Before the lights hanging on a 20-foot Christmas tree off South Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive began to glow, Jahmal Cole had a message for the crowd at the My Block, My Hood holiday celebration , MyCity.
There are still decorations on the roads in neighborhoods like Uptown, Edgewater and Greek Town, Cole said. But such festive events don’t often take place on the South Side, he added.
That means the soon-to-be-lit tree represented more than just holiday cheer, he argued.
“This represents our defense of our community,” he said. “This tree represents us standing so that all voices are respected. This tree represents us standing so that the south side has light. »
Cole’s nonprofit lit up dozens of homes Saturday, part of the organization’s effort to decorate more than 500 homes this Christmas. Most of the decorated homes were along King Drive, although the organization also served about 100 homes in West Side neighborhoods, Cole said.
Volunteers set up the inflatables, ornaments, wreaths and light bulbs at the heart of the ‘Be A Part Of The Light’ event. They also decorated lamp posts, many adorned with spiraling red ribbons and garlands outside Park Manor Christian Church, where children’s activities took place throughout the day.
The “South Pole” set up there included hot chocolate, train rides and, of course, a Santa laden with gifts and dressed in a red coat with white fur trim.
About 100 children entered and exited the platform where Andre Russell, who goes by “Dreezy Claus,” handed out gifts Friday afternoon. But a boy about 10 years old stuck out on Russell’s mind later that day.
The boy had come alone, Russell said, and when it was his turn to greet St. Nick and receive a gift, he asked if he could get one for his sister.
“I said, ‘Sure, go for it,’” Russell recalled.
The boy only took one gift, a playful tea set clearly intended for his brother.
“It moved us so much. I said, ‘Come back here, get yourself something too,'” Russell said.
The child accepted gratefully.
No child cried this year while sitting on his lap, Russell said. In fact, they all seemed to believe in the magic of Santa Claus. As always, the veteran elf gave them good advice.
“Be nice, not mean.” Listen to your parents. Listen to your teachers. If you’re the big brother, be the big brother, be the big sister,” said Russell, who calls himself “Chicago’s first black Santa” and sports a salt-and-pepper beard and braids under his red cap.
As a band played inside before the tree lighting, a five-year-old girl named Madysyn hugged Dreezy Claus to say goodbye. He’s the girls’ favorite Santa Claus, her grandmother said.
Lights and toys may be simple, but they can inspire hope, Cole said. By spreading a little cheer and adding a festive touch to dark neighborhoods or struggling gas stations, the effort may even increase public safety, he said.
“When kids see this, it inspires hope and interrupts their trauma,” he said.
It was difficult for the nonprofit organization to hold the expensive event this year with fewer corporate sponsors, Cole said. The lack of city-funded decorations on the South Side is a subtle reminder that leaders respond to violence reactively instead of proactively cultivating a sense of pride that can solve problems, he added .
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“If you can put ShotSpotter technology on streetlights, but you can’t put flower crowns, that’s a deliberate decision,” Cole said, referring to gunshot detection systems scattered throughout the city. city.
If lights can be beautiful in downtown, they can also be beautiful in Chatham, said Lena Bivins, manager of the My Block, My Hood, My City program.
“And if you look good, you feel good,” she said. “People are happy. People feel cared for… They will look out for the community when they know someone is looking out for them.
The organization plans to decorate more homes next week, Bivins said.
After the music stopped inside a party tent, people gathered outside around the unlit tree. For about 10 minutes, the expected burst of light did not occur because, in true Christmas decoration fashion, the staff was dealing with a cord problem.
But the cork finally worked and light flooded the towering tree. Its large red and silver light bulb ornaments twinkled as cars honked on King Drive.
