Groups of Chicago teenagers got the chance to explore some of the city’s top attractions on Saturday, as part of the fourth annual Downtown Day event, coordinated by My Block, My Hood, My City and the Chicago Loop Alliance.
Exposing Youth to City Resources
The large-scale field trip brings youth from the West and South sides into the city center to expose young Chicagoans to the many resources and attractions the city has to offer just a short commute away from their neighborhoods. Many kids participating in the event haven’t spent much time Downtown despite living in Chicago all their lives.
For My Block, My Hood, My City founder Jahmal Cole, the goal is to show kids that Downtown belongs to everybody. “Repeat after me when I say Downtown belongs to everybody,” Cole said to a crowd of roughly 1,000 kids packed into Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph St., Saturday morning.
This year’s event marks the second year in a row where organizers have combatted negative narratives around so-called “teen takeovers” in Chicago. The events of this summer have rekindled debate over youth curfews in the city for years, an issue the City Council debated intensely last year, leading to a veto from Mayor Brandon Johnson on a curfew measure.
A Positive Alternative
Fellow youth committee volunteer Del’Reona Cox said that the recent spike in teen takeovers has discouraged her from coming Downtown. “I don’t come down here much anymore, especially when there’s a party,” she said. “If it’s a party or something, I’m not going … But Downtown Day can bring more people to come out their shell and be open to experiencing new things, instead of having to worry about if wherever you’re at is going to get shot up.”
Cole called his event a form of “primary prevention work,” by expanding youth horizons and inspiring Chicagoans to approach their city with curiosity. “What we’re doing at My Block, My Hood, My City is we’re going upstream every day to make sure kids aren’t picking up guns and to make sure they aren’t going to jail,” he said.
Original reporting: Block Club Chicago — read the source article.
