Grantee Stories
A Neighborhood Some Think Has Nothing Gave This Leader Everything
Growing up in North Lawndale—an underserved Chicago neighborhood challenged by poverty, unemployment, and lack of affordable housing—cannot have been easy, but Whittney Smith feels differently.
“I don’t feel like I succeeded despite my circumstances – in a lot of ways, my community made me who I am,” Smith said. “And not just in that I have grit, I have resilience, but my morals and character. All of that was learned from people in my community.”
