[VIDEO] I saw this documentary over the weekend. Most of the footage seen in the film had been recorded the year of the historic launch of the Apollo 11 mission that sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Adrin, and Michael Collins to the moon. If you can catch Apollo 11 in theaters now!
Back in school, I had become a Star Trek fan and became interested in space. At one point even wanted to become an astronaut. I also wanted to be the first Black President of the United States back then also, years before Barack Obama.
I remember an assignment I did in the 8th grade regarding lunar eclipses. If I can find that assignment in my archives, perhaps it's worth sharing.
Finally, I also saw Apollo 13 in theaters when it was first released which is the real life story of a mission intended to land on the moon became a triumphant story. A mechanical issue forced the cancellation of the mission to the moon and instead became a mission return the three astronauts back to the earth safely. It was fascinating to know many aspects of the Apollo project and our very own real life version of Star Trek.
[VIDEO] We've reached No. 1 which is the west side's Austin neighborhood or community area. As Vic Maggio writes in the description for this vid posted March 17, 2018:
The Austin Neighborhood has the largest land area and population out of all the other top ten neighborhoods.
Austin's far Northwestern edge is Galewood, it was once a large Italian neighborhood. North Austin and South Austin Is the largest neighborhood in Austin, North Austin is a smaller area. North Austin and South Austin are very violent areas these two areas account for 90% of all the shootings and crime in Austin.
The Island a square mile in the extreme southwest corner of Austin, which is isolated by the Eisenhower Expressway and Columbus Park.
The racial makeup of the community is 84% Black, 10% Hispanic, and 4% White, the population was at its height in the 1980s at around 140.000, by 2015 the population seen a dramatic decrease to 97.000. Due to poverty, crime and gang violence this neighborhood lost over 40.000 residents over the past 35-years.
This year in the Austin Neighborhood, 461 people have been shot and, 83, have been killed and 384 have been wounded. These stats rank Austin at number 1, on the 2017 list of the most Violent neighborhoods in Chicago
[VIDEO] We're down to the top two most violent neighborhoods or community areas in Chicago using statistics from 2017. #2 is Garfield Park on the west side actually there is two Garfield Parks (East and West) just as there are really two Englewoods (Englewood and West Englewood).
Here's what Vic Maggio writes in his description to this vid posted March 3, 2018
Warning Graphic Content: The Garfield Park neighborhood is home to Garfield park, it is the oldest of the three West Side parks and has one of the most beautiful field houses and has the single largest conservatories in the United States.
Most of the old sandstone buildings scattered throughout the neighborhood have religious markers on them, these are a reminder of the original Jewish history of the area. Garfield Park was also home to the 4,000-seat Marbro Theater which was among the city’s largest.
This video also covers a little history on the Chicago Police Department and touches on the relationship between the residents and the department over the years.
This neighborhood is in a state of disrepair and has quite a few abandoned businesses spread out throughout the area, it looks as though this neighborhood has been ignored and basically forgotten. I have noticed many residents packing up with moving vans and fleeing this depressed crime ravaged neighborhood.
The population of east and west Garfield park was at its height in the 1960s with 100,000 residents, over a 50-year period these two neighborhoods lost nearly 60.000 residents.
This year in the Garfield Park neighborhood, 260, people have been shot and, 36, have been killed and 224, have been wounded. These stats rank Garfield Park at number 2 on the 2017 list of the most Violent neighborhoods in Chicago.
Here's a map of the Garfield Park area, however, I haven't really been able to find a precise Google map of West Garfield Park. As you see the East Garfield Park area is well defined. Though in Maggio's vid you will see a rough outline of West Garfield Park.
[VIDEO] The third most violent of Chicago's 77 neighorhoods err community areas is North Lawndale on Chicago's west side. Here's what Maggio writes about North Lawndale in this video posted to YouTube on February 24, 2018.
The North Lawndale Neighborhood was one of the oldest Jewish communities in Chicago. the neighborhood was home to mega businesses like: International Harvester, Sears, Zenith, Sunbeam, Western Electric. The area was also home to Martin Luther King, Jrs., base for the northern civil rights movement.
