ENGLEWOOD — Last week's visit to New York for a world conference at the United Nations headquarters was Tameka Lawson's first time in the Big Apple and an eye-opening experience.
Lawson, executive director of the nonprofit I Grow Chicago, and Shango Johnson, the group's youth male coordinator, attended the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous Peoples. The event featured heads of state and representatives from countries around the world and focused on issues like healthcare, jobs and housing.
Both Lawson and Johnson served as a delegates.
Before they left, Wendell Hutson discussed why the two delegates were chosen:
"One thing I learned from the conference was that blacks and poor people have some of the same concerns when it comes to basic human rights," Lawson said. "These are the same things people in America, particularly black males, have been complaining about for years."
She said she believes the difference between residents from other countries and Chicago is that the residents of foreign countries speak up more about their concerns.
Lawson said she also got a chance to participate in a community march to Central Park with thousands of people advocating for more awareness of the dangers of climate change.
In addition to the conference, she got to visit other parts of the Big Apple.
"I stayed in Manhattan but I was able to go to Harlem and Brooklyn, where it reminded me of home," Lawson said. "New York is a huge place with lots of people, but there's no place like Chicago."
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
