>> ENGLEWOOD ON CHICAGO'S SOUTH
SIDE ONCE HAD A BUST HING
ECONOMY OF LOCAL BUSINESSES AND
A LARGER POPULATION THAN IT DOES
TODAY.
BUT DESPITE THE NEIGHBORHOOD'S
CHALLENGES OVER THE DECADES IT'S
HOST TO AN ARRAY OF PEOPLE AND
ORGANIZATIONS WORKING FROM
WITHIN TO MAKE SURE THE
COMMUNITY HAS WHAT IT FEEDS TO
THRIVE.
AS PART OF OUR "CHICAGO TONIGHT"
"IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SERIES",
REPORTER NICK BLUMBERG AND OUR
PRODUCER SPENT THE DAY IN
ENGLEWOOD AND NICK JOINS US FROM
THE RECENTLY OPEN GO GREEN
COMMUNITY FRESH MARKET.
>> THE MARKET IS THE PASSION
PROJECT OF SEVERAL LOCAL
ORGANIZATIONS WE'LL TALK WITH
ONE IN A BIT ABOUT BRINGING
ACCESS TO HEALTHY FOOD TO A
NEIGHBORHOOD THAT HAS NOT EASILY
GOTTEN TO IT.
ENGLEWOOD HAS BEEN IN THE NEWS
FOR SADDER REASONS WHEN THE
HISTORIC ANTIOCH MISSIONARY
BAPTIST CHURCH CAUGHT FIRE AFTER
GOOD FRIDAY SERVICES.
THE BUILDING DATES TO THE
1880s.
THE STRUCTURE CANNOT BE SAVED
AND IS BEING DEMOLISHED.
PASTOR GERALD DEW SAYS THE
PANDEMIC TAUGHT THE CHURCH HOW
TO BE FLEXIBLE THEY PIVOTED TO
VIRTUAL FELLOWSHIP AND HOLDING
SERVICES AT A NEARBY FUNERAL
HOME.
THEY START A FUNDRAISING TO
REBUILD AND CONTINUE THE
MISSION.
ANTIOCH MISSIONARY BAPTIST
CHURCH HAS BECOME THE SPIRITUAL
CONSCIENCE OF THE ENGLEWOOD
COMMUNITY.
PROVIDING MINUTE STRIRKS
COUNSELING AND HUMAN SERVICES,
QUALITY AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO
LOW AND MODERATE INCOME
FAMILIES.
WE WANT TO BUILD A NEW FACILITY
ON THIS SAME SPOT.
WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR PRESENCE
IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THIS IS OUR HOME BASE.
THIS IS OUR ANCHOR.
WE ARE COMMITTED TO THIS
COMMUNITY.
>> ANOTHER COMMUNITY GATHERING
SPACE IN ENGLEWOOD IS ITS
VILLAGE PLAZA CREATED LAST YEAR
AS A SPACE TO SHARE MEALS,
PUBLIC ART AND GIVE LOCAL MAKERS
A SPACE TO SHARE OFF THEIR WORK.
TANYA WARD SAYS IT'S ABOUT
CREATING SOMETHING COMMUNITY
DRIVEN AND HONORS LONG TIME
RESIDENTS.
THE NEXT PROJECT TURNING A
UNUSED RAIL LINE INTO A NEW
NATURE TRAIL.
>> PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELLNESS IS
A BIG THING.
A LOT OF THE FOLKS HERE HAVE
BEEN THROUGH ALL THE THINGS THAT
HAPPENED OVER THE DECADES.
AND IT'S JUST ABOUT CREATING OUR
OWN.
HONESTLY.
IT'S CREATING OUR OWN SPACE AND
OUR OWN THINGS WE ARE IN TUNE
WITH THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE HEAR WHAT THEY NEED.
WE HEAR WHAT THEY WANT AND WE
WANT TO CREATE SOMETHING SO THEY
CAN STAY IN THE COMMUNITY AND
NOT HAVE TO LEAVE TO ENJOY THE
BEAUTY OF THE CITY.
>> THE TRAIL WILL BE DEVELOPED
IN PHASES.
AND WARD HOPES TO SEE THE WORK
START TO PAY OFF IN THE NEXT
YEAR OR TWO.
