our vision
Beyond the Ball empowers urban youth to transform their community, not escape it. People often talk about "getting out" of their neighborhood. That's not what we are looking for. Why take skills and talents to places that already have resources? We want to see youth gain skills and abilities they can then contribute to their communities. We want to see not only individuals lives transformed, but communities changed.
our community
North and South Lawndale are two Chicago neighborhoods with significant challenges, but also much to offer.
South Lawndale, well known as La Villita (“Little Village”), has been primarily Latino since the 1960s and continues to serve as a major gateway for Mexican immigrants. As the largest Mexican community in Chicago, it possesses the youngest median age of any community area in the city, and the population density is one of the highest. That density results in a bustling community that boasts the main drag of 26th street as the second highest tax revenue-generating strip in the city.
North Lawndale experienced changes during the great migration of the 1950’s and has since been a predominantly African-American neighborhood. Riots in the 1960’s after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s death changed the face of the neighborhood, and when combined with several industries leaving over the next decade, had an impact that continues to be felt on a neighborhood with little economic development. North Lawndale was once described as a smile missing a number of teeth, recognizing that many buildings have been torn down or are unoccupied, but there are still left many solid greystones and committed community members.