Illinois news

• Quilting into queer ritual

  03-07-2024 00:57 via chicagoreader.com
  
  I first found artist Eliza Fernand through a flier in a north-side coffee shop. Next to a menu for lattes and cold brews was a half sheet of paper promoting a workshop in hand-drawn cursive; it read “queer quilting.” When I visit one of these workshops, where sewing machines stitch new shapes of fabric into […]
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• Peace In The Streets Block Party & Job Fair Unites North Lawndale Community

  06-07-2024 13:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Sponsored by 1-800-TruckWreck and iHeartMedia Chicago, the Peace In The Streets Summer Block Party & Job Fair returned to North Lawndale recently (Photos courtesy of 1-800-TruckWreck).
  The Peace In The Streets Summer Block Party & Job Fair sponsored by 1-800-TruckWreck, in partnership with iHeartMedia Chicago and the North Lawndale Employment Network (NLEN), returned to North Lawndale on Saturday, June 29, from noon to 3 p.m.Taking place at the NLEN workforce campus located at 1111 South
  
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• E. Faye Williams: Angel is still an angel!

  06-07-2024 05:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  (TriceEdneyWire.com)—A few days ago, Angel Reese finished a game with 18 points and 11 rebounds. She tied Candace Parker for most consec­utive double-doubles in a season. She was the youngest player in the Wom­en’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) to have nine consecutive double-doubles. Now the average person might have no idea who Angel Reese is and why I am writing about a basketball player when I so often write about women who were civil and human rights subjects.
  W
  
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• 6th Annual Pride South Side Festival: Community, Advocacy, and Empowerment

  05-07-2024 19:02 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The 6th annual Pride South Side Festival highlights the enduring legacy of the Black and Latinx LGBTQI+ community through live performances, engaging activities and a strong emphasis on economic mobility. (All Photos courtesy of the Pride Southside Festival).
  Southside Pride Festival, entering its 6th year, is dedicated to community, peace, love and support for all Black and Latinx queer individuals looking to celebrate right in the heart of Chicago’s South Side. This inclusive event, taki
  
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• Glossary of terms

  05-07-2024 16:00 via chicagoreader.com
  
  By S. J. Ghaus
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• COLUMN: The Urgent Need for Black Men’s Health Awareness

  05-07-2024 15:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Even though Men’s Health Month ended a few days ago, I reflect on the men in my life and their health conditions. One thing that resonates with me is how men, particularly African-American men, do not like going to the doctor. 
  After doing some research into the matter, I found some interesting facts. 
  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention13.2% of men in the U.S. aged 18 and older are in “fair to poor” health
  14.1% of men 18 and older smoke
  
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• Juvenile Expungement Program Announced by Cook County Clerk Iris Y. Martinez

  05-07-2024 14:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  The Office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, under the leadership of Iris Y. Martinez, is proud to announce its first-ever Juvenile Expungement Train the Trainer program.
  This groundbreaking event, a historic milestone for the office, will be held on Wednesday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Malcolm X College, located at 1900 W. Jackson Blvd, Chicago.
  This comprehensive program is designed to equip community-based organizations and advocates with the essential tools and knowl
  
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• Cop Caught On Camera Stealing $900 Cash From Black Driver During Arrest

  05-07-2024 14:15 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  A former Charlotte, North Carolina police officer was caught on camera stealing money from a Black man during an arrest, per WSOC.
  Ex-officer Henry Chapman was arrested on charges of embezzlement in connection to the March 14 arrest.
  Body camera footage of the incident shows police taking a man into custody for an outstanding warrant for a weapons violation. One police officer searched the man and found two bundles of cash, one of which was in a rubber band.
  In the video, Cha
  
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• This Week In Black History July 3 – 9, 2024

  05-07-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  1957—Althea Gibson becomes the first Black person (male or female) to win the singles championship at Wim­bledon.
  JULY 3
  1775—Prince Hall founds African Lodge Number One—the first Black lodge of Free Masons in the Unit­ed States. Hall would become the pioneer builder of Black Masons in America. He was also a leading voice against slavery and for Black rights in the North.
  1962—The first Black man permitted to play Major League Baseball, Jackie Robinson, is named t
  
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• Detroit’s legacy of housing inequity has caused long-term health impacts − these policies can help mitigate that harm

