Jahmal Cole is the founder of My Block My Hood My City, a Chicago-based non-profit with a mission to inspire youth and empower local communities. He has been shot twice in his day-to-day life, an unfortunate reality that the teenagers and communities he has dedicated the organization to uplifting face on a daily basis in the murder capital of the United States. By leading community-driven efforts, Cole has made it his goal to build a better world one block at a time, while positively impacting the lives of the teens who grow up there. Through the Explorers program, My Block My Hood My City enables youth from Chicago’s divested neighborhoods to discover the world beyond their blocks, by taking them on enriching experiences across the city and the country that open the doors to new possibilities. In their latest adventure, the Explorers went behind the scenes at the Shedd Aquarium to learn how researchers are working to preserve the world’s endangered coral reefs.

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Review by Andie Karvelis

Chicago resident Jahmal Cole is one of those people who naturally inspires others. Just listening to him speak draws you in and the wisdom in his outlook makes you realize that you too can help ignite change for the better. Jahmal is the CEO and Founder of My Block, My Hood, My City and this non-profit is shaping young lives by giving them the knowledge and resources they desperately need.

This documentary was directed by Gina D’Onofrio, who did such a wonderful job weaving not only Jahmal’s story, but the story of what My Block, My Hood, My City is and how impactful it is to the community. A fantastic blend of interviews, photos and videos paint an inspiring picture of a man’s resilience to help his community and form a team of like minded individuals who care about Chicago’s children.

The cinematography and sound design was stunning thanks to Doug Shee and David Camargo. The addition of the uplifting score really added to the emotion running through this. Jahmal is living proof that it only takes one person to start a change and more people will follow until you have a beautiful organization that’s making a massive difference in so many lives.