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MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON JOINS YOUTH WELLNESS DISCUSSION AT PROJECT SWISH’S 29 HOURS OF PEACE COMMUNITY LOCK-IN
Mayor Brandon Johnson joined Project sWISH Chicago (PSC) to kick off the 29 Hours of Peace ‘community lock-in,' sitting down with youth and mental health experts to help guide the ‘Brotherhood Circle,’ a discussion encouraging young men to share their experiences with community leaders and professional councilors. During the event at Kennedy-King College, over 150 young men aged 14-21 will have the opportunity to take part in healing activities, community-centered discussions, and organized basketball.
ILLINOIS AFRICAN DESCENT-CITIZENS REPARATIONS COMMISSION RELEASES LANDMARK REPORT ON HARMS TO BLACK ILLINOISANS
The Illinois African Descent-Citizens Reparations Commission (ADCRC) today released “Taking Account: A History of Racial Harm & Injustice Against Black Illinoisans,” the State’s first comprehensive, evidence-based report examining how slavery and its vestiges produce historical harms and continue to generate inequities for Black Illinoisans.
CHICAGOLAND NAMED #1 U.S. METRO FOR CORPORATE RELOCATION & SITE SELECTION
Chicago has again been named the top U.S. metro for corporate relocation and site selection by Site Selection Magazine, marking a record 13th consecutive year in the No. 1 position. The annual ranking, based on verified corporate facility projects, is widely regarded as a measure of business expansion and investment activity nationwide and underscores Chicago’s sustained competitiveness in attracting capital and jobs. Illinois ranked No. 2 among states for corporate expansion projects.
Giannoulias Joins Illinois Literacy Foundation, YMCA to Celebrate National Read Across America Day with Book Donation and Day of Service
In recognition of National Read Across America Day, Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias announced a coordinated literacy initiative that distributed thousands of children’s books and brought volunteer readers into YMCA sites across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs, reinforcing the importance of reading as a shared, lifelong activity.
Collins joins Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative to sustain reentry support
State Senator Lakesia Collins joined legislators and leaders from the Supportive Reentry Network Collaborative at the Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 25, to call for a $2.1 million investment to sustain a proven, community-based reentry health model that reduces recidivism and improves access to care for people returning from incarceration.
Lohengrin Foundation Announces Two Final Grant Partners in $15 Million Thriving Youth, Stronger Communities, Youth and Community Center Capital Investment Initiative
The Lohengrin Foundation announced the awardees of its Thriving Youth, Stronger Communities initiative, a capital investment initiative supporting the creation of two new youth- and community-centers in Chicago.
Morehouse College to House Landmark Supercomputer in National Science Foundation's Groundbreaking $457 Million Research Project
Morehouse College has received a prestigious grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to participate in a $457 million project to build one of the most powerful academic supercomputers in the southeast. This historic investment in higher education cyberinfrastructure will elevate Morehouse's ability to provide unprecedented access to world-class computational resources for its students, faculty, and HBCUs nationwide.
Action Fund Expands Commitment to Protect Historically Black Churches with $13.5 Million in New Grants
The National Trust for Historic Preservation's African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (Action Fund) awarded $8.5 million in grants to 33 historically Black churches through its fourth annual Preserving Black Churches (PBC) program grant round. This new investment follows $5 million in grants awarded on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to five churches, underscoring the Action Fund's sustained commitment to protecting sacred places that anchor Black faith, culture, democracy, and community life.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK BOOKSTORES (NAB2) RELEASES INAUGURAL STATE OF THE BLACK BOOKSTORE REPORT AND NATIONAL DIRECTORY
The National Association of Black Bookstores (NAB2) released its inaugural State of the Black Bookstore Report alongside the launch of the National Black-Owned Bookstore Directory, marking the first comprehensive, data-driven snapshot of Black-owned bookstores nationwide.
Tanishq Dazzles On the Runway with Bold Jewelry at New York Fashion Week Fall 2026 in Collaboration with Bibhu Mohapatra
Tanishq, a leading global jewelry brand, returned to New York Fashion Week in continued collaboration with designer Bibhu Mohapatra, marking the third time these two iconic global brands have come together to celebrate India's artistic legacy on this prestigious platform. A partnership that is steadily redefining the role of jewelry on the American runway.
NATION'S LARGEST OUTDOOR DELTA MUSIC AND CULTURE GALLERY OPENS
n the final Friday of Black History Month's centennial year, Pine Bluff unveiled the Delta Rhythm & Bayous Blues & Wellness Plaza—the nation's largest outdoor gallery dedicated to Delta music and culture—before a gathering of blues royalty that spanned four generations. Southern-soul blues legend Karen Wolfe ("The Queen of Soul Blues") headlined an assembly of masters including Blues Hall of Fame inductee Jerry "Boogie" McCain, Sonny Payne Blues Excellence Award-winner Manis "Detroit Johnny" Johnson, and blues guitarist-vocalist Joe Pitts. The February 27, 2026 ceremony also honored the legacies of blues pioneers no longer living, with Mary Bohlar representing her father, the late Chicago blues icon James Lacey "Tail Dragger" Jones, and additional family members ensuring their loved ones' contributions to America's musical heritage would be permanently celebrated in the Arkansas Delta where the blues was born."
I Look Back and Wonder…
The content of this column will always let you know that I am a strong proponent of homeownership, it is the primary source of wealth in most American families. This week I’m going to provide you with some history on Black homeownership in Chicagoland.
Young Philanthropist Celebrates Ten Year Anniversary
Jahkil Jackson founded Project I Am as a way to provide necessary items to people in need. He started the organization when he was eight years old after feeling compelled to do something while he was visiting the homeless when he was five. He began packing and distributing blessing bags, filled with hygiene and care items, to people experiencing homelessness.
Stylist Creates Luxury Eyewear Brand
Fashion has been Timothy Hawkins’ thing since he was a kid. It has been embedded in him since he was a child. He remembered being younger and wanting an Armani suit because fashion stylist June Ambrose put Jay-Z in one for an album cover. He credits his mother, a native New Yorker from Brooklyn with his love of fashion.
