ANGEL IDOWU.

>> YOU CAN SEE THE EXHIBIT AT THE ILLINOIS HOLOCAUST MUSEUM THROUGH APRIL 23rd.

>>> 1997, 13-YEAR-OLD BERNARD CLARK AND DIFFERENT DROVE THEIR BIKES AND TO BRIDGEPORT.

THERE, GROUP OF WHITE MEN BEAT HIM INTO A COMA FOR BEING LOCKED IN A WHITE NEIGHBORHOOD.

NEWS OF THE ATTACK SPREAD ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO EVEN AS HE WAS COMATOSE IN THE HOSPITAL, CITY LEADERS BEGAN CALLING FOR RACIAL RECONCILIATION.

THAT RAPID TURN , AT THE TIME WAS A COLLEGE STUDENT, FLEDGLING JOURNALIST, WEED DEALER PERIODS OF THE PODCAST, DIDN'T SEE NOTHING, REVISITS THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF THE CLARK STORY AS WELL AS THOSE IN HIS OWN LIFE.

JOHAN JOINS US NOW.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THE PODCAST NAME, YOU DIDN'T SEE NOTHING, WHERE DOES THAT COME FROM?

>> IT COMES FROM A GUY WHO SAW SOMETHING, WHO WAS THERE.

THERE WAS A GUY FROM BRIDGEPORT WHO WITNESSED THIS BEATING, CALLED THE POLICE, THE POLICE CAME AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON AS THE WITNESS BEGINS TO TELL HIM.

FIRST OF ALL, OTHER RESIDENTS OUT THERE CLAIMING IT WAS A MEXICAN PERSON WHO IS BEATING HIM AND HIS FRIENDS.

WHEN THE GUY WHO CALLED THE POLICE STOP, THAT IS NOT HOW IT WENT, BRIDGEPORT RESIDENT FROM THE CROWD SAID YOU DIDN'T SEE NOTHING.

BASICALLY THREATENING , YOU KNOW, YOU DIDN'T SEE NOTHING.

THAT STUCK OUT AND MADE A LOT OF SENSE.

WE TOOK A QUOTE STRAIGHT FROM THE INCIDENT.

>> YOU SAY IN THE PODCAST BLACK KIDS GETTING ATTACKED BY WHITE KIDS IN CHICAGO IS NOT UNUSUAL EVEN IN 1997.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THE CLARK STORY THAT STUCK OUT ?

>> HE WAS SO YOUNG AND BEATEN SO VICIOUSLY IN BRIDGEPORT BY YOUNG MEN MUCH OLDER, MUCH BIGGER AND CLOSE ENOUGH TO MY OWN HOME AND WHERE I CAME , I FELT LIKE I HAD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, I FELT LIKE IT WAS HAPPENING ON MY WATCH.

'S >> WHAT MAJOR OWN STORY IN THIS PODCAST AS WELL ?

>> MY PRODUCERS AND I FELT LIKE I HAD AN INTERESTING PERSPECTIVE ON RACE RELATIONS AND AMERICAN CHICAGO HAVING BEEN OUT OF THE SYSTEM, OUT OF THE REAL WORLD FOR SO LONG.

THAT ABILITY TO LOOK BACK OFFERED ME UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE .

WE FELT LIKE JUST THE STORY OF ME BEING 23-YEAR-OLD UNTRAINED JOURNALIST DIVING INTO A CASE THAT BIG WAS ALSO A STORY IN ITSELF.

THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF MY OWN WHAT KIND OF MIRRORED HIS AND BECOMES THE TALE OF YOUNG MEN, LENARD AND MYSELF IN CHICAGO DURING THAT TIME.

>> YOU HAVE ARCHIVE FOOTAGE INCLUDING THE COVERAGE OF THE STORY IN THE PODCAST.

HERE IS A CLIP OF THE LATE RATE ELIZABETH BRACKETT ENTERING THE BRIDGEPORT MAN ABOUT THE ARREST OF THE THREE YOUNG MEN FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

THREE WHITE TEENAGERS CHARGED WITH THE ATTACK.

