The Voice Newspapers, Serving Chicago's West Side

REPORT FROM ALDERMAN EMMA MITTS

The Department of Justice Investigation of the Chicago Police Department
The United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois have opened a civil pattern or practice investigation into the Chicago Police Department (CPD) to determine whether there are systemic violations of the Constitution or federal law by CPD. The Investigation is focused on: CPD’s use of force, including racial, ethnic and other disparities in its use of force; and CPD’s accountability systems, including, how CPD conducts internal investigations, responds to citizen complaints, and handle officer discipline.

Department of Justice Office Hours
As part of its investigation, a representative from the Department of Justice will be holding office hours on Wednesday, October 5, 2016 from 4:00pm – 8:00pm at the offices of the Westside NAACP, 5820 W. Chicago Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60651 to speak with members of the community and gather information regarding their experiences with policing in Chicago. To set up an appointment, please call Jaclyn Weiner at (202) 307- 6913, or email her at jaclyn.weiner @usdoj.gov.

Do you have relevant information regarding the conduct of Chicago Police Department officers or questions about our investigation? You can contact us at anytime via our toll-free number (844-401-3735) or email (community.CPD@usdoj.gov).

Promoting, “Unity in the Community”

Need assistance or have a question? The 37th Ward Service Office is OPEN AND READY TO SERVE YOU during regular business hours, so feel free to call 773-379-0960 or stop by 4924 W. Chicago Ave. Monday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., and Fridays, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon (except holidays). Thank you! You can also send an email: emitts@cityofchicago.org.

AS I SEE IT By Representative La Shawn K. Ford

Human Dignity

The West Side of Chicago has churches on almost every corner and Christians filling them each week.
Speaking as a Christian, it is our responsibility to remind the world through our actions that the dignity of each human person is a God-given gift. Our Christian faith demands that we always choose to protect the dignity of every human life.
Black lives, White lives, Brown lives, Female lives, Young lives, lives in poverty, lives with disease, lives filled with sin. We are not the judges; we are to be the keepers of our sisters and brothers in Christ Jesus. We cannot be like a high school clique that flocks to the popular kids and bullies the kids who are different.
Our faith requires that we “look beyond the fault and see the need”. Our faith demands that we protect the human dignity of each individual in order to build the human dignity of our community. As a member of the Christian faith, we must be concerned about all that brought him to that situation when an unarmed black child is shot.
• What church did the shooter belong to?
• Or, why didn’t the shooter belong to a church?
• Who in this scenario had all of the food, clothing and shelter needed to survive?
• Had we worked to ensure that all involved were mentally healthy?
• Were the characteristics of personal well-being and community advocacy instilled as early as possible in the lives of both the man who was shot and the man who did the shooting?
To answer these questions is the work of Christians and all people of faith and all people of good will. Christian or non-Christian, believer or non-believer - all can follow Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his fight for fairness: to look for and call out the human dignity that is shared by each person created by God.
It is only when we see, value and protect the human dignity of every old person, young person, rich person, poor person, weak person, strong person, little person, big person, famous person, unknown person that we realize that we are all just persons. And it is our privilege to be alive at this moment, and to work together during our time on this earth.
This is our faith - that all are created equal. Our job is to share this Good News with the rich and the poor because each has the same dignity granted by God.
We are people who continue to pray for peace and love.
But, we cannot pray or go to church or believe we are living as we should and not be mindful of the men, women and children in our community whose dignity is under assault every day. We know better than most that in the eye of God, your zip code does not matter more than your divine creation.

REACHING BEYOND THE WALLS By Reverend Dr. T.C. Thomas, Sr. Pastor

The Bark of the Enemy

Have you ever noticed that the loudest barking dog thinks he is the leader of the pack? How many of us have those types of people in our live’s who are controlled by the enemy and bark to cause us to lose our faith and our witness in God? The enemy has no power over our lives, yet we allow him control at every interval. The enemy belongs under our feet and we have the power to tread on serpents and watch the awesome wonders of God to be revealed. How do we put the enemy under our feet? We must be willing to seek God totally, commit to Him fully and allow Him to rule as Lord of our lives. God has not given us the spirit of fear and we should not fear the tricks of Satan. Satan seeks to trick you; but God will turn those tricks to triumph! Let’s make the conscious decision to stop allowing the enemy to rule our lives and stifle his bark!

Dr. T.C. Thomas is the Pastor of Walls Memorial C.M.E. Church, 200 S. Sacramento Blvd., on Chicago’s west Side. He is a strong advocate for children, education, healthcare and most of all the people of God “being better and not bitter.” Rev. Thomas may be contacted at 773/533/2721.

