Maywood/Belleville LAC Kickoff Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, March 15, 2022

2:00 pm to 4:00 p.m.

via Zoom

  • How does this align/not align with what you know about your community?
    • Yes, it greatly aligns with the community
    • Where is don't align
  • We in public health assess problems without assessing community assets.
  • If we keep looking for the problem and only measuring that, that is the only thing we will find.
  • How does this data help you start shaping your goals?
    • 87% of the Maywood community does not have a BA or higher. Provide career pathways where higher education is not a requirement. You can make a higher income of 50k.
    • We have been on this journey for decades. Hundreds of black and brown leaders in the Maywood community that are addressing these issues who go unrecognized by the public health department and public health system.
    • We want this organization to know how we keep getting it wrong after decades. We aren't just starting to shape our goals, we have had to do it on our own to save our kids.
  • What additional information do you need to inform your decisions?
    • Maywood has used this data to create the programming that they are offering with the youth they are working with and showing there is a different career pathway that is available to them if higher education is not an option.
    • Maywood does this by leveraging their networks they have in the creative field and providing access to all the tools, equipment and technology that is needed to do the programming with the youth.
    • Recognizing, documenting and supporting and investing in the already existing assets. Crime and violence aren't new in Maywood; it just cycles. We put money in when it's hot and as soon as it levels out, we take money and programs and stats out.
    • Our youth, the demographic we really want to be helping, does not have access to the amazing programming that exists in Chicago. Illinois and foundations put in millions of dollars into Chicago based organizations.
  • Small communities are outside of the demographic our students have been left out. This creates funding issues for small orgs over the years who have left the community and have gone to Chicago because the funding is so much easier to get.
  • The story telling historically how Maywood and Bellwood have been marginalized and segregated to create the poverty we have that has disenfranchised the black and brown.
  • Youth representation if you are addressing the youth