Woodlawn New Communities Program - Home page

Building a youth movement against HIV/AIDS, disease

7/28/2009, 4:12 PM

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Richard Muhammad

MAGIC’s National Teen Test Day is an example of the Woodlawn non-profit’s determination to grapple with serious issues and have young people save themselves when it comes to things that affect their lives. Teen Test Day, which is actually a year round program, hosts an annual major health and awareness fair devoted to testing and prevention of HIV/AIDS and other diseases.

Sakinah Muhammad, left, and MAGIC youth demonstrate oral quick swab HIV test.

Richard Muhammad

The group was founded almost two years ago by Vanessa Muhammad, Carlos Meyers and Kenneth Parker to address the problem of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted disease epidemics plaguing inner city youth.

The goal is a teen-led movement built on awareness, responsibility and healthy choices. The foundations of the movement are testing, partnerships and peer to peer contact to increase knowledge about HIV/AIDS and general health issues.

“We’re going to do our best to make sure that the complacency of youth is eliminated, because we’re going to be leaders for ending the spread of HIV and AIDS especially among young African Americans, 13-24, half of new cases are in that demographic,” said Allen Linton II, a 19-year-old college sophomore and MAGIC leader.

The disease impacts everyone, whether you have it or not, said Linton. It impacts how people interact with friends and family and impacts schools and workplaces, he said. Knowledge can slow down and end the disease, which can be acquired through one bad decision or one partner, Linton noted.

“IF you’re not going to help yourself, you can’t expect anyone else to help you,” he said.

Forging effective partnerships

A commitment to stopping the spread of the AIDS pandemic and other diseases has brought Teen Test Day and its young leaders to the attention of major partners. Talks are underway for a month-long focus on adolescents and HIV/AIDS in April through a partnership with Stroger Hospital and the Centers for Disease Control, said Muhammad.

Vanessa Muhammad, Teen Test Day co-founder

Richard Muhammad

National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, observed Feb. 7, found MAGIC group members participating in the Black Life Is Worth Saving forum at Malcolm X College. The group’s namesake event, Teen Test Day, was held Jan. 3 at the South Shore Cultural Center and drew 2,000 people, according to organizers. The all-day affair included disease testing, a press conference and mayoral proclamation, a demonstration of the quick swab HIV test, games, a martial arts demonstration, a live radio broadcast from a hip hop station, food and 42 organizations delivering everything from asthma to vision screenings and offering tons of information. It closed with an evening hip hop concert, with tickets disbursed after taking an HIV/AIDS test, and a jazz concert.

Participants walked away with test results and University of Chicago Medical Hospital doctors and professionals were on hand to offer counseling, one year of free medical assistance and after care for anyone who tested positive, Muhammad said.

Carlos Meyers, co-founder Teen Test Day

Richard Muhammad

HIV/AIDS is not a death sentence, you don’t have to be a millionaire to get treatment while research, testing and awareness fairs are used to prevent infection, Linton said. “We have to take the steps to use all these resources and to maximize what we have now and improve what we have in the future. Helping out now sets us up for a better future,” said the second year University of Chicago student.

Chloe Rose Jackson, a 16-year-old, booked acts, planned activities, and met with representatives of radio stations, community groups and churches to connect with potential Teen Test Day partners. She also underwent six-weeks of training about HIV/AIDS.

“If we don’t know that’s just another body dying and for us to come speak to each other ourselves l think it’s more effective. We hear adults speaking about it all the time, every day, and it seems that it doesn’t connect to us. If you know about it, then you can change. If you don’t know life is going past in like seconds,” she said.

Jackson is motivated by compassion for peers who have suffered from pregnancy and contracted diseases but don’t have treatment. “A lot of people are not scared anymore to be tested. A lot of people last year we like, ‘Oh, I’m scared.’ Everything is confidential,” she said.

The story of Teen Test Day was covered by community and daily media, including the Associated Press, with stories picked up by the New York Times, BBC News, and publications in Canada and Africa, said Muhammad.

'The statistics are real'

“The impact of Teen Test Day is starting to resonate internationally as the rates of adolescent and young adult sexually transmitted infections and HIV infections continue to rise,” said co-founder Carlos Meyers, who is MAGIC’s director of adolescent and young adult health advocacy. “If the problems are not addressed with the urgency they deserve … our future is in dire jeopardy.”

Chloe Rose Jackson, MAGIC youth leader

Richard Muhammad

Teens from MAGIC will partner with the University of Chicago Medical Center March 7 for the “Our Daughters, Our Duty” conference at Kennedy-King College, said Muhammad. The conference will focus on prevention of the HPV virus and cervical cancer and teens will speak and distribute information, she said. The University of Chicago will train teens about the health issues Feb. 28 at MAGIC’s offices as part of the group’s leadership development mission.

“We need to know what it is ailing us,” said community epidemiologist Yaa Simpson, of The Association of Clinical Trial Services. She is also a MAGIC board member and specializes in HIV-AIDS. Black youth ages 13 to 24 are heavily impacted by STDS and HIV. Just seven percent of Chicago’s population, the age group accounts for 47 percent of nearly 34,000 STD and HIV cases, Simpson said, citing 2006 statistics from the city Dept. of Public Health.

“The statistics are real. The Black community is disproportionately impacted We have more numbers and we need to get that number to zero for everybody, but definitely for Blacks. How else are we going to get there, if we don’t get our young people involved and to be the leaders they need to be?” Simpson asked.

Entrepreneurs today — no wait for tomorrow

2/18/2009, 10:40 PM

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Richard Muhammad

Talk of product expenses, hourly price rates, industry competitors, customer service, marketing strategies, and business pitches might seem odd for teenagers. But young people at Sunshine Gospel Ministries recently tossed around business lingo readily.

Ashley Jones, with her mother, Chotsani Baylis, shows off her perfect attendance award. She did not miss one day in the 10-week entrepreneurship program.

Richard Muhammad

The youth were participants in the Small Business Expo held Dec. 11 at Sunshine’s Woodlawn headquarters on East 61st Street as part of a program sponsored by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and After School Matters.

The youth developed business proposals — and were paid to do so — as part of a technology curriculum at Sunshine Gospel Ministries, with After School Matters paying stipends based on program attendance.

From the PowerPoint presentations flashed via an electronic clicker on a flat screen TV to the natty business attire of some presenters, it was clear the young entrepreneurs were serious about their work – and nearly all put in extra time on their presentations, according to program staffers and parents.

Kiara Davis' business would teach older people, in particular retirees, how to use computers.

Richard Muhammad

The ideas were varied and innovative. They ranged from a talent agency, to a music studio for young people, a Caribbean restaurant, a mommy-friendly beauty salon, a computer instruction service for the elderly, and a resume prep service especially for people trying to switch careers in a bad economy.

Brittany Fisher won first prize and $100 for her Dynamic Resume service idea. With the downturn in the economy, the young entrepreneur's idea was to specialize in helping people who are trying to change careers and to specialize in helping people who were hard to employ — all at a reasonable price.

But as the judges from NFTE, After School Matters, and Sunshine Gospel Ministries observed, there were no losers here. The 10-week program pushed the youth to create businesses, said Lew Williams, a judge from Sunshine Gospel Ministries. Youth focused on their interests and talents, but they were told to think beyond just getting jobs in appealing areas — and to focus on making jobs for themselves.

Barbara Brown and daughter Cassandra Williams, who came dressed to business-impress for her presentation.

Richard Muhammad

“They need to know that they could operate without being dependent on someone to hire them in,” said Williams. “And at the same time, if the business becomes profitable, which we really hope it does, they can hire on other people and help the economy to start to thrive again.”

All of the participants did great and presented ideas they focused on for five weeks, he said. The presentations included business plans, long and short range personal goals, qualifications they possess to make the businesses successful now – and a social responsibility, or "give-back," component.

It was also a time to dream, learn business concepts and acquire skills such as being on time and operating Microsoft Office, PowerPoint and other software. “Not everybody wants to be an entrepreneur,” said Vince McCaskill, an expo judge and director of Sunshine’s community technology center. “But I think the main thing they all gain is that to be a good entrepreneur, you need to be a good employee. Those are the cross set of skills we’re trying to build in our youth.”

Ashley Jones shows off her concept, which combines food and fun.

Richard Muhammad

Maurice Moore, a 17-year-old, presented Class X-Muscle, which was his concept for a business that specializes in car art. “It seems like this is a growing business because everywhere I go, I see people with their names or favorite characters on their cars,” said Moore. “It felt good because I got to put my love of cars and art together.”

The competition involved two rounds of idea pitches before two sets of judges. Four winners in the first round went on to repeat their presentations for a second group of judges.

Barbara Brown, whose sharply dressed daughter Cassandra Williams won honorable mention in the competition’s first round for her catering business, looked forward to seeing the presentations become reality. What made her proud? “To see her in action and actually presenting her plan made me proud as a parent and educator,” said Brown. “To see and hear our children do something positive and to speak positively unlike we’re portrayed in the news most times.”

Youth had to include short- and long-term goals in their PowerPoint presentations.

Richard Muhammad

Chotsani Baylis watched daughter Ashley Jones present her Entre Tainment restaurant concept. The 10th grader envisioned a place to play, socialize and eat. Her competition is Dave & Busters, which provides food and arcade games. Baylis was proud of her daughter, who received an award for perfect attendance, came in during her day off, and arrived early to complete her PowerPoint.

