Grayson Enterprises Ltd. First NA Serial Rights page 1 Copyright 1989 1,500 words FRANCES SANDOVAL:FOUNDER OF MOTHERS AGAINST GANGS Written by June Grayson Photographed by Richard Grayson You notice first how small she is and how gentle, hardly an intimidating presence. You have to listen carefully because she speaks so softly. She stops to embrace a friend, a mother whose son was also a victim of gang violence. She wears a black and white button that says: Mothers Against Gangs. She is here to present the awards at the first anniversary meeting of the Aurora Chapter of Mothers Against Gangs. Meet Frances Sandoval, the founder of Mothers Against Gangs and the leader of this new grassroots movement to break the power of gangs. She is beautiful - not only physical beauty, though she has that too - but the inner glow of someone who cares passionately about others and never tires of serving them. She revives your gfaith in the power of the old religious virtures. She proves that one person can, indeed, make a difference. Sandoval, born in Chicago of Mexican parents, formed Mothers Against Gangs in 1986 after her 15 year old son was brutally murdered by a gang member. On ??<> ARthur Sandoval went with a freinds. Even though oterh gagns mebmers identified the killer, police did not act to find him. they told her it wasn't improtant. Sandvoal ahd to do all fo the work herself. It was not until she went on local Hispanci telelvision and offered a $1,000 reward that informantss came forth and gave infrmatin elading t the arrest f the guilty gang meber nly a few locks frm where ARthur's killing td place. Sandval did nt rest until he was arrested, treid, and cnvicted fr ARthur's murder. HE is nw serving a et35 year sentence fr the crime. Her struggle for justice sensitized her to the plight of other mothers who had lost chidlren to gang violence. Compared to other mothers, though I was lucky because I knew my legal rights. I was detemrined not to give up until ARtrhurs killer was ofund and borught t justice. Sandoval quit high school in 19?? to marry and have three children. After her divorce she returned to school to get her general equivalency degree, study communications in college, and return to her community to work at a Spanish newspaper. Now she works full time as administrative assistant to Juan Soliz, alderman of Chicago's 25th precinct in the heart of Chicago and thePilsen neighborhood. in Chicago's ? district. She understands Chicago and what it takes to get things done. "In the midst of my own suffering, I met all of these other suffering mothers who had no one to tell them their rights and help them after theri children became gang members. "I had heard about MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, and I thought, there is no difference, our children are victims too," Sandoval says. Sandoval modeled Mothers AGainst Gangs on MADD's charter and bylaws. There is no connection between the two organizations. Who did she get a grant from. Who gave legal helf. "theRE HAVE always been gangs in Chciago, But the senseless violence is new and icnreasing. We must stop this senselss violence before more of our chidren are destroyed, Sandoval says. ort services to mothers who have lsot chidlren to gagn violence as well as mothers who ahve chidlren in gagns, and advocacy throught the legal system. Sandoval is proud that MAG helped in the successful campaign for the passage of the Illinois safe School Zone Act, the law that permists muveniles to be tried as adults if they are charged with drug trafficking or using weapons in a school or within 1,000 feet of a school. Because Frances experienced this pain and loneliness herself after Arthur's murder, she was able to identify with all of the other victims and their families who suffered from gang violence. "When you are a victim of gang violence in Chicago," Jesse Gonzales, the executive director of Chicago's MOthers Against Gangs office, explains,"You have to go into court and go through preliminary heargins, you may not even understand English, and you don't even know what the law is. The police may make insinuations that your daughter or son was involved with the gangs and that is why he or she was attacked. This is not always the case. Innocent victims do suffer. So Mothers AGainst Gangs will meet with the families, support them emotionally, explain to them their rights and that they have the right to demand that the law be responsive to their needs. Mothers AGainst Gagns members will go into court with them and trasnlate for them, and that community pressure makes the police and courts more responsive to the victim's rights." distinction of ranking number 2, after Los Angeles, in the number of gang related murders. Yet, in 1986, without any hope of success, Sandoval stepped out in faith and determination. She started a new organization, Mother Against Gangs. Every war has its turning point, that historians can look back to and say, yes, that is when the turnaround started. We didn't know it then, but that was when the tide of battle turned in our favor. Already, members of some communities, where Mothers AGainst Gagns has been working, says they see the turnaround. The blacks have Rosa Parks, who started the victorious civil rights moement. Now the Hispanics ahve Frances Sandoval, who some dare to hope has started the turnaround against gang control of o22igrant.ur cities and our young people.gal In 1985, Arthur Sandoval, 13, and his sister, explain what happened here. Sandoval has a mission - to bring peace to the neighborhoods. She is nto out to avenge her son's death. Young newcomers to an area are vespecially vulnerable to &&gang recruitment. The gang member who stabbed ARthur was an illegal immigrant. Sandoval feels that the gang used him to do their dirty work. They told him what to do - go stab him. he mother must make it clear to her child. I love you but not as a gang member. She must withdraw her support. It doesn't seem like a big thing, byt Sandoval thinks it is effective. When MAG members go to court with the victim's family, they won't fee l so alone. The judge and gang members will see that they aren't alone. They will say - oh, oh, the mothers are here, and they will be more careful. /sabndoval was in court twelve times while she attemtped to bring ARthur's kilelrs to justice. Sometimes after a violent crime, no one informs the victims or their families of their legal and compensatory rights. MAG members help them get what is coming to them. sANDOVAL STARTED HER war with a special attack against gang graffiti. You go to school to learn, not to see a gang symbol at the school, day after day. The schools must not allow it. They promote more police coopration. Most families felt unifnormed about police action.