Local News
The Rich Get Richer…
Recent reports say the economy is now the top concern in many American households. Families feel it at the grocery store, gas station, when paying utility bills, and when trying to stretch a monthly budget. Official inflation numbers may tell one story, but everyday experience sometimes tells another. For many people, the cost of necessities feels far higher than it did just a few years ago. That raises a simple question: do the economic signals we hear truly reflect what Black households are living through?
Local Young Athletes Experience Major League Baseball With The Chicago White Sox
Four South Side student athletes had the opportunity to attend Spring Training camp with the Chicago White Sox recently. The White Sox Amateur City Elite (ACE) 13U players Rashaun Harris, James Nash, Parker Jones and Amir Walker were chosen to spend a few days at the Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz.
Bell Heir’s BBQ Is Open In The River Oaks Mall
Tyris Bell remembers being at his great grandmother Luella’s house, where the family would gather for holidays and parties and she would cook. Bell recently opened Bell Heir’s BBQ in the River Oaks Mall in Calumet City. The barbecue restaurant was previously located in Canaryville.
Local Farm-to-Table Restaurant Continues Thriving Years After Opening
For Carmell Coq’mard, eating healthy is a way of life. She saw the benefits of eating healthy and the way it changed her life and wanted to share her knowledge and her food with the Woodlawn community. She opened Let’s Eat to Live at 621 E. 67th St. in Sept. 2022.
A Local Real Estate Developer Selected For Emerging Developers Program
Jovan Crawford, Sr., is the Executive Director of Community Building Solutions. The community-based real estate development company specializes in working with renters with the goal of helping them to become homeowners, by providing them with the necessary resources and education to do so. The company partners with residential developers and connects them with potential renters who are looking to become homeowners, providing them with information about grants and how to get into real estate. It also purchases properties in communities like Austin, rehabbing and fixing up the properties for people to reside in.
CIRCLE Foundation Gala Empowers Chicago Youth Through Global Service and Cultural Connection
For nearly two decades, the CIRCLE Foundation has been creating pathways of opportunity for young people across Chicago. This April, the organization continues that legacy with its 17th Annual Gala & Scholarship Fundraiser, an event centered on empowerment, global connection, and community impact.
Strengthening Support Systems for Those Who Served: The Urgent Case for Accountability and Equity for Black Veterans in Midwest Illinois
African Americans have long played a defining role in the nation’s military history—serving with distinction in every major conflict while helping strengthen the foundational principle of liberty that they pledged to defend. And today, this remarkable legacy continues to thrive within the armed forces and veteran communities in the country. In Illinois alone, over 72,200 Black personnel have established roots across the regions—including in Chicago and the Midwest—showcasing their enduring commitment and sacrifice over many generations. Yet the story of their valiance does not end when their uniform comes off because for countless of them, the transition to civilian life uncovers a host of new challenges arising from their routine contact with environmental contaminants and other systemic barriers.
Roseland Ceasefire Extends Help to Kankakee Tornado Victims
In recent months, The Roseland Ceasefire Project has become more than a violence intervention organization, the 20-year-old institution is a community lifeline. Saturday, March 21, 2026, Roseland Ceasefire will travel to Kankakee to deliver essential household items to victims of a Category 3 tornado that tore through the county less than two weeks ago.
Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners Approves Advancing Keith Pettigrew as Agency’s Next CEO
Today, the Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) Board of Commissioners approved a resolution authorizing its Operating Chairman, Matthew Brewer, to negotiate and execute a contract with veteran public housing administrator Keith Pettigrew to serve as the agency’s next Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Pettigrew was a top candidate identified by CHA’s CEO Selection Committee following a nationwide search.
Women & wealth: Tips for navigating your lifelong financial journey
We are in the midst of a seismic shift in wealth. This phenomenon, often referred to as the “Great Wealth Transfer,” describes the unprecedented movement of assets from the Baby Boomer generation to their heirs – an estimated $105 trillion by 2048. And women are poised to inherit most of this.
Michael Strahan® Lifestyle and Accessories Brand Expands Retail Footprint with Belk Partnership
Michael Strahan®, the lifestyle and accessories brand founded in 2015 by Pro Football Hall of Famer and award-winning journalist Michael Strahan and SMAC Entertainment Co-Founder & CEO Constance Schwartz-Morini, announced a retail partnership with Belk, a department store chain with nearly 300 stores across 16 states in the Southeast. The collaboration will bring sportswear and tailored menswear styles from the top-selling Collection by Michael Strahan line to customers in stores and online at Belk.com.
GROUNDWAVES GENERATIONS: AN INTERGENERATIONAL HIP-HOP EVENT SERIES COMES TO THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HOUSING MUSEUM
The National Public Housing Museum, recently named by USA Today as one of the best new museums in the country, today announced Groundwaves Generations, a new series of intergenerational hip-hop day parties that transform the museum into a vibrant space for music, movement, and community connection. Taking place on select Sundays throughout spring and summer 2026, the free series invites families and fans of all ages to experience hip-hop as a living, shared culture.
Hastings calls for legislative action on homeowners insurance rates despite record auto rebate from State Farm
Since October 2024, State Senator Michael Hastings has been raising concerns about steep and unjustified homeowners insurance rate increases affecting families across Illinois and has repeatedly called for legislative reforms to protect consumers. Hastings is again urging legislative action to protect homeowners after State Farm recently announced a historic dividend for auto insurance customers.
One Hope United Now Enrolling Children for Summer Camp Programs
One Hope United is now enrolling children in its Summer Camp programs, offering working families safe, reliable, and engaging care while school is out for the summer months. Space is limited, and families are encouraged to enroll early.