Auburn-Gresham

Last October, my classmates and I were divvied up and bussed out to various parts of Chicago.  My group was taken to the Auburn-Gresham Community on the south side of Chicago.  We arrived at the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation, which, according to their mission statement, “works to foster and promote revitalization of the low-to-moderate income communities of Auburn Gresham, Englewood, Greater Grand Crossing and West Chatham.”  The students were herded into a room with a SmartBoard, which our host, Carlos Nelson, gave a presentation from.  Local community leaders that attended Perspectives Charter School helped with the presentation.  

Carlos was primarily concerned with educating us about both the challenges and successes of his neighborhood.  Auburn-Gresham has one of the 20 highest crime rates of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, and deals with a 25 percent unemployment rate.  However, the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation has successfully lobbied for more affordable housing in the community as well as an additional CTA stop in the neighborhood.  The presentation concluded, and orange juice and donuts were waiting for us outside the meeting room, which was definitely the best part of trip.

We departed the Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation building, and Carlos took us on a tour of a few blocks of the neighborhood.  We walked by historic Brick Two-Flat houses, which were built by the original inhabitants of the Auburn-Gresham neighborhood back in the early 1900s.  During our tour, a very friendly man with a suspicious bottle in his hand approached the group and began chatting with us.  He had many interesting insights about the neighborhood, as well as his experiences in prison.  Eventually Carlos managed to get him to leave, following which he proclaimed he was “On his way to the liquor store, anyway.” After our friend left, we found ourselves outside the historic St. Sabina church.  The St. Sabina church as a whole has been an active contributor in the community for decades.  

Overall, my experiences in the Auburn-Gresham community has helped me tackled important questions such as the meaning of community.  I feel like I have a better understanding of my surroundings in general.