From the POAH Midwest Office
With spring and summer approaching and as the city emerges from a year of isolation and worry, I wanted to update all on what we’ve been up to and why we greet the coming period with both a sigh of relief and excitement at the prospect of resuming activities, friendships and, of course, the renewal of spring.
Among the many things we’ve learned in this trying year is that housing that is affordable may be more important today than ever -- but also at greater risk than ever.
Important because sheltering in place has proven critical to staying safe and healthy in the pandemic, so that children can learn remotely and parents (the lucky ones) can work from home; at great risk because as businesses close or cut back and incomes shrink, it’s harder for households to pay rent and for landlords to stay current on mortgages and repairs.
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Bill Eager, Senior Vice President,
POAH Midwest
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Dates to Remember
The always popular Woodlawn Community Summit, a community-wide gathering of neighborhood stakeholders, will be held virtually on Saturday, April 24.
With work around the Obama Center beginning, this year’s event will be especially timely, as residents, elected officials, developers and others try to craft an inclusive development effort that brings new investment to Woodlawn without triggering displacement of long-time residents.
Registration for the event, entitled “Perseverance and Possibilities,” is here.
Held annually since 2009, the summit is organized by the Southeast Chicago Commission. Since its start, it has grown from 100 to nearly 500 participants annually.
Speakers this year will include Michael Strautmanis, head of community engagement for the Obama Foundation, and Naomi Davis, head of Blacks in Green.
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Gentlemen’s Closet Prepares to Rebuild
The Gentlemen’s closet in Woodlawn has been helping underemployed and unemployed men get back on their feet by providing them with free suits and accessories for job interviews. Now Gentlemen’s Closet needs help getting its feet back on the ground after the roof of its storage facility collapsed in late February from heavy snow and ruined much of the inventory.
Elijah Henry and Pastor Terrance Miller launched Gentlemen’s Closet at 6408 South Ingleside in 2017 after looking at ways which they could improve the lives of others in the community.
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Red Clay Dance’s New Home in Woodlawn Station Nears Completion
Construction for the new home of the Red Clay Dance Company, which announced last fall it was moving to Woodlawn Station, is well underway. D. Jones Construction and SOMA Design Consultants are constructing the new 3,700 square foot dance center for Red Clay Dance Company and its Academy. Once construction is completed this Spring, it will feature two studio spaces with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment as well as operating space for the organization.
“The new space at Woodlawn Station will allow dance lovers of all ages from around the world and right here in the community to experience both virtual and in-person classes and community events,” said Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Red Clay Dance’s founder and a former Woodlawn resident.
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Dawn Clark and Family – Why It Matters that Every Community Must be One of Opportunity |
When Dawn Clark and her three children moved into a POAH property in the Woodlawn section of Chicago more than ten years ago, they were excited to find stable housing and be part of a vibrant neighborhood that was undergoing a revitalization with long-term residents benefitting from the change.
By 2014, Dawn and her children had new life goals, wanting to gain the education, skills and experiences that would help them build the future they desired. And so, they turned to the Cottage Grove offices of the Woodlawn Resource Center (WRC) operated by POAH Communities.
Dawn signed up for support services and resources that helped her gain financial stability and find a job. Working with a WRC Financial Opportunity Team counselor, she was able to raise her credit score by more than 100 points and remove more than $3,000 in debt. At the same time, she was working on improving her computer skills by participating in digital literacy classes and received employment counseling that would help her apply for a job.
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POAH Remembers Two Woodlawn Legends:
Rudy Nimocks and Dr. Leon Finney
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The Woodlawn neighborhood recently suffered the loss of two of Chicago’s most iconic community leaders, Rudy Nimocks, Sr., 91, and Rev. Leon Finney, Jr., 82.
Rudy Nimocks
Rudy, a resident of the neighborhood since 1952, was the embodiment of civic engagement. An advocate for public safety, youth education and health care issues in the community, he helped anyone who needed help. Whether he was buying a pair of new shoes for a kid he walked home safely the night before or dropping off groceries to a hungry family coming to grips with a personal tragedy, Rudy devoted his life to the people and community of Woodlawn.
Rev. Leon Finney
A leader in the civil rights movement and relentless advocate for community development, Rev. Finney organized people around issues of housing, lack of employment, poverty, and gentrification. He did this as pastor and founder of the Christ Apostolic Church and later at the Metropolitan Apostolic Church. And many benefitted from his activism, including President Obama, Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle, U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, and Mayor Harold Washington. “Dr. Finney’s life and legacy have their fingerprints on the throttle of change in our city, state and nation,” said U.S. Rep. Rush.
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Till-Mobley Home Named New
Chicago Landmark
The childhood home of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, located in West Woodlawn, was designated an official Chicago landmark in January. The home previously was threatened with demolition.
The fate of the two-flat home at 6427 South Lawrence was in doubt after several previous efforts to landmark it proved unsuccessful. But thanks to Preservation Chicago, which spearheaded a years-long effort to save the home, and Naomi Davis, founder and CEO of Woodlawn-based Blacks in Green (BIG), which bought the 125-year-old structure from BMW Properties in 2019, the home not only achieved landmark status but stands to become a powerful tool helping to tackle racism.
The murder of Emmett Till is one of the signal events sparking the Civil Rights movement. Rosa Parks cited it when refusing to give up her seat on a bus in 1955, which then triggered the Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. It is history like this that demands to be preserved.
According to 20th Ward Alderman Taylor: “A lot of times, African-American history is forgotten. Before there was Trayvon Martin, before there was Eric Garner, there was Emmett Till. We’ll repeat history if we don’t address it and have those hard conversations.”
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