Black youth in Chicago and the future of American politics
A Medill Newsmakers Report By Jasmine Cen In this episode of Medill Newsmakers, we invited three guests to help us understand the black youth in Chicago. Three topics were discussed during the show: how community violence impacts the black youth in Chicago, who the young activists are, and what the political scientist thinks about the […]
When volunteers help connect beat cops with communities, crime often goes down
By Jasmine Cen A beat facilitator is a volunteer who connects Chicago police officers working a beat with members of the community to help combat neighborhood violence. [vimeo 159123979 w=474] Beat facilitators meet monthly with the officers to talk about safety concerns at Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) meetings. The CAPS program began in 1993. More than 200 meetings happen every […]
Third graders get real about race and guns in school program
By Jasmine Cen With so much on the news about violence and crime in Chicago, it’s difficult to shield young people from hearing about it. But psychologists say parents and teachers should not ignore the issues, and children need to talk about what’s happening in their communities, even at a young age. That’s the spirit […]
Students cook up a healthy lunch for Chicago Public Schools
By Jasmine Cen A student-designed healthy lunch option was on the menu at Chicago Public Schools on Wednesday. The dishes were created by four George Washington High School student chefs who won the “Cooking Up Change” competition in Chicago this year. The annual contest encourages culinary students to develop tasty and healthy meals for their classmates. The winning […]
Why Chicago teachers rejected a contract offer as schools brace for budget cuts (video)
By Jasmine Cen The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) held a mass rally in downtown Chicago last Thursday after the union rejected a contract offer from Chicago Public Schools (CPS). On Tuesday, CPS announced cuts of up to $120 million from the current school year budget. [vimeo 154885267 w=474]
Bernie Sanders Fans Let Chicago “feel the bern” (video)
By Jasmine Cen More than 1,000 people shouted “we are the 99 percent” as they marched on LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago Saturday to endorse presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. “Feel the bern,” the excited participants chanted, along with other slogans. March for Bernie is a movement that spread across the nation via Facebook. Many organizers of […]
State start-up investment hopes to create new jobs in Illinois (video)
By Jasmine Cen The second round of the Illinois Growth and Innovation Fund will create an estimated 3,600 jobs in technology start-ups in the next three years, according to Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs. The state of Illinois is investing $220 million in the fund. Eligible candidates for investment funding must be businesses in the biological […]
Despite potential dangers, hoverboard sales glide along (video)
By Jasmine Cen Sales of hoverboards in Chicago have not gone down even as safety concerns are being investigated, according to the manager of a major hoverboard retail store. Several incidents of the hoverboards catching on fire or exploding have been reported across the country. The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) urged large-volume […]
With the spotlight comes criticism for cop-staring activist (video)
By Jasmine Cen A few young African-American activists in Chicago became well known late last year during a series of protests following the release of a video showing police shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald, but along with recognition for these young protesters came some criticism. Among the thousands of young people led by Black Youth Project 100 was Lamon Reccord. On the day after Thanksgiving, while protesters […]
Alleged police torture victim seeks to clear his name (video)
By Jasmine Cen Anthony Jakes is fighting to clear his name after he spent years in jail. He was charged with first-degree murder and taken into police custody in Chicago when he was fifteen. Jakes is still working to fit back into the society since his release from prison in 2012 and he is fighting to […]
