From the moment I arrived in Chicago, something shifted in me. I felt grounded, both literally and figuratively. I grew up in what felt like the opposite of Chicago, a small rural town of about 2,000 people, where most residents were White and only a handful of us were people of color. We didn’t learn
People often ask me, “Why is the organization named BECOME? Is it an acronym?” From the very beginning, people have been curious about both the name and the work. But BECOME isn’t an acronym. It’s a word. A verb. A way of seeing the world. The name came to me as a divine whisper. At
A law on the books is only as good as the way it gets carried out. That gap, between what a policy promises and what people actually experience, is where inequity keeps finding room to live. For the past year, BECOME has been sitting with that question alongside the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). We
In communities across Chicago, families impacted by gun violence continue to show profound resilience in the face of grief, loss, and ongoing uncertainty. Survivors carry not only emotional pain, but also the financial and systemic burdens that follow sudden and traumatic loss. And yet, even in the midst of this reality, people continue to
This annual report tells the story of two years shaped by inquiry, care, and connection. Guided by research, restoration, and relationship, we showed up not as observers on the sidelines, but as partners—listening closely, learning together, and staying present. In these shared efforts, we uncovered pathways toward change that endures and moves us closer to
In the heart of Chicago’s South Side lies Auburn Gresham. The community is shaped by resilience, a rich historical past, and a place that is bursting with untapped potential. And right now, this community is standing on the brink of something extraordinary… At BECOME, transformation isn’t just our name; it’s our mission. For over a
This report delves into the dynamic social landscape of Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood, exploring resident perspectives on the influx of new neighbors seeking asylum. Utilizing BECOME‘s unique approach to evaluation, known as Catalytic Evaluation, and in partnership with Enlace Chicago, one of the primary community organizations and service providers in Little Village, the study moves
Welcome to the Becoming Change Makers Newsletter! To recap the previous newsletter, “Becoming Change Makers: The Exquisite Path to Leadership and Liberation for Women of Color” is a transformational guide to finding our way through the unprecedented times we are living in. This book offers a path for us to step into creating a new world. Let’s
While the trauma we experienced in 2020 wrenched our work into new channels, it also sharpened our vision. The violence and disease we experienced, and continue to experience, showed up for all of us in ways that sadly were not new for many of us. The silver lining, we believe, is those traumatic experiences have
As professional evaluators whose work is based in community psychology, we believe understanding a community’s needs starts with listening to voices of those who live in that community. Our Maximizing Impact initiative is built on that belief. One example of our work that illustrates how we incorporate the voices of community residents when we analyze
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Email: info@becomecenter.org
