Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Your neighborhood. Your News.

Milwaukee NNSnewsMilwaukee NNSSearch
Subscribe to NNS today!
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
    • Arts and Recreation
    • Community
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Health and Wellness
    • Housing
    • Public Safety
    • NNS Spotlight
    • Special Report
  • Posts From Community
    • Submit a Story
  • Community Voices
  • How To
  • Multimedia
    • NNS Local Video
    • Photos
    • NNS on Lake Effect
    • NNS WGLB 1560 Radio
  • Subscribe
  • Donate
  • About
    • Staff
    • Partners
    • News 414
    • The neighborhoods we cover
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service

Diederich College of Communication, Marquette University

You are here: Home / Uncategorized / Amani / “Life Bulbs” deter violence in high-crime neighborhoods

“Life Bulbs” deter violence in high-crime neighborhoods

March 12, 2013 by Edgar Mendez 2 Comments

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Dante Chestnut Sr. hopes that fluorescent blue light bulbs shining in high-crime areas will help end the violence.

Chestnut founded CHILL, which stands for “Creating Hope I Love Life,” to create awareness about the impact of violence, and to help mold young leaders on the street. He said that young people, especially those growing up amid violence, need structure and positivity in their lives.

“They need to know the importance of being honest and not tearing your community down for a dollar,” Chestnut said.

The “Life Bulbs” shine into the night, letting criminals know they’re stepping into zones residents have declared violence-free, according to Chestnut.

Violence has touched his life too many times to count, he said. Born in Milwaukee and raised in Alabama until he made his way back, Chestnut has lost friends such as Milwaukee R & B singer La La Brown, whose 2007 murder remains unsolved, and Lavelle Felton, the professional basketball player shot and killed in 2009 at a north side gas station.

He’s in neighborhoods hit hard by violence on a regular basis promoting his message, according to Gracelyn Wilson, neighborhood strategic planning coordinator for the Northwest Side Community Development Corp. (NWSCDC).

Dante Chestnut Sr. holds a CHILL Life Bulb, which identifies violence-free zones in high-crime neighborhoods. (Photo by Edgar Mendez)

“He’s been at the forefront of everything they’re trying to do to promote non-violence,” including peace marches, health fairs, block watches and more, Wilson said.

NWSCDC has purchased numerous CHILL bulbs and distributed them in neighborhoods such as Amani and Franklin Heights, and also near St. Matthews Church, 2944 N. 9th St.

“Parishioners and elders came out and we put up bulbs until 9 p.m. in some of the roughest neighborhoods in the city,” Wilson recalled.

She explained that the blue lights promote peace by deterring criminals who look at them and figure something must be going on so they shouldn’t be in the neighborhood.

Milwaukee Police Department District 5 Captain Terrence Gordon said his department has purchased several bulbs but asked that community members place them in a lamp in the window instead of on their porch.

“We don’t want residents to replace a primary light source but we do encourage them to display the lights in the window as a sign of non-violence and solidarity among residents,” Gordon said.

Chestnut says the CHILL Program has provided more than 5,000 bulbs, most donated, to the community.

In addition to the Life Bulb initiative, CHILL raises money to purchase bedding and other items to donate to the Sojourner Truth House, fund scholarships and host community health fairs and other events.

Also a music producer, Chestnut is working on a “No Violence More Peace” campaign in which Milwaukee-area artists will visit different schools, neighborhoods and even cities plagued by violence to spread their message of peace through music.

The non-profit receives support from various local businesses and also sells the Life Bulbs and other CHILL merchandise online to raise funds. However Chestnut said that running programming and providing resources is not cheap, and it’s difficult to gain the needed sponsorships and support in the areas hardest hit by violence. Still, he holds fundraisers and eagerly spreads his message of peace to anyone who will listen.

“People don’t realize the power of your voice and using it to reach people,” he said.

“I want people on the block to see the organization as a neighborhood hub for those in need, for those who want to see violence end.”

Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Pin on Pinterest
Pinterest
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter
Share on LinkedIn
Linkedin

Filed Under: Amani, Carousel, Home, Neighborhoods, News, North, Public Safety Tagged With: chill, crime, Dante Chestnut Sr., life-bulbs, NWSCDC, peace, Public Safety, video, violence

About Edgar Mendez

Facebook |  Twitter | More stories from Edgar

Edgar is a senior staff reporter for the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Mendez is a proud graduate of UW-Milwaukee, where he double majored in Journalism and Sociology, and of Marquette University, where he earned a master’s degree in Communication. As an accomplished journalist, Edgar’s awards include a 2018 Regional Edward R. Murrow award, several press club awards and a Society of Professional Journalists’ regional award for columns dealing with issues such as poverty, homelessness and racism.

Comments

  1. Rosalinda Cruz says

    March 16, 2016 at 6:50 pm

    Global Ministry Funding Initiative (GMFI) is a newly formed program to help fund Non profits and churches to fund their programs.

    Reply
    • Dante says

      March 21, 2016 at 7:51 am

      Thanks Rosalinda! God bless you!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Advertisement

Recent News

Legit landlords do exist. And Ihsan Atta is trying to prove it.

5 things to know and do this week in Milwaukee: May 16 to May 20

New Common Council President José Pérez draws on past experience to meet current challenges

Advertisement
Give today to support our mission. Donate to Milwaukee NNS.
Advertisement

News

  • Arts and Recreation
  • Economic Development
  • Education
  • Health and Wellness
  • Housing
  • Public Safety
  • NNS Spotlight
  • Special Reports

Engage with us

  • Posts from Community
  • Community Voices
  • Submit a Story

About NNS

  • Staff
  • Partners
  • News414
  • The neighborhoods we cover
  • Careers
  • Terms of use
  • Advertise

Connect with us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS feed

Communities

Contact

mailing address
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Diederich College of Communication
Marquette University
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Johnston Hall 430
Milwaukee, WI 53233

email
info@milwaukeenns.org

phone & fax
PHONE: 414.604.6397 FAX: 414.288.6494

Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service is a project of Diederich College of Communication and Marquette University.
© 2020 Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Terms of use.
1131 W. Wisconsin Ave., Milwaukee WI 53233 • info@milwaukeenns.org

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in