August 2 - 8, 2023

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Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!

SportsWise

The SportsWise team discusses the hazing scandal at Northwestern.

Cover Story: CNDA Awards

LISC Chicago created the Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) in the mid-1990s to celebrate Chicago communities and new developments and to honor the people and non-profit organizations responsible for them. The largest celebration of transformative accomplishments across the city, CNDA are lovingly referred to as the Oscars of community development.

From the Streets

Bronzeville festival celebrates the legacy of Ida B. Wells.

Inside StreetWise

Paying tribute to vendor Murry Mills.

The Playground

ON THE COVER: Richard J. Daley College's Manufacturing, Technology & Engineering Center (photo courtesy of LISC Chicago). THIS PAGE: Meghan Harte, executive director of LISC Chicago, speaks at the 29th annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards on June 22 (Nicee Martin Photo & Design photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

See Me, Feel Me!

'The Who’s Tommy'

Myth and spectacle combine in a fresh reinvention of The Who’s exhilarating 1969 rock concert "Tommy" at the Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., on August 2 & 3 at 7:30 p.m., August 4 & 5 at 8 p.m., and August 3, 5 & 6 at 2 p.m. After witnessing a traumatic event, Tommy Walker is lost in the universe, endlessly and obsessively staring into the mirror. An innate knack for pinball catapults him from reticent adolescent to celebrity savior. Tickets $45+ at www.goodmantheatre.org

'Recapturing Memories of the Black Ark' in Chicago

MCA Discussion!

Gary Simmons’s sculptural installation "Recapturing Memories of the Black Ark" consists of a stage and speakers that serve as a venue for live performances. August 5 from 2-3:30 p.m. at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago, join Dorian Sylvain in conversation with her artist sons Kahari, Kari, and Katon Black on the meaning of art and family across generations. Tickets are $15 for the in-person event or pay-what-you-can for streaming. More information at mcachicago.org

AsIf!

Millennium Park Summer Film Series: 'Clueless'

Bring a blanket and/or chair for this iconic 1995 film. Cher is rich, pretty, and considers herself to be a matchmaker. W hen a girl named Tai transfers to her school, she sees a new project and is determined to find her the perfect boyfriend. But in the midst of it all, Cher finds that she’s missing something from her own life that even money can’t fix. "Clueless" will be screened at 6:30 p.m. August 8 at Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. FREE admission.

Work It Out!

Millennium Park Workouts

On August 5, from 8-11:45 a.m., get your blood pumping with one or all of these free 45-minute workouts at Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St. From 8-8:45 a.m., work your major muscle groups with pilates led by NK. Gutierrez. Deep breathe and rejuvenate your mind and body with yoga led by Rajv Nathan from 9-9:45 a.m. Get in some cardio kickboxing led by Ivo Boykov from 10-10:45 a.m. Dance away the morning with a Zumba session led by Melanie Nutter from 11-11:45 a.m. In the midst of these workouts enjoy music by Bill MacKay.

Compiled by Kyra Walker

A Purrrrfect Event!

CatVideoFest

Enjoy a compilation of the latest and best cat videos at the Music Box Theater, 3733 N. Southport Ave., August 5 & 6 at 11:30 a.m. or August 8 at 7 p.m. CatVideoFest is created from countless hours of unique submissions and sourced animations, music videos, and classic internet powerhouses. $12 at musicboxtheatre.com; 10% of all proceeds will be donated to Red Door Animal Shelter.

Author Talk!

Chicago Humanities | Novelist Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith is back with a new historical novel "The Fraud." Join Chicago Humanities at 8 p.m. September 19 at Francis W. Parker School and experience Smith's iconic voice in person as this beloved novelist and essayist discusses the relationship between truth and fiction, fraudulent and authentic, and the mystery of “other people.” The school is located at 330 W. Webster Ave. Tickets available on chicagohumanities.org

Live Music!

Skyline Sessions | Navy Pier

Enjoy live outdoor music, 5-9 p.m. August 3 and 4 at the Wave Wall Performance Platform of Navy Pier, 600 E. Grand Ave. The Skyline Sessions occur every Thursday and Friday. Take in skyline views and listen to different genres and styles of music performed by solo artists and small ensembles. FREE. More information on the lineup at navypier.org/events/skylinesessions

Shop Local!

North Lawndale Arts Festival

Join the North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. August 7, for its seventh annual arts festival at Douglass Park, 1401 S. Sacramento Drive. The festival will showcase local performing artists, visual artists selling their original work, culinary artists, jewelry, and clothing. This event is suitable for all ages and admission is FREE.

