There currently exist many organizations aimed at helping Chicagoans navigate the city’s medical marijuana program, but most are sponsored by cannabis companies in Illinois and very few groups service the South and West Sides of the city. Black and brown folks stand to benefit just as much from access to cannabis as anyone else, but they are readily skipped over by many advocacy organizations.
Read MoreWest Side residents looking to explore their inner farmer can attend the Garfield Park Conservatory between noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 15 for the seventh annual Harvest Day. The recommended donation for attending the event is $5. Hosted by the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance, the event will be a family-friendly celebration of urban agriculture in the city of Chicago.
Read MoreIn theory, legal possession and use of pot in Illinois could bring balance to the way it's policing disproportionately affects black and brown folks. But those communities stand to suffer the same systemic barriers in a recreational system that they already face within the medical one. With the city possibly on the brink of ending its prohibition on cannabis, Chicagoans on the South and West Sides are working to ensure that black and brown communities aren’t left out.
Read MoreIn a small, dimly lit art gallery in Pilsen, a projected video montage of prior concerts, fashion shows, and gallery parties plays in a loop on the main room’s western wall, while a rotating cast of DJs spin a high-octane blend of contemporary hip-hop. Partygoers comfortably trade laughs and dance moves in equal measure, soaking in their last night at the influential AMFM art gallery.
Carolyn Vessel grew up poor in the West Side of Chicago as the oldest of five children. She was raised by a single mother, who worked hard to make sure that they had a place to live and food on the table. More than that, Vessel received support from her mother, especially when it came to getting a solid education, and viewed her as a role model.
Read MoreRamiro Rodriguez, pastor of Amor de Dios church, got a call on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 26 informing him about the house fire in Little Village. The caller asked that his church pray for those who died and their families.
By the evening of Aug. 28, the basement of the church was filled with volunteers organizing donations for the families affected by the house fire, which claimed the lives of ten children.
Read MoreDianna Long remembers what it was like to be a young artist and discover her own creativity for the very first time. She was drawn to the idea of creating something with her hands all while using her imagination as the tool, and she became even more thrilled when others began noticing her passion and talent.
Read MoreLess than a month after he kicked off the first #IncreaseThePeace campout of 2018, community organizer Cutberto ‘Berto’ Aguayo has announced he will be running for 15th Ward Alderman in the 2019 municipal election.
Read MoreOn August 2, Jewish Voice for Peace organized a rally outside of the Chicago Sinai Congregation in opposition to both the Anti-Defamation League’s support for a rebranding effort for the state of Israel and the organization’s training programs for American police.
Read MoreOn July 31, their attorneys from Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and the Legal Assistance Foundation filed a preliminary injunction in the circuit court against CPS to halt its plans to close National Teacher’s Academy.
Read MoreThe 2018 North Lawndale Arts and Culture Festival returns to Douglas Park this weekend, and members of the community are invited to attend the three-day affair, which includes plenty of opportunities to discover new local artists, dance to live music entertainment, and enjoy a variety of food vendors.
Read MorePHOTOS: Dawvyd Chayim was in and out of prison for the last 23 years as a result of dealing drugs and burglary. With the support of his community and help from the people at the Farm on Ogden, he overcame those roadblocks and found a place that he believes is his true calling.
Read MoreBasketball has always been a haven for the black community in this city for several decades; especially on the West Side. It’s a sport and activity that kids can automatically gravitate to in any Chicago neighborhood.
Read MoreA 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.
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