My Block My Hood My City founder Jahmal Cole on why he started M3
Summary
TLDRThe video script narrates a poignant tale of Chatham, a historically affluent African-American neighborhood in Chicago, now grappling with economic decline and crime. The speaker, an activist, shares his experiences and observations, highlighting the community's struggles with gun violence, poverty, and lack of resources. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement, personal responsibility, and the need for change from within. Through his initiatives, he aims to inspire hope and action, encouraging residents to take ownership of their blocks and work towards a better future for Chatham.
Takeaways
- 🔊 The script highlights the experience of ordering food at KFC through a bulletproof glass window, symbolizing the challenges faced by communities in areas like Chatham.
- 🏛️ It discusses the historical significance of Chatham as a once affluent African-American neighborhood with a strong sense of community and home ownership.
- 📉 The speaker laments the current state of Chatham, with a significant decrease in property values and an aging population, leading to a loss of community vibrancy.
- 🚔 The narrative touches on the pervasive sense of crime and the need for constant vigilance, which weighs heavily on the residents' minds.
- 🏡 The speaker aspires to revitalize the community by turning his home into a community center and buying up foreclosed homes to improve the neighborhood.
- 🏃♂️ The concept of 'block fit' is introduced, where the speaker encourages running through one's neighborhood to fall in love with it and become an activist.
- 🔍 The script points out the stark contrast between the resources allocated to monitoring technology and those provided to educational institutions in the area.
- 🚦 It describes the harsh realities of living in a neighborhood with high crime rates, including the presence of bulletproof glass in local businesses and the constant threat of violence.
- 👮♂️ The speaker emphasizes the need for community involvement and the importance of knowing one's neighbors as a foundation for a safer and healthier community.
- 🌟 The script concludes with a call to action, urging individuals to take responsibility for their neighborhoods and to contribute positively to their communities.
Q & A
What is the main challenge faced by the residents of Chatham when ordering food?
-Residents of Chatham have to order food through bulletproof glass windows and often have to yell their orders, which is indicative of the neighborhood's struggle with crime and safety.
How does the speaker describe the students' initial reaction to his presence at Cook County Jail?
-The students at Cook County Jail initially did not want to hear the speaker, showing a lack of interest in engaging with him.
What realization did the speaker have about the students' sense of ownership and identity?
-The speaker realized that the students identified with their blocks or hoods but not with their city, indicating a disconnection from a broader sense of community and belonging.
What is the speaker's strategy to prevent students from going to jail?
-The speaker aims to show students that a world exists beyond their immediate surroundings, hoping that by exposing them to different experiences and opportunities, they will be motivated to avoid the path to jail.
How does the speaker characterize the historical Chatham neighborhood?
-The speaker describes Chatham as a neighborhood with a strong sense of African-American home ownership, entrepreneurship, and community organizations, which was once affluent and known for its well-maintained homes.
What is the current state of Chatham according to the speaker?
-Chatham is now characterized by a decrease in property value, an aging population as younger residents leave, and an increase in crime, which affects the quality of life for its residents.
What is the speaker's vision for his block in Chatham?
-The speaker envisions turning his home into a community center and buying the foreclosed home nearby, with the hope of attracting more families and improving the neighborhood.
Why does the speaker run three miles a day in his neighborhood?
-Running helps the speaker stay mentally tough, observe the neighborhood's conditions, and identify areas that need improvement, which is part of his activism and community engagement.
How does the speaker use social media to promote a positive image of his neighborhood?
-The speaker posts photos of his running route and the neighborhood's positive aspects on Instagram, using hashtags to encourage others to 'fall in love with their neighborhood' and be 'block fit.'
What is the speaker's perspective on gun violence in Chicago?
-The speaker views gun violence as a reflection of racial and economic injustice, poor neighborhoods, under-resourced schools, high incarceration rates, and high unemployment rates, rather than an isolated issue.
What actions does the speaker's organization take to support the community?
-The speaker's organization provides support to seniors, delivers resources during emergencies, helps small businesses affected by looting, and organizes educational field trips for teenagers to expose them to different experiences.
What is the speaker's philosophy on creating change in the community?
-The speaker believes in taking personal responsibility for improving one's block and community, emphasizing the importance of knowing one's neighbors and being proactive in community development rather than waiting for top-down solutions.
Outlines
🏘️ Chatham's Struggle and Hope
The speaker reflects on their experience in Chatham, a neighborhood in Chicago, where they observe the challenges faced by the community. They describe the difficulty of ordering food through bulletproof glass windows at KFC, which symbolizes the pervasive crime and fear in the area. The speaker also recounts their time volunteering at Cook County Jail, where they engaged with incarcerated youth and realized the importance of showing them a world beyond their immediate surroundings to prevent future incarceration. Chatham, once a thriving African-American community with homeownership and entrepreneurship, is now struggling with crime, economic decline, and a sense of hopelessness. The speaker is determined to make a difference by turning their home into a community center and buying up foreclosed homes to improve the neighborhood.