BRIDGEPORT SAYS THE NEIGHBORHOOD BOYS UNFAIRLY ACCUSED.

>> I'M SURE IF THEY WOULD'VE DONE THIS, THEY WOULD SAY SOMETHING TO OLDER GUY BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN PROUD OF IT.

NOT PROUD OF IT BUT SAID SOMETHING TO SOMEONE OLDER.

BECAUSE IT MAKES THEM LOOK GOOD.

>> WOULD YOU SAY BRIDGEPORT HAS CHANGED SINCE 1997?

>> YES, A LITTLE BIT.

IT HAS CHANGED ENOUGH THAT I THINK BRIDGEPORT RESIDENTS, EVEN THE MOST RACIST OF THEM, ARE SAVVY ENOUGH TO NOT DO THAT , SAY SOMETHING STUPID ON-AIR LIKE THAT.

AT THE SAME TIME, YOUNG LADY WHO OWNS, BLACK WOMAN THAT OWNS A RESTAURANT IN BRIDGEPORT THAT WAS JUST VANDALIZED AND SPRAY-PAINTED WITH ALL KIND OF RACIAL EPITHETS.

IT HAS CHANGED BUT CHANGED IN A WAY RACISM IN AMERICA HAS CHANGED ON ITS FACE.

TAKING A NEW FORM.

IT IS STILL AT ITS CORE , I THINK IT IS STILL BRIDGEPORT.

THERE ARE SOME BLACK RESIDENTS AND WHITE RESIDENTS WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER SIGNS ON THEIR FRONT YARD.

SO THAT IS A CHANGE .

AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE STILL IN CHICAGO AND IN AMERICA.

>> YOU TALK SOME OF THE INVESTIGATION YOU DID INTO THE STORY AT THE TIME, PARTICULARLY HOW THE LOCAL MEDIA COVERED IT AT THE TIME.

HOW WOULD YOU SAY THEY DID THAT?

>> POORLY.

NOT EVERYBODY, THERE WAS A COUPLE REPORTERS HERE AND THERE REALLY TRYING TO DO QUALITY JOBS.

I THINK THAT WITHOUT SOCIAL MEDIA, I THINK THE TIME YOU HAD SO FEW MAJOR OUTLOOKS TO DO IT , THE PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO PUT THEIR BEST FOOT FORWARD KIND OF WANT ALLOWED TO.

THEY FACE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.

ALL IN ALL, I THINK THE WAY REPORTING WAS DONE BACK THEN, I REMEMBER GOING TO POLICE HEADQUARTERS, DIFFERENT STORY, NOT JUST THAT ONE, BEING REALLY SHOCKED TO SEE THAT JOURNALIST WEREN'T EVEN ASKING MANY QUESTIONS OF POLICE COMMANDERS AND OFFICERS RELAYING DETAILS OF THE DIFFERENT CRIMES.

A LOT OF JOURNALISTS WERE ACTING AS MIDDLEMEN BETWEEN THE POLICE AND COMMUNITY.

>> YOU ARE RIGHT, THE JOURNALIST STORY QUICKLY WENT FROM BEING POTENTIAL HATE CRIME , THE BEATING OF THIS YOUNG MAN, TO A STORY OF RACIAL HEALING AND RECONCILIATION ALMOST OVERNIGHT.

>> I ATTRIBUTE THAT TO OUTSIDE EFFORTS.

THE LEAD ATTACKER OF THE GANG THAT BEAT UP LENARD AND LEFT HIM LIKE THAT CAME FROM UP POWERFUL FAMILY WITH MOB TIES.

BRIDGEPORT FAMILY WHICH ALSO HAD POLITICAL TIES.

OUR MAYOR AT THE TIME, RICHARD DALEY WAS FROM BRIDGEPORT.

A LOT OF POLICE WERE FROM BRIDGEPORT.

SO BETWEEN THOSE TIES AND THOSE CONNECTIONS, THEY PUSHED A BIG MOVEMENT TO FLIP THE NARRATIVE AND SHIFT