Community Focus
BAM-WOW Initiatives Support At-Risk Chicago Students
Teens in the Chicago Public School system are benefitting from mentoring initiatives that strive to keep students in a safe environment and protect them from negative influences. The BAM (Becoming A Man) and Working on Womanhood (WOW) enrichment programs are setting standards of excellence towards keeping at-risk teens on the right track, according to a City of Chicago press release
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD GOES TO FINNEY
CHICAGO – As a theologian whom one colleague said is able to join “Jesus and justice,” the Rev. Dr. Leon Finney, Jr., is well deserving of the Distinguished Alumni Award presented by the McCormick Theological Seminary at the University of Chicago.
MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE APPROVED FOR WHITNEY YOUNG BRANCH LIBRARYARCHITECTURAL FIRM
The Board of Commissioners of the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC) appointed Johnson & Lee, Ltd, a full-service Chicago-based MBE architectural firm, to serve as the Architect of Record (AOR) for the Whitney Young Branch Library Renovation and Expansion Project in the Chatham neighborhood.
Healthy Eating in Englewood
While the Whole Foods Store in Englewood recently celebrated its grand opening, it also marked a very special time for Chicago Chef David Fuller. Fuller, a culinary arts & hospitality teacher at Chicago Vocational School (CVS) and founder of Eating to Live consulting, will have his very own vegan “green foods dishes” in all 50 Whole Food Stores in the Midwest region.
Obama Foundation Announces Establishment of Inclusion Council
Chicago, IL – The Obama Foundation recently announced the creation of the Obama Foundation Inclusion Council. The mission of the new Council is to ensure that the ongoing work of the Foundation is informed by a diverse set of views and opinions and in line with the values of diversity and inclusion.
CONCERT AIMS TO END GUN VIOLENCE
An alliance of gun violence prevention activists held its first annual Concert Across America to End Gun Violence, recently at the DuSable Museum of African-American History in Chicago.
SKILLS ACKNOWLEDGED AS FINALIST IN COMPETITION
Skills for Chicagoland Future, a local non-profit, public-private organization, recently announced since its inception in 2012, it has placed more than 3,000 Cook County job seekers, considered unemployed and underemployed.
WALKING FOR A CAUSE IN GLENWOOD
While the end-of-summer weather issued mild temperatures across Chicagoland on Saturday, September 17th, walkers and joggers alike took advantage of pleasant conditions to participate in Glenwood Academy’s 2nd Annual 5K Walk, held in Glenwood, Illinois. “It was a perfect day with beautiful weather. It was a great turnout, and everyone had a good time.
Black Women for change Organization hosts Non-Violent Conference
With the spread of gun violence across America, Black Women for Positive Change (BW4PC), a national civic organization of African-American women in Washington, D.C., have joined with political leaders in America and overseas to host their 4th Annual 2016 Week of Non-Violence, Justice and Opportunities, October 15-23rd, according to a BW4PC press release.
I’LL-EQUIPPED TO IDENTIFY MENTAL HEALTH CALLS
According to an Associated Press report, a growing number of shooting deaths by police, involving the mentally ill has prompted lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department to investigate excessive force by police officers in cities like Baltimore, Seattle and Portland. In Chicago, Jennifer McGowan, associate director of National Alliance for the Mentally Illinois (NAMI) said NAMI offers Crisis Intervention Training or CIT so that Chicago police are better equipped to deal with the mentally ill.
DAUGHTER LAUNCHES SCHOLARSHIP TO RESCUE BLACK MALES
“He was a husband, a father, a brother, a friend, and his life was tragically snatched from all of us. August was recorded as Chicago’s deadliest month in 20 years. The same gun violence that plagued Chicago in 1982, is the same gun violence that terrorizes the streets today,” adds the 38-year-old. Taylor was robbed and killed for his car, his body found at a nearby motel. His killers were only 15, 19, and 21-years-old.
A.C.T.I.O.N. Coalition hosts local town hall meeting
In an effort to unify community members, state officials and interested local parties, Assesseing Conditions Taking Initiatives Overcoming Now (A.C.T.I.O.N.) recently hosted its first town hall meeting, August 27th, at the Sip and Savor Café in Bronzeville.
Chicago Association of REALTORS® Honors Marion Maner
Marion Maner, the first-ever African-American president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.), was recently honored for his distinct service to the Chicago real estate community during the unveiling of a bench in his honor. The bench is located in Avalon Park, a Chicago Park District property.
CAU Preps for Win in the Classroom and on the Field
Dr. Ronald A. Johnson, President of Clark Atlanta University has issued a ‘call to higher education’. He has also beefed up CAU’s athletics programs with former pro athletes coming aboard as coaches. Johnson and his staff have predicted a win at the upcoming Chicago Football Classic, September 10th at Soldier’s Field against Central State University. “We made a friendly wager, a bushel of (Georgia) peaches if we lose, but they (Central) haven’t responded,” said Johnson.
