ENGLEWOOD — The summer's escalating violence, including the shooting death of an 11-year-old girl at a sleepover, has Englewood residents thinking about what they can do to stop the killings — and the poverty they believe causes these issues.
"If [Chicago residents] are ever going to bring this city back to its full potential, then we must do something about the violence problem that seems to have no end in sight," said John Paul Jones, president of Sustainable Englewood Initiatives. "[A summit] is a step in the right direction toward coming up with solutions to stop the senseless killings in neighborhoods already stricken by poverty."
The summit is tentatively set for Sept. 24, but a location has not yet been determined. Jones said Chicago State University is one possible location big enough to host the citywide summit that would include city, county, state and federal officials.
Rudy Harper, a 63-year-old Park Manor resident and an organization member, said violence stemmed from poor neighborhood schools and a lack of fathers.
"We have an epidemic in the black community where all these women are raising boys," Harper said. "When I attended Tilden High School, boys were mentored by the school, but that support system is gone and we need to get it back."
The organization plans to discuss the summit further at an Aug. 8 meeting at Kelly Library, 6151 S. Normal Blvd.
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