Local News

Business owner uses fashion jewelry and brutal honesty to help heal emotional pain

What do earrings, eye lash extensions, and emotional growth all have in common? Emotional Support Advocate, Kia Waters, correlates the latest fashion trends with her weekly Web Series: Healing, Wine, & Storytime, a pillar of her EarringEverything brand.

Chicago Restaurant Week Returns In 2021

Choose Chicago recently announced the return of the highly anticipated, 14th annual Chicago Restaurant Week from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, April 4, 2021

WOMAN CREATES GROUP TO ENGAGE WOMEN IN NIGERIAN DIASPORA

Lola Omolola decided to create a Facebook group for women in the Nigerian Diaspora after young girls were kidnapped by armed guards in Chibok, Nigeria in 2015.

DOLTON MAYORAL CANDIDATE EYEING VICTORY

Tiffany Henyard, trustee at large for the Village of Dolton, has won the Democratic primary for the mayor’s race there. Henyard will face independent candidate Ronnie Burge on Tuesday, April 6.

New Book Examines the Evolving Meaning of Civil Rights in America

A new book by American Bar Foundation (ABF) Research Professor Christopher W. Schmidt examines the history of America’s fight over the meaning of civil rights. Published by Cambridge University Press, Civil Rights in America: A History is the first book to trace the evolution of the term “civil rights” in America from the Civil War through today.

Karat Launches “Brilliant Black Minds” to Unlock Opportunities for Black Software Engineers

Karat, the world leader in technical interviewing, recently announced Brilliant Black Minds, a program to improve access, fairness, and inclusion across the technology industry. The program, which formalizes Karat’s commitment to providing Black software engineers with $1 million in practice interviews, kicked off last year and is growing to support more computer science students and professional engineers in 2021.

PRESIDENT-ELECT OF LYNWOOD MAKES HISTORY

Jada D. Curry made history on Tuesday, Feb. 23, when she was elected as President- elect of the Village of Lynwood. When Curry is sworn in, she will be the first African American woman to hold that office.

Illinoisans can turn over a new leaf on cannabis past

Systemic racism, as an abstract concept, has been much discussed over the last year. If anyone needs an example of where systemic racism actually lives in practice, look no further than the war on drugs of the last four decades. While people of all races illegally grew, smoked and sold marijuana, it was Black and Brown people who were much more likely to be arrested and incarcerated for it. Communities of color across the board have borne the disproportionate impact of this ill-conceived and ill-enforced policy.

Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago to host “Black and Latino Houses Matter” on March 11, a phone bank to help Cook County homeowners with their property taxes

Treasurer Maria Pappas and ABC 7 Chicago will host “Black and Latino Houses Matter” on March 11, 2021, a phone bank to help Cook County homeowners find refunds, apply for property tax exemptions and avoid the Tax Sale, Pappas said today.

CITY TREASURER WANTS TO INCREASE DIVERSITY IN THE FINANCE INDUSTRY

City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin recently hosted a webinar entitled, Youth in Finance and Investment, as part of her Mondays with Melissa series. During the discussion, financial and investment experts talked about roles and opportunities within the financial sector.

What Illinois can learn from the Texas energy crisis

When parts of Texas’ independent power grid went offline recently due to unusually extreme cold weather in the south, the amount of expected energy production lost was equivalent to the amount of electricity used to keep the lights on in the entire state of Illinois.

Transportation access provides vaccinations for vulnerable communities

Millions of people lack access to essential resources — including healthcare — simply because they can’t get a ride.

President Biden Taps Meharry Medical College President for COVID Task Force

Meharry Medical College President and CEO Dr. James Hildreth has been named by President Joe Biden as a member of his COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force.

Exelon Utilities CEO Honored with BEYA Chairman’s Award for Contributions to STEM

Exelon Utilities CEO Calvin G. Butler Jr. was honored February 13 with the BEYA Chairman’s Award during the organization’s annual BEYA STEM conference, hosted virtually.

Designing A Better Chicago

If there was ever a time to recognize and support individuals and organizations using design for civic good, it’s now. Designing a Better Chicago, a collaborative initiative organized and supported by NeoCon® and theMART, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), and the Design Museum of Chicago, is now accepting nominations for its second annual Design Impact Grant Program. The 2021 initiative will provide $25,000 in project-specific grants to individuals and organizations using design or design principles to directly address pressing issues in Chicago communities.