Local News
Couple hosts first Black Men Buy Houses event in Atlanta
Black Men Buy Houses Co-Founders Kevan and Ayesha Shelton hosted their inaugural Black Men Buy Houses event in Atlanta on October 12th at The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, presented by Citizens Trust Bank featuring special guests John Hope Bryant, a renowned entrepreneur, economic empowerment advocate, Author, Founder & Chairman of Operation HOPE and H. Jerome Russell Jr., President of H.J. Russell & Company. The Shelton's launched the "Black Men Buy Houses" initiative to address the barriers and historical inequalities Black men face in homeownership. The event provided attendees with essential financial literacy tools to begin their home-buying journey, focusing on overcoming limited access to knowledge and financial resources.
Cash App and pgLang’s project3 Release New Video Starring Doechii to Promote Financial Literacy
Recently, Cash App launched the latest iteration of its financial literacy brand campaign “That’s Money” in collaboration with project3, pgLang’s in-house creative agency. The Barbershop, featuring rapper and singer Doechii and comedian ExavierTV, highlights the power of strategic self-investment and sharing financial lessons learned along the way with others. The spot was directed by renowned filmmaker Calmatic.
MyFitnessPal Teams Up with Nick Chubb to Promote Nutrition's Role in Health and Performance
MyFitnessPal, the No. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app, has partnered with Nick Chubb to showcase how nutrition plays a key role in his health and wellness journey. After a season-ending knee injury last year, Chubb turned to MyFitnessPal as one of the tools he used during his recovery, using it to track his nutrition and fitness. Now, as he transitions back to the field, Chubb continues to use MyFitnessPal to stay on top of his health goals.
The National Credit Union Foundation Teams Up With Spiral To Help Credit Union Members Achieve Financial Freedom
Spiral, the award-winning personalized banking platform, announced that The National Credit Union Foundation (The Foundation) has joined as a nonprofit partner. As the charitable arm of the U.S. credit union movement, The Foundation supports nearly 3,000 credit unions with a mission to serve as a catalyst to improve people’s financial lives through credit unions and has awarded over $36 million worth of grants to help credit unions better serve their members.
City Colleges of Chicago fall enrollment surpasses state and national averages again, shows strong gains for Black and Latine male students
City Colleges of Chicago’s (CCC) Fall 2024 headcount enrollment in credit and adult education programs combined is up 9.2%, higher than the state-wide average (+7.4%) for Illinois community colleges. City Colleges undergraduate credit enrollment increase (+9%) is higher than the national public community college average (+4.7%). Continuing a trend, enrollment gains are particularly strong for Black male (+11%) and Latine male (+10%) credit students.
BLACK ENSEMBLE THEATER ANNOUNCES SPECIAL PERFORMANCES OF LIVING IN THE LIGHT
Black Ensemble Theater’s Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor announces special performances of Living in the Light, starring Bernard Lilly Jr., November 22, 23 and 24 at 7pm, and an extension of the hit musical revue Blue Eyed Soul Sung By Brown Eyed People, written and directed by Jackie Taylor, now playing through November 24, 2024. Living In The Light and Blue Eyed Soul Sung By Brown Eyed People are presented at the Black Ensemble Theater Cultural Center, 4450 N. Clark Street in Chicago.
MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON LAUNCHES TRANSPARENCY SITE SHOWING ROAD TO RECOVERY PLAN SPENDING AND IMPACT
Mayor Brandon Johnson and the Office of Budget and Management (OBM) launched the City of Chicago ARPA Information Hub, a new website for the Road to Recovery Plan. Featuring interactive dashboards and comprehensive information on all 50 community programs, this website demonstrates the transformative impact of the Road to Recovery Plan across Chicago.
GOVERNMENT ALLIANCE FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES ANNOUNCES $100 MILLION IN GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
The Government Alliance for Safe Communities (GASC) today announced a commitment to invest $100 million across City, County, and State government partners to sustain and scale critical community violence intervention (CVI) programming across the region.
Intergenerational exchange brings joy to seniors for Pumpkin Day
The National Junior Honor Society of O.W. Huth Middle School in Matteson decorated pumpkins to donate to seniors at the Shirley J. Green Township Senior Center in Park Forest and delivered the pumpkins at the end of October. The students also participated in an exercise class with the seniors.
Chicago Department of Public Health Hosts 4th Annual Chicago Day of Prayer
The Chicago Department of Health (CDPH) assembled faith leaders across all denominations in Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods to pause in a shared moment of prayer for a safe and healthy holiday season. This moment also offered a reminder for residents to update their COVID and flu shots. CDPH Commissioner Dr. Olusimbo “Simbo” Ige and CDPH Medical Director Dr. Geraldine Luna stressed the importance of vaccines, especially as we head into cooler temperatures and the holiday season.
JOFFREY BALLET WELCOMES NEW WOMEN’S BOARD PRESIDENT FARISSA KNOX
Greg Cameron, President and CEO of The Joffrey Ballet, and Anne Kaplan, Board Chair, are pleased to announce the appointment of Farissa Knox as the new President of the Joffrey Women’s Board. Named one of Crains Chicago Business 2024 Notable Black Leaders, Knox joined the Joffrey Women’s Board in the spring of 2019. In 2020, she became Co-Chair of Joffrey Women’s Board Crisis Stabilization and Membership Committees. Knox was elected to the Joffrey Board of Directors in 2021, and in 2023, she served as Co-Chair for the highest-grossing Women’s Board Luncheon in the event’s history.
Exhibitions align city-wide to celebrate the History and Future of the region's Indigenous Art as part of “Art Design Chicago”
Over the coming months, a series of powerful exhibitions is highlighting the rich history and contemporary culture of Chicago’s Native American communities. Presented as part of the Terra Foundation for American Art’s Art Design Chicago initiative, six exhibitions are showcasing the breadth and depth of the work of Indigenous artists with ties to the region, including:
NBCSL to Host 48th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. “Rebuilding the American Dream”
The National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL) proudly announces its 48th Annual Legislative Conference, scheduled for December 2-7, 2024, at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C. This event will gather over 500 African American state legislators, policymakers, and community leaders from across the nation to tackle pressing issues impacting Black communities, including health, education, transportation, labor policy, diversity and inclusion, and social justice.
Tips to Stay Healthy In The Winter Months
Iris Patterson launched Chicago Integrated Health in 2020, with the goal to combat lifestyle diseases with a holistic approach. Patterson credits health, wellness and nutrition with saving her life. A few years ago, she was diagnosed with bipolar depression and used stress management, fitness and eating to heal and to help her. In 2023, she was diagnosed with cancer and said that her focus on holistic health, diet, exercise and prioritizing her mental health helped her get through chemotherapy treatment.
