August 16, 2017 by South Side Weekly

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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 4, Issue 38 Editor-in-Chief Hafsa Razi Managing Editors Julia Aizuss, Andrew Koski Director of Staff Support Baci Weiler Deputy Editor Olivia Stovicek Senior Editor Emeline Posner Politics Editor Adia Robinson Music Editor Austin Brown Stage & Screen Editor Nicole Bond Visual Arts Editor Rod Sawyer Editors-at-Large Christian Belanger, Mira Chauhan, Mari Cohen, Jonathan Hogeback, Yunhan Wen Contributing Editors Maddie Anderson, Maria Babich, Bridget Newsham, Adam Przybyl, Sam Stecklow, Margaret Tazioli Radio Producers Erisa Apantaku, Andrew Koski, Lewis Page Social Media Editors Bridget Newsham, Sam Stecklow Visuals Editor Ellen Hao Deputy Visuals Editor Jasmin Liang Photography Editor Jason Schumer Layout Editor Baci Weiler Staff Writers: Sara Cohen, Christopher Good, Rachel Kim, Ashvini Kartik-Narayan, Michal Kranz, Anne Li, Michael Wasney Fact Checkers: Eleanore Catolico, Sam Joyce, Rachel Kim, Adam Przybyl, Hafsa Razi, Carrie Smith, Tiffany Wang, Baci Weiler Staff Photographers: Denise Naim, Jason Schumer, Luke Sironski-White Staff Illustrators: Zelda Galewsky, Natalie Gonzalez, Courtney Kendrick, Turtel Onli, Raziel Puma, Lizzie Smith Data Visualization: Jasmine Mithani Webmaster

Sofia Wyetzner

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Harry Backlund

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IN CHICAGO

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

Rauner Overridden? This past Sunday, the Illinois Senate voted to override Governor Bruce Rauner’s amendatory veto of the General Assembly’s school funding bill. The legislative action now proceeds on to the House, where four Republicans will need to join with all Democrat representatives to pass the original funding bill; despite their budget victory from about a month ago, it’s not clear if Democrats will have the requisite votes for another override this time around. Rauner used his amendatory veto to alter the original bill that had been sent to his desk. Among other things, he allocated $463 million less in funding to CPS than the Illinois legislature’s original plan. (He disputes the number by a cool $200 million, saying the state will, separately, pick up pension costs.) The governor’s attempts to gut CPS’s funding are, to put it mildly, unsurprising—over the weekend, he once again claimed that a more equitable statewide educational system meant moving money out of Chicago’s public schools. Of course, Rauner might be concerned with a different sort of inequality: in the 2014 gubernatorial election, he lost Cook County by thirty percent to Pat Quinn. Meanwhile, with the Bud Billiken parade just behind us, the start of school is quickly approaching without a final budget—the state has already missed its first payment to Illinois’s school districts, scheduled for August 10. Told You It Was a Mirage When we last made note of this in May, South Shore’s three-year food desert, resulting from the Dominick’s exodus from Jeffery Plaza, was to be solved by Niles-based grocer Shop & Save reportedly signing a fifteen-year lease. Psych! With the space still vacant three months later, a plan was endorsed by a city commission last Tuesday, according to DNAinfo, to seize the entire 113,300-square-foot shopping mall, through eminent domain, for owner Cannon Commercial’s failure to secure an anchor tenant—particularly a grocery store to replace Dominick’s. By the way, this vacancy is the only location to remain vacant since the chain closed all its Chicago locations. 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Hairston says this is necessary to bring development to the community, but if in 2015 the city council approved the use of eminent domain to seize the shopping center, as reported by DNAinfo, and that authority expires November 2018, what has been going on since 2015? And what is fair to expect going forward? We’re waiting to see, just like you. Vision Zero Has Zero Vision Data published by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) last week revealed that the city’s surge in pedestrian traffic fatalities shows no signs of slowing, with twenty-seven such deaths this year to date—one more than last year during the same time period, and nine more than the same time period in 2011. CDOT’s most recent data did not break down the deaths by geographical location, but the vast majority of all pedestrian traffic deaths occur on the South and West Sides; a Tribune analysis of CPD data earlier this year found Ashland Avenue between 43rd and 87th Streets to be the most dangerous street in the city for anyone not behind the wheel. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s adoption of the international Vision Zero traffic safety campaign, whose plan was released this summer, was meant to abate this issue of poor urban design and lax enforcement, but many questions remain if there is any bite behind the city’s bark; thus far, the only tangible result of the campaign in other sites seems to be increased law enforcement for minor biking infractions in low-income communities of color without much bike infrastructure to speak of. As we find ourselves often asking of the mayor’s various programs, what will be the actual final result of the city’s adoption of the Vision Zero campaign? As of yet, it certainly doesn’t mean fewer pedestrian traffic deaths, which is essentially its only goal.

