Attempts to heal
Wednesday, Jun 3, 2020 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Block Club Chicago…
On Sunday afternoon, Little Village neighbors came together to protect 26th Street businesses after people looted shops. Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said as the night went on, a few Latino men became “antagonistic” and were indiscriminately targeting Black people driving through the neighborhood.
In a video posted to Facebook, four Black women and a child driving through Little Village near Kedzie Avenue and Cermak Road Sunday had their car hit three times with bat as men stood in the street. A car was burning in the background.
In another video posted to Twitter, Latino men stood at the corner of Kedzie and Cermak, some with baseball bats, throwing items at cars as the drove by. Those items included bricks, Rodriguez said. A car was burning and other drivers attempted to dodge items launched in their direction. […]
On Monday evening, Rodriguez said he witnessed a young Black couple driving on Kedzie go through a “gauntlet” with people throwing things at their car. The Black couple were in Little Village to patronize a local business, he said.
“It was terrible. They looked so frightened,” he said.
According to leaders in the area, some of the Latino men guarding Little Village are members of the Latin Kings street gang.
* Sun-Times…
Michael A. Moreno Jr., owner of Moreno’s Liquors in Little Village, said the racial tension he’s witnessed the past two days is “scary.” He was among those who tried to guard his business, and he tried talk to some gang members who were doing the same thing. But he believes the gang members ended up acting as provokers.
“The gangs took matters into their own hands,” Moreno said inside his liquor store Tuesday. “I feel like a lot of people had well intentions at first. Unfortunately, when you start allowing the gangs to start protecting the neighborhood, you are not going to have the outcome that you would like.”
Ald. Ray Lopez, whose 15th Ward is home to a mix of both Latino and African American residents in communities such as Back of the Yards, said a juvenile gang member shot an African American man near 45th Street and Hermitage Avenue on Tuesday morning after asking the man, “What are you doing in this neighborhood?” The 49-year-old, who was with his daughter and son-in-law, was shot in the wrist and taken to Stroger Hospital. He was in good condition Tuesday.
* On to Cicero…
Shapearl Wells, an African American resident of Cicero, said she and her family were targeted Monday afternoon on Cermak.
It happened first to her cousin, who was driving out from Chicago to visit her. She was at a red light on Cermak Road and Central Avenue when a group of men approached the cousin’s car.
“They told her, ‘You not from around here you n - - - - - bitch,’” Wells said.
She told Wells what happened when she arrived. Wells, who’s lived in Cicero since 2003, was stunned. She went out for a drive to see for herself.
At some point, “about 20 to 25 Latin Kings” approached Wells’ car. “I rolled down my window and they told me I would only be OK if I go in the house and stayed inside.”
She said she called the police to tell them what happened, but nothing was done.
* Tribune…
After several social media posts were widely shared showing alleged gang members in Little Village and Cicero attacking black people in those neighborhoods, people began labeling the situation a race war. More posts advised black Chicagoans to avoid “Mexican neighborhoods” because Latinos were profiling and targeting them as looters. […]
In Pilsen, Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez said in a video that he was aware of attacks reported on social media and urged the community to look after its black neighbors.
On Tuesday, Chicago community leaders and elected officials denounced the reports of violence against black Chicagoans by Latinos, saying that it is a “distraction” to the systematic racial issue they intended to fight in Floyd’s name. […]
More than 200 people, some from the suburbs, dispersed in groups throughout Southwest Side neighborhoods, including Gage Park, Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, Pilsen and Little Village on Monday evening with brooms and bags to pick up debris from the looting.
* Last night…
* Today…
Days after racial tension mounted between Little Village residents and African Americans protesting the death of George Floyd, protesters marched down 26th street and encouraged unity. […]
As the crowd grew, organizers told those gathered that Latinos won’t get respect until black people do. “Our lives as brown people is connected to the lives of black people,” one organizer said.
Stephanie Cerda-Ocampo said she joined the march because she thinks Latinos ignore anti-black problems in the community. “We need to stick together and fight against the real issue like white supremacy,” she said.
* More…
…Adding… CPD Superintendent this afternoon…
