A patchy, unkempt lawn covers an empty lot on the corner of Madison Street and Keeler Avenue in West Garfield Park. Bare brick buildings and late-night corner stores surround the vacant site, where bits of broken bottles, styrofoam cups and crumpled papers have settled. 69-year-old Anita Solick Oswald remembers that spot differently.
Read MoreSince December, Salem has dedicated countless of hours fixing, cleaning and repairing over 2,000 specimens, including butterflies, dragonflies, moths, bees and more, for her latest exhibit, Bug Out Chicago – An Exploration of Insects through Time, which will be featured from July 27 to Aug. 5 at the Ars Memoria Tattoo and Art Gallery in Ravenswood.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreThe 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.
Read MoreNorth 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.
Read MoreDaejahnae 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.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreJasmine 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.
Read MoreIn 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.
Read MoreBlock 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.
Read MoreLate 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.
Read MoreOra Dobbins, a retired CPS music teacher, is on a mission to assert the role black women played in popularizing various American music genres.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreAs 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.
Read MoreVIDEO: On Feb. 28, students, parents, teachers, organizers and concerned community members filled the Chicago Public School’s downtown office as the board was scheduled to take their final vote on the closure of four South Side high schools and an elementary school.
Read MoreVIDEO: On Feb. 19, Real Chi Youth reporters Alloíza Mari and Pascal Savino followed organizers from BYP 100 and Teachers For Social Justice, and students from the National Teachers Academy as they marched to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s house in Ravenswood.
Read MoreAt the third and final public hearing on the closure of four Englewood neighborhood high schools, a Harper High School student asked the Chicago Public Schools Board of Education: “What are you so intimidated of? Is it the way we walk? Is it the way we talk? Is it the fact that we are going to fight for something you didn’t think we were going to fight for?”
Read MoreEleven concerned North Lawndale residents met on the morning of Dec. 9, 2017 to hold an inspection documenting the unfortunate state of their local library. They found out-of-date computers, extensive water damage, exposed radiators and other damage.
Read MoreA former Kenwood Academy teacher talks about throwing out the lesson plan and building relationships with students
Read MoreVIDEO: How a black psychologist is centering black men and their unique needs in his drive for black wellness.
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