IN THIS ISSUE deeon does deeon

“It’s worldwide, you know––there’s a lot of music out here for everyone.” christopher good............................4 a four-wheeled family

Some cars “hop” as high as twenty feet. sebastián hidalgo............................5 pushing forward

Rather than restless, this crowd is jubilant. lois biggs............................................8 opinion: the youth violence intervention built to last

There is no agenda. Instead, CBT empowers us to act in ways consistent with who we are. tim porter & alex armonda...........9

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6pm Workshop: The Art of the Interview This interactive workshop will teach you how to ask good questions, how to read your interviewee, and how to adjust your approach in different interviewing environments. Additionally, you’ll have the opportunity to join City Bureau’s Documenters network! Led by City Bureau Director of Community Engagement Andrea Hart

Cover photo by Sebastian Hidalgo

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MUSIC

Deeon Does Deeon Talking mixtapes, Daft Punk, and Dance Mania with a ghetto house don BY CHRISTOPHER GOOD

here’s something unusual about DJ Deeon’s Friday night set at Pilsen’s Fiesta del Sol: it’s clean. Tonight, his stage is within earshot of neon-lit carnival rides and family friendly attractions, so the raunchiest matter has been scrubbed out, presumably for the children’s sake. But as the bobbing and juking of the crowd suggests, even some conveniently placed backspins can’t dampen a cut like “Let me Bang.” In the eighties, DJ Deeon started channeling his acid house and Italo house inspirations into something a little less predictable and a lot less polite. Today, he’s widely regarded as a trailblazer in what came to be known as “ghetto house”: a style defined by crisp drums, sticky melodies, and lustful vocal hooks (“Shake dat Butt,” “Bounce Shawty,” “Put it in yo Mouth,” etc.). As a half-dozen articles (and Deeon’s own Facebook) reiterate: it’s music “for the strippers, for the street.” When the legendary label Dance Mania collapsed and the city’s house scene began to dissipate in the late nineties, DJ Deeon kept afloat. But in 2002, the Chicago-born and Bronzeville-based producer was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The fight changed his life. Despite chemotherapy and a decadelong period of remission, the cancer recurred in his heart in 2012. It took quadruple bypass surgery, the amputation of his lower left leg, and a struggle with depression before Deeon could recover. But in recent years, he’s been back on the scene––and winning considerable clout, from Boiler Room sets and Katy B production credits to a reissue on trendy Glasgow label Numbers. (Deeon and label head Jackmaster have been tight “since 2000,” he says). Producers like Bok Bok, Nina Kraviz, and Jimmy Edgar continue to play his tracks and name him as an influence. Over coffee, Deeon and I talk about ghetto house, Berghain, and one of his favorite DJ selections: someone’s mix of Eurhythmics (“Sweet Dreams”) over Cajmere (“Percolator”). This speaks to the way he puts creativity ahead of house purism––“I got a little flak about that, 4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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but I was like: ‘I don’t care, it works!’ It works every time.” How did you first get into music? When I was little, my mom would have parties in the front yard. I would just pick records and play them, the records that I had heard on the radio. It started from there, just one old turntable with the little arm that picks up. I was raised in the seventies through all the soul––then, hip-hop came in around ’79, I was going through that, and house music was born in the eighties. And then the nineties, and that’s the best: the eighties and nineties were the best! I liked the way everything was mashed up, like how people mashed up hip-hop with house with the hip-house thing. I was really happy that it [all came] from Chicago. When did you start producing? I started in ’81. One of my friends bought a set of turntables––well, his mom bought it for him for Christmas––and we started going to his house and DJing a little bit. Later on that spring, I got a job working in a gas station, and I purchased my own stuff, my own little Mattel Synsonics drum. That got me into doing a little production here and there, making beat tracks and blending a cappellas over them. That’s how it all really started. As time went on, as I started doing parties in the other housing projects––I would think of all the concepts, and produce things more personal to the area. I was DJing in the neighborhoods and in the projects––the one I grew up in was called Wentworth Gardens; the one that I moved to when I was like sixteen was called Stateway Gardens. I lived on the seventeenth floor, and you know, I was doing the parties over there, so I was cool. I would make mixtapes and sell them, and it got to a point where they were popular. I would get cassettes and dub them, and then I would

CHRISTOPHER GOOD

be downstairs selling mixtapes to the guys that were selling their drugs. The people that would come in would come in to buy weed from the West Side, everywhere––they would come because the people [living in the projects] had the best weed––everybody would come from everywhere, and I’d be right there, selling my cassettes. Who was on those mixtapes? Steve Poindexter, Mike Dunn, Steve Hurley, Chippy, you know. And then, Cajmere–– “The Percolator,” when it first came out––the nineties were the best, man, it all coincided. And my own stuff. How did you end up on Dance Mania? In like, ’91, ’92, I had heard that Armando [Gallop] had heard one of my tracks and had a record that sampled it. When I bought the record I figured he had sampled it, so I immediately called Ray Barney at Dance Mania and told him he sampled my stuff off [one of my] cassettes. I was like, “I want to know what y’all are gonna do about it,

