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Why Chicago Teens Congregate Downtown In Huge Crowds

trends flyer

This &quottrends” flyer inviting teens to meet at Water Tower Place circulated on social media in Chicago last April. These teen-led gatherings are especially popular among black Chicago teens.

Last April, 31 black Chicago teens were arrested in the Loop after hundreds of them showed up downtown. 

In the aftermath, some people questioned the arrests saying the teens were racially profiled. 

Others questioned how so many teens knew to gather downtown at the same time. 

Morning Shiftchecks in with WBEZ education reporter Adriana Cardona-Maguigad about the “trends” or meetups organized on social media that lead to these large gatherings of teens.

GUEST: Adriana Cardona-Maguigad, WBEZ education reporter 

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