A Call To Action: By Reverend Charles C. Brown, Ph.D. - Pastor, New Heaven Christian Church

It Starts In The Home

We are all very unique individuals with our own qualities, traits, and characteristics. However, the fundamental building block for our individual or distinctive personalities is the manner in which our unique family values, generational beliefs, and cultural norms are blended together. In turn, the mixture of these vital ancestral concepts that we tend to learn within the home take on a significant role during the critical stages of our mental development, and contributes greatly to the manner in which we will filter events, situations, and circumstances throughout our lifetime. As we come together, and begin to socialize with other individuals our different personalities intermingle and create the communities in which we live. Therefore, the primary foundation for a strong and vibrant community may very well be a happy and healthy family. In the words of Confucius, “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”
The idea of who we are, the level of our self-esteem, the manner in which we view our self-worth, and the notion of our self-concept are all developed within the boundaries of the family structure. In turn, having a positive sense of self will play a major role in our social maturation, and establishing strong family bonds and relationships within the home has the tendency of transferring over to the social connections that we create outside of the home. Arguably, building relationships with individuals that we come into contact with during our daily routine is an extremely difficult task, if we have not practiced or worked on the skill within our homes. Therefore, it stands to reason that the family is the initial training ground or the primary educational institution for the development of successful communal abilities such as strong social skills, positive relationship building techniques, and compassion for others.
Furthermore, as it relates to the idea of learning how to relate to others inside of the family structure, the Apostle Paul went as far as to explain in 1 Timothy 5:4, “But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God” (English Standard Version of the Bible). In light of Paul’s eye-opening revelation, it must be understood that before we can relate to anyone living outside of the home we must first learn how to relate to the individuals that are living inside of the home. It is within a functioning family structure that family members are provided with the essential social tools that it takes to achieve their highest goals and aspirations. The simple habits, routines, and actions that make us fundamentally human are also developed within the interpersonal relations of the family environment, and it is a somewhat fragile environment that must be continuously nourished with never-ending love, patience, and understanding for all.

What Does God Have To Do With It? Who’s Running It? By Angie

THE SPIRITUAL LYNCHING
OF THE BLACK RACE

From 1890 to 1930, it has been recorded that well over 3, 000 lynchings were performed on Black men, women and children. Most of these lynchings took place in southern states such as Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. Often times, Black body parts were kept as souvenirs. On April 2, 1899, approximately two thousand white men, women and children circled and watched the murder of Sam Hose in Newman, Georgia. Sam Hose was burned alive. In the final moments of his life, the crowd quickly gathered closer and began dismembering his body parts to keep as souvenirs. From his ears, fingers and genital parts, Sam Hose’s murderers were viciously determined to have a piece of his lynching. Can you imagine the horrific pain that Sam Hose and several others felt? Can you feel the ongoing mental and emotional torment of those who were trying to fight for our freedom? Jazz and Blues singers, Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, sang a song entitled, “Strange Fruit.” Some of the lyrics are, “Southern trees bearin’ strange fruit, Blood on the leaves and blood at the roots, Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze, Strange fruit hangin’ from the poplar trees.” Strange fruit indeed. After continuous waves of injustice and cruelty throughout the United States against Blacks, civil rights leaders like Dr. Martin L. King and Malcolm X took courageous stances to fight for Blacks’ right to vote, to be treated fairly and to dissolve segregation. Dr. Martin L. King, a Baptist minister and Brother Malcolm X, originally a member of the Nation of Islam and then a Sunni Muslim, innately knew that we, the Black race, could not continue to have a noose around our necks nor our minds. Marcus Garvey and even now, the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, have given and are giving their lives for the Black race to not fall for the snares of the enemy. So, what has happened?Gone are the days where we have to pick cotton or nurse white babies from our black breasts. Gone are the days where we have to fight for our right to vote and ride in the back seats of buses. And yet, we have willingly invited the snares of the enemy to work in our lives. We have become consumed with the beautiful dangers of entertainment that are laced with immoral messages. Television shows like Scandal and Empire ratings skyrocket with Black viewers who emphatically insist, “it’s just tv” refusing to accept the truth. Worship services are now center stages for talent shows and self-proclaimed theologians showcase their talents wherever an outlet is afforded to them. Gospel ministry has unapologetically turned into the gospel industry where artists shamelessly identify with the world and holiness is but a distant memory. The educational system is filled with ‘house negroes’ who stop at nothing just to fit into the fabric that Whites have weaved for us. Black activists have become so intentional in their disregard towards those who have paved the way for us that we anxiously look for humility to loom over the horizon sooner rather than later. And what does God have to do with it? Not much. While we are grateful that we aren’t being lynched physically, there is no question that there is a spiritual noose around our minds. We have become dogmatically distant from Godly wisdom, resisting anything that would open our eyes to the spiritual lynching of the Black race. In an era where freedom isn’t truly freedom, we are aggressively marching back into the lands of Egypt where Pharoah reigns. If the Black race could ever take a moment to abstain from the paganism, commercialism and emotionalism that the enemy has set before us, then we would see, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Ephesians 6:12

