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"We need to use our money to empower not imprison. Violence is a byproduct of dysfunction. I think we have to employ people in order to get rid of violence. It’s an economic thing." Lonnie Wilson is 60 years old and was born and raised in Evanston. He has been active in social justice issues for more than 30 years. I've never met Lonnie before, but it seems that everyone else in Evanston knows him. Lonnie’s parents came to Evanston in 1904 from South Carolina. His mother’s oldest brother, William Harold Logan, Jr., was Evanston’s first African American police chief. Lonnie’s cousin (Chief Logan’s son) Gilo Kwesi Logan is a diversity expert who recently conducted community diversity training on behalf of EPD. After graduation from ETHS in 1974, Lonnie thought he would be a football player, but “I was not fast enough, big enough or strong enough,” he says. So he got a job as a lab technician at Baxter Labs and then worked for the City of Evanston in the Department of Forestry. He also worked on the Deep Tunnel project, and at Family Focus. With a partner, he founded his own company, Community Builders. DE: How did you become involved in social justice issues? LW: My mom was 16 when she had my sister, and 17 when she had me. I was raised by my grandparents. We went to Family Focus. My sister was also a teen mom and Mrs. Holmes [now Alderman Holmes] was there for teen parents. I got the ‘bug’ for helping people from watching the people at Family Focus. I worked at Family Focus for a total of 17 years. DE: What other programs have you been involved in? LW: Well, I established Community Builders with a partner, Daniel Cheifetz. With his financial backing and my knowledge, we took kids off the street and taught them construction from plumbing to geothermal. I did that for 17 years. My grandfather was a bricklayer and I had worked for him over many summers as a kid. I would go to gang meetings to recruit young men. I would meet them where they were at. DE: What are some of your thoughts about violence in Evanston and how to reduce it? LW: I think that If we really want to fix things, we can. Not all the problems we have can be solved by the police, even though I love Chief Eddington. He is the most open, honest man. But we need to use our money to empower not imprison. Violence is a byproduct of dysfunction. I think we have to employ people in order to get rid of violence. It’s an economic thing. We need to think about how to help the son when his father has been unemployed since the 80s. We in our resource-rich community have done a terrible job focusing our resources. I think it’s time for educated and diverse Evanston to look at the underbelly of its issues. And Evanston is small enough, smart enough, and wealthy enough to show the world how is should be done. I say the only thing missing is the will. One idea I have to stop violence is to train 20 to 25 men to bring energy efficiency to the many homes in Evanston. So many homes were built prior to 1973. We should train 20 to 25 men to bring energy efficiency to these homes and bring them up to speed. It would save people on their energy bill, help our young men, help the earth and help society. There are about 90,000 homes like this. Let’s get Evanstonians to help Evanstonians. DE: What other issues are you concerned about? LW: I think that many people brag about our school district, but so many African Americans go to the street for their education. We shouldn’t brag about our school system unless everyone’s benefiting from it. If half the population fails, you can’t brag. I also think that Hip Hop has become a big factor in violence. Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto,” and “Make Me Wanna Holler” by Marvin Gaye were songs that taught me things, how to think and expand one’s mind. Hip Hop was on its way to teaching this generation and hijacked by corporations, which cheapened it. Now, instead of young African Americans wearing Dashikis, they wrap gold around their necks. The values have changed. Real hip hop taught people. DE: If violence happens mostly in certain areas of Evanston, why should it be everyone’s problem? LW: Well, there’s only “X” amount of space on earth, and we’re all floating around the universe together. You can try to keep violence out of your neighborhood, but it affects all of us. My problem is your problem. DE: Do you feel like things will change? LW: I keep fighting because if I move a micron, the next generation has a micron less to move.

“Everybody loved Dajae,” said Tiffany Rice, mother of Dajae Coleman, as she sat opposite me on an unseasonably warm and sunny afternoon at Curt's Cafe South last week. I had arrived early. I was anxious. I had never met Tiffany. And until last week, I had never sat face-to-face over a cup of coffee and a tuna sandwich to ask a fellow ETHS mother how she felt when she got the news that her son had been shot and killed near our children’s school. Would I cry? Would she? Would my questions hurt or offend her? I have two teenagers—a current sophomore at ETHS and a 2015 graduate. I couldn't help but try to picture how I would feel if I were on Tiffany’s side of the cafe table. has done many times over the past three and a half years. Turning her son’s short life and violent death into something positive for Evanston’s youth—for the whole community—is Tiffany’s singular mission, and talking to anyone who asks about what happened to Dajae, and why, is one of the things she’ll do tirelessly toward that end. Tiffany grew up in Evanston. She attended Lincolnwood, Haven and ETHS. Her whole family—her parents, two brothers and two sisters all live in Evanston. She has a 10-year-old daughter, Savannah. She’s committed to Evanston, and to the future of all it’s young people. Shortly after Dajae’s death, Tiffany founded the Dajae Coleman Foundation (DC3F), whose mission is “to uplift, encourage, empower and reward our youth.” She also sits on the boards of COPE (Caring Outreach by Parents in Evanston) and Peacable Cities, whose mission is to "stimulate, coordinate, and support the efforts of all in our community who strive to promote respect and prevent violence.” As almost every Evanstonian knows, Dajae was leaving a party with a group of friends at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 22, 2012, when he was shot in the back by 20-year-old Wesley Woodson, III. Dajae was 14 years old, a Freshman, with just one month of high school under his belt. Woodson was charged with 153 felony counts, including first-degree murder and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. Evanston police said that Woodson, who had gang affiliations, mistook Dajae for someone he knew, and described the shooting as “a retaliatory act upon an innocent group of teens with no gang affiliations.” He pled not guilty. Just two days before he was killed, Dajae had turned in an assignment for his Humanities class, a Belief Statement, in which he wrote: "I believe that support from family and friends really helps…My friends and family really care about me, they get me things I need, and they make sure I am always doing good in school. My mom pushes me to do better, she always tells me to never settle. I think the kids that are on the street not doing anything with their lives don’t get the type of support they need from family. They probably don’t have anyone to look up to.” DE: How did you feel when you heard that Dajae had been shot? TR: I felt so many emotions that I mostly felt numb. I wanted to know why? Why Dajae? How? It was as though I was there, but not there. I still feel that I’m in that same state. I haven’t come out of it even almost four years later. I know I have grief that I haven’t addressed yet, probably because I have been keeping so busy. I knew from the moment it happened I couldn’t let people forget Dajae. I wanted to transform what happened to him into a positive outcome. I knew I had to build off the momentum immediately after it happened. I didn’t want to let it go. DE: Before Dajae was shot and killed, did you ever worry about this happening to him? TR: No. My kid wasn’t the kid to get shot. And not in Evanston. If I worried, it was more about whether, as an African American boy, he would have negative encounters with the police or with educators. Too often, there are educators who relegate their own understanding of African American boys to the common misconceptions that float around about them. This results in them being mislabeled, and misplaced or displaced. Unfortunately, these are the shared experiences of some of our young black males, and surprisingly enough, something Dajae and I experienced when he was in fifth grade. DE: Did you know the young man who shot Dajae? TR: I knew of him. In fact, when my brother was a sophomore at ETHS in 2010, he dated Wesley’s sister. DE: Where is the process now? TR: Wesley pled not guilty. But we still haven’t gone to trial. It’s been almost four years. We go to court every month, and so does his family. I have to go through it again and again. I want this phase to be over so we can move to the next one. I used to have hatred toward him. Now I just want him to pay. I want him to be in prison for a long time. I’ll leave it at that. DE: Why do you think shootings in Evanston have increased over recent years? TR: It’s an issue between certain groups of kids. They’re in small cliques, gangs. They retaliate any kind of disrespect, especially public disrespect, with violence. Social media is a huge problem. Insults that are posted on social media lead directly to deaths. Before Dajae’s death, I had no idea how bad things were. I really didn't know the core issues that create conflict between young people had devolved to such trivial things. These kids have lost their morals and values. Some of them just don’t have any support. The thing is that there are young kids in these groups, and most of the time, they are not the problem. They’re reachable, impressionable. But there are older guys in the gangs who cause the problems because at some point along the way they fell off someone's radar, and now there has to be an extra effort to try to redirect the course of their lives. DE: If you could fix one thing to prevent violence, what would it be? TR: Education. Education is the turning point for everything. A friend told me of a study that shows that when kids as young as 11 find out how much college tuition costs, many of them just check out. They exclude college as a possibility and there’s a downward shift in their grades and in their interest in school. So that is an important age to target and give them more positive conceptions about their futures. I also think that school systems are designed without African American kids in mind. There’s little to garner their interest. For example, literacy is so important, but it’s hard to teach a kid to read if they can’t see themselves in the books. Literacy is the most important tool for every child to have, so books must include our children. That’s why the DC3F has a summer reading program where we select books for African American kids. Last year we read the Newberry Prize winner, "The Crossover," by Kwame Alexander. I work with Jarrett Dapier who is a former librarian with the Evanston Library. He really is the brains behind the program. He has a wealth of knowledge about African Americans and literacy, and he is really creative in his selections. DE: What kind of work does your foundation do? TR: I started the Foundation to celebrate Dajae’s life and to provide positive reinforcement for other kids in our community. We hold college readiness events, tutoring programs, a summer reading initiative, a $1,000 Dajae Coleman Achievement Award scholarship, and an annual #DaeDaeWorldWeekend that promotes the values that shaped Dajae's life, such as family support, determination and positive social interactions. I love kids. I’m an unofficial teacher. I believe that young people are the catalysts for change and peace. Read Dajae’s Belief Statement.

