SPONSORED BY WINTRUST
CHICAGO'S BANK.
WELL SHE WAS HOPING TO KEEP
HER DAUGHTER AND FRIENDS SAFE
AND OUT OF TROUBLE DURING
THEIR TEENAGE YEARS OPEN YOUR
HOME TO THE TEENS FOR
ACTIVITIES AND LENDING AN AIR
SHE BECAME THE TALK OF THE
NEIGHBORHOOD SO THIS MOTHER OF
8 FOUND HERSELF IN THE ROLE OF
MENTOR LEADING HER TO FORM A
NON PROFIT. DIANE LATIKER
SHE'S ONE OF CHICAGO'S VERY
OWN. IN 20 '03 DIANE LATIKER A
ROSELAND RESIDENT FARTHER
SOUTH TRYING TO CONNECT WITH
HER THEN 13 YEAR-OLD DAUGHTER
AISHA AND THE BEST WAY SHE
FOUGHT TO DO THAT. LET'S JUST
SIT DOWN WITH I SHUNNED HER
FRIENDS AND HAVE A CHAT. SHE
WAS DETERMINED TO KEEP THE
KIDS OUT OF TROUBLE, SHE IS
ONE OF THE PEOPLE WITH ME.
IN MY FRIENDS AND WHATEVER
ELSE I WAS DOING TO GET ME
INTO TROUBLE AND WHEN THEY GOT
THROUGH TELLING ME ABOUT THE
BOYS WILL BE INCLUDED BY THE
GANGS AND THEY WHILE FILLING
IN SCHOOL LIKE ALL LLOYD.
SO LATIKER TOOK MATTERS
INTO HER OWN HANDS. SHE WANTED
TO HELP THE KIDS FOCUS ON
THEIR SCHOOLWORK AND KEEP THEM
OFF THE STREETS BUT SHE NEEDED
MONEY TO DO THAT. SO SHE SAW
THE FAMILY'S TV A SHOCK TO HER
HUSBAND AND WITH THE $600 SHE
GOT FROM THAT SALE. SHE WAS
ABLE TO BUY COMPUTERS AND
PRINTERS BUT THEN A SPAN OF A
WEEK THAT ONE KID KNOCKING ON
MY DOOR, WHAT DID NOT KNOW.
THAT WAS SAYING NEW LADY
THEY SAY CAN HELP US AND I'M
LIKE WHAT LADY WHO ME.
AND YOU MUST VALUE RIGHT,
WELL I WANT TO GET OUT OF
THE GAME ON MY HOME, I'M
HOMELESS SOON THE WORD SPREAD
ON THE BLOCK THAT MISS DIANA
SHE'S CALLED WAS A WOMAN TO
TALK TO WHEN YOU NEEDED HELP
WITH YOUR HOMEWORK. A HEART TO
HEART TALK OR JUST A LITTLE
ADVICE AND THE KIDS CAME IN
DROVES, YOU KNOW I HEARD GREAT
THINGS ABOUT HER I WANT TO SEE
IT FOR MYSELF.
IT IS WHAT I MEAN WHAT
EVERYBODY WAS SOUGHT OUT TO BE
SO IT'S PRETTY PRETTY AMAZING
MAN BEFORE I KNEW THAT WAS 75
KIDS IN THE LIVING ROOM AND
DINING ROOM.
THEY MIGHT. THE NEIGHBOR
WASN'T CALLING THE POLICE ON
ME.
A YEAR LATER MISS DIANE
MADE IT OFFICIAL TURNING HER
HOME AND MOST OF THE BLOCK
INTO A NONPROFIT APPROPRIATELY
NAMED KIDS OFF THE BLOCK
LOCATED AT 100 16TH IN
MICHIGAN IN ROSELAND SHE GIVES
KIDS A SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO THE
STREETS. HE'S EVEN THOUGH THE
BASKETBALL COURT ACROSS THE
STREET THEY WANT TO PLAY BALL.
FOR MORE THAN THAT.
THEY WANTED TO BOND. THEY
WANTED A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
AND THIS WAS IT OVER THE
YEARS MISS DIANA SEE MANY KIDS
LOSE THEIR LIVES TO VIOLENCE
20 '07 AFTER THE MURDER OF
BLAIR HOLD A HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENT SHOT AND KILLED ON A
CTA BUS TRYING TO SHIELD HIS
FRIEND FROM BULLETS SHE
STARTED THIS MEMORIAL SITE. IT
DISPLAYS THE NAMES OF YOUNG
VICTIMS LOST TO GUN VIOLENCE
TO DATE NEARLY 700 NAMES HAVE
BEEN ADDED WITH STRANGERS SO.
MENTALLY IT CHANGES SO BECAUSE
YOU WISH YOU COULD HAVE DID
MORE IF THERE ARE MANY WHO
MISSED DIANA'S HELP TO ACHIEVE
SUCCESS WHICH FOR HER MEANS
EVERYTHING.
I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT WE
TOUCHED SO MANY BECAUSE THEY
COME BACK.
AND THEY LET US KNOW PEOPLE
LIKE 31 YEAR-OLD YOU WANT
WHITE HE CONSIDERS MISS DIANE
A MOTHER FIGURE COURAGEOUS AND
ALWAYS FIGHTING FOR THE KIDS
HE SAYS WHEN IT COMES TO THE
KING SHE'S 4 LENGTHS.
I JUST WANT TO SEE
EVERYBODY GO TO COURT TO MAKE
MISS DIANE HAS RECEIVED
RECOGNITION OVER THE YEARS FOR
HER WORK IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WITH THE HELP OF
DONORS, SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO BUY
THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR. SHE
PLANS TO TURN IT INTO A
TECHNOLOGY CENTER FOR THE
KIDS. SHE SAYS YOU DON'T NEED
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO HELP
BECAUSE AFTER ALL SHE STARTED
WITH JUST $600 WHATEVER YOU
FEEL IS NOT WHITE AND YOU FEEL
SOMEBODY NEEDS TO DO
SOMETHING. GET UP.
THERE'S NO WAY ON A BIG
BUILDING A MILLION THE HOUSE,
SOMEBODY TO APPROVE YOU. TO
HELP.
DIANE LATIKER SHE'S ONE OF
CHICAGO'S VERY OWN.
AND MISS DIANE ESTIMATES