A Paranormal Summer!

Field of Screams

Join Wendy Parris in celebration of her debut novel “Field of Screams” at The Book Stall, 811 Elm St., Winnetka from 6:307:30 p.m. on August 3. This book is recommended for ages 8-12. "Field of Screams" is about paranormal enthusiast Rebecca Graff who isn’t happy about moving to Iowa for the summer to spend time with a family she barely knows. But when a ghostly presence appears, she finds that her summer will be anything but boring. The book release party is free with registration, at thebookstall.com

Swing Into Bronzeville!

Bronzeville Neighborhood Jazz Festival

The Bronzeville Jazz Fest will offer live music, noon-8:30 p.m. August 5. Music manager Frank Gross will curate sounds on Martin Luther King Drive, from 37th to 39th Streets. There will also be food trucks, a senior lounge, kids' zone, free parking, limited edition NFTs for everyone. The festival pays homage to the neighborhood, which is known for its rich history of jazz and blues. FREE admission.

The haze over Northwestern football

Patrick: “Former Northwestern football players retain lawyers for expected legal action in hazing scandal.” A headline from the Chicago Tribune July 17. Eight players so far. What do you guys think?

John: The first article I read was from The Daily Northwestern on July 8. It gave a ton of detail as to how Northwestern Wildcats freshmen football players were allegedly hazed in all sorts of humiliating drills. I won’t go into too much detail, but much of what we’re told is that it involved players forced to engage in alleged naked rituals. So, no full-out acts, but acts that the authorities are labeling sexual abuse.

Donald: Wow….

John: And not only were the allegedly hazed student-athletes naked during these acts, the other players allegedly committing the hazing were also naked.

Patrick: Now, before we go on, we must say that these are still all alleged. That the situa-

tion is still being investigated.

Russ: Right.

Donald: Yeah. I mean, we know hazing happens. Mind you, the investigation did not find “sufficient evidence” that Coach Pat Fitzgerald and his staff were aware of the hazing.

John: For me, it’s just the heavy sexual aspect of it that’s off to me. Makes it that much heavier. But, this is all alleged.

Donald: Remember, the coach is the only person connected to all of this who’s been punished…as far as we know.

Russ: I don’t know if I’m cool with Coach being fired over this scandal. Personally, as he has said, I don’t think he knew about it. How much did the assistants know? Its way bigger than Northwestern's football team. It sets an example for the whole student body,

especially fraternities and sororities.

Patrick: You’re right. And for those not in the know, an investigation into the matter began with the university being made aware of anonymous hazing complaints back in November 2022, Coach Fitzgerald was initially suspended without pay for two weeks July 7.

John: And three days following that suspension’s start, Fitzgerald was fired.

Patrick: So, what do you guys think about Mr. Ben Crump being brought in?

Donald: That’s that famous Black lawyer, right?

Patrick: Yep. Mr. Crump founded Ben Crump Law PLLC and may be the most recognizable and successful attorney when it comes to cases with civil rights and personal injury components.

Russ: I like him, but I still don’t believe the way the media and everyone else has treated Coach has been fair.

John: Just found this: “At least three former players also have alleged a culture of racism within the program, with Black coaches and players pressured to cut off longer hairstyles to fit the ‘Wildcat Way.’”

Donald: Oh, wow—even the coaches were pressured?

Russ: I’m going to continue to support Northwestern, my favorite Big 10 team. Also, I believe a suspension would have been more than enough.

John: This is bad, if the reports are true. The other question is – was there a cover up?

Donald: Okay. Well, I can see both of your sides. We’ll know soon enough what’s really going on.

Rashanah Baldwin

Vendors (l-r) Russell Adams, John Hagan, and Donald Morris chat with Patrick Edwards about the world of sports.

COMMUNITIES LEAD, COMMUNITIES THE CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOOD

The 29th annual Chicago Neighborhood Development Awards (CNDA) on June 22 showcased community leadership that resulted in better communities from Jefferson Park to South Chicago, from Englewood and Auburn Gresham to Logan Square.

Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) established the CNDAs in 1994 to honor top community development projects, architectural achievements and individuals from across the city. The ceremony began with Mayor Brandon Johnson’s keynote speech, followed by the awards ceremony. According to LISC Chicago Executive Senior Director Meghan Harte, “The CNDAs are centered around uplifting the essential role community, public, and private partnerships have in community buildings in Chicago-area neighborhoods. This year’s theme, ‘Communities Lead, Communities Succeed'; reflects power that comes when Chicago communities set their own neighborhood vision and lead practices and investment to advance their shared goals.”