"We need to use our money to empower not imprison. Violence is a byproduct of dysfunction. I think we have to employ people in order to get rid of violence. It’s an economic thing." Lonnie Wilson is 60 years old and was born and raised in Evanston. He has been active in social justice issues for more than 30 years. I've never met Lonnie before, but it seems that everyone else in Evanston knows him. Lonnie’s parents came to Evanston in 1904 from South Carolina. His mother’s oldest brother, William Harold Logan, Jr., was Evanston’s first African American police chief. Lonnie’s cousin (Chief Logan’s son) Gilo Kwesi Logan is a diversity expert who recently conducted community diversity training on behalf of EPD. After graduation from ETHS in 1974, Lonnie thought he would be a football player, but “I was not fast enough, big enough or strong enough,” he says. So he got a job as a lab technician at Baxter Labs and then worked for the City of Evanston in the Department of Forestry. He also worked on the Deep Tunnel project, and at Family Focus. With a partner, he founded his own company, Community Builders. DE: How did you become involved in social justice issues? LW: My mom was 16 when she had my sister, and 17 when she had me. I was raised by my grandparents. We went to Family Focus. My sister was also a teen mom and Mrs. Holmes [now Alderman Holmes] was there for teen parents. I got the ‘bug’ for helping people from watching the people at Family Focus. I worked at Family Focus for a total of 17 years. DE: What other programs have you been involved in? LW: Well, I established Community Builders with a partner, Daniel Cheifetz. With his financial backing and my knowledge, we took kids off the street and taught them construction from plumbing to geothermal. I did that for 17 years. My grandfather was a bricklayer and I had worked for him over many summers as a kid. I would go to gang meetings to recruit young men. I would meet them where they were at. DE: What are some of your thoughts about violence in Evanston and how to reduce it? LW: I think that If we really want to fix things, we can. Not all the problems we have can be solved by the police, even though I love Chief Eddington. He is the most open, honest man. But we need to use our money to empower not imprison. Violence is a byproduct of dysfunction. I think we have to employ people in order to get rid of violence. It’s an economic thing. We need to think about how to help the son when his father has been unemployed since the 80s. We in our resource-rich community have done a terrible job focusing our resources. I think it’s time for educated and diverse Evanston to look at the underbelly of its issues. And Evanston is small enough, smart enough, and wealthy enough to show the world how is should be done. I say the only thing missing is the will. One idea I have to stop violence is to train 20 to 25 men to bring energy efficiency to the many homes in Evanston. So many homes were built prior to 1973. We should train 20 to 25 men to bring energy efficiency to these homes and bring them up to speed. It would save people on their energy bill, help our young men, help the earth and help society. There are about 90,000 homes like this. Let’s get Evanstonians to help Evanstonians. DE: What other issues are you concerned about? LW: I think that many people brag about our school district, but so many African Americans go to the street for their education. We shouldn’t brag about our school system unless everyone’s benefiting from it. If half the population fails, you can’t brag. I also think that Hip Hop has become a big factor in violence. Donny Hathaway’s “The Ghetto,” and “Make Me Wanna Holler” by Marvin Gaye were songs that taught me things, how to think and expand one’s mind. Hip Hop was on its way to teaching this generation and hijacked by corporations, which cheapened it. Now, instead of young African Americans wearing Dashikis, they wrap gold around their necks. The values have changed. Real hip hop taught people. DE: If violence happens mostly in certain areas of Evanston, why should it be everyone’s problem? LW: Well, there’s only “X” amount of space on earth, and we’re all floating around the universe together. You can try to keep violence out of your neighborhood, but it affects all of us. My problem is your problem. DE: Do you feel like things will change? LW: I keep fighting because if I move a micron, the next generation has a micron less to move.

