Chicago Sun-Times | “Post-George Floyd police reforms in Chicago ‘disappointing,’ community leaders say”

For Marques Watts, the fatal shooting of his friend Caleb Reed last summer was a reality check. He had watched how his friend was turning into a man, speaking out publicly about the need to work toward peace.

“My community is not safe no more,” said Watts, 18, a junior at Mather High School.

Reed, an outspoken activist, was killed weeks after Watts’ 16-year-old brother Derrion “Umba” Ortiz was fatally shot last July in Burnside.

Watts joined Communities United and Voices of Youth in Chicago Education to continue his friend’s work. Mather’s Local School Council was among those that voted to remove police officers from the school.

VOYCE is still pushing for officers to be permanently removed from other schools and urging schools to try alternatives to the police to keep incidents from escalating, said Maria Paula Degillo, the program’s coordinator.

Watts wants more social workers in schools.

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