January 16th, 2007
Chicago Center Apprentice Joe Taylor reflects on his experience with Whitworth College’s LearnChicago program. The program took place over King Day weekend, and included many events that celebrated the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“Today I had the chance, with students from Whitworth College LearnChicago Program, to attend Rockerfeller Memorial Chapel to hear Mr. Julian Bond speak. Hearing him speak was especially moving for me because not only was he a founder of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee in Atlanta, he is currently the Chairman of the NAACP. Mr. Bond touches on many of the issues and causes which were dear to Marting Luther King Jr. but also brought more recent events into perspective such as Katrina.
Mr Bond also called attention to the fact that is not unpatriotic to question your government; it is in fact your job to question the government during times of war. He gave a moving speech which brought the audience to their feet in applause.
It was great to be a part of this special event, right here in Hyde Park, and give students from outside of Chicago a glimpse of what is so important to us here in the city.”
December 6th, 2006
This Fall, 13 students from the University of Notre Dame Multicultural Center spent a week with Chicago Center. From their first day of a Gospel Mass, Greek Lunch and Live Jazz, to learning CTA, visiting the American Indian Center, seeing amazing plays and touring Chicago neighborhoods, we gave them what one student called “one of the best weekends of my life!”
The students made a video of their experiences in the city. You can view the video here: Diverse City
Comments from some of the participating students:
“I feel I am much more knowledgeable about the ‘real’ Chicago. Only having visited Michigan Avenue, I never realized the city was so rich culturally. If I ever decide to go back to Chicago, it won’t be to go shopping, it will be to eat a great meal at the Nile Restaurant and catch some spoken word at Cafe Nine 17.”
“People fear the unknown. Before this seminar, I didn’t know a thing about Chicago’s neighborhoods. I would not have felt comfortable landing just anywhere in the city and knowing how to handle myself. After a week riding trains and buses to every part of the city, I almost felt at home. What I learned in Chicago wasn’t something you could draw on a map, point to in a statistic, or even cite in a paper. I learned about other people and that they are not so different from you and me.”
“Anyone can benefit from this program, because no matter how much you think you know about race, culture, or socioeconomic issues, the people themselves are the most important. By visiting Chicago, you step out of the text book, away from the statistics, and into the lives of real people.”
“The city is much larger, more complicated, more vibrant and with far more struggles & challenges than I imagined before….Analyzing is good, but I need to remind myself that there is reality behind it. I had assumptions about the way things work, which are wrong. I also realized that I CAN fit into a city.”
Chicago Center Apprentice Joe Taylor reflects on his experience with Whitworth College’s LearnChicago program. The program took place over King Day weekend, and included many events that celebrated the life of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
