Change in Community Starts with Seeing the Need

A once-undocumented scholar becomes an immigration lawyer; an 87-year-old Chicagoan instills hope in a new generation of youth; a Muslim-American organizer tackles criminal justice policies, and two women take action to keep a roof over their families’ heads. Life experiences enable them to see the need in their neighborhoods and drive them to work toward change.

These men, women and youth – some community organizers, some volunteers, family members and neighbors – were among 4,000 people who gathered in Chicago earlier in September for a forum to amplify the seldom heard voices of working families.

Simultaneous events took place in Los Angeles and Birmingham, as part of the Marguerite Casey Foundation’s Equal Voice for America’s Families campaign, drawing 16,000 family delegates. They endorsed the National Family Platform for working families, crafted through months of hard work in over 60 town halls across the country. Among the issues addressed were: education, housing, healthcare, employment, criminal justice, and immigration reform.

A mosaic of ages, races and nationalities and religions, participants came from states in the region and from Chicago neighborhoods like Albany Park and Lawndale. They came to support each other, celebrate, and identify the most pressing needs of their communities.

Sandra Bruno, 25, volunteers with the Albany Park Neighborhood Council, while she’s looking for a job. She just graduated from law school at Tulane University, but her future didn’t always look so bright. In high school, Bruno was an undocumented immigrant. “Half my family had green cards and the other half didn’t,” she said.

Bruno excelled in school and won a scholarship to attend Princeton University. She said the process of applying for college was nerve wracking. “It was frightening and scary. I’ve lived here most of my life. I’ve done the best I can in school, have the exam scores, but lack the paperwork.” After graduation, Bruno ‘s student visa was approved and she continued her studies.

Bruno wants to practice family immigration law in her community. She said policies should help youth succeed in school so they can contribute to society.

Mahaley Somerville, 87, a longtime community organizer, said education is a key concern for the community.

“[The neighborhood] is better but it could stand for improvement, especially the schools…many schools have been closed by the mayor,” she said.

On Sept. 4, 1000 public school students skipped the first day of school – an action to call attention to under-funded schools. Students, parents, church leaders and activists boarded buses to register for school in a wealthier part of town where schools are better funded.

“I supported [the boycott],” said Somerville, noting that the mayor condemned the action. “They don’t want students to miss the first day, but they don’t care about the rest of the year.”

Wearing an Obama cap and a T-shirt with a photo of her and Barack Obama when he ran for the Senate, Somerville looked out on the sea of faces. “My greatest hope for the day is for the convention to bring different people together.”

Sultan Muhammad, an organizer with Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), said the biggest issue in his community is reform of the criminal justice system. IMAN helped to enact state legislation that would keep young adults convicted of non-violent drug offenses out of prison. Instead, they would go to “drug school” and complete a four-week session of rehab and life-skills training.

Muhammad said the Substance Abuse Management Addressing Recidivism through Treatment (SMART) Act addresses the disproportionate incarceration of African-Americans. “Out of every five people arrested, four are African-American,” he said, adding that diversion programs can dramatically lower prison re-entry rate.
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