Name: Jedidiah Brown
Occupation: Community Organizer
Hometown: Chicago
What are your thoughts on the gang violence in Chicago?
Gang violence in Chicago is now the biggest distraction from the truth. We do not have organized gangs in Chicago, these are young people who are pressing towards survival who have these gang labels as a source of identity. The proof is you have two pockets of “GD’s” (Gangster Disciples) on two separate blocks at war with a different faction, but both without any structure. This city is not new to violence but it has become the distraction from the root of our problem. Violence is the end result of something brewing. When I grew up all I could remember in the headlines was how corrupt Chicago was and still is. I am convinced that the elected officials corruption, dysfunction, and self serving politricks are married to pastors and activist complacency are the biggest push and accomplice to the violence in Chicago. These young people have access to guns, low access to jobs and funds, no activities or programs that meets the interest they have. We have allowed the headline of violence to take away our ability to dream and the contributing conditions from the so called leadership has suppressed our ability to imagine, so we get outraged but go right back on stand-by waiting for the next tragic shooting from the so called gangs we fail to realize are the creations of our lack of parenting and leadership skill.
Is it Chi-Town or Chiraq? Why?
It’s not Chiraq: this is home. And, it’s in chaos because we won’t clean house. Most people don’t believe they can, which is the problem! These young people can’t find another place to identify because no one cares to address the growing pains they experience daily that leads to them lacking value for life.
