Seon-Hyung Kim
In 1971, civil rights lawyer Anna Langford became the first Black woman to serve in Chicago’s City Council. An independent, she was elected to represent the 16th Ward, which at the time encompassed much of Englewood, roughly spanning from Stewart over to Ashland, and Garfield down to Marquette. Langford frequently clashed with Mayor Richard J. Daley and became known as a thorn in the side of the machine.
Ellen Hao
For one reason or another, Englewood has never had its own alderman. The Greater Englewood area, like many parts of Chicago outside of the city center, was developed piecemeal by land speculators attracted to the marshy swampland because of its proximity to rail infrastructure and later, the Union Stock Yards. The neighborhood wasn’t annexed into Chicago until its construction had been humming along for about forty years, in 1889. The city’s ward maps for 1900 show the area split into two wards, the 30th and 31st (both of which are now on the Northwest Side). The number of wards slicing up Englewood has only risen since then, a trend which has hamstrung the neighborhood’s chances at political power or self-determination.
Just Flo (Jason Schumer)
Jerrold “Just Flo” Anderson is a motivational hip-hop artist and speed painter living in Englewood. He specializes in poetry, rap, singing, live artistry, comedy improv, illustration, murals, and tattoos. His goal is to “create harmony and cultivate healing within my family, community, and throughout the world.” He has performed with local, indie, and major artists, including Nas and Rick Ross.
Todd MacMillan
This week on SSW Radio we talked with South Side native Lena Waithe about her show The Chi; checked in on community developments in Woodlawn, South Shore, and Jackson Park; and highlighted the personal histories of three South Side women
L-R: Craig Lynch, Asiaha Butler, and John McKenzie (Katie Hill)
Last June, Chicago Public Schools (CPS) announced their plan to construct a new high school in Englewood, slated to be built on the grounds of what is currently Robeson High School. The new school is yet another component of Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s “holistic” strategy to reduce crime in Englewood by investing in the neighborhood’s businesses and schools. “Investing in our education, our after-school and summer jobs…is important to our safety and [the] vibrancy of the community,” Emanuel said.
Susan Carton's recipe book (Jason Schumer)
This week on SSW Radio, we spoke with a home baker, heard stories from the Englewood Speaks series, and considered connections between natural disasters and the sins of our ancestors
Denise Naim
Asiaha Butler is the president of the Residents Association of Greater Englewood (R.A.G.E.), a former member of the Greater Englewood Community Development Corporation, and organizer of the Englewood Rising campaign, an initiative that brings together these and other community voices to promote positive narratives around the neighborhood.
Jasmin Liang
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) revealed late last year in their 2017 capital plan that a new seventy-five million dollar high school would be coming to the South Side. Initially, CPS did not release the location of the new high school, and several neighborhoods, such as Chinatown and Englewood, had been organizing and campaigning to be involved in the decision-making process.
Maya Iman
It’s just after noon in Englewood, and light throws itself in bars across the floor of Kusanya Cafe as the door swings open and shut. Seated at the front window of the restaurant among light chatter and the clatter of plates, South Side local Shawnee Dez brushes her hair back from her face and goes into performance mode.
Suzi Colpa
In 2015, Hannah and Quilen Blackwell bought and renovated a house on 6439 S. Peoria Street, in Englewood. They are now running community sustainability programs from this house—they call it the Eco House.