November 15 - 21, 2021

November 15 - 21, 2021 Vol. 29 No. 45

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$1.10 goes to vendor

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Arts & (Home) Entertainment

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SportsWise

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We are replacing our usual calendar with virtual events and recommendations from StreetWise vendors, readers and staff to keep you entertained at home!

The SportsWise team gears up for Thanksgiving Day football.

Cover Story: Missing Black Women

WARNING: These stories contain graphic content.

Artist Damon Lamar Reed calls his “Still Searching Project” a “God idea” that will draw more attention to often overlooked missing Black women, in the hope of solving their cases.

The Playground ON THE COVER: Paintings from Damon Lamar Reed's "Still Searching" Project: Diamond & Tiona Bradley (top) & Vinyette Teague (below).

THIS PAGE: Reed's portraits of Mercedes Crumpton and Demetrice Brown.

Images provided by the artist.

To learn more about Reed's work in the community, including the "Still Searching" Project, visit www.damonlamarreed.com

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

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

LEARN MORE AT streetwise.org

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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time.

To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things you do at home and why you love them to Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

Spanish Opera!

‘Florencia en el Amazonas’ “Florencia en el Amazonas” is Lyric Opera of Chicago's first Spanish-language opera. Performances are intermittent through November 28 at 20 N. Wacker Drive. This opera dives into the magical realm of the Amazon. It is about a journey taken by Florencia Grimaldi, a famous opera singer, on her way to perform at the opera house of Manaus, Brazil. She is traveling by boat when suddenly she is consumed with thoughts of her lover. Grimaldi, and her crewmates' experience life-changing experiences. Written by Daniel Catán, one of Mexico’s most famous opera composers, “Florencia en el Amazonas” is an unforgettable performance about magic and romance. Tickets start at $39 at lyricopera.org.

Party & Support!

(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT

Pure Imagination Fundraiser Taste for the Homeless is hosting its annual Pure Imagination Fundraiser on November 20 from 8 p.m.-1 a.m. at the Tinley Park Convention Center, 18451 Convention Center Drive, Tinley Park. Taste for the Homeless was founded by Michael Airhart (pictured) who has dedicated his time to providing food, clothes, and shelter for people experiencing homelessness. The Pure Imagination Fundraiser helps raise money for Taste for the Homeless, which uplifts those living on the streets or shelters by providing hot food, clothing, hygiene items and social services. Tickets are $50 and can be purchased on eventbrite.com.

A Call to Action!

‘Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer ‘ The Goodman Theatre, 170 N. Dearborn St., presents "Fannie" through November 21 at 2 p.m. "Fannie" follows the life of Fannie Lou Hamer, a civil rights activist. Hamer advocated for Black women’s rights, voters’ rights, and an end to segregation in the South. The musical is sung and performed by Chicago’s E. Faye Butler, and was created as a call to action. It shows the humor, bravery, and activism of who Fannie Lou Hamer. The performance is about an hour with no intermission. Tickets start at $20 and can be purchased on goodmantheatre.org.

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A Chicago Tradition!

Tree Lighting Ceremony The Millennium Park treelighting will be at 6 p.m. November 19 near the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Washington St. This is the 108th annual event! The in-person event will feature Mariachi Herencia de Mexico, an excerpt from Chicago Opera Theater's "Becoming Santa Claus," the Kenwood School of Ballet and special guests Dreezy and Sister Claus. The viewing space is expanded with areas across the park and a main stage on the Great Lawn.

After the treelighting, there will be fireworks and a special concert from 6:35 to 7:45 p.m. headlined by singer-songwriter Brian McKnight. Face masks are encouraged. This year's 51-foot tree was donated by the Benavides Family of Logan Square. Free to the public.

A Winter Classic!

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink The McCormick Tribune Ice Rink in Millennium Park, 201 E. Randolph St., will be opening for its 20th year on November 19! The ice ink will be open daily through March 6. This is great for anyone who loves ice-skating or wants to have a fun night with friends and family. Free beginner to intermediate skating and hockey lessons are available from 8-9 a.m. most Saturdays and Sundays. Momentum Coffee's hot drinks and snacks will be available. Admission is free, but online registration and tickets are required at millenniumparkiceskating.showare.com, which also lists skate rental prices.

