, and you can begin lending a hand in their mission. (Michael Wasney)
Chicago’s Gifted & Classical School Options: What’s Best for Your Child? Illinois Institute of Technology, 10 W. 35th St. Saturday, April 28, 10am–noon. $15. Adults only. bit.ly/WhatsBestChild In this workshop, parents of pre-K through fifth grade students will learn how to guide their children through the testing process and apply to CPS’ selective enrollment schools. Hear from guest speakers that can guide you through the best test prep resources that fit the needs of your child. Learn about the opening of new classical schools, the difference between gifted and classical schools, and much more. Seating is limited. (Maple Joy)
Foundations of Money Management Genesis Housing Development Corporation, 7735 S. Vernon Ave. Saturday, April 28, 10am–noon. Free. Registration required. (773) 994-6670. bit.ly/ GenesisMoneyManagement This workshop is perfect for those who experience chronic financial issues. At the presentation, Genesis Housing will go through everything from budgeting to banking 101. The event is free, so you won’t have to worry about cinching your belt tighter just to attend. (Michael Wasney)
CCC/CHA Partners in Education Information Session Malcom X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd., Room 1102. Wednesday, May 2, 10am–noon,
noon– 2pm, and 6:30–8:30pm. Free. (312) 553-2830. bit.ly/CCCandCHA The CHA and City Colleges of Chicago are teaming up to host several information sessions on how eligible participants can attend City Colleges at low or no cost. Learn about the program deadlines, requirements, and academic programs to put you on a path to a better career. To be considered for funding, you must attend an information session before registering for classes. (Maple Joy)
Black Women, Sex and the Lies our Mothers Told Us The Silver Room, 1506 E. 53rd St. Monday, May 7, 6pm–8pm. Free. (773) 947-0024. thesilverroom.com The Silver Room is inviting all mothers/ daughters/aunts to come by and hear author and community psychologist Dr. Hareder McDowell read excerpts from her new book. The event will also give attendees the opportunity to discuss their own experiences around the dynamics of mother-daughter relationships within the Black community. Come with open hearts, and open stomachs as well—wine and light refreshments will be served alongside the discussion. (Michael Wasney)
Wurd Is Balm 2018 Chicago State University, 9501 S. King Dr., 2nd floor of the Student Union building. Sunday, May 13, 7pm–10pm. Free. csu.edu As has become tradition, Chicago State University will be holding its eighth annual Wurd is Balm open mic poetry jam to celebrate (the end of ) National Poetry Month. Whether you’re a poet or poetry lover, this will be a great space to meet Chicago writers, and to showcase your own writing if you have it. Regardless of the reason that motivates you to attend, rest assured that you won’t find a better event post-National Poetry Month. (Michael Wasney)
VISUAL ARTS Sketch Thursday Maria’s Packaged Goods and Community Bar, 960 W. 31st St. Thursday, April 26, 7pm. Free, cash bar. (773) 890-0588. community-bar.com
As if you really need a pretext to hang out in the beloved Bridgeport bar, which boasts a well-curated craft beer list (including selections from the in-house Marz Community Brewing Co.) and some of the best Polish-Korean fusion around. Here’s one anyway: Sketch Thursday invites everyone, artist or not, to drink, draw and hang out. ( Joseph S. Pete)
Cumbia & Stanzas AMFM Gallery, 2151 W. 21st St. Thursday, April 26, 6pm. Free. info@amfm-mag.com. amfm.life Brown and Proud Press invites you to AMFM Gallery for a Latinx poetry showcase and cumbia dance party! In addition to poets, there will be DJs spinning and vendors with various products available. Come through: this night is guaranteed to be a lot of fun, and might just inspire you to pick up the pen yourself ! (Roderick Sawyer)
Stomping Grounds National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Saturday, April 28, 7:30pm–9pm. Free, or $5 for reserved supporter tickets. (312) 738-1503. nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org The Mexican Folk Dance Company of Chicago, the Natya Dance Theatre and the Trinity Irish Dance Company will perform at the Pilsen museum. It’s part of a twomonth citywide tour of “authentic rhythmic world dance companies,” which will make stops at venues like the Beverly Arts Center and the DuSable Museum of African American History. ( Joseph S. Pete)
Yollo Spring 2018 Exhibition Yollocalli Arts Reach, 2801 S. Ridgeway Ave. Friday, May 4, 5:30pm–7pm. Free. (773) 521-1621. yollocalli.org Yollocalli is holding a showcase for the work of all its wonderful and talented youth artists. No matter what medium you’re into, there will be a little bit of something for everyone: photography, written work, graffiti and mural painting, and much more. Yollocalli is a kid-friendly space, so bring the whole family. (Michael Wasney)
