ALL.

TOGETHER, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TOGETHER WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>>> THE FUTURE OF CHICAGO IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF BRANDON JOHNSON AS HE GETS SWORN IN AS MAYOR ON MONDAY.

A LOT OF ISSUES WILL BE AWAITING CHICAGO'S 57th MAYOR INCLUDING CHOOSING THE LATEST POLICE SUPERINTENDENT, A GROWING MIGRANT CRISIS AND CRIME AS SUMMER APPROACHES.

WE SPOKE WITH SOME OF CHICAGO'S YOUNGER RESIDENTS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE FROM THEIR NEXT MAYOR AND THE FUTURE DIRECTION OF THE CITY.

JOINING US ARE 14-YEAR-OLD KAZIAH BURKE, 20-YEAR-OLD CHASE IRVIN, A PREVENTION SPECIALIST, AND, AN AUSTIN RESIDENT AND 17-YEAR-OLD CANTON LONDON.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.

CHASE, LEST START WITH YOU.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATION COMING INTO OFFICE?

>> FIRST I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CHANGE.

THAT IS SOMETHING VERY BIG ON THE WEST SIDE OF CHICAGO.

AND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN CHICAGO.

THAT I GREW UP IN CHICAGO ALL MY LIFE, ALL I HAVE BEEN HEARING IS WE WANT TO SEE CHANGE.

MOST PEOPLE SAY THEY CAN DO CHANGE BUT DON'T WANT TO DO IT.

WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE CHANGE AND THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU WANT TO HONOR THESE PEOPLE'S WORDS AND CREATE CHANGE.

>> KAZIAH, YOU'RE CAN YOUNGEST PANELIST HERE.

GLAD TO HAVE YOU, SO WHAT ARE YOU HOPING THE JOHNSON ADMINISTRATION WILL ADDRESS?

>> WELL AS I AM A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, I ASKED MY PEERS WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US WHERE WE CAN GO GET WHAT WE NEED.

MORE SAFE THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

>> YOU FEEL LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES CURRENTLY?

>> I DON'T.

>> WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE THAT IS?

>> I FEEL AS IF THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN OUR CITY AND THAT WITH ALL OF THE GUN VIOLENCE AND EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON AROUND US, IT IS HINDERING US FROM BECOMING WHAT WE COULD BE.

AND I FEEL THAT IF WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE CONNECTIONS WHERE EVERY HAD IT, THE CITY WILL LOOK BETTER AS A WHOLE AND US YOUNG PEOPLE, WE CAN TURN INTO BETTER PEOPLE OURSELVES.

>> CANTON, LET'S JUMP TO YOU.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MORE INVESTMENT.

AND I APOLOGIZE.

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MORE INVESTMENT IN EDUCATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE?

WHAT >> WHAT DOES SOME OF THAT LOOK LIKE?

WHAT AREAS SPECIFICALLY NEED MORE ATTENTION?

>> I THINK THE AREAS THAT NEED MORE ATTENTION WOULD BE LITERALLY EDUCATION.

ACADEMICS.

MORE INVESTMENT INTO SCHOOLS.

AND PROGRAMS THAT CULTIVATE THE MIND OF THE NEXT GENERATION.

SUMMER PROGRAMS, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS.

LIKE COLLEGES, STUDYING ABROAD.

THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUTH WOULD BE AN EXCELLENT INVESTMENT.

>> JUMPING GEARS, CHASE, I WANT TO GO BOOK BACK TO YOU, HOW COULD THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHICAGO'S YOUTH?

>> THEY CAN STRENGTHEN THEIR RELATIONSHIP BY DOING WHAT CHICAGO HAS DONE A GREAT JOB OF.

EVERY EVENT, WE MAKE SURE WE STAND OUT TO THE DISTRICT, ANYONE IN THE NEAR AREA AND WE HAVE EVENTS SURROUNDING POLICE SO KIDS CAN NOW HAVE A ONE ON ONE CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF OR THE COMMISSIONER AND JUST HAVE THAT ONE ON ONE BOND SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT THE PEOPLE ARE HERE TO PROTECT US.

>> WE HAVE SEEN A LOT OF YOUTH DOWNTOWN RECENTLY.

THE CITY RESPONDED BY KIND OF ENFORCING CURFEWS.