CANCER SOCIETY WARNS WOMEN OF THREAT FROM RADON EXPOSURE

A new report finds a statistically significant positive association between high levels of residential radon and the risk of hematologic (blood) cancer in women. This study is the first prospective population-based study of residential radon exposure and hematologic cancer risk, leading the authors to caution that it requires replication and whether it truly differs by sex.
Radon is a naturally-occurring byproduct of the decay of radium and is a known human lung carcinogen, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. Modeling studies show that radon delivers a non-negligible dose of alpha radiation to the bone marrow and therefore could be related to risk of hematologic cancers. More than 171,000 new cases of hematologic cancer and more than 58,000 deaths are expected in the United States in 2016. Hematologic cancers are the most expensive cancers to treat per quality-adjusted life year gained.
For the current study, researchers led by Lauren Teras, Ph.D., of the American Cancer Society used data from the American Cancer Society Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort established in 1992, to examine the association between county-level residential radon exposure and risk of Hematologic cancer. The analysis included 140,652 participants among whom there were 3,019 hematologic cancers during 19 years of follow-up. They found women living in counties with the highest mean radon concentration had a statistically significant 63% higher risk of hematologic cancer compared to those living in counties with the lowest radon levels. They also found evidence of a dose-response relationship.
The authors say men may have a higher baseline risk, possibly because of more exposure to occupational or other risk factors for hematologic cancer, reducing the impact of any additional risk from residential radon. In women, who have a smaller baseline risk, residential radon exposure might be a larger contributor to overall risk. Another reason may be that the women of this generation spent more time in their homes, so had more residential exposure than men.
According to Dr. Teras, “Radon is already associated with lung cancer and if other studies confirm the link to blood cancers, we think it would warrant strengthened public health efforts to mitigate residential radon risks.”

JESUS FREEWAY EXPRESS

What is Faith?

Faith is defined as the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1). Have faith in God. The Song: God moves in a mysterious way; His wonders to perform – He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm; Ye fearful saint- Fresh courage takes the cloud ye so much dread; Are big with mercy – And shall break in blessings on your head.
Greetings – my brothers and sisters (everyone) – seems we all just can’t get enough of this our world yet – everyone struggling to get rich and comfortable; for some no money is ever enough from a few million dollars to perhaps a billion; whereas for some they just want to be comfortable – and so everyone is always looking for something – something which keeps us all busy everyday running. Rich or poor life goes on; and our world with its busy schedules racing to its end.
Tis time to run to Jesus before time run you out of this world of material and lustful flesh. Our days are passing by and our nights are over-cast – the end is near; when? Unknown to no one, save only the creator (Living God) of heaven and earth and all within in; we are times upon times being reminded to be ready to vacate (exit) this world when we least expect to the next life – eternal life beyond; but to where, a question no one has the clue. One thing is sure – indicated God in His word to us (the Bible) that Heaven is real and hell is real too! And we all get to choose how we live now – for Jesus or for the enemy (the devil and his hot jail.
Every second a soul is passing away. It’s time to be sure we have Jesus by our side and quit playing games with your soul for we shall reap what we sow. Only the righteous shall return home in heaven with God, others will be left behind to face the damnation and regret in hell, ending in the lake of fire. Tis time to think and think fast for the clock, the clock of life set by God continues to click clock on and no one can stop it, only the Living God himself. Jesus calls repeatedly to serve Him and save others – All in the family of God. The book of record remains open till the Day of Judgment and God does not listen to any excuse. Have a faith in God.
Jesus return is imminent. He will come suddenly any minute, any day, any month without prior announcement – Be Ready!!! Because only our Father who art in heaven – the Living God who created Heaven & earth and All in it – He is the only one who knows when? For He planned His whole world, the whole universe. Pray, Pray, Pray – Pray always, daily without ceasing; abide under the shadow of Almighty God to protect you from the evil forces of darkness for the devil (Satan) and his evil demons seek who to steal – robbing them of their salvation, kill & destroy in hell; but Jesus came so that we can have life (eternal life) more abundantly back to heaven with God (John 10:10) at the end of our journey in this world – for this is not our permanent home, we are just passing through.
Stay connected to the living God in prayers for your protection and provision for He shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory by Christ (Jesus). Philippians 4:19. Pray and repent of your sins – pray to God in Jesus name, call on Jesus every day, his prayer line is always open (un-interrupted – a straight line) and with no cost.
Remembering this song of encouragement and of assurance. Jesus is on the main line; tell Him what you want; Jesus is on the main line – Tell Him what you want. Jesus is on the main line; Tell Him what you want – you just call him up, and tell him what you want.
Invite Jesus into your life today – Give your life to Him; Surrender your life totally to him and with this song: Come into my Life Lord Jesus; Come into my Heart Lord Jesus; come in today, come in to stay – Come into my heart Lord Jesus.
Get saved today. If saved, but back-sliding, renew your faith in Him (Jesus) – today for Jesus is the way, the Truth & the Life, no one can go to Father (God) in heaven, except through Jesus (John 14:6). Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and everything else will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33). Jesus loves you and so do I. For prayer support, call me at (630) 965-0256. I am your brother in the Lord Rev. (Apostle/Prophet) E. Dada.