“They all worked real hard,” Baylis said. She was impressed by the youths’ willingness to speak before the judges and audience – something she would have been nervous doing.

Students self-select for the entrepreneurship program and pass interviews to join, said Keri Teplitzky, NFTE program director. Eighteen youth were interns at Sunshine Gospel Ministries. Students in 40 city high schools participate in the NFTE program, which has served over 9,000 Chicago youngsters since 2003.

Joel Hamernick, executive director of Sunshine Gospel Ministries, offered to find mentors for youth ready to pursue their business dreams. Referrals may come from word of mouth or from teachers, counselors or others who know about the program, which is advertised in schools, or in Sunshine Gospel Ministries’ case, through its other programs.

Richard Muhammad

“Our biggest goal is that students have to create a business idea based on the skills and resources they have today so that they can do something even part time or after school,” said Teplitzky. “They can use their passion and their skills and their resources that they have and start making a business.”

In the spring, the youth will come back and build on their presentations, adding financial information and sales forecasting. There will be another competition to win a slot representing Sunshine Gospel Ministries in a May citywide competition.

Joel Harmernick, executive director of Sunshine Gospel Ministries and one of the judges for the four finalists, promised to find mentors if any youth wanted to pursue their business ideas.

It was exciting to see teens who see themselves “as people who will produce things much bigger than who they are,” he said. “The goal of our community technology center is access, training and entrepreneurialism, and this is a piece in the entrepreneurialism side."

Healthy hearts focus of February, free screenings offered

2/18/2009, 8:59 PM

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Richard Muhammad

When it comes to women, hearts and February, there first thing that may come to mind is Valentine’s Day, but hold on a minute. February is also National Heart Month and the first weekend in the month was devoted to highlighting the need for women to be especially careful when it comes to heart health. And a partnership with Advocate Health Care will allow some women in Illinois to receive free screenings the week of Valentine’s Day.

The Health Committee for the NCP Program in Woodlawn is focusing on National Heart Month with its upcoming "Ask the Doctor" interactive session. Dr. Thomas Fisher, of the University of Chicago, will take questions during a Feb. 11 presentation at 6250 S. Park Shore East. The program begins at 6 p.m.

The “Go Red for Women” weekend, Feb. 6-8, included programs and activities to interest women and GoRedForWomen.org offered women an easy way to evaluate their risk factors and consider changes to improve their health status. The website also provided a personalized action plan that can be taken to a doctor for evaluation and approval.

To raise awareness of heart disease, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, along with the American Heart Association and members of the Conference of Women Legislators, celebrated Women’s Heart Disease Awareness Month at the State Capitol and encouraged Illinois residents to wear red on Friday, February 6, 2009—National Wear Red Day.

The “Go Red for Women” movement encourages everyone to wear red as a simple, yet powerful way to raise awareness of heart disease and stroke.

Although heart disease is sometimes thought of as a “man's disease,” it is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, and women account for 52.8 percent of the total heart disease deaths according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, almost one in three women will die of heart disease. The latest statistics showed more than 13,000 women in Illinois died from heart disease in 2006.

In recognition of Women’s Heart Disease Awareness Month, Advocate Health Care, in partnership with the Conference of Women Legislators and area legislators, is offering free cardiac screenings for women at several locations during the week of Valentine’s Day. The following Advocate hospitals will be providing free cardiac screenings to women over the age of 45:

Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital, Chicago
Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Barrington

To register for one of these screenings or to find out about additional screenings and classes at other Advocate sites, please call 1-800-3-ADVOCATE (1-800-323-8622).

“Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and is a major cause of disability. In 2009, an estimated 785,000 Americans with have a new coronary attack, and about 470,000 will have a recurrent attack. Heart disease is a term that includes several more specific heart conditions. The most common heart disease in the United States is coronary heart disease, which can lead to heart attack,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.

You can lessen your risk factors for heart disease by getting regular check-ups, knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol numbers and keeping them under control; following your doctor's recommendations for diet and exercise; taking medications as prescribed; by stopping smoking or not starting; doing at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day; eating a healthy diet that includes vegetables, whole grain foods and fish; limiting foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol; limiting salt and sodium intake and limiting alcoholic beverages on average to one drink or less per day.

Ask The Doctor

1/18/2009, 8:11 AM

Sunday, January 18, 2009

NCP/Woodlawn and TWO Health and Human Services Committee

Overview

The Ask the Doctor initiative was borne out of discussions that arose from the Life Smart for Women Program at the St. Ailbe Catholic Church developed and funded by the state of Illinois Department of Public Health. The program was managed there by the Health and Wellness Ministry and was subsequently transferred to the Woodlawn community, New Community Program/Woodlawn (NCP) and The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) Health and Human Services Committee.

What is it

The Ask the Doctor program is one that engages community stakeholders to express medical concerns anonymously. The questions are responded to and explained by a physician in a seminar format at a Woodlawn community facility. This approach encourages people to ask questions they have always been afraid to ask, but always wanted to have answered, without embarrassment.

How it began

This initiative began with stakeholders submitting medical questions on index cards to NCP/TWO committee members that were later given to the participating physician for review to ensure appropriate responses. Meetings were advertised thru diverse media and scheduled to ensure availability to the community at large. The 1st meeting, held on April 8, 2008, was held at the Bessie Coleman Library on 63rd St. Subsequent meetings were held at 6250 South Park Shore East. Attendance has grown from 6 attendees initially to an average of 35-40 people per session. In addition to the medical content, socialization is inherent and light refreshments are provided. Each session is 1.5 hours in duration.

Program Expansion

Dr. Thomas Fisher, M.D.

The program has expanded from responding to anonymous questions to reviewing the 7 part PBS Documentary Series, “Unnatural Causes.” A lively and probing discussion follows review of the video and is conducted by our partner physician, Thomas Fisher, M.D., assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Program Expansion: PBS Documentary, “Unnatural Causes”

Topics included in the documentary are:

“In Sickness and In Health,” which raises the question “Is inequality making us sick?”

“When the Bough Breaks,” a segment that examines the mystery of the Black-white infant mortality gap.

“Becoming American,” which sheds light on the shifting health status of newly arrived Latino immigrants.

“Bad Sugar,” a two topic presentation with Part 1 exploring the causes and effects of diabetes within two Native American communities; Part 2 “Place Matters” connects the dots between health, wealth and zip codes.

“Collateral Damage” traces the health challenges of Marshall Islanders from the South Pacific to Springdale, Arkansas. The second part of this segment explores the toll taken by layoffs and job insecurity in Western Michigan.

Future Goals

The Health and Human Services Committee, NCP Woodlawn and TWO will continue to address the issues of health education, screening and promotion.

While the program has been open to a diverse group, our central population has been middle aged and senior participants. We will actively pursue youth, and teen parents. We hope to achieve this goal through partnerships with the NCP Youth Committee and community agencies.

Ask The Doctor is one of many efforts by the the Health and Human Services Committee of NCP Woodlawn and TWO.

LISC Names Bishop Brazier as First Senior Fellow

11/14/2008, 10:45 AM

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Bishop Arthur M. Brazier has been named the first LISC/Chicago Senior Fellow. Bishop Brazier is a nationally renowned civil rights leader and a founder of The Woodlawn Organization (TWO) in Chicago, a participant in LISC’s New Communities Program.

Bishop Arthur Brazier

Richard Muhammad

He also founded a community development corporation, the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corporation (WPIC), and served as a vice president for the Center for Community Change in Washington, D.C.

After decorated service in WWII, Bishop Brazier entered the pastorate of Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, which he then built into the largest congregation in the city of Chicago. He recently retired after 48 years as pastor.

During the year-long fellowship at LISC/Chicago, Bishop Brazier will make several presentations on his experiences in community development and will advise on a number of Chicago and national projects, including national LISC’s Sustainable Communities program, which is replicating many of the principles and practices from the New Communities Program in 10 cities around the country.

“Improving my community isn’t a job, it’s been my whole life,” said Bishop Brazier. “Working with LISC has always been an effective way to improve the quality of life for those around me, and I hope to continue this work in my new role as Senior Fellow,” said Bishop Brazier, in a South Street Journal news article.

The South Street Journal also quoted LISC Chicago executive director Andy Mooney, who said the non-profit was honored to have the longtime community leader on board. “His insight, passion and experience will be tremendous assets to LISC/Chicago, National LISC and our partner organizations, just as they have been an asset to his community and the city for years,” said Mooney.

This story is compiled from an article that first appeared in the Fall 2008 issue of Working Capital, the quarterly newsletter of LISC/Chicago, and the South Street Journal.

Genetics, race, health and history

11/13/2008, 10:43 PM

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Richard Muhammad

Dr. Rick Kittles took Woodlawn residents on a journey through genetic science, history, and medical research to explain how these areas intersect and impact the lives of African Americans.

Dr. Rick Kittles, Ph.D., talked about genetics, health and the Black community.

Richard Muhammad

Dr. Kittles, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, used humor and plain talk to describe differences in genes and how they impact health.

With the medical industry eyeing preemptive over curative approaches to diseases, Blacks need to get involved in medical research and policy—including wary participation in clinical trials and making sure Black scientists and professionals are doing the research, he said.