  05-07-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  More than half of Detroiters rent Detroit’s aging housing stock. Suzanne Tucker/Getty Imagesby Roshanak Mehdipanah, University of Michigan; Kate Brantley, University of Michigan, and Melika Belhaj, University of Michigan
  Detroiters who face rising rents, poor living conditions and systemic barriers to affordable and safe housing are at greater risk of poor health, our research finds.
  We study the connection between housing inequities and health, with the goal of informing local, state and
  
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• The CTA’s missing riders

  04-07-2024 21:06 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Abierre Minor has been a commuter since she was five years old, taking the 79 bus daily to her elementary school. Public transit has always been the main way she gets around the city but, over the past few years, she’s felt she can’t rely on it to get places on time. “Connectivity issues have […]
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• We Have the Power to Change the Election Outcome

  04-07-2024 14:30 via chicagodefender.com
  
  As I sat watching the recent debate, I was struck by the antiquated rhetoric used to describe African American employment as “Black jobs.” The notion that our careers can be distilled into such a dismissive term is not just insulting but a stark reminder of the deeply ingrained racism that continues to permeate our society. We are not a monolith. We are doctors, lawyers, engineers, educators, CEOs, and so much more. Our contributions to this country cannot be reduced to outdated ster
  
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• Black economic boycotts of the civil rights era still offer lessons on how to achieve a just society

  04-07-2024 14:00 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Black demonstrators walk to work during the bus boycott in Montgomery, Ala., in February 1956. Don Cravens/Getty Imagesby Kevin A. Young, UMass Amherst
  Signed into law nearly 60 years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in the U.S. based on “race, color, sex, religion, or national origin.”
  Yet, as a historian who studies social movements and political change, I think the law’s most important lesson for today’s movements is not its content but rather
  
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• Star-cross’d lovers by daylight

  04-07-2024 00:05 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Romeo and Juliet has been on my mind lately, ever since I saw the lovely made-in-Chicago indie film Ghostlight earlier this summer. In that movie, Dan, a middle-aged construction worker (Keith Kupferer), tries to work out his grief around a family tragedy by joining a community theater production of R and J. I came away […]
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• Top July 4th Events in Chicagoland: The Fireworks, Fests and Parades

  03-07-2024 23:56 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Celebrate Independence Day in Chicago with a host of events, including iconic fireworks displays, vibrant parades, and lively festivals (Credit: Canva, Flickr/Andrew Reilly).
  The Fourth of July in Chicago is always a vibe, whether you’re catching the iconic fireworks display at the lake or enjoying the vibe at a music festival. This year is no different. As fireworks light up the sky and grills go aflame, several events in the city offer prime Independence Day activities. 
  Here are so
  
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• Review: Music

  03-07-2024 23:51 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Angela Schanelec’s Music takes its inspiration from Sophocles’s Oedipus Rex, but the deconstructed nature of this inspiration, eschewing the sensationalism of grand twists and tragic reveals for more structurally intricate events, allows for the movie to breathe with sensitivity and be felt with intensity. From its first image of lush green hills slowly being enveloped […]
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• Review: A Quiet Place: Day One

  03-07-2024 23:51 via chicagoreader.com
  
  When you live in a big city or metro area like Chicago or New York, you learn to tune out the noise. But it’s almost impossible to imagine the eeriness of a silent Michigan Avenue or Times Square. A Quiet Place: Day One asks us if familiarity really does breed contempt when humans are forced […]
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• Blank! The Musical builds a brand-new show each night

  03-07-2024 23:51 via chicagoreader.com
  
  The Revival celebrates its new South Loop location with Blank! The Musical, an off-Broadway hit created a decade ago by Michael Girts, T.J. Shanoff, and Mike Descoteaux. Shanoff, who also directs this Chicago premiere, should be familiar to local improv fans from his long associations with Second City (Rod Blagojevich Superstar) and iO (The Roof […]
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• A honey of a show

  03-07-2024 23:31 via chicagoreader.com
  
  The term “jukebox musical” is usually used in contempt to describe a musical revue with no book and no character development—just a collection of popular songs plopped on the stage, sung by a small cast of actors backed up by a small band. Jukebox musicals are less expensive to put on than full-blown musicals (which […]
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• Ain’t Misbehavin’ hits its stride at Drury Lane

  03-07-2024 23:16 via chicagoreader.com
  
  When Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller died at 39 of pneumonia on December 15, 1943, while riding a train from LA to Chicago, he left behind a legacy as a popular singer, composer, and performing artist few have equalled. His formidable body of work includes 400 songs. The range of this music was remarkable; he could […]
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• New Poll Reveals One Democratic Candidate Who Could Beat Trump

