COMED HOSTS SPARK TANK EVENT FOR BRONZEVILLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
“Our premise was simple, we wanted to include high school student in our Community of the Future and our Smart Cities initiative to make them aware of the emerging technology and potential opportunities as they think about the next level of their education. The Ideathon was born out of this notion that we would work with the nine high schools that are part of the Bronzeville community, and some of the technology that we are using, and challenge these young students to come up with ideas to make their block, their community, and their school safer and more respondent to the needs of the residents of Bronzeville.” MARLOW COLVIN,VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS FOR COMED
THIS YEAR’S PRAYER ON THE 9 WILL FOCUS ON YOUNG VOICES
Pastor John Hannah and the New Life Covenant Southend Church are preparing for this year’s annual Prayer on the 9 initiative. This year Hannah is calling for the congregation and the entire Chicago community to March and Pray For Our Lives starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 19 at the corner of 79th St. and Greenwood Ave.
Kellar Middle School Students Complete Mural
“We were trying to think of a way to incorporate and engage youth and as we were progressing and reaching out to the community, Ricardo Gonzalez, who is a Blue Island residents and an artist, reached out to us and said that he really wanted to do something. He really just wanted to figure out a way to be engaged,” said Kentric Benson, Blue Island-Robbins Neighborhood Network project coordinator.
ST. AGATHA’S CHURCH OPERATES COMMUNITY TECH CENTER OUT OF CLOSED SCHOOL BUILDING
“We saw that the school was going to eventually close and so it was a matter of deciding what our mission would be from that point forward?” said Father Larry Dowling, pastor of St. Agatha’s. “In a lot of ways I think it was a natural transition for us because of the violence in the community, it seemed like a natural flow for us to outreach into the community to impact families. We work with families in our own parish, but also local families in the community. We serve about 700 families in the community through various programs throughout the year.” Several outreach programs have found their home in the Technology Center.
Black Women’s Expo Chicago Attracts Record Crowds, Readies for Atlanta and Dallas Event
More than 20 corporate sponsors and 300 small business exhibitors participated in the annual Black Women’s Expo (BWe), which kicked off its three-city tour in Chicago, this past April. This year’s Expo, themed #SheMatters, marked 24 years of the event produced by and for Black women and saw record attendance with over 30,000 flowing through the exhibits and seminars at McCormick Place Convention Center over the three days.
THORNTON TOWNSHIP JOB FAIR COORDINATOR AIMS FOR SUCCESS: OUTREACH FOR REGIONAL JOB FAIR PROJECT
Ms. Diamond Wright, Thornton Township, South Suburban College Job Fair Coordinator prepares for regional job fair to be held on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at South Suburban College Fitness Center, 15800 State Street, South Holland, Illinois.
HOMELESS AS A CHILD, DR. VENUS GIVES A LESSON IN HEALING AND SUCCESS
Author of The Black Woman Millionaire, Dr. Venus Opal Reese recently made a stop near Chicago to hold a one-day training seminar where she shared her compelling story and taught the women of Chicago how to overcome the obstacles that hold them back from financial freedom and success.
South Shore Non-Profit Benefits From Walgreens Fundraiser
On May 24th, Walgreens will close out their fourth annual Red Nose Day fundraiser and award the proceeds to its 14 global charity partners who will then distribute the money to more local charitable organizations, some of which operate on the South Side of Chicago.
Cunningham Passes Measure to Designed to Curb Carjackers
In the wake of a steep hike in the number of carjacking incidents in Chicago, the Illinois Senate took action recently to close a loophole carjackers have used to avoid prosecution and to ensure young offenders are sent to juvenile detention when arrested for carjacking incidents.
BlackHer Releases The Black Woman’s Guide to the 2018 Midterms
Building on the power Black women brought to the Alabama special election that defeated Roy Moore, BlackHer, a new online community for and about Black women, released The Black Woman’s Guide to the 2018 Midterms, a primer that demystifies the electoral process to ensure Black women have the information and resources they need to make informed choices in the voting booth.
White Castle® Launches Festivities for 27th Annual National Hamburger Month
White Castle, America’s first fast food hamburger chain and home of Time Magazine’s Most Influential Burger, will pay its respects to the very slider that made it one of the most Crave-able restaurant chains in the country.
BET Networks Launches Exclusive Beauty-Focused Tutorials in Partnership with Beautycon
BET Networks reimagines the make-up tutorial format with stunning visual and shareable videos dedicated to the African American beauty enthusiast. Recently, BET Digital joined forces with Beautycon to launch original short-form beauty-focused content.
“Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story” Documentary Series This July
“Rest In Power: The Trayvon Martin Story” will be based on the book “Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin,” by Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin.
Southside Non-Profit Provides A Complete Life Cycle of Service
Centers For New Horizons, Inc. (Centers) will be hosting their annual Friendraiser, Comedy for a Cause, on May 24th at the Promontory in Hyde Park. The event will feature three comedic acts, including Leon Rogers, and the proceeds from the event will be used to support the family services that CNH provides.
Former Robert Taylor Homes Resident Releases Book About Experiences
Over the weekend, Crystal Lampkins-Banks released a new book, Hi’Yella: Life in the Projects, that details her experiences growing up in the Robert Taylor Homes, a low-income high-rise housing development in Bronzeville that has since been demolished.
Boxville Community Market Wants to Expand its Footprint
Last summer Boxville, a neighborhood market located at 51st Street and Calumet Avenue, set up several shipping containers on the land just outside of the 51st Street green line stop to house emerging local businesses and provide the Bronzeville community with their spin on a community market. This year, Boxville is back from round two with the hope of expanding.
PULLMAN COMMUNITY CENTER STILL NEEDS $3 MILLION TO BE DEBT FREE
Community members and investors in Chicago’s Pullman neighborhood recently gathered at a press conference to celebrate the construction of the Pullman Community Center at 104th St. and Woodlawn Ave. Once completed, the community center will offer 135,000 square feet of climate controlled, indoor sports playing fields and courts. Nearly 1,100 people are expected to come through the Pullman Community Center on a weekly basis.
SSC’s 10th Anniversary Women’s Conference a Huge Success
Women’s History Month may have come and gone, the event chairpersons (Alexandra Glumac and Rebecca Garcia-Westburg) of South Suburban College’s 10th Anniversary Women’s Conference now know what others have suspected all along—this year’s Women’s Conference was a huge success!