🏃♂️ Activism Through Community Engagement
The speaker emphasizes the importance of mental toughness for activists, especially in challenging neighborhoods. They share their daily routine of running three miles to stay connected with their community and to identify areas needing improvement. The speaker uses social media, particularly Instagram, to showcase the positive aspects of their neighborhood and to encourage others to 'run through their neighborhood' and fall in love with it. They also discuss the broader issues of gun violence in Chicago, attributing it to systemic racial and economic injustices, and the lack of resources and opportunities in underprivileged areas. The speaker is involved in youth development programs that expose teenagers to new experiences and cultures, aiming to inspire them and provide them with a broader perspective on life. They also engage in community development work, supporting seniors and small businesses affected by the pandemic and civil unrest.
🌟 Taking Action for Change
The speaker advocates for personal responsibility and community engagement as a means to instigate change. They encourage individuals to take simple actions that can have a positive impact on their immediate environment, such as getting to know their neighbors and taking care of their block. The speaker believes that democracy and community improvement start at the local level and that connecting with one another can lead to a safer, healthier, and happier community. They also discuss the importance of understanding how systems work and being proactive in engaging with them, rather than waiting for top-down solutions. The speaker expresses frustration with the ongoing issues of racial injustice and gun violence, but instead of just hoping for change, they are taking action by voting, volunteering, and getting involved in their community. They envision a collective effort where small actions in different neighborhoods can create a wave of positive change across the city.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Chatham
💡Gun Violence
💡Community Activism
💡Economic Injustice
💡Racial Injustice
💡Youth Development
💡Community Center
💡Block Fit
💡Hopelessness
💡Segregation
💡Nonprofit Organizations
Highlights
The experience of ordering food at KFC through a bulletproof glass window symbolizes the community's reality.
Volunteering at Cook County Jail revealed a disconnect between the incarcerated youth and their city.
The realization that many residents have never visited downtown Chicago despite its proximity.
Chatham's identity as a neighborhood with a strong African-American community and a history of affluence.
The economic decline in Chatham, with property values decreasing and residents unable to afford living there.
The burden of being constantly aware of crime and the impact it has on residents' daily lives.
The initiative to turn a home into a community center to attract families and improve the neighborhood.
The importance of mental toughness for activists in challenging environments.
The concept of 'Block Fit', encouraging residents to run through their neighborhoods to fall in love with them.
The contrast between the technology used for surveillance and the lack of technology in classrooms.
The prevalence of currency exchanges with bulletproof glass and the metaphorical 'robbery' of community wealth.
The role of nonprofit organizations in addressing community issues and the need for their recognition.
The impact of gun violence as a reflection of racial and economic injustice, not just a standalone issue.
The importance of taking teenagers on educational field trips to expose them to different cultures and opportunities.
The community development efforts during COVID-19, including support for seniors and small businesses.
The philosophy of taking personal responsibility for improving one's block and community.
The call to action for individuals to engage in their democracy starting at the block level.
The idea that small, positive actions by individuals across neighborhoods can create a wave of hope.
Transcripts
before you leave chatham today actually
go try to order some food go to go to
kfc
and see have you ever ordered your food
through a bulletproof glass window you
gotta yell yo hey i want the doritos
hey what's the not the that's the spicy
matcha the cool ranch
the blue bag right you gotta yell it
[Music]
when i was volunteering at cook county
jail the students didn't want to hear me
speak and so i just asked the kids in
the jail you know all right y'all want
to hear me speak where are you from
let's just have a conversation where are
you from
and kids will be like my block is 21st
street or my hood is the low end
and i say well y'all say my block and my
hood like i own something
yo why don't you ever say my city and
that's when i realized that none of that
is a mystery this ain't my city i know
black people downtown ain't no black
people in wicked park
i was like raise your hand if you've
actually been downtown
crickets you can see the sears tower
from the room i was in in the jail
nobody ever been there
they'd never been nowhere so i was like
you know what okay god i hear you
um if you show people better they can do
better so hopefully if i can show
students
a world exists outside of their block
they won't go to jail that's the idea
it's that simple
[Music]
welcome to chatham chatham isn't really
a neighborhood it's more of a state of
mind
and that state of mind is
african-american home ownership
african-american entrepreneurship
block club organizations community
groups we used to be like cosby land in
chicago if you want to be honest like
this is where all the
you know affluent black peop
police people you know they lived here
you'll you'll notice us by our manicured
lawns our brick bungalows our victorian
and ranch style homes
it's a beautiful neighborhood man right
now it's probably 70 singers
