The events of Baltimore have brought the topic of violence and whether or not systematic racism exists to the forefront. These issues have been prominent in modern society for quite some time now, particularly in major cities like Chicago, where safety concerns lie around every corner.

An Issue of Violence

Chicago is the third-most populous city in the United States and the metropolitan area is home to almost 10 million people (as of the 2010 census). Chicago also ranks as one of the most violent cities in America. As of May 13, there have been 761 shooting victims in Chicago and 131 homicides reported in 2015 alone. An overwhelming majority of the shooting victims are males between the ages of 18-30.  At this rate, there are, on average, about five shootings every day of the year.

A majority of the shootings have taken place in the West and South Sides of Chicago. While the city has not experienced the riots associated with court cases in Ferguson and Baltimore, it has been home to significantly more frequent events while attracting less national attention, which is a big problem that needs to be addressed due to the fact that these events are more common and just as significant.

The War in Chiraq

There have been many debates as to how to handle the problems in Chicago (and nationwide). Some have suggested that the police force needs to be expanded to attend to situations quicker and more often. Others have criticized Rahm Emanuel and the current government for failing to repair the city. The most common debate among city leaders is about how to manage gun control policies. On one side of the spectrum, people have been clamoring for the criminalization of guns entirely while others expressed concern that changing the gun laws would violate the 2nd Amendment.

However, the larger problem isn’t necessarily in the weapons themselves after all but rather within the family. The kids who have to grow up in challenging neighborhoods are often times subject to violent treatment within the household from their parents, more colloquially known as domestic violence, as reported by the NCADV (National Coalition Against Domestic Violence). According to Safe Horizon, an anti-violence initiative, more than three million children across the nation have witnessed cases of domestic violence within their homes. These kids are surrounded by harsh conditions and the only mechanism they know to fix problems is to resort to violence, which needs to be reformers’ focus when rebuilding Chicago and its citizens’ mindsets.

Reason for Hope

Despite all of the violence and corruption in Chicago, there has still been optimism in the form of relief and reform efforts. A number of both celebrities and everyday citizens have been active in speaking out against the violence and are doing their part in fixing the community. Musical artists such as Kanye West and Common have mentioned the issues found in Chicago in their songs, with their own personal interpretations mixed in. West’s “Murder to Excellence” was featured on his collaborative album Watch the Throne with Jay Z, which was a hit back in 2011. Joakim Noah, along with fellow Bulls teammate and Chicago native Derrick Rose, promoted the #ChicagoStandUp movement in order to put an end to the violence communally.

Even the less-popular citizens of the city have been involved. Theaster Gates, a potter and artist from the west side of Chicago, is one person who has attempted to repair the city by embracing its culture. Gates, who was featured on TED Talks, has been active in using his artistic and architectural skills to transform previously abandoned buildings and “crack houses” into libraries and archive houses serving as a collective hub to promote the arts and education. Individuals such as Dr. Fred Richardson Jr. of the Englewood neighborhood have been a part of philanthropic efforts to help the citizens of Chicago. In this case, Dr. Richardson has been travelling to people’s homes and giving medical attention to the sick or needy, free of charge. The city needs more individual efforts like this if it wants to begin the path to reducing violence and murder to a minimum.

The future of Chicago may be cloudy and in jeopardy, but some reformers and citizens have been doing their best to reinvigorate the city. The road to bringing the city back to its days of being a place where tourists were welcome to visit without large scale violence plaguing every street begins from the inside out, with the people. I’m sure shootings, homicides, and thefts aren’t what Dr. King envisioned when he dreamed of society living in peace without the issues of race and inequality at the forefront. Although it’s unrealistic to expect violence to go away entirely, if the people of Chicago can all join in and help renew the city together, then significant progress can be made.