because he doesn’t have the rights. [Barney] was like, “Cool, come and talk to me.” Before I talked to Ray, I talked to Armando. Armando was like, “I knew it was yours, but I didn’t know how to get in touch with you. So it’s cool, maybe I can get you all on a record.” And he told me that he’d make it up to me, [that] he’d put my stuff out. That’s all I wanted to hear. Everything kind of fell into place. I didn’t really think about being a professional DJ until, like, the early nineties. It was mostly just a hobby––[but after a while, it was also] income, you know what I’m saying? I was selling cassettes and making, like, five hundred dollars a week. The cassettes led me to produce more so I could make more cassettes, and after meeting Ray, I started doing records. Shortly after that, I started doing bookings, getting bookings in London––this is back in the nineties; ’93, ’92. After that, that’s what I wanted to do, period. How did it feel to get that kind of attention? It feels pretty good, man. You know Chicago,

CARS

you don’t really get the recognition, you don’t really get the attention in Chicago that you get in Europe, it’s the best thing. See, you interviewed [RP] Boo––you know, Boo, he kept his day job forever. It’s a dream [when] you’ve been working all your life, and then you take off doing what you love. That’s crazy, that’s awesome. Do you like touring? I like it because it’s not just Chicago––the Chicago hypocrites and Chicago politics. It’s worldwide, you know––there’s a lot of music out here for everyone. You get to hear different styles and different cultures, and you know, you get to see the crazy Irish boys that go crazy––I love those guys.

Family On Four Wheels

You played at Berghain a few months back, right? It was magical, man. Mostly a techno crowd, you know, real receptive. They were waiting on me, actually! Usually I do my time and I be ready to go, but I wanted to hang around a little bit because this place is famous. When I left it was 8 o’clock in the morning––and the line was still outside when we left. It was an experience, man. You get a shout-out on “Teachers,” a song from Daft Punk’s Homework. What’s the story there? I met Thomas [Bangalter] at Gramophone Records because I had made a cassette [with] one of his tracks. When he came over from Paris and saw my cassette with his record on the playlist, he told me that he wanted to meet. So me, him and [DJ] Milton hung out, had a little coffee, hung out and talked. Next thing I know, it was Daft Punk. I was like, wow. Is that you singing on your tracks? Yeah, most of them are just me. Maybe I get one of my nieces, wife, girlfriend at the time––but mostly, it’s just me. How do you feel about the term “ghetto house”? Well, that’s what they call it now, so that’s what it is. And I kinda adopted that. Some people call it ratchet house, booty house, stuff like that...but I think it’s just street house music. That’s all it is. ¬

Pilsen’s Slow & Low: Community Lowrider Festival is back, and it’s bigger than ever BY SEBASTIÁN HIDALGO

his year’s sixth annual Slow & Low: Community Lowrider Festival drew thousands to Pilsen on Sunday, August 6. Lowriders—customized classic vehicles that drive low to the ground—originated in Los Angeles, but here in Chicago they come with a lifestyle devoted to family and community. The new location for the festival, on Cermak and Loomis Avenues, offered more space for members of the Lowrider community to display projects and sell merchandise, including recorders, vintage clothing, and decorative jewels for cars. Participants also hosted car and motorcycle displays along with Aztec dancers and mariachi bands. Initially located under the I-90 at 18th Street and Union Avenue, and then at the grounds of the Ozinga concrete company, as Slow & Low grew in popularity, so did the need for more space—so much so that last year’s festival was canceled when a large and safe enough space couldn’t be found in time. “It’s really important to keep [Slow & Low] in the Pilsen community,” said Lauren Pacheco, one of the festival organizers. “It’s really accessible with public transit for those who are curious about the subculture. The neighborhood is rich with vibrant colors and culture, that really brings people together in a common bond, sharing ideas, having a creative input on their ongoing projects.” Hundreds of Lowriders displaying red, pink, blue, green, or orange glossy colors and luxurious interiors stretched half a mile south on Loomis. Some were simply refurbished and lowered for a “lean and

mean” look, while others were lowered with operations that allowed the riderless vehicles to hop, jump, and even dance on command. Hardcore “hoppers”—a term describing competitive Lowriders— sport with one another while representing their suburban chapters in front of eager spectators during a hop competition. Some “hop” as high as twenty feet, lasting for roughly five seconds. The general rule is: whichever car can be made to hop the highest and longest wins the competition. “There’s going to be a lot of shit-talking, you know,” said Frank Betancourt, explaining how his fellow “hoppers” motivate each other before every hop competition. “It’s not to be taken to heart, you know, it’s just a part of the sport. At the end of the day we’re all one big family.” Family, a recurring theme at Slow & Low, offers strength and bonding for members of the Lowrider community. For David Diaz, a family man and owner of a white 1995 Lincoln Town Car, his project and lifestyle acts as a distraction for himself and his children from the realities of living in gang-affiliated communities. “My kids are all into Lowriding, you know. It’s better for them to have something like this then being on the streets or being a part of the gang life,” said Diaz, as he prepared to drive his car to the hopping grounds. “It’s what it’s all about, you know, building a community and being a part of a family.” AUGUST 16, 2017 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SEBASTIÁN HIDALGO

