March 23, 2026

There's a Crime Scene In Her Block. She Stayed. | LaTanya Johnson & the Youth of Englewood

A shooting happened right next door to her youth center. She closed for one day. Then she opened back up on Monday.

LaTanya Johnson is the Executive Director of LaTanya and the Youth of Englewood, a 501(c)3 that has been serving children ages five and up in Inglewood, Chicago since 2013.

Recreational activities, educational programming, mentorship, entrepreneurship, community events, and family support. All of it, completely free.

In this community check-in episode, Joseph and LaTanya go deep into what has changed since they last spoke. She talks about the shooting that happened right outside her door, why she sent the kids home that Friday and came right back Monday, and the invisible calculus families in Englewood make every day just to survive in their own neighborhood.

She shares what 12 years of free programming has actually produced, which activities changed the trajectory of real kids' lives, and what she needs most right now to keep going.

TIMESTAMPS:

[00:00:00] Intro
[00:00:39] LaTanya's background and organization mission [00:02:06] Why she started 12 years ago
[00:03:31] The alderman's office and how it all began
[00:05:55] Why she starts programming at age five [00:07:25] Joseph's time at Chicago juvenile detention
[00:08:58] What activities created the most lasting impact
[00:12:10] Gardening, go-karts, photography, and building
[00:13:13] Phones, safety, and keeping kids engaged
[00:14:18] The shooting next door
[00:16:16] The battle parents face living in Englewood
[00:17:41] Poverty, cost of living, and why families stay
[00:19:50] What LaTanya wants to build next
[00:22:27] Sports, arts, and why variety matters
[00:23:09] How to connect with LaTanya
[00:24:50] Closing

Connect with LaTanya

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latanya-johnson-7a202a154/

Social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greaterthanzeropercent/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/greaterthanzeropercent/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@greaterthanzeropercent
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greaterthanzeropercent/

Listen
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2ZeAnlQdjwKX5JodvYFwp2
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/find-your-cause/id1528910691

Connect
Website: https://www.gtzp.org
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@gtzp
Partner with us: https://calendly.com/gtzp/gtzp-impact-alignment

#FindYourCause #Nonprofits #Chicago #Inglewood #YouthDevelopment #CommunityImpact #501c3 #SocialImpact #GTZP #NonprofitLeadership #GreaterThanZeroPercent #CorporatePhilanthropy

Mission

LaTanya & The Youth of Englewood is an year around program in the Chicago neighborhood of Englewood. This organization has been established to work with youth ages 5 and up, to provide summer/ after school activities including education, recreation, communication skill building, social opportunities, advocacy and support.

About

One of the biggest problems in the community is children who are left unsupervised or unoccupied from 4 to 8PM. Children are extremely vulnerable to gangs and mischief-makers in this window. Countless studies show a link between exposure to violence in the community and symptoms of aggressive behavior, depression, and anxiety in school-age children living in violent urban neighborhoods. Studies of school-age children exposed to violence via social media and television have also recognized adverse effects over time. When children don’t succeed, it enforces the cycle of poverty and crime in a neighborhood. Specific activities include:Provision of a safe place for youth to go after school Participation in various activities while at the program including education, recreation, communication skill building, and social opportunitiesParticipation in community activities such as the annual neighborhood 5 k run, delivery of food to help the homeless, delivery of Easter Baskets to neighborhood children and other similar events.In 2003 Teamwork Englewood was formed to raise up the community with a Quality of Life Plan. There are a number of grass roots organization contributing to this effort and “LaTanya and the Youth of Englewood” is one of them. LaTanya Johnson started this organization on her own and has been working out of the basement of the local YMCA. Her program works with youth ages 5 to 13 to provide after school activities including recreation, education, communication skill building, social opportunities, advocacy and support. Most importantly, this protective program provides strong relationships with a capable, caring, and positive adults – a key component of helping children cope and succeed in this dangerous and violent environment. She is currently serving 40 kids with a program from 4-6:30 pm.

7306 South Langley Avenue

Chicago

60619

United States

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There's a Crime Scene In Her Block. She Stayed. | LaTanya Johnson & the Youth of Englewood

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