Holiday Shopping Jump-start!

Millennium Park Art Market Kick off your holiday shopping with 30 local artists selling jewelry, clothes, paintings, pottery, and more. The Art Market will feature works created by BUDDY, the Chicago Cultural Center and After School Matters.

There will also be pop-up cafes and live music. Masks are required except when eating or drinking. Hours are 3-8 p.m. on November 19, 12-8 p.m. on November 20 and 12-5 p.m. on November 21 at 201 E. Randolph St. FREE.

Zodiac Lovers!

Astrology Poetry The Chicago Public Library will host an Astrology Poetry night, 6:30-7:30 p.m. on November 15. This online event is open to the public. A writing and poetry workshop for astrology and zodiac lovers., it will offer writing prompts for each zodiac sign. This workshop is meant to help people learn more about themselves and their identities. Kwyn Townsend Riley, “Kwynology,” a local poet, writer, and blogger., author of ‘And She Wrote” and for “And She Will’, will lead the workshop. Please register at chipublib.org to access the Zoom link.

Filmmaker discussion!

‘The Translator’: Film Screening and Panel Discussion Northwestern University's Buffett Institute for Global Affairs will host a screening and panel discussion on "The Translator" from 3-6:30 p.m. November 17 at the Buffett Event Space, 1800 Sherman Ave., Suite 3-000, Evanston. The film is the story of a political refugee illegally returning to Syria at the start of the Syrian Revolution and risking everything to free his brother from the Assad regime. Panelists will include "The Translator" filmmaker Rana Kazkaz; Simon Adams, president and CEO of The Center for Victims of Torture; Zayd Dohrn, playwright and co-director of the MFA in stage and screen writing at Northwestern; and NU Professor of Political Science Wendy Pearlman. FREE, but registration required at eventbrite, whether attending in person or virtually.

A Collaborative Performance!

‘Dawtas | Mirror, Mirror’ The Hyde Park Art Center, 5020 S. Cornell Ave., will present “Dawtas: Mirror, Mirror" performance from 4-6 p.m. on November 20. Jamaican artist Yasmin Spiro will lead this collaborative performance, featuring sculptures she has worked on for 15 years and dances from local performers. With music by DJ Major Taylor, this performance is inspired by Jamaican and Caribbean culture, and it pays tribute to Jamaican dancer and cultural historian Rex Nettleford. It covers topics of dance, spirituality, gender, history, and identity. A reggae dance session will follow the 40-minute performance for those who joined in person. The event is FREE, but registration is required at eventbrite.com for both online and in-person attendees.

-Compiled by Paige Bialik

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Vendors Russ Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chats about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

John: All right, folks, so we have our regular feast of football on Thanksgiving this year—as we always do—and, so, let’s get started. Patrick?

Patrick: Well, so we have our Chicago Bears kicking it off against the Detroit Lions at 11:30 a.m. CST, then we have the Dallas Cowboys hosting the Las Vegas Raiders at 3:30 p.m. CST, and we follow that up and end the day with the New Orleans Saints taking on the Buffalo Bills in New Orleans at 7:20 p.m. CST. I like it.

Russ: I’m excited as well. I love that the Bears are always in the mix–win or lose–mixing the hope and anticipation of a Bears win to kick off the day with the turkey and dressing and ham and triplecheese macaroni and greens and cranberry sauce—

SPORTSWISE

Patrick: Don’t forget the chit’lins!

Donald: You can keep that!

Just give me my sweet potato pie and I’m good.

Russ: Right! All of that. But, yeah, mixing a Bears win with the aromas at the house, man, I’m so looking forward to this year.