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VISUAL ARTS

Pushing Forward

The National Museum of Mexican Art celebrates thirty years BY LOIS BIGGS

n the evening of July 7, pink clouds billow over Pilsen, and the National Museum of Mexican Art is abuzz. The line for the museum’s thirtieth birthday pachanga stretches down a long hallway, however despite the long wait, the crowd is jubilant. Before reaching the dance floor, visitors wind through a small gallery framed by colorful walls and the smell of fresh popcorn. Families and friends embrace one another, eat piping hot tamales, and pose with feather boas as vintage Latin vinyl music, handpicked by local DJ collective Sonorama, floats in from a nearby stage. A collection of work from Yollocalli Arts Reach, the NMMA’s award-winning youth initiative, surrounds the celebration with messages of solidarity in the face of oppression. The work is part of Yollocalli’s second annual “Best of Yollo” show, and features art from the initiative’s regular programming and submissions focused on the theme “political issues affecting youth.” Protest posters paper the gallery’s western wall, some featuring familiar slogans like “Fight Ignorance, Not Immigrants,” “No Justice No Peace,” and others—a photo of the Statue of Liberty accompanied by yellow text reading “[screaming internally]”—playfully repurposing pop culture. In one corner, highcontrast photographs of shoes, playgrounds, and neighborhood cats explore the meaning of “safe spaces.” And just before the dance floor entrance, a poster by Yollocalli students Cecilia Ruiz and Zipporah Auta declares boldly: “Through thick and thin, we’re proud to be who we are.” The beaming woman next to me in line for popcorn is Leticia Madrigal, the founder of Ámate Ahora—“Love Yourself Now”—a Pilsen health organization that hosts their 8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

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annual expo in the room we now stand in. She recalls her first meeting with NMMA founder and president Carlos Tortolero at the first Ámate Ahora expo, how he greeted her with joy and told her that the museum is her home. “[Tortolero’s] leadership of the museum is so important, so key, to our community,” said Madrigal. “He’s helping us stay healthy and get access to extremely important services.” Our exchange continues, drifting from healing to honor to César Chávez, but every thread of conversation leads back to Tortolero, his leadership, and his impact. Madrigal has high hopes for the NMMA’s future, and she refers to the man and the museum interchangeably, substituting the part for the whole in a telling synecdoche. “As he grows, we grow,” she concluded, gesturing to the bustle around us. “As he blossoms, we blossom. Because that’s what flowers do, right? We help each other grow, and that’s what the National Museum of Mexican Art is: it’s a beautiful flower, there’s a garden of us, and this is how our garden can bloom.” Whether by giving space to nonprofits like Madrigal’s, catering food from neighborhood businesses, or encouraging youth artistic and political engagement through Yollocalli, the NMMA plays an important role not only in Pilsen’s culture but in its general well-being. However, in Tienda Tzintzuntzán, the museum’s gift shop, a humble Tortolero demurs at the praise of his friends and colleagues. “They lie, they lie, they lie,” he chuckled. Tortolero moved to Chicago from Mexico as a young child. In 1987, he and a group of fellow CPS educators opened the

NATALIE GONZALEZ

Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum with a small budget and an emphasis on accessibility, education, and social justice. Thirty years, a name change, and countless expansions later, the National Museum of Mexican Art sees 130,000 visitors annually, is home to one of the U.S.’s largest Mexican art collections, and was the first Latinx museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The museum’s president is charming, bespectacled, and a gifted storyteller. He pauses occasionally to chat with friends and donors, but always returns to our conversation without missing a beat. “We show the beauty of Mexican art and culture from both sides of the border, from ancient times to the present,” said Tortolero. He makes clear that amidst the museum’s growth and development, its core principles have not changed. “I have this weird philosophy,” he began. “I do believe that everybody’s equal. It’s not a slogan.” While the museum is focused on Mexican art sin fronteras, Tortolero hopes to draw in a range of people through its exhibits and programming. And whether it’s through fostering youth programs like Yollocalli or encouraging children to visit the museum, he describes intergenerational engagement as a vital part of the NMMA. Tortolero grins as a group of children yell out in the background. “People call us the baby carriage museum,” he said. “I like that.” While he sees retirement in his future and says that he’ll “be gone for sure thirty years from now,” Tortolero places high expectations on the NMMA. As Chicago neighborhoods contend with Trump administration policies,