"Right now, the normal narrative is that it’s great to be a white family, with two kids, a dog, and a picket fence. But not everybody has that, and not everybody is that." Melissa Blount is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works in Evanston and specializes mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Melissa, her husband, Ben, and her 11-year-old daughter Safiya, moved to Evanston from Detroit in 2014, though she and her husband have lived in Chicago on and off over a long period. I asked Melissa about trauma and the connection between trauma and violence. Q: What is trauma? A: Trauma is an event that happens to an individual who then experiences a sense of hopelessness or a lack of control over the situation. It could be anything from a natural disaster to emotional or physical abuse. Q: What's the connection between trauma and violence, say in Evanston? A: Violence is a symptom of trauma, but we all have to get on the same page as to what the trauma is that has occurred and why are we experiencing this symptom of violence. Q: What, in your opinion, is that trauma? A: I think it’s white supremacy. We talk about violence as a public health issue. We need to make white supremacy a public health issue. I’m not the first person to talk about it in these terms. Dr. Camara Jones talks about racism and white supremacy as a public health issue. And Jane Elliott, a third-grade teacher back when Dr. Martin Luther King was shot, is famous for the brown eye/blue eye experiment, where she treated children in her all-white class with blue eyes as superior to the children with brown eyes so they could experience racism. Q: How do you see turning it into a public heath issue? A: When people think about white supremacy, they think about David Duke or the KKK--an ideology. But instead, it’s a social construct that's been designed to create a false sense of race and class in America, on which the country was founded, and which we don’t address. That’s what we can first begin to do: acknowledge these historical truths. We must get on the same page and use the same language to discuss the trauma of racism on us all, which would make it easier to build a framework to address it. Q: If this could be done, how do you see it affecting violence? A: In a perfect world, it would change our policies, it would change our education. Our history classes would tell the truth. I think white supremacy and the trauma we’ve experienced across the board has created, as Bryan Stevenson* calls it, a false narrative. If we can address these false narratives, we could shift public policies. Right now, everything is concentrated on helping vulnerable communities, poor, disadvantaged, at-risk, broken, black and brown children get up to speed. Instead, we should come at it from the angle of here’s how we’ve all been traumatized, how we’ve been brainwashed to think that black and brown people are less-than. If we could shift that dynamic, we could address sexism, racism, and religious prejudice. Right now, the normal narrative is that it’s great to be a white family, with two kids, a dog, and a picket fence. But not everybody has that, and not everybody is that. We have to change the paradigm, because we are treating these kids as though they’re problematic instead of the system being problematic. But they’re not the only problem. For example, if you asked universities to be honest about sexual abuse on campus, the face of danger would change to white males. The acts of mass shootings in this country are predominantly white males. Q: Do you think white people are traumatized? A: Yes. For example, they will say they want to live in a diverse community, but most of the wards white people choose to live in are almost entirely white. And they don’t think, ‘how is my life muted or diminished because I never look outside of this bubble?’ Q: How would you encourage people to get out of that bubble, especially if they’re happy to live in it? A: People have to be intentional, and we have to tell people why it’s important. We just don’t have these discussions. That’s why we created MEET [Making Evanston Equitable Together]. I co-founded MEET to raise awareness regarding state violence against people of color across the nation, to highlight social justice issues here in Evanston, and how we as a community can work together using existing organizations and resources to ameliorate these social justice issues. We really just want people to meet and connect. Part of what trauma does is cause a disengagement from life, a dissociation, a sense of hopelessness, a sense that the world is really dangerous, a hyper-vigilance. A lot of white people have an unnatural fear of black people that they don’t address. And I think black people are very disengaged for rightful and just reasons, and feel a sense of hopelessness when it comes to white people understanding and owning what’s historically happened to black communities. For example, right here in Evanston, how did the fifth ward get created? Most people don’t know or won’t admit that it was a socially constructed community. It was purposely designed to be limited and disadvantaged in order for the white community to prosper and grow. Q: Can this message of addressing what you refer to as white supremacy really reach people? A: I’m a pessimistic optimist, but we have to force the issue of how we language around it. I think white people can be conflict-avoidant. Again, this is where trauma comes in. Many white people are scared to address the real issue, because then what does that mean? They then need to ask, ‘what’s the work I have to do?’ And not everyone is ready to do the work or wants to do the work. Not everyone is conscious of what they feel or think. That’s where we get tripped up. If we start acknowledging trauma, we can be more compassionate to each other, more empathic, and move forward together. Q: Do you think there’s a violence problem in Evanston? A: Well, my reference points are Detroit and Chicago. So when I hear people talking about violence in Evanston, it doesn't register as an emergent issue. Yes, there have been violent incidents in Evanston, but it’s not a huge problem, it's contained, and it’s rarely random. Again, I see the issues within the framework of white supremacy, and violence as the symptom. The violence is a symptom of an under-resourced, deliberately deconstructed community by those in decision-making positions. *Bryan Stevenson is an American lawyer, social justice activist, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law. Stevenson has gained national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and minorities in the criminal justice system. Melissa Blount recommends these videos: To watch a video about Dr. Jones discussing racism as a public health issue click here. To watch a video about the blue eye/brown eye experiment, click here #WhiteSupremacy #trauma #youthgunviolence #racism

"Right now, the normal narrative is that it’s great to be a white family, with two kids, a dog, and a picket fence. But not everybody has that, and not everybody is that." Melissa Blount is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who works in Evanston and specializes mood disorders such as anxiety, depression, and trauma. Melissa, her husband, Ben, and her 11-year-old daughter Safiya, moved to Evanston from Detroit in 2014, though she and her husband have lived in Chicago on and off over a long period. I asked Melissa about trauma and the connection between trauma and violence. Q: What is trauma? A: Trauma is an event that happens to an individual who then experiences a sense of hopelessness or a lack of control over the situation. It could be anything from a natural disaster to emotional or physical abuse. Q: What's the connection between trauma and violence, say in Evanston? A: Violence is a symptom of trauma, but we all have to get on the same page as to what the trauma is that has occurred and why are we experiencing this symptom of violence. Q: What, in your opinion, is that trauma? A: I think it’s white supremacy. We talk about violence as a public health issue. We need to make white supremacy a public health issue. I’m not the first person to talk about it in these terms. Dr. Camara Jones talks about racism and white supremacy as a public health issue. And Jane Elliott, a third-grade teacher back when Dr. Martin Luther King was shot, is famous for the brown eye/blue eye experiment, where she treated children in her all-white class with blue eyes as superior to the children with brown eyes so they could experience racism. Q: How do you see turning it into a public heath issue? A: When people think about white supremacy, they think about David Duke or the KKK--an ideology. But instead, it’s a social construct that's been designed to create a false sense of race and class in America, on which the country was founded, and which we don’t address. That’s what we can first begin to do: acknowledge these historical truths. We must get on the same page and use the same language to discuss the trauma of racism on us all, which would make it easier to build a framework to address it. Q: If this could be done, how do you see it affecting violence? A: In a perfect world, it would change our policies, it would change our education. Our history classes would tell the truth. I think white supremacy and the trauma we’ve experienced across the board has created, as Bryan Stevenson* calls it, a false narrative. If we can address these false narratives, we could shift public policies. Right now, everything is concentrated on helping vulnerable communities, poor, disadvantaged, at-risk, broken, black and brown children get up to speed. Instead, we should come at it from the angle of here’s how we’ve all been traumatized, how we’ve been brainwashed to think that black and brown people are less-than. If we could shift that dynamic, we could address sexism, racism, and religious prejudice. Right now, the normal narrative is that it’s great to be a white family, with two kids, a dog, and a picket fence. But not everybody has that, and not everybody is that. We have to change the paradigm, because we are treating these kids as though they’re problematic instead of the system being problematic. But they’re not the only problem. For example, if you asked universities to be honest about sexual abuse on campus, the face of danger would change to white males. The acts of mass shootings in this country are predominantly white males. Q: Do you think white people are traumatized? A: Yes. For example, they will say they want to live in a diverse community, but most of the wards white people choose to live in are almost entirely white. And they don’t think, ‘how is my life muted or diminished because I never look outside of this bubble?’ Q: How would you encourage people to get out of that bubble, if they’re happy to live in it? A: People have to be intentional, and we have to tell people why it’s important. We just don’t have these discussions. That’s why we created MEET [Making Evanston Equitable Together]. I co-founded MEET to raise awareness regarding state violence against people of color across the nation, to highlight social justice issues here in Evanston, and how we as a community can work together using existing organizations and resources to ameliorate these social justice issues. We really just want people to meet and connect. Part of what trauma does is cause a disengagement from life, a dissociation, a sense of hopelessness, a sense that the world is really dangerous, a hyper-vigilance. A lot of white people have an unnatural fear of black people that they don’t address. And I think black people are very disengaged for rightful and just reasons, and feel a sense of hopelessness when it comes to white people understanding and owning what’s historically happened to black communities. For example, right here in Evanston, how did the fifth ward get created? Most people don’t know or won’t admit that it was a socially constructed community. It was purposely designed to be limited and disadvantaged in order for the white community to prosper and grow. Q: Do you think this message of addressing what you refer to as white supremacy can really reach people? A: I’m a pessimistic optimist, but we have to force the issue of how we language around it. I think white people can be conflict-avoidant. Again, this is where trauma comes in. Many white people are scared to address the real issue, because then what does that mean? They then need to ask, ‘what’s the work I have to do?’ And not everyone is ready to do the work or wants to do the work. Not everyone is conscious of what they feel or think. That’s where we get tripped up. If we start acknowledging trauma, we can be more compassionate to each other, more empathic, and move forward together. Q: Do you think there’s a violence problem in Evanston? A: Well, my reference points are Detroit and Chicago. So when I hear people talking about violence in Evanston, it doesn't register as an emergent issue. Yes, there have been violent incidents in Evanston, but it’s not a huge problem, it's contained, and it’s rarely random. Again, I see the issues within the framework of white supremacy, and violence as the symptom. The violence is a symptom of an under-resourced, deliberately deconstructed community by those in decision-making positions. ______________________________________ *Bryan Stevenson is an American lawyer, social justice activist, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative and a clinical professor at New York University School of Law. Stevenson has gained national acclaim for his work challenging bias against the poor and minorities in the criminal justice system. Melissa Blount recommends these videos: To watch a video about Dr. Jones discussing racism as a public health issue click here. To watch a video about the blue eye/brown eye experiment, click here. Email to find out more about MEET. #WhiteSupremacy #trauma #youthgunviolence #racism #MEETmakingEvanstonEquitabletogether

"We need to also stop dehumanizing young men who are in gangs." Rabbi Andrea London is a nationally recognized Jewish leader who has served at Evanston’s Beth Emet The Free Synagogue synagogue since 2000 and was named the congregation’s Senior Rabbi in 2010. Social justice activism is an integral part of Rabbi London’s rabbinate. In 2014, Rabbi London was selected by the Jewish Daily Forward as one of 28 of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis of 2014. The letter nominating her, written by a congregant, recounted how a recording of Martin Luther King Jr., speaking at Beth Emet in 1958, prompted Rabbi London to invite members from Evanston's Second Baptist Church to co-host Shabbat dinner and discuss race relations in the Evanston community. The evening of courageous conversation attracted several hundred people to services and a dinner which spurred interfaith, race-related book and play discussions; concerts; and a 2013 bus trip to civil rights sites in the South with 38 high-school students from both congregations. Rabbi London strives to teach and encourage individuals and communities through contemplative, social, and spiritually based actions. She is committed to continuing the work of racial justice. Rabbi London holds a degree in applied mathematics from Brown University and worked as a management consultant before becoming a rabbi. She is married to Danny London and has two children, Yonah and Liora. Nina Kavin, a member of Beth Emet, recently spoke with Rabbi London in her office. DE: How can Evanston's Jewish community and white residents help to reduce violence? AL: When a young black man is gunned down in our community, it’s easy for many white people to say, ‘Oh, it’s gang related,’ which is a way to protect ourselves by dismissing the humanity of the individual who fired the shot and the person who got shot. It allows us to feel safe. But we need to stop being dismissive. We need to also stop dehumanizing young men who are in gangs. We need to acknowledge that the death of a black person is the death of a human being. It’s not less than, not deserved, not even if it was a gang situation. If whites were dying in the same way, we wouldn’t stand for it. When people lose hope in life, they become passive. If they can’t be part of the system, they find other ways to make money to get what they need. Gangs are a powerful lure for the powerless. Many of us like to take a lot more credit for what we, as white people, do for our families, our children. We think we love our kids more, give our kids more, support them more. We pat ourselves on the back. But we have to realize what is working against families who don’t, or can’t, do these things for their children. They can’t find jobs, or they’re working two jobs and still can’t afford their mortgage. Teen boys often make poor decisions. It’s simply a part of brain development. But many of the mistakes our boys make, the same mistakes that many African American boys make, don’t determine the rest of their lives. White kids are generally given more of the benefit of the doubt and second chances. DE: How has racism played into violence? AL: So much of our work is to understand how race functions and has functioned within our community, to educate ourselves. One of the things I have heard from leaders in the black community is that African Americans get tired of having to explain racism to white people. That we need to do our own work first. We need to understand the many root causes of the problems in the African American community. Jews weren’t always considered white, nor were Irish people or Italians. For a long time in this country, ethnic groups were recognized as separate, but over time they became white. The GI Bill that was introduced after World War II aided this transition to various ethnic groups becoming white. It was the biggest affirmative action plan in our country and it was for white veterans. It provided veterans with all kinds of benefits like low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, cash payments of tuition and so on. It allowed many white families, and ethnic families with white skin, to enter the middle class. But it wasn’t available to the vast majority of African Americans. Combine this with red lining in housing and the black community was left out of the move to the middle class that the GI bill facilitated for white families. DE: What can we, as Jews, as whites, do to change the situation? AL: We need to work to create change in our society. We need to be intentional and to say that we’re actually going to make a change. To call out racism. To recognize our role and our privilege. White people don’t like to hear that a system needs changing. It’s uncomfortable. We may think it will change outcomes for our children, that resources will be taken away from our children. But a rising tide raises all the boats. The fact is, if we want to dismantle racism, white people have to do it. If whites created the power structure, we have the power to dismantle it. When I talk to people who claim they don’t harbor racist attitudes, I remind them that we still have a system in our country that holds back the black community. We need to educate ourselves about how racism still functions today. Racism is not just about attitudes, but about a power structure. So while we need to denounce racist comments or a racist events, we need to do more than that. I think that creating a more equitable public education system in our country should be on the top of the agenda of what we, as a society, need to do to dismantle racism. It’s not acceptable that kids in wealthy communities have access to superior education than kids in poor neighborhoods. We also have to recognize the achievement gap between the races that exists regardless of socioeconomic level, and work to correct it. ETHS Superintendent, Eric Witherspoon, has done an amazing job diminishing the achievement gap at the high school and can offer solid statistics showing how much better black students are doing since the school began to examine equity in education. There’s concrete proof of change, even though we have a way to go. In District 65, Superintendent Paul Goren has his work cut out for him. DE: How do you see your role in this issue a religious leader? AL: Clergy people need to be part of relationship building. When neighbors know each other, there is less crime. We need to build relationships within our own communities, as well as across communities. We need to encourage neighborliness. I know that black clergy talk about this a lot. They ask, who