The Man With The Plan

Peter Esaun Keller

Author, Community Activist, Poet, and Teacher

Pete “Esaun” Keller, has been a power base for Chicago, For over twenty-five years. Knowing first-hand the struggles of the underdog, Esaun creates goals with unity on the streets, helps ex-offenders receive jobs, and works with other organizations politically to promote peace in Chicago and Illinois as a whole.

About Founder: Pete Esaun Keller.

AUTHOR, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, POET,  AND TEACHER:

PETE “ESAUN” KELLER, HAS BEEN A POWER BASE FOR CHICAGO, FOR OVER TWENTY FIVE YEARS.

KNOWING FIRST HAND THE STRUGGLES OF THE UNDERDOG, ESAUN CREATES GOALS WITH UNITY ON THE STREETS, HELPS EXOFFENDERS RECEICVE JOBS, AND WORKS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS POLITCALLY TO PROMOTE PEACE IN CHICAGO- AND ILLINOIS AS A WHOLE.

ESAUNS LIFE IS UNIQUE TO SAY THE LEAST. COME LET US TAKE A BRIEF GLIMPSE INTO THE ARCHITECT OF ULON.LIFE , AUTHOR OF CROSS THE BRIDGE, COMMUNITY ACTIVIST, TEACHER, AND FOUNDER OF ULON.

PETE ESAUN KELLER.

ESAUN GRACED THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE WITH HIS POLITICAL VIEWS CONCERNING CABRINI’S DEMOLITION, THE NEVER ENDING “STRATEGIC” DRUG ISSUE, AND HIS OWN LIFE INTERTWINED WITHIN THE TWO.

FROM THE FRONT PAGE OF THE CHICAGO- TRIBUNE TO THE WASHINGTON POST, FROM PERFORMING LIVE ON WGCI, TO PERFORMING LIVE ON “JENNY JONES” ESAUN HAS CONTINUED TO PUT CHICAGO ON THE MAP!

ESAUN RESURRECTED “VOICES OF CABRINI” NEWSPAPER (with the help of the once dubbed “Man behind the scenes”- Peter Benkendorf) UPON COMING HOME; RUNNING IT, AS WELL AS BECOMING EDITOR. ESAUN EVENTUALLY TOOK THE PAPER CITY-WIDE; BECAUSE OF THIS, HE WAS ABLE TO BRING MAJOR CELEBRITIES, POLITICAL FIGURES & HIP HOP ARTISTS TO CABRINI.

CONGRESSMAN “CHRISTOPHER SHAYS” (HEARING ABOUT THE PAPER) CAME TO CHICAGO, WENT TO CABRINI SEEKING ESAUN TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN HIS APARTMENT, TO TALK WITH HIM, TOUR THE AREA, AND LEARN FIRST HAND THE PROBLEMS OF THE URBAN DYNAMICS- AND DID! IN CABRINI! (MAKING HEADLINE NEWS) BEFORE DOING A SPEECH AT THE MAYOR’S OFFICE REGARDING WELFARE REFORM, THAT NEXT MORNING.

ESAUN FIRST VENTURED INTO THE MECHANICS OF THE POLITICAL ARENA IN 91, BUT IT WAS “VOICES” THAT OPENED UP THE DOOR FOR ESAUN PROFESSIONALLY  IN 1995, AND HAS BEEN HIS STEPPING STONE EVER SINCE.

              

                              

ESAUN WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SPEAKING TO THE PRESS WHEN SHATOYA CURRIE, SOON TO BE KNOWN TO THE WORLD AS “LITTLE GIRL X” (JAN 9, 97) WAS VIOLATED, AND LEFT FOR DEAD IN A CABRINI GREEN BUILDING. ESAUN MADE IT HIS BUSINESS TO FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE SUPPORT GOING AS FAR AS CHILDREN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL TO AN OUTSIDE VIGIL. THE LEGENDARY IRENE MAMACITA MOJICA (107.5) COVERED THE STORY. ESAUN ADDRESSED THE ISSUE PUBLICLY ON THE RADIO, ALSO SENDING HER A SPOKEN WORD PIECE REPRESENTING THE CITY, AND THEIR REGARDS.

ESAUN (WHO’S NICK NAME WAS K-SO) WAS FEATURED IN 3 DOCUMENTARIES:

ONE OF THE DOCUMENTARIES WAS PUT TOGETHER BY TWO ENGLISH ENTREPRENEURS, AND THIS VIDEO TO THIS DAY CONTINUES TO FREQUENT THE COLLEGE CIRCUIT (HERE IN AMERICA), AS WELL AS  BACK IN LONDON.

