Editor’s note: This story, originally published on Aug. 13, 2019, was updated and is being republished as part of our coverage of the 10th anniversary of the Sherman Park uprising.
Three years ago this week, unrest in Sherman Park put the neighborhood-and our city-in the national spotlight. But what’s happened to the community since then? That’s the question we seek to answer this week – and our focus for the remainder of the year.
June and July 2016: Tensions build in Sherman Park
On the evening of June 29, 2016, several dozen youths threw rocks and bottles, damaging property near Sherman Park, including the window of a gas station, a county transit bus and a fence. City and county leaders publicly disagreed about how to best maintain safety and order in county parks between the police and sheriff’s departments.
Neighbors and community leaders began monitoring Sherman Park independently of law enforcement, helping to break up fights and planning activities for the groups of kids hanging out in the park, such as kickball games and pizza parties…