Everyone has a different genetic makeup and the variations in genetic makeup in different racial groups are part of the reason why some people are more prone to diseases than others, he said. Sickle cell disease in Black Americans can be traced back to a gene that helped them survive malaria in tropical Africa, he explained. The gene was valuable in the African context but in America, where malaria is not a problem, the sickle cell trait restricts oxygen and blood flow, leading to painful and sometimes serious flare-ups, he said.

Blacks in Africa didn’t use salt in their diets, but salt was part of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and is used throughout the cooking and preservation process in America, Dr. Kittles said. But the majority of Blacks are salt sensitive and when salt gets into the kidneys it impacts blood pressure, he explained.

Dr. Kittles doubts race-based medicines will work, but sees more individualized medicine that takes genetics into account as a distinct possibility and a definite area of interest. Technology is allowing for comparisons and the ability to hold vast amounts of data on a single computer chip, said the researcher who holds a PhD. in biological sciences from George Washington University.

Dr. Kittles has focused on the issues of race, genetic differences and how stress, poverty, racism, environment and other issues influence health and disease. He has spent much time studying prostate cancer and its disproportionate affect on Black men.

Researchers are shifting their focus to see where genetics and outside factors meet and impact health, he said. It doesn’t mean a onetime battle with a landlord over a rent payment or the inability to get a cab, but looking at the lifelong impact of racism and negative social factors, Dr. Kittles said.

Audience listens during presentation at Bessie Coleman Library.

Richard Muhammad

The diversity found in Blacks and Latinos make the groups attractive subjects for studies, he said. Blacks should be well-informed and involved in the decision-making and actual research, Dr. Kittles stressed.

Genetics account for race and traces from different races can be found in Blacks and Whites in the United States, Dr. Kittles noted. But racial definitions in America are connected to slavery, racial oppression, segregation, anti-race mixing laws and the one-drop rule, he said. The one-drop rule meant a single drop of Black blood meant you could be sold as a slave instead of an heir to a White slave master father’s fortune, said Dr. Kittles.

Though a light-skinned Black like Halle Barry may carry more European genetic material than some Whites, the actress is deemed a Black woman in American society, he noted.

Dr. Kittles pointed out that about 30 percent of Black men have European DNA and he carries a German Y chromosome. “It doesn’t help. If the cops pull me over I’m not driving while having a European Y chromosome. I am Driving While Black. I can’t put it on the mortgage application, cabs they don’t see it,” he said, as the audience laughed.

Dr. Kittles is also the owner of African Ancestry, Inc., and explained how genetics can help trace the roots of Black ancestry. Given slavery and segregation, African Americans often get stuck in the 1850s or 1860s when trying to research their roots, he said. DNA testing can often point out the area of Africa or other parts of the world ancestors came from, he said to the audience at the Bessie Coleman Library on 63rd St.

The audience listened intently as Dr. Kittles talked about African migration, genetic richness, and how sedentary and western lifestyles have taken Blacks out of a natural existence and opened the door for health problems. In Nigeria, everyone walks or rides bikes and obesity isn’t a problem, he said. In Maywood, Ill., Black people with a similar genetic makeup are overweight and suffering from high blood pressure and major health problems, Dr. Kittles said.

Dr. Kittles also worked on the PBS Series “African American Lives,” which traced the genetic and personal history of several prominent Blacks, including TV show queen Oprah Winfrey, comedian Chris Rock, civil rights leader Al Sharpton, businesswoman Linda Johnson Rice and religious leader T.D. Jakes.

Woodlawn residents had a chance to learn how DNA can be used to trace African ancestors.

Richard Muhammad

An interest in why some people get sick and others don’t and physical differences he saw in high school classmates led to Dr. Kittles’ work in genetics. His interest in learning where he came from resulted in genealogical work. It turned out that his scientific knowledge helped trace his roots and others were interested in using the same tools.

“The way Dr. Kittles presented the information was very much professional. It was on target, it was humorous, light-hearted at times but also serious and balanced,” said Chandrea T. Hopkins, a Woodlawn resident and member of the Kenwood Point Homeowners Association. The presentation also challenged parents to look at what they are feeding children and consider fixing meals at home, she said.

Annie Pope, chair of the Health and Human Service Committee for NCP Woodlawn and TWO, said the point of the session was to get the word out about health. Her committee sponsored the event. “If we gain knowledge it puts us in a position to do something about things that are really happening to us,” she said. “We bring with us our history and we need to understand that history. It’s a cumulative kind of situation. If we understand that history it puts us in a better position to bring about change.”

Future planned Health Committee events include sessions on aging, depression and Alzheimer’s disease and drug and alcohol abuse.

Information Is Power When It Comes to Health

7/10/2008, 11:13 AM

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Richard Muhammad

Woodlawn residents will have the opportunity to undergo kidney screening July 26 thanks to the NCP Woodlawn Health and Human Services Committee. The screenings will run from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Jackson Parkside Apartments, located at 6040 S. Harper Avenue.

The screening is another example of how a small but determined group of neighborhood residents and stakeholders leverage relationships to promote health education and provide access to health services.

Colleen Fuller, left, gets help from Barbara Burgess at kidney screening in Woodlawn earlier this year.

Eric Young Smith

“We know that kidney disease is very prevalent among African-Americans. We know that African-Americans have high blood pressure. They have diabetes and these are the forerunners to kidney disease, especially when they go untreated, which is often the case,” said Annie R. Pope, who has lived in Woodlawn for 13 years. Pope and Joyce Nimocks, who has lived in Woodlawn for 38 years, are leading the committee.

Whether the screenings and information sessions are in senior buildings, apartments managed by The Woodlawn Organization or the Bessie Coleman Library, the old adage information is power takes new meaning as the women say literally thousands of dollars worth of services have been delivered.

“We’ve been able to bring quality services to the Woodlawn community as a result of this committee and as a result of the committee’s ability to partner with significant experts and resources,” said Pope.

A kidney screening early this year provided about $1,000 worth of medical work per person and 43 to 47 people participated in the session. That comes out to $43,000-$47,000 worth of services, Pope said. The health committee works with the American Kidney Fund’s MIKE (Minority Intervention Kidney Education) initiative to provide kidney screenings.

Barbara Tood watches as Jackie Cook draws blood at screening.

Eric Young Smith

The extensive screening includes a urinalysis, blood pressure check and blood tests are used for 30 different health values, Nimocks explained. The tests cover things like cholesterol levels, levels of iron and liver function, she said. Screening participants are also told how to handle health issues that surface. Best of all, when an official looking, post-screening package arrives, the information inside is easy to understand, Nimocks continued.

The screening and tests results are so thorough that after Nimocks participated in a screening, her personal physician canceled annual blood work and simply put the screening results in her medical file.

What drives the group? “I think the impetus is the recognition that there is such a disparity in terms of health issues for African-Americans,” said Pope. “We just believe that if we are better informed about health care issues and how to manage ourselves, hopefully it will lead to a better outcome.”

The group’s work is shaped by community health issues and partners assist in areas of concern or provide facilities, the women explained. Feedback comes directly from participants and through interaction at neighborhood meetings. None of the Quality-of-Life Plan features can be accessed if residents are sickly or dying prematurely, they added.

“This is especially a benefit for those who don’t have health insurance,” Pope noted.

The committee has created an “Ask The Doctor” forum, which allows residents to write questions down for Dr. Thomas Fisher, of the University of Chicago. After an initial round of anonymous questions, the audience asks follow ups. The health committee showed a documentary about urban health issues and had Dr. Fisher lead a discussion and answer questions. The group will soon plot out the “Ask the Doctor” schedule for next year. Dr. Fisher is also affiliated with Community Solutions In Action.

From left, Barbara Burgess, Annie R. Pope, Mabel Wayne, Courtney Nicholas, Carol Phillips and Joyce Nimocks at screening organized by Woodlawn health committee.

Eric Young Smith

A seminar on DNA and its relationship to health issues will be presented by Dr. Rick Kittles, PhD., an associate professor of genetic medicine at the University of Chicago Cancer Center, Saturday, August 23, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., at the Bessie Coleman Library. A diabetes screening to be conducted by University of Chicago medical students at 6250 S. Park Shore Ave. at the Park Shore Apartments is slated for August.

The current health committee is about a year and a half old, but Pope and Nimocks have been part of the NCP process for five years. Another key committee member is Carol Phillips, a TWO building manager at 6052 S. Harper Ave., Smith-Blair Building senior housing, who has opened her doors for screenings and meetings. TWO’s Ingrid Silmon and Myra Johnson Nash, Patricia Tatum Smith, R.N., Violet Johnson and University of Chicago medical employees Dawnavan Davis and Susan Peters round out the group.

“We’re a small committee trying to do big things,” said Nimocks.

Check Out The Strand Artists Lofts in Woodlawn

10/6/2008, 10:18 PM

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Starving artists may at last be able to find a place to live at The Strand Artists Lofts in Woodlawn. Three community meetings about the affordable, south side condominium

Artists rendering of The Strand Artists Lofts in Woodlawn.

development are scheduled, including Saturday July 12, Sunday July 20, and Saturday July 26. Meetings will be held at the Grand Ballroom located at 6351 S. Cottage Grove Ave. (1/2 block from The Strand).