MUSIC Steve Coleman Residency BING Art Books, 307 E. Garfield Blvd. Friday, April 27, 7pm–9pm. Free. (872) 2569702. arts.uchicago.edu Steve Coleman is the sort of musician whose technique takes paragraphs and subhedings just to gloss: “overlapping cycles, timbre, structure, intuition...” This is the final show in the peerless, South Side–raised, avant-jazz alto saxophonist’s residency. (Christopher Good)
Hymen Moments, Squared Off, Without Light, Blue Ribbon Glee Club Co-Prosperity Sphere, 3219 S. Morgan St. Friday, April 27, 7pm–11pm. $7 at door, all ages with guardian. (773) 823-9700. coprosperity.org The team behind Punk Rock & Donuts has banded together for another night of thrash n’ trash at the Co-Pro. Local, all-woman Misfits tribute band Hymen Moments will headline, with support from hardhitting traditionalists Squared Off––plus Blue Ribbon Glee Club, an unironic punk acapella group. (Christopher Good)
Thaddeus Tukes’ Viibez Greater Grand Crossing Branch Library, 1000 E. 73rd St. Saturday, April 28, 2pm– 3pm. Free. (312) 745-1608. chipublib.org Thaddeus Tukes, a Near West Side–raised vibraphone virtuoso, expresses more with his mallets than most of us can with our voices. Now, he’s bringing the jazz to Greater Grand Crossing with a five-piece outfit of vocals, saxophone, drums and bass. (Christopher Good)
Da Woodlawn DJs Spring Fling 7421 S. Chicago Ave. Saturday, April 28, 8pm–2am. $10 at the door. Free food and BYOB. bit.ly/DaWoodlawnDJs Is your weekend missing some great house music? Make your way over to Grand Crossing this weekend to listen to Woodlawn’s finest. DJ Jammin Jeff, DJ Ser’Gio, DJ Donell, DJ Reverb, DJ J’ House, DJ BT and DJ Stutta—they’ll all be there, and you should be too. (Michael Wasney) APRIL 25, 2018 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 21
THE PUBLIC NEWSROOM: SSW RADIO
BadEgg Presents: Cyberpsycho Goth Rave MoySpace, 502 W. 28th St. Saturday, April 28, doors open at 9:30pm. $5 at door. notdiychi.com Cybergoths, get your chokers and JNCOs at the ready. It’s time to log in. Queer art collective Bad Egg is bringing an enigmatic lineup of beatmakers and noisemakers to its first party: Seshwan50k, Sweetie Poison, cmfrtfck, IT-XPO and more. (Christopher Good)
Thursday, April 26, 6pm–8pm
What do you want to see from a community radio program?
Workshop and conversation led by Radio Editors and Producers Erisa Apantaku and Olivia Obineme CITYBUREAU.ORG/PUBLICNEWSROOM THE EXPERIMENTAL STATION 6100 S. BLACKSTONE AVE
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STAGE & SCREEN An Evening with Nikki Giovanni American Writers Museum, 180 N. Michigan Ave. Thursday, April 26, 6:30pm–8pm. $12. (312) 374-8790. americanwritersmuseum.org
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Announcements
Merchandise
The National Latino Education Institute (NLEI) will host a Job Fair on Thursday, April 12, 2018 at its main building at 2011 West Pershing Road in Chicago. The fair runs from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and admission is free. Don’t miss the opportunity to job search, network, and meet with employers. Bring plenty of resumes and dress for success. Free workshops will also be onsite. For more information and to register, please call us at 773-247-0707 ext. 264. www.nlei.org
I pay top dollar for your vinyl records. Rock, punk, soul, jazz, folk, etc. LP’s 45’s, whatever you got. Give me a holler and get some cash instead of letting your records sit there and collect dust!! Contact: 773-372-6643
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Acclaimed poet Nikki Giovanni, who is considered one of the best-known Black poets and was named a “Living Legend” by Oprah Winfrey to boot, visits the American Writers Museum in the Loop. The prolific Langston Hughes Medal Laureate and Grammy Award nominee will read from her many works, which includes more than thirty books. ( Joseph S. Pete)
Masters of Soul Motown Revue Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Friday, April 27, 8pm. $38. (773) 445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org Celebrate the legendary songs and performers of Motown in this ninetyminute show featuring the music, dance, and costumes that made Motown famous. Older generations can reminisce to the soundtrack of their youth while younger generations will be introduced to many of the greatest musical acts ever recorded. (Nicole Bond)
The Gün (Gold Day) Filmfront, 1740 W 18th St. Saturday, April 28, 6pm–7pm. $5–$7 suggested donation. filmfront.org
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Come by The Gün (Gold Day) to see two short films by the Chicago-based Turkish artist Hale Ekinci. Attendees will get to participate in the Turkish tradition—the Gün—that is the subject of the first film, in which women gather and exchange gifts, gold coins, and good company. The screening will be followed by a conversation between Ekinci and two Chicago-based Turkish academics. Bring a donation to recreate the circumstances of an actual Gün—filmfront will also do its part by providing tea, dessert, and a vegetarian meal. (Michael Wasney)