he believes that institutions like the one he leads need to be more vocal than ever. “Artists need to speak up,” he said. “Arts administrations need to speak up. As long as racism persists we have to be out there making sure we speak out against it.” He cites A Day Without a Mexican, a recent film directed by Sergio Arau and sponsored by the museum, as an important example of artistic protest. And like Madrigal, he links the museum’s bright future with community support. “One time I saw a father and son near the donation box, and they were speaking Spanish,” he begins. “The father is dressed in, you know, working clothes, so they don’t have a lot of money, and the father gives his son a dollar and the son puts it in. So the son asks, ‘Why are we putting in a dollar, you told me it was free?’ and the father says, ‘We want to make sure it’s free for everybody.’ That dollar means a lot more symbolically than the big grants.” Meanwhile, Yollocalli director Vanessa Sanchez works to bring the NMMA’s community support full circle by providing educational and career support for youth in Pilsen and Little Village. “We’re trying to take into consideration some of the issues that these young people face, such as financial issues or having difficulty applying for whatever reasons,” she said. “We’re considering making a scholarship or some way to help fundraise for these young people.” On the dance floor, the pachanga continues at peak energy. Children hold hands and spin in circles, NMMA employees slice a beautiful cake topped with a fondant

OPINION

ojo de dios, and Efrain Lopez, who has worked as the museum’s carpenter for twenty-eight years, serves up homemade aguas frescas. Beneath a slideshow listing thirty years of museum milestones rests the DJ booth, where Sonorama’s Edward Baca spins a vibrant soundtrack for the scene. Baca is one third of Sonorama, a trio of self-described “vinyl heads” who seek out classic Latin American music of all genres. The DJs play parties, publish podcasts, and host a weekly show on Lumpen Radio. Although Baca doesn’t have a long history with the museum, he admires its support of local businesses as well as local art, recalling a 2015 fundraiser for well-loved, burnt-down restaurant Nuevo Leon. He also finds artistic encouragement in its collections. “It expands your mind when you realize there’s this giant long history of Mexican art and Mexican-American art and Chicano art,” he said. “Just being here and seeing that work you’re just supported, your ideas and inspirations are reinforced and pushed forward.” Elizabeth Garcia, an incoming student at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s medical school, expresses a similar sentiment. She first came to the NMMA while working as a mentor in nearby schools and noticed students’ excitement at seeing familiar figures like the Virgin of Guadalupe represented within a museum context. “I think they like looking at things that reflect them in some way,” Garcia said. “It’s fun to go to the museum and see a cool dinosaur, but their eyes lit up more when they saw a reflection of themselves in art that they saw here.” Garcia also believes that the NMMA’s ability to foster personal and political engagement makes it a source of strength for her community. While gentrifying actions like the recent painting over of the Casa Aztlan murals by real estate developers upset her, she said that visiting the museum always helps her feel better. A center for action, a source of encouragement, a space for healing—the National Museum of Mexican Art fulfills vital roles in Pilsen and beyond. As the pachanga crowd spins to Sonorama tracks and Lopez passes out the last few aguas frescas, Garcia’s words come to mind: “It’s here, it’s here to stay, and it’s something that you can’t erase.” ¬

Opinion: The Youth Violence Intervention Built to Last Expanding cognitive behavioral therapy for students BY TIM PORTER & ALEX ARMONDA

hicago is trying, make no mistake. Consider the Army of Moms based in Englewood, the Violence Interrupters of Cure Violence, the anti-gang violence work of community members Benny and Jorge in Little Village, or Father Pfleger’s parish in Auburn Gresham; examples are everywhere. From the high-profile work by artists like Chance the Rapper and athletes like Joakim Noah, to the anonymous daily struggles of overworked, under-appreciated parents and guardians of our city’s children, Chicago is trying. And yet, in spite of the tireless efforts by our city’s bravest, brightest, and most passionate citizens, we are obligated to reckon with the sad, simple truth: many of Chicago’s young people are still killing each other. And so we keep trying. The solution we propose expands upon an empirically proven, cost-effective, highly reproducible methodology known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Through workbooks of defined exercises, CBT teaches us how to slow down our thinking in order to fully consider decisions before we make them. Mastering impulsivity in this way leads to fewer decisions we regret. The most important thing to understand about CBT, however, is that it does not teach anyone anything except this single skillset. There is no agenda. Instead, it empowers us to act in ways consistent with how we were raised, who we are, and what we believe. One of CBT’s most thrilling success stories has been the Becoming A Man (BAM) program. In 2013, BAM garnered the attention of President Barack Obama as an inspirational model for his initiatives aimed at curbing gun violence among low-income men of color. The University of Chicago Crime Lab formally evaluated BAM’s effectiveness in two separate randomized control trials of seventh- through tenth-grade boys in Chicago public schools on the South and West Sides. Taken together, these studies showed that for the duration of the BAM program, it decreased violent crime arrests