The Strand Hotel was a major commercial and entertainment venue during the roaring 1920s.

The Strand Artists Lofts is steps away from the Chicago Transit Authority’s 63rd Street Green line station and Cottage Grove Avenue bus line. Just a few blocks south is the planned Lerner Center for the Creative and Performing Arts at the University of Chicago.

The complex will complement the building’s historic architecture and will feature an intercom system, hardwood floors, large sliding windows, on-site parking, wide doorways and halls, an elevator and other amenities.

The Strand Artists Lofts will offer 36 homes, ranging from 960 to 1060 square feet. Prime ground floor commercial space is also available. Housing preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate an active pursuit and commitment to an art form through a body of work, experience, and/or training. Candidates will be interviewed by a panel of arts and community representatives.

Interested? Click here for more information.

Please RSVP by phone (773) 784-7900 or by email to noelia.vega@ameritech.net.

University of Chicago Medical Center GIVES BIG

5/24/2008, 10:46 AM

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

U of C volunteers carefully plant flowers and spruce up Grove Parc site for summer

Alex Fedderjohn

University of Chicago med personnel volunteers assisted with beautification efforts in Grove Parc on Saturday, May 17, 2008. The project was well appreciated and well-received by U of C's Grove Parc neighbors.

61st Street Farmer's Market Opens

5/21/2008, 8:58 PM

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The 61^st Street Farmers Market aims to create an oasis in the local ‘food desert’ by providing residents throughout the Woodlawn neighborhood and the neighboring areas with the opportunity to buy fresh, regionally grown farm products that are nutritious and affordable, and that cater to the culinary needs of Southside Chicago’s diverse population. In addition to providing nutritious foods, the ‘Market School’ will provide nutrition education programming for children and adults throughout the summer. We will also offer chef demos on food preparation.

Time: Saturdays, May 17-Oct 25, 2008
9am-2pm
Location: 61^st Street, between Dorchester and Blackstone Avenues

View an audio slideshow of opening day here.

The 61^st Street Farmers Market is a program of the Experimental Station, an independent and not-for-profit incubator of innovative cultural, educational, environmental projects and small-scale enterprises.

We thank our many volunteers and partners for their generous support, including: Alderman Willie B. Cochran, LISC/NCP, LaSalle Bank, The University of Chicago Office of Community Affairs, The University of Chicago Cancer Research Center, The Kovler Diabetes Center.

http://www.experimentalstation.org/about

WECAN Weatherization Workshop is a Rousing Success

5/21/2008, 2:57 PM

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

Gail Taylor of Woodlawn Community Service Corporation shares information regarding city services with community resident.

Alex Fedderjohn

WECAN held a weatherization workshop at AKA Community Center, 6228 South
Ingleside Avenue, on Saturday May 17, 2008. The Workshop was a huge success with Woodlawn residents. WECAN partnered with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), Woodlawn Community Service Corporation, The Cook County Assessor's office and the South Side Federal Credit Union.

Residents enthusiastically participated in the following information sessions:

WECAN accepted applications for weatherization grants and provided information on weatherstripping techniques.
NHS provided a foreclosure specialist with information on loan re-financing.
The Cook County Assessor's office provided information on obtaining senior exemptions and handicap exemptions.
The South Side Federal Credit Union provided information on the advantages/benefits of using credit unions.
The Woodlawn Community Service Corporation shared information about city services available to residents.

Woodlawn's Community Heroes for 2008

5/22/2008, 3:46 PM

Friday, May 16, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

As the Executive Director for Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization, Inc. (MAGIC), Bryan Echols has worked close to 10 hours a day for 5 years helping to build the organization, even though he was paid a meager stipend of $600 monthly in the early going. Under his watch the Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization (M.A.G.I.C) has launched exciting programs for teens, such as a young women's leadership development program, mural arts programs, youth organizing training, and the NCP-funded gem Woodlawn String Instrument Program.

In addition to his MAGIC duties, Bryan has chaired the Woodlawn Social Service Network, comprised of human service providers who meet regularly to help facilitate collaboration and cooperation on issues.

He has also become a big brother and counselor to youth and always encourages them to develop a spiritual side so that good decision-making becomes more intuitive and easier to execute. From the Woodlawn Heroes mural at the Harris Park Center, to the African mosaics enhancing the playground on 62nd and Kimbark, to the melodic sounds of string instruments coming out of Carnegie Elementary, evidence of Bryan Echols' acts of heroism abound in Woodlawn.

40 youngsters join Woodlawn Little League

4/14/2008, 1:29 PM

Monday, April 14, 2008

Renita Austin

Baseball, America’s favorite past time, has made it to Woodlawn in the form of the Woodlawn Little League!!!

In the recent past, this sport has been all but non existent to the youth in Woodlawn and other areas in the 20th Ward, though Woodlawn is known as home of such great and legendary baseball players as Minnie Minosa and others. To change that situation, the New Communities Program of Woodlawn with the support of LISC and the MacArthur Foundation has assembled a little league developmental camp for youth who are 12 years and under to train them in the fundamentals of baseball.

The league focuses on the fundamentals of swinging, throwing and catching.

Renita Austin

The youth committee of NCP/Woodlawn and its chairman, Mr. Joseph Strickland, recognize that our youth should not only be exposed to a great sport such as baseball, but also have some very vital life skills taught and reiterated, such as team building, sportsmanship, and even conflict resolution. It is the goal of the youth committee and the faithful volunteers of the little league developmental camp to assist our youth in being the best that they can be.

The Woodlawn Little League began on March 15, 2008 with 40 youth from the Woodlawn community and their parents attending the first session. We were able to get eight volunteers who are from the Woodlawn community or have ties to the community. Semi–pro baseball players as well as high school baseball coaches have participated as volunteer coaches and trainers.

View more photos of the Little Leaguers and volunteers in a web album here.

NCP Woodlawn looks forward to working with youth in transitioning into one or more little league baseball teams in the near future. NCP/Woodlawn thanks all of their partners who helped to make this camp happen: Hyde Park High School for the use of their gymnasium, LISC for seed funding, the volunteers for their time and effort, and last but not least the youth and their parents for actively participating in this effort and being a joy to work with.

Movie making in Woodlawn

7/23/2007, 8:56 PM

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Richard Muhammad

Was that Angela Bassett running for a 63rd St. bus?

Well if you were in Woodlawn on a recent Tuesday afternoon, you might have seen the talented African American actress near 63^rd St. and Cottage Grove Avenue.

A bus scene was one of many taped in the neighborhood for producer Tyler Perry’s upcoming movie, “Meet the Browns.”

Movie lights were set up during filming at 63rd St.

Richard Muhammad

The one-day taping was part of a week long production stop in the Windy City.

“We were just pleased that since the characters in the movie, one of the main characters, is from Chicago, that they could get the different flavors of Chicago all in Woodlawn,” said Laura Lane, executive director of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp.

“We’ve got the transit, we’ve got the storefronts. We have the community feel with the arts, banking institutions, the youth. We were just glad we had all the things location folks were interested in, in terms of showcasing something that looked like Chicago,” she said.

That Chicago look and feel, which included an arts mural and bank near WPIC’s offices helped convince scouts to choose the south side location, Lane explained.

Whirlwind shooting schedule in Chicago

Despite a day’s delay, morning showers and mixed forecasts, the show went on July 17 as cameras rolled in the shadow of the 63^rd St. L Station, a short walk from Bessie Coleman Library, a currency exchange, and area businesses.

Technician adjusts movie camera during filming in Woodlawn.

Richard Muhammad

Excited residents watched at the film crew did its work and as Chicago Police Department officers and security guards secured the area, which included blocking off a section of 63^rd St.

Rumor had it that Perry's trailer was behind a clothing store on the corner just under the El station. Residents were able walk down 63rd St., past where the crew was taking shots of the CTA bus in between takes. But once "quiet on the set" was yelled any motion other than actors and extras ceased and security guards and police officers made sure silence was maintained.

Trailers for the movie were kept on a lot a few blocks east of 63rd St. as movie personnel sometimes scurried back and forth. The trucks were the tip off that something big was happening for many people.

“I feel it’s good that they are shooting it in our community, it makes a better name for Woodlawn. It’s make them feel like it’s not a rough community to film the movie in, it’s a good opportunity for us,” said 17-year-old Khiry Dean, a neighborhood resident. He is also interning with WPIC this summer.

Residents feel better about the community knowing that major stars and productions feel safe here, he said.

Though a planned visit with Perry don’t happen, youth were still taken with the idea of movie making just down the street.

“I think it will be a very successful movie. It gives this community a chance and a better look ahead at what else could be done in the community,” said Joshua Brooks, 14.

Nine-year-old Taja Payton said the production gives another reason to think about what is possible, how to improve the neighborhood and “be more positive around here.”

It shows the community can be better, if we want it, she said.

“People are really excited. It’s really bringing people outside to look at what’s going on in their community. This is a pretty good place to get a good feel of Chicago, the history is here, the culture is here,” said Otelia Thomas, who runs youth programming for the New Communities Program housed at WPIC’s office, just off 63^rd St. and Cottage Grove.

“You have a great community activist history coming out of this community. So it’s a lot of great people here you meet and talk to about anything that has ever happened in Chicago,” she added.

Another sign of renewed opportunity?