will be a mentor? Because of the inequities in our criminal justice system, black men are over represented in jail. Clergy can bring communities together, and communities working together can be powerful forces for change. Religious communities are powerful forces for change because they motivate people spiritually and emotionally, not just intellectually. Those who are motivated to act in the world not just because they think something is a good idea, but because they feel that they’ve been called to act because of the teachings of their faith tradition are more likely to remain active for the long haul in working for justice and peace. We also need to have courageous conversations about race. Until we pay attention to our thoughts, we don’t notice our unconscious biases. We need to make conscious the unconscious. How can we create an equal system when people are expecting the black kid to make trouble? DE: Can you give me an example of how we can build relationships across communities? AL: There are many opportunities, big and small. In 2013, Beth Emet partnered with Second Baptist Church and took 38 of our teens on a six-day “Sankofa” bus trip to visit civil rights sites in the South. This kind of trip is an example of how we can break down barriers. A program like that makes a big difference. It helped our teens become keenly aware of systemic racism. They’ll grow into adulthood being aware of it in our society. The interesting thing is that our teens are the ones who, in many ways, are educating their parents and the adults in our community. This is incredibly powerful and positive. DE: How did the trip change the students? AL: First, it got black teens and white teens, Jews and Christians, to really get to know each other in a very intimate way and to have hard conversations about race.. After the Sankofa trip, I head stories from our teens about ways it had changed them. For example, back at school, one of the girls from Beth Emet was listening to her iPod in class through her earphones. Just before the bell rang, an African American boy pulled out his cell phone, and the teacher gave him a detention. The Beth Emet student called the teacher out and pointed out that she had been listening to music with no consequences. The teacher was flabbergasted, but she then punished both the students. The Sankofa trip helped our student become aware of how white kids are far more likely to get the benefit of the doubt and gave her the courage to do something about it. Another example is that my daughter’s Sankofa partner told her how she is followed around in clothing stores. My daughter was shocked. She realized she has never been followed around in a store or even given that a second thought. Her level of awareness was raised. The students have told me they notice that black kids get their IDs checked in the hallways at school much more often than white kids. So many of us are unaware of the subtle ways that white privilege works. DE: What role can the police play in reducing violence in Evanston? AL: As a member of the Evanston Clergy Association, I’m responsible for programming. In February, we met with members of the police force to talk about the best ways to police in our communities and to change the paradigm where whites feel protected by police and African Americans often feel afraid, or at least mistrustful, of them. Police officers should be judged by their departments on the relationships they make within a community rather than being recognized and rewarded for the number of arrests they make. There’s the idea that if you let one infraction go in a community, the community will go to hell in a handbasket—the broken window theory. But this has not proven not to be true. Jim Wallis, an Evangelical pastor who wrote a book called America’s Original sin, advocates for relationships between the police and the community, instead of arrests. DE: Is there a tenet in Judaism to look to as we examine issues of racial justice, of violence in our community and how we can help makes changes? AL: There are many ways Jewish traditions can guide us. One central tenet of Judaism is Teshuva, or the idea of returning, of being given second chances. During the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we spend an entire month focusing on the concept of forgiveness, redemption, and second chances, for ourselves and for others. We believe that change is possible and that we have the power to make changes. In Evanston, we have to see that there have been changes. But should we stop the work? No. There is more to be done, but I have the faith that change is possible. #BethEmetTheFreeSynagogue #SecondBaptistChurch #Sankofa #youthgunviolence #racism #equity #achievementgap #ETHS #District65 #EricWitherspoon #PaulGoren #EvanstonClergyAssociation #racialjustice #incarceration

"We need to also stop dehumanizing young men who are in gangs." Rabbi Andrea London is a nationally recognized Jewish leader who has served at Evanston’s Beth Emet The Free Synagogue synagogue since 2000 and was named the congregation’s Senior Rabbi in 2010. Social justice activism is an integral part of Rabbi London’s rabbinate. In 2014, Rabbi London was selected by the Jewish Daily Forward as one of 28 of America's Most Inspiring Rabbis of 2014. The letter nominating her, written by a congregant, recounted how a recording of Martin Luther King Jr., speaking at Beth Emet in 1958, prompted Rabbi London to invite members from Evanston's Second Baptist Church to co-host Shabbat dinner and discuss race relations in the Evanston community. The evening of courageous conversation attracted several hundred people to services and a dinner which spurred interfaith, race-related book and play discussions; concerts; and a 2013 bus trip to civil rights sites in the South with 38 high-school students from both congregations. Rabbi London strives to teach and encourage individuals and communities through contemplative, social, and spiritually based actions. She is committed to continuing the work of racial justice. Rabbi London holds a degree in applied mathematics from Brown University and worked as a management consultant before becoming a rabbi. She is married to Danny London and has two children, Yonah and Liora. Nina Kavin, a member of Beth Emet, recently spoke with Rabbi London in her office. DE: How can Evanston's Jewish community and white residents help to reduce violence? AL: When a young black man is gunned down in our community, it’s easy for many white people to say, ‘Oh, it’s gang related,’ which is a way to protect ourselves by dismissing the humanity of the individual who fired the shot and the person who got shot. It allows us to feel safe. But we need to stop being dismissive. We need to also stop dehumanizing young men who are in gangs. We need to acknowledge that the death of a black person is the death of a human being. It’s not less than, not deserved, not even if it was a gang situation. If whites were dying in the same way, we wouldn’t stand for it. When people lose hope in life, they become passive. If they can’t be part of the system, they find other ways to make money to get what they need. Gangs are a powerful lure for the powerless. Many of us like to take a lot more credit for what we, as white people, do for our families, our children. We think we love our kids more, give our kids more, support them more. We pat ourselves on the back. But we have to realize what is working against families who don’t, or can’t, do these things for their children. They can’t find jobs, or they’re working two jobs and still can’t afford their mortgage. Teen boys often make poor decisions. It’s simply a part of brain development. But many of the mistakes our boys make, the same mistakes that many African American boys make, don’t determine the rest of their lives. White kids are generally given more of the benefit of the doubt and second chances. DE: How has racism played into violence? AL: So much of our work is to understand how race functions and has functioned within our community, to educate ourselves. One of the things I have heard from leaders in the black community is that African Americans get tired of having to explain racism to white people. That we need to do our own work first. We need to understand the many root causes of the problems in the African American community. Jews weren’t always considered white, nor were Irish people or Italians. For a long time in this country, ethnic groups were recognized as separate, but over time they became white. The GI Bill that was introduced after World War II aided this transition to various ethnic groups becoming white. It was the biggest affirmative action plan in our country and it was for white veterans. It provided veterans with all kinds of benefits like low-cost mortgages, low-interest loans to start a business, cash payments of tuition and so on. It allowed many white families, and ethnic families with white skin, to enter the middle class. But it wasn’t available to the vast majority of African Americans. Combine this with red lining in housing and the black community was left out of the move to the middle class that the GI bill facilitated for white families. DE: What can we, as Jews, as whites, do to change the situation? AL: We need to work to create change in our society. We need to be intentional and to say that we’re actually going to make a change. To call out racism. To recognize our role and our privilege. White people don’t like to hear that a system needs changing. It’s uncomfortable. We may think it will change outcomes for our children, that resources will be taken away from our children. But a rising tide raises all the boats. The fact is, if we want to dismantle racism, white people have to do it. If whites created the power structure, we have the power to dismantle it. When I talk to people who claim they don’t harbor racist attitudes, I remind them that we still have a system in our country that holds back the black community. We need to educate ourselves about how racism still functions today. Racism is not just about attitudes, but about a power structure. So while we need to denounce racist comments or a racist events, we need to do more than that. I think that creating a more equitable public education system in our country should be on the top