October 3, 2025 • 7 mins
"Policy Promises, Community Realities & The Violence Intervention Paradox,” exposes the disconnect between government commitments and life on the ground in Black Chicago. Through the voices of Marquinn McDonald, Akilah McCord, city leaders, and advocates, listeners witness the daily grind of community violence intervention amid funding gaps, political maneuvering, and uncertain nonprofit futures. This episode dives deep into the paradoxes of major city investments and block club efforts, revealing how true safety and self-governance are forged not in city hall meetings but in the kitchens and sidewalks of Bronzeville. The result is an unfiltered look at how hope, exhaustion, and determination mix as residents confront promises and realities—and build the blueprint for the next chapter of survival and resistance.
*This work was made possible in part by funding from the Alliance Matters campaign, an initiative of Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA) and the Field Foundation.
https://www.cnwmedia.com
*This work was made possible in part by funding from the Alliance Matters campaign, an initiative of Chicago Independent Media Alliance (CIMA) and the Field Foundation.
https://www.cnwmedia.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
This is the CNW Network, a platform where brilliance meets
everyday life, from politics and sports to entertainment. At interviews,
we go beyond the headlines with storytelling that connects, heels
and inspires, and with freedom banter to keep it real.
CNW is shaped by your world and shared with your
(00:24):
voice from Chicago to the nation. Welcome to the movement,
Welcome to CNW.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Previously on Cornered, we met Mark quin MacDonald, Aquila McCord,
and Chris Davis, three leaders on Chicago's South Side navigating violence,
housing insecurity, and economic procarity. You heard our parking fees jumped, overnight,
eviction notices shortened to five days, and even nonprofit executives
live grant to grant. That was episode one, a teaser
(00:57):
showing the stakes. Now settle in for a deep We're
laying out the facts behind the policy promises and the
community realities they collide with. Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration has
positioned itself as a progressive force for racial equality, signing
executive orders on protest rights and proposing a one point
twenty five billion dollars in housing investments, But the gap
(01:19):
between city hall announcements in block level reality remains vast.
Johnson's twenty twenty five budget includes a controversial three hundred
million dollar property tax increase, breaking campaign promises while adding
financial pressure to residents already struggling with housing cost The
mayor's housing bond proposal earmarks up to three hundred and
(01:39):
ninety million dollars for affordable rental homes, but federal Low
income tax credits only require fifteen years of affordability, after
which housing can return to market rates. At the state level,
Governor J. B. Pritzer announced two hundred and fifty million
dollars to address racial disparities and homelessness, acknowledging that black
Illinoisans are eight times more likely to be unhoused in
(02:01):
white residents, yet implementation remains sluggish. The African American HIV
AIDS Response Act, designed to fund black lead service providers,
saw zero dollars allocated in twenty twenty despite a fifteen
million dollar appropriation, while white lead organizations received infrastructure funding
for new facilities. The real activists aren't getting consistent support.
(02:25):
McDonald observes the loudest voices aren't always the most authored.
These funding disparities reflect broader structural issues. Illinois's African American
Employment Plan shows incremental progress in state hiring, with twenty
two cms diversity and inclusion community partner interns placed across
agencies in twenty twenty four, but the program scale pales
(02:47):
compared to the systematic barriers facing black professionals and entrepreneurs.
McCord's questioned, as city leaders cuts to the heart of
the implementation gap. How will you ensure that job creation
and housing policies truly reached the grassroot level, not just
large organizations, so small nonprofits and entrepreneurs can sustain themselves
and create jobs. Chicago's approach to community violence reveals another
(03:14):
layer of policy contradictions. You couldn't refer to it as
the violence intervention paradox. The government Alliance for Safe Communities
announced in unprecedented one hundred million dollars in public funding
for community violence intervention programs in twenty twenty five, with
twenty million allocated through Cook County's initiative. Yet McDonald's nightly
(03:34):
patrols continue because formal systems remain inadequate. The police department
has always complained about being short staffed, he explains, so
we took it upon ourselves. To step out as community members.
WatchGuard Chicago represents a model of community self governments born
from necessity. When violence erupted in August, McDonald's team was
(03:56):
collecting shell casings while police struggle to secure the scene.
You want to know who picked up the showcase. Since
that day, we did, and it ain't the first time.
The organization's approach emphasizes de escalation over enforcement. If it's
two folks argument, if it's a fight breaking out, we
can have the numbers and offer support, McDonald explains, but
(04:17):
when guns appear, we would generally let that be the police.