Arvin Strange, NCP-Woodlawn program director, was naturally upbeat that Woodlawn was chosen as a film location. “Hopefully, it’s a sign of better things to come for Woodlawn and hopefully it will highlight Woodlawn for other movies opportunities or other projects,” he said.

Khiry Dean felt the shoot was a good thing.

Richard Muhammad

Lane pointed out Woodlawn’s history, which includes being home to playwright Lorraine Hansberry, whose “Raisin in the Sun” is a classic stage and screen production based on her father buying a home and desegregating the neighborhood.

Bassett also recently visited a Chicago church for a book signing with husband Courtney Vance, Lane noted.

“We’re very pleased that she is spending a week in Chicago and spending this day in Woodlawn. Tyler Perry has done some fantastic movies uplifting the Black community spiritually. So this is the kind of art that reflects the very strong religious center that has been the centerpiece of African Americans and community development in this country,” she said.

Church leaders have been part of the revitalization of Woodlawn. Bishop Arthur M. Brazier, a founder of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp. and head

Apostolic Church of God,

had a vision for the development of Woodlawn that is attracting others, said Lane.

Perry’s movies update long held values of church and community for young people and families and Bassett’s participation is an indicator that the movie “will have a message relevant to our young people,” she added.

Perry has enjoyed extraordinary success as a writer, producer, director, and actor. His stage shows were successful largely with African American audiences, until 2005 when "Diary of a Mad Black Woman," opened No. 1 at the box office.

Perry wrote, produced, and starred in

the movie.

According to tylerperry.com, the movie’s DVD sold nearly 2.5 million copies in its first week of release.

“At the same time, Perry was starring nightly across the country in a sold-out stage show he'd also written, produced and scored – ‘Madea Goes to Jail’ – even as another one of his productions, ‘Meet the Browns,’ was touring nationally,” according to the website.

“Together, the two productions sold out more than 500 shows in theaters from coast to coast. Every week in 2005, 35,000 people saw a Tyler Perry production,” the site added.

Perry also authored a best-selling book, "Don't Make a Black Woman Take Off Her Earrings: Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries on Life and Love," and created and produced the "House of Payne," a TV comedy series.

“When Meet the Browns comes out we’re going to see snatches of our neighborhood, places that we walk everyday on the big screen. This puts Woodlawn back on the map, which is exactly where we should be,” said Lane.

Woodlawn youth in front of community mural that helped capture attention of movie location scouts.

Richard Muhammad

March, rally pushes a day of peace

8/5/2007, 3:31 PM

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Richard Muhammad

Zakryscha Hayes’ uncle founded the 6300-6400 S. Ellis Block Club some 40-years-ago in Woodlawn where she grew up and still lives. The block club isn’t as strong as it once was, but Hayes and some neighbors are determined to bring it back – and combat violence.

With a park on her block a place for numerous attacks and shootings, Hayes grew fed up. “Over the years there have been a number of murders in the Mamie Till Mobley Park in the playground. It’s just gotten out of hand and it just seems like everyone has become accustomed to the violence,” she said.

Rev. Leon Finney, of TWO, and Alderman Willie Cochran lead peace march into playground.

Richard Muhammad

The violence was especially disheartening because the playground is named in honor of the mother of Emmit Till, the 14-year-old Chicago youth whose brutal murder by whites in a small Mississippi town helped ignited the modern civil rights movement. That spark might not have happened without Mamie Till Mobley’s fight for son’s body and her decision to conduct his funeral with an open casket. The young boy’s grotesquely disfigured face seemed to represent the horrific abuse Blacks had suffered for centuries when Jet magazine put the image on its front cover. The image sent shockwaves across America.

It seems almost inconceivable that 52 years later Blacks would still be dying, not at the hands of white oppressors, but at the hands of their own misguided brethren.

‘Stop the killings, save the community!'

Hayes wanted to hold a peace rally to remember the victims of violence and begin to make the park safe for children and youth. She turned to local leaders, like Bishop Arthur Brazier, who referred her to Warren Beard, the organizer for the New Communities Program at The Woodlawn Organization, one of three NCP partner groups. Beard went right to work.

Marchers want an end to violence.

Richard Muhammad

Out of the meetings came an Aug. 4 march and day of peace on the playground.

The march for peace was led by Woodlawn’s Ceasefire program, which operates out of TWO offices and strives to bring youth out of lives associated with gangs, crime and violence.

Beginning with prayer and several statements from community leaders outside of the Harris Park District building. The march kicked off with chants, “Stop the killing!” “Put down the guns!” “Save the babies! Save our com-mu-ni-ty!”

Youth carried banners for Ceasefire and the New Communities Program as Rev. Leon Finney, of the Woodlawn Organization and executive director of Ceasefire TWO Woodlawn, and Alderman Willie Cochran led the way. They were followed by residents active in community policing groups, Harris Park board members, block club members and youth. Officers from the Chicago Police Department and the University of Chicago police, who have worked jointly on neighborhood public safety issues, escorted marchers down Drexel Avenue to 63^rd St., and then south on Ellis Avenue to the playground. The University of Chicago is the third partner in the NCP Woodlawn trinity.

Marchers assembled on the playground, joining hands as Rev. Finney led off with a prayer, followed by words from Alderman Cochran.

Zakryscha Hayes hopes improvements on her block will inspire others.

Richard Muhammad

Emmit Till’s family set off a storm of activity after his death, said Rev. Finney. There is no greater place to kick off an effort at non-violence and peace than this playground, said the longtime community activist.

Cochran recalled how as a very young child one of his earliest memories is the excitement and adult activity connected with the death of Till. He talked about pushing through the legs of the adults to see the Jet cover with that now famous photo.

The photo had an impact, Cochran said. Just before the march, the 20^th Ward alderman called the fight against violence the new civil rights movement. “People have a right to live,” he said. 'You have the right to walk down the street and the right to sit on your porch."

Laura Lane, executive director of the Woodlawn Preservation and Investment Corp., the second of three NCP Woodlawn partners, congratulated march participants for getting involved. It takes partnerships with schools, the Chicago Park District, block clubs and people to improve things, she said.

We need to come together to provide programming for adults who need a second chance, opportunities to keep youth on the right path, and activities to keep senior citizens active, Lane said.

It takes persistence and courage to guide young people and end neighborhood violence, she said. “We can reclaim 64^th St. and Ellis Avenue and move block by block to reclaim Woodlawn,” Lane added.

'We need to fight this thing together'

As chips and rinks were handed out, grills set up for cooking, balloon animals twisted into shape, basketball competition heated up on the court and music poured out of speakers, talked turned to the march and peace rally.

Tieria Munson, 11, lost a cousin to gang violence. She came out to support neighborhood peace efforts.

Richard Muhammad

Tieria Munson has lived in Woodlawn for a month and moved to Chicago from Atlanta. She lost a cousin to gun violence and came out to show support for Ceasefire, at her aunt’s urging. “Me and my cousin were really close and since her life was taken, I was like ‘well I should get involved, just to help out a little to do my part,’ ” said the 11-year-old.

“We need more eyes to pay attention. And regardless of race we need to fight this thing together,” said Roger Harris, 28, who has lived in Woodlawn for 25 years. Harris said he has been racially profiled, which is wrong. Still, he added, the focus needs to stay on joint efforts to end violence.

“They (youth) need to know, it’s not the way to go. We need to start as a village. I was raised in an older environment. I remember when, if I went next door and my neighbor saw me doing something wrong, they would call my mother. I think we need to get that village back together and raise our children as a village,” said Harris.

Taking small steps toward big victories

“This type activity brings about awareness to the problem and sometimes you need to bring about awareness so that you can get to solutions,” said John Reynolds, Area 2 coordinator with the CAPS office.

Balloon animals, food, music and fun replaced trouble in Mamie Till Mobley Park.

Richard Muhammad

Christine Perez, a CAPS community service representative for the Third Police District, said getting some residents to move beyond talk to action is a challenge. “Their commitment is important. Their participation is valued because they’re the ones who live in the community. So if they participate that makes it have a great impact, that they are actually taking this seriously,” she said.

A recent shooting was on 15-year-old Darrius Lightfoot’s mind when he decided to support the march and rally. Getting involved is important to stop the killings, he said.

Youth enjoy basketball game during day devoted to peace.

Richard Muhammad

Cierra Williams, 15, feels the community is getting better because people are marching and doing things. “I would like to see the children happy, and able to play outside without running in the house, telling their momma it’s shooting and stuff. I just like to see the people happy and stuff,” she said. Williams says she is active in neighborhood rallies and also helps out at a youth center.

Lightfoot also thought it was important not to condemn all Black youth. “We are not bad kids. We do really good stuff to help out this ‘hood. So I think they should stop stereotyping us, saying that we are bad kids, and we’re not,” said the young man. He is a youth leader with STOP, a local community-organizing group, and helps younger children at a program run by the NCP Woodlawn.

Warren Beard, NCP organizer at TWO, helped Hayes put the event together. The day will include food and entertainment and highlights senseless crime and youth issues, said Beard. “We are trying to let the community know through events like this that it’s going to take a collective effort to make a change. It’s going to be one block at a time, combined together as an organized community, to make the changes we’re looking for in Woodlawn,” said Beard.

