We are the leaders we’ve been waiting for.
Upcoming Events
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Areas of Focus
Working with our community members to develop strategies and programs as they realize their own power.
Kenwood Oakland Community Organization
Vision
Kenwood Oakland Community Organization’s vision is to develop new generations of African American leadership that will build stable, viable, and just communities where opportunity is not denied based on race or economic status.
Mission
Through the sustained engagement of low-income and working families, KOCO develops multi-generational leaders who impact decision-making processes and public policies, improving the quality of life in our local communities. KOCO has been an instrument for grassroots democracy in the North Kenwood and Oakland communities since 1965.
1965
KOCO was founded to develop multigenerational leaders
500+
Affordable housing units built and maintained in Chicago
15,000+
Households receiving our care packages since the 2020 pandemic
News from KOCO
Building Power: Supporting Chicago’s Youth as They Shape the City’s Future
As KOCO continues to work toward developing the next generation of leaders, the role of youth in Chicago's politics and…
Restorative Justice: A Path to a More Equitable School Community
The school system in America has been justly criticized for its traditional approach to discipline, which often relies…
Honoring a KOCO Champion of Social Justice and Community Empowerment
At 81 years young, Ms. Banks is one of KOCO's oldest members and during her 17 years of membership has been part of…
Media Coverage
Mercy Hospital closure proposal rejected by state board
A state board on Tuesday unanimously rejected a plan to close Mercy Hospital in the Bronzeville neighborhood.
‘People Will Die’: Chicago Could Lose An Essential Hospital in the Middle of the Pandemic
Closing Mercy Hospital, an oasis in a medical desert on the South Side, would worsen racial health disparities,…
‘We’re tired of hearing that there’s no money when it comes to us’: Chicago resident on Mercy Hospital closure
MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian is joined by NBC’s Antonia Hylton and Trymaine Lee to discuss Chicago’s historical Mercy…