CYC Statement on Recent Protests
Since 1956, Chicago Youth Centers has been committed to closing the resource gap for Chicago’s underserved communities. This resource gap is caused by racial inequity. Plainly speaking, the majority of our educational and family engagement services have been for black and brown families who have lived in these communities on the South and West sides of Chicago for generations.
We are well acquainted with the struggles that our families and many of our staff members, who live in these same communities, face. As an organization, we are so saddened by the racial injustice that continues to have a stronghold on our communities. From lost opportunities, to gun violence, to police brutality.
What happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis could happen in our own backyard and does happen due to systemic and institutional racism – we are painfully aware of that. After this weekend, we acutely feel our families’ and staff members’ grief for their communities: for both the issues that caused this overflow of anger and for the destruction of their neighborhoods.
One of our favorite historical facts is that CYC hosted a round-the-clock basketball tournament in 1968 when there were riots in North Lawndale following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our objective then was to keep our kids engaged and out of harm’s way. Though our physical Centers are closed due to the ongoing health risk of COVID-19, we still strive to be a pillar of support for our families. We encourage families to reach out to us with any problems that they are facing, and we will do everything in our power to help.
CYC stands with community members who are protesting racial injustice. We feel your pain, and many of us live your pain.