Ravinia’s 2024 summer lineup boasts over 100 concerts spanning rock/pop, R&B, classical, jazz, country, Latin, and movies with live orchestra. August promises a vibrant celebration of excellence across many genres, offering a mosaic of unforgettable performances of Black music.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) wants fairgoers to know that Help is Here. The annual Illinois State Fair will highlight a range of human services programs this year, offering attendees the opportunity to learn about and access important human services at the IDHS tent. The annual fair, which will take place from August 8 to 18 in Springfield, aims to provide an inclusive and educational experience for all visitors.
Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) this week acquired two residential properties - Harvest Commons and Warren Ashland Apartments - from the troubled Heartland Housing portfolio. The properties are located in Chicago’s bustling Near West Side at 1519 and 1533 W. Warren Blvd. respectively, and comprise 164 mixed-income apartments.
It’s been an awe-inspiring journey for Ruthie Foster, the singer-songwriter heralded for her powerful blend of blues, folk, and gospel. Ruthie pays tribute to her lineage as a Black artist and a Sun Records artist with her latest single, a sensual, blues reading of “That’s All Right,” as made famous by Elvis Presley. “That’s All Right” will be the third single from Ruthie’s milestone tenth studio album, Mileage, and her first album for Sun Records. The ten-song record was produced by Tyler Bryant (Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown), and it will be released via Sun on Aug. 23rd.
In celebration of Bump Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness for maternal health and support, Carol's Daughter and the Mama Glow Foundation are proud to announce the first two parts of their Love Delivered Black Maternal Health Advocacy Training videos available at www.carolsdaughter.com/lovedelivered. The videos are designed to be informative, engaging, and action-oriented, providing viewers with valuable tools to advocate for their health and for the health of their loved ones and community.
Celebrated entrepreneur and business owner Kerri Harper-Howie announced the publication of her new book THE FAMILY SECRET: The Business and Franchise Owner's Guide to Building Generational Wealth. The book details Harper-Howie's unexpected and life-changing career transition from lawyer to franchise owner, following in the wake of her mother Patricia Williams' pioneering legacy as a McDonald's franchise owner in Los Angeles.
Justice + Joy National Collaborative (Justice + Joy), an intergenerational gender and racial justice advocacy nonprofit, released insights from Fixing Democracy, a national study and youth civic engagement initiative focused on marginalized girls, young women, and gender-expansive young people of color aged 16-25.
The nonprofit Rogers Park Business Alliance is excited to host Chicago’s only chalk art festival Chalk Howard Street on Saturday, August 24, from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. The family-friendly festival presenting large-scale optical illusions returns to transform the street surface into a canvas for national, local, and first-time chalk artists along Howard Street between Paulina and Ashland, east of the Howard Red Line “L” stop. This free-admission festival features live music, lion dance, kids drawing, vendors, food and drinks, while offering striking and immersive street art experiences as well as street chalk squares available for public purchase. Chalk Howard Street is sponsored by Howard Street/Jarvis Square Special Service Area #19. For more information on the festival, visit chalkhowardstreet.com.
Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announced $18 million in funding for the fourth round of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program. The Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program provides training opportunities, expands the talent pipeline, and boosts diversity in the construction industry and building trades. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
The First Ladies Health Day, featuring free health screenings for chronic illnesses, returns to Chicago on Aug. 11 at nearly 10 participating churches. The much-anticipated health day will include back-to-school resources as well as games and giveaways to spotlight the return of these lifesaving health clinics.
ComEd, the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago and Goodwill Greater Milwaukee & Chicago hosted a graduation event for 89 teens who have completed summer job training that prepared them for emerging career opportunities in the clean energy and construction fields.
On July 15th, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller garnered approval of her Social Media Safety Policy Resolution at the 2024 National Association of Counties (NACo) Annual Conference in Tampa Bay, Fla., which brings together nearly 2,000 elected and appointed county officials to focus on federal policy issues that impact counties and their residents.
On a sunny Friday afternoon, the sounds of a band playing The Jackson’s “Can You Feel It,” filled the air as community members walked down the blocked off street by St. Moses the Black.
Dr. Cynthia Levy has officially been the Superintendent of the Markham/Hazel Crest School District 152 ½ since July 1st. Even before that, she was engaging staff and faculty in preparation for her tenure and the school year ahead.
Legislators in Illinois have taken up the cause of getting more state funding for public higher education. Illinois State Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford and Illinois State Representative Carol Ammons recently announced the filing of SB3965, the Adequate and Equitable Funding Formula for Public Universities Act.
U.S. Transportation Secretary had earlier recommended $350 Million to CTA’s Red Line Extension project in President Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Budget; Funding Boost Moves Historic Transit Equity Project on Far South Side Closer to Groundbreaking
A new $20 million technology training center in Grand Crossing will help create career pathways for people in the community. Xchange Chicago was formed by the Comer Science and Education Foundation and P33.