of the agenda of what we, as a society, need to do to dismantle racism. It’s not acceptable that kids in wealthy communities have access to superior education than kids in poor neighborhoods. We also have to recognize the achievement gap between the races that exists regardless of socioeconomic level, and work to correct it. ETHS Superintendent, Eric Witherspoon, has done an amazing job diminishing the achievement gap at the high school and can offer solid statistics showing how much better black students are doing since the school began to examine equity in education. There’s concrete proof of change, even though we have a way to go. In District 65, Superintendent Paul Goren has his work cut out for him. DE: How do you see your role in this issue a religious leader? AL: Clergy people need to be part of relationship building. When neighbors know each other, there is less crime. We need to build relationships within our own communities, as well as across communities. We need to encourage neighborliness. I know that black clergy talk about this a lot. They ask, who will be a mentor? Because of the inequities in our criminal justice system, black men are over represented in jail. Clergy can bring communities together, and communities working together can be powerful forces for change. Religious communities are powerful forces for change because they motivate people spiritually and emotionally, not just intellectually. Those who are motivated to act in the world not just because they think something is a good idea, but because they feel that they’ve been called to act because of the teachings of their faith tradition are more likely to remain active for the long haul in working for justice and peace. We also need to have courageous conversations about race. Until we pay attention to our thoughts, we don’t notice our unconscious biases. We need to make conscious the unconscious. How can we create an equal system when people are expecting the black kid to make trouble? DE: Can you give me an example of how we can build relationships across communities? AL: There are many opportunities, big and small. In 2013, Beth Emet partnered with Second Baptist Church and took 38 of our teens on a six-day “Sankofa” bus trip to visit civil rights sites in the South. This kind of trip is an example of how we can break down barriers. A program like that makes a big difference. It helped our teens become keenly aware of systemic racism. They’ll grow into adulthood being aware of it in our society. The interesting thing is that our teens are the ones who, in many ways, are educating their parents and the adults in our community. This is incredibly powerful and positive. DE: How did the trip change the students? AL: First, it got black teens and white teens, Jews and Christians, to really get to know each other in a very intimate way and to have hard conversations about race.. After the Sankofa trip, I head stories from our teens about ways it had changed them. For example, back at school, one of the girls from Beth Emet was listening to her iPod in class through her earphones. Just before the bell rang, an African American boy pulled out his cell phone, and the teacher gave him a detention. The Beth Emet student called the teacher out and pointed out that she had been listening to music with no consequences. The teacher was flabbergasted, but she then punished both the students. The Sankofa trip helped our student become aware of how white kids are far more likely to get the benefit of the doubt and gave her the courage to do something about it. Another example is that my daughter’s Sankofa partner told her how she is followed around in clothing stores. My daughter was shocked. She realized she has never been followed around in a store or even given that a second thought. Her level of awareness was raised. The students have told me they notice that black kids get their IDs checked in the hallways at school much more often than white kids. So many of us are unaware of the subtle ways that white privilege works. DE: What role can the police play in reducing violence in Evanston? AL: As a member of the Evanston Clergy Association, I’m responsible for programming. In February, we met with members of the police force to talk about the best ways to police in our communities and to change the paradigm where whites feel protected by police and African Americans often feel afraid, or at least mistrustful, of them. Police officers should be judged by their departments on the relationships they make within a community rather than being recognized and rewarded for the number of arrests they make. There’s the idea that if you let one infraction go in a community, the community will go to hell in a handbasket—the broken window theory. But this has not proven not to be true. Jim Wallis, an Evangelical pastor who wrote a book called America’s Original sin, advocates for relationships between the police and the community, instead of arrests. DE: Is there a tenet in Judaism to look to as we examine issues of racial justice, of violence in our community and how we can help makes changes? AL: There are many ways Jewish traditions can guide us. One central tenet of Judaism is Teshuva, or the idea of returning, of being given second chances. During the Jewish high holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we spend an entire month focusing on the concept of forgiveness, redemption, and second chances, for ourselves and for others. We believe that change is possible and that we have the power to make changes. In Evanston, we have to see that there have been changes. But should we stop the work? No. There is more to be done, but I have the faith that change is possible. #BethEmetTheFreeSynagogue #SecondBaptistChurch #Sankofa #youthgunviolence #racism #equity #achievementgap #ETHS #District65 #EricWitherspoon #PaulGoren #EvanstonClergyAssociation #racialjustice #incarceration

"I wish that the whole of Evanston would recognize that youth and street violence is everyone’s problem. It may be contained in a certain area now, but sooner or later it will get to everyone. It’s like a cancer. You can’t just ignore it or it will spread." Fran Joy is an artist whose exhibition, “Justice for Peace” is on display at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. It comes down on Monday, so hurry to see it! Fran curated the exhibit, which aims to show the power, strength, and triumph of the human spirit. Fran was born in 1950 and was raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, and has also lived in New Orleans, LA and Chicago. She moved to Evanston in 1983. Q: Tell me about your early years. when James Brown was singing, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.” Our heroes then were the people who fought for freedom. MLK, Malcolm X, the Panthers. I was aware of racism and unapologetic about being black. I had an afro. I wore a dashiki and my first-born child has a Swahili name. Now I think our kids are more arrogant, but though they are arrogant, they don’t have pride because they don’t really know their history. Back then, there was also more of a feeling that whites were fighting alongside us. Now I think they are tired of us, and they think that we’re whining; complaining.A: I grew up when segregation was a fact. We sat upstairs in movie theaters and drank from separate water fountains. But I graduated from high school in 1968 Q: What made you do this exhibit? A: When Trayvon Martin was killed, it was right around my birthday, this time of year. It was such a travesty. He was unarmed. He got shot. His killer got off scott free. It stuck with me for a long time. And then there was another one. And another. Tamir Rice. He was a 12-year-old playing around. He got no justice. And his killer got off scott free. And we’ve all become so desensitized. I think many people have more compassion for animals than they do for young black men. Black boys have a target on their back, from gangs, or extremists, or cops. And then they are killing each other. There's a devaluation of life in the Black community because of deeply systemic racism, the main stream media, film and tv, certain teachers and broken homes. If you don’t value your own life, you may not see the value in your fellow man. Q: If you could fix one thing that contributes to youth violence and street violence in Evanston, what would you fix? A: Poverty. That causes so many of the rest of the problems. I also wish that the whole of Evanston would recognize that youth and street violence is everyone’s problem. It may be contained in a certain area now, but sooner or later it will get to everyone. It’s like a cancer. You can’t just ignore it or it will spread. Q: What is the role of art in thinking about youth and street violence? A: Art is extremely important. Nina Simone said, "You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.” I wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t addressing the things that are going on in the world. Art helps to make people aware, and to be touched, and feel compassion, and that can lead to people wanting to do something. To action and change. Q: Tell me about the paintings of Maya Angelou, Malala and Mandela. Why did you include them in the exhibit? A: Each of them experienced true trauma and overcame the greatest odds to become incredible leaders. Maya Angelou was raped as a child, which made her mute for many, many years. And then she became one of the most noted powerful poetic voices of our lifetime. Malala was shot in the head for wanting girls to be able to go to school. She survived and is now more a powerful activist than ever. And Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for fighting apartheid and survived it to become the president of South Africa. So this is a message to the African American community that we can overcome our circumstances. As Nelson Mandela said, “It’s now in your hands.” Fran Joy serves on various subcommittees of the Evanston Arts Council and on the board of YEA! She has been involved in coordinating Art Under Glass and other art installations around the city. Fran completed an artist in residency with two exhibitions at Garrett Theological Seminary, with regarding themes of social justice and non-violence. She also participated in the former Open Studios Evanston.

