 November
12 - Chicago |
 |
The
Freedom Bus riders received a warm welcome in the cold city
of Chicago today. A community forum hosted by the Arnold
Mirales Human Rights Project provided us with insight into
the situation in the Chicago's south side, as well as wonderful
Mexican food.
Mire
este sitio en espanol
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Following
the forum, we went on a "realilty tour" of public
housing in Chicago, led by Rene Maxwell of the Chicago Coalition
to Protect Public Housing. We witnessed high-rise public housing
buildings being demolished. |
| Facts
about public housing in Chicago:
- 51
high-rise public housing buildings have already been or
are slated to be destroyed
- 18,000
apartments being demolished
- 42,000
people forced out of their homes
- over
100,000 people on a waiting list for public housing
Excerts
from the Labor
Party's Resolution on Housing:
- Federal
government support for the delivery of good-quality, safe
and affordable housing to every American, and
-
Commitment of funds for a rental housing production program
giving priority to families earned less than $20,000 per
year, such as envisioned by the proposed National Affordable
Housing Trust Fund, and
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The reinstatement of one-for-one replacement of demolished,
public housing units as well as a restructuring of the HOPE
VI program to ensure thorough public-housing resident participation
in redevelopment planning and the creation of truly inclusive
new residential communities, and
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The
final stop of our public housing tour was at Rockell Gardens,
a low-income housing development slated for destruction
in 3 to 6 months. We talked to some of the residents, who
showed us documentation that the City of Chicago received
over $35 million for rehabilitation and redevelopment of
Rockwell Gardens (under the HOPE VI program), and charge
that not a single unit of replacement housing has been built
for low-income people.One resident said, "We have nowhere
to go. The city promised us- in writing- that no one would
be evicted during the winter, and now that's exactly what
they are doing. They're throwing people out on the streets."
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After
the tour, a benefit concert was held for us at The Fifth
City, an arts and culture space. Organized by Rene Maxwell,
one of the highlights of the event was the House
of Daniels Choir, pictured above.
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Some
of the folks who attended the concert:
- Azteca
Workers
- Rogers
Park Community Action Network
- Cabrini
Green Tenets Association
- Rockwell
Gardens Tenets Association
- El
Salvador Sister Cities Chicago Chapter
- ESSCC
National Office
- Not
in Our Name Coalition
- Students
from University of Ill. Chicago
- Students
from University of Wisconsin
- Students
from Kalamazoo College
- Coalition
to Protect Public Housing
- Rogers
Park Labor Party Organizing Committee
|
| .
Cheri
Honkala (left) Director of KWRU and member of the Interim
National Council of the Labor Party, pictured with the Azteca
Foods Workers,who are currently on strike. Go to their
website and boycott Azteca Tortillas.
|
A
special message from Baby Guillermo, "Hola abuelito y
abuelita! Cido de salud es un derecho humano. Abrazos y besos." |
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Press Link
"Visiting
activists join in pleas to stop demolition" Chicago
Tribune, November 13, 2002
Quicktime
Video
Click
here to launch a Quicktime video of the House
of Daniels Choir singing "Rich Man's House"
(12.7 MB)
Daily Prayer
for the New Freedom Bus Tour
The Rev.
Noelle Damico, Catalyst, School of Theology, University
of the Poor
Tuesday,
November 12
God, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you formed
the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting,
you are God. Today we seek shelter for every child, woman
and man in this nation. Despite the fact that housing is a
human right guaranteed in the UN Declaration, throughout the
country, and right here in Chicago, housing complexes are
being torn down in the name of social progress and attractively
rebuilt. But they will have fewer units for those who are
poor and more for those of middle income. Where will we go?
God of justice, you hear the cry of the poor. Answer and deliver
us. Amen.
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About
the Campaign 
