Who’s behind the so-called ‘teen takeovers’ downtown?
In recent years, large groups of teens have started gathering in downtown Chicago. We spoke with some of the young people behind these events.
It’s summertime in Chicago and, once again, large teen gatherings are making headlines.
It got one Curious City listener wondering who’s behind the social media push for these so-called “teen takeovers.”
These meetups have been happening for years, and they are especially popular among Black teens. The gatherings are known as “trends,” a word that often appears on flyers, usually signaling a large meetup at a public place, like Grant Park or North Avenue Beach.
But in some instances these large gatherings have gotten out of control. Recently, an 18-year-old woman was run over with a car and a couple was assaulted in the Loop. Last year, 16-year-old Seandell Holliday was shot and killed during a gathering in Millennium Park.
Curious City spoke with teens and youth advocates to understand who is behind these flyers, why these meetups are happening and what the city’s response should be.
Lil Troup, a 20-year-old who works for C.H.A.M.P.S, a youth mentoring program, said he understands why kids organize and attend these gatherings. He asked to only use his artist name to protect his privacy. He hosted a house party for his 17th birthday. Between 50 and 100 young people showed up.
He said there weren’t any fights during the event, and he told people to “leave the B.S. at home.”
Lil Troup described his teen self as angry, with little support or structure. With a lack of guidance, he often went to “trends” meetups hoping to find positive connections. He said other teens might be experiencing similar struggles.
In hindsight, he says he recognizes that he was lucky nothing happened during the event he organized. “I can say I did a lot of dumb things that I thought [were] fun,” he said.
Nineteen-year-old Quan said he and his friends have gone to “trend” meetups at movie theaters, the beach and downtown.
“People just want to go hang out,” Quan said. “We’re just trying to have fun, that’s all we want to do.”
But he said he and his friends know things can turn bad, and they leave if things get heated.
Vondale Singleton, who heads C.H.A.M.P.S, said at first he thought these “trends” flyers were made by young adults in their early 20s. He later realized kids as young as 14 were making them, and they can spread like wildfire.
He said part of the reason why young people are attracted to these events is because there isn’t a lot to do in their own neighborhoods.
“If you ask a young person on the Southwest Side, ‘Hey, do you go to your local park?’ They say, ‘… [The] reason why I don’t go [is] because I don’t feel safe,’” Singleton said.
A recent WBEZ analysis shows many places of amusement like arcades and bowling alleys in Chicago are mostly located in and around downtown.
After Seandell Holliday was fatally shot last year, the city expanded its citywide curfew hours and increased police presence downtown. But some have questioned how effective the city’s measures have been and who they protect.
Groups like C.H.A.M.P.S and My Block, My Hood, My City have been countering “trend” events with their own organized youth gatherings. And public safety experts and youth advocates have pitched ideas for how to keep the city safe.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is trying to expand summer job opportunities for young people. He said he’s committed to centering youth voices when it comes to policies and decision-making. Youth advocate Asatta Lewis with Good Kids Mad City said she’s eager to see that happen. She said there’s been a lot of effort put into stopping young people from gathering, and it might be time to try something new.
Adriana Cardona-Maguigad is Curious City’s reporter. Follow her @AdrianaCardMag
More From
Curious City
Who’s behind the so-called ‘teen takeovers’ downtown?
In recent years, large groups of teens have started gathering in downtown Chicago. We spoke with some of the young people behind these events.
It’s summertime in Chicago and, once again, large teen gatherings are making headlines.
It got one Curious City listener wondering who’s behind the social media push for these so-called “teen takeovers.”
These meetups have been happening for years, and they are especially popular among Black teens. The gatherings are known as “trends,” a word that often appears on flyers, usually signaling a large meetup at a public place, like Grant Park or North Avenue Beach.
But in some instances these large gatherings have gotten out of control. Recently, an 18-year-old woman was run over with a car and a couple was assaulted in the Loop. Last year, 16-year-old Seandell Holliday was shot and killed during a gathering in Millennium Park.
Curious City spoke with teens and youth advocates to understand who is behind these flyers, why these meetups are happening and what the city’s response should be.
Lil Troup, a 20-year-old who works for C.H.A.M.P.S, a youth mentoring program, said he understands why kids organize and attend these gatherings. He asked to only use his artist name to protect his privacy. He hosted a house party for his 17th birthday. Between 50 and 100 young people showed up.
He said there weren’t any fights during the event, and he told people to “leave the B.S. at home.”
Lil Troup described his teen self as angry, with little support or structure. With a lack of guidance, he often went to “trends” meetups hoping to find positive connections. He said other teens might be experiencing similar struggles.
In hindsight, he says he recognizes that he was lucky nothing happened during the event he organized. “I can say I did a lot of dumb things that I thought [were] fun,” he said.
Nineteen-year-old Quan said he and his friends have gone to “trend” meetups at movie theaters, the beach and downtown.
“People just want to go hang out,” Quan said. “We’re just trying to have fun, that’s all we want to do.”
But he said he and his friends know things can turn bad, and they leave if things get heated.
Vondale Singleton, who heads C.H.A.M.P.S, said at first he thought these “trends” flyers were made by young adults in their early 20s. He later realized kids as young as 14 were making them, and they can spread like wildfire.
He said part of the reason why young people are attracted to these events is because there isn’t a lot to do in their own neighborhoods.
“If you ask a young person on the Southwest Side, ‘Hey, do you go to your local park?’ They say, ‘… [The] reason why I don’t go [is] because I don’t feel safe,’” Singleton said.
A recent WBEZ analysis shows many places of amusement like arcades and bowling alleys in Chicago are mostly located in and around downtown.
After Seandell Holliday was fatally shot last year, the city expanded its citywide curfew hours and increased police presence downtown. But some have questioned how effective the city’s measures have been and who they protect.
Groups like C.H.A.M.P.S and My Block, My Hood, My City have been countering “trend” events with their own organized youth gatherings. And public safety experts and youth advocates have pitched ideas for how to keep the city safe.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration is trying to expand summer job opportunities for young people. He said he’s committed to centering youth voices when it comes to policies and decision-making. Youth advocate Asatta Lewis with Good Kids Mad City said she’s eager to see that happen. She said there’s been a lot of effort put into stopping young people from gathering, and it might be time to try something new.
Adriana Cardona-Maguigad is Curious City’s reporter. Follow her @AdrianaCardMag