The neighborhood has fallen into hard economic times since its heyday of the 1950s. Gangs, guns and drugs have turned this community on its head and has become a very dangerous neighborhood to live in today. The area is full of leveled blocks where businesses and homes once stood, these blocks are reminders of a once economically prosperous neighborhood. Neighborhoods like North Lawndale are under siege and are presently in a struggle for the hearts and souls of the residents.
This is a very sad struggle to witness on a regular basis, it is truly damaging to the heart and soul. I still hold out hope for all of Chicago’s most violent neighborhoods, but in the end, it is up to the residents to make final decision on the future direction of their neighborhood.
UPDATE: This year [2017?] in the North Lawndale neighborhood, 253, people have been shot and, 41, have been killed and 212, have been wounded. These stats rank North Lawndale at number 3 on the 2017 list of the most Violent neighborhoods in Chicago.
What prompts this question? A report from the Chicago Tribune with regards to the continuing investigation into a number of sexual abuse claims to CPS students. The number could be as high as 1000 cases of sex abuse of students. That's a lot!
A branch of a global law firm will review roughly 1,000 Chicago Public Schools sex abuse investigations, as part of a quarter-million dollar contract that’s meant to reopen nearly two decades worth of old cases.
The Chicago Board of Education’s vote Wednesday to hire Dentons LLP marks the school system’s latest step to re-examine how officials addressed past abuse and misconduct allegations in the wake of a Tribune investigation.
[VIDEO] Englewood is the no. 4 most violent of Chicago's neighborhoods. Just think of the hoopla over a Whole Foods Market store coming to the former commercial district of 63rd & Halsted. And then consider what's going on in the rest of the neighborhood outside of that intersection. It might be changing but there are still a lot of issues, and perhaps time will tell if that area will live down the reputation for crime and violence.
Here's what Victor Maggio writes about Englewood which was posted February 17, 2018
The Englewood neighborhood was home to one of the first documented serial killers in American history, H.H.Holmes, and was also home to the second largest shopping district in the city of Chicago, and also home to gang leader Larry Hoover, he is the notorious former leader of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation, a street gang with a long violent history that spread nationwide.
Englewood has been considered one of the top 5 most violent and dangerous neighborhood for almost a decade and has often achieved the number 1 spot many times. The good news is there has been a decrease in the number of shootings this year, the bad news is many of the gang members have fled from this neighborhood to surrounding communities.
The Englewood Neighborhood is ranked number 4 on the list of top ten most violent neighborhoods in Chicago. this year 250 people have been shoot, 49 people have been killed, and 201 have been wounded.
For over a decade I spent many weekends with friends, playing cards and partying in this neighborhood. There are a lot of good people trapped by the never-ending cycle of violence. It is truly a shame how much the area has deteriorated. I believe this neighborhood has been basically forgotten by the powers that be.
[VIDEO] I'm sharing this video of the inauguration ceremony of Morehouse College President David A. Thomas, PhD who assumed the role in 2018. I'm a graduate of Morehouse College which is the only historically Black college for Black males. BTW, this is an almost three-hour video feel free to fast-forward to about 20 mins into this vid to see the start of this ceremony
Once upon a time I had been a stickler for encouraging young men to consider college. I still am a supporter, what would be my goal now is that for those who are serious about college is to help them come up with a plan. The main plan is not what they plan to do once they graduate with a degree as they should be able to work that out for themselves.
The main plan should be how do you get into college and then what you do once you're accepted. Perhaps any young person who wants to go to college need to think about how they're going to pay for it. Are they going to work through college, utilize federal financial aid which could also include student loans, are they going to consider a scholarship, etc.
I had to figure this out for myself. I'm glad I did, but my story is probably rife with a number of mistakes made during my years in Atlanta. Perhaps learning from my own history I can counsel young men to avoid my mistakes. Help them plan the first day they arrive on a campus and then plan for the remainder of their matriculation.
Beyond that what I want are young men who if they're not ready for the undergrad life, hopefully they're ready for the real world. Either the world of work or perhaps if they so choose the military life. And as always it's their choice.
The main takeaway of this almost three hour video from the campus of Morehouse is what impressed me once I transferred from one of the City Colleges of Chicago. It's not often I see well dressed Black people in their academic regalia. It's also not often you see young and ambitious Black males making their mark in their undergrad studies. Many of those young men of Morehouse aren't perfect, but should always be lifted up as the exception!
