POINTS AND
PERCEPTIONS
by Jahmal Cole
Week 9 of the “12 Parks in 12 Weeks” tour took me to Lindblom Park
located at 6054 S. Damen Avenue in Chicago’s Englewood community.
Usually the name Englewood precedes itself, but as described by Mrs. Net, a
longtime resident who has been living across from the park for 40 years, her
block was a good island. She said, “In reality, you can’t run away because
there’s violence in every community. In Chicago, there are both good islands
and bad islands—good blocks surrounded by bad.” Damen Avenue in front
of the park is a good island. I like the island terminology because Mrs. Net
broke down the violence issue as block by block, meaning that very few
entire community areas can be free from crime, unless each block and each
household take ownership and a sense of pride in their block. I think bad
islands do exist in Chicago because there is an inadequacy of compassion
and a lack of sensibility amongst people. Even the good neighborhoods (so
to speak good islands) are mirages in the desert of Chicago, and people just
have an illusion of security. Anyhow, Mrs. Net waved me across the street
and made me a pineapple snow cone.
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