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wWhen Lamont Lofton, a South-side Chicago resident born and raised in Altgeld Gardens, was traveling home for the holidays from the Minnesota college he attended in the late ‘60s, he got an interesting question from his bus driver. “He looked at me holding my luggage and said, ‘Where you coming from?’ I told him I was returning from college. He said, ‘You live in Altgeld Gardens and you go to college? I didn’t know anyone in Altgeld went to college.’ I’ll never forget that day.”

Lofton’s voice trembles when recounting the story. Lofton says he has Larry Hawkins to thank for the path that he pursued, thus defying the era’s expectations of African-American men from poor communities: “Mr. Hawkins was our basketball coach at Carver High School in Altgeld, but he was more than just a coach. He helped a lot of men to grow up as men. He educated folks from our neighborhood all the way to university—didn’t make a difference where you came from. If you could pronounce ‘college,’ he would help you get there.”

It is widely agreed that Hawkins’ presence in Altgeld Gardens, a far South-side Chicago neighborhood that has one of the city’s lowest-income and most geographically isolated communities, made a marked difference in residents’ lives. Hawkins, who never had children of his own, instilled a college-going mentality in hundreds of urban youth from across Chicago whom he taught, mentored, and coached with a

relentless determination. His involvement with the University of Chicago allowed him to take young people on tours of the campus, meet professors, and get used to the college environment. Lofton looks back at those tours fondly: “As a sophomore and junior in high school, it was fascinating to visit the

university. To meet the professors, that was the highlight. I was nervous, but I got more comfortable each year—and eventually became a college student myself.”

Decades later, Lofton was asked to join the Transition Advisory Council (TAC), a community group that advocated for the 7th-12th grade Chicago International Charter School to come to Altgeld Gardens. Lofton’s involvement with the TAC proved instrumental in ensuring that Hawkins’ legacy would live on: at a meeting to name the campus, it dawned on Lofton that Larry Hawkins would be the perfect namesake. Lofton felt he owed a gratitude to the man, and the name was a natural fit given that

pride in athletics, college preparedness, and community engagement promised to become integral to the school’s culture. The name was embraced by TAC members and Chicago residents alike, who recognized the relevance of Hawkins’ legacy to the Altgeld community.

The naming of the school was the culmination of the TAC members’ commitment to bringing a high-quality high school education option to families in the Altgeld neighborhood. It was a proud moment when, on a warm Saturday morning in October, the TAC members, campus staff, and student volunteers gathered together to acknowledge the players who helped make the school’s opening a success.

Thomas Anderson, the Director of CICS Larry Hawkins, had this to say about the TAC’s contributions: “First, you really have to express appreciation in that they provided their sweat, and I’m sure a few tears, to push for a school that was definitely long overdue.

If These Walls Could TalkThe spirit of Larry Hawkins’ namesake lives on at Chicago International’s 15th Campusby Kate Floyd | photos by Tommy Giglio

“He helped a lot of men to grow up as men. He

educated folks from our neighborhood all the way

to university—didn’t make a difference where you

came from. If you could pronounce ‘college,’ he

would help you get there.”

left: lamont lofton, former mentee of larry HaWkins

top: tHomas anderson, CiCs larry HaWkins direCtor, speaking at larry HaWkins Campus ribbon Cutting

above: first day of Classes at CiCs larry HaWkins

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They have seen what it takes to get the job done, and having their support about what we have to do to make this a great school has been instrumental.”

Anderson has a track record of raising the bar at public schools in Montgomery County, Maryland, and while you will often see him smiling, he knows how to use a firm tone and no-nonsense attitude to show that he means business. He believes that, once you have established consistency in the campus culture, then you can focus on what’s really important. “If you’re a student, you need to have to have the tie on, the right color shoes, the clear backpack. Your academics are what matters, so let’s spend less time talking about the little things.” When the small details are no longer an issue, Anderson says, “The greatest challenge is reaching every student, getting them to learn, to do not just their personal best, but to achieve at the highest possible level.”

Although the school just opened in September 2010, Anderson holds students to a very high standard, whether they are at grade level or working to get there. “Walking through the door for the first time, you don’t know where students are coming from in terms of academic background—for example, some have come to us from underperforming schools. The important thing is, they are here to get a quality education. We have learned to assess where they are rather than where they came from. Many got above a 2.0 in recent progress reports, some got straight A’s. They’re here with the right attitude, they’re working with us, and that is a success in itself.”

Katy-Jane Johnson, one of CICS Larry Hawkins’ college counselors, shared a

similar perspective. “Some of our kids are years behind for a variety of reasons, but the important thing is that they are here to learn and that they see this as a second chance.” Still, Johnson acknowledges that the CICS Larry Hawkins community will face its hardest challenges during the start-up years: “With the juniors and seniors, we will only have had them for a year or two, and the [college preparatory process] is at least a 4-year process.”

The tight time span hasn’t discouraged Johnson, though—she has put her professional background in college admissions to use, and is busy preparing her seniors to apply for college. “For those seniors who have yet to take the ACT, we are getting them registered to take the test. We are also requiring our seniors to apply to—at minimum—one Illinois state university and one community college.”

School-wide, Johnson says there has been a lot of interest in post-secondary pursuits. “We sent a busload of students to the National Association for College Admission Counseling College Fair at Navy Pier—and our kids even asked if they could bring students from other schools. The students are really curious, legitimately excited, asking what they need to do to apply for college.”

Lofton was encouraged to hear of the progress that has been made at CICS Larry Hawkins thus far, and he had a message for the current students. “If Mr. Hawkins was around today, he would tell you: ‘Listen to your director, listen to your teachers, and go in there and do your work.’ He would point his finger at his temple and say ‘Go to class and get an education.’”

“Walking through the door for the first time, you

don’t know where students are coming from in

terms of academic background—for example,

some have come to us from underperforming

schools. The important thing is, they are here to

get a quality education.”

65 Years of Altgeld Gardens History

1945 Altgeld Gardens housing

project built to address the

housing needs of African-

Americans returning from

World War II

1963 Larry Hawkins coaches

the Carver High School

basketball team to the state

championship and goes

on to mentor hundreds of

South-side Chicago youth

1985 Barack Obama starts his

community organizing

career in Altgeld Gardens

2009 August

CICS Lloyd Bond opens to

serve K-8th grade students

2010 August

Transition Advisory

Council forms to bring a

high-performing high school

to Altgeld Gardens

2010 September

CICS Larry Hawkins opens

to serve 7th-12th grade

students, providing the

Altgeld community and

surrounding neighborhoods

with a high-quality K-12

education continuum

CampusProfile