New Research Shows Consumers Increasingly Adopting Tech-Driven Purchasing Habits
Citi Retail Services (CRS) recently announced the results of its third-annual nationwide study on evolving consumer shopping trends during the holiday season. The survey of 1,000 U.S. adults found that this holiday season, in addition to rushing to the mall, consumers are increasingly powering up their computers and mobile devices or simply interacting with their virtual assistant. While nearly three-fourths (73%) still plan on visiting a brick and- mortar store to purchase holiday gifts, a sizable 57% additionally plan on turning to their computer to shop, 42% to their mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet, and 13% to their virtual assistant, such as Alexa or Siri, to facilitate their holiday shopping needs.
There’s No Place Like Paramount For The Magic of the Wizard of Oz
Acclaimed Chicago director Amber Mak dazzled audiences with Paramount’s production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid. She made kids of all ages believe in Santa again with Elf The Musical. Now she’s taking audiences over the rainbow and into another fantastical world with The Wizard of Oz, playing now through January 6, 2019 at Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. in Aurora.
HIGH SCHOOL DRAMA CLUB PRESENTS ELF THE MUSICAL JR. AS THEIR FALL PRODUCTION
The Bloom High School Drama Club is preparing for their fall production of Elf The Musical Jr. which will open at 7 p.m. tomorrow, Nov. 29. There will be another 7 p.m. show on Friday, Nov. 30 and a performance at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, December 1 at Bloom High School, 101 W 10th St, in Chicago Heights. Ticket prices are $6 for adults, $5 for students, $5 for senior citizens, and kids 5 and under are free.
New Food Hall To Open In Historic South Side Neighborhood
A new food hall is scheduled to open in the historic Pullman neighborhood in late January. One Eleven Food Hall will house three South Side restaurateurs and will be located in the 111th Street Gateway Retail Center that was developed by Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives.
Assessor’s Office again certifies assessments early
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios announced today that his office has certified the 2018 City of Chicago Triennial Reassessment earlier than last year’s triennial reassessment and will again publish all assessed values ahead of the anticipated schedule.
UNCF Chicago Joins the Global #GivingTuesday Movement
—UNCF Chicago joins #GivingTuesday to encourage philanthropy through education. Benefiting historically black colleges and universities, UNCF Chicago aims to change the narrative of HBCUs across the nation by equipping minority students with the resources necessary to transition into college and ultimately the workforce. With the recent release of UNCF’s new publication, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the value can be seen in how HBCUs perform in annual job creation and economic development: 134,000 jobs nationwide and almost $15 billion in total national economic impact. In Chicago alone, UNCF Chicago awarded 784 scholarships to IL students.
Black McDonald’s Operators Association sponsors annual turkey giveaway
Armed with a blue, folding lawn chair, Englewood resident Jacqueline Hendricks arrived early at a South Side McDonald’s to be first in line for the 19th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit turkey giveaway sponsored by the Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
FROM RADIO TO PUBLIC RELATIONS, SOUTH SUBURBAN RESIDENT SHARES HER STORY OF STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS
Denise Jordan Walker is the founder of Candid Public Relations and a well-known former smooth jazz radio host in Chicago. Over the last few decades, Walker has built a long list of celebrity clients and developed an impeccable ear for jazz music.
STATE REP. LA SHAWN FORD JOINS CHICAGO MAYORS RACE
Illinois Representative La Shawn Ford (8th District) recently held a press conference at the Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center,5820 W. Chicago Ave., to announce that he is running for Mayor of Chicago.
Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau Announces 2018 Stars of Tourism Man.pngthe Industry & Annual Tourism Award Winners
The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau (CSCVB), the regional destination management organization for Chicago’s 63 south and southwest suburbs, recognized its members, municipalities and organizations for their outstanding service in the hospitality and tourism industry during Fiscal Year 2018.
