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First Lady Michelle Obama's Own Idea's Could Reduce Urban Violence While Creating Local Jobs Boost In Urban Areas

As the first lady Michelle Obama visits Chicago today seeking support from local business and civic leaders on ways to combat youth violence, I found this commentary I wrote back in September 2010  - An Idea From an Old Chicago Obama Community Organizer Colleague To Fight Economic Violence and  Boost Urban Jobs and Economy Using First Lady Concept

Following First Lady Michelle Obama's Garden Idea Could Boost Local Jobs and Economy - in addition to reducing crime and violence
first printed in September 2010

If local leaders in Chicago and across the country would stop commending, but actually follow The First Lady's Garden idea in our urban areas, we could see hundreds if not thousands of our people being put to work with a legitimate income and millions of new dollars in local revenues, AND help fill the gap in what is known as "food deserts" in majority Black and urban communities !!

Our local leaders have access to the number of vacant land that exists across our urban neighborhoods that can be transformed RIGHT NOW into local gardens that can in the next few months providing jobs and revenue in the very areas where far too many of our people have turned to the gang and drug economies as a way to provide for themselves and their families.

Why should our urban communities continue that history with the current ability to grow and sell to our own people in our own communities. Some of the same sisters who are making money selling their bodies can make the same money growing, then selling lettuce and tomatoes. Some of the same brothers selling weed can make the same money growing, selling legitimate herbs, onions, and watermelons in their same communities!!!

The First Lady explained that she can use the vacant land at The White House, investing no more than $200 in seeds, and those products can then feed THOUSANDS of people. So here we are with yet another idea that is either going to be adopted by local people, or it will die in the "paralysis of analysis."

Local Obama Community Gardens could actually put THOUSANDS of our urban people to work instead of using these same empty lots for illegal uses. Finally, and based upon President Obama's commitment to create One Million new Green Jobs, the Obama Community Gardens, duplicated in urban areas across the country could be a real boost to local jobs creation and the economy. And The President should know that in Chicago alone, several thousand at-risk youth and adults have got their "green" job preparation and ready to join the ranks of the "employed" if we immediately invest in the creation of "Obama" Community Gardens with Jobs and then even more on landscaping, and urban weatherization.

MARK S. ALLEN, 51
One of the first community organizers to work with Barack Obama in Chicago for over 20 years as a Chicago community organizer.  Veteran activist with over 40 years in public service on local, state and national levels recently selected as 2012 edition of Who's Who In Black Chicago.  Currently, Chairman of the National Black Wall Street Chicago, black business support organization and Chief of staff to National President of National Black Wall Street USA.  Also worked with Michelle Obama years ago with when I was with The Midwest Academy and Operation PUSH on her youth empowerment project called PUBLIC ALLIES. And of course I remember the first lady well when she used to attend regular PUSH meetings along with her former high school classmate Santita Jackson, daughter of Rev. Jackson.
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