This hybrid model community intervention backed by strategic police cooperation
has shown results. McDonald credits block club formation with reducing
violence in this area, though recent shootings in Bronzeville highlight
ongoing challenges. The one hundred million dollar CVII investment represents
(04:39):
recognition of community led solutions, but funding often flows to
established organizations rather than grassroot groups doing the daily intervention work. Meanwhile,
McDonald continues his four forty five am routine, unpaid and exhausted,
because this is the work for longtime residents like McDonald,
(05:00):
who grew up in Chicago and have witnessed decades of change,
the current moment feels both familiar and unprecedented. Chicago has gumption,
he says, using a word that captures the city's particular
brand of resilience. There ain't nothing like a Chicago sports fan,
nothing like summertime in shutdown, but that gumption now faces
(05:21):
challenges that transcend individual determination. McCord identifies a generational shift
affecting young people across economic levels. Young people face higher
cost of living, mental health pressures, and social media comparisons
that I never had. For many the past, disability feels
less certain despite more education and talent. Davis, working with
(05:42):
youth in his dual role as educator and barber, sees
these pressure's firsthand. There's so much stuff going on in
the city of Chicago, he says, describing his work creating
safe haven environments where young people can develop without constant threat.
The data supports these observations. Despite Chicago's status as the
third largest city in major economic black residents face structural
(06:05):
barriers that have only intensified. According to the Chicago Metropolitan
Airy Agency for Planning, medium household income for white Chicagoans
reaches roughly eighty nine thousand compared to roughly twenty seven
thousand black Chicagoans, a staggering statistic I'd like to repeat.
According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, median household
(06:26):
income for white Chicagoans reaches eighty nine thousand compared to
twenty seven thousand for Black Chicagoans, a disparity that affects
everything from housing to business capital. Home in Chicago means
legacy and resilience, a place where my children can grow
roots and carry forward values of service. Mcord exploitants. Over time, though,
(06:46):
it has become more expensive, more segmented, and ultimately making
it harder for working families to stay in the neighborhoods
they love. From grand announcements of city Hall to the
block by block reality on Bronzeville Shire, the gap between
promise and practice is stark, and it's Black Chicagoans who
will fill it, often at a great personal cost. Next time,
(07:09):
on Cornered, we move beyond the headlines to solutions in action.
We'll chart the business of survival from the barbershop's mentorship
mentorship hub to block cub block club blockades against violence.
Say that three times fast and ask how Bronsville's blueprint
can inform a future where home truly means hope. Until
next time, I'm Malachi Webster and This is Cornered, produced
(07:32):
by Chicago News Weekly,
This is the CNW Network, a platform where brilliance meets
everyday life, from politics and sports to entertainment. At interviews,
we go beyond the headlines with storytelling that connects, heels
and inspires, and with freedom banter to keep it real.
CNW is shaped by your world and shared with your
(00:24):
voice from Chicago to the nation. Welcome to the movement,
Welcome to CNW.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Previously on Cornered, we met Mark quin MacDonald, Aquila McCord,
and Chris Davis, three leaders on Chicago's South Side navigating violence,
housing insecurity, and economic procarity. You heard our parking fees jumped, overnight,
eviction notices shortened to five days, and even nonprofit executives
live grant to grant. That was episode one, a teaser
(00:57):
showing the stakes. Now settle in for a deep We're
laying out the facts behind the policy promises and the
community realities they collide with. Mayor Brandon Johnson's administration has
positioned itself as a progressive force for racial equality, signing
executive orders on protest rights and proposing a one point
twenty five billion dollars in housing investments, But the gap
(01:19):
between city hall announcements in block level reality remains vast.
Johnson's twenty twenty five budget includes a controversial three hundred
million dollar property tax increase, breaking campaign promises while adding
financial pressure to residents already struggling with housing cost The
mayor's housing bond proposal earmarks up to three hundred and
(01:39):
ninety million dollars for affordable rental homes, but federal Low
income tax credits only require fifteen years of affordability, after
which housing can return to market rates. At the state level,
Governor J. B. Pritzer announced two hundred and fifty million
dollars to address racial disparities and homelessness, acknowledging that black
Illinoisans are eight times more likely to be unhoused in
(02:01):
white residents, yet implementation remains sluggish. The African American HIV
AIDS Response Act, designed to fund black lead service providers,
saw zero dollars allocated in twenty twenty despite a fifteen
million dollar appropriation, while white lead organizations received infrastructure funding
for new facilities. The real activists aren't getting consistent support.