John: Okay, so the NFL has treated us with this tradition since the 1920s and, let me say this, although I believe it

should last, I think the continuing inclusion of the Detroit Lions who, by the way, have played on Thanksgiving Day since 1934—I don’t feel they should be included anymore. They’re not good enough. The Dallas Cowboys—yes. For the most part throughout history, they’ve been and are a pretty decent team. The Bears—a bit biased here, perhaps, but we’ve been decent for the most part. Or, at the very least, entrenched enough with our football history, that we’re okay as an automatic.

Donald: Look, Thanksgiving football to me is like me waking up with breath: awesome, awesome, awesome. From the time I wake up in the morning, through a nap, and all the way to the end of the football nightcap, I am on 10 as much as I can be at my age!

Russ: That’s funny.

John: So, yeah, I think that unless you’re a diehard Lions fan…or have some big money on or against them, it’s a waste of time to have them on in such an annual event.

Patrick: I feel you, John.

With such a celebrated spotlight, one would think we’d have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or Baltimore Ravens, or even the Bears’ archenemy, the Green Bay Packers, taking care of business. We must give kudos to the Lions’ owner who, back in 1934, decided to play on the holiday to attract more fans and, as John mentioned, ever since then, has been in on Thanksgiving.

Not to mention, the Dallas Cowboys and the Lions have been a dual-team part of the festivities since 1978.

Donald: That’s impressive.

Y’know, talking about it now, I can see how it could be slightly unfair to those teams who’ve never been included.

Russ: On the other hand, it could be a blessing for those not playing as they get to spend time with their families, eating good and things, and watching their coworkers grind it out on the field!

John: Good point. So, last words, team—What y’all got?

Patrick: Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. I hope everyone gets some good eating— shoot, just some eating—and we get a Bears victory.

Donald: I like the sound of that.

Russ: On the bandwagon.

Also, everybody be easy and stay on top of your health this season. Some good eating out here and excitement with the games, but, remember, family and health is the most important thing we have.

Any comments or suggestions?

Email pedwards@streetwise.org

SEVEN ON STATE

by Lisa Getches

New vendor Lisa Getches loves to shop at Macy’s on State Street, but she always found the food options lacking. “The basement food options are overpriced, and I knew there was the Walnut Room on the 7th floor, but that’s really expensive, too,” Lisa said.

Then she saw a spot on TV about Seven on State, the food court on Macy’s 7th floor on the opposite end of the store from the Walnut Room. Seven on State offers three affordable restaurant options: State of Taco, which whips up Mexican fare; burgers, hot dogs and more at Chicago Grill; and Walnut Room Favorites, which offers inexpensive renditions of dishes from the pricey Walnut Room.

Lisa Getches

On a recent rainy Tuesday, Lisa stopped by Macy’s and headed up to Seven on State. She loved the atmosphere at Macy’s, which has recently put up Christmas decorations. “It made me feel like I was home for the holidays,” she said.

Lisa opted for the Chicago Grill hamburger, a 1/3-pound burger grilled to order and topped with lettuce, tomato and pickles. The burger is $5.95, and if you’d like to add cheese, it’s an extra dollar.

SEVEN ON STATE “I just couldn’t believe that you could eat at Macy’s on State Street for under $7!” Lisa exLocation: claimed.

Inisde Macy's 111 N. State St., floor 7 And the burger was certainly worth the reasonable price, Lisa said.

Price Range: Around $10 / per person “It tasted fresh, like someone just handed it to me off the barbeque in their backyard,” she Hours: said. “It felt like it had a personal touch, and Monday - Friday tasted like something I would cook. The burg11 a.m. - 2 p.m. er had a homey feeling.”

Lisa also added a side of fries and a Coke for an extra $2.95, which with tax brought her total to $11.06.

She noted the fries were crispy and the Coke had a generous ratio of pop to ice.

Next time she visits, Lisa plans to try out the signature beef, spinach and pine nut meatloaf sandwich at Chicago Grill, which features cheddar, romaine lettuce, tomato and roasted garlic onion jam on whole grain oat bread for $9.95. She also had her eye on Mrs. Hering’s chicken pot pie from Walnut Room Favorites, a slightly more expensive option at $11.95, and the steak tacos at State of Taco, which cost $4 each.

