Local News
TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS OF ILLINOIS GIVES FOUR AWARDS TO SOUTH SUBURBAN CHICAGO TOWNSHIP
Thornton Township was recently honored with four awards by the Township Officials of Illinois. The awards included, Best Township Social Media, Best Township Communication Messenger of the Year; Ernst Lamothe Jr., Most Innovative Township Program Award, and Best General Assistance Caseworker of the Year; Lakeela Jennings.
Arts, Entertainment, History and Culture Headline the 2019 Forever Stamp Lineup
In the spirit of the coming new year, the U.S. Postal Service recently revealed several of the new Forever stamps and other stamps to be issued in 2019.
South Suburban Schools Train on Storytelling Techniques to Tackle Youth Disconnect
A new movement is brewing up in Chicago-area schools to tackle the social and emotional disconnect of youth that’s triggered by the increasing domination of social media and cell phone usage in society. And Prairie-Hills Elementary School District 144 in Markham, Ill. is leading the way.
Assessor’s Office again certifies assessments early
Cook County Assessor Joseph Berrios announced today that his office has certified the 2018 City of Chicago Triennial Reassessment earlier than last year’s triennial reassessment and will again publish all assessed values ahead of the anticipated schedule.
UNCF Chicago Joins the Global #GivingTuesday Movement
—UNCF Chicago joins #GivingTuesday to encourage philanthropy through education. Benefiting historically black colleges and universities, UNCF Chicago aims to change the narrative of HBCUs across the nation by equipping minority students with the resources necessary to transition into college and ultimately the workforce. With the recent release of UNCF’s new publication, HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the value can be seen in how HBCUs perform in annual job creation and economic development: 134,000 jobs nationwide and almost $15 billion in total national economic impact. In Chicago alone, UNCF Chicago awarded 784 scholarships to IL students.
MOVIE MAKER MONDAYS TEACH FUNDAMENTALS OF SCREENWRITING AND FILMMAKING
Contexture Media Network is currently in the midst of hosting their first session of Movie Maker Mondays, a six-week workshop series that provides useful information about film production. The workshops are being held every Monday from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Movie Studio Grill, 210 W. 87th St., in Chatham and the cost is $60 per session.
Employees of African-American business owners are more likely to receive robust benefits packages
As unemployment rates remain low across the country, strong employee benefits packages are a key driver of both recruitment and retention. According to Nationwide’s fourth annual survey of U.S. business owners with 1-499 employees, 85 percent of African-American business owners say they offer some form of an employee benefits package — well exceeding the broader business owner market (64 percent). Across every benefit category included in Nationwide’s survey, more African-American business owners indicate they provide more benefits to their employees than the general population of business owners.
CHICAGO ACTIVISTS TAKE CITY WIDE BUS TOUR TO DISCUSS COMMUNITY CONCERNS
The Grassroots Collaborative recently organized a city-wide bus tour with stops on the north side, west side, and south side to share stories and discuss the most pressing issues that they see with the current state of affairs in Chicago.
Ford Honors Over A Dozen Unsung Heroes For Their Work In Chicago’s African American Communities
Ford Motor Company recently hosted the Freedom Unsung Awards at the South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Dr., to honor Chicago activist that have made significant contributions to the African American communities across the city. “Ford has always honored people for their legacy and we have honored a lot of very famous people. We had an exhibit on the women of the Civil Rights Movement that toured the country for four years and we realized as we did that and as we do other programs that there are so many heroes in the community that never ask for anything and are just doing what they are doing,” said Pamela Alexander, director of community development for the Ford Motor Company Fund.
University Of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy Unveils Three-Year Evaluation
After three years of operation, The Civic Leadership Academy at the University of Chicago has released a formal evaluation of their first three cohorts. The results of the evaluation show that the interdisciplinary programming the University is providing has benefited the individuals and organizations that have participated and Chicago’s civic network as a whole.
Michelle Obama Launches Becoming Book Tour In Chicago With Special Guest, Oprah Winfrey
Former First Lady, Michelle Obama, recently visited Chicago to host the first stop on her book tour for the newly released memoir Becoming by Micelle Obama. She was joined by Oprah Winfrey who interviewed Obama about the book and her life.
STATE REP. LA SHAWN FORD JOINS CHICAGO MAYORS RACE
Illinois Representative La Shawn Ford (8th District) recently held a press conference at the Sankofa Cultural Arts and Business Center,5820 W. Chicago Ave., to announce that he is running for Mayor of Chicago.
Black McDonald’s Operators Association sponsors annual turkey giveaway
Armed with a blue, folding lawn chair, Englewood resident Jacqueline Hendricks arrived early at a South Side McDonald’s to be first in line for the 19th Annual Food for the Body & Spirit turkey giveaway sponsored by the Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
FROM RADIO TO PUBLIC RELATIONS, SOUTH SUBURBAN RESIDENT SHARES HER STORY OF STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS
Denise Jordan Walker is the founder of Candid Public Relations and a well-known former smooth jazz radio host in Chicago. Over the last few decades, Walker has built a long list of celebrity clients and developed an impeccable ear for jazz music.