“Summer of Faith in Action” Kicks Off Across Chicago
Minister Frankie Davis has resided in the West Humboldt Park/West Garfield area since 1980 and was one of the many residents who gathered at Orr Community Academy High School Friday night on Chicago’s west side as part of the “Summer of Faith and Action,” kick-off movement, a faith-based and community effort to reclaim the city's streets from drugs and gun violence.
Davis sat on the front stoop of the school building amongst community activists, aldermen and others as darkness fell over the crowd who prayed in 10 minute intervals as they waited for the arrival of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel who appeared at several of the more than 200 events held across the city.
A member of the 800 N. Karlov Street Block Club, Davis said the area has degraded since she moved to the area in 1980.
“Things started to slowly change... the drugs came in and the gangs,” Davis said. “We’ve been working for many years with our CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) officer. That’s how we’ve been able to get rid of a lot of the issues on our block. We also pray for the young people. We don’t want to just cast them aside but if they are doing wrong, they will have to go.”
As others went about their Friday night routine, driving north and south on North Pulaski Road, the community groups and others who gathered at the high school, served up grilled hot dogs, chips and water as the throng of media and police, stood by.
Former NBA basketball star, Isiah Thomas, Aldermen Walter Burnett (27th Ward); Emma Mitts, (37th Ward); CeaseFire West, Rep., Frederick Seaton; and 28th Ward, Ald. Jason Ervin were among those who gathered.
When the Mayor arrived, he told the crowd, “We’ve been all over the city,” as he looked around and acknowledged Thomas who grew up on Chicago’s west side. “Over 200 places of worship across the city are holding similar events… neighborhood groups, community groups and people of all ages coming together reclaiming the streets of Chicago. I don’t want you to forget what you have here. You are more powerful than the gangbangers on the street. They know if you’re standing there, they don’t belong there. We’re going to start doing this every Friday night. This is our first weekend. There will be people enjoying the beaches and the city (this summer). I want that sense of enjoyment for all of the city and not just parts of the city. Every child deserves the familiarity of laughter and not the familiarity of gunshots.”
Thomas took time to pose for pictures and talk to the people from his old neighborhood and told The Chicago Citizen Newspaper, “I was invited to come out and I also wanted to attend the event on my own. I used to live in this neighborhood. I’ve been trying for a long, long time to get people to just love and stop killing one another.”
Rev. Marshall Hatch, pastor of New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago’s west side, spoke to the crowd and led a hands on prayer for a little girl who happened to walk through the crowd on her way to get a hot dog and chips and was stopped in her tracks by Hatch and others who gathered around her with hands stretched out in prayer. The little girl stood still as those surrounding her prayed.
“We’re claiming every neighborhood in the city of Chicago as holy ground,” Hatch said to the barely visible crowd, highlighted only by the television camera crew and street lights.
Chicago Police First District Police Superintendent, Al Wysinger told those gathered, “I’m going to do my best to make your lives a little bit better. If we work together, we can get it done.”
According to the Chicago police Dept. of news affairs, there were no overnight shootings reported last Friday.
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