AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/category/news/page/26/)
The portrait and interview collection opens May 4th at the Oak Park Art League. The exhibit, which celebrates the work of West Side activists, ends May 26th. There will be a reception May 14th and an online panel discussion May 20th. There are plans for the exhibit to be featured in Austin this summer.
Austin United Alliance, the group the city of Chicago recently picked to develop the former bank building at the corner of Laramie and Chicago, briefed members of the Austin African American Business Networking Association about the nearly $40 million project.
Austin teen Tyshaun Zollicoffer, who’s in the After School Matters art program, is inspiring others with his creativity. Zollicoffer, president of Senn High School’s Black Student Union, plans to attend college in New York City.
The West Side Heroin and Opioid Task Force offers training each month to help reduce the record number of overdose deaths.
Fresh Start Fathers, the Greer Family and Austin residents will hold the 13th annual anti-gun violence prayer vigil from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the corner of Lotus Avenue and Congress Parkway. Since 17-year-old Marcus Greer was killed in 2008, an annual prayer vigil has been held in his memory to speak out against gun violence.
The community-focused mural by local artist Tia Etu was unveiled last week at the store, 4650 W. North Ave. Etu said she featured the things she thought were wonderful about the community in the mural, which is right inside the store’s entrance.
About 50 Austin residents came out last weekend to clean up several blocks for Wecycle’s first annual spring cleaning rally. Wecycle CEO David Fleming said Saturday’s cleanup went great, but there’s still work to do. “We’re going to get this place nice. We’re going to go green. And we’re going to get it beautiful,” said Fleming, an Austin native.
The West Side organization is working with the Chicago Botanic Garden on developing the urban farm and wellness hub in the 4900 block of West Thomas and Division streets. Mildred Wiley, a longtime community leader and advocate for Austin who worked at Bethel New Life, died two years ago.
Advocates continue to push for more civilian oversight of the Chicago Police Department. Panlists discussed a proposed ordinance before the Chicago City Council that would take power from the mayor’s office and give it to a civilian-led commission.
At this week’s meeting of the West Side Men’s Network, Loretto President and CEO George Miller pledged the hospital will work to rebuild trust after several instances of COVID-19 doses being improperly vaccinated. Also at this week’s meeting, Austin businessman Malcolm Crawford said new restaurants are coming to the neighborhood.