by forty-four to fifty percent, increased high school graduation rates by twelve to nineteen percent, and returned up to thirty dollars in societal gains for every single dollar invested in BAM programming. Unfortunately, after the study ended and the youth in the study left the program, the extraordinary effect on violence did not last. Within a year, the arrest rates for those teenagers returned to pre-intervention levels. We have identified two important reasons for this limited success: the program’s short duration, and its focus on a small subset of students. By addressing these issues, our proposal builds on previous victories of CBT to create lasting, lifelong change. We advocate for full implementation of these proven CBT methodologies for children of all ages—not just in middle or high school, but from kindergarten through graduation. There is a consensus among medical and social scientists regarding the absolute importance of early childhood education as a social determinant of health, and CBT interventions have shown success in elementary school students. Despite the incredible political pressure to find a quick fix for the problem as soon as possible, it would be a mistake to only focus on young men who have been judged to be at risk of committing crimes now, as BAM does. Rather, by teaching all young children CBT methodologies during their socially and emotionally formative years, we take this intervention as far upstream as possible, forming a lifetime of cognitive habits. Our curriculum is intended for all children. This is necessary for several reasons. First, the ability to slow down one’s thinking is a skill every person deserves. Our society is painfully ripe with examples of adults making a variety of terrible decisions simply because they cannot stay calm long enough to see a better option. Second, providing the intervention only to children with specific problems further isolates them, inviting ridicule and stripping them of the untapped

ELLEN HAO

self-agency they possess. Finally, with every child learning the same simple skill, the changes will permeate throughout every corner of every classroom. In summary, our vision is a CBT-based curriculum—separate, defined, consistent, reproducible, and built into the daily schedule of every child in the Chicago Public School system. Rather than imparting students with a set of moral or political imperatives, this curriculum would teach students how to act in ways which are consistent with the values given to them by their families and communities, thereby matching their actions with the good and just people they truly are. By providing this skill to every child in every classroom, the proven benefits of CBT will last a lifetime. If you believe you can help and want to become involved, please contact us at ChicagoCBTPilot@gmail.com. Tim Porter, MD, is a general pediatrician in Chicago. He received his medical doctorate from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and completed his pediatrics residency training at Northwestern University and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Alex Armonda was an eighth grade teacher in at Chicago Math And Science Academy. An alumnus of Teach for America Chicago, he is a graduate of the Masters of Arts in Teaching Program at Dominican University. This fall, he will be entering the Ph.D. program in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. AUGUST 16, 2017 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

BULLETIN Community Programs Accelerator Application Second Information Session Community Programs Accelerator, 5225 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Wednesday, August 16, 6pm–7pm. RSVP online. Free. bit.ly/AcceleratorInfo Join the Community Programs Accelerator at the UofC for their second application information session. The Community Programs Accelerator offers “technical assistance” and networking opportunities for community-based groups. Applications for 2017-2018 will be used to select organizations for the Accelerator’s Core and Associate programs and also provide opportunities for project-based partnerships. Applications will be due by August 25. (Andrew Koski)

Living Your Life Like It’s Golden BopBiz Center Chatham, 644 E. 79th St. Thursday, August 17, 5:30pm–7pm. $20. bit. ly/LifeLikeGolden Certified personal trainer, group exercise instructor, and wellness and motivational coach Shera Strange has begun a series of workshops on health and fitness, beginning with this lecture. Bring something to take notes with, workout clothes, water, and your enthusiasm! (Adia Robinson)

BTGNC Collective Open Membership Hang The Breathing Room, 1434 W. 51st St. Saturday, August 19, 2pm–6pm. btgnccollective.wordpress.com Formal info sessions about their mission, values, and how to have your voice heard in future organizing will occur at 3:30pm and 5pm, but stop by throughout the afternoon to get to know the Black, Trans, and Gender Nonconforming Collective through games, barbecuing, and more. ( Julia Aizuss)

Englewood Speaks Kusanya Café, 825 W. 69th St. Saturday, August 31, 5pm–6:30pm. Free. bit.ly/ESpeaks

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A yearlong series funded by the Acting Up Award from the Chicago Community Trust, Englewood Speaks focuses on community storytelling from all different perspectives. Its first event will feature stories from the Young Men of Englewood, a program facilitated by the neighborhood’s Salvation Army Red Shield Center. (Abigail Bazin)

VISUAL ARTS People’s School Workshop: From Journals to Zines, to Murals The Port Ministries, 5013 S. Hermitage Ave. Wednesday, August 16, 5pm–7pm. Free. (773) 778-5955. bit.ly/PeoplesSchoolWorkshop The woman artist collective Mujeres Mutantes and The Port Ministries are offering a workshop for women, fifteen years old and up, who want to learn how to make creative journals, zines, and public art murals “that promote peace and tolerance within our community.” Sign up if you’re interested in filling a sketchbook or wielding a can of spray paint. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Pilsen Art Walking Tour National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 W. 19th St. Friday, August 18, 11am–12pm. Free. Email twaxman@esperanzachicago.org for more information. ppat.space Among many things, Pilsen is known for its vibrant murals, making the entire neighborhood a canvas for local artists. Two community-invested art educators have been leading groups around on foot this summer in “Pilsen Public Art Tours” and explaining large-scale pieces like Hector Duarte’s “Gulliver in Wonderland” at Cullerton Street and Wolcott Avenue. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Woman as Warrior Zhou B Art Center, 1029 W. 35th St. Opens Friday, August 18, 7pm–10pm. Through October 13. Free. zhoubartcenter.com