CHICAGO ACTIVISTS TAKE CITY WIDE BUS TOUR TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY CONCERNS
The Grassroots Collaborative recently organized a city-wide bus tour with stops on the north side, west side, and south side to share stories and discuss the most pressing issues that they see with the current state of affairs in Chicago.
MOVIE MAKER MONDAYS TEACH FUNDAMENTALS OF SCREENWRITING AND FILMMAKING
Contexture Media Network is currently in the midst of hosting their first session of Movie Maker Mondays, a six-week workshop series that provides useful information about film production. The workshops are being held every Monday from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Movie Studio Grill, 210 W. 87th St., in Chatham and the cost is $60 per session.
Employees of African-American business owners are more likely to receive robust benefits packages
As unemployment rates remain low across the country, strong employee benefits packages are a key driver of both recruitment and retention. According to Nationwide’s fourth annual survey of U.S. business owners with 1-499 employees, 85 percent of African-American business owners say they offer some form of an employee benefits package — well exceeding the broader business owner market (64 percent). Across every benefit category included in Nationwide’s survey, more African-American business owners indicate they provide more benefits to their employees than the general population of business owners.
Michelle Obama Launches Becoming Book Tour In Chicago With Special Guest, Oprah Winfrey
Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, recently visited Chicago to host the first stop on her book tour for the newly released memoir Becoming by Micelle Obama. She was joined by Oprah Winfrey who interviewed Obama about the book and her life.
Ford Honors Over A Dozen Unsung Heroes For Their Work In Chicago’s African American Communities
Ford Motor Company recently hosted the Freedom Unsung Awards at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr., to honor Chicago activist that have made significant contributions to the African American communities across the city. “Ford has always honored people for their legacy and we have honored a lot of very famous people. We had an exhibit on the women of the Civil Rights Movement that toured the country for four years and we realized as we did that and as we do other programs that there are so many heroes in the community that never ask for anything and are just doing what they are doing,” said Pamela Alexander, director of community development for the Ford Motor Company Fund.
University Of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy Unveils Three-Year Evaluation
After three years of operation, The Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago has released a formal evaluation of their first three cohorts. The results of the evaluation show that the interdisciplinary programming the University is providing has benefited the individuals and organizations that have participated and Chicago’s civic network as a whole.
Fashion Designer Mieka Joi Celebrates Rich Girl Candy Clothing Five Year Anniversary Fusing EDM and Hip Hop Culture
When clothing designer Mieka Joi introduced her Rich Girl Candy concept in 2013, fashionistas knew she was unveiling an imaginative new concept Fusing the psychedelic exuberance of the electronic dance music (EDM) lifestyle with the street savvy of hip hop culture, Mieka's Rich Girl Candy exploded on the fashion scene with an abundance of colorful creativity. She captured the hearts of women who wanted to feel as electric as the music that sound tracked their lives.
Muntu Dance Theatre’s “New Dimensions” Fall Concert To Feature World Premiere Work by Iddrisu Alhassan Abdulai
The dynamic and always colorful Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago will present its fall concert series “New Dimensions,” an amazing show of skill, expertise, culture, versatility and power featuring the world premiere work by Iddrisu Alhassan Abdulai entitled "AGBEKOR" – a story of the Ewe people of Ghana. Abdulai has been sharing West African culture around the world and is originally from Ghana, having spent eight years with the Ghana Dance Ensemble. He also served as artistic director of Afrique Dance Ensemble and the residents dance ensemble of the W.E.B. DuBois Memorial Center in Ghana. Currently, he resides in Bloomingdale, IL, and has been with Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago for nearly three years.
Region’s Largest Multi-Sport and Education Center Opens On Far South Side of Chicago
A grand opening ceremony was recently held for the new Pullman Community Center located on 10355 S. Woodlawn Ave. The 135,000 square-foot complex features three indoor turf playing fields for baseball, soccer, football and lacrosse, three hardwood courts for volleyball and basketball, batting cages, and classrooms where free tutoring will be offered for student-athletes.
