Jahleigh Bullie, 16;
and Sejahari Saulter-Villegas, 14
Thousands of people from multiple backgrounds, religions and races gathered Saturday, June 15 for the Takin it to the Streets Fest 2013 in Marquette Park. The all-day event featured artists and food vendors, children activities and an impressive line-up of artists such as Brother Ali, Yuna, and Talib Kweli. The peaceful outdoor fest was produced by the Inner-City Muslim Action Network, a 15-year-old nonprofit that aims to collaborate with community stakeholders and bridge the gap to combat social issues in Chicago.
The morning set the tranquil atmosphere with a peace rally hosted by Aysha of the Chicago Peace Movement with appearances by Father Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Parish and Rhymefest. It was a family-friendly affair where children enjoyed face painting, magic shows, a plethora of games while others enjoyed dancing competitions and graffiti stations. However, it was the performers that drew crowds. The main stage showcased the two band duo of The Reminders. The group Zaminoffered a unique twist of melodies equipped with symphonic instruments. However, the group that left the audience is awe were the high school students of Kuumba Lynx,winner of 2013’s Louder than a Bomb competition hosted by WBEZ. As champions they were given the honor to open for Black Star. Kuumba Lynx is the collaboration of Chicago youth to use their creative juices for dance, spoken word and other artistic forms. Their spoken word piece, “Arizona Politricks” highlights Arizona restricting intellectual advancement by banning ethic studies books in the classroom. Son of Kuumba Lynx founder and spoken word artist Jahleigh Bullie, 16 explains how the issue in Arizona mirrors Chicago, “It’s symmetrical in the sense that both are being deprived of something; whether it be—resources, education or finances.”
The ensemble’s other pieces also touch on the desensitization of violence and mass numbers of incarceration of brown-skinned boys in certain Chicago neighborhoods. Artezia Hassan, 16 knows the South and West sides are not privileged to have organizations like Kuumba Lynx which is based in the Uptown neighborhood. “I feel like if we move around to different areas and do shows, people would look at us and say we need something like that,” says the Uplift Community High School student. The poets bring to life dialogue that evidently needs to be discussed.
The divide between Muslim African Americans, Muslims, Jews and atheists and Christian African Americans was blurred that night as Brother Ali took the stage and recognized all religious doctrines across the board. The performances ended with the highly-anticipated performance of Talib Kweli half of the hip-hop duo Black Star. –sydney corryn
