ENGLEWOOD — Why is Chicago's violence out of control?
A town hall meeting in Englewood brought together a diverse group of panelists in the fields of religion, activism, law enforcement and medicine to discuss the root causes of the city's current crisis — and whether the current climate in Chicago's is becoming the "norm."
The town hall meeting, dubbed "A Conversation On Violence: The Cause and the Cure," took place at the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church at 415 W. Englewood Ave.
The panelists included Mitchell Davis, a board member of the Chicago chapter of The National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE); the Rev. Marshall Hatch, pastor of New Mt. Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church; Dr. Carl Bell, a psychology and public health professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago; and Ald. Rod Sawyer (6th), among others.
Each panel member spoke out on what they believe is at the root of the violence in the black community, and took questions from attendees. The questions ranged from how to interact with police officers to how to create partnerships with fellow community members.
Davis, the police chief of south suburban Hazel Crest, said that the climate of law enforcement has to change.
"Based on experiences I've had personally and professionally, there are things that have happened because of systemic issues and the culture of law enforcement," Davis said. "As a black man, and and as a black man who is a law enforcement executive, the mistreatment of everyday people has come to a head."
Bell, a clinical professor of psychiatry and public health at the University of Illinois at Chicago whose research has gotten national attention, traces many problems in poor communities to fetal alcohol syndrome. Fetuses can be exposed to alcohol in utero, often before a mother even knows she is pregnant.
The syndrome can cause many problems later in life, including brain damage, stunted growth, bad judgment and impulsiveness, research has found.
"Women, who don't know they're pregnant for the first four to six weeks, they drink socially and the baby's brain is damaged," he said. "Four out of 10 people I see, have fetal brain damage."
Sawyer had mixed feelings on the demographic of the people who attended the town hall meeting. Many of the people who came out were the elders of the Englewood community.
"This is great but we need to see more of the people who will be affected the most," Sawyer said. "Seeing some young people walk in gives me hope."
He said community leaders need to do more to engage young people.
"Let's continue to reach out to our young people. Let's see what going on with them. When we say 'black lives matter,' what do we really mean? That's a tough question to ask. I know that black lives matter, so let's not perpetuate violence against anyone. Especially another black person."
Hatch said that the church is being replaced among community leaders.
"The norm is out the window," he said. "The church used to lead in activism, now its Black Lives Matter. That is a change we're getting used to."
Rev. Rickey Guyton, pastor of Body of Christ Church, believes that one cause of the staggering amount of violence is the breakdown of the traditional family and the lack of fathers in many kids' lives.
"The young men I've talked to have told me that were angry with their fathers for not being around," he said. "That's why they act out. They wanted to know what did they do for their fathers to turn their backs on them. Young men would break down in tears wondering what they did."
He also was concerned about crimes committed within the black community.
"I'm here to talk about black on black violence," he said. "I am not worried about police officers. I'm worried about if someone else who's black might kill my son."
Theresa Hamby, an Englewood resident, found the meeting to be informative.
"I learned a lot. It was interesting. The doctor who talked about alcohol and how kids react to it resonated with me," Hamby said. "The police officers were interesting as well."
The town hall was moderated by Rev. Gerald Dew, the pastor of Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
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