“You can eat at Macy’s for a reasonable price,” Lisa said. “Just go on up to the 7th floor.”

From top: Lisa's burger; the entry sign to Seven on State; seating at Seven on State.

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'Still Searching Project' focuses on often overlooked missing Black women

by Suzanne Hanney & Paige Bialik

Artist Damon Lamar Reed was just a child in Phoenix when his aunt and two cousins, ages 6 and 8, were killed: an unsolved murder to this day.

Sometime in the past year, Reed’s mother created the spark for his latest project when she reposted the story of his aunt’s and cousins’ deaths. As Reed went online researching their case, he came upon more information about unsolved murders in Chicago. There were 51 women murdered near Washington Park in the last 20 years, including a large number found burned in an alley or a trash can. Could it be a serial killer?

“Sometimes you say you got a good idea and sometimes a ‘God idea,’” Reed said at an October 22 panel during the opening of his “Still Searching Project” at 345 Gallery in East Garfield Park.

“I am thinking somebody is going to see my paintings, call the police; someone will get found and we are going to change the world,” Reed continued. “I am very optimistic. As they say, ‘Shoot for the moon and land on the stars.’”

Reed chased conspiracy theories and truth as he listened to podcasts and viewed Facebook groups. Finally, he inboxed one group’s administrator about providing him a list of people he could paint, which became the “Still Searching Project”: 16 portraits of well-known and lesser-known women who have been missing for as long as 40 years.

A Kartemquin documentary collaboration is also in the works.

The first portrait he painted was of mail carrier Kierra Coles, who was three months pregnant when she disappeared in 2018. The second was of Diamond and Tionda Bradley, ages 3 and 10, respectively, when they disappeared from their mother’s home 20 years ago. Yasmin Acree and Sonya Rouse are among the other portraits.

There are still women for whom Reed can only find names, weight, height and date missing. They may not have much family left. They may have been on the street, so that perpetrators assume no one will look for them, he said. Human trafficking can take three forms: labor, sex trade and organ harvesting.

“All the cases are equal to me. No woman is more important than any other,” Reed said in a telephone interview. “[But] If I started out with the more high-profile cases, it would help raise the profile of the less known.”

TOP: Reed's first portrait of mail carrier Kierra Coles.

BOTTOM: Reed's portrait of Diamond and Tionda Bradley.

Images provided by Damon Lamar Reed.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Reed at work in his studio. Photo from stillsearchingdocumentary.com.

Learn more about Damon Lamar Reed and his projects, including "Still Searching Project" at damonlamarreed.com

"As long as people are still missing and crimes are being committed, there’s still a lot of work to do," Reed said, which he will continue with separate paintings of unsolved murders and cold cases.

“I told my wife, 'This is something that could be part of my legacy. That’s why I call it ‘Projects.’”

Reed sees “Still Searching” less in terms of sales than as a traveling exhibit to museums and colleges, to raise awareness. All his art is about uplifting and spreading love, he said, but this project has more focus. “It’s like Gabby Petito’s face. Everyone knew her face and we knew this case was going to get solved, whether she was alive or not. The news was not stopping until something happened with that case. The more we talked about it, the more people knew, like the ripple effect of a stone in the water.”

Reed received his bachelor’s in fine arts from the Art Institute of Chicago and has

made a career out of freelance mural painting – for LISC Chicago, Lawndale Christian Development Corporation, Dev Corp North, Sears, Allstate and Children’s Memorial Hospital – as well as illustration, graphic design, fine art and teaching. Kerry James Marshall selected him to take part in his exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Reed is also a hip-hop artist, with a nationally distributed album, “He Heard My Cry.” La Toya Flowers, director of the documentary film, “Still Searching,” produced by Kartemquin, connected with Reed through his music. Her brother had gone to Morgan Park High School with Reed’s wife, Nicole, and they connected on Facebook. Kartemquin partnered with Hulu, which will get a first look at the finished product.

“Still Searching” aims to flip the narrative on missing Black women, so that they attain the same degree of local,

national and global attention as women like Natalee Holloway, Elizabeth Smart and Petito.