IT WILL BE A WAY TO CONNECT WITH
NATURE AND REBUILD FROM WITHIN.
SHE IS AN ENGLEWOOD NATIVE BUT
THE BLOCK OF HOMES SHE GREW UP
IN IS NO LONGER THERE.
>> IT USED TO HAVE HOUSES ON
TREE LINED STREETS.
WE WERE ERASED AND I CANNOT LIVE
IN MY COMMUNITY IF I WANTED TO
RIGHT NOW.
FOR US, IT'S ABOUT BUILDING FROM
WITHIN.
BUILDING THE BEAUTY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR
SOMEONE ELSE TO COME ALONG TO
BEAUTIFY US.
WE'RE GOING TO DO IT OURSELVES.
>> FOR MANY GROUPS WORKING IN
ENGLEWOOD HELPING TO IMPROVE THE
NEIGHBORHOOD MEANS WORKING WITH
THE YOUNGEST RESIDENTS TO
PROVIDE THEM OPPORTUNITIES
INCLUDING TO PREVENT THE
VIOLENCE MANY CHICAGO
COMMUNITIES FACE ESPECIALLY IN
THE WARMER WEATHER.
CHELLEE RASHAD LEADS THE GROUP
IMAGINE ENGLEWOOD IF THAT OFFERS
SUMMER PROGRAM AND MUCH MORE AT
BUILDINGS AND OUTDOOR SPACES.
SHE STARTED AS A PARTICIPANT
AFTER HER FRIEND WAS KILLED IN A
DRIVE-BY SHOOTING IN HIGH SCHOOL
AND CREDITS THE GROUP WITH
GIVING HER A PLACE SHE FELT
WELCOMED AND LEARN ABOUT HER
COMMUNITY'S HISTORY AND BECOME
EMPOWERED TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.
>> THE MISSION OF IMAGINE
ENGLEWOOD IS TO STRENGTHEN AND
EMPOWER THE GREATER ENGLEWOOD
COMMUNITY BY TEACHING LOCAL
YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES HEALTHY
LIVING AND POSITIVE
COMMUNICATION SKILLS.
WE ARE WHAT WE NEED.
HOWEVER, COLLABORATION WITH EACH
OTHER AMONGST OUR COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS AND ELECTED
OFFICIALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT LIKE
ALL OF THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
BECAUSE THE WORK THAT WE ARE
DOING AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE
ARE FACING THEY ARE
MULTILAYERED.
WE ALL NEED SKIN IN THE GAME.
>> SHE IS EXCITED ABOUT A LOT OF
THE GROUPS UP COMING PROGRAMS
INCLUDING A COMMUNITY CLEAN UP
DAY IN A COUPLE WEEKS.
KENNETH CLAYTON STARTED
LONGEVITY BARBER LOUNGE SEVEN
YEARS AGO AND SEES IT AS MORE
THAN A PLACE TO GET A HAIRCUT IT
IS SAFE AND A PLACE TO TALK
ABOUT WHAT IS TROUBLING PEOPLE
AND HOME BASE FOR OUTREACH
EFFORTS.
HE IS HOPING TO START A MONTHLY
PROGRAM WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE CAME
IN AND READ A BOOK AND GOT A
FREE HAIRCUT AND SEES YOUNG
PEOPLE AS THE KEY TO THE
COMMUNITY'S FUTURE AND HOPES TO
START A BARBER COLLEGE.
>> I HAD A LOT OF MENTORS.
SO I WANTED TO TAKE THAT TORCH
AND BE A MENTOR AS WELL AND
TEACH A CHESTERFIELD HOW TO FISH
THEY WILL NEVER GO HUNGRY.
IT'S ONLY NINE MONTHS AND THEY
GET THEIR LICENSE AND COME TO A
FINANCIAL CRISIS THEY CAN STILL
FEED THEIR SELVES AS WELL AS
THEIR FAMILIES.
>> WE'LL HAVE MORE FROM
ENGLEWOOD LATER ON IN THE
PROGRAM INCLUDING A CONVERSATION
WITH ONE OF THE AREAS
ALDERPEOPLE AND ONE OF THE