Guest Commentary - Is Buying Back the Guns a Solution for Chicago? View as Webpage.......................................July 21, 2021

Greetings! COAL recognizes that we all are shocked at, bemoaning, grappling with, and/or enduring violence in many Chicago neighborhoods. We are looking for solutions, both near and long term to end this plague of violence across our communities. COAL urges its members and community of interest to read today's N'DIGO commentary, authored by Hermene Hartman. COAL supports the thoughtful and strong points Ms. Hartman is making and asks that our readership contemplate and discuss her message. Respectfully, COAL Board of Directors   "The time to work seriously and collectively, to improve the state of our Community, is upon us..." Let's Continue the Work

Is Buying Back the Guns a Solution for Chicago? by Hermene D. Hartman For the last 20 years, Chicago has seen an unending wave of violence. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, between 2001 – 2020, more people were killed in the Windy City than in the combined military conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. Mayor Lori Lightfoot, I genuinely believe, is working diligently to curb the crime in Chicago. However, she needs help from the community. Unfortunately, some of her ideas await failure. This weekend was another of violence. Sixty people were shot.... Full NDigo Commentary Home - N'DIGO (ndigo.com)

We are in this fight together and must work together to find the means and will to solve our most intransigent problems. We all own this, and that is the 'Stone COAL truth'.

About COAL COAL is an umbrella organization founded by 13 of Chicago's historic African American mens clubs. COAL's overarching mission is to identify, examine, illuminate and find resolution to issues impacting the greater community. We strive to use our collective experience, expertise and resources to improve the quality of opportunity, quality of preparedness and the quality of outcomes (expressed as 'quality of life') for our Community.  Founding Member Organizations 100 Black Men Of Chicago ■ Chicago Assembly ■ Chicago Connection ■ Druids Club ■ Frogs Club ■ Lunch Bunch ■ New Committee ■ Original 40 Club Of Chicago ■ Rat Pack ■ Royal Coterie Of Snakes ■ Saints ■ Sigma Pi Phi Beta-Boule ■ UIC Male Forum (now Chicago Good Health Group)

What We Believe The Coalition of African American Leaders believes that it is important to examine the critical issues confronting the African American community where injustice, inequality and the absence of access and opportunity continue to prevail, thereby negatively impacting us as a people. COAL is an assemblage that advocates and organizes for appropriate and responsible public policy change, system behavior change and equality of opportunity. We aim to achieve for all of our people the fullness of the life experience without any form of racism or exclusion as a deterrent. We believe we must prepare ourselves for the opportunity of this full participation, thereby achieving the necessary education and training to participate.

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