Panelists and surviving family members alike at the event agreed on the importance of getting the word out – early in the investigation and even now, to revive cold cases.

There was a balloon release July 6 on the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of Diamond and Tionda Bradley.

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children also released ageprogression photos showing what they would look like today.

Tracey Bradley, the girls’ mother, went to work at 6 a.m. on the morning they disappeared. They were preparing for an upcoming camping trip with Tracey’s boyfriend. When Bradley arrived home at 11 a.m., she easily opened the door with her key. But the girls were gone.

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Bradley found a note written by Tionda saying they had gone to the nearby Jewel. Bradley said in an interview that police said it was Tionda’s handwriting, but that Tionda would have called her mother instead.

Did it look like the house was broken into?

“No, because I actually put the key in the door,” she responded in an interview. Police came and took samples from the girls’ toothbrushes and hairbrushes.

Police and detectives conducted nationwide searches on the ground and with helicopters.

There were candlelit vigils and wide media coverage. Bradley has also placed her DNA on file with a national registry.

Bradley says she has a mother’s intuition about the case. “I feel in my heart that they're alive because nothing comes up saying that they found anything or they’re dead.”

Shirley Hill has also submitted her DNA to a registry, so that if her daughter Sonya Rouse is found after her death, she can be linked back to her family.

Sonya went missing in 2016, “a mother’s worst nightmare,” Hill said, and since then her family has been searching for her and

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even had her face printed on Tshirts to bring awareness to her disappearance.

Sonya studied communications at Illinois State University and in her second year, she became Miss Black ISU. After her daughter Raven was born in 1996, she suffered postpartum depression and then bipolar disorder. She had been in rehab and was seeing a psychiatrist.

Leading up to her disappearance, she was in an abusive relationship and living in a basement with her boyfriend’s parents. He said Sonya had gone out for the night and never returned. Shortly afterward, her family contacted the police and filled out a missing person’s report.

Hill said that police went to the basement apartment and couldn’t find anything. She insisted they return. They found Sonya’s purse.

Because she had to work so hard to get police attention, Hill resents the coverage given to Petito, yet she says Petito and Sonya were both vulnerable. Hill wanted her daughter to leave the boyfriend, but she responded, “Mom, I’m not as strong as you.”

“Yes, you are,” Hill would say.

“You have my DNA.”

THIS PAGE: TOP LEFT: Shirley Hill, second from left, flanked by her daughters, Sonya Rouse’s sisters; Tracey Bradley, mother of Diamond and Tionda; and Shakenna Banks, Yasmin Acree’s cousin (Suzanne Hanney photo). THIS COLUMN: FROM TOP: Reed's portraits of Yasmine Acree, Sonya Rouse, and Alexis Camry Scott.

OPPOSITE PAGE, from top: Demetrice Brown, Lashayla Sanders, and Lativia "Tivi" Johnson. Images provided by the artist. INSET: Marquinn McDonald demonstrates self-defense (and gets a knee to the groin) at the "Still Searching Project" opening on October 22 at 345 Gallery in East Garfield Park (Suzanne Hanney photos).

The Best Defense is Self–Defense

What missing Black women have in common is predators, said artist Damon Lamar Reed, which is why the “Still Searching” exhibit opening featured tips on self-defense.

“There are predators out there, that this many women are missing,” Reed said. “There’s a large possibility somebody is riding around late at night looking. It’s not safe."

“We walk with our heads down, with headphones,” said Pablo Foster, a private investigator for 20 years on the Diamond and Tionda Bradley case. “As an individual, you have to be aware of your surroundings. Someone is watching you all the time. They get your schedule and wait for the right time. It’s not when you’re ready, it’s when they’re ready. If you’re dating a guy, call your friends and say, 'I am going out with XYZ and this is what time I am getting home.'”

Marquinn McDonald, who has a self-defense business at 800 S. Wells, said men are better fighters, but women are better at violence and, “the key is being creative:" wielding a stiletto heel, for example.

