Advocacy in Action: NLEN Hosts Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Our Campus!
- nlenonline
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
Throughout our 25-year history, NLEN has consistently engaged with local, state, and national elected officials in order to advance our mission of Creating A Community that Works and ensure that fair-chance hiring policies receive their fair share of support from decision-makers. NLEN has collaborated with every Chicago mayor since our founding in 1999, from Richard M. Daley (who was intrigued by our beekeeping operation), to Rahm Emmanuel, to Lori Lightfoot and Brandon Johnson. In March 2023, NLEN staff joined our partners at LISC Chicago for the One Chicago for All Alliance Mayoral forum, where our President and CEO Brenda M. Palms had the opportunity to ask both Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson questions about advancing local fair chance hiring policies for Chicago residents. Both Vallas and Johnson shared their commitment to fair chance hiring policies, and Brandon Johnson expressed an interest in stopping by our beelove café.
On March 26th, 2025, Mayor Brandon Johnson visited the beelove café, and the rest of NLEN’s campus, for a comprehensive tour and one-on-one conversation with NLEN Client Solutions Specialist Bernida Davenport-McWhite. Mayor Johnson ordered the café’s signature Iced Cinnamon Chai Latte, prepared by program graduates and local residents hired and trained as baristas, spoke with our Financial Opportunity Center® staff about our utility bill assistance programs and partnership with Nourishing Hope’s Online Marketplace, met with our current Empowered Now participants, and sat down with Bernida for an intimate discussion on the City’s violence prevention and youth employment initiatives.
Our staff member Bernida was instrumental in securing this visit from the Mayor’s Office, due to her nationally recognized public advocacy for community violence prevention initiatives and her work cultivating a relationship with Chicago’s Deputy Mayor for Community Safety Garien Gatewood. Bernida has served in a variety of roles during her 8 years with the organization and graduated from our U-Turn Permitted program in 2017. According to Bernida “I’ve seen first-hand why fair chance hiring is so important, and why we need to treat our young people as the solution, and not the problem in my work with the organization”. Inviting the Mayor to NLEN was important because “The same work that the Mayor is doing [around supporting 18 to 24 year olds and community violence prevention] is the same work we’re doing here”.
During their conversation, Bernida and Mayor Johnson discussed the critical importance of community violence prevention, rebuilding local trust between North Lawndale residents and the Chicago Police Department, and how Chicago’s emerging adults should be treated as a key part of solving the city’s challenges.
After the visit, Bernida reflected on the Mayor’s time on our campus and expressed appreciation for the Mayor visiting our campus. “The fact that he wanted to come out today and see what we do was very heartwarming”. Mayor Johnson has committed to returning to our campus for a longer visit and more discussions with NLEN staff across the organization.
We thank Mayor Johnson, Mayor Johnson’s staff, 24th Ward Alderwoman Monique Scott, and Chicago Police Department Commander William Betancourt for all of their work in making this visit a success, and their participation during the Mayor’s time on our campus! We look forward to continued collaborations with Mayor Johnson and other City leaders as we work together to Create a Community that Works across North Lawndale and beyond!
Learn more about our organization at nlen.org