Dedicated to “the woman who symbolizes a hero among champions,” this nineperson group exhibition curated by Didi Menendez and Sergio Gomez doubles as a publication by Menendez’s collective, PoetsArtists, a physical copy of which will be on sale for twenty dollars. ( Julia Aizuss)

enjoy the sounds of the Chris Foreman Quintet on August 4, and the Chicago State University Community Jazz Band conducted by Roxanne Stevenson on September 1. (Nicole Bond)

Graffiti Jam

W. 18th St. and S. Blue Island Ave. August 18–20. Friday, 6:30pm; Saturday and Sunday, noon–10pm. Free, $5 donation recommended. (773) 517-1616. pilsenfestchicago.com

Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Sunday, August 20, 1pm–4pm. Free. (773) 324-5520. hydeparkart.org If you read our Miguel Aguilar profile a few weeks back, now you can see him in action this weekend with Rahmaan Barnes and Liz Lazdins as they paint an “interactive mural” on the HPAC’s walls titled “Children of the Wall.” Hang around for music, an open mic, live painting, and, of course, refreshments—and come back in the future to watch as the graffiti changes over time as a reaction to current events. ( Julia Aizuss)

MUSIC A Dojo Mixed Bag! The Dojo, message on Facebook for address. Friday, August 18, 7:30pm–1am. $5 donation suggested. thedojochi.com The Dojo is advertising this event as a “mix o’ music,” featuring six bands that range from experimental harp (Yomí) to alternative Latin rock (Rai), but they’re burying the lead: the DIY venue is approaching their two-year anniversary, and the gallery is exhibiting a two-year collection—seek out an old favorite while you’re there. ( Julia Aizuss)

Jazz in the Courtyard Hyde Park Shopping Center, 55th St. and Lake Park Ave. Friday, August 18 and Friday, September 1. Noon–2pm. Free. hpjazz.com Nothing says summer in Hyde Park like the annual free live jazz concerts every first Friday at the Hyde Park Shopping Center. Grab lunch from any of the many restaurants nearby, then sit outside to

Pilsen Fest

Pilsen Fest returns for the sixth year to celebrate Chicago’s vibrant Latinx and Mexican culture, including theater, cuisine, and the spoken word. Musical headliners include iLe, Nina Sky, Rey Pila, and Nina Diaz. Maestro Héctor Duarte will introduce new art, and the Pilsen Family Encounter project will debut its archive of photos and family stories at the National Museum of Mexican Art. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Summer Sunday Concert Series in Nichols Park Nichols Park, 1355 E. 53rd St. Sundays, 4pm–6pm, through September 17. Free. bit.ly/ NicholsParkConcerts Every Sunday is rocking in Nichols Park this summer. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket to catch the last few: country/ rock by Six String Crossing on August 20, bluegrass by Tangleweed on August 27, and blues by Billy Flynn on September 3. (Andrew Koski)

Vic Ruggiero and the Chicago Jamaican Jazz Ensemble Reggies, 2105 S. State St. Thursday, August 24, 8pm. 21+, $10. reggieslive.com Singer, songwriter, and frontman of the Slackers Vic Ruggiero comes to the Music Joint for a performances that will be blend of reggae, blues, ska, and rocksteady. Adding to this multi-genre mix are a few more: the Chicago Jamaican Jazz Ensemble and the DJ Chuck Wren. (Adia Robinson)

EVENTS

Punk Rock & Donuts Richard J. Daley Library Branch, 3400 S. Halsted St. Saturday, August 26, 2pm–4pm. Free. All ages. (312) 747-8990. bit.ly/PunkDonuts This punk and donuts—punkin’ donuts, if you will—show in Bridgeport features local punk bands UDÜSIC, DECLINE, and Ozzuario, all playing their hearts out in what is usually a library branch dedicated largely to children’s books. As branch manager Jeremy Kitchen told the Weekly when we featured the Punkin’ Donuts series in last year’s Best of the South Side issue, “Like all library programs, it is for all walks of life, and we have had toddlers to seniors show up.” Expect a crowd. (Sam Stecklow)

Kool Moe Dee The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Thursday, August 31. 7pm doors, 8pm show. Tables $35 per seat, $20 general admission. 21+. (312) 801-2100. promontorychicago.com Even the Promontory admits on their website that Kool Moe Dee “began to fade by the early ’90s,” but if you want to relive (or live for the first time) hip-hop’s original spats dating back to the eighties, Dee— who was one of the first rappers to win a Grammy, but is perhaps now more famous for his feud with LL Cool J—is at the Promontory next month. ( Julia Aizuss)