McDonald demonstrated a two-handed swing to an assailant’s right side. Since 90 percent of people are right-handed, you could likely break his grip and flee, he said later. He also taught dancer Laura Barclay to thrust a knee to his groin.

Sometime you might be walking past a man as he’s opening his car trunk, McDonald said. If he comes up behind you, pivot and use the two-handed swing and the groin move. “Always face the problem,” he said.

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Reed contacted Sonya’s family about the exhibit through her Facebook page. Having Reed choose Sonya’s story and portrait gives Hill hope that God is sending a sign that things will come together and shed more light on Sonya’s case, dead or alive.

“I don't think things just happen.

I do know that. So He'll [God] bring her back. Look at the three girls that were missing in Ohio.” Ariel Castro in Cleveland had kidnapped Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus, and Michelle Knight between 2002 and 2004 and held them until 2013, when Berry finally escaped and called police.

“My only wish is that whatever way God's made for her to come back, let her come back before I leave,” Hill said.

Yasmin Acree, 15, was living with her aunt at the time she disappeared sometime between Tuesday night, January 15, and Wednesday morning, Jan. 16, 2008. Yasmin’s aunt has since died and her cousin, Shakenna Banks, who was roughly the same age, maintains her Facebook page. In 2016, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age progression photo of Yasmin.

The lock on Yasmin’s room had been cut and the door jamb broken, yet police did not initially

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take the lock with them to dust for fingerprints, Banks said. Yasmin’s room appeared untouched and her glasses were left behind, according to The Charley Project.

Police initially treated Yasmin like a runaway, Banks said, based on interviews with schoolmates, later discounted by police. In addition, the aunt’s home was well furnished, so “police thought Yasmin was too privileged and she ran away because she was not getting her way. She was not taken seriously,” Banks said.

In 2011, the Chicago Tribune said its reporters found Yasmin’s diary, in which she mentioned a 35-year-old man living in the aunt’s building who had served time for attempted murder. Police did not learn about him until 2009, when the aunt saw on TV that he had been arrested for a series of kidnappings and rapes.

“You don’t really want to put a finger on someone and risk falsely accusing them,” the aunt said at the time. Many people in the neighborhood had prison records, Banks said, so the lightbulb didn’t go off until the man was arrested on the sex charges.

Banks describes Yasmin as sheltered and naïve, crushing on the man in her diary, on rappers and singers, but still considering them off-limits. “She always had

CPD responds

Chicago Police Department Deputy Director Ahern had this statement about the Diamond and Tionda Bradley case: "The investigation remains open by Area One detectives. Detectives have and will continue to follow up when tips are received. At this juncture, there are no new leads."

CPD said also, that the Sonya Rouse investigation is currently classified as suspended. A suspended status means the case cannot proceed further at this time. That can happen for a variety of reasons, including detectives exhausting all leads currently available. This status can change when more information becomes available.

Yasmin Acree remains an open investigation.

her nose in a book, writing a song or writing in her journal. She was a very mental person, extremely smart.”

Yasmin was overcoming past abuse, “but she wasn’t just some child in the system, lost and sad,” Banks said. “She was happy too.

She was loving, too. She could give love and she was forgiving as well. Even though she had darkness come around her, she was always light.”

Yasmin’s case got a lot of attention, but too late, Banks said. Her disappearance was discovered Wednesday morning and she didn’t attend school that day. Her aunt called 911 at 5:31 p.m. and police arrived at 7:04, according to city records cited by the Chicago Tribune. “I feel if it would have gotten attention immediately, it could have gotten the ball rolling,” Banks said.

What Banks hopes the Still Searching Project will do is “reopen everyone’s eyes that these women are not forgotten. People still miss them, care about them and have hope they appear years later.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: LEFT: Shirley Hill, Sonya Rouse's mother, being interviewed by StreetWise reporter Paige Bialik. CENTER: Sonya Rouse’s cousin, Jerod Rouse, wears a T-shirt with her photo to the exhibit opening. Both photos by Suzanne Hanney. RIGHT COLUMN: from top: Damon Lamar Reed's portraits of Liliana Boyd, Linzer FranklinMurray, and Maliyah "LeeLee" England. THIS PAGE: RIGHT COLUMN: Reed's portraits of Mercedes Crumpton, Nijeria Hunter, and Vinyette Teague. All artwork provided by the artist.