right because all the all the people my
age left
it's it's real you can't afford to live
in chatham i mean if you buy a home in
chatham for
you know i'm i'll buy a home and chat
them for 250 thousand dollars
but then 10 years from now my home is
worth a hundred thousand dollars you've
lost 150 thousand dollars like they
nobody trying to lose 150 000
i can't it'll make a lot of sense and
then you also have crime
like that's not i mean that's um that's
a big
when you have to have a we have to be
aware so much when there's a burden of
being aware
and you gotta carry a burden around like
a backpack and look over your shoulder
it's like don't nobody wanna
we wanna be you wanna walk for walks you
wanna raise a family you don't wanna
have stray bullets hitting people
and um if you look in chatham you know
helicopters flying over people houses
you got to order your food through
bulletproof glass windows and we're so
close to the highway that we keep on
getting
robbed you know i mean people pull up
right off off the highway and prey on
our seniors and right and so
it's just not um the branding of the
whole south side of chicago right now is
not good
i'm trying to start with my block right
i'm turning this home into a community
center
i want to buy that foreclosed home right
there right and i want to buy my block
and hopefully you know success is what
you attract
not what you pursue so if we if we make
this block attractive we can attract
more families you know what i mean and
then that can spread so that's kind of
that's that's my philosophy on it
[Music]
it's a good way to fall in love with
your neighborhood if you can run three
miles a day after you've done it i feel
that's a win that's an easy win to be an
activist you got to be
you you gotta be mentally tough man but
it also gives me opportunity to see the
boarded up buildings see what
simple things i can do like there's like
on 79th and cottages there's trash
everywhere i can like okay i need to
mobilize here today
i have empathy already but when you when
you see things you can have compassion i
want to do something about it so i just
it's a good way to keep your eyes in
your neighborhood
so we have 79 in cottage grove they say
this is one of the worst streets in
chicago
it's a real lack of hope over here a
lack of inspiration
you know it's hard to be inspired when
you got liquor stores in every other
corner
it's hard to be inspired when you have
the currency exchange
oh yeah
thank you she said they'd bother you
shooting it's a gang territory right so
it's like
this is a prime gang territory in
chicago and it's hard to be inspired
when you've got a currency exchange in
every corner and the currency exchange
got three inch bulletproof glass windows
uh
meanwhile they charge you three percent
of your money like who's really being
robbed
you know what i mean uh it's hard to be
inspired when you got microphones on
every corner they're listening that's
shot spotter technology
they listen to gunshots they let the
police know where the gunshots happen
and the police can respond immediately
to any gunshots fired there's more
technology on our light poles than it is
in the classrooms ain't no laptops in
the classrooms whether it's technology
in your pool
you guys want to keep moving
like how many boarded up businesses you
see 16 so far
you can count them 17 18.
to be an activist in chicago you got to
be mentally tough
like you got to stand guard at the door
your thoughts anything can happen out
here but it's not about what happens
what you do about it
if you eat healthy you're probably going
to run around the block
if you run around a block you'll see
what's going on in your neighborhood
if you don't know what's going on in
your neighborhood you probably won't
vote if you don't
vote you probably don't volunteer
everything affects everything every
discipline affects another
you gotta feel good to do this work bro
if you don't feel good
how you gonna inspire other people
i feel good i feel good
it's another way to just have a good win
when you start the day off running three
miles you feel like you same boat
you're like i feel like i'm an active
activist
[Music]
it's after the three miles i go to
instagram and i take a photo of my watch
and my time
and i try to show some scenery off and
chat them right these this manicured
lawns the bungalows
the beautiful bushes the trim bushes the
victorian style homes and i post it on
and i say block fit encouraging
everybody be block fit run through your
neighborhood fall in love with your
neighborhood
and i hashtag chatham or a hashtag
whatever community i'm in that day
so that's how it looks really simple
post my time
it's a good way to hold yourself
accountable but also
you know a little humble brag if you go
your coffee
at the coffee shop somebody's like
coffee over to you and say
be careful and you'll be like oh what
what
what is the lid not on properly you know
um is there you know not a logo is there
not a coffee sleeve in the clock is it
too hot should we go oh no
i just meant to be careful when you go
outside today they've been shooting them
up you know be careful
it's that's shocking when they say that
to me because i it's like
i'm expecting the courteous alert to be
safe but you expect them to say all
right man be safe
but now they're starting to elevate the
caution from be safe to saying be
careful
right and then um you know next year
when you walk around and say
look out like duck there's violence man
it's gun violence
be careful you know what i mean it's
like gun violence is uh um
the way the way poverty and segregation
contribute to that is poorly understood
in chicago
right people say be safe and stuff
because they think gun violence is a
reality
it's not a reality like gun violence is
a reflection
of racial and economic injustice um it's
a reflection of poor neighborhoods
under-resourced schools high
incarceration rate and high unemployment
