The Chicago Project

First Night in North Lawndale

“It was scary to me. I felt that all eyes were on me and the people did not like that we were in the town”
Christine Davis 2005 Participant

“I was mainly thinking about going to the all black high school. I’m really nervous about that.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“It kind of freaked me out when that lady started cussing at us and these guys flipped us off. When people said hi I was kind of apprehensive at first because I felt awkward. I don’t know what to say. I feel sympathy. But I know that I could never really have empathy because I have never experienced it so I know they don’t want to here my words of sympathy.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“I was feeling really happy… All the people out and about. I like walking in the city at night so I was just wondering what they were up to.”
Terry Beasley 2005 Participant

“I didn’t like the way everyone looked at us when we were on the bus driving around when they flicked us off was worse…they gave us looks to kill…”
Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“So far we have got yelled at and flipped off. I expected to be fighting off roaches as we slept.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“Basically I saw a bunch of people staring at us like we were aliens. It seemed to me that they were trying to figure out what the hell we were doing in their neighborhood and why we looked like a bunch of 2nd graders at a zoo.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“I was scared to death when we exited the highway. I had no idea what to expect. I am still terrified to stay all night.”
Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Tour of North Lawndale

“I see what he is saying, about that we don’t always know or understand people’s circumstances and that’s why it is so easy for us to tell them to just stop selling drugs or whatever.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“The only thing I disagree with is the whole respect thing. He says to give them all respect. I think they will take advantage of you, if you give them too much.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“I think that nothing is really going to change. You may change one persons life and they will have a good life, I just don’t know. I know if someone doesn’t help, nothing will get done.”
Terry Beasley 2005 Participant

“I think that all the people really want is a chance to be heard and Dana is trying to give them that opportunity... I agree with what he said about how you think about yourself really effects the way you act and what you do.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

“I think that Dana could impact people’s lives… Dana understands how the people are like and goes to them.”
Desi Tangeman 2005 Participant

“Dana building this studio will open their eyes toward hopefully a talent they never knew they had and go with. Help them to get off the streets.”
Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Interview with Pat Hill, President of the African American Police League

“I think that the cops are very corrupt in inner cities. The way the police treat the people they are supposed to be protecting is unfair. It makes the people not want to trust the police and make the police an enemy. And I think it just goes back and forth, the police unfairly treat the people a certain way so the people react by doing wrong and disrespecting police and so the police get mad and start reacting worse.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“No police is going to admit, but there is evidence on many people that it happens everywhere. I think it only makes everybody in the community worse, it definitely is not going to make things better.”
Lindsey Jacks 2005 Participant

“After speaking to Pat Hill, I definitely believe that police corruption exists everywhere.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“I thought she was a cool cop. She was definitely a very courageous and outspoken woman. Most people wouldn’t risk losing their job just to support their beliefs.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“Police corruption in the ghetto does exist. Poor policing causes people to fear the cops. It makes them not want to do what’s right for themselves even more because it gives them an ‘I’ll get in trouble by them anyways, even if I don’t do anything wrong.’ Attitude. They don’t care if their arrested because they think it’ll happen anyways. And if someone thinks that they’ll get in trouble for doing something wrong, even if they do nothing, then you know there’s bad policing, you know there are corrupt cops.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

Rap Session with Bryan and Brandon Pope

“I think a lot of people are going to enjoy their music too because I’ve heard Christian rap before but it never sounded that good and the rappers were never as meaningful as I thought they were I think if they get out there and known they could provide hope to a lot of people.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“I think that their message provides hope because it takes the boring church language that I would fall asleep on and puts it into our language (street language) which I understand better. Life instead of saying God was attacked by the devil and his followers and they crucified him by nailing him to the cross. God died and blah blah blah. They just simply said something about
God being a cat and he is in a fight with wolves and he isn’t going to win.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“Their message provides hope and it makes it easier for the youth in the area to get into it because of the way they present it. I’m not as religious as I used to be, in fact I’ve kind of given up on God, but last night some of the songs really hit hard. They made me think. It sort of made me realize that even though I’ve given up on God, He hasn’t given up on me. After they left last night, I went outside and prayed for the first time in almost a year. They had a major impact on me, not just by the message in their music but by their dedication to delivering that message.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

“They provide hope because God gave them a talent to use and they use it for good… They used what God gave them. Who cares if it happens to be Christian Rap, they’re good!”
Desi Tangeman 2005 Participant

“…when people listen to the music they will see that it has light or hope and there is their hope!”
Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“I think their message provides hope because it shows their hope. And so long as there is hope, then you’ve got something. I mean I’m not religious and I hate rap and hip hop, yet I like their music because it sort of has meaning.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“I think their message provides a lot of hope to young people. I believe teenagers get more out of raps and music than anything because that’s what they enjoy. They aren’t in it for money. They are in it for the satisfaction that they changed somebody’s life for the better.”

Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Cook County Jail

“It will be very difficult to find employment because who wants to hire someone who has been convicted. Especially if it was robbery or grand theft or something like that. I also imagine that it would be hard to get an apartment because they do background checks and maybe even a loan. A lot of your means to make it through life will be taken away because most people are not going to be trusting or even give you the benefit of the doubt.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“They will be in a bad position. They will basically be starting over again. Especially if they had no money or family. I would just probably rather stay in jail.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“Well they’ll have to get used to the world again. If they’re in jail, and they are respected and everything by the people in their cell, they won’t want to be released into the real world because that’ll put them back at the bottom. It’s horrible. And it’s a situation that no one would want to be in: a person with no one and nothing and no way of getting anything.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

Marshall High School (Attitudes Before Going)
“The people are going to be angry at us because they are going to think we are trying to take over. There will be a lot of kids talking about us.”
Christine Davis 2005 Participant

“I think the girls are going to make rude mean ‘white girl’ jokes/comments. The boys are going to say rude sexual comments. Only the geeks or book readers are going to be nice.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“I think there will be a lot of fights at least from what I’ve seen and heard. We will not be well received. There will be probably be gangs in the high school. It’s going to look real funny for 11 white kids to come marching in expected to be treated with hospitality when the likeliness is that may not happen.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“I think it is going to be a horrible time. Unless it is a private school or something. Otherwise they are going to be typical blacks. Loud obnoxious and annoying. They are going to get on my nerves and I have to do the best I can to keep my mouth shut while I am there. I hope you know most of us are outspoken and aren’t afraid- Me, Tiffany, Ashley, Desi, Amanda, I just hope nothing bad happens.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“I think the school will be messed up. A lot of fights, people getting jumped.”
Terry Beasley 2005 Participant

“I know that Marshall is bigger, blacker and worse than Fairborn…”

Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“I expect to see a lot of fighting and people acting ridiculous and immature. I expect for the girls to look like sluts and act pretty mean. I also expect to be teased for awhile and treated oddly. I don’t really expect this to be a very pleasant experience. I also expect for them to try to steal my stuff, so you know I’m not going to leave that anywhere where I can’t see it in some way.”

Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

Marshall High School (Attitudes after Going)
“I thought they would be mean and say mean things like why you here, go home where you belong, but they were all really nice. I never expected it to be the way it was.”
Christine Davis 2005 Participant

“My experience of Marshall High School was incredible. Black people in the inner city aren’t stupid (I did think that), ill tempered or outrageously rude. They are just like the black people I know in Xenia or Dayton.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“I had a great time. I kind of want to go to this school. I met a lot of cool people and everyone seemed to like me. I wish we could do it again. Man, I had a fun time.”
Terry Beasley 2005 Participant

“At first when I went in, I thought it was going to be horrible. I thought that everyone would have something to say to us negatively and that we would feel so uncomfortable. After we went in and sat down, we waited for our person to follow, that was the most nerve racking. After she sat down and talked to me, I felt a lot more comfortable. I was actually ready and not nervous to be there. We went to the first class and we sat down, and there were mainly black guys, and they crowded around and were talking and they were really cool. I would definitely do it again.”
Lindsey Jacks 2005 Participant

“It wasn’t the rough school. I thought it would be where nobody cares about their grades everyone I met was very conscious about their school work most had b’s and c’s or better which is not the stereotypical move persona. Everyone was very accepting although a few people asked if I was a foreign exchange student. It was a school that I feel I could go to.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“The kids there were nicer than I expected.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“It was kind of scary at first because in the first class I heard some people making comments like did she get on the wrong bus or something… My opinion has changed quite a bit. I thought that it would be nothing but a bunch of gangs and stuff like that but it wasn’t… I was kind of surprised at how welcoming they were to us (with the exception of a few).”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

“Everyone was super cool and they all seemed to get along… I wish I kinda went to this school… I think I walked away from this experience with a new friend… Wilson, today was the coolest day of my life. Thank you!”
Desi Tangeman 2005 Participant

“Before I went in to the high school I was scared of the black girls because on movies black girls get mad at white girls if they take their black guys…I also believed that there would be a lot of gang bangers, and/or girls who were mean as hell. But I didn’t run into anybody like that…I mean you have good and bad people in every school so why should there be any difference in theirs from ours. It was great!”
Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“No one threatened anyone nor hurt anyone. They all just had a good time.”

Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“It was nothing like I had expected. I truly had a lot of fun. Their high school was a lot like ours was. We would walk down the hallways and people were talking to us and asking us where we were from. They associated with us like we belonged there. They don’t seem as discriminate against us as some are towards them. If I could I would do it again. All the judgements I had about them and the fears I had about going there was nothing.”

Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Discussion with Reverend Nelson

“It was very invoking. At first I thought, that he was very argumentative but then I realized that it was just his way of getting us to talk. It seemed like the more he agitated us the more we opened up and the truth came out.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

“I have never had anyone tell me I should be or live like black people. That really stuck out. I’ve always known that my family was poor but not like that. I see myself and the whole black community in a new light. I will never again say that black people just need to go get jobs and they’ll be alright because people probably say the same thing about my family. Dr. Nelson really made me think about some things… Rev. Nelson made my eyes open a little.”
Desi Tangeman 2005 Participant

“…He had some good points even made a few people contradict themselves which was unbelievably awesome!”
Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“ I liked how he really didn’t talk; he didn’t have to. All he had to do was ask questions , we had the answers. It wasn’t so much what he said, but what he got us to say that made the difference. What he said was basically a wrap-up to what we already knew. He just tapped into it. He didn’t list the facts, he had us do that ourselves, then he made us draw our own conclusions. He knew what was there and gave it meaning. We know the facts and figures, we just now have to figure out how we tie into it all. And that’s what Reverend Dr. Nelson did for us. He helped us with the process of connecting it to our lives. And that was a good thing.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“Instead of just lecturing us, he had a conversation and included everyone that made it much more interesting. I never realized before that it was wealth and not color that made people judge others, I always thought it was a black and white thing.”
Samantha Arthur 2005 Participant

“What I got from Dr. Nelson was that he says some things are a form of poverty, not the color of skin.”
Lindsey Jacks 2005 Participant

“I like the approach that he takes to get you fired up. Cause we all know that our true feelings come out when we are mad”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“Your social and economic rank deals a lot on how people feel around you and view you. I would be terrified of you whether you were black or white if you were to approach me at night.”

Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Discussion with Ira Rogers

“Ira is awesome. I think he taught me so much.”
Lindsey Jacks 2005 Participant

“He made me realize that I need to know for myself what I believe and what is happening around me rather than always believing what I am told. To QUESTION EVERYTHING. Study things out for yourself and you’ll find the truth you need.”
Amanda Stacy 2005 Participant

“I think that Ira is a crazy man with a great voice and a lot of musical talent. I hope you give us a copy of his music. I can honestly say he is my first black inspiration. I guess there is a first for everything. I never ever though I would say that. He has inspired me to put my heart into everything I do.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

“I have too much on my mind right now to be journaling, well the whole trip I’ve had a lot on my mind.”
Terry Beasley 2005 Participant

“I thought that it was really awesome. He is a great singer and his songs had great stories… His visit just made me think about all the things in history that we know nothing about. It just really makes you wonder.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

Ira makes me think about how much the world really hasn’t changed since the sixties, like there are still lynchings… Also that people who are homeless are because of the lack of the income, not because they’re lazy.”
Desi Tangeman 2005 Participant

“I think that Ira will make me change my ways… this whole trip will make me go home and take down all my confederate flags including my bed comforter, towels, shirts, posters, paintings, drawings, nick-knacks! I’m going for a new style one that’s free loving and in the meantime offends no one. Ira didn’t do it all, but he did put the icing on the cake. Not to mention I’m gonna talk to my Grandpa and convince him to get out of the Klan! Wish me luck!”
Ashley Brown, 2005 Participant

“I was amazed and astounded. He really did transcend all categories. Half-way through the thing I just wanted to scream “who are you?” because he didn’t seem to be like anyone I know. When I think of him I’ll think of what he said about being who we are.”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“His folk singing is an awesome way to reach out to teenagers. It makes you truthfully visualize and realize what really is going on in the world. I never knew the “real” reason why so many people went to selling drugs as a way to make a living until he told us.”
Tiffany Toliver 2005 Participant

Poetry Slam

“I was nervous at the thought of reading my poem and when I first got up there but when I read it, I got an awesome response and I wanted to do it again.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

“Hopes and dreams/ soon become real as long as you don’t/ play yourself/ and just be/ who you wanna be. Just remember that/ your past is past/ so make it history. Life is to short/ so live it day by day/ don’t follow others paths/ pave your own way.”
Ron Hollon 2005 Participant

Greater Open Door Community Baptist Church

“I thought it was freaking awesome! It was great to see so many people so into church and willing to devote so much time to God.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

Returning to GCCC
“After my experiences I am more aware of thing that are being said (ex. racial slurs) and I try my best to explain to people why its wrong to use them.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

Other Quotes
“Fear.
Fear controls us all.
It’s always in our hearts.
It inhibits our hopes and dreams.
It stops us before we start.
It keeps us safe from danger.
It protects us from harm.
It creates our nightmares.
It keeps us from doing harm.
Fear.
Fear is an ugly enemy.
It causes a lot of pain.
It makes us do a lot of things.
Things that would normally give us shame.
It makes us attack the weak.
It makes us uphold the wicked.
It makes us forget who we are.
And act like stupid animal- like bigots.
But that’s why God gave us strength.
To control the fear.
To make us overcome our differences.
And so we can stand up together.
Sit arm in arm.
And all say “ We are who we are and we wouldn’t have it any other way”
Hanorah Campbell 2005 Participant

“Depression taking over,
Faith seeping out,
Living in a drowning pool,
When there’s no way out.
Hoping and praying that an end is near,
Wanting to no longer be here,
Waiting for the end to come,
No longer having any hope,
When a greater force comes into play.
It makes me realize, even though I’ve given up on Him,
He’s never given up on me.
I now see the light,
There is purpose in this life for me.”
Emily Greene 2005 Participant

This is the first time that two people from The Chicago Project got up in front of the audience and performed a piece. We were nervous to do it, but the audience was warm and receptive.