The Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago

y youth workers, police and probation who were stationed inside and outside the meeting hall.Some of the older Latin King leaders attempted to disrupt the meeting because the Two Sixyouth were present. But the Latin King youth workers and police intervened to prevent a melee.Reporters of several major city and Spanish-language newspapers were present. An account ofthe memorial service appeared in the English and Spanish press in the following days.Subsequently, M.L.G. and the community youth workers were invited to participate inradio and television programs. Reports of the work of the Project and NAGV began to appear inthe national media. NAGV board meetings increased in frequency, and board attendanceimproved in the fall of 1994. The Catholic churches were particularly active in preparations forthe “Day of the Dead” marches in early November. Many gang youth (particularly Two-Six)along with their families were involved in a community march which ended up at the EpiphanyCatholic Church. Again, Project youth workers, police, and probation were present.In the early winter of 1994, the Governor of Illinois visited Little Village and publiclyawarded a $40,000 grant to NAGV through funds from the State’s Drug Prevention agency. TheWoods Charitable Trust, however, turned down the NAGV application on the basis that itrepresented essentially a one-person agency, had little citizen involvement, and was primarilyconcerned with the provision of agency services rather than community organizing (arequirement of the Trust). At about the same time, a non-profit organization charter was grantedto NAGV by the State of Illinois, with M. L. G. as chairperson and Pastor N. C. as co-chair.M. L. G. hired an assistant to provide family services, but she herself continued toconduct mothers’ group meetings. NAGV board meetings seemed to slacken again in the latewinter and early spring of 1994-95. The Project Coordinator encouraged M. L. G. to call an7.24