Community Focus
Farm Provides Fresh Produce To Community
A five hundred square foot container farm in Altgeld Gardens is being used to teach young people entrepreneurship and bring fresh produce to the community. By The Hand Club for Kids, along with Freight to Plate and the Kenilworth Union Church, have launched Bowen Harvest in Altgeld Gardens. In March, the farm harvested its first crop.
Community Blood Center Opens In Beverly
The Community Blood Center has opened a location in Beverly, which is the first one in Chicago, to meet the needs of those local hospitals and those who want to donate blood. It is located at 9920 S. Western.
On The 9 Run Crew Builds Community Through Running
A community of runners have made their mark by running on the South Side. On the 9 Run Crew began on Feb. 24th, with a run, which started from the Regal Theater to the Mahalia Jackson Court on 79th and State St. On the 9 Run Crew was founded by Neishe Russell, Philip Weatherspoon, Tess Branklin and Danya Rosen. They wanted to run on the South side in communities like Chatham, Avalon Park and South Shore.
Spiritual Coach Wants People To Get In Alignment With Their Spirit
Rita Ricks has been a spiritual business coach since the mid 2000’s. She started out as a teacher, then a trainer and decided she wanted to spend more one-on-one time with people. Ricks has written a book called #Just for Today.
Unsung Heroes Are The Subject Of Art Exhibit
Kristen Williams is using her talents as an artist to highlight community leaders and memorialize them with portraits for an art exhibit. Williams’ Unsung Heroes exhibition is on display at Mahalia’s, which is located at 735 E. 79th St.
Environmental Justice Advocate Mari Copeny Speaks At Girls In STEM
Mari Copeny loves helping people. She’s not doing it for clout, she genuinely loves helping people, especially kids. It is why she has so much courage to do what she does.
Chicago Hip Hop Museum Cements Chicago’s Place In Hip Hop
In a Greystone in the Grand Boulevard neighborhood, there is a museum that celebrates Chicago’s contributions to Hip Hop. The Chicago Hip Hop Museum is a labor of love that was started by three friends who grew up in embedded in Chicago’s Hip Hop culture.
La Femme Dance Festival Celebrates Black Women Choreographers
As a Black woman, Vershawn Sanders-Ward wanted to create a dance festival that celebrated the voices of Black women and brought their work to Chicago stages. Sanders-Ward, Founder and Artistic Director of Red Clay Dance Company, created La Femme Dance Festival for that reason.
Hot Sauce Poetry Provides A Space For Poets And Spoken Word Artists
Heartbreak led Tiffany McCaskill to start writing poetry. In high school, she was an emcee. She had dreams of leaving college and becoming a rapper. Her parents weren’t going for that, so she stayed at her HBCU. But, in the back of her mind she was always thinking of rhymes and lyrics, putting pen to paper to express herself.
Metropolitan Peace Academy Looks To Expand Work With New Training Facility
The Metropolitan Peace Academy now has a brick-and-mortar facility to hold its community violence intervention training. Metropolitan Peace Academy started in 2018 with eight community-based organizations that came together with the hope to reduce shootings and homicides in the city, as well as reclaiming safe spaces in neighborhoods. It also aimed to professionalize street outreach through the Metropolitan Peace Academy. The first cohort was 25 outreach workers who had lived experiences, and some were returning citizens
New Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Is The First Black Woman In Role
Dr. Olumsmbo Ige has been appointed as the Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner, making her the first Black woman in the role.
Illinois Made Program Amplifies Small Businesses
Stephanie Hart opened the Brown Sugar Bakery on 75th Street in 2002. Since then, Brown Sugar Bakery has expanded to include a space in the former Cupid Candies building where she makes candy.
Justin Austin Talks ‘Champion’
The story of welterweight boxer Emile Griffith, in the form of an opera written by composer Terence Blanchard, is coming to the Lyric Opera of Chicago on Saturday, Jan. 27th. Justin Austin portrays young Emile in the Lyric performance of “Champion.” Both of his parents are opera singers and he was exposed to the theatre at a very young age. Being around Black opera singers at a young age helped him realize that was something he wanted to do. He started singing at the age of 3 and professionally at age 4, performing the boy Soprano part of Scipio in “Porgy and Bess.”
North Lawndale Employment Network Receives Neighborhood Builders Recognition
The North Lawndale Employment Network is one of two Chicago-based organizations that have been awarded the 2023 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders grant. It is the second time North Lawndale Employment Network has received the award. It will use the $200,000 grant money to continue its mission to provide employment opportunities to residents in the North Lawndale community.
