Located on Chicago’s South Side, the Grand Boulevard community is home to several historic institutions. The area is also known to many for its Bronzeville neighborhood.
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The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is among the historical institutions. It’s a Chicago landmark that has been in the neighborhood for nearly 120 years.
Many influential people have passed through the church, especially during the civil rights movement like Martin Luther King Jr. This church is also known as the birthplace of gospel music.
Now, the church is hoping to receive a $900,000 grant through a city program to help with repairs and renovations.
“It’s going to go to the roof, tuck pointing HVACs, things that we have to repair or restore. It’s a beautiful edifice, and it’s a treasure for Chicago, and we want to have this space available for the next generation of Chicagoans to continue doing the work of ministry in our community,“ said the Rev. Darryl Person.
The Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church is a historical institution and landmark that has been in the neighborhood for nearly 120 years. (WTTW News)
A few blocks from the church is Cook County’s Provident Hospital, which is where the nation's first open-heart surgery took place in 1893.
Dr. Claudia Fegan, chief medical officer at Cook County Health, she said they are feeling the impact of the surge in COVID-19 cases in the city. She also mentioned the concern surrounding the holidays and COVID-19.
“We are seeing patients with COVID increasing, and we also have been seeing people who haven’t got care. They’ve had delayed care because they were hesitant to come in and so the census for hospitals is very high,” Fegan said.
With Christmas around the corner and concerns over the omicron variant, physicians and officials are asking people not to let their guards down.
Cook County’s Provident Hospital is where the nation's first open-heart surgery took place in 1893. (WTTW News)
The area’s Ald. Pat Dowell said the Grand Boulevard community has one of the lowest vaccination rates.
“The ZIP code 60653, which is the Grand Boulevard community, the number is below 77%, closer to 67% so we have ways to go. I think it’s a lot of the millennials who have misconceptions about the vaccine and probably some of our seniors who have the same misconception,” said Dowell.
Many businesses in Grand Boulevard have felt the economic impact of the pandemic, but the owner of Chicago’s Home of Chicken and Waffles on King Drive says it has been lucky.
Darnell Johnson opened the restaurant in 2008 and has been able to stay afloat — even during the height of the pandemic — thanks to third-party delivery apps.
“We were ahead of the curve. We had started third-party delivery about seven years ago. We were one of the few that believed in third-party delivery — it is a numbers game if you’re doing numbers, you make money… so when the pandemic hit we were right at the top of places where you called him to get food,” said Johnson.
However, the restaurant has faced issues finding enough staff like other small businesses.
But, customers have continued to pour in. Patrons at the restaurant this week say it’s the hospitality and the food that brings them in.
“When our customers walk into the door we tell them welcome to our home. This is our home and in these doors there’s nothing but love, nothing but good people, support of people and when they come in we show love to them and we treat everyone with respect. It’s like a safe haven,” said Brian Mills, manager at Chicago’s Home of Chicken and Waffles.
Darnell Johnson, opened Chicago’s Home of Chicken and Waffles in 2008, and has been able to stay afloat — even during the height of the pandemic — thanks to third party delivery apps. (WTTW News)
Centers for New Horizons is a nonprofit based in the area, but works across the city.
“We have about a 50-year history and matter of fact we are celebrating 50 years this year. In the community specifically, we do work centered around child care, we also do work around workforce development, working with individuals to help them to obtain employment, vocational training, as well as violence prevention work that we do,” said Cleophus Lee, director of violence prevention and intervention programs at Centers for New Horizons.
Video: Watch our full interview with Cleophus Lee.
Bringing the Holiday Spirit to King Drive
King Drive — named after Martin Luther King Jr. — used to be named Grand Boulevard, which is where the community area got its name.
Chatham-based My Block, My Hood, My City, is lining King Drive with holiday lights for the fourth year in a row as a part of its Be A Part of the Light initiative. From 51st and King Drive, starting on the southern border of Grand Boulevard to 112th and King Drive, the organization decorated homes and light poles with bows, ribbons, garland and lights.
“I got tired of seeing police car lights, and helicopter lights and drone lights on King Drive. I wanted to see some holiday lights. There’s nothing inspirational about ordering your food through bulletproof windows, there’s nothing inspirational about seeing helicopter lights. So to interrupt that trauma and to inspire hope, we started hanging holiday lights on homes and hanging holiday lights on poles,” said Jahmal Cole, founder of My Block, My Hood, My City.
Video: Watch our full interview with Jahmal Cole.
“Chicago Tonight” is expanding its community reporting. We’re hitting the streets to speak with your neighbors, local businesses, agencies and leaders about COVID-19, the economy, racial justice, education and more. See where we’ve been and what we’ve learned by using the map below. Or select a community using the drop-down menu. Points in red represent our series COVID-19 Across Chicago; blue marks our series “Chicago Tonight” in Your Neighborhood.Community Reporting Series