The award winners represent leadership, vision, passion, and dedication of so many partners. The CNDA winners include:

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Award for Non-Profit Real Estate Development: Full Circle Communities for 5150 NORTHWEST HIGHWAY APARTMENTS (1). “We designed the buildings to meet a lot of people’s needs – from veterans to working families, to people with disabilities,” said Full Circle Communities Senior Vice President of Real Estate Development Lindsey Haines.

“When there isn’t a legacy of affordable housing, and you start to do it for the first time, there’s a lot of misunderstanding, fear and confusion,” Haines said of the mid-rise, mixed-income

development, which is equidistant from single-family homes and the Jefferson Park Transit Center for both the CTA Blue Line and Metra. It is essentially the neighborhood’s “downtown.”

“We had to work past that,” said former Ald. John Arena (45th ward). “We had a lot of community meetings, we went door to door. This is a $26 million project and I give Full Circle credit for putting together the funding stack. There’s more developments coming because we broke through those barriers.”

Haines said the 60 affordable and 15 market-rate apartments have a lot of amenities: a game room, lobby, lounge, dog run, balconies for each apartment, supportive services and a partnership with the Veterans Administration.

“I was about to be homeless, with five kids. This is like a dream come true,” said Julia Cisneros in a CNDA video. Cisneros said that since she was in the middle of a domestic violence situation and then a divorce, she and her kids took advantage of supportive services there.

The Chicago Community Trust Outstanding Community Plan Award: Palenque LSNA for the “HERE TO STAY, HERMOSA AND LOGAN SQUARE WEST QUALITY-OF-LIFE PLAN,” (2) a five-year plan established in October 2018 with the help of LISC Chicago.

Palenque LSNA Executive Director Juliet de Jesus Alejandre says, “The biggest challenges facing our communities are gentrification, displacement, and raising rents: You see wealth right next door to families struggling to eat.”

by Kyra Walker & Suzanne Hanney / photos provided by LISC Chicago

COMMUNITIES SUCCEED

AWARDS 2023

Hermosa and Logan Square have lost 20,000 Latinos in the last seven years. The forces behind gentrification are relatively inexpensive housing stock that can be bought cheaply and flipped for profit and also the 606 biking and hiking trail. From 2013, when the 606 broke ground, to 2016, property values, property values increased 48.2% in the LSNA planning area. LSNA led a Neighbors Against Displacement campaign that won a pledge of $1 million from the city for forgivable loans so that working class families can repair and upgrade their 1to 4-unit buildings. They were also able to stop demolition of some housing.

The Here to Stay trust – in which the community owns the land, but the family has the deed to a home – welcomed its first residents in 2023. Two more lots are currently being rehabbed.

The Outstanding For-Profit Real Estate Development Award: E.G. Woode L3C for E.G. WOODE ALPHA (3). E.G. Woode is a flexible real estate platform of business development that enhances businesses and communities by using a collective approach to provide technical assistance, extend opportunity, and stimulate growth. Due to a lack of traditional funders, the entrepreneurs formed their own development company. E.G. Woode Alpha used an innovative low-profit funding model that relies on collective ownership.

The space they created is now home to four businesses: Beehyyve architectural and engineering firm, Powell’s Barbershop, Marie|Wesley consignment boutique, and a branch of the Momentum Coffee chain. Marie|Wesley owner Nanette Tucker said she sees the boutique as not only a store, but also a social enterprise. She lets people put their work in her shop “because I want it to be that vessel.”

The objective was to create a viable development corridor in Englewood, said Beehyyve co-owner Deon Lucas. They wanted their building on the 63rd Street corridor to be not only attractive, but also reflective of the community, “so that no matter how often you drive down 63rd Street, this building would stand out,” board member Felicia Slaton-Young said. It features an outdoor garden where people can casually sit or dine.

