and other cities . Watch our panelists talk about the growing violence in Chicago '' ESSENCE : The nation 's first black president is from Chicago . And you still do not feel like there is enough attention placed on this problem ? Jackson : Newspapers from all over the world have come to our offices this past week to say , `` What is happening in President Barack Obama 's backyard ? '' And 75 percent of the children murdered here in Chicago happened within eight miles of President Obama 's former house . So if he does n't respond as president , and we are hoping he does , he needs to respond as a resident . ESSENCE : What has been the police response ? Jackson : They 've put together a 400-unit gang SWAT team . They 're trying to match guns with the gangs . But with all of that they ca n't stop one murder because they 're approaching it from the wrong way . ESSENCE : Obama 's time in office ESSENCE : What is the right way to approach it ? Jackson : Instill strong families and strong communities . Build strong
-LRB- ESSENCE -RRB- -- Two weeks ago , 3-year-old Jaquan Reed was fatally shot on Chicago , Illinois ' , West Side . Men participate in the Million Father March to support children going to school . While the case shook the city , such shootings involving children are no longer rare in the Windy City . Within the current academic year , 36 Chicago-area students were killed . Essence.com spoke to Phillip Jackson , a well-known political activist in the city and also founder of Black Star Project , a Chicago-based community outreach group , about what is being done to end the senseless shootings involving children . The following is an edited version of that interview : ESSENCE : There have been so many shootings and deaths . Please tell us what 's happening in Chicago ? ESSENCE : Xerox names Ursula Burns CEO Phillip Jackson : This is a national catastrophe that is happening while we as a country do nothing . We 're asking for national attention . This is a pandemic . We will not be able to solve this problem in Chicago unless they can solve this same problem in Houston -LSB- Texas -RSB-