Chess Moves Against Violence in Ogden Park

 

Players are invited to compete Saturday, September 17 in both an Open Section and a K-8 section at Ogden Park, 6500 South Racine in Chicago. This is a Chicago Park District Facility although the event is being organized by an outside entity, Not Before My Parents.

Oodles of trophies will be awarded with an entry fee of a mere $10 donation. The event is not rated by US Chess but participants will have a chance to mix discussion of social issues with an afternoon playing their favorite board game.

All event information is posted in both the Open and Scholastic sections of the ICA calendar.

The tournament is the brainchild of Raydell Lacey, a chess parent who lost her grandson to senseless gun violence. The ICA caught up with her while she is making 101 arrangements for the tournament.

"After watching the news reports about some of the senseless murders in my community, I decided I could no longer sit idly by. I started reaching out to the  families of victims. Through conversations the reigning theme was that no parent should have to bury their child.  That's where the organization's name comes from: Not Before My Parents.

"My grandson, while on his way to a convenience store, riding in a car with his friends, was fatally shot and killed. This has devastated our family and we are still dealing with the emotional repercussions of his death. This ended his young 19 year old life -- and for WHAT?

Ms. Lacey continues: "Recent events in Chicago put me in the mind of what a war zone must feel like. Witnessing these tragedies bring out feelings of fear, mistrust, frustration, anger, disappointment and shock. To live in this type of environment is unbelievably disconcerting as an adult. I can only imagine what feelings this evokes in a child.

"When a child has to worry about violence when undertaking simple, ordinary things like walking to school and catching a bus, it is stealing the innocence of their childhood.

"If you see poverty every day, it appears as if nobody cares. If there is no beauty around you, it appears that you've been forgotten.

"While watching TV and movies, children see nice schools and clean neighborhoods with grass and trees and clean streets and cage-free establishments and children ask themselves, why isn't my own neighborhood like that? Why don't we have that?

"Self-esteem is affected. Expectations of what they may become in life are lowered. Poverty creates resentment and despair. This is a precursor to violence in any community no matter race, color, or creed. We have to rebuild inside and out.

"The idea for the chess tournament came to me, to get the community to brainstorm in a strategic manner -- as used by chess players -- to promote an end to the violence."

"We also wanted to provide a positive distraction from all the violence that we've seen in the past several years. The chess tournament will serve as an activity that will promote healthy competition and motivate and introduce this sport to others who may not have otherwise considered it.

"We want to initiate dialogue with youth who might be interested in participating in an ongoing activity such as this.

"Of course, we would like for folks to pledge financial contributions, but the most active form of support can be in the form of recruiting children to be a part of this organization and for parents to volunteer.

"The membership drive, or better yet the participant drive, is something we hope to jumpstart during events like the chess tournament.

"We will have children complete interest forms so we can add their information to our mailing program. You can also support us by liking us on Facebook and Twitter and just telling someone who has children ages 6-18 about our existence.

"Feel free to inform adults as well to help us take on the challenge of providing programming for our children.

"On Saturday (Sept. 17) during the chess tournament, we will also have our Fun Time, Back in the Day event outside with lots of free activities all day for children and adults. There will be free food, music and entertainment.

"I found chess to be a great distractor for my son (in the wake of his son's death) and increased his analytical and strategic skills which crossed over into his personality enhancing his decision-making skills. It's also helped him with his coping skills surrounding the killing."

Ms. Lacey can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..