STAGE & SCREEN Lightworks: Sky David’s Experimental Animation

visions of a phantasmagorical landscape etched in light,” full of color and metaphysical symbolism. This free presentation will feature a mix of his most famous and lesser known works. Some imagery may be considered inappropriate for younger audiences. (Nicole Bond)

the tumultuous year 1968 in the life of legendary jazz great Charles Mingus, through the keen lenses of three artists: Gordon Parks, William Greaves, and Thomas Reichman. (Nicole Bond)

Eclipse Fest

Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State Street. Through August 31. Films and show times vary. $11 general admission, $7 students, $6 members unless otherwise noted. (312) 8462800. siskelfilmcenter.org

Adler Planetarium, 1300 S. Lake Shore Drive. Monday, August 21. Eclipse starts at 11:54am and the moon will block eighty-seven percent of the sun at 1:19pm. Free. (312) 9227827. adlerplanetarium.org You might have heard about this muchhyped eclipse—and what better place to view it than at Chicago’s Eclipse Fest? Billed as the city’s biggest eclipse block party, there will be food trucks, live entertainment, “hands-on science for all ages,” and free admission to the museum, which is staging a contextualizing “Chasing Eclipses” exhibit. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Chicagoland Shorts, Volume 3 Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. Wednesday, August 23, 7:30pm.$9.50, $7.50 members. (773) 445-3838. beverlyartcenter.org

Black Harvest Film Festival

This is the twenty-third year for the festival dedicated to showcasing independent films that tell stories and show images exploring the heritage and experiences of Black people. Many of the screenings will be followed by panel discussions with the filmmakers, directors, or actors, and all films are eligible for the Audience Award—ballots are available in the lobby. With dozens upon dozens of films to see, some notable mentions are: The Chicago Way, written and produced by community organizer and Ceasefire Illinois cofounder Tio Hardiman and the Violence

Interrupters, with Gregg Greer of Freedom First International. The film tackles the ongoing battle to make Chicago safe. And Blueprint For Bronzeville, about the fight to maintain affordable housing during Chicago’s ill-fated bid for the 2016 Olympics. Closing night will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of Love Jones, starring Chicago native Larenz Tate and Nia Long. (Nicole Bond)

Court Theatre Season Tickets on sale Court Theater, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. Subscribe now. Starting at $96 for a three-play package. (773) 753-4472. courttheatre.org The Court Theatre is a cultural gem on the UofC campus that’s staging productions of Five Guys Named Moe, The Belle of Amherst, All My Sons, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, and The Originalist in the 2017-2018 season. Season tickets are now on sale, and have perks like up to thirty-five percent off single tickets and two dollars off drinks at the bar. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Full Spectrum Features has been curating short work by filmmakers underrepresented in mainstream media, including women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ individuals, for a traveling anthology that’s been shown around the city and country. A Q&A with the filmmakers will take place after the screening. ( Joseph S. Pete)

Movies Under the Stars: Charlie Mingus 1968

Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave. Friday, August 18, 7pm–9pm. Outdoors on the roof deck, weather permitting, lawn chairs and refreshments welcome. (773) 324-5520. southsideprojections.org

The Muffler Shop, 359 E. Garfield Blvd. Friday, August 25, 8:30pm–10pm. Free. Grabbing a lawn chair is suggested. (312) 857-5561. rebuild-foundation.org

Having no prior art making experience, Dennis Pies began creating experimental cinema to handle his return from the Vietnam War. Now known as Sky David, his films are described as “hallucinatory

The southwest corner of 55th and King Drive will be aglow during the final screening in this year’s annual Black Cinema House and Chicago Film Archives collaboration of Movies Under the Stars. The documentary feature will chronicle

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LEAD SPONSOR

The exhibition is organized by the Art Institute of Chicago, l’Etablissement public des musées d’Orsay et de l’Orangerie, and the Réunion des musées nationaux-Grand Palais, Paris. Major support is provided by Lesley and Janice Lederer. Additional funding is contributed by anonymous donors, the Alice M. La Pert Fund for French Impressionism, Juliette F. Bacon, the Kemper Educational and Charitable Fund, Ann C. Cooluris, Katherine L. Olson Charitable Foundation, Margot Levin Schiff and the Harold Schiff Foundation, Barbara and Marc Posner, the Robert Lehman Foundation, and David and Mary Winton Green Research Fund. Annual support for Art Institute exhibitions is provided by the Exhibitions Trust: Neil Bluhm and the Bluhm Family Charitable Foundation; Jay Franke and David Herro; Kenneth Griffin; Caryn and King Harris, The Harris Family Foundation; Liz and Eric Lefkofsky; Robert M. and Diane v.S. Levy; Ann and Samuel M. Mencoff; Usha and Lakshmi N. Mittal; Thomas and Margot Pritzker; Anne and Chris Reyes; Betsy Bergman Rosenfield and Andrew M. Rosenfield; Cari and Michael J. Sacks; and the Earl and Brenda Shapiro Foundation. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Paul Gauguin. Arearea (Joyousness) (detail), 1892. Musée d’Orsay, Paris, bequest of M. and Mme Lung, 1961.

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