The Chicago Project

First Night in North Lawndale

“I saw a lot of glass crushed on the ground, which made me start to feel unsafe…I noticed all of the abandoned buildings, which started to make me wonder and think about what used to be there. I was really wondering how the people feel about their community.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“If I had to live here I would be afraid all the time! Staying in this apartment for the 10 minutes we’ve been here makes me appreciate what I have…”
Christi Dalton, 2006 Participant

“It was a completely different change on how things looked… people seemed to change, the conditions of the roads and sidewalks, nice grocery stores turned into corner stores that sold beer and liquor.”
Ben Davis, 2006 Participant

“All of a sudden it was really quiet and there weren’t as many people outside. When we were downtown, it was bright with all of the lights and buildings. There were people everywhere. When we reached North Lawndale, it became dark and empty. Going from the city to there was like a whole other world.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“As we continued to North Lawndale, things began to change. Houses were in poor shape if not vacant or condemned, fewer people were on the streets, and many nice establishments had fences surrounding them as if to segregate them from the impoverished area.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

“Sad. There were two drug deals, gates in front of the stores, bars in almost every window, homeless just sitting there, and this was the first night.”
Teaonno Gaines, 2006 Participant

“The contrast was astonishing… it is almost as if crossing from heaven into hell. It was painful to look at. The abandoned buildings, the unclean stores and facilities, the downtrodden schools… I was scared of this place and if seeing it brings me such fear, then what is it to live in it? I felt as if I was riding the gravy train… taking little advantage of the gifts given to me and thus wasting the opportunity that someone else would kill for.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant
Operation PUSH

“I had no idea that they did so much to help like the radio and the phones and rallies. And meeting Jesse Jackson was awesome. He touched my shoulder.”
Ben Davis, 2006 Participant

“They are putting the truth out there. People are just starting to do something.”
Teaonno Gaines, 2006 Participant

Guest Speaker: Officer Pat Hill

“Officer Pat Hill told us about corruption and racism that is widespread…”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“She said herself that being black and a woman was like having a double negative…I think history has a very major part on how people act and think.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant

“Police corruption in the ghetto does exist…This corruption hurts the community because the community works together. When one person is arrested, it hurts a whole family, and a family hurt can also hurt a community…”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“It does indeed exist and with a police officer herself relating to us examples of the corruption, not conforming to code and procedure, brutality, and further examples of injustice are prominent in [minority] communities.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

Guest Speaker: Minister Ishmael R. Mohammad

“I think that the nation of Islam will be a successful religion because they promote love and belief in the, community, and even in the human family.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“Change the mind that makes the condition not just changing the condition itself.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant

“I really think that the way believe is actually one of the most effective most effective ideas I’ve heard on how to end poverty, segregation, and the ideas of white supremacy. I understand why they try to limit things to African Americans so they can be self dependent and recondition their own minds…”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant
“…poverty had to be solved with the racist people first being educated. If they don’t know anything about the subject, then they will be racist…In order to respect someone you have to first respect yourself…Every other figure we’ve talked to has mentioned education as part of the solution. I think this could possibly lead to an integrated nation, because with the same education on the topic, people will be on the same level of understanding…If one doesn’t understand another’s point of view, then they can’t connect with them on the subject—in this case poverty.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“Ishmael Mohammad was an awesome speaker, probably the best I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I am not a religious person but I feel that if religion is something that will bring an end to poverty, oppression, and racism, then it should be used as a tool for making the world a better place.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

“I believe that the Minister is a wise and great man but I do not encourage his religion. I do not think that race and religion should go together. Race is just a fairy tale that everyone in the world has fallen in love with…so much that it divides nations. Then to put religion into it just upsets me (to put it nicely).”
Teaonno Gaines, 2006 Participant

“The approach involves uprooting the white supremist mentality and removing it from the United States chain of thought. Only with faith in God and a desire to learn can we ever begin the process of reconstruction and healing.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

Cook County Jail

“At first it was all very scary…And when the inmates walked by when we first got through the search they looked at us like ‘look at that white meat’ and other stuff…we got to go into one of the ‘blocks’…and told us that they were just ordinary people who had made mistakes.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant

“When all of the inmates seen us, they started yelling, knocking on the glass, and dancing. This scared me even more than before.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“I thought that it was very scary but is not as bad as what I thought…I thought they would of said a lot of things but really said stay in school...”
Cayla Miller, 2006 Participant

“After we went into the cells and the guy asked “Why are you scared?” I relaxed. It made me appreciate my freedom more and I liked the fact the inmates we talked to were trying to change and planned on it when they got out.”
Christi Dalton, 2006 Participant

“I found a lot of the inmates were funny and intelligent…If they were properly educated these people would most likely not be here in jail.”
Andrew Quirk, 2006 Participant

“We went into one of the jail tiers; they really made us feel welcome. They asked us if we were scared and told us to graduate from high school and then get a college education. Now I understand that once in jail, it easy to end up in poverty.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“It is a crisis, for it is basically like taking a broken flashlight, sending it to the factory, letting it sit there for months, and then sending it back – it is still broken and will only get sent again or thrown away.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

Breaking Ground Ministries

“It just shows that most of the people who get addicted to drugs or fall into the criminal cycle really have good talents and are very good people, but because of their location no one is there to help them get back on their feet so they never get better.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant

“I thought it was awesome! Finally we have a way to come up and help because everyone else told us to do it our self or never gave us a clear answer. We can come up here and do what I know how to do: manual labor and using my hands.”
Ben Davis, 2006 Participant

