>> A LOCAL ALDERPERSON IS PROPOSING A NAME CHANGE FOR HIS SOUTH SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD.

DOUGLAS IS CURRENTLY NAMED AFTER STEPHEN DOUGLAS 19TH CENTURY POLITICAL FIGURE IN ILLINOIS WHOSE BELIEFS AND ACTIONS WE'RE DEEPLY INTERTWINED WITH THE HISTORY OF SLAVERY.

NOW THE 4TH WARD ALDERMAN IS LOOKING TO ADD AN S AT THE END OF THAT NAME TO REPRESENT FAMED ABOLITIONIST, FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

TO THIS FOLLOWS A SIMILAR MOVEMENT, AS YOU MIGHT RECALL IN CHICAGO'S WEST SIDE IN THE RENAMING OF DOUGLAS PARK IN 2020.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE ALDERMAN LAMONT ROBINSON OF THE 4TH WARD, WHICH INCLUDES PARTS OF THE DOUGLASS COMMUNITY AND LEYLA JOHNSON, AN 8TH GRADE STUDENT AT VILLAGE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY.

HER SCHOOL LED THE YOUTH GRASSROOTS MOVEMENT TO CHANGE THE NAME OF DOUGLAS PARK ON THE WEST SIDE.

THANKS YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

ALDERMAN STARTING WITH YOU.

WHY PUSH FOR THIS NAME CHANGE?

THE PROMISE OF A COMMUNITY IS A HISTORIC COMMUNITY.

MANY AFRICAN AMERICANS HAVE COME THROUGH THIS JAZZ BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT POLITICS AND SO TO CHANGE THE TO FREDERICK DOUGLASS, SOMEONE THAT WAS AN ABOLITIONIST, SOMEONE THEY GAVE SO MUCH TO THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY.

WHY NOT?

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE LYLA NEXT TO ME UNDERSTAND ITS HISTORY AND BE ABLE TO LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS.

THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AND THAT HISTORY.

AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE LOOKING TO CHANGE THE SO AS WE KNOW, AND AS WE'VE MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SIMILAR MOVEMENT LED BY STUDENTS AT THE VILLAGE LEADERSHIP TO RENAME DOUGLAS PARK ON THE WEST SIDE AFTER ABOLITIONIST, FREDERICK DOUGLASS AND ANNA MURRAY DOUGLASS YOU ALSO STATED THE STUDENT SUCCEEDED.

WHAT WOULD YOUR SCHOOL TAKE AWAY FROM OR OR LEARN FROM THAT MOVEMENT?

I BELIEVE OUR SCHOOL TOOK AWAY CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.

AND THE KEY IS TO BE PERSISTENT BECAUSE THIS PROJECT TOOK SEVERAL YEARS.

AND I BELIEVE THAT INSPIRED US TO DO MORE >> SEVERAL OF OUR OTHER GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN MORE GET GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS GO ON ONE OF OUR GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGN, FOR EXAMPLE, IS SMOKING A FEW YEARS AGO THAT WELL, NOT CHANGE THE LAW, BUT WE CHANGE CERTAIN POLICIES AROUND SMOKING IN LEGAL AGE THAT YOU HAVE TO BEAT US MOAT AND SEVERAL OTHER GRASSROOTS CAMPAIGNS INCLUDE BOUNCING MEDIA HUNGER.

ONE TIME WE ORGANIZED A MEETING WHERE WE GAVE FOOD TO THE HOMELESS, ETCETERA, AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS.

SO LEARNING HOW TO HOW TO ORGANIZE DIFFERENT CAMPAIGNS AND DIFFERENT TOPICS.

IT SOUNDS LIKE INCLUDING THIS ONE ALDERMAN WHY ISN'T NAME WHETHER BE, YOU KNOW, THE NAME OF THE PARK OR A NEIGHBORHOOD WAS THE NAME IMPORTANT TO THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY.

>> THE NAME IS BECAUSE IT SHOWS US THAT WE NEED A SENSE OF COMMUNITY ALSO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THEIR HISTORY.

AND SO WHEN I'M LONG GONE THAT HISTORY WILL BE THERE.

AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO, KNOW, OUR HISTORY AND CHANGED THE NAME FROM DOUGLAS TO FREDERICK DOUGLASS.

>> LAYLA.

HOW IMPORTANT WOULD YOU SAY IT IS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF, YOUR CLASSMATES TO SORT OF TAKE CHARGE IN A GRASSROOTS EFFORT THAT THE STUDENTS ARE DOING IT VERSUS THE GROWN-UPS.

I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF THE LA WE SAY TOMORROW BELONGS TO THOSE WHO ARE PREPARED TODAY AND TOMORROW OR THE FUTURE IS THE YOUTH.

AND AS THE ALDERMAN SAID, HE WILL BE LONG GONE AND THE YOUTH WILL BE HERE WALLOWING AND WHATEVER THE FUTURE GENERATION HAVE SET FOR THEM.

AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO BETTER THE COMMUNITIES AND INSPIRE OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKE CHARGE AND FIGHT FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IS RIGHT.

HOW DO YOU THINK IT HELPS YOU AS A STUDENT?

I THINK IT'S HELPED ME BY INSPIRING ME TO BE MORE PRODUCTIVE AND NOT A BUT POSITIVE AND WORKING TO MAKE A CHANGE TOWARDS OUR COMMUNITIES AND WHAT IS IMPORTANT AND RIGHT.

ALDERMAN WHY FREDERICK DOUGLASS, WHAT WAS HIS RELATIONSHIP OR CONNECTION TO CHICAGO?

SO MANY PEOPLE MIGHT NOT KNOW BRAND IS THAT FREDERICK DOUGLASS SPENT A YEAR IN CHICAGO.

AND SO HE HAD TIES TO CHICAGO.

>> HE ALSO HAD TIES TO IDA B WELLS.

HE CONNECTED IDA B WELLS TO HER HUSBAND.

AND SO THERE'S CERTAINLY A HISTORY WITH NOT ONLY IDA B WELLS, BUT AGAIN LIVING IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO.

AND SO IT GOES BACK TO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW THE HISTORY AND THAT'S A DIRECT CONNECT TO WHY WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE THIS NAME CHANGE.

AND THEN ALSO LOOKING TO MAKE INVESTMENTS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

I SECURED 150 MILLION $150,000.

EXCUSE IT WOULD BE GREAT.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT PERSON.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FOR AN HVAC SYSTEM.

AND SO AGAIN, NOT ONLY IS A NAME CHANGE THERE, BUT WE ALSO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS WELL.

HELD A COMMUNITY MEETING ABOUT THIS LAST NIGHT.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM RESIDENTS SO FAR?

NOT ONLY THE COMMUNITY MEETING, BUT I'M TO RECEIVING CALLS AND WITH POSITIVE TO THIS NAME CHANGE IN MANY PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY.

MANY PEOPLE JUST THINK ABOUT BRONZEVILLE.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF DOUGLAS AND HIM HIS CONNECTION TO SLAVERY, UNFORTUNATELY.

BUT A LOT OF POSITIVE RESPONSES FROM THE COMMUNITY.

AND THAT IS WHY WE BROUGHT THE COMMUNITY.

AND BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAD INPUT AND THIS NAME CHANGE, WHAT ARE WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FOR THIS PROPOSAL?

THE NEXT STEPS IS TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR APPROVAL.

AND ONCE GO THROUGH CITY COUNCIL AND WE WILL GET THAT APPROVAL, I'M SURE THAT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WILL HAVE A NEW OK, THAT WILL HAVE TO