A restored former saloon reopens its doors as an event space in Bridgeport

Just recently, the previously unoccupied shop was restored and transformed into an event space called 29th Street Gallery, which DiChiara hopes can be an asset to the Bridgeport community.

News Article, The Real ChiDonell McNairyApril 30, 2019arts & culture, Pat Nabong, The Real Chi, Bridgeport, ChicagoComment

Free Soil Testing for Heavy Metal Contamination Offered on April 30 at the Garfield Park Conservatory

Get your soil tested for heavy metal contamination for free on Tuesday, April 30 at the Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., from 6-8 p.m.

Infinite Cypher Takes Center Stage

Saturday April 13th--SAIC Homan Square will be hosting Saturday Cyphers:The Infinite Cypher with musing Hip Hop duo Mother Nature made up of Klevah Knox (Shasta Mathews) and T.R.U.T.H (Tierney Reed). The event will kick-off the spring edition of SAIC’s Homan Square Saturday Cyphers, a program founded by Dr. Ife Williams of SAIC as an initiative to encourage community and kinship through hip-hop.

News Article, The Real ChiLee EdwardsApril 12, 2019Maya J. Horton, hip-hop, SAIC, music, culture, arts & culture, North LawndaleComment

Chicagoans carpooling to capitol in Springfield to lobby for changes in Illinois food and agriculture laws

On April 10, Chicago residents are participating in Local Food Lobby Day by carpooling across the state to Springfield to advocate for policies that support sustainable farming practices, food sovereignty,

After setback in Springfield, organizers say rent control is “past due”

Holding banners that read “lift the ban” and “rent control now,” protesters chanted, “J.B. keep your word!” and asked Pritzker to honor his campaign promise to support the repeal of the state's rent control ban. They were accompanied by aldermanic candidate Rossanna Rodriguez-Sanchez and Alderman Carlos Rosa-Ramirez, who shared stories of the housing squeeze from the 35th ward.

News Article, The Real ChiDonell McNairyApril 9, 2019arts & culture, The Real Chi, Chicago, Alex DingComment

Gallery Night — A Step Towards Growing North Lawndale’s Art Scene

Gallery Night was a step forward in that direction, said some North Lawndale artists who exhibited their work during the event on March 28.

Chicago transplant raising funds for coworking art studio in North Lawndale

After years of creative advertising work, Jessica Willis started her own blog “Swaggerless” and began highlighting artists’ work from around the world. She soon felt unfulfilled, not seeing tangible results from her work, and decided to organize a pop-up art show in Los Angeles that quickly outgrew her expectations.

Mayoral candidate Lori Lightfoot takes center stage at West Side forum in rival Preckwinkle’s absence

Several hundred community members gathered at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5608 W. Washington Blvd., for the West Side Mayoral Forum last Thursday night to hear from runoff mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot and Toni Preckwinkle just five days before Election Day.

AKA’s advocate for black higher education by donating $1.6 million to 32 HBCU’s

In celebration of Black History Month, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. donated $1.6 million money to 32 Historically Black Colleges and Universities on the last day of February 2019.

News Package, The Real ChiDonell McNairyApril 1, 2019environmental health & wellness, Maia McDonald, The Real ChiComment

North Lawndale Resident Honored During Women’s History Month for Supporting Families, Women in the Community

When Annetta Wilson went to Ghana, she didn’t know that listening to elders talk about a mythical bird would change her and her North Lawndale community.

The Real Chi, Audio StoryDonell McNairyMarch 27, 2019Pat Nabong, Chicago, arts & culture, North Lawndale, The Real ChiComment

New closet-sized lunch spot opens in Homan Square

A bite sized restaurant, aptly named The Lunchbox, has opened in the first floor of the Nichols Tower, 906 S. Homan Ave., in North Lawndale.

Inside City Hall: hundreds of Black and Brown activists denied entry to Chicago City Council’s vote on police academy

The heavy presence of Chicago police officers in City Hall early Wednesday morning was a precursor for what #NoCopAcademy activists would face before the City Council’s 38-8 vote to approve the construction of a controversial police and fire training academy in West Garfield Park.

Through interactive event, Westside organization puts people in the shoes of re-entering individuals

Imagine exiting the realities of being incarcerated — an experience that has been proven to be traumatic for a lot of people — and facing the stress of re-entering society; to wake up, go about life and not be considered a citizen despite already paying one’s debt to society. There are many people who inquire about the effects of mass incarceration; how are people affected by it and what can be done to dismantle this system?

News Article, The Real ChiLee EdwardsMarch 14, 2019Ebony Ellis, criminal justice reform, communityComment

City committee approves $20 million tax incentive for shipping center despite resistance from Little Village Residents

The Chicago City Council Committee on Economic, Capital, and Technology Development voted on Friday, March 1 to approve a tax break for a controversial shipping center in Little Village. The Class 6(b) tax incentive for the site of the former Crawford Generating Station will now move to city council for a full vote, despite protests from residents that the project will be harmful to their health.

Garfield Park Conservatory: breathing in fresh air and saying farewell to old friends

This week, the historic Scheelea Palm tree, a staple in the Garfield Park Conservatory since 1926, is being removed. The Scheelea has outgrown its glassy home and will be uprooted, along with two other palm trees.

Through Afrofuturism, people celebrate Black History Month with an eye towards the future

The past, present and future converged during a night of Afrofuturistic celebration.

The Real Chi, Photo EssayDonell McNairyFebruary 28, 2019Pat Nabong, arts & culture, Black History Month, Afro-Futurism, Adler PlanteriumComment

Standing aldermen absent as West Side residents express concerns to candidates

West Side residents of the 24th and 28th wards gathered to address aldermanic candidates at a forum held at Jensen Scholastic Academy on Feb. 12.

News Package, The Real ChiDonell McNairyFebruary 25, 2019criminal justice reform, Elections, Chicago, North Lawndale, The Real Chi, 24th Ward, 28th WardComment

Central Avenue the key for community organizers looking to revitalize the Austin area in Chicago

In December 2018, the organization Austin Coming Together hosted a summit introducing its Austin Quality of Life Plan to the west-side Chicago community.

News Package, The Real ChiDonell McNairyFebruary 25, 2019Maia McDonald, environmental health & wellness, Austin, ChicagoComment