Grass Not Glass The Campaign of the Conservative Vice Lords to beautify Lawndale. All the following pictures were taken by CVL members. The graphic appeared in the Chicago Defender.

Glass, not Grass Lawndale was one of the poorest and most run-down slums of Chicago. Landlords had given up and the people despaired that their once beautiful city might shine again.

Garbage Gathererd garbage posed a health hazard for kids and residents.

Riots Things only got worse as riots burned Lawndale in 1966 and after Dr. King’s assassination in 1968.

Riot’s Aftermath After the riot, even more devastation. What would be done?

The CVL Announces Change Bobby Gore at a press conference announcing the beginning of a major clean-up program for Lawndale under the slogan, “Grass not Glass.” The Chicago Tribune and Sun-Times praised the gang’s effort

Unity in the Community The CVL had a different approach to ghetto problems, one that stressed unity, non-violence, and attention to bettering the community. They posed their actions of cleaning up the community against despair and anger.

A Community Affair Residents joined in. Bobby Gore said that once the parents of Lawndale had been afraid to let their kids outside when the CVL was around. During the clean-up and the CVL”s transformation, they rushed out of their homes and said “Can you help my kid?”

Planting Grass They began to plant grass where glass once covered the lawns

Mobilizing the Community The CVL mobilized their members and others in the community to make Lawndale a beautiful palce to live.

Pile it Up! The CVL found lots to clean up.

Summer jobs In he summer of 1968, the CVL got hundreds of summer jobs in a federally funded youth jobs program. Somehow these jobs escaped the eye of the mayor and the CVL enthusiastically began the clean-up of Lawndale.

Clean-up! The glass got picked up and grass was planted.

Hard at Work Even Lawndale’s notorious alleys, where gang fights had ruled, were subject to CVL clean-up

Clearn Streets Not only the alleys and lawns, but the streets to were swept clean.

Sidewalks Sparkled The sidewalks were cleaned for the first time in years.

On Main Streets Lawndale’s businesses got clean sidewalks too

Landscaping Lawndale Cleaning up meant fixing up the lawns as well. CVL organized young men to change the landscape of Lawndale.

Mission Accomplished The CVL got the streets looking like new

Keeping Cool When the City closed a local fountain, the CVL mobilized to get it reopened, so Lawndale kids could enjoy cool waters on hot days.

CVL Programs The CVL’s campaign for “Grass not Glass” was only one part of their offensive to restore Black pride to Lawndale and save the youth from the streets.

End Show But the heroic efforts of the CVL would end up as shattered dreams