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Keeping Hope Alive Through Legacy Planning
Black History Month invites us to remember courage under pressure. It reminds us that our ancestors survived systems designed to exclude them. They built families, churches, businesses, and neighborhoods anyway. Survival was not optional. It was necessary.
Rising optimism among small and middle market business leaders suggests growth for Illinois
Business optimism is returning for small and midsize business leaders at the start of 2026, fueling confidence and growth plans.
Chicago Native Appointed New Executive Director of Chicago United for Equity
Jerry L. Hawkins has been appointed as the new Executive Director of Chicago United for Equity (CUE). Hawkins, a Chicago native, previously worked for the Chicago Urban League and Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, and has been grounded in doing racial equity work throughout his career.
George Ellzey, Jr. To present Film Screening In March
Filmmaker George Ellzey, Jr. is presenting his work at a film screening titled INTERIOR on March1st at Facets Film Forum, located at 1517 W. Fullerton Ave. INTERIOR will include five completed short films, along with two new works he has in progress.
La Femme Dance Festival Set For Late March
Red Clay Dance Company will host its La Femme Dance Festival from March 26th through the 28th, with its culminating dance performance set to take place at 7;30 p.m. Saturday, March 28th, at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, located at 205 E. Randolph St. This is the fifth year for the biennial festival, which was developed by Vershawn Sanders-Ward, Founding Artistic Director and CEO of Red Clay Dance Company.
Afton Battle Appointed Director Of The Land School And General Manager Of Rebuild Foundation
Afton Battle has been appointed to the role of Director of The Land School and General Manager of Rebuild Foundation. She said that being part of Rebuild means a great deal to her. It is the second job she has had where she feels like she can authentically be herself.
The Village Of Ford Heights Receives Its First Dine-In Restaurant in Sixty Years
Andre Williams and Suheir Barakat opened their first S2 Grills in 2017. They recently opened a location in Ford Heights, giving the small Southland village one of its only sit-down restaurants in sixty years.
Congressional Candidate, Donna Miller, Issues Statement on State of the Union Address
Listening to President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address tonight, I'm reminded of a number of sayings, "There's a sucker born every minute" and "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull."
Congressional Candidate, Donna Miller, Issues Statement on State of the Union Address
Listening to President Donald Trump's State of the Union Address tonight, I'm reminded of a number of sayings, "There's a sucker born every minute" and "If you can't dazzle them with brilliance, baffle them with bull."
Living Fresh Market Expands Its Monthly Community Giveback Events with Black History Month 60‑Second Shopping Spree
Living Fresh Market, the nation’s largest African American–owned full–service supermarket, will once again host its popular 60‑Second Shopping Spree on Saturday, February 28, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at its 71,000‑square‑feet store located at 7520 W. Roosevelt Road in Forest Park.
Economic Development Without Equity Is a Fumble
For decades, Black business leaders in Chicago have fought to ensure that large-scale economic development produces real opportunity for minority- and women-owned firms. DBE, MBE, and WBE programs did not emerge from charity; they emerged from exclusion—and from hard lessons showing that, without intentional policy, major projects routinely bypass entire communities.
Rainbow PUSH’s Saturday Morning Forum to Honor the Life of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.
Rainbow PUSH will host its weekly Saturday Morning Forum on Saturday, February 21, honoring the prophetic leadership and enduring legacy of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. under the theme Keep Hope Alive.
Lightford pushes for funding to combat Black HIV/AIDS epidemic
Building upon her decades of advocacy to combat the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities, Senate Majority Leader Kimberly A. Lightford is pushing for $15 million to help bring greater resources to disadvantaged communities.
Chicago Metro Ends 2025 with Record Number of December Jobs, Year and a Half Year-Over-Year Steady Growth
Over-the-year, total nonfarm jobs decreased in 9 metropolitan areas and increased in 3, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth in Chicago (18 consecutive months) and Lake (7 consecutive months). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in 11 metro areas and was unchanged in 1 for the year ending December 2025, according to data released today by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Illinois Department of Employment Security (DES). There was no October 2025 metro area release due to the federal government shutdown.