THE 2ND DOCUMENTARY ESAUN ALLOWED TO SHARE THE SAME NAME AS THE NEWSPAPER, IT TOO IS ENTITLED “VOICES OF CABRINI” AND USES A SOUNDTRACK THAT ESAUN (K-SO) DONATED.THIS DOCUMENTARY DEBUTED IN THE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, WAS ON PBS (CH. 11), AND HAS BEEN PLAYED ALL OVER THE WORLD.

THE 3RD DOCUMENTARY DEALS WITH THE HARDCORE SIDE OF THE CABRINI LIFE; AS WELL AS ESAUNS PAST, AND  THE MULTITUDES OF GRASS-ROOTS ORGANIZATIONS HE HELPED PROSPER–  AS WELL AS WHAT HE’S DOING PRESENTLY.

ESAUN WAS FEATURED ON ABC- CHANNEL 7’S “SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW.” AS A PRESTIGIOUS COMMUNITY FIGURE.

GRACED WGN MORNING NEWS, INTERVIEWED BY JULIAN CREWS, WITH THE FAMOUS MARC SMITH.

 

FROM THE CHICAGO SUNTIMES (BEING INTERVIEWED BY JANITA POE) TO “NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS” IN THE CHICAGO READER; FROM THE CHICAGO DEFENDER (BEING INTERVIEWED BY THE FAMOUS EARL CALLOWAY), TO HAVING A SEGMENT ON 107.5 WGCI- THE “TONY SCULFIELD SHOW” ENTITLED: THE IMPACT VIEW.

ESAUN WAS THE ORIGINATOR OF THE “GO-TOWN” NICK NAME FOR CHICAGO- CREATING IT IN THE EARLY 90’S. ESAUN STATES, “THERE’S NOTHING SHY ABOUT OUR GO-GETTER CITY” REFERRING TOWARD THE OLD CHI-TOWN NAME. BY 2000, THE GO-TOWN PHRASE HAD CAUGHT ON WITH THE ENTIRE CITY, (even artists such as KANYE WEST & COMMON have started using it, as well as radio stations) AND SPREAD ABROAD. IN 2005 ESAUN MADE HIS FAMOUS GO-TOWN VIDEO THAT WAS PACKED WITH LOCAL CELEBRITIES, NEWS ANCHORS, POLITICIANS, AND ARTISTS- SHOWING HIS LOVE FOR CHICAGO.

ESAUN’S CONNECTION WITH HELPING THE YOUTH IS EXTENSIVE TO SAY THE LEAST: FROM TEACHING, TO SCHOOL LECTURES, FROM PEP RALLY’S, AND  SPOKEN WORD PERFORMANCES, TO LEADING MARCHES– HE CONTINUES TO BE THERE.

          

HOWEVER, WHAT’S EVEN MORE IRONIC ABOUT ESAUN IS THAT, NOT ONLY DOES HE  OFTEN SPEAK, AND PERFORMS FOR THE STUDENTS- BUT UP, AND COMING “TEACHERS” AS WELL! HERE’S A QUOTE FROM AN ON LINE JOURNAL FROM A 22 YEAR OLD LOUISIANA STATE GRADUATE, NAMED KOLBE LIRETTE ABOUT ONE OF ESAUN’S PERFORMANCES AFTER ESAUN LECTURED THE TEACHERS: “After finishing our panel, we then heard from a spoken word artist named Pete “Esaun” Keller while we ate lunch. He performed for us a piece he called “War” which seemed to make a statement on how the very way that we are raised to be competitive is what trains us for war and violence.”

PETE ESAUN KELLER RECENTLY FLEW  TO WASHINGTON D.C FOR THE WORLD-WIDE TEACHER CONFERENCE “IREX“. THIS MONUMENTAL CONFERENCE WAS FOR THE BETTERMENT OF GLOBAL EDUCATION. ESAUN REPRESENTED ILLINOIS, AND W.L.A.S.

THROUGH THE MANY YEARS OF DEBATING, AND QUESTIONING MAYOR DALEY AT POLITICAL FUNCTIONS- DALEY CONTINUED TO HAVE THE UPMOST RESPECT FOR ESAUN- ALWAYS TAKING PICTURES WITH HIM, AND BEING CORDIAL- THOUGH THEY REMAINED ON TWO ENDS OF THE CITY’S SPECTRUM.

IN 2013 ESAUN CAME OUT WITH HIS 2ND EDITION OF:

 “CROSS THE BRIDGE”                 CROSS THE BRIDGE II

IN 2008 ESAUN CAME OUT WITH WITH HIS 1ST EDITION OF:

CROSS THE BRIDGE, HITTING BOOKSTORES, AND AMAZON- AS WELL AS “KINDLE”.