The Polk Bros. Foundation Affordable Rental Housing Preservation Award: Preservation of Affordable Housing Inc. for SOUTH CHICAGO SALUD CENTER & SENIOR HOUSING (4). South Chicago Salud Center & Senior Housing is one of the six properties acquired by Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) from the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago in 2019. The 2021 renovations preserve 101 units of housing for seniors and people who are disabled in a nearly century-old building with amenities like a community cafeteria, day care center, laundry facilities, and much more. It’s also a community center: for after-school activities, business development, birthday parties and bridal showers, basketball. The center is less than 20 minutes from downtown, and is within walking distance of hospitals, grocery stores, and direct access to CTA bus stops.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Healthy Community Award: New Life Centers for Chicagoland for PAN DE VIDA FRESH MARKET (5). This award recognizes the successful community-based effort that addresses the health of a low-tomoderate income neighborhood in the Chicago metropolitan area. Many residents in Little Village face food insecurity during normal times. But when the pandemic hit, many turned to food pantries. Pan de Vida’s space is designed to celebrate Hispanic culture and the Little Village community. Pan de Vida is more than a food pantry, it offers leadership opportunities for young residents.

The The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Awards for Architectural Excellence in Community Design:

First place: MKB Architects for the AUBURN GRESHAM HEALTHY LIFESTYLE HUB (6). “The idea was to make the hub feel like a downtown office” near 79th and Halsted streets, says CEO of Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, Carlos Nelson. The neighborhood was a health care desert, but now the lifestyle hub is a primary and immediate care center serving everyone from pediatric to geriatric needs.

MKB’s extensive work includes natural light with new window cut-outs, an elevator shaft in the building’s center and preservation of the terracotta exterior.

“You’ve taken a 100-year-old building, poured in some love, and it has sprouted something as beautiful as a tree of health and prosperity in Auburn Gresham,” Nelson said.

Second place: LBBA for LUCY GONZALEZ PARSONS APARTMENTS (7). Lucy Gonzalez Parsons, a local labor organizer, believed collective action was a powerful tool to change a community. Its site is a former city-owned parking lot next to the CTA Blue Line at Logan Square. Since the site is between downtown and O’Hare, a parking lot

was hardly the best use of the land, said Tyler Brown, LBBA principal.

The alderman felt pressure to do something about affordable housing and “the opportunity to do affordable housing next to a transit node was really meaningful, especially at affordable prices,” said Bickerdike Redevelopment Corp. CEO Joy Aruguete. The Equitable Transit-Oriented Development provides 100 units of affordable apartments and townhomes. Residents are currently working on a mural that will add community identity to the building.

Third place: JGMA for RICHARD J. DALEY COLLEGE’S MANUFACTURING, TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING CENTER (8). The new building at Daley College was intended to be the center of manufacturing for the City Colleges of Chicago, said Juan Moreno, principal of JGMA. However, the stereotype for manufacturing was not positive, “so we had to change the narrative.” He did so by creating high bays bathed in light. The design created a gathering space where students would want to stop and to learn, where classes and large groups could gather around equipment for demonstrations, in a space large enough to change with new technologies.

“Manufacturing has changed from a dark, dirty, dangerous

career to something clean, computer-driven, team-oriented,” said Daley College Dean of Advanced Manufacturing David Girzadas. “Careers in manufacturing are well-paying and stable. With the new contemporary design, the new MTEC structure shows students these careers are worth striving for.”

The CIBC Emerging Leadership Award: FELICIA SLATONYOUNG (9), executive director of the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce. Slaton-Young grew up in Englewood. But with decades of disinvestment changing the community, Englewood became a different place. In 2015, she founded the Greater Englewood Chamber of Commerce. “A chamber is about relationships and advocating for member’s interests. It’s important to really understand what they need so we can be helpful to them,” says Slaton-Young. Today, the chamber has 125 members, has helped 500+ entrepreneurs with direct programming, resources, or referrals, and given 63 businesses more than $780,000 to help them survive the pandemic.

The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Community Design Impact Award: KATHERINE DARNSTADT (10) of Latent Design, EMMANUEL GARCIA (11) of Wheeler Kearns Architects and FABIOLA YEP (12) of Wheeler Kearns Architects. Katherine is the founder of Latent. Since the founding in 2010, she and her team designed new community centers with Boys and Girls

Clubs of Chicago and much more. Emmanuel (Manny) has worked with the North Lawndale Employment Network headquarters (NLEN), a non-profit that provides a second chance for those formerly incarcerated. He’s committed to elevating Latinos in architecture locally and nationally. Fabiola’s empathetic approach to design focuses on learning the core needs of the client from the get-go, and supporting them through the architectural process.

The Richard M. Daley Friend of the Neighborhood Award: GEORGE WRIGHT (13), CEO of The Chicago Cook Workforce Partnership. The Cook Workforce Partnership was created in 2012. It’s a non-profit organization that operates the largest public workforce system in the country. George Wright worked in banking and community investment. Post college, he spent his free time lifting up the places he came from. He says “I wanted to pave the way so it would be a little smoother for people coming after me.”

