Chicago is the World

When he was a younger man, the talk on the street, at the barbershop, at the basketball court and almost everywhere always grabbed Frank Latin.

It was the news the neighborhood cared about.

So he listened and he joined in.

Not too long ago, Latin found himself joining in even more than he ever imagined. Because this time, what he heard was just not the full story. Instead, he heard and saw the story of violence, poverty and unemployment — the strictly negative spin of anything about his West Side community as covered by the mainstream media.

And so he decided to do something. He threw himself into helping his neighbors get information about their neighborhood. And through his hard work, he created the Westside Writing Project, a largely volunteer effort with a heap of ambitions.

The news the Westside needs

Latin began with a newspaper ran by volunteers, the Nitty Gritty News. But it’s evolved into a project involving Chicago Public Schools high school and elementary school students, as well as youngsters enrolled in the Chicago Parks Department’s summer programs.  College students, who started out knowing little about the news, have returned to improve their skills and to tell the community’s stories.

His drive to improve the storytelling about Westside Chicago got a welcome boost recently when the Chicago Youth Voices Network CYVN, an umbrella organization, which represents youth media groups across the city, invited the Westside Writing Project to join.

The plunge into media training and community journalism still seems awkward for Latin. “I’m an econ guy,” he says. His media savvy is “all self taught.”

Learning to tell the stories

Indeed, Latin came came to Chicago from Muskegon, Mi. and settled in the West Side more than a decade ago. He received his undergraduate and master’s degrees in economics from Roosevelt University and Latin, 45, worked at Illinois Department of Employment Security. He now works at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Chicago office while he scrambles to keep his passion, the Westside Writing Project, going.

Financial support has come in slowly. But Latin is still optimistic.

He knows that if he gets sufficient support that the stories his reporters tell can counter the gloomy, heartbreaking descriptions the news media gives about the West Side.

But his optimism is not blind. Latin understands the depth of the problems in his community. He can measure it by listening to the parents of the youth, who come through his project.  “I just see a lot of people outside of the labor market,” he says. “A lot of people are waiting to get their check or they are trying to make it anyway possible. And a lot of people have just given up.

And he sees and hears the other stories as well, the stories about a community of people thriving, dreaming and doing their best.

The stories about young people eager to learn, and community groups working hard to improve the neighborhood. He sees the adults who come to the project’s office, located at the Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center, 5820 W. Chicago Ave., to use the computers for job searches and to prepare their resumes.

Here they come to share

In a city of too many common strangers, storytelling can be the glue that holds us together. It’s how we discover what’s going on and what matters. That’s what grabbed Frank Latin’s attention years ago. And that’s what he is replicating now.

Do you have a story you want to tell? Are you telling these stories?

Talk to me.

Steve

Steve@chicagoistheworld.org, office 312 369 6400

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The talk on the street, at the barbershop, at the basketball court and almost everywhere always nailed him.

 

It was about what was going on.

 

It was the news and he listened and joined the talk.

 

Not too long ago, Frank Latin found himself again caring about the talk. But this time it was either the simple lack of news or the strictly negative spin of the news on his West Side community.

 

And so he threw himself into helping his neighbors know about what’s going on.

 

He began with a newspaper ran by volunteers, the Nitty Gritty News, which morphed into the Westside Writing Project Westside, a largely volunteer effort with a heap of ambitions.

 

The project has worked with students at Chicago Public Schools high schools and elementary schools, and with youngsters in the Chicago Parks Department’s summer programs.  College students, who started out knowing little about the news, have returned to improve their skills and to tell community’s stories.

 

His drive to improve the storytelling about Westside Chicago got a welcome boost recently when the Chicago Youth Voices Network CYVN, which represents youth media groups across the city, invited the Westside Writing Project to join them.

 

The plunge into media training and community journalism still seems awkward for Latin. “I’m an econ guy,” he says. His media savvy is “all self taught.”

 

Indeed, with undergraduate and master’s degrees in economics from Roosevelt University, Latin, 45, has worked at Illinois Department of Employment Security and now he works at the US Department of Labor’s Chicago office. He came to Roosevelt University and Chicago from Muskegon, Mi. on and settled into the West Side more than a decade ago.

 

Financial support has come in slowly and in dribbles the Westside Writing Project. But Latin is optimistic. He is willing to take on non-paying efforts, such as some of the group’s work with the Chicago Public Schools, in the hope that they will open the door to money one day soon.

 

With sufficient support, he talks of telling stories that counter the gloomy, and heartbreaking descriptions in the news media about the West Side. He doesn’t ignore the depth of problems of his community.

 

He can measure it by listening to the parents of the youth, who come through his project.  “I just see a lot of people outside of the labor market,” he says. “A lot of people are waiting to get their check or they are trying to make it anyway possible. And a lot of people have just given up.

 

And he sees and hears the other stories as well, the stories about a community of people thriving, dreaming, and doing their best.

 

The stories about youth eager to learn, and community groups working hard to improve the neighborhood. He sees the adults who come to the project’s office, located at the Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center, 5820 W. Chicago Ave., to use the computers for job searches and for preparing resumes.

 

In a city of so many common strangers, this is not one place where they gather. It’s where what’s going on matters, and that’s what nailed Frank Latin’s ears and mind years ago.