“Just to look out on the basketball court and see the same guys that were just, a couple days ago shooting at each other, playing basketball together that is what we are trying to get accomplished,’ said Charles Hilliard, an outreach worker for Ceasefire TWO Woodlawn. The group has 65-75 regular clients, who may be gangbangers or tied to the drug trade, who are being taught their activity is unacceptable, said Hilliard. Some are back in school, pursuing GEDs and seeking jobs, he added.

Cierra Williams and Darrius Lightfoot say youth want and are helping to create a better community.

Richard Muhammad

Hilliard is a former gang member and has lived in Woodlawn over 35 years. “I am just trying to put something back in what I created,” he said. “It was easy for me to touch and tap into their system and let them know look we’re trying to do something else now, and you all need to create a whole different program.”

Ceasefire TWO Woodlawn is about a year and a half old, he said.

The work isn’t easy but the group is having success, Hilliard said. Ceasefire programs from Englewood, Auburn-Gresham and Humboldt Park also participated in the march and rally.

Zakryscha Hayes hopes revitalizing her block club and block will be the beginning of greater success and activity on other blocks. But in the 6300-6400 block of Ellis, her plans are to help residents learn about and tap into city services and resources and open up more options for youth. An immediate goal is to work with the Chicago Park District to do a $1 million renovation of the Mamie Till Mobley playground and maybe annex a bit of a vacant lot to add a tennis court, said Hayes.

Woodlawn students display tech skills at expo

5/30/2007, 11:07 PM

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Richard Muhammad

Elementary schools from Woodlawn had a chance to display their computer skills at the 2007 CUIP Technology Expo at King College Prep High School , where over 30 projects were displayed as part of efforts to inspire greater and more effective use of technology by students and teachers.

"Anybody who has seen a student interact with technology knows that it grabs them in a way that's very different," said Shaz Rasul, managing director of Chicago Public School-University of Chicago Internet Project (CUIP).

"What we do is we help teachers think about how to use the technology in the course of their regular classroom, in a way where it can grab the student's attention and be a real asset for classroom instruction," Rasul continued.

"We believe technology can have a transformative effect just on how everybody views education and how the students learn. And it increases their life chances, a student that has done internet research in grade school is going to do well in high school and is going to have a better shot at college," he added.

Social Social studies teacher Amanda Davis and Carnegie Elementary students Robert Hill, Gene Burton and Jade Dryer, whose project documented the life and social impact of Emmett Till's murder.

Richard Muhammad

New technology connects with Black history

Students in social studies teacher Amanda Davis' class at Andrew Carnegie Elementary School were intrigued by a historic photo of Emmet Till, the Black teenager killed by two white men in Mississippi in 1955.

The photo was the famous and horrific shot of Till's open casket which showed his brutally beaten body. The photo sparked discussions and led to an internet-based project that was displayed at the May 24 expo.

The PowerPoint presentation focused on Till's life and death, his legacy and the impact of his passing. It also examined what was happening in America before his death in terms of race relations and the second class status Blacks endured.

Students also examined his mother's decision to allow the world to see the body of her grotesquely disfigured son and her outspokenness about racial injustice after his death. The presentation was called "A Wreath for Emmett Till."

"Everybody says that Martin Luther King started civil rights, or Malcolm X civil rights, or Rosa Parks, but really is was Mamie Till who really made her speech and made it strong enough for all the civil rights leaders to stand up after that," said Robert Hill, 13, a seventh grader at Carnegie.

The students used the internet to find pictures of Till and to research additional information, including facts about Roy Bryant and J.W. Milam, the men who killed him.

Through the project, Robert learned Till was more than someone who was killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. Till's death inspired Blacks to fight for justice and equal rights, Robert said.

Jade Dryer, 12, a seventh grader at Carnegie, said the presentation explains how racism drove the men to kill Till and what can be done today to keep racial violence from happening in the future.

The internet made the project easier to handle and people can view it to learn about Till, she said. Jade would like to see the presentation made into a movie.

Google maps, digital cameras and blogs, oh my!

Students from Woodlawn Community School used Google maps, digital cameras, PowerPoint and blogs in their project displayed at the 2007 CUIP Expo.

Richard Muhammad

Sixth-graders from Woodlawn Community School used digital photos, sound and PowerPoint to document a two-day trip to Detroit and Canada and their African American heritage.

Student Alexandria Richardson enjoyed the African American Heritage Tour, which included four museums – the Motown Museum , and the Charles H. Wright African American Historical Museum in Detroit ; and the Underground Railroad Museum and the Uncle Tom's Cabin Museum , which are located in Canada . The trip took place May 10-11.

Carisa Johnson, a technology and lab teacher at Woodlawn Community School said the students used technology in several ways.

Before the class trip, the students used Google maps to plot their course, digital cameras captured 400 photos during the trip and PowerPoint with audio narration was used to bring everything together, Johnson explained.

The students also wrote blogs about what they expected before leaving and what actually happened during the trip, she added.

A website was created to allow viewing of the photos that did not make the 30 photos chosen for use in the PowerPoint.

Twenty-one students went on the trip and five students worked with Johnson to put the PowerPoint presentation together.

"Students love technology. This is the technology generation. Our students have a short attention span as is, so you have to try to find whatever approach you can to hold their attention and technology is the key to hold their attention," said Johnson.

With just a few lessons, students will take projects to high levels, she said. Woodlawn Community School is a K-8 school with an African-centered curriculum and rites of passage program.

Alexandria learned more about history and dealing with photos, but she has been working with PowerPoint, sound and photos since the fourth grade. "I really liked the project," she said. Alexandria plans on going to Kenwood High School and wants to either become an architect or work with computers, digital cameras and software.

She also participated in program that allows students to take apart and reassemble desktop computers and download software. After rebuilding the computer, Alexandria and 14 of her classmates were able to take the desktop computers home. The Dell Techno Program, which is a Chicago Public School initiative, provides 17 computers per semester which go to 15 Woodlawn Community School students, said Johnson. To qualify, students must come to school, behave properly and maintain a "C" average or better, she said.

Pauline Killian, lead literacy teacher for grades 4-8 at Sexton Elementary School , had her students demonstrate their technical know how and creativity by creating and posting poetry to a blog. Students reading poetry were also recorded on the blog, she said.

Sexton literacy teacher Pauline Killian's students created a blog for their poetry.

Richard Muhammad

"The kids really like because it really gives them a chance to express themselves," Killian said. A lot of the students at the expo could identify and empathize with the poetry, she said.

Through technology the Sexton students are essentially publishing their poetry and are able to get feedback. Blogging can be done for free and with a blog you don't have to wait for a publisher, Killian noted. Nine poems are currently on the blog, but dozens more are back at school, Killian said. Poems will rotate on and off the blog, a committee of students will decide which poems are posted, and students will soon post the poems themselves, she said.

Expo brings younger kids to high school setting

Six-hundred elementary school students were invited to the expo, according to Shaz Rasul, who directs the CUIP program. A scavenger hunt is used to circulate students through the projects and they get to just look around, he said.

CUIP works with 30 schools in North Kenwood-Oakland, Woodlawn, Hyde Park and South Shore neighborhoods to help instructors use technology to classrooms and provide some technical support.

It was initially set up to serve elementary schools that fed King, Hyde Park and Kenwood high schools, with funding from the Joyce Foundation, and later by the university of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools provided funding, said Rasul. Two-years-ago funding levels dropped and CUIP takes contributions from individual schools, he said.

But, Rasul added, the partnership continues with the original elementary schools, even if the schools can't make a contribution. The expo and quarterly events with principals and tech coordinators allow CUIP to connect with more schools than those who are able to pay, he said. CUIP had a t-shirt giveaway and bus transportation for students who couldn't work to the expo.

King high school students do a "what to expect in high school" session for elementary students and King students work with University of Chicago students and staffers to put the expo together, Rasul said.

"It's a good experience for the kids, they get exposed to different technologies and they get exposed to different subject matters. Where I believe the event really wins is when teachers who are presenting get to see other teachers' work," he said.

Children make magical music in Woodlawn

7/10/2007, 12:15 PM

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Richard Muhammad

The gymnasium/auditorium at Andrew Carnegie School was packed as young musicians in bright blue t-shirts took to the stage for the first “Music Is Magic” recital by the Woodlawn Stringed Instrument Program.

Program manager Lorell Jones helps student cut ribbon to kick off recital.

Richard Muhammad

The audience was delighted as the children lifted shouldered their tiny violins and violas or cradled their cellos and shared the results of weeks of Saturday morning instruction and hours of practice at home.

The music program is run by MAGIC (Metropolitan Area Group for Igniting Civilization), a local non-profit that is devoted to serving the needs of youth.

Program coordinator VaNessa G. Manar felt the talent and progress displayed by the children exemplified a simple truth: “This program was about the students in Woodlawn. It was important because it just showed talent exists, it just needs to be developed.”

MAGIC violin recital at Andrew Carnegie elementary school was packed.

Richard Muhammad

Children receive individual instruction, learn something of music theory and come together for group sessions in classrooms and school hallways. They have the option of learning to play the cello, viola or violin. Each class had an opportunity to appear on stage and play for the audience.

