Community activist Jahmal Cole says he's learning a lot living in and exploring Chicago's 77 communities
Jahmal Cole founded his nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City with the goal of taking Chicago kids out of their neighborhoods to explore all the city has to offer, and now he is doing it himself.
In his Live 77 project, Cole is on a mission to spend time living in every community area in the city. CBS News Chicago caught up with him in September 2025, when he was about eight and a half months into the project.
Rather than going between adjoining communities, Cole has bounced from the South Side to the North and West. He started the project in February 2025 with South Shore, followed by Pullman, Uptown, Humboldt Park, Rogers Park, Portage Park, Chicago Lawn, North Lawndale, and many others.
Right now, he's in the Irving Park community.
Cole said connecting with people is the purpose of the mission.
"I've met with block club captains, civic leaders, liquor store owners, laundromat owners, aldermen, state representatives," Cole said. "I want to figure out the community assets. I want to build some real relationships, make some real connections. I want to see if there's opportunities for collaboration with my nonprofit organization, and just understand the neighborhoods from the people that live there."
Cole said he has learned a lot from his mission already so far.
"All those stereotypes go out the window when you have a kitchen-table discussion with somebody. You realize everybody's trying to raise their family the best they can, trying to run their small business the best they can, they're trying to keep their block as safe as they can," Cole said. "So there is 77 different communities, but there's really just one Chicago with 77 different ways to be proud of."
Cole also said there have been a few surprises on his journey.
"What's been surprising for me is the neighborhoods that they say is the highest-crime neighborhoods actually have the most love," he said. That's where you find the neighbors that: 'Wait, this is my block! This is my neighborhood!' And they organize."
Cole pointed out one example in Little Village, where community activists pass out whistles underneath the arch over 26th Street.
"So I feel like there's a lot of mutual aid organizations in Chicago. There's a lot of ways that people show resistance beyond just murals," he said. "People are actually doing the work."
Cole said his perspective has changed in 18 months, and he is looking forward to 18 more.
"I realized that I just need to keep on listening to people. This is a 77-month listening tour, and I don't know anything," he said. "I want to learn from the people how I can help them better, and so, stop talking a lot, and just listen to what people need."