rate
if you got those five things you're
gonna have gun violence right it's like
ingredients right you take a pinch of
racial and economic injustice you take a
cup full of
poor neighborhoods you take a a spoonful
of
uh um high incarceration rate you stir
all that
gun violence that's what you get and
that's that's what that's what they're
saying be safe out here
do i think it's getting worse i think we
need to start respecting and valuing
nonprofit organizations that are doing
work in the community working with you
you can't it can be a top-down approach
you can't pay your way out of violence
you know you have to like
reach people where they're at yeah so we
work with youth you know we we
all all the buzzwords that come out they
say defund police
we do programs that look like that in
practice already we work with kids from
these divested community areas where
there's
you know 15 currency exchanges and no
banks you ask a kid what's a job at a
bank they don't know
never been to one right they have to
order their breakfast every morning
through bulletproof glass windows you
wonder why kids are always yelling they
gotta yell to get their food
you know you got german shepherd sniff
you when you're on a train you got a um
people marketing louis vuitton caskets
in the windows or funeral homes and
gucci fake gucci caskets
that's why there's so much hopelessness
it's just you know it's just hopeless
so is it getting worse i think um
i can't say it's getting worse i can't
say it's getting worse because that
i wake up every day in a good mood so we
take teenagers on educational field
trips and we expose them to different
cultures different professions different
cuisines
so we take kids from these areas on
expirations we call them so if you've
never been to a bank we'll take you to a
bank if you've never been to greek town
we'll take you to the national holiday
museum
if you've never been to devon avenue
we'll go eat some indian food up there
right
you can travel the world without leaving
chicago but most kids have never been
downtown they've never left their
neighborhood they've never waved for a
taxi
they see lake michigan and they say what
ocean is that right they've never been
an elevator but they want to
work in a marketing company that's
tragic so we take those teenagers we
work with 150 teenagers from 10
different schools
and once per month every student goes on
this exploration so that's our youth
development side of things
on community development we do we take
care of people no matter what i mean you
probably see us if it's a snowstorm
we shovel for seniors if it's a heat
wave we deliver fans deliver water to
singers
during cobia 19 we're still going on
about 7 000 seniors have reached out to
us
and we've been sending them ppe
connecting them to primary health care
physicians
hand sanitizer disinfectant spray all
that good stuff and um
with all the writing and the looting we
just raised a million dollars for small
businesses that were impacted that
needed
help with painting glass repair
construction and a graffiti removal
stuff like that
i could sit here and make excuses all
day and say hey the city's messed up the
country's messed up the people's messed
up well i think that philosophy is
messed up
i'm gonna go get my education i'm gonna
write down a list of my goals
instead of blaming stuff on people like
what's something simple i can do
that'll make a positive impact on my
block what's something simple i can do
like put the onus on yourself that's why
i always say my block my hood my city i
don't want to give
ownership to nobody else what's
something i can do i think democracy
starts from the block i don't think we
should wait for big city government to
come
and change everything i think if the
more connected we are the safer we are
the healthier we are the happier we are
if there's 16 houses on this side of the
street and 19 houses on that side of the
street that's 35 homes man
go walk your block and get to know who
your neighbors are the block gets better
when you start doing stuff like that
like the mayor doesn't demand that you
know your neighbors you want your block
to be better you better demand that of
yourself so i'm all about
again them 15 words what's something
simple i can do but i have a positive
impact on my block
i always tell my kids like get on the
good side of the way things work
how you feel about it is how we feel
about how we feel about it but get the
information
first be on the good side of the way
things work like if you
you know if you drive a car off the
bridge right now they can be like oh
jamal was a good person didn't know the
game work
if a police officer pulls you over you
start making these oh
you're dead that's not how the game
works so how i feel about that
is how i feel about it right but
unfortunately in this country it feels
like
um
they need to stop shooting people what
they need to stop doing
because we fed up with that i don't
you know put a hoodie on for trayvon
walked for laquan pry for betty jones
held my breath for eric i'm tired of all
this stuff i'm tired of these slogans
enough is enough and um they need to
stop shooting
people will stop protesting i got hope
but
i'm i'm putting action behind my hope
you know what i mean
i want to vote i want to volunteer i
want to get involved
i want to ask questions all those things
is what it means to hope to me it's not
just like i'm just going to hope things
change i wish no that's not hope if you
do something simple in pilsen
i do something simple chatham somebody
do something similar uptown we're all
creating these ripples
and they can come together and create a
wave of hope in chicago that's how i
feel so
that's the truth like it's it's a the
problems can't be solved from the top
down if they could they could
pay some money right now to stop this
stuff they would
you
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