It’s rare to see city leaders in Chicago take an open, unabashed stance on the collapse of literacy. To complain is deemed as too political, too racist or too anti-public schools. So it’s refreshing to see Willie Wilson, a successful businessman and leader of the black community, call for a literacy initiative “with the goal of getting 100% of Black students reading at grade level.”
Race and Ethnicity in North Lawndale.
Type – Percent (rounded) – Count
White – 2% – 692
Hispanic – 6% – 2,033
Black – 91% – 32,700
Asian – 0% – 74
Mixed – 1% – 250
Other – 0% – 128
Total – 35,877
http://statisticalatlas.com/neighborhood/Illinois/Chicago/North-Lawndale/Race-and-Ethnicity
Demographics of North Lawndale.
Population (2010) – 35,912.
Area – 3.21 square miles.
Population density – 11,187 per square mile.
Per-capita income – $12,548.
Households below poverty level – 38.6%.
Unemployed – 18.5%.
Living in crowded housing – 7.2%.
No high school diploma – 30.4%.
Under 18 or over 64 – 40.9%.
http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chicago/community/north-lawndale
Crime reports in North Lawndale.
September 21 – October 21, 2016.
106 Violent Crimes, consisting of:
Robbery – 27.
Battery – 27.
Assault – 27.
Homicide – 1.
Sexual assault – 2.
159 Property Crimes, consisting of:
Theft – 71.
Burglary – 26.
Motor vehicle theft – 23.
Arson – 2.
151 Quality-of-Life Crimes, consisting of:
Criminal damage – 87.
Narcotics – 29.
Prostitution – 3.
416 Crimes, which is an average of 14 crimes per day.
http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chicago/community/north-lawndale
The attack occurred at Kedzie and Roosevelt in North Lawndale / Homan Square (the neighborhoods meet at that intersection).
The building in the background is a McDonald’s at 3200 W Roosevelt Road.
Across Kedzie from McDonald’s is Lawndale Terrace Apartments at 3158 W Roosevelt Road, which AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust rehabbed.