“Democracy starts on the block level. It is that easy.”
That’s according to Jahmal Cole, the founder of popular civic engagement group My Block, My Hood, My City and the keynote speaker at the 10th annual Woodlawn Community Summit, held March 16 at the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration. Some 500 people participated in the forum, which addressed everything from improving the neighborhood by investing in home ownership to grooming youth for leadership.
“I think you’re a product of your expectations, but I do think your environment can affect your wellbeing,” Cole said, reminding all that even the simple act of picking up trash can change everything. “It is that easy.”
Cole’s keynote struck a nerve in the crowd, many of whom murmured in agreement. All the work they’ve done in Woodlawn over the past 10 years was possible because they did it block by block. And that’s the point of the Woodlawn Community Summit, created a decade ago by a handful of neighbors who wanted to get to know each other.
“We thought ‘let’s have a small session and we approached the Office of Civic Engagement and asked for space,’” remembers Liz Gardner, one of the founders. “We had no idea what community engagement was... We invited Bishop [Arthur] Brazier and a few other stakeholders, not knowing if they were coming. It was truly organic.”
That first year they asked for space for 50 but wound up having 100 show up. Now? They use the entire building and “people look forward to us having this every year in March,” says Gardner, who could barely walk from one end of the summit to another without being hugged, asked a question or stopped to take a selfie. Over the past 10 years, she adds, residents have risen up and taken control of the direction of their community. Part of that work included helping to establish the Woodlawn Chamber of Commerce and assisting Washington Park residents with their own summit.
“The phenomenal growth over the years speaks to the power of engagement and Woodlawn’s strong sense of community,” says Derek Douglas, UChicago’s Vice President for Civic Engagement and External Affairs. “People are coming out to learn more about their neighbors, to hear how they can get involved and to work together to advance their community. UChicago’s Office of Civic Engagement is honored to serve as a partner.”
UChicago's Office of Civic Engagement was recognized as a steadfast supporter of the Woodlawn Summit from the very beginning.
There were also sentimental moments. The Elder Bishop Brazier was present for the first meeting and he blessed it. He is now deceased, but his son, Bishop Byron T. Brazier, made sure to be present for the 10th anniversary.
“The schools are magnificent, the safety is getting better,” says Brazier, after noting that he is humbled to follow in the footsteps of his father. “The economic development taking place is going to be phenomenal over the next five years.
One session hosted by Blacks In Green (BIG) discussed how the community can drive its own economic development by creating new businesses in the clean energy sector. “A truck fleet, a warehouse? This is not economic development,” says Naomi Davis, president of BIG, who counseled Woodlawn residents to push for better. “If the place where they came from didn’t want them, why do we? We’ve gotta understand context.”
Another session,“Housing: Chicago South Side; Not by Chance, But By Choice,” examined how empty lots can lead to affordable housing opportunities. That same session offered ideas to local residents looking to purchase in Woodlawn.
The American Dream of owning a home and having a beautiful neighborhood with amenities is attainable, says Margaret Wooten, who was at the Summit representing the Chicago Urban League. “All you have to do is go out there and get it.”
By Adrienne Samuels Gibbs
Photos courtesy of South East Chicago Commission