“Today is a day of accomplishment and shows how our children can learn,” said Bryan Echols, MAGIC executive director. The children have been enrolled in the 30-week program since February, he said. Lorell A. Jones also serves as a program coordinator.

n addition to the musical talent that was developed, the program for four- to six-year-olds that uses the Suzuki method helped build a sense of community, added Echols.

That sense of community was exemplified by Carlos Meyers, whose son participates in the program. When t-shirts were needed for students, the silkscreen printer went right to work. The end product was beautiful and the labor and profit was donated.

Meyers said it was important to support his son and the other children and families in the program. It was a way to show appreciation, he said.

Budding musicians show off their skills.

Richard Muhammad

Sel Cardin, president of the Music Institute of Chicago, congratulated the children and parents on their success and saluted MAGIC for running a top-notch program. “A program like this is only as good as the partners,” said Cardin. Instructors from the Music Institute of Chicago teach the children in the Stringed Instrument Program and work with parents and children every week.

Other partners and financial supporters of the effort, Joel Bookman of LISC Chicago, Sonya Malunda of the University of Chicago and Bishop Arthur Brazier of the Apostolic Church of God, and Principal Darlene Pollard of Carnegie Elementary were also impressed. They were honored with front row seats for the performance.

Bookman said the program appeared solid and that he looked forward to future success. Malunda applauded the participants and their parents for taking on a meeting a “great commitment.” Parents are playing a great role in the program’s success and should feel proud, she said.

Principal Pollard said opening the school to children from the community wasn’t a problem. Schools have come to realize they cannot be islands to themselves, she said. Involvement with the community to benefit children is a good thing and Bishop Brazier is a great supporter of Carnegie, which made housing the program even easier, Pollard added.

Bishop Brazier, whose church sits blocks away from the school, was glad to see the children perform well.

But he was most impressed by the role that parents play in the Stringed Instrument Program. Parents don’t just drop children off and leave, he noted. They have to stay with their children and practice for hours during the week at home, said the pastor.

MAGIC staff with staff and instructors from the Music Institute of Chicago.

Richard Muhammad

It shows that good parents are in the community and ready to support the development of their children, he added. “Without parents this would not work,” he said.

The Suzuki method is a parent teaching, student-led program. The parents learn what to do alongside students and provide home coaching.

Manar, whose teenage daughter Binta Kai, is a student mentor and played the violin, also saw the program as important to the community. This is a chance to build where you are and leave a great legacy, she said.

Whether students ever play in an ensemble or an orchestra, they benefit from learning the discipline and expressing creativity through music, Manar said. That benefit translates into better academic performances, she noted.

“The sheer ability to make music is awesome!” Manar added.

Other parents say the program is helping their children develop their natural musical ability and offers a needed program at affordable rates right in the community. Single parents and low-income families especially appreciate the program. Instructors say the children are attentive and having fun.

The bulk of the first year program's expenses are covered by a $17,000 donation from Bishop Arthur Brazier's Apostolic Church of God and a $35,000 grant from LISC/Chicago as part of their New Communities Program (NCP) initiative.

A portion of the funds to LISC/Chicago for Woodlawn's NCP was provided by the University of Chicago.

Additional fund-raising is underway to add another instructor and more students, and to cover the five-year budget of $375,000.

Woodlawn ministry opens house

7/4/2007, 4:40 PM

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

DeeDe Pinckney

Community residents were invited to check out the new location of Sunshine Gospel Ministries in Woodlawn during an open house held on June 9. The event showcased what the ministry has to offer, including the soon-to-be-completed computer technology center, open to all community residents, which has received a $40,000 grant from LISC/Chicago.

The new center, at 500 E. 61st St., will house 10 open-access computers as well as a computer technology classroom equipped with 18 new laptops.

An array of classes will be offered, ranging from basic computer literacy to more specific training in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher. Possible Saturday seminars could include such topics as online safety, emerging technology, and financial literacy.

Members of the Woodlawn community of all ages and skill levels are benefiting from the programs and classes offered. April Cook, mother of student Davonti Cook, spoke highly of the ministry's initiatives.

"If kids know better, they will do better," said Cook, who has enrolled her son in a technology class and summer camp, also offered by Sunshine Gospel Ministries. "Ever since my son started participating, he is doing better," she said, recalling that Davonti's teachers noticed a positive change in his behavior.

Cook also praised the cost of the computer literacy classes: free.

Brittany Gunn, a counselor for the summer camp offered by Sunshine Gospel Ministries, said the center is needed because many in the community lack the resources to purchase a computer, and some "do not know how to even use a computer."

The center is partnering with the Chicago Public Schools' After School Matters program to sponsor an apprenticeship program for 14- to 19-year-olds, during which students will learn about the business of web design and develop a site, while receiving a stipend for their work.

Primary instructor and technology center director Vincent McCaskill said the apprenticeship is designed to give "the individual resources to start their own business."

Marie Hale, one of the parents attending the open house, said there is a need for "people willing to be missionaries right in their own communities."

Sunshine Gospel Ministries hopes to fulfill this need by creating a positive environment not only for the children but the entire community. Hale said she has seen positive change and attributes it to the "positive, Christ-centered" work of a ministry with "tremendous influence and a different atmosphere."

‘More than string instruments’

3/27/2007, 11:37 PM

Monday, March 26, 2007

Patrick Barry and Richard Muhammad

The squeaks and chirps of tiny violins are heard every Saturday in the halls of Andrew Carnegie School, where the Woodlawn String Instrument Program is bringing together children, their parents and instructors from the Music Institute of Chicago.

Organized by the youth service organization MAGIC and targeted to local children from four to six years old, the program uses the Suzuki method, which requires parents to be involved in the lessons and to serve as “home teachers” during the week.

Jada Witherspoon focuses on violin lessons as her mother Jenelle Ross watches her progress.
Richard Muhammad

“This is not just about string instruments, it’s about building community,” says Bryan Echols, MAGIC’s executive director. “It enhances the students’ study skills and increases the parents’ skills as well. And in between the individual and group sessions, while the kids are hanging out in the gym having a snack or some fruit, the parents are sitting around and getting to know one another.”

Chanda Goody’s son Alexander is in the program. She describes her soon-to-be seven-year-old as “a musician by heart. He started playing the drums at two. He asked for violin lessons the day before we found out about this program. God works! That’s all I have to say!” she said with a laugh. Goody was surprised at how well her son is doing in class.

“He’s teaching me, I’m learning as he is learning,” she said.

“Most music programs, dance programs, anything dealing with the arts, you have to go either into the suburbs or downtown and pay fees that are (too high) for some parents that are single parents, or low-income families, so this is great,” said Jenelle Ross, who accompanied daughter Jada Witherspoon to the Saturday morning activity.

Instructor plays skills building game with young students.

Richard Muhammad

“Economically it’s excellent. And, it also gives the kids an opportunity to able to be in the community, and not have to travel … and (feel uncomfortable) with the program,” said the young mother, who watched attentively March 24 as her six-year-old went through a one-on-one lesson.

“It gives the kids the opportunity to experience something different. Most people don’t have any experience with violin players, with children so small. I didn’t realize you could start them so little,” said Ross. Another child in the program is four-years-old, she noted.

“For the most part (the children) are really attentive, they’re learning new skills. They do a lot of repetition, repeating the skills over and over again. As the kids do the same skills more times they become more confident and that makes it easier to learn new skills,” said musician John Ronai, who teaches violin and viola. Ronai’s been teaching for about six years and has played the violin and viola since he was a child.

“It’s been very wonderful,” he said.

“In this neighborhood, it’s one of the best things that could happen,” said Lorel Thomas, who works alongside Vanessa Manna to coordinate the program.

She is happy to help children develop their musical talents and have parents actively involved in the learning process.

Initial sessions in the 30-week program concentrate on teaching both parents and students the basics like foot position and how to hold a bow. Students were measured to match them to the right size instrument, and now they are learning to coax sounds from violins, violas and cellos.

The program has 29 students and four instructors, with 22 more students on the waiting list. Class fees include a $25 payment for a book and training CDs, plus an instrument-rental charge of $6 to $8 per week. The bulk of the program’s expenses are covered by a $17,000 donation from Bishop Arthur Brazier’s Apostolic Church of God and a $35,000 grant from LISC/Chicago. Additional fund-raising is underway to add another instructor and more students, and to cover the five-year budget of $375,000.

Lessons from Woodlawn prepare future leaders

2/14/2007, 1:07 AM

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Richard Muhammad

When Bishop Arthur Brazier, of the Apostolic Church of God, stepped to the podium in the Grand Ballroom on Cottage Grove Avenue, near 63rd St., the group of up and coming professionals assembled was quiet and attentive.

Bishop Arthur Brazier, of the Apostolic Church of God, shared lessons about the history of challenges and organizing in Woodlawn.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

Leadership Greater Chicago 2007 fellows had come to spend the day in Woodlawn learning about its history and its challenges as the south side neighborhood strives to make progress.

The day, which included breakfast, a tour and lunch presentations, was much more than an academic exercise.

Participants heard about real problems, like rebuilding a neighborhood without displacing longtime residents and crafting effective affordable housing solutions that can withstand powerful market forces, and enjoyed a sampling of passionate leaders determined to shape the future of their community.

Leadership Greater Chicago sponsors a 10-month fellowship that aims to build relationships with budding organizational and business leaders and encourage civic engagement throughout their careers. It also aims to inspire fellows to get an understanding of regional issues and problems, hear different voices and solutions, and act to resolve the problems.

