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Why You Should Visit Englewood, Chicago's 'Diamond In The Rough'

"My Block My Hood My City" T-shirts fund tours for teens who are unfamiliar with other parts of the city.
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Courtesy Jahmal Cole

CHICAGO — My Block, My Hood, My City, famous for taking kids to explore parts of the city they haven't seen before, is offering Chicago residents a new challenge: Explore Englewood.

Jahmal Cole, who runs MBMHMC, started the group because he spoke to kids from the South and West sides who hadn't been able to afford trips to other neighborhoods. Now, Cole takes kids between the ages of 10 and 15 to explore areas like Greektown and the Loop. But also wants people in the city to learn more about areas like Englewood, a neighborhood he's proposing people explore and learn about on April 23.

"I invite everyone to step out of their comfort zone and visit Englewood," Cole wrote in a blog post on the MBMHMC website. "Experience a community that you’ve heard about but never seen. It is my hope that this experience will give you a new perspective and an appreciation for Englewood and its residents."

Visitors should stop by restaurants and businesses on that day and can show support for MBMHMC by buying a T-shirt and showing photos of their experiences on Facebook, Cole wrote. The organization's shirts and hoodies help fund trips for teens into other parts of the city.

Those who visit Englewood — which has been plagued by violence — on April 23 can help make change in the area and can experience a different culture in the city, Cole said.

"Explore Englewood to see a people who weren't born with privilege, but rather were hardened by pain. They are strong and determined, and, yes, they are different from those who live, work, and play in the Loop ...," Cole wrote. "There is beauty in Englewood — it may be a diamond in the rough, but Englewood residents haven’t lost sight of the diamond.

"There are organized efforts to shape that diamond, and it may take a lifetime of work to make it happen … but with awareness and your support, it can and will happen."

Here's where Cole suggested you stop by when exploring:

• Dream Cafe: 748 W. 61st St.

• Kusanya Cafe: 825 W. 69th St.

• Sikia Restaurant: 740 W. 63rd St. 

• Imagine Englewood If: 730 W. 69th St.

• I Grow Chicago: 6402 S. Honore St.

• Ogden Park: 6500 S. Racine 

• Hamilton Park: 513 W. 72nd St

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