  03-07-2024 21:51 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  There’s only one Democratic candidate that could beat former President Donald Trump in a hypothetical match-up for the presidency, according to a new poll.
  On Tuesday (July 2), Reuters/Ipsos released the findings from a survey of 1,070 U.S. adults conducted days after the first presidential debate of 2024 between President Joe Biden and Trump.
  According to the survey, former first lady Michelle Obama was the only Democrat who led in a hypothetical race against Trump, ga
  
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• Celebrating Culture and Innovation: Cadillac’s Electrifying Presence at ABFF

  03-07-2024 21:23 via chicagodefender.com
  
  Cadillac took center stage at this year’s American Black Film Festival (ABFF), weaving together culture, innovation, and electric energy in a series of memorable experiences. The festival-goers were treated to an array of captivating events that showcased Cadillac’s dedication to supporting Black culture while spotlighting their cutting-edge electric vehicles.
  Juanita Slappy, Head of Multicultural Marketing at Cadillac, expressed the brand’s enthusiasm for their involvement in
  
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• Jessica Nabongo Ignites Inspiring Conversations at Coffee & Cadillacs

  03-07-2024 21:19 via chicagodefender.com
  A breakfast conversation at the Cadillac Lounge during the American Black Film Festival brought together cultural icons for a morning of inspiring discussions. Among the notable attendees was world traveler Jessica Nabongo, who had just returned from Paris after joining Cadillac for the OPTIQ reveal. The event, aptly titled “Coffee & Cadillacs: Lights, Camera, Action!” set the stage for a series of meaningful and thought-provoking dialogues.
   
  Jessica Nabongo: Embracing Posi
  
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• God is seen and heard in Janet Planet

  03-07-2024 21:01 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In defending his composition 4’33” against audiences who didn’t see the value in extended silence as a form of music, John Cage famously insisted, “There’s no such thing as silence. What they thought was silence, because they didn’t know how to listen, was full of accidental sounds.”  Playwright Annie Baker has built a career out […]
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• Muki hotate (Hokkaido scallop) at 312 Fish Market

  03-07-2024 19:20 via chicagoreader.com
  
  In the midwest, many tend to cut their teeth on sushi rolls that are almost exclusively covered in spicy mayo and deep-fried tempura flakes. Even once your palette manages to progress to something like spicy tuna rolls and other raw offerings here and there, it can be hard to find fish fresh enough to warrant […]
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• Chicago Reader Volume 53, No. 22

  03-07-2024 19:20 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Chicago Reader Volume 53, No. 22. July 4, 2024
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• Silence and surprise

  03-07-2024 19:05 via chicagoreader.com
  
  The Moviegoer is the diary of a local film buff, collecting the best of what Chicago’s independent and underground film scene has to offer. This weekend, I watched approximately 550 minutes of Stan Brakhage films. That’s roughly nine hours, accounting for 44 of the 51 films that screened during Inventing Eternity: The Undersung Films of […]
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• Broken glass and sticky fingers

  03-07-2024 18:55 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Say you’re at a suave cocktail lounge, a few drinks in, with a gorgeous martini glass sitting comfortably in your hand. Maybe you start thinking, “Damn, this would look really good on my home bar.” Do you happen to take the glass with you when you go? If you said “yes,” shame on you—though I […]
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• What We Can Learn From Civil Rights Era Boycotts

  03-07-2024 18:50 via chicagodefender.com
  
  President Lyndon Johnson (l) shakes hands with Martin Luther King Jr. on July 3, 1964 in Washington DC, after handing him a pen during the ceremonies for the signing of the civil rights bill at the White House. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images).
  By The Conversation
  This article was published on Word In Black.
  By Kevin A. Young, UMass Amherst
  Signed into law nearly 60 years ago, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in the U.S. based on “race, color, sex,
  
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• Radius grows beyond Chicago beat battles

  03-07-2024 18:45 via chicagoreader.com
  
  Producer and performer Ramon Norwood, 42, aka Radius or Radius Etc, is a self-described nomad, and not just in terms of musical style. While he has deep Chicago roots, when I spoke with him in mid-June, he’d just returned from gigging in Los Angeles and was working on tracks in Michigan. He’s recently performed and […]
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