Chicago

Turning the Page expanded to North Lawndale, Chicago in 2015.

North Lawndale has a rich history. Organized in 1857, it became a hub of industry, especially when Sears, Roebuck & Co. opened a mail order facility and their headquarters in 1905. However, with “white flight” in the 1950s, North Lawndale became predominantly African-American and the West Side of the city became increasingly segregated from downtown and the North Side. Martin Luther King Jr. and his family moved to North Lawndale in 1966 where he protested segregation and housing discrimination in the North. In the 1970s, many of the major employers in the neighborhood either closed their doors or moved out of the city, leading to major economic insecurities and a population decline.

Today, North Lawndale is at the forefront of revitalization projects on the West Side of Chicago. Turning the Page’s offices are located in the former Sears, Roebuck & Co administrative building in Homan Square. Turning the Page’s work in North Lawndale was launched in collaboration with the Steans Family Foundation and the NL Reads initiative. The goal of this initiative is to “increase the percentage of students in North Lawndale who read proficiently by third grade, a critical milestone for success.” Through this project, we have partnered with organizations like Illinois Action for Children, Children’s Literacy Initiative, the Juvenile Protective Association, and others. 

We currently partner with four elementary schools in the neighborhood which are selected based on their investment in engaging families, the capacity of their staff to support parent leadership and advocacy efforts, and the percentage of families enrolled in the school who are eligible for free breakfast and lunch programs (over 90% of students at our school partners qualify for these programs). TTP recognizes partners who both have a vision for engaging families and have a need for additional engagement to bridge the communication divide between educators and caregivers.