The MacArthur Foundation Award for Creative Placemaking went to the National Museum of Mexican Art's JARDIN

MALINALLI (14) for a vacant lot across the street from the museum's Yollocalli Arts Reach. Youth in the program transformed it with a mural and, with the help of non-profit Human Design, added a stage. It's now a community space for birthday parties and mini-music festivals.

annual party pays homage to the legacy

by Kyra Walker

The Ida B. Wells Festival on June 24 celebrated the 161st birthday of the journalist, suffragist, educator and co-founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Wells’s legacy lives on through her great-granddaughter, Michelle Duster. Duster is a writer, speaker, professor and champion of racial and gender equity, who focuses on Black history. Writing came easily to her, she said, and “Our positive stories are so underrepresented, I wanted to make a contribution.”

"The intention is to make Wells’s birthday party an annual event that includes many Bronzeville institutions, so that the entire community is involved," she said.

What keeps Duster motivated to ensure the story of her greatgrandmother is still heard?

“African American women are greatly underrepresented,” she responded. “It’s important to know the work of Ida because people need to know the rights we have were a struggle. We need to connect the past and present. I look at it as the contributions of African American women. The work I do has great meaning. I like the idea of celebrating and inspiring everyone.”

The Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area is a special district from 18th street on the north to 71st street on the south, Lake Michigan on the east, and Canal Street on the west. More than 500,000 of the approximately seven million African Americans who left the South between 1916 and 1970 settled in Chicago’s Bronzeville.

FROM THE STREETS

Bernard C. Turner, executive director of this National Heritage Area, led a 90-minute tour starting at the Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church, 600 E. 35th St. (at Cottage Grove), and then heading to the former headquarters of Supreme Life Insurance building, 3501 S Martin Luther King Drive, the first insurance company in the northern U.S. owned and operated by African Americans.

“Restrictive covenants meant African Americans were prevented from moving outside a tight area, which nevertheless provided opportunities for entrepreneurs,” Turner said.

In addition to his work as executive director of the Bronzeville Black Metropolis National Heritage Area, Turner has led tours for the Chicago History Museum, and has written and published two books, “A View of Bronzeville,” (2002) and “A New View of Bronzeville” (2021).

Hines was among famous musicians like Louis Armstrong and Johnny Dodds who performed in the 1920s at the Sunset Cafe, 315 E. 35th St., which is now the beauty supply store Urban Beautique. Built in 1909, the building still has a 1920s mural and the original stage where musicians used to perform. The side of the building displays information about its transition from an automobile garage to the legendary venue. It was also a hardware store. Now, the beauty supply store has “the best selection of eyelashes in Chicago,” Turner said.

Turner’s next stop was the Eighth Regiment Armory, 3533 S. Giles Ave. This was the first armory in the U.S. for an African American regiment. Its origins actually date to Blacks living in Chicago in the 1870s. In World War I, the Fighting Eighth won the Croix de Guerre with Palm, the French government’s highest military decoration. According to an historic plaque on the building, the Fighting Eighth saw action in WWII as artillery and combat engineers.

Turner pointed out some of the 91 historic plaques in Bronzeville sidewalks, such as the one to Earl “Fatha” Hines, a jazz pianist and bandleader.

legacy of Ida b. wells

The armory closed in the early 1960s, when it became a gymnasium. Since 1999, it has been a Chicago public school, the Chicago Military Academy Bronzeville.

Next was Wells’s last home at 3624 S. Martin Luther King Drive. She lived here with her lawyer-husband, Ferdinand Barnett, and their children. This was also where she started the Alpha Suffrage Club, the first voting rights club for Black women in Illinois, around the time that Illinois became the first state to grant women limited voting rights, in 1913.

The tour concluded at the Light of Truth Monument dedicated to Wells at 37th and Langley. The monument was created by Englewood sculptor Richard Hunt, whose work is on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the DuSable Museum, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, the MLK Reflection Park in Memphis, and more.

The monument displays Wells’s famous quote, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them,” which stemmed from her anti-lynching campaigns in the South of the 1890s. She was born enslaved in 1862 and freed as a baby by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.

The film, “Light of Truth,” described many important aspects of Ida’s life, from the time she was thrown off a train because she refused to move to the Black coach car to a pamphlet she co-edited about the horrors of lynching in the South. She initially won the railroad case, because she was asked to move to a Black car, (not the women’s car), which was a violation of the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause. However, her win was overturned two years later.