“I think that it’s cool to think that all of these people thank their belief in God to their wellness today. Otherwise, they would still be into drugs.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“I liked talking to the people at Breaking Ground because they were straight up, honest people who can reach out and help people.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“It was something to see someone who wasn’t held by drugs and broken forever.”
Seth Caskey, 2006 Participant

“This had to be one of the best stops. I love poetry and to see how Tammy was able to put her life into words was really amazing. It’s like she can put her feelings into her pen and it explodes onto the paper.”
Teaonno Gaines, 2006 Participant

“More than any other, the stories that Tammy and Connie had to tell about their life experiences… I was absorbed, enthralled. It really touched my heart… and I am beginning to re-evaluate my relationship with God. Throughout this entire class and the trips we have gone on, I have seen lives change by the Divine Power of our Holy Lord, combined with the human heart.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

Marshall High School: Before

“…they will stare at us. They will probably wonder what we are doing there, and may be offended…”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“I went into the school thinking I’d had a lot of trouble with people, especially with bullying.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

“Before we went to Marshall High School, I was really scared and I felt very intimidated.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“Before we got there I thought we were going to war. I thought there would be a lot of fights.”
Cayla Miller, 2006 Participant

“I thought the school was going to be out of hand with people skipping classes and doing whatever they wanted.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

Marshall High School: After

“When I just walked into the school, I was actually kind of scared, but after a while I realized that there was nothing to be scared of. I was in the hallways and in the classrooms thinking to myself that they didn’t like me, but that wasn’t true at all…I thought that inner city schools were just like they are depicted in the movies.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“It was very different from what I expected. For the most part everything was just like a high school any of us would attend.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant
“At first I was scared…It was also cool because they all loved us and treated us very nicely here…I thought everyone was going to look at us different cause we were white but it all turned out to be a lot of fun.”
Morgan Hall, 2006 Participant

“What I found was a lot of nice, fun, and interesting people. The people, teachers, and environment were all just respectful and fun. I think the reason we are afraid of places like this is because of the media. In movies and TV, you often see a black versus white scenario.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

“The kids looked at us first, but then they were interested in our life. They asked us about our school, music, sorts, and other things we liked to do. They even said they would like to come to our school. It makes me mad at myself for thinking how bad the school was before I even got there…All of the kids had more spirit and liveliness to them than our school did.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“Once I was there, it seemed like everyone was interested in why we were there and everyone I passed in the hallway said hi to me or introduced themselves to me.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“Attending this school was a great experience. It was very controlled and people were very nice contrary to my preconceived notion.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

“At first I was really, really scared but than after Alexysis, my tour guide came up to me and introduced herself I felt relieved…I lost all fear and was so excited…I expected so much like Hollywood but it wasn’t it was a normal school…”
Christi Dalton, 2006 Participant

Guest Speaker: Pastor Richard Nelson, D. Min.

“I really like the way that he went so in depth in what he was saying. He always asks why or what makes you think the way that you do.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“About the service, 3 hours…I’ll stick to the 45 min. Catholic masses…but thanks anyway.”
Katrina Hammaker, 2006 Participant

“…he asked people questions then challenged them and he was very good at it. It was amazing. He really made me think about things more carefully.”
Cayla Miller, 2006 Participant

“…he was awesome. There was never a time where he didn’t have attention.”
Ben Davis, 2006 Participant

“Pastor Nelson did challenge some of my beliefs…He thought that it’s impossible not to have any racist thoughts…My thinking has changed in the fact that I know now that I have had racist thoughts.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“Pastor Nelson didn’t challenge any of my beliefs, but he challenged our minds. I learned that everyone is racist, even if we think that we all are not.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

Poetry Slam

“I felt privileged to be able to here and see how the people of Chicago deal with their emotions. So many people in the community are artists, and I think that the way the other community members support them is awesome.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“My experience was a wake-up call of how racism felt.”
Christi Dalton, 2006 Participant

“…It seemed like a very contemporary alternate service—except for some stories.”
Lauren McIntosh, 2006 Participant

“I felt touched. It felt as though we were one.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“Poetry and Spoken Word is a good way for people to put out there what they think without being criticized too much.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

Greater Open Door Missionary Baptist Church

“I learned that you should appreciate everything in life, not just cell phones and music but living in a safe neighborhood, having hot water, and not having cockroaches or even rats.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“Church does give hope to those people that are genuine and are stuck in the ghetto because of other circumstances other than drugs or crime.”
Keith Sams, 2006 Participant

“You use what you have and if hope is all you have than use it. Religion is something that gives hope nonstop to people to hold onto tight.”
Teaonno Gaines, 2006 Participant

“The energy throughout the church in song, sermon, and the audience was the first thing I noticed. There was just so much vitality and spirit compared to the church I am used too. God’s power is felt and they embrace it.”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

Guest Speaker: George O’Hare

“I thought that the presentation was full of excitement.”
Nikki Melvin, 2006 Participant

“I have never seen some one that old do a big song and dance. And he really got the Marshal kids involved too. They seemed to like him.”
Ben Davis, 2006 Participant

“I loved his presentation. I could not stop laughing and he kept me interested. He really knows how to put on a show! His dance was the best part.”
Jessica Shields, 2006 Participant

“The presentation was excellent. It was funny, entertaining, and very much a pleasure to watch!”
Daniel King, 2006 Participant

What Now?

“([from now on] If people talk about things there not suppose to I would say some thing when before I would not. I take things like that more real now then what I did.”
Cayla Miller, 2006 Participant

“I found a lot of the inmates were funny and intelligent…If they were properly educated these people would most likely not be here in jail.”
Andrew Quirk, 2006 Participant

Other

“‘Everyone who calls on the name of the lord will be saved,’ Romans 10:3.”
Christi Dalton, 2006 Participant