By Sedarius Commings
To close out the year, the sixth-grade students at KIPP Academy Chicago participated in their very first writing competition: the On the Corner Contest. We asked students to write about a significant memory they experienced in the city of Chicago. They were prompted with questions such as: What is your favorite part about where you live? What would you want someone to know about your Chicago? Why is Chicago important to you? Out of 100 entries, we selected the top 6 stories to publish, sharing the voices of some of the youngest authors of Chicago’s history. We’re excited to announce Sedarius Commings as a competition finalist!
My first day at KIPP I was nervous. I didn’t know what was going to happen. Sometimes when I watch the news, I hear about violence in Chicago. Donald Trump said that Chicago is filled with violence. I don’t believe that, and I feel that schools can help stop violence and racism. KIPP taught me to respect others and the city of Chicago.
Police brutality shouldn’t happen. I think the government should do more about violence and racism. They only want us blacks to try and fix Chicago, which I’m not saying we can’t do, it’s just that it’s their responsibility too. When you go on the internet, you won’t see white people getting killed by the police. We the People have to do something.
Chicago killing this year has been a disaster, but people who are not from Chicago think that anywhere you go you will get hurt. That’s not true. Many special things occur in Chicago aside from killings. I feel that you can have your own opinion about Chicago, but my opinion is still the same: Chicago is a great city beyond the violence so people who don’t live in Chicago should wake up and see the light.
We can change Chicago, only if people believe in changing and respecting it.
