A Chicago-based Black Lives Matter activist has big plans to create opportunities for at-risk youths. Ja’Mal Green announced plans Tuesday to open a youth center in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, CBS News Chicago reports.
Green and his partners want to house a program, which targets young people age 12 to 24, at a facility in February that’s expected to be vacant soon.
“We’re going to guide them through school and make sure they’re ready to go to college,” Green said, according to CBS. “We’re going to teach them the tools they need to be successful, instead of walking around in the streets and hanging with their friends, with nothing to do, in survival mode.”
Green, however, faces a familiar roadblock that could derail his vision.
“So far, we have a few thousand dollars—it’s something,” the activist said. “We need to raise about $47,000.”
For anyone who doubts his determination, a confident Green, 21, pointed to his accomplishments, despite his youth.
“I’ve been doing work in the community for years,” he said. “I opened up my own company at 15 years old, and I was traveling the country at 15 years old, and talking to schools booking me all over the country.”
Green gained notoriety calling for Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s resignation over the Laquan McDonald shooting and apparent cover-up attempt.
The Chicago Tribune reported that the activist was arrested for allegedly assaulting a Chicago Police officer during a protest in July. He’s pleaded not guilty.
24 Powerful Photos Of Resistance
24 Powerful Photos Of Resistance
1. Protests Continue In Baton Rouge After Police Shooting Death Of Alton Sterling
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2. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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3. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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4. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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5. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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6. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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7. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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8. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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9. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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10. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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11. Black Lives Matter Protest In NYC
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12. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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13. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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14. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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15. Activists At The White House Protest Shooting Deaths Of Two Black Men By Police
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16. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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17. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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18. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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19. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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20. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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21. Activists At The White House Protest Shooting Deaths Of Two Black Men By Police
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22. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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23. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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24. Activists Hold March Protesting Police Shooting Of Philando Castile
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25. Activists At The White House Protest Shooting Deaths Of Two Black Men By Police
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Continue reading 24 Powerful Photos Of Resistance
24 Powerful Photos Of Resistance
SOURCE: CBS News Chicago, Chicago Tribune
SEE ALSO:
Former Education Secretary Arne Duncan Back In Chicago To Help Dropouts
Black Lives Matter Creates Interactive Map Of Black-Owned Businesses