"I wish that the whole of Evanston would recognize that youth and street violence is everyone’s problem. It may be contained in a certain area now, but sooner or later it will get to everyone. It’s like a cancer. You can’t just ignore it or it will spread." Fran Joy is an artist whose exhibition, “Justice for Peace” is on display at the Noyes Cultural Arts Center. It comes down on Monday, so hurry to see it! Fran curated the exhibit, which aims to show the power, strength, and triumph of the human spirit. Fran was born in 1950 and was raised in a small town in Southern Illinois, and has also lived in New Orleans, LA and Chicago. She moved to Evanston in 1983. Q: Tell me about your early years. when James Brown was singing, “Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud.” Our heroes then were the people who fought for freedom. MLK, Malcolm X, the Panthers. I was aware of racism and unapologetic about being black. I had an afro. I wore a dashiki and my first-born child has a Swahili name. Now I think our kids are more arrogant, but though they are arrogant, they don’t have pride because they don’t really know their history. Back then, there was also more of a feeling that whites were fighting alongside us. Now I think they are tired of us, and they think that we’re whining; complaining.A: I grew up when segregation was a fact. We sat upstairs in movie theaters and drank from separate water fountains. But I graduated from high school in 1968 Q: What made you do this exhibit? A: When Trayvon Martin was killed, it was right around my birthday, this time of year. It was such a travesty. He was unarmed. He got shot. His killer got off scott free. It stuck with me for a long time. And then there was another one. And another. Tamir Rice. He was a 12-year-old playing around. He got no justice. And his killer got off scott free. And we’ve all become so desensitized. I think many people have more compassion for animals than they do for young black men. Black boys have a target on their back, from gangs, or extremists, or cops. And then they are killing each other. There's a devaluation of life in the Black community because of deeply systemic racism, the main stream media, film and tv, certain teachers and broken homes. If you don’t value your own life, you may not see the value in your fellow man. Q: If you could fix one thing that contributes to youth violence and street violence in Evanston, what would you fix? A: Poverty. That causes so many of the rest of the problems. I also wish that the whole of Evanston would recognize that youth and street violence is everyone’s problem. It may be contained in a certain area now, but sooner or later it will get to everyone. It’s like a cancer. You can’t just ignore it or it will spread. Q: What is the role of art in thinking about youth and street violence? A: Art is extremely important. Nina Simone said, "You can't help it. An artist's duty, as far as I'm concerned, is to reflect the times.” I wouldn’t feel right if I wasn’t addressing the things that are going on in the world. Art helps to make people aware, and to be touched, and feel compassion, and that can lead to people wanting to do something. To action and change. Q: Tell me about the paintings of Maya Angelou, Malala and Mandela. Why did you include them? A: Each of them experienced true trauma and overcame the greatest odds to become incredible leaders. Maya Angelou was raped as a child, which made her mute for many, many years. And then she became one of the most noted powerful poetic voices of our lifetime. Malala was shot in the head for wanting girls to be able to go to school. She survived and is now more a powerful activist than ever. And Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for fighting apartheid and survived it to become the president of South Africa. So this is a message to the African American community that we can overcome our circumstances. As Nelson Mandela said, “It’s now in your hands.” Fran Joy serves on various subcommittees of the Evanston Arts Council and on the board of YEA! She has been involved in coordinating Art Under Glass and other art installations around the city. Fran completed an artist in residency with two exhibitions at Garrett Theological Seminary, with regarding themes of social justice and non-violence. She also participated in the former Open Studios Evanston.

"But back then and still today, there’s a saying at the police department. We call it the 97/3 rule. Ninety-seven percent of the population we work with are good, hardworking people, and just three percent cause the trouble." This is Leon Mitchell. Leon was born in 1950 and moved to Evanston from the south suburbs in 1980. He was a police officer for the Evanston Police Department for 23 years, serving as patrol on the gang and drug suppression unit. He retired as a sergeant and served as Dean of Students at Notre Dame High School for four years, while building his own company, Phoenix Security, which he now runs. He is a mentor for the young men at Curt's Cafe and is part of the Men's Group that is hosted by four men and attended by Curt's' male students one Monday a month. Q: Why did you become a police officer? A: I became a police officer because I was kicked around by police when I was growing up and I decided that I would do it myself and do it differently. I loved the Evanston community. Q: What issues did you face during your time as an police officer? A: We had horrific gang problems when I first came. But I give credit to Chief Logan [In 1984, Evanston native William Logan was appointed Evanston’s first African American Chief of Police]. He recruited African American officers who didn’t grow up in Evanston and didn’t have any allegiances. Our unit had a great camaraderie and felt we could really make a difference. We felt a personal stake in our work and we could see the impact it had on the community. Q: Have the issues changed? A: The problems then were similar to today’s, but now there are more guns and more killings. Back then, gangs were designated to different parts of Evanston and were mostly involved in selling drugs. Sometimes a beef between gangs would lead to a fight and then a homicide, but now there are other influences that increase that chance. Things are said on Facebook and other social media, insults and threats, and people end up dead. And today, it doesn’t matter what gang you’re in. There are no gang leaders now. And anyone who wants a gun can get one. Q: What other factors contribute to violence in Evanston? A: There’s still the challenge of dealing with the mentality of some young men who crave brands of gym shoes instead of craving knowledge. They want money and fame, and they want it right now. They’re following the wrong thing. Also, many young men become involved in violence because it’s the ultimate way to get credibility on the streets. There are some middle class young men who want street creds because they’re scared. But back then and still today, there’s a saying at the police department. We call it the 97/3 rule. Ninety-seven percent of the population we work with are good, hardworking people, and just three percent cause the trouble. The faces change, but the percentage stays the same. Q: What’s your opinion of the Evanston Police Department today? A: I think that the Evanston police department is one of the best supervised and progressive department in the state. In general I'm more of an old school (put guys on the streets who can develop information because people respect them). I’m not in love with the new task force model of policing. Q: What can the community do to help reduce violence? A: The biggest assistance we in the police department had back in my day was the Council of Elders. It was a group of African American fathers and mothers, some were the parents of gangbangers, some were parents of victims of gang violence. Many of the fathers themselves were ex-offenders. It was an incredible group of people. The group was called C.O.E POPS and C.O.E. MOMS, and the members wore green and white baseball caps. They would come out onto the streets at night to hotspots, to parties, to interrupt activities and to keep watch on what was going on. That generation got it under control. We just don’t seem to have that cohesion now. Q: If you could fix one thing that contributes to violence, what would it be? A: You get rid of guns, you get rid of the problem. But the Code of Omertà on Evanston's streets also has to be broken [Omertà literally means “manhood.” It refers to the idea of a man dealing with his own problems without the help of the government/police. It’s a term that’s become synonymous with the Mafia’s code of silence]. It’s also important to bring whites and African Americans together because violence is a by-product of racism. #WilliamLogan #EPD #EvanstonPoliceDepartment #CurtsCafe #YouthGunViolence