ESAUN COVERS THE: URBAN PLIGHT OF MINORITY YOUTH, RACIAL ISSUES, RELATIONSHIPS IN THE DEPRIVED COMMUNITIES, THE POLITICS BEHIND THE PENAL SYSTEM, AND MAINSTREAM STEREOTYPES. ALL ARE COVERED FULLY WITH MIND BLOWING PERCEPTION- THAT WILL ALLOW YOU, THE READER, TO PERCEIVE DIFFERENTLY.

ESAUN  HAS TWO SONGS IN THE MOVIE “PYRITE“. THIS GRIPPING RACIAL EYE-OPENING CHICAGO BASED MOVIE, WAS DIRECTED BY ERIC BATERSBY & HOLLYWOOD 27 PRODUCTIONS.

ESAUN WAS “THE FIRST” TO BRING THE FAMOUS RICK PARTY, AND KELLY G (WGCI) TO CABRINI GREEN- CLOSING THE GAP OF THE BRIDGE BETWEEN THE STREETS, AND RADIO PERSONALITIES “AFTER” WORKING HOURS IN CHICAGO. AT THIS TIME FRAME THIS WAS UN THOUGHT OF.

ESAUN HAS A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO CHICAGO’S COLLEGE RADIO STATIONS- WHICH GOES BACK TO THE 80’S. STARTING ON WCRX 88.1FM WITH MAGIC MAURICE (ESAUN ALSO MET DELLE DELL, AT WCRX- STARTING THEIR OWN RADIO STATION WVVX WITH JIZZY THAT LASTED TWO YEARS), TO WNUR 89.3 WHICH HAS SUPPORTED HIM THROUGH THE YEARS. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TOWN WKKC (WITH THE LEGENDARY PINK HOUSE- R.I.P) SUPPORTED ESAUN, AND KEPT THE SUPPORT SOLID AS ESAUN LECTURED AND PERFORMED AT THE COLLEGE. THEN THERE’S THE LEGENDARY HIP HOP COLLEGE STATION WHPK, WHICH CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ESAUN & ULON.

SIX THROW-BACK ESAUN (K-SO) FLYERS- THAT PROMOTE & INFERS STABILITY THROUGHOUT THE YEARS***

ESAUN IS ALSO ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE SPOKEN WORD SCENE HERE IN CHICAGO- HAVING A NIGHT, AND HOSTING AT NUMEROUS LOCATIONS.

THREE OF THE MAIN SPOTS THAT WENT DOWN IN HISTORY ARE:

1. THE GLASS HOUSE (79TH & HALSTED) “REAL TALK”

2. XAVIERS (44TH & WESTERN) “IMPACT NIGHT” THE ORIGINAL.

3. BIG HORSE (MILWAUKEE & NORTH AVE.) “IMPACT NIGHT” II

ESAUN HAS BEEN ON MULTIPLE TELEVISION PROGRAMS TOO: FROM ABC’S “CHICAGOING” HOSTED BY BILL CAMPBELL, TO THE “MANCOW” MULLER SHOW; FROM “OFF THE ALLEY” HOSTED BY DEBORAH GROSS, TO RAW TV, AND ELMA & COMPANY HOSTED BY ELMA LUCAS. FROM BEING ON JENNY JONES (TWICE) TO “VICIOUS UNDERGROUND” ON CABLE.  ESAUN NOW HAS HIS OWN SHOW ON CABLE  (CH. 21)  ENTITLED ULON.LIFE (THE SAME AS HIS WEBSITE) ON THURSDAY NIGHTS AT 7:30PM.

MR KELLER  HAS A STRONG ALLIANCE WITH GOVERNOR STATE UNIVERSITY (GSU); OFTEN BEING ASKED TO LECTURE THEIR CRIMINAL JUSTICE CLASSES- UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF: PROFESSOR CARON JACOBSON. (STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO NOT ONLY DIALOGUE WITH  ESAUN, AFTER HIS LECTURE & PERFORMANCE, BUT FOLLOW UP TO KEEP STRONG COMMUNICATION WITH HIM, AS THEY GROW INTO THEIR PROFFESION.

ESAUN BECAME AWARE OF THE PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS OF THE URBAN ARENA WITHIN THE 90’S. HE FORMED A SMALL NICHE GROUP ENTITLED “IMPACT“. HOWEVER, BY THE END OF THE 90’S HE REALIZED THAT NOT ONLY WAS THE NAME BEING USED BY MULTIPLE SOURCES, BUT THAT THE PROBLEMS OF THE INNER CITY WERE FAR TOO VAST– THUS ULON WAS BORN.

ULON (UNITED LEGION ONE NATION) IS AN ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO REDUCING INNER CITY GANG INVOLVEMENT, INCLUDING RECIDIVISM, AND THE MANY PROBLEMS THAT COME ALONG WITH THAT CULTURE, MAKING A THOROUGH POSITIVE CHANGE WITHIN THE MINDSET OF THE INDIVIDUAL.