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Hip Hop DetoxX Will Host an Informational Session After Failed Fundraiser

By Howard Ludwig | September 14, 2015 1:34pm
 Enoch Muhammad (from left) and his wife, Kesha Wells, of Hip Hop DetoxX stand beside the Rev. Lawrence Michael Cameron of the Bethany Union Church. The trio has partnered to host an informational session on the youth empowerment group at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church at 1750 W. 103rd St. in Beverly.
Enoch Muhammad (from left) and his wife, Kesha Wells, of Hip Hop DetoxX stand beside the Rev. Lawrence Michael Cameron of the Bethany Union Church. The trio has partnered to host an informational session on the youth empowerment group at 11 a.m. Saturday at the church at 1750 W. 103rd St. in Beverly.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

MORGAN PARK — The founders of Hip Hop DetoxX want residents of the 19th Ward to know what their youth empowerment group is all about.

The organization headed by the husband-and-wife team of Enoch Muhammad and Kesha Wells of Morgan Park will host an informational session at 11 a.m. Saturday at the Bethany Union Church, 1750 W. 103rd St. in Beverly.

The meeting will include a question-and-answer session, testimonials and video presentations explaining the mission and work of Hip Hop DetoxX, Muhammad said.

"All young people are affected by pop culture, and the effects are not all positive," said Muhammad, adding that his group aims to reduce the violence and negative behaviors often celebrated in hip-hop music.

 The Rev. Lawrence Michael Cameron of the Bethany Union Church (from left) stands beside a peace pole with Enoch Muhammad and his wife, Kesha Wells. The founders of Hip Hop DetoxX will have an informational session at Cameron's church at 11 a.m. Saturday at 1750 W. 103rd St. in Beverly.
The Rev. Lawrence Michael Cameron of the Bethany Union Church (from left) stands beside a peace pole with Enoch Muhammad and his wife, Kesha Wells. The founders of Hip Hop DetoxX will have an informational session at Cameron's church at 11 a.m. Saturday at 1750 W. 103rd St. in Beverly.
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DNAinfo/Howard A. Ludwig

The meet-and-greet session comes about a month after a Hip Hop DetoxX fundraiser in Morgan Park was abruptly canceled, according to the duo.

Hip Hop DetoxX's Golden Era Summer Soiree Fundraiser was set for Aug. 8. But Chicago Police issued a cease-and-desist order on Aug. 4 telling the organizers and hosts to cancel the party. Officials with Ald. Matt O'Shea's 19th Ward office said the cancelation came after his office fielded several complaints from nearby residents.

The party was to be held at the home of Willie and Elizabeth Whitaker in the 11200 block of South Lothair Avenue. The private event was aimed at guests 30 and older. Earlier reports estimated the head count between 100-200 people.

Muhammad and Wells said they first met with O'Shea's staff on May 6. They had several discussions about the party, even dropping fliers off in the office two weeks ahead of the event.

"We were blindsided in August," Muhammad said.

But an official with the alderman's office said the neighbors' concerns were compounded by advertising about the party posted on social media as well as fliers that were distributed in the neighborhood.

The advertising seemed to give the impression that the fundraiser was an event open to the public. Alcohol was also going to be served, an aldermanic aide said Saturday.

Muhammad and Wells maintain that the party was a private affair. They said the fliers were distributed to neighbors on Lothair Avenue and Longwood Drive at the request of the Whitakers, who merely wanted to give the surrounding residents a heads up about the event.

"We didn't want to postpone or cancel our fundraiser, but we were forced to because of the circumstances," said Wells, adding that she would have liked an opportunity to address the concerns ahead of the party.

An official with the alderman's office said attempts to reach the Whitakers as well as Muhammad and Wells before the fundraiser were unsuccessful. Hence, the cease-and-desist order was issued.

Wells and Muhammad maintain that they also reached out to Chicago Police in the Morgan Park District and the alderman's office to address these concerns but were never able to connect.

In the wake of the cancelation, several accusations of racism were made. Wells and Muhammad made no such claims last week but said the breakdown of communication might have cost the group upward of $20,000 it had hoped to raise at the Summer Soiree.

"We thought we covered all the bases," Muhammad said.

O'Shea earlier denied that race had any impact on cancelation. He said complaints about the party came from an African-American resident and that he's helped facilitate similar events for minority groups in the past.

Indeed, the founders of Hip Hop DetoxX said the alderman's office suggested several alternative venues that would have required a rental fee. But the Whitakers were giving the group permission to host the fundraiser for free at their sprawling home, which includes a large wooded area.

The Whitakers' daughter, Subria, was a participant of Hip Hop DetoxX programs while she was a student at Morgan Park High School. She's now a senior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Nabi M. Yisrael of Beverly said his two sons — Zecharyah, 18, and Tzadok, 15 — have also participated in Hip Hop DetoxX. He's become an advocate as a result and wondered if perhaps the group's name fueled concern among neighbors and officials.

The Rev. Lawrence Michael Cameron of Bethany Union Church said he eagerly offered the church to Hip Hop DetoxX after learning about the failed fundraiser. But Muhammad and Wells opted to do an informational session rather than reschedule the party because having a summer-themed party after August seemed like a misfire.

"We knew we wouldn't be able to capture that moment," Muhammad said.

In the wake of the canceled fundraiser, Hip Hop DetoxX partnered with Club N'Zuri in south suburban Dolton. The venue also offered to host the group's fundraiser for free after hearing of its troubles on the Southwest Side. An event has been scheduled on Oct. 3.

Still, Muhammad and Wells hope to host a party at the Whitakers' home next year. They believe that with improved communication the Summer Soiree could be a tremendous success.

"We have met a lot of good people here in the Beverly and Morgan Park area," Muhammad said.

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