Motive
Motive

Motive

WBEZ Chicago

Overview
Episodes

Details

Chicago gangs: Real people. Real stories. A way forward. The new season of Motive explores violence on the streets of Chicago and the former gang members working to stop it.

Recent Episodes

Introducing - You Didn't See Nothin
MAY 1, 2023
Introducing - You Didn't See Nothin
Here's another podcast we think you'll find interesting. Twenty-five years ago in Chicago, a little boy named Lenard Clark was beaten into a coma just for being Black. Almost overnight, the news stories turned to racial reconciliation and forgiveness. From writer Yohance Lacour, You Didn't See Nothin is an investigation into how that happened, and a memoir of coming-of-age in Chicago. Full series available now.
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2 MIN
6: Aftermath
MAR 2, 2023
6: Aftermath

Host: Patrick Smith

Producer: Marie Mendoza

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40 MIN
5: Collateral Damage
FEB 23, 2023
5: Collateral Damage
A 14-year-old boy whose father was wounded in a gang shooting faces down threats of violence and the temptations of joining a gang. Meanwhile, a person who killed one woman and wounded another will avoid criminal charges.
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37 MIN
4: Getting In And Getting Out
FEB 16, 2023
4: Getting In And Getting Out
The gang murder of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams shook Chicago and affected many of the anti-violence workers on the West Side. As former gang members they sympathized with Jaslyn’s dad, Jontae, his desire to spend time with his daughter and how that put her at risk of violence. Jontae still struggles with the guilt. And when he decided to help police catch his daughter’s killers his gang friends turned on him. **Content warning: This episode contains uses of the n-word.
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32 MIN
3: Underpaid And Underappreciated
FEB 9, 2023
3: Underpaid And Underappreciated

Host: Patrick Smith

Producer: Marie Mendoza

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35 MIN