The festivities didn’t stop with the walking tour. On the back lawn of Ida B. Wells Preparatory Elementary Academy, there was face painting, a bouncy house, and African clothing for purchase. Streamers in the African colors – red, green and yellow – decorated the trees. The people of this community came together and enjoyed good food and talking about sports.

Duster said it is important for African Americans to “really make an effort to learn about people who came before us. We need to always be learning. Go to museums, watch YouTube. Self-care is also important. We as people need to take care of ourselves.”

Though my interaction with Michelle was brief, I like how humble she is and how passionate she is about her work. Being the relative of a legend, she has big shoes to fill.

From Left: Ida B. Wells greatgrandaughter Michelle Duster and author Kyra Walker. The Light of Truth Monument by Richard Hunt. Inset: A plaque that displays a map of Bronzeville. (All photos by Kyra Walker).

Remembering Vendor Murry Mills

by Suzanne Hanney

“Welcome to my office,” Vendor Murry Mills said on a weeknight in 2019 as he was selling StreetWise at the Walgreens on the northwest corner of Clark Street and Wilson Avenue. Mills had been at this location for about 10 months, and he fit himself into what he called a “melting pot of people: European, Asian, Black, different lifestyles.”

In rapid succession, Mills greeted his regulars: a woman and her granddaughter pushing her doll in a stroller, a woman recovering from back surgery and her dog, a 40-something woman he directed away from a potential stumbling hazard. He greeted a Muslim man and his wife, son and daughter with a “salaam aleikum.” Another regular was pulled toward Mills and his bag of dog treats by her golden doodle, and a man discussed social justice issues with him.

“The interesting thing about Murry: he psychoanalyzed a lot, the way two people in AA will sit down and talk about their addiction and how they got to that point,” said former roommate Lee A. Holmes of Mills, 51, who died just over a year ago, on July 28, 2022.

Holmes was also a StreetWise vendor, and more recently, became Mills’s brother-in-law, through his marriage to Mills’s sister, Vendor Paula Green Holmes. The couple agree that Mills could have been a therapist. Even as a youngster, he loved these kinds of conversations.

“He had so many different interests,” Holmes said. “He could get around vendors and talk about StreetWise. He could talk about music and when he was coming up with his daddy and what they was listening to. He could talk about cars. But he was very caught up in street life.”

Mills’s mother kicked him out of the house at age 13 “for being rambunctious, gangbanging,” he recalled in a Mother’s Day feature in 2020.

“She said the police were on the street in front because what I was doing was wrong and either the police would have the house or she would. What changed me was hard times, going to jail.” However, his mother also advised him to “Never give up, never give in and stay strong.”

Mills had spent years in homelessness, in jail, and struggling to support his family, he recalled. He came to StreetWise after he saw two vendors counting their cash at

Pacific Garden Mission, where they were all staying. That was nearly 30 years ago.

“Ever since then, I was hooked. [StreetWise] has helped me out of many difficult jams in my life, taught me how to be a businessman, an entrepreneur,” he said in 2019. He was proud that people told him they liked the way he presented the magazine to them: not pushy, but a little bit offhand. He previously sold StreetWise at Broadway and Barry.

As it happened, in the months before his death, Mills had been trying to find peace with himself, Holmes said. “He always talked about his mom, his family. That lets me know he was family-oriented, he did care about them.”

In the printed obituary for his memorial service, daughter Fantasha Mills said she would miss his honest opinion and funny jokes, laughing and watching karate movies together.

“I love and miss you so much,” Paula Green Holmes wrote to her older brother in the obituary. “There’s nothing in the world I could want, just for you to be here.”

“Murf was a very active and joyous person, who loved having a great time and spending time with his family and friends," according to the printed obit. "Murf was a great provider for his family.”

He was also a “true believer,” according to the obituary, and a graduate of South Shore High School.

Other survivors include his father, Murry J. Mills, Sr.; stepmother, Margaret Mills; children, Darius Mills and Denzel Lucas; five grandchildren; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. His mother, the former Paula Diane Irving, preceded him in death.

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the

Last week's Answers

How StreetWise Works

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StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”

All vendors go through an orientation focusing on their rights and responsibilities as a StreetWise Magazine Vendor. Authorized vendors have badges with their name, picture and current year.

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New vendor orientation is every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at 2009 S. State St. Find your nearest vendor at www.streetwise.org