Roosevelt Students Rally at Thompson Center for Jobs
Students from Roosevelt High School gathered outside of the James Thompson Center on Tuesday, April 3, in protest of the lack of summer jobs for youth. The protestors demanded answers from city officials as to whether or not there would be an increase in job opportunities for youth in Chicago. Students held signs that read "Invest in the future," "More jobs = less violence," and "Travel to my neighborhood & I'll tell you what I want."
According to Chicago Reporter, since 2008, 530 youths have been killed in Chicago. This same source reports that in 2010, a whopping 26,984 juveniles were arrested in the city. These startling statistics are juxtaposed against the lack of jobs available to youth during the months, when the majority of criminal activity is on an incline.
Northeastern Illinois University's Center for Labor Market Studies prepared a study for the Alternative Schools Network, which states that in Illinois, the youth employment rate went from, "50 percent in the 1999-2000 periods to 36 percent in 2007 and to only 27.5 percent in 2011." Young adults are speaking out for themselves about what their needs are. Yesenia Nova, an affiliate of Put Illinois To Work, said, "What we need is the motivation. That's what really helped me personally; to have a job, to be important as a young adult, to have the skills to succeed in our careers."
In January, Chicago Urban League held a Youth Joblessness Hearing. At this hearing, youths were able to speak out on their own behalf regarding the dire situation of the lack of jobs for youths. "These jobs would help us become better parents and be more responsible," said Myhara Primrose. Students all over the city expressed a desire to find employment for a variety of reasons that range from the need to care for their small children, to keeping them out of the prison industrial complex. "I have two little ones to take care of, so I have a lot of responsibility," said Dorothy Howard, representative of Jobs for Youth. "... By me having a job, I think it will be a good step for me toward being independent."
Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly
Recent neiuindependent News Articles
Discuss This Article
GET TOP STORIES DELIVERED WEEKLY
FOLLOW OUR NEWSPAPER
LATEST NEIUINDEPENDENT NEWS
RECENT NEIUINDEPENDENT CLASSIFIEDS
OUTSIDE THE LINES
- A Story To Sing About
- The Gap in Gum Care: Why Caring For Your Teeth’s F...
- Top Tips for Signature Scents and Better-Smelling Laundry
- A Dog Trainer’s Top Tips to Support Pets Through Life S...
- Clear the Air of Indoor Pollutants This Spring
- Stroke & Dementia in Black Men: Tips for Staying Healthy...
- Hispanics and African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye...
- African Americans at Higher Risk for Eye Disease
- Infinity Kings: Final Book In A Favorite Fantasy Series
- What You Need To Know About Keratoconus and the iLink...
FROM AROUND THE WEB
- 7 Reasons Renting an RV Should Be On Every Family’s S...
- Don’t Let Diabetes Shortchange Your Golden Years
- No Child is Forgotten By Marine Toys for Tots
- Sweeten Your Springtime Salads With Healthy Chilean Grapes
- Young Author Translates 4,000-Year-Old Text to Reveal...
- Keeping Cool and Energy-efficient Amid America’s “...
- Addressing Sarcopenia with a Healthy Diet
- Subway’s New Wraps Elevate Eating on the Go
- Family Teacher Conference Topics Beyond Academics
- Youth Take Down Tobacco
COLLEGE PRESS RELEASES
- Shoff Promotions Comic Book & Sports Card Show
- Semiconductor Research Corp unveils 2024 Research Call, $13.8M Funding
- Charles River Associates Opens Second Scholarship Cycle, Expands to the UK
- BLUMHOUSE AND AMC THEATRES LAUNCH FIRST-EVER HALFWAY TO HALLOWEEN FILM FESTIVAL
- THE GEN Z IMPERATIVE: LISTEN TO FEELINGS AND GIVE GEN Z A VOICE