New Book Examines the Evolving Meaning of Civil Rights in America
A new book by American Bar Foundation (ABF) Research Professor Christopher W. Schmidt examines the history of America’s fight over the meaning of civil rights. Published by Cambridge University Press, Civil Rights in America: A History is the first book to trace the evolution of the term “civil rights” in America from the Civil War through today.
ORGANIZATION ADVOCATES FOR INVESTMENT IN BLACK COMMUNITIES
Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy recognized two local leaders during its annual Connecting Philanthropy and Community program, which took place in February. Corliss Garner and Jonathan Peck were honored for their work, which exemplifies a commitment towards advancing equity for Black communities in the city.
FORMER TARGET SITE TO BECOME DISCOVER CUSTOMER CARE CENTER
Discover will turn the former site of Target, located at 86th and Cottage Grove, into a 100,000 square foot customer care center. It is expected to bring around 1,000 full time jobs to the community by 2024.
Leading CEOs Champion Equity for the Black Community in Accessing COVID-19 Vaccines
Six of the nation’s largest non-governmental, non-profit membership organizations recently announced the launch of a vaccine equity and education initiative. The effort aims to help Black Americans make informed personal decisions about vaccination by providing them with accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines from medical professionals and health officials and combating misinformation about the vaccines
Business owner uses fashion jewelry and brutal honesty to help heal emotional pain
What do earrings, eye lash extensions, and emotional growth all have in common? Emotional Support Advocate, Kia Waters, correlates the latest fashion trends with her weekly Web Series: Healing, Wine, & Storytime, a pillar of her EarringEverything brand.
Karat Launches “Brilliant Black Minds” to Unlock Opportunities for Black Software Engineers
Karat, the world leader in technical interviewing, recently announced Brilliant Black Minds, a program to improve access, fairness, and inclusion across the technology industry. The program, which formalizes Karat’s commitment to providing Black software engineers with $1 million in practice interviews, kicked off last year and is growing to support more computer science students and professional engineers in 2021.
PRESIDENT-ELECT OF LYNWOOD MAKES HISTORY
Jada D. Curry made history on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when she was elected as President- elect of the Village of Lynwood. When Curry is sworn in, she will be the first African American woman to hold that office.
Illinoisans can turn over a new leaf on cannabis past
Systemic racism, as an abstract concept, has been much discussed over the last year. If anyone needs an example of where systemic racism actually lives in practice, look no further than the war on drugs of the last four decades. While people of all races illegally grew, smoked and sold marijuana, it was Black and Brown people who were much more likely to be arrested and incarcerated for it. Communities of color across the board have borne the disproportionate impact of this ill-conceived and ill-enforced policy.
SOUTH SIDE LEADERS HONORED ON MARCH 18
Chicago Foundation for Women is recognizing the leaders of two Englewood-based organizations for its 2021 Impact Awards.
Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago to host “Black and Latino Houses Matter” on March 11, a phone bank to help Cook County homeowners with their property taxes
Treasurer Maria Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago will host “Black and Latino Houses Matter” on March 11, 2021, a phone bank to help Cook County homeowners find refunds, apply for property tax exemptions and avoid the Tax Sale, Pappas said today.
Designing A Better Chicago
If there was ever a time to recognize and support individuals and organizations using design for civic good, it’s now. Designing a Better Chicago, a collaborative initiative organized and supported by NeoCon® and theMART, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Design Museum of Chicago, is now accepting nominations for its second annual Design Impact Grant Program. The 2021 initiative will provide $25,000 in project-specific grants to individuals and organizations using design or design principles to directly address pressing issues in Chicago communities.
CITY TREASURER WANTS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY
City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin recently hosted a webinar entitled, Youth in Finance and Investment, as part of her Mondays with Melissa series. During the discussion, financial and investment experts talked about roles and opportunities within the financial sector.
What Illinois can learn from the Texas energy crisis
When parts of Texas’ independent power grid went offline recently due to unusually extreme cold weather in the south, the amount of expected energy production lost was equivalent to the amount of electricity used to keep the lights on in the entire state of Illinois.
Transportation access provides vaccinations for vulnerable communities
Millions of people lack access to essential resources — including healthcare — simply because they can’t get a ride.
President Biden Taps Meharry Medical College President for COVID Task Force
Meharry Medical College President and CEO Dr. James Hildreth has been named by President Joe Biden as a member of his COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.
Exelon Utilities CEO Honored with BEYA Chairman’s Award for Contributions to STEM
Exelon Utilities CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr. was honored February 13 with the BEYA Chairman’s Award during the organization’s annual BEYA STEM conference, hosted virtually.
High School Sisters Launch New “Vaccinated While…” Clothing Line To Combat Vaccine Skepticism
High school students Zoe and Jordan Sims Rhodes, recently launched a new fashion and accessory line, Vaccinated While... Part of a campaign aimed at raising vaccine experience awareness among impacted communities and across social media, the “Vaccinated While…” branded clothing, face masks and accessories are now available for purchase at https://www.redbubble.com/people/VaccinatedWhile/explore
HIGHER EDUCATION AGENCIES ENCOURAGED BY STEADY FUNDING FOR EDUCATION AMIDST PANDEMIC CHALLENGES
Despite budget woes stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. JB Pritzker recommended several increases for programs to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in his budget address.
ARTIST RAISES MONEY THROUGH HOODIE COLLABORATION
Local artist, Maxwell Emcays, created Demand Justice as an art activism project. In February, he collaborated with 26 organizations throughout the city of Chicago to create hoodies. The sale of the hoodies resulted in raising $10,000 for those organizations.
