Mark Clements Recognized as a Leader for a New Chicago
Mark Clements is in and out of prisons and courtrooms in his quest to help people. The work that he does as a community organizer with the Chicago Torture Justice Center is personal to him.
The Most Powerful Black Social Impact Network That You've Never Heard of Just Turned 10 and Is Changing Minds on Equity
In 2013, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation spun off BMe Community, an innovative Black leadership network. Since then, its members have created hundreds of award-winning social impact programs, achieved extraordinary policy breakthroughs, and are leading a paradigm shift in philanthropy's approach to equity.
Stephen Voyce Sets Free with "Emancipation of Eze": The New EP Chronicles His Journey of Personal Liberation
Stephen Voyce, the gifted Canadian-Nigerian singer-songwriter surprised fans and broke new ground with the release of his anticipated project, "Emancipation of Eze," a 10-track EP that marks a significant shift in his creative journey. Embarking on a new creative chapter, after years of releasing individual singles, Voyce's transformative project showcases his vocals and artistic growth. Available now across digital stores and platforms, this collection of songs showcases Voyce's evolution as an artist and serves as a powerful expression of freedom.
Ryan Destiny and Pacsun Expand Partnership, Unveiling '90s-Inspired Summer Collection for 2023
Ryan Destiny and Pacsun are back with the third drop of her self-titled apparel collection, created in collaboration with Pacsun. The summer collection serves as her 2023 debut and draws inspiration from closets of the '90s, with a curated selection of bold pieces that merge sophistication and trend into every ensemble. Destiny's artistic prowess shines through as she infuses elements of grunge and menswear, creating a contemporary aesthetic that resonates with Gen Z's evolving trends and shopping behaviors.
CITY OF CHICAGO AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS ANNOUNCE NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHICAGOANS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CITY’S CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Mayor Brandon Johnson, Office of Climate & Environmental Equity (OCEE), Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) and community co-leaders announced new opportunities for Chicago residents to participate in Chicago’s Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA). The CIA is the City’s first initiative to comprehensively examine and assess how combined environmental, health and social stressors affect Chicago residents, and to identify communities that experience the greatest impacts.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON APPOINTS BEATRIZ PONCE DE LEÓN TO SERVE AS DEPUTY MAYOR OF IMMIGRANT, MIGRANT AND REFUGEE RIGHTS
Mayor Brandon Johnson announced that Beatriz Ponce de León will serve as the City of Chicago’s first-ever Deputy Mayor of Immigrant, Migrant and Refugee Rights.
ENTREPRENEUR GAINS IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCE FROM FOUNDERS FORWARD PROGRAM
Brenda Nelson started Stitch Me Apparel in 2010 as a hobby. Nelson and her husband would attend trade shows and they would come back with gifts from those events. Nelson thought creating custom apparel was something she could do and decided to buy a machine to use for her projects.
The HBCU Founders Initiative Selects 5 Additional Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to Its Pre-Accelerator Program Designed to Scale Entrepreneurial Education
The HBCU Founders Initiative (HBCUFI), a nonprofit organization that supports HBCU students and alumni along their entrepreneurial journey, has announced that it has selected five additional HBCUs to join its Pre-Accelerator program, which is in place to provide specialized support to students and alumni exploring entrepreneurship and the launch of tech-fueled ventures across HBCU campuses.
16th Annual Firefest Hip Hop Block Party
The Firehouse Community Arts Center of Chicago is excited to present the 16th Annual Firefest from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12, at 2111 S. Hamlin Ave in North Lawndale. The anticipated family-focused event is the only hip-hop block party on the west side featuring viral sensation LaRussell.
ARTISTS CREATES MURAL DEPICTING WORK OF CONGRESSMAN DANNY DAVIS
Janel Young has been creating art since she was a child. Art chose her and she’s always come back to it. Her path to doing art professionally was not linear.
Gov. Pritzker Names Precious Brady-Davis to Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Board
Governor JB Pritzker announced his appointment of Precious Brady-Davis to the board of commissioners for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District (MWRD) of Greater Chicago. Brady-Davis currently serves as Associate Regional Communications Director at the Sierra Club and has an extensive history as an advocate and nonprofit coordinator. She will fill the currently vacant seat on the nine-member board of commissioners.
Landmarks Illinois provides grant funding to preservation projects at landmark churches on Chicago’s South Side
Landmarks Illinois has awarded three grants through the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side to preservation projects at historic places of worship in the Bronzeville and Englewood neighborhoods.
HARVEY RESIDENT NAMED HUMANA GAME CHANGER
James Lewis has been playing 3-on-3 basketball since back in the early 1980s. He had an injury and stopped playing, then he returned to the sport after his son encouraged him to be more active.
Reps. Kelly, Balderson Introduce Legislation to Combat Prescription Opioid Abuse
Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12) introduced legislation to enable health care providers to track and ensure the well-being of patients who are prescribed opioids. The Remote Opioid Monitoring Act would create a study focusing on the benefits and efficacy of remote monitoring.
Hyde Park Art Center presents Candace Hunter’s largest solo exhibition The Alien-Nations and Sovereign States of Octavia E. Butler November 11, 2023—March 3, 2024
Hyde Park Art Center, the renowned non-profit hub for contemporary art located on Chicago’s vibrant South Side, announces Chicago-based artist Candace Hunter’s largest solo exhibition to date. Exploring ideas from Parable of the Sower and Xenogenesis Trilogy (Lilith’s Brood) by speculative fiction author Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006), this will be Hunter’s third and most immersive exhibition inspired by Butler’s work. Hunter will present a series of collage-based works, installations, video, and sound works that illustrate the meticulously sculpted worlds Butler imagined in her novels, examining their significance for Black bodies and future societies. Candace Hunter: The Alien-Nations and Sovereign States of Octavia E. Butler will be on view from November 11, 2023 to March 3, 2024.
Breakroom Englewood opens to the community
Corie Luckett, owner and operator of Englewood Branded, had an idea for a development project that would transform a vacant lot into something that would benefit the community. Luckett and Englewood Branded had been hosting community activations at the corner of 63rd and Justine for the last few years. In late June, the site opened as Englewood Breakroom Public Outdoor Plaza (POP!).
Assessor's Office Honored with National Association of Counties Achievement Award
Cook County – The Cook County Assessor’s Office (CCAO) received a National Association of Counties Achievement Award for the creation of a tool called the Property Tax Simulator, also known as PTAXSIM. This is a software code package implemented in the coding language R and is designed to recalculate changes to Cook County property tax bills. It uses real assessment, exemption, TIF, and levy data to generate historic, line-by-line tax bills for properties in Cook County from tax years 2006 to 2020. Why is this important? Policy makers, researchers, and journalists can now create historical counterfactual scenarios to determine how policy changes could impact the property tax system.
Nicor Gas announces $100,000 in funding for educational programming
Expanding on its commitment to enhance opportunities and social mobility for the communities it serves, Nicor Gas is announcing $100,000 in funding to support secondary and post-secondary educational programs as well as technical and vocational programs.
