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Atlantic Documentaries

The Guardian of North Lawndale

May 21, 2014 | 103 videos
Video by The Atlantic

In a neighborhood where 43 percent of residents live below the poverty line, Billy Lamar Brooks Sr. is trying to help kids build a future. Brooks grew up in North Lawndale and has spent his adult life working as an activist and educator in the community. In this short documentary, Brooks reflects on his philosophy of supporting young people through tough love.

For more on North Lawndale, read Ta-Nehisi Coates' Atlantic cover story, "The Case for Reparations."

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Authors: Sam Price-Waldman, Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg

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Original short documentaries produced by The Atlantic

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