Fearless Leading by the Youth (F.L.Y.)
Below is a transcript of the interview.
Q: Can you tell us about the story of how and why you founded F.L.Y., and the first years of the organization?
A: When I found out about the opportunity to learn about leadership skills and how you can take up leadership roles and positions in the community, really use your voice. You know, as a citizen and as an individual, you know, to create change. That was like a very big thing, you know, to me. We was only a good fourteen, fifteen years old, you know, so, you know, at the time, we was like very, you know, impressionable. But at the same time, we was under many influences. Once we were hearing from our peers about, like their experiences, you know, afterwards, you know. After they get in those handcuffs and things, it made me process. And, you know, mistreatment and the conditions in that institution. We were like, alright, we need to do something about this. You know, because we're feeling it, but just because we probably got away, you know, some people didn't. Trying to address the needs and provide alternative resources or just resources, you know, directly to people who really need it the most, you know. So like juvenile justice and fighting for, you know, youth and youth rights, is where we started. And then we continued to grow into more human rights issues.
Q: Do you have a sense of the issues that Woodlawn is currently facing? Can you tell me about some of the past organizations that have fought against these injustices?
A: I think what's going on in Woodlawn is very interesting, because there've been organizations and organizers fighting against gentrification for so long, and right now it's actually going on. The main one that I really support and that I use as a flagship for Woodlawn is called The Woodlawn Organization, you know, TWO. I definitely appreciate all that work. I grew up hearing about them, seeing them do a lot of work mentoring folks, you know, really keeping that movement going. They had to fight to definitely stop the encroachment of forces like UofC and other big property-owning and buying agencies out of the community, because it wasn't really genuine for the community, it wasn't beneficial for the community. So they were fighting for a lot of community benefits, even though that's it today, where a lot of community benefits agreement is being fought on behalf of the community. Right? And question the Obama Foundation or center, or library coming to Jackson Park, many other developments coming. Alright, is the community giving input? What about the community? How's it benefiting the community overall?
Q: Can you tell us how you went from working on youth rights and injustice in the carceral system to becoming so visible with the trauma center campaign?
A: Having that, you know, perspective that the same phenomena is going on in multiple communities, it kind of brings that urgency to things. Especially once we, you know, after one of our best friends and fellow co founders of our organization was shot in our community. Right, you take it so far, we've seen an injustice and a gap between, you know, health care on the South Side and in Chicago when it came to Level I Trauma centers being available and that being a contributing force to the mortality rate, going up in the city. It wasn't just us it's happened to many families, many people, you know, all of that. Because trauma centers are for gunshot wounds, car accidents, you know, stab wounds, house fires and burns, things of that nature. It can happen to anybody. So many people need these services. Once we really started to see the bigger scope of things, it's like a worthwhile fight. Having our actions backed by a lot of research and data showing a strong correlation between, you know, the lack of trauma centers and the mortality rate, you know, and the distance that you have to travel to the nearest trauma center. It just really culminated into a pretty good victory for us, and staying consistent, and diligent because it took us from 2010 to 2015 for them to announce that they were building it. Even still, the opening, it took until 2018 for them to build it from the ground up. Still many lives being lost. Many other institutions, local institutions, credit agencies, assisted if cost was an issue, you know, but looking back in retrospect it was all worth it. And there's still more work to be done when it comes to wraparound services and many people who are experiencing trauma, you know, from these violences in the community.
Q: What in general do you think are the University’s duties to and impacts on Woodlawn currently?
A: UChicago's duty to communities like Woodlawn and surrounding communities is that it has to hold itself accountable. You're not in a gated community or whatever, separate from the community, your surrounding communities. You have to be held accountable of the neglect that you've been doing good thus far, and strive to repair, a certain type of harm. that was done for the time being. What that looks like, I think right now they're doing some beginning steps, like getting the trauma center after closing one. Back in 1986 (1984), there was a basketball player called Benji. He was shot and it was a fight for a trauma center. And the thing is, they closed it two years later. And after that it's been like a domino effect, the closing of trauma centers on the South Side. Even with just seeing how they helped to spearhead movements like that, maybe strive to support, create a supportive network, some type of safety net or something like that, you know? It just shows that there could have been other things done.
Q: What is something that University students should keep in mind about Woodlawn when interacting with it? Despite Woodlawn’s proximity to the University, the difference in the social environments is often quite stark.
A: Our community is being overpoliced. It is unfair. And we really felt it, being young, a Black man from Chicago, just growing up in a community like Woodlawn. One day, we got stopped, and it was an officer saying since this area is labeled a high crime high drug-ridden community, we got certain policies and stuff like that to be able to do this, to stop and frisk. They can do types of strolls and stuff like that. And our communities were food deserts, we were lacking so many resources at the time. And just for a Jewel to be right there when we were lacking so much food and so many resources. And, you know, we had to fight for a trauma center for us. And, now forces was trying to, move us out and gentrify us out of the community, so we can't benefit from the community's fights that we fought for. Or even the housing struggles that we fought for to even live in those communities, because Woodlawn is a historical Great Migration community. My people migrated from the south to Woodlawn.
Q: What is most fulfilling about the work you do with F.L.Y.?
A: The most fulfilling thing I'd say is seeing things come full circle. I started when I was 14, I'm 28 now, so half of my life I've been doing this stuff. Just seeing innovation, new ideas. That's what really inspired me.