by Ulises Silva
History begins with people. And in 2012, more people in Back of the Yards took part in the historic process of electing the next president.
TRP has always believed that a civically engaged populace is vital to creating a healthy community. That’s why we joined a coalition for a Get Out the Vote campaign that focused on increasing voter registration in Back of the Yards. Historically, Back of the Yards has had some of the lowest voter turnouts in the city. TRP and its partners, however, successful registered more than 30,000 new voters.
On the eve of Election Day, we celebrated this achievement with a rally hosted by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR). Hundreds of people, including a strong contingent from TRP and its communities, came together to express support for voter registration and legislative support for SB 957. TRP CEO Raul Raymundo joined local leaders in asking all attendees to get out and vote, and to remind as many friends and neighbors as possible to vote in the presidential election. You can see photos from the rally on our Facebook page.
On Election Day, partners, neighbors, and TRP volunteers went door-to-door in Back of the Yards, asking people to head to their polling station to vote.
The numerical achievements of this past electoral season represent a real step forward for the residents of Back of the Yards, who turned out in record numbers on Election Day and demonstrated that they were ready to play a larger role in their community’s revitalization. By working with them and our partners, we hope to build upon this momentum so that the people of Back of the Yards continue to help the city of Chicago make history.

Return to Nueva Vida February 2013 here!