Its graduates include the CEO’s of the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Chicago Public Schools, Ariel Capital Management, Commonwealth Edison and Chicago United. and other movers and shakers. The program also allows participants to join an informal professional network.

Mattie Butler, of Woodlawn East Community and Neighbors, talks about preserving affordable housing. Next to her is Andy Mooney of LISC/Chicago.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

Bishop Brazier, a longtime Woodlawn leader, offered a living history lesson. His talk started with conversations he had with community organizing legend Saul Alinsky and ended with comments about current housing construction.

In between, he shared lessons about how major groups, like The Woodlawn Organization, developed and how the University of Chicago went from a one-time enemy to a community partner.

He admitted that at the beginning it was hard for Alinsky to convince him to get involved in community organizing. Brazier’s home at the time was in a pulpit at his Woodlawn church, not out on the streets.

But as the University of Chicago threatened to expand into Woodlawn and continue an urban renewal agenda, or what could have been called urban removal efforts, it was time to come out of the church sanctuary.

He became the first spokesperson and later president of TWO. where he tried to solve varied problems, from youth gangs, slumlords, unsavory merchants, and population losses to charting a course for a renewed Woodlawn.

Woodlawn is ‘on the way up’

Woodlawn was a community “that was on its way out, and is now on its way up,” said Bishop Brazier.

Affordable housing and market rate housing are part of the community development plan and some new homes have already been built, he said. The University of Chicago has opened its first charter high school as part of the effort to improve education, Bishop Brazier added.

The desire is to “make Woodlawn a community of choice” by improving its offerings and capitalizing on its location near the lakefront, easy access to downtown and proximity to a major education institution, he said.

Bishop Brazier expressed the belief that the local New Communities Program can be a catalyst for change and a way to make sure Woodlawn has a place for everyone.

A frank discussion of housing issues

A fellow with Leadership Greater Chicago asks question during discussion of Woodlawn's housing situation.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

Following the lunch session, the afternoon program consisted of a panel discussion about housing issues.

Laura Lane, WPIC executive director and alumni of the program, reviewed the agenda for the day and recapped the morning events reminding fellows that it was devoted to a discussion of leadership with long-term Woodlawn leaders including Mattie Butler of WECAN, Rev. Dr. Leon D. Finney, Jr. TWO CEO, and Hank Webber , vice president University of Chicago. The morning panel was co-facilitated by Joseph Strickland, PhD., a leader in the New Communities Program in Woodlawn. A community tour followed the morning panel.

The afternoon would be devoted to a discussion of housing, she said.

The afternoon panel included Paul Thompson, of Urban Quest, which is building Columbia Pointe; developer Andy Skolnick, who invested $1 million to refurbish the Grand Ballroom; Jared Davis, of the Davis Group, a private partner in Columbia Pointe; Mattie Butler of WECAN, Andy Mooney, senior program director for LISC Chicago; developer Vince Lane; and Rudy Nimocks, executive director of the University of Chicago police force.

Contractor Paul Thompson, of Urban Quest; developer Andy Skolnick, who invested $1 million to refurbish the Grand Ballroom in Woodlawn; and Jared Davis, a private partner in Woodlawn's Columbia Pointe development, were on the housing panel.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

It was a spirited discussion of community development, affordable housing and varied opinions about balancing market forces and definitions of community stability.

The panelists also shared their roles as part of an effort to enlighten the fellows and hopefully inspire some to consider serious civic involvement.

Mooney talked about LISC’s effort to connect neighborhoods with the economic mainstream through the New Communities Program planning process that resulted in five year quality of life plans for participating neighborhoods. NCP is garnering attention nationally and internationally, he said.

The essence of the program is simple, said Mooney. “It’s good old fashioned community development. People plan for themselves and everyone is held accountable,” he added.

Jared Davis shared his interest in doing mixed income developments, using multi-family homes and mixed use housing and rental space in Woodlawn.

He also opened up a heated discussion by arguing that troubled Grove Parc Plaza Apartments, a 504 unit affordable housing complex on Cottage Grove Ave., should be broken up and rebuilt with market rate housing and retail space.

Mattie Butler, an affordable housing advocate and non-profit developer, countered that Grove Parc needed to be preserved. Woodlawn stands to lose 1,000 to 1,500 subsidized apartments, which means increased homelessness and other problems, she said.

“We’re not building one for one replacement for what is torn down,” she noted.

Laura Lane, WPIC executive director, leads discussion.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

People talk about problems of crime and violence at Grove Parc, but residents of the complex are usually victims of crime, Butler said. Most of the residents are young women with children who are beaten and victimized by boyfriends or other men, she added.

There is plenty of space for $200,000 and $300,000 homes in Woodlawn, just leave the affordable housing alone, Butler said.

There was considerable discussion about how escalating housing prices in Woodlawn increases the need for subsidizing affordable housing, and where the increased amounts of money would come from.

In responding to the funding issue, Vince Lane added that there needs to be a change in public housing policy,. A regional housing policy that allows for affordable units to be spread throughout the area is needed, he argued.

Such a strategy would have negligible impact on individual neighborhoods , he said.

“Woodlawn is in an enviable position relative to other communities,” Vince Lane continued. There is plenty pf vacant land and large populations don’t have to be displaced, he noted.

Woodlawn, however, should not be left totally to market forces, and affordable housing should not be placed in pockets of poverty, Vince Lane said.

Passion, insight hallmarks of day

Developer Vince Lane, left, and Rudy Nimocks, of the University of Chicago Police and WPIC board, were part of the housing discussion.

Photo: Richard Muhammad

Robert Harris, a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow who lives in North Kenwood, enjoyed learning about the history and traditions in Woodlawn as well as the interplay between business, church and community leaders. Harris is Cook County Public Guardian.

He was especially attentive to discussions about community involvement and activism, and questions about change and community impact.

The day was an insightful experience for Stacy Sharpe, corporate relations director for Allstate Insurance Company. Hearing the different leaders, different perspectives and seeing the passion of community leaders were the day’s highlights for Sharpe.

The ability of the different leaders to reach consensus was impressive, observed Quin [KK4] Golden, a Leadership Greater Chicago fellow and chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The leaders don’t agree on everything, so they work together on things related to core values, Golden said.

Bishop Brazier’s point about U.S. institutions investing overseas, instead of in neighborhoods at home was also important, she said.

Golden also wondered if some of the lessons about collaboration and planning could be transferred to health care issues.

Laura Lane, WPIC executive director, was happy to host the group. It shows there are a lot of things going on in Woodlawn, she said.

Her hope is that some of the fellows will take an interest in Woodlawn by joining in some way – whether through donating individual help or choosing Woodlawn as the site of a civic project required by the program.

She also doesn’t discount future benefits, given many graduates have gone on to lead major institutions. It’s good to be able to pick up the phone and ask someone for information, or help, Laura Lane said.

Besides, she added, a couple of fellows expressed an interest in getting involved. Her immediate plans include reaching out to a fellow who deals with energy efficiency. It’s about connecting with people, she said.

Woodlawn New Communities Program - Home page

Building a youth movement against HIV/AIDS, disease

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Richard Muhammad

Forging effective partnerships

'The statistics are real'

Entrepreneurs today — no wait for tomorrow

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Richard Muhammad

Healthy hearts focus of February, free screenings offered

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Richard Muhammad

Ask The Doctor

Sunday, January 18, 2009

NCP/Woodlawn and TWO Health and Human Services Committee

Overview

What is it

How it began

Program Expansion Dr. Thomas Fisher, M.D.

Program Expansion: PBS Documentary, “Unnatural Causes”

Future Goals

LISC Names Bishop Brazier as First Senior Fellow

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Genetics, race, health and history

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Richard Muhammad

Information Is Power When It Comes to Health

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Richard Muhammad

Check Out The Strand Artists Lofts in Woodlawn

Thursday, July 10, 2008

University of Chicago Medical Center GIVES BIG

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

61st Street Farmer's Market Opens

Thursday, May 15, 2008

WECAN Weatherization Workshop is a Rousing Success

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

Woodlawn's Community Heroes for 2008

Friday, May 16, 2008

Arvin K. Strange

40 youngsters join Woodlawn Little League

Monday, April 14, 2008

Renita Austin

Movie making in Woodlawn

Saturday, July 21, 2007

Richard Muhammad

Whirlwind shooting schedule in Chicago

Another sign of renewed opportunity?

March, rally pushes a day of peace

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Richard Muhammad

‘Stop the killings, save the community!'

'We need to fight this thing together'

Taking small steps toward big victories

Woodlawn students display tech skills at expo

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Richard Muhammad

New technology connects with Black history

Google maps, digital cameras and blogs, oh my!

Expo brings younger kids to high school setting

Children make magical music in Woodlawn

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Richard Muhammad

Woodlawn ministry opens house

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

DeeDe Pinckney

‘More than string instruments’

Monday, March 26, 2007

Patrick Barry and Richard Muhammad

Lessons from Woodlawn prepare future leaders

Thursday, December 14, 2006

Richard Muhammad

Woodlawn is ‘on the way up’

A frank discussion of housing issues

Passion, insight hallmarks of day

Program Expansion

Dr. Thomas Fisher, M.D.