"But back then and still today, there’s a saying at the police department. We call it the 97/3 rule. Ninety-seven percent of the population we work with are good, hardworking people, and just three percent cause the trouble." This is Leon Mitchell. Leon was born in 1950 and moved to Evanston from the south suburbs in 1980. He was a police officer for the Evanston Police Department for 23 years, serving as patrol on the gang and drug suppression unit. He retired as a sergeant and served as Dean of Students at Notre Dame High School for four years, while building his own company, Phoenix Security, which he now runs. He is a mentor for the young men at Curt's Cafe and is part of the Men's Group that is hosted by four men and attended by Curt's' male students one Monday a month. Q: Why did you become a police officer? A: I became a police officer because I was kicked around by police when I was growing up and I decided that I would do it myself and do it differently. I loved the Evanston community. Q: What issues did you face during your time as an police officer? A: We had horrific gang problems when I first came. But I give credit to Chief Logan [In 1984, Evanston native William Logan was appointed Evanston’s first African American Chief of Police]. He recruited African American officers who didn’t grow up in Evanston and didn’t have any allegiances. Our unit had a great camaraderie and felt we could really make a difference. We felt a personal stake in our work and we could see the impact it had on the community. Q: Have the issues changed? A: The problems then were similar to today’s, but now there are more guns and more killings. Back then, gangs were designated to different parts of Evanston and were mostly involved in selling drugs. Sometimes a beef between gangs would lead to a fight and then a homicide, but now there are other influences that increase that chance. Things are said on Facebook and other social media, insults and threats, and people end up dead. And today, it doesn’t matter what gang you’re in. There are no gang leaders now. And anyone who wants a gun can get one. Q: What other factors contribute to violence in Evanston? A: There’s still the challenge of dealing with the mentality of some young men who crave brands of gym shoes instead of craving knowledge. They want money and fame, and they want it right now. They’re following the wrong thing. Also, many young men become involved in violence because it’s the ultimate way to get credibility on the streets. There are some middle class young men who want street creds because they’re scared. But back then and still today, there’s a saying at the police department. We call it the 97/3 rule. Ninety-seven percent of the population we work with are good, hardworking people, and just three percent cause the trouble. The faces change, but the percentage stays the same. Q: What’s your opinion of the Evanston Police Department today? A: I think that the Evanston police department is one of the best supervised and progressive department in the state. In general I'm more of an old school (put guys on the streets who can develop information because people respect them). I’m not in love with the new task force model of policing. Q: What can the community do to help reduce violence? A: The biggest assistance we in the police department had back in my day was the Council of Elders. It was a group of African American fathers and mothers, some were the parents of gangbangers, some were parents of victims of gang violence. Many of the fathers themselves were ex-offenders. It was an incredible group of people. The group was called C.O.E POPS and C.O.E. MOMS, and the members wore green and white baseball caps. They would come out onto the streets at night to hotspots, to parties, to interrupt activities and to keep watch on what was going on. That generation got it under control. We just don’t seem to have that cohesion now. Q: If you could fix one thing that contributes to violence, what would it be? A: You get rid of guns, you get rid of the problem. But the Code of Omertà on Evanston's streets also has to be broken [Omertà literally means “manhood.” It refers to the idea of a man dealing with his own problems without the help of the government/police. It’s a term that’s become synonymous with the Mafia’s code of silence]. It’s also important to bring whites and African Americans together because violence is a by-product of racism. #WilliamLogan #EPD #EvanstonPoliceDepartment #CurtsCafe #YouthGunViolence

"One of the most difficult things is going to funerals, especially when you've worked with the person ... every time there's a shooting or homicide the bad tends to eclipse the good things that have been put in place." Nathan Norman grew up in Evanston. At 32, he's the Supervisor of the Youth and Young Adult Outreach team with the City of Evanston. He spends 80 percent of his time in Evanston’s neighborhoods working with disengaged youth. He is an ex-offender. DE: What do you do? NN: I interact with young men in the community every day. I spend time with them in the community centers, I tell them about opportunities that are available to help them change their lives and develop. I engage with community partners to connect young men and women with resources like programs, jobs and support. I work with them to find and prepare for job interviews. I attend court with them, I advocate for them, and I connect them with the Moran Center. I’m passionate about this work. I want to make Evanston even more peaceful and livable than it already is. I’m really intentional about that. DE: What makes you good at your job? NN: I have a unique approach because I experienced a lot of the same situations as the young men I work with. So when I speak with them, I speak from experience, not from out of a book. I was in a street gang from a young age. I was involved in violence. I sold drugs. I had to fend for myself on the streets. My mom was on drugs and I had no sense of family and no stability or structure at home. So I looked to the streets and older gang members for direction. I got my support, friendship, and family from the streets and the gang structure. DE: Tell me about your childhood. NN: When I was eight, my dad took me to live with him. I lived with him till I was 12. He was a religious man and took me to church every week. That’s when I discovered a relationship with God. I began to miss my mother very much and I wanted to go back and live with her. After a while of acting out, my dad relented and sent me back to my mother. I stopped going to church and I lost my sense of direction. I put my relationship with God on the back burner. I ran wild and only went to school on and off. At 12, I was sent to juvy hall. Even though it was a bad time, it was a good experience for me, I learned discipline. I learned to appreciate my freedom. I had more solitary time and I found God again. DE: What happened after that? NN: When I got out, I had nothing. I had no hope, but I wanted to live better. I began to learn how to sell drugs because I had to get food and feed my family. I was the oldest of eight siblings. After a time, I went to live with a friend. He had a stable home and I started going to school every day. I was still selling drugs and involved in a gang, but my friend's grandmother didn’t know that. All through high school, selling drugs continued to be a part of my lifestyle. I graduated from high school and kept selling drugs. I started making a lot of money. I grew up with nothing so I wanted whatever I could get. I wanted the things that I previously couldn't afford. Selling drugs quickly evolved from a need to a lifestyle for me. Eventually I was arrested for manufacturing and delivering 100g to 400g of cocaine. I did three straight years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. DE: So how did you end up here? NN: When I got out of prison, I came home to Evanston, but this time something in me had changed. I had more time to reflect on myself and grow closer with God and He had put something in my heart and I believed Him. One night, I prayed to God and asked Him if He would give me something to replace my lifestyle, I would gravitate towards it. By the grace of God, I met Mr. Brown [Kevin Brown, J.D., Youth and Young Adult Program Manager] and he believed that I could do this job. It's been five years since I got out of prison and four years since I've been working in this capacity in the Youth and Young Adult Division. DE: How have things changed since you were younger? NN: When I was growing up, the goal for youth in gangs was to get fast money but you still had to attend school. The gangs were structured that way. In contrast, today, youth are more fascinated with violence, like getting guns and committing acts of violence. In the 80s, the last of the gang chiefs were locked up and that left gangs fragmented and in chaos. By 1998, that was the last of the structure. Today, there aren’t cohesive gangs. Everyone’s out for themselves and there are cliques. Back then, if you wanted a gun, you had to ask your gang leader for one. Today, anyone can get a gun. DE: Do you think Evanston has enough resources for disengaged youth? NN: Evanston has a wealth of resources for its youth. The problem is that many youth simply either don’t know about the resources that are available to them or don’t take advantage of them most of the time. Evanston has the YYA Division, YMCA, Family Focus Y.O.U., Curt's Cafe, and the Moran Center, amongst others. I believe the problem some have is they don't take advantage because they're too busy emulating the wrong things out there for example rap music, rap videos, things that aren't reality. Things like that, coupled with drug use and mental illness, is why we see so many acts of random violence in our community. The advantage that I have and that our staff has, is that we have credibility in our community. I was born and raised here. People remember me from back then when I dealt drugs and when I went to prison and that I changed my life around. I believe when they see this positive example it gives them something tangible that they can look forward to. They think, “well, if he can do it, maybe I can do it too." DE: What's rewarding about your job? NN: Everything! The reason I say this is because it's always rewarding to watch a young man turn his life around. Our staff attended a client's graduation last week and it's truly a blessing to see a young man who was on the wrong path who is now leading a more successful life. I had another client who spent eight years in the penitentiary who wanted change in his life. We were able to help him receive gainful employment. His life too has been changed for the better and he is living a more stable lifestyle now that he has a living-wage job. The Youth and Young Adult Division has helped six young men participate in a Northwestern University apprentice program where they make $18/hour and have benefits. It’s rewarding to help people out of a negative situation and help them transform their lives. DE: What’s challenging about your job? NN: One of the most difficult things is going to funerals, especially when you've worked with the person. Challenges are always out there because there's a lot of good being done, but every time there's a shooting or homicide the bad tends to eclipse the good things that have been put in place. Another challenge is when my patience is stretched to its limit when I see youth with the capacity to change and not wanting to do so. DE: If you could could do one thing to contribute to reducing violence in Evanston, what would it be? NN: I would like to see improvement in the relationship between the community and the police department and also to prevent youth from getting illegal guns. If you know a young person who could use some support, please reach out to the city's 311 number and they will put you in touch with Nathan Norman.