Pablo Foster, a private investigator on the Bradley case for 20 years, said during the panel that we change the narrative for Black women by jumping on the case immediately and by being persistent.

“Demand from law enforcement officers that they take that report.

It’s up to you to notify everyone in

your Rolodex, know where your children’s phones are. You have to be the frontrunner. By the time police come to you, you are already behind.”

During an interview, Foster was pragmatic about the headlines given to Gabby Petito.

“You have to get the story out there regardless if they’re black, if they’re white, Hispanic or any other nationality. If it’s hot, you have to get it out there. The more you get it out there, people open their eyes and give notice. Just like Diamond and Tionda’s story, even though it is 20 years ago, [their aunt] kept that information out there as if it happened yesterday in the news media, in the public eye.

“The key thing is, law enforcement doesn’t solve crimes,” Foster said.

“The public solves crimes, the citizens of the universe solve crimes because the citizen has that information. The only way the police department can prosecute or do a detainment is that the public needs to come forward with information that they are holding onto.”

Authorities have been watching people on the Bradley case and need that missing link, he said.

Sooner or later the pressure might get to someone?

“We hope so,” Foster said.

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StreetWise Vendor Paula recalls a history of abuse and the fear of becoming a missing Black woman.

by Paula Green

It all started when I became homeless due to family circumstances, how I came to realize being homeless made me vulnerable and helpless by not knowing the predators that lurk in the dark.

My three sons and I were living on the streets, going from house to house trying to get someone to assist us. I had men walking up to me and driving in cars telling us they would take us in.

When you are vulnerable, people are just mean, even your family members. Young Black women need to communicate with each other, share our feelings, like therapy, whether or not we have children.

I was raped a few times, thinking that these individuals would help me. They started out nice and kind, helping me with my sons, feeding them, putting them in the bed, yet abusing me sexually, mentally and

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physically. Although we were able to get away from them, the cycle continued until one day I said, “enough is enough.” One gentleman I will not name took me in. We lived in a vacant building and continued to be abused. It all started as I lay there on the couch with one of my sons, thinking, “how did we get into this situation?” The gentleman got one of my sons hooked on drugs. He tried to make me compromise my body. I carried everything, went and got his alcohol while he was stealing my money and trying to break me down mentally, taking advantage of a learning disability that I have to this day.

I thank God for saving me, although I can tell you other stories. One of my mother’s boyfriends took advantage of me at an early age. I believe this is when everything started happening. After my mother and grandmother passed away 20 years ago, other family members took advantage of my learning dis-

ability and lack of knowledge, cutting me out, taking all my money.

This is how I became homeless. After about 10 years, my dad got off the street, got a job, got housing, stopped drinking and drugging and took me in and moved me into an apartment the floor above him for about a year. But again, I was vulnerable to advances by someone in the building, so I went back on the streets until I met the man who got my son hooked on drugs.

A few months later, I met two StreetWise vendors who wanted me to come and sell the magazine.

As I got to know more vendors, 14 months ago, I started as a vendor myself.

I am ashamed to admit that I have done these things and I choose not to think about it no more. I thank StreetWise, the vendors who are now trying to help me, and those customers who are supporting my magazine sales.

Streetwise 11/8/21 Crossword

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

Sudoku

©2016 PuzzleJunction.com

56 59 60 61 62 63

Pen name Distress signal Assortment Some execs River of Hades Vice president under Jefferson 64 Locomotive followers

9 10 11 12 13 17 21 23 24 26

Clink Sites for studs Put up with “Absolutely!”

Halloween mo.