(02:25):
McDonald observes the loudest voices aren't always the most authored.
These funding disparities reflect broader structural issues. Illinois's African American
Employment Plan shows incremental progress in state hiring, with twenty
two cms diversity and inclusion community partner interns placed across
agencies in twenty twenty four, but the program scale pales
(02:47):
compared to the systematic barriers facing black professionals and entrepreneurs.
McCord's questioned, as city leaders cuts to the heart of
the implementation gap. How will you ensure that job creation
and housing policies truly reached the grassroot level, not just
large organizations, so small nonprofits and entrepreneurs can sustain themselves
and create jobs. Chicago's approach to community violence reveals another
(03:14):
layer of policy contradictions. You couldn't refer to it as
the violence intervention paradox. The government Alliance for Safe Communities
announced in unprecedented one hundred million dollars in public funding
for community violence intervention programs in twenty twenty five, with
twenty million allocated through Cook County's initiative. Yet McDonald's nightly
(03:34):
patrols continue because formal systems remain inadequate. The police department
has always complained about being short staffed, he explains, so
we took it upon ourselves. To step out as community members.
WatchGuard Chicago represents a model of community self governments born
from necessity. When violence erupted in August, McDonald's team was
(03:56):
collecting shell casings while police struggle to secure the scene.
You want to know who picked up the showcase. Since
that day, we did, and it ain't the first time.
The organization's approach emphasizes de escalation over enforcement. If it's
two folks argument, if it's a fight breaking out, we
can have the numbers and offer support, McDonald explains, but
(04:17):
when guns appear, we would generally let that be the police.
This hybrid model community intervention backed by strategic police cooperation
has shown results. McDonald credits block club formation with reducing
violence in this area, though recent shootings in Bronzeville highlight
ongoing challenges. The one hundred million dollar CVII investment represents
(04:39):
recognition of community led solutions, but funding often flows to
established organizations rather than grassroot groups doing the daily intervention work. Meanwhile,
McDonald continues his four forty five am routine, unpaid and exhausted,
because this is the work for longtime residents like McDonald,
(05:00):
who grew up in Chicago and have witnessed decades of change,
the current moment feels both familiar and unprecedented. Chicago has gumption,
he says, using a word that captures the city's particular
brand of resilience. There ain't nothing like a Chicago sports fan,
nothing like summertime in shutdown, but that gumption now faces
(05:21):
challenges that transcend individual determination. McCord identifies a generational shift
affecting young people across economic levels. Young people face higher
cost of living, mental health pressures, and social media comparisons
that I never had. For many the past, disability feels
less certain despite more education and talent. Davis, working with
(05:42):
youth in his dual role as educator and barber, sees
these pressure's firsthand. There's so much stuff going on in
the city of Chicago, he says, describing his work creating
safe haven environments where young people can develop without constant threat.
The data supports these observations. Despite Chicago's status as the
third largest city in major economic black residents face structural
(06:05):
barriers that have only intensified. According to the Chicago Metropolitan
Airy Agency for Planning, medium household income for white Chicagoans
reaches roughly eighty nine thousand compared to roughly twenty seven
thousand black Chicagoans, a staggering statistic I'd like to repeat.
According to the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, median household
(06:26):
income for white Chicagoans reaches eighty nine thousand compared to
twenty seven thousand for Black Chicagoans, a disparity that affects
everything from housing to business capital. Home in Chicago means
legacy and resilience, a place where my children can grow
roots and carry forward values of service. Mcord exploitants. Over time, though,
(06:46):
it has become more expensive, more segmented, and ultimately making
it harder for working families to stay in the neighborhoods
they love. From grand announcements of city Hall to the
block by block reality on Bronzeville Shire, the gap between
promise and practice is stark, and it's Black Chicagoans who
will fill it, often at a great personal cost. Next time,
(07:09):
on Cornered, we move beyond the headlines to solutions in action.
We'll chart the business of survival from the barbershop's mentorship
mentorship hub to block cub block club blockades against violence.
Say that three times fast and ask how Bronsville's blueprint
can inform a future where home truly means hope. Until
next time, I'm Malachi Webster and This is Cornered, produced
(07:32):
by Chicago News Weekly,
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