#CrisisProvesCharacter: Did crisis enR.A.G.E. you into action? (DAY 16/30)
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Most people witnessing their community being demolished house by house, block by block would probably have decided it was time to move. Political corruption, poverty, and gentrification nearly decimated the Englewood black community on Chicago’s southside. However, there’s one person who pushes back on the false narrative that no one cares about rebuilding and making Englewood a great place to call home. “You can’t complain about gentrification if you don’t own anything,” says Antoine Butler and husband of Ay-Sha Butler, affectionately known as Mrs. Englewood. With a collective of residents and homeowners, R.A.G.E – Resident Association of Greater Englewood was born and they have been on a mission to single-handedly redevelop Englewood by buying up blighted properties one parcel of land at a time. She has been a catalyst for change and has received numerous honors including being on the Good Governance Transition Team for Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot. You can learn more about Asiaha and her story at http://mrsenglewood.blogspot.com/ and https://ragenglewood.org/.
