Two Chicago Leaders Aim to Increase Mental Wellness for Children of Incarcerated Parents

For Dr. Nneka Jones Tapia and Liz Dozier, a good support system made all the difference in how they endured the strain of having an incarcerated parent. Now, the two women are ready to pay it forward.

Unmet Needs Causes West Side Community to Develop New Mental Health Program

The Coalition to Save our Mental Health Centers is expanding access to mental health services by moving forward with a plan to build a new mental health program on the West Side of Chicago that has been ongoing since June 2016.

News Article, The Real ChiDonell McNairyJuly 17, 2018Kelli Walker, The Real Chi, environmental health & wellness, ChicagoComment

The ‘powerful’ meaning behind a new mural in Douglas Park

North Lawndale has left quite an impact on poet Roger Reeves’ life, and he is now ready to give back to the community that he calls home.

News Article, The Real ChiDonell McNairyJuly 17, 2018Ariel Walton, F. Amanda Tugade, North Lawndale, arts & cultureComment

North Lawndale Youth Emerge as Neighborhood’s New Leaders

Daejahnae Oliver, a North Lawndale College Prep alumna and Peace Warrior, is spending her summer participating in a program that teaches a unique system of principles aiming to decrease violence in North Lawndale. Summer’s in Chicago mark an increase in violence and the NLCP Peace Warriors’ summer program hopes to mitigate the trauma of these acts of violence.

Restorative Justice Community Court provides much needed second chances

For 24-year-old North Lawndale native Devell Hill, selling drugs was more of a requisite than a choice. However, after being arrested he realized that his judgments could affect the people who look up to him.

Homes, Jobs, Strong Families!

Jasmine Stewart got pregnant for the first time at the age of 16. Feeling alone and embracing the struggles of an adolescent, a friend introduced her to New Moms, a North Lawndale-based family service provider that helps young mothers find homes, get jobs, and create strong families.

Youth Organizers in Chicago are fighting to #IncreaseThePeace

In Chicago, there is a direct correlation between an increase in temperature and an increase in crime, according to data from the City of Chicago Data Portal and the Midwest Regional Climate Center.

Panelists discuss telling black stories in a white America at Chicago Urban League Summit 2018

VIDEO: On June 28, the Chicago Urban League hosted their first inaugural educational forum. “The Stories We Tell: A Forum on African-American Narratives” was geared towards their Race and Equity Initiative.

Why Block Clubs Matter

Block Clubs are the hidden anchors of many communities in Chicago. They accomplish much more than throwing some of the best parties and gatherings in the summer. In some underserved communities, they are an anchor of unity.

An unprecedented plan to close a level 1+ performing school prompts a litigation against CPS

Late last week, parents of the National Teachers’ Academy Elementary School officially filed a complaint against Chicago Public Schools’ Board of Education on counts of violating the Civil Rights Act and the Illinois School Code in an unprecedented decision to close a Level 1+ performing school.

News Article, The Real ChiDonell McNairyJune 28, 2018Arlana Shikongo, CPS, neighborhood & politics, education & youthComment

Is the sudden end to the 40 year run of Little Village’s Cinco de Mayo parade the nail in the gentrification coffin?

PERSPECTIVE: Pilsen's Cinco de Mayo parade was yanked from the calendar just six days before its May 6 kick-off date, leaving business owners and would-be parade goers in Little Village and Pilsen with nothing but questions.

Hope Academy’s Dorian Robinson is on The Real Chi’s sports spotlight

INTERVIEW: Basketball generally requires athletes with massive strength, enormous height, and mental toughness. It tests the great essence of agility and builds high endurance. Most people would expect a 5 foot 7 inch guard to struggle with adjusting to the hard-nose and gritty Chicago high school basketball style, but Hope Academy point guard Dorian Robinson doesn’t seem to agree with that assumption.

The Real ChiDonell McNairyMay 29, 2018sports, Isi Ativie, arts & cultureComment

In The Loop Out The Blue: Episode 1: Keepin' Hope Alive featuring Rachel Williams

PODCAST: In this premiere episode of the Real Chi’s podcast, we dive deeper into the conversation on the disparity South side students face in education, discipline and all around love from their city.

For our schools, In our streets

PHOTO ESSAY: On April 20th, students around the nation staged School Walkouts to protest against gun violence and for increased gun control. They chose April 20th because it marked the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting massacre of 1999.

Retired CPS teacher shares black women’s musical achievements at Douglass Branch Library

Ora Dobbins, a retired CPS music teacher, is on a mission to assert the role black women played in popularizing various American music genres.

City funds East Garfield Park orchard only after securing grant to use it to mitigate expensive stormwater damage

For four years, the people of East Garfield Park have pushed the city for solutions to the daunting scarcity of healthy food in the neighborhood. On Feb. 26, the city finally agreed to help fund the development of the East Garfield Park Community Eco Orchard.

South Side choreographer fears sidelining of black creators as hip hop dance blows up

VIDEO: Hip hop dance has been rapidly gaining popularity in recent years, largely due to the advent of omnipresent social media.

Video Profile, The Real ChiDonell McNairyMarch 30, 2018Briana Madden, music, arts & cultureComment

ENOUGH: School Walkout to End Gun Violence | Gary Comer College Prep, Chicago

VIDEO: On March 14th, 2018, students from Gary Comer College Prep in Chicago, IL decided to participate in the nationwide school walkout to honor the victims of the Parkland tragedy and end gun violence.

In Chicago, not all protests are equal: A look into the politics of policing black and brown youth

As the dust settles on last week’s National School Walkout, youth activists have been praised and sanctioned by the public for their civic participation. However, in Chicago not all students have been treated equally, with many from majority black and brown schools facing heavy scrutiny from school administrators.

Nichols Tower is Re-emerging as the ‘crown jewel’ of North Lawndale

VIDEO: North Lawndale was a booming economic hub of Chicago in the early 1900s when the community was filled with major businesses including Sears Roebuck and Western Electric. Overtime, as demographics changed, Sears and other businesses left the neighborhood and poverty levels began to increase.