As a victim-services advocate in Chicago, Zerlina Smith-Members struggles every day to obtain scarce resources and shelter space for victims of violence in the city.
As a black mother and activist on Chicago’s West Side, she can’t help but notice the poor-performing schools, the bad health outcomes, the food deserts, the homelessness, the high taxes, the gangs, and the illegal guns that plague her community.
“It’s just a lot, and it’s overwhelming,” Smith-Members said of the challenges.