Safety harness Buttonhole Deep black Shade tree Constellation between Carina and Pyxis ___ a good thing Stage signal Short story One in a suit Assail Greek letters

34 Fruity pastry 37 Bon ___ (witticism) 38 Dart 40 Percolate 42 Drop the ball 43 Czech plastic explosive 45 Remote button 46 Aggressive 47 Passion 49 Kind of appeal 50 Balsam tree 51 Mideast chief: Var. 53 Woodstock gear 54 Legal matter 55 Dance bit 57 Tubing inits.

58 Rustic locale

2 1 9 7 3 8 5 4 8 6

2 4 1 2 7 5 6 9 1 5 8 9 4 3 8

Down 1 Garbage barge 2 Like tumblers 3 Amscrayed 4 UN agency 5 Personal state of isolation 6 Complain 7 ___ and anon 8 Like the Sahara

27 28 29 31 32 33

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last week's Puzzle Answers Sudoku Solution Solution

Sudoku Solution

9 5 7 8 4 3 6 2 1 8 3 6 2 1 9 5 7 4 2 1 4 5 7 6 3 9 8 1 2 3 6 8 7 9 4 5 7 9 5 3 2 4 8 1 6 4 6 8 9 5 1 2 3 7 3 7 9 1 6 5 4 8 2 Find your nearest StreetWise Vendor at 5 8 1 4 9 2 7 6 3 www.streetwise.org 6 4 2 7 3 8 1 5 9

Across 1 Exclamation of surprise 5 Fine-tune 9 Loses color 14 Scale down 15 Jewish calendar month 16 Give the slip 17 Varieties 18 Chorus member 19 Marsh plant 20 Tapioca source 22 Deposit 24 Craving 25 Apple picker 26 Yo-Yo Ma’s instrument 28 Attack 32 Rub the wrong way 36 Irritations 37 Away from port 39 New Mexico resort 40 Query 41 Acorn dropper 44 Groove 45 Regrets 47 Potpie ingredients 48 Bullwinkle, for one 50 Spanish title 52 Hard working union member 54 Hospital cry 56 Treat like a dog?

57 Frequently, in verse 60 Bake sale org.

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61 Street machines 65 Feather in one’s cap 67 Booty 69 Clothes presser 70 Falcon’s home 71 Resentful 72 Cash in Ghana 73 Advances 74 Oxen’s harness 75 Basketball feature Down 1 Colossal 2 Hearty party 3 Old flatboats 4 Dinner course 5 Nirvana 6 Earthen pot 7 Cashew, e.g.

Orientation Participants complete a monthlong orientation, focusing on customer service skills, financial literacy and time management to become a badged vendor.

Financial Literacy Vendors buy StreetWise for $0.90, and sell it for $2. The profit of $1.10 goes directly to the licensed vendor for them to earn a living.

Supportive Services StreetWise provides referrals, advocacy and other support to assist participants in meeting their basic needs and getting out of crisis.

S.T.E.P. Program StreetWise’s S.T.E.P. Program provides job readiness training and ongoing direct service support to ensure participants’ success in entering the traditional workforce.

8 Skip the big wedding 9 Heavy stone tool 10 ___ Maria 11 Disney dog 12 Border 13 Glimpsed 21 Dispatch boat 23 Arm bones 26 Ribbed 27 Baseball’s Mel 28 Some Romanovs 29 Come to pass 30 “American Idol” singersongwriter Clay 31 Bit of filming 33 Fortuneteller’s card 34 Contemptible one 35 Glyceride, e.g.

38 Hebrides tongue 42 In pieces 43 Ant, in dialect 46 “My boy” 49 Flightless bird 51 Basic unit of money in India 53 Highest point 55 Flippant 57 Memorable 1995 hurricane 58 Head for the hills 59 Go sour 61 “Listen!”

62 It comes in black and white 63 Extinct bird 64 Short cut?

66 Central 68 Seek the affection of

Solution

THE PLAYGROUND

To empower the entrepreneurial spirit through the dignity of self-employment by providing Chicagoans facing homelessness with a combination of supportive social services, workforce development resources and immediate access to gainful employment.

Crossword

How StreetWise Works

Our Mission

PuzzleJu

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