COMMUNITY ACTIVISM IN OAK PARK: COMPETING AGENDAS ...

these residents were also affected by revitalization efforts and should be a part of the
decision making process for community projects. Others expressed they wanted to see
more women’s groups in the neighborhood because they felt that Neighborhood
Association meetings only addressed development issues and crime in the area. But, they
all agreed that by having more women’s groups, the community could get the support
they really needed to improve the quality of lives for residents.
Some women in the group were not supportive of revitalization efforts in the area,
such as increased police patrol of the neighborhood. These women felt that the police
overwhelmingly targeted minority youth in the neighborhood and they believed that
frequent arrests of these youth would not solve problems in the neighborhood. They
argued that more after-school programs and role models were needed in the
neighborhood and that community centers, and libraries should be put on the agenda of
revitalization efforts. They did not agree that increased development in the form of
trendy shops and coffee shops would help the individuals in the neighborhood that really
needed it. “The neighborhood already has many locally owned restaurants and coffee
shops and residents should be giving them their business” they argued.
In retrospect, the women’s group in Oak Park was sympathetic to the needs of
women and children and felt that more community grass-roots projects such as a
bookmobile, after-school activities for children, and support groups for women would be
a step in the right direction for women and children to build social capital in a rapidly
changing environment. From their perspective, lower-income women needed many
resources and support groups to help them overcome poverty and children were
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