Day 13 called for caffeine. Our morning began with a walk around one of Chicago’s neighborhoods that’s rich with Latinx culture, Pilsen. We stopped at a local coffeeshop in the community and set off for a walking mural tour. Pilsen is adorned with murals that represent the various stories in the community from the journey of immigration, the stories from youth in Chicago, the influence of prominent Latinx figures, the tragic outcomes of police violence, and the complexity and simplicity of everyday life in Pilsen. We paired up with our journey partners and were able to reflect on the feelings and emotions invoked in the murals and how art was being used to tell the stories unique to this neighborhood.
Throughout the immersion, we have viewed murals as a form of resistance and reclamation. As taking up physical space in a place, they can send a significant message that the power is still in the people who are from and live in that community. From Detroit to Chicago, art has been used as a method of sharing a story that might otherwise have been forgotten and sending a distinct and powerful message that “we are still here”.
Following our mural tour, we went off to Montrose Beach to each lunch and refresh before heading off for the rest of the busy day. Throughout our immersion trip, we have learned that rest is resistance. Taking a quick break to refuel before engaging with content and community organizations has helped us stay intention throughout our trip. At Montrose Beach we all ate sandwiches with the view of Lake Michigan, even explored the beach, read, and soaked in some sunshine knowing that us Portlanders only get that so often.
As the day continued we headed off to Center on Halsted where we got a tour of their space and a better understanding of the services they offer. Center on Halsted is a community center dedicated to supporting the LGBTQ+ people of Chicago through programs and services that advance the well-being, health, and safety of LGBTQ+ folks. We learned about a variety of services from their free HIV testing center, volleyball open gym, a seven week culinary class and certificate program, therapy, youth programming, performances and more.
After five days connecting with the Inner-City Muslim Action Network’s staff and community, we got to have a goodbye dinner with a few members of their staff that we’ve gotten to know during our time here – Ahmad from Community Organizing, Ariya from the Ceramics Studio and Saleem from the Communications team.
-Taylor Sipila