Comfort Stew eta Creative Arts, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. Friday, April 20–Sunday, May 20. Friday through Sunday, 8pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm; Sundays. $15–$35. (773) 752-3955. etacreativearts.org Playwright and poet Angela Jackson weaves a tale of a missing child ripped straight from the headlines. Her play, directed by Cheryl Lynn Bruce, concerns how parents love their children in an evening of “memory and hope” and the “actions of the spirit.” ( Joseph S. Pete)
FOOD & LAND Gardeneers Part-time Garden Educator Job Application Gardeneers, 3414 W. Roosevelt Ave., 2nd fl. Application due Friday, April 27, 5pm. Send cover letter to alex@gardeneers.org. gardeneers.org Gardeneers—a nonprofit that uses urban agriculture as an educational tool in Chicago schools—is hiring for a parttime educator position. The person hired for the position will play a significant role in communicating with schools during the growing season, creating and leading lessons, and everything else needed to ensure that the gardens are productive and the students engaged. If you have a green thumb and are looking for a way to share it, this is the perfect opportunity for you. (Michael Wasney)
EVENTS
Dismantling Racism in the Food System Leadership Training Bridgeport Art Center, 1200 W. 35th St. May 4–5. Friday, 9am–6pm, and Saturday, 8:30am–6pm. $200. Scholarship applications available upon request at info@ urbangrowerscollective.org. (773) 376-8882. urbangrowerscollective.org Are you an urban farmer, community leader, or worker in the food chain? Urban Growers Collective (UGC) is hosting a two-day workshop designed to help attendees understand the many levels on which racism and privilege manifest and to foster discussion about sustainable agriculture as a means of empowering lowincome communities and communities of color. All meals will be provided by UGC. For childcare, please send an email to the address listed above. (Emeline Posner)
Man vs. Machine Volunteer Composting Day The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St., backyard. Saturday, May 5, 9am–1pm. Free. (773) 847-5523. plantchicago.org Screen and sift! Screen and sift! This will be the calling cry at Saturday’s composting day at the Plant. After screening and sifting, hosts Bubbly Dynamics and Closed Loop Farms will treat volunteers to a free lunch and Compost 101 class. Afterwards, peruse the Plant’s market day, or head up to the third floor for a class on seed-starting. You’ll be an expert in all things farm and garden by the day’s end. (Emeline Posner)
Seed Starting with Urban Canopy The Plant, 1400 W. 46th St., 3rd fl. Saturday, May 5, 3pm–4pm. $15. (773) 847-5523. bit.ly/2HRvc02 The goal of Urban Canopy is to make local produce available to everyone, and to create a more sustainable and equitable food system in Chicago. This organization will
be hosting a one-hour, hands-on workshop on how to start seeds at home using repurposed everyday supplies. Participants will also leave with their own seedlings to plant this spring. (Maple Joy)
Value Added Food Products Class Windy City Harvest, 3555 Ogden Ave. Saturday, May 5, 9am–3pm. $75, scholarships available. (847) 835-5440. chicagobotanic.org If you are an aspiring food entrepreneur or an urban farmer looking to expand your business, then these courses offered by the Chicago Botanic Garden are for you. Learn basic techniques, food safety regulations, and the business basics of producing local food products. Additionally, enjoy hands on activities and taste tests. Don’t forget to bring your own lunch for a full day of activities. This event is only open to members of the Chicago Botanic Garden. (Maple Joy)
Chicago Community Grant Program Salon South Loop, address posted day of the event. Wednesday, May 9, 6pm–10pm. $5–$10. chicago@burnerswithoutborders. bit.ly/ ChiCommGrantProgramSalon Burners Without Borders Chicago and Bold Urban Renaissance are teaming up to give grants to organizations and individuals working on sustainability projects in their community, and you can have a say in who gets the grant if you come to the salon on May 9. For $5–$10, attendees will get the chance to listen to presentations by programs contending for the grant, submit a vote, and receive a delectable dinner from Edible Alchemy Foods. (Michael Wasney)
Blackstone Bicycle Works
Weekly Bike Sale Every Saturday at 12pm Wide selection of refurbished bikes! (most bikes are between $120 & $250)
follow us at @blackstonebikes blackstonebikes.org
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
773 241 5458 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637
A PROGRAM OF
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p m a c r e m m u s ! l a v i v e R e @Th
H T 7 1 G U A H T 8 1 E N U J 2 1 6 KIDS AGE ! E R O M D N A T N E M E V O M , C I S U M , V O R P IM
S P M A C / M O .C L A IV V E -R E H T IT FOR MORE INFORMATION, VIS