Helping Capture Woodlawn’s History

(Image: Woodlawn Voices & Visions Project)

Teens in the Woodlawn neighborhood didn’t taking the summer off from learning. They documented the area’s history with the help of CAN TV, capturing unique life stories of their neighbors to share with Chicago and the world.

“I spoke with elders about the civil rights movement, segregation, and how they’ve seen changes in our neighborhood,” said Malik Lacey, one of 30 students taking part in the Woodlawn Voices and Visions Project.

The project provides teens from Woodlawn with the skills they need to create an archive of their neighborhood’s history, told through the lens of its residents.

After learning how to operate video equipment, the students recorded interviews with their elderly neighbors using digital video cameras provided by CAN TV. These stories are being edited into documentaries and shown on CAN TV, in the community, and online, reaching audiences in Chicago and beyond.

“Too often our story is told for us and not by us,” said Gabriel Piemonte, one of the directors of the Woodlawn Voices and Visions Project. “The students now have the tools and the access to tell stories about their neighborhood’s past and to engage their community.”

Watch this program Sunday, November 23, at 11:30 a.m. on CAN TV21.