Past the dorms and classrooms of Northwestern, beyond Sheridan Road, is a part of Evanston rich with history and culture that most students never see.
Habitat for Humanity and Northwestern Community Development Corps arranged a four-hour guided bus tour Saturday for NU students to discover that another side of the city.
“Both (Habitat for Humanity and NCDC) wanted to know the Evanston community outside of the traditional areas that students are exposed to,” said Jessica Tai, NCDC co-chairwoman and an Education junior. “We thought it’d be a good educational tour for students who only see one part of Evanston.”
Evanston residents Karen Chavers and Dino Robinson led the tour of about 12 students and invited other members of the community onto the bus to speak about Evanston’s neighborhoods and history.
Stops included the Evanston Historical Society, which preserves and collects historical artifacts; the Family Focus center, which offers support groups for families and other community-outreach programs; and the Reba Place Church, which reaches out to the community through evangelism and housing program services.
Chavers and Robinson, who serve as executive director and president of Evanston Neighborhood Conference, respectively, also pointed out sites throughout the city that illustrate challenges faced by minorities. One of these landmarks is Scott House, which was one of the first houses in Evanston owned by blacks and has remained almost unchanged since it was built in 1867.
“This house is one of the few representations of African-American history in Evanston,” Robinson said. “But it may be torn down for apartment buildings because it is not on the historic register.”
Criminal attorney Dolores A. Leone shared her insights on the city’s Latino community. She said many Latinos in Evanston do not speak English and feel isolated. Leone, who is bilingual, has devoted her career to defending members of the Latino community in court and educating them about their rights.
“This is a rich community in so many ways,” Leone said. “I’m very lucky. I love what I do and I love my community.”
George Providence addressed the tour at the Reba Place Church, where he works. He said the church, 611 South Blvd., is located near some of the most religiously and economically diverse neighborhoods in Evanston.
“We hope that Reba Place Church can be the bridge upon which blacks and whites can cross,” Providence said.
Highlighting some community issues, Providence said problems can arise when apartments and houses are converted to condominiums. The new housing usually is too expensive to be afforded by the people who had previously lived there, he said.
“We need to improve the community and make it so everyone can benefit,” Robinson said. “We must stand up and challenge ourselves and others to find positive ways to help the entire community.”
Many of the students who took the tour said they saw a side of Evanston they didn’t know existed. Some riders eagerly wrote down contact information at various tour stops, saying they found many new volunteering opportunities through the people and organizations featured on the trip.
“I think that this was a valuable experience,” said Jared Knopman, a Weinberg senior. “You go here for four years and you don’t really know where you live.”