DO YOU THINK THIS IS THE BEST SOLUTION?

IF NOT, WHAT IS THE BETTER ALTERNATIVE?

>> I THINK THE CURFEWS ARE A STEP TOWARD ENDING THE TRENDS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT THE TRENDS HAPPEN BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE ARE NOT BUSY AS YOUNG PEOPLE IF THAT MAKES SENSE.

I BELIEVE IF WE WERE BUSY DOING GOOD THINGS, DOING WHAT WE LOVE, DOING AN INTERNSHIP, HAVING A JOB TO GO TO OR A SPORT OR SOME COMMUNITY EVENT, THEN I THINK THAT THOSE TRENDS WOULD CHANGE AND BECOME TRENDS FOR BETTER.

>> I WANT TO JUMP BACK TO YOU KENTON REALLY QUICKLY.

WHAT DO YOU SEE THE VALUE IN, IN INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL GIVING OUR STUDENTS AND YOUTH A PLACE TO CONGREGATE AND BE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL?

>> I THINK THAT IS A GREAT IDEA.

I THINK THAT HOLDS GREAT VALUE.

OCCUPYING THE YOUTH AND GIVING THEM THE RIGHT RESOURCES OR THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THEIR TIME TO MAKE GOOD FOR NOT ONLY THEMSELVES BUT FOR OTHERS.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA IN INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE OR BUILDING THAT CAN HOLD PROGRAMS LIKE SUMMER PROGRAMS OR HOST PROGRAMS LIKE THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM.

LIKE BUILD IS DOING CURRENTLY NOW IN CHICAGO.

WOULD BE BEYOND OR VERY, VERY CLOSE TO A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

>> ABSOLUTELY, CHASE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT RESOURCES THAT BUILD PROVIDES TO ENSURE THAT CHICAGO'S YOUTH HAVE THE SPACE TO BE OUTSIDE OF JUST OUTSIDE?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

BUILD HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS.

WE SEE NOWADAYS KIDS ARE LEANING MORE INTO THEIR ARTISTIC SIDE.

A LOT OF KIDS LOVE TO DRAW, DO GRAFFITI AND TATTOOS.

WE HAVE AN ART PROGRAM WE ARE IN THE WORKS OF TRYING TO GET IT TO EXTEND FROM 4:00 P.M.

WHICH IS AFTER SCHOOL HOURS TO 12:00 A.M.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO EXTEND THE HOURS.

SAYING NOW KIDS HAVE LONGER TO DO WHAT THEY LOVE.

WE ALSO HAVE A MEDIA PROGRAM BECAUSE A LOT OF KIDS ARE FOCUSING INTO SOCIAL MEDIA.

WE ARE LEANING INTO PODCASTS.

HELPING KIDS BE ENTREPRENEURS IF THEY WANT TO BRAND THEMSELVES ON YOUTUBE.

WE HAVE A STUDIO TO HELP KIDS IF THEY REALLY WANT TO LEAN INTO MUSIC AND MARKET THEMSELVES AS A RAPPER OR AN R AND B SINGER.

ANYTHING THAT THAT COMES FROM PRODUCING, MIXING AND MASTERING.

THEY MAKE SURE WE HAVE EVERY SINGLE THING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO PUSH THEM.

THAT IS WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO EXTEND LONGER.

>> NOW, KAZIAH, YOU AND YOUR PEERS ARE NOT ABLE TO DRIVE SO YOU ARE RELYING ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION TO GET TO THESE PLACES OFFERING RESOURCES.

BUT WE FEEL THEY ARE OFTEN DANGEROUS.

SO WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT CREATING RESOURCES THAT ALLOW FOR MORE SAFE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION?

>> I BELIEVE IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A GOOD WAY OF TRANSPORTATION.

MY PARENTS, I AM BLESSED ENOUGH TO HAVE PARENTS THAT CAN DRIVE ME.

SOME PEOPLE HAVE MISSED OUT ON A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THEY COULD BETTER THEMSELVES OR BETTER WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO FOR THE COMMUNITY AND FOR WHAT THEY LOVE.

SO I FEEL THAT IF THEY HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION IN A SAFE WAY WHERE THEY CAN GO TO WHERE THEY NEED TO GO, THEN THEY CAN HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AND THEN BECOME A BETTER THEM.