ST. MALACHY + PRECIOUS BLOOD REQUESTS HELP FOR MOBILE PANTRY

Father Matthew Eyerman, Pastor of St. Malachy + Precious Blood Catholic Church, 2248 West Washington Boulevard, reminds everyone that his congregation hosts deliveries by the Greater Chicago Food Depository Mobile Pantry on the third Tuesday of each month. Volunteers unload the truck, bag the food, and distribute non-perishables, fruits, and vegetables to West Side residents. This food is available to anyone free of charge and without income verification. Each month, St. Malachy + Precious Blood serves more than 250 households representing well over 750 people, regardless of weather conditions.

In past years, the public has donated a pallet mover, tables, and bins. This year, Father Eyerman is requesting help in obtaining items to keep staff and clients dry and warm:

• $500 will install a retractable canopy

• $100 will purchase a pop-up canopy to keep food and volunteers dry

• $75 provides hand warmers for volunteers

• $50 provides single-use rain ponchos for clients & volunteers

For information about the monthly Mobile Pantry at St. Malachy + Precious Blood or making contributions to the program, call Father Eyerman at 312/733-1068 or 312/919-1610.

MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH OFFERING YOUNG ADULT RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR EAST GARFIELD

MT. VERNON BAPTIST CHURCH OFFERING YOUNG ADULT RE-ENTRY PROGRAM FOR EAST GARFIELD AND NEAR WEST YOUTH

Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 2622 West Jackson Boulevard, is providing assessment, support, and referral services as part of its Community Violence Prevention Program (CVPP) Re-Entry Program for East Garfield and Near West youth and young adults being released from Department of Correction facilities.

Any East Garfield Park and Near West juvenile between the ages of 13-28 currently on parole from any Department of Correction facility, or returning to CVPP communities from Department of Correction facilities are eligible to participate in the Mt. Vernon Baptist Church CVPP Re-entry Program. Interested persons should call Denise Harris at 773/826-3295.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

ELLA FLAGG YOUNG STUDENTS & STAFF MARCH THROUGH AUSTIN ALERTING FAMILIES SCHOOL IS IN SESSION

U.S. REP. DAVIS HOSTS REAL TALK ON INNER-CITY VIOLENCE AT MALCOLM X COLLEGE

Thursday, September 22, 2016

A DAY OF FUN AT TASTE OF AUSTIN

West Side Bud Billiken DANNY DAVIS LEADS ANNUAL BACK-TO-SCHOOL PARADE

ST. MARTIN DE PORRES, MARYVILLE & CYO CONCLUDE SUCCESSFUL BASKETBALL CAMP

SEAWAY BANK & TRUST PROVIDES CONSUMER BANKING ADVICE TO ST. CATHERINE-ST. LUCY FAMILIES

Thursday, September 15, 2016

CONNECTIONS TO THE FUTURE, INC. HOSTS PARTY FOR CHILDREN ON AUGUSTA IN AUSTIN

ALD. JASON ERVIN & ALD. WALTER BURNETT THROW SUMMER PARTIES FOR THEIR COMMUNITIES

GREATER ST. JOHN BIBLE CHURCH & AUSTIN EMPOWERMENT COALITION PRESENT COMMUNITYFEST

Thursday, September 8, 2016

NEW GREATER TRUE LIGHT CHURCH ENDS SUMMER CAMP SITH GRAND FINALE