Stories by Bridgette Adu-Wadier

For many Black people, getting their hair done can be a costly ordeal. But Jessica Thurmond, a student in North Lawndale, is trying to alleviate that. She’s styling her classmates’ hair for free in her school’s bathroom stalls just in time for class.

Illinois lawmakers are finalizing the state’s budget for the next fiscal year. But it’s not happening without some challenges.

“We’re cutting off the pipeline to the workforce in science in the United States,” said Dr. Linda Forst, a professor at UIC. “So, it’s bad news for these students immediately, but it’s bad news for the United States over the long haul because we don’t have a new workforce coming through.”

After nearly a year of bargaining, the Chicago Teachers Union is one step closer to finalizing a deal with Chicago Public Schools. The contract now needs approval from the Chicago Board of Education.

From its many beaches to the tours and cruises, Chicago’s lakefront continues to make its mark on the city’s culture and identity.

The Black Student Success Plan aims to bring in more Black teachers, reduce suspensions against Black students, promote teaching on Black culture, increase belonging and close opportunity gaps. It provides a five-year roadmap to improve the outcomes of Black students, who make up a third of the district’s population.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is ending its decades-old electronic monitoring program, giving the Chief Judge’s Office sole responsibility for managing its cases.

The outspoken chemistry teacher led nearly 25,000 teachers on a historic weeklong strike in 2012, changing the way the union organized and negotiated. She died in 2021 at 67 years old.

Supporters say a bill to regulate homeschooling is aimed at ensuring kids are getting the education they need and are better protected from potential neglect. Opponents are concerned that the bill would be government overreach and could criminalize homeschooling parents.

Temporary protected status (TPS) is a designation the U.S. government gives for countries it deems too dangerous to humanely send its citizens back to. Eligible migrants from designated countries can apply for protections from deportation if they arrived in the U.S. by a certain date.

“It’s like a storm that takes over your body,” Marta Cerda said of her struggles with long COVID. “It’s just a nightmare for me and I’m trying to maintain hope that there will be these treatments and cures, but it’s sometimes very hard to have hope.”

For many Black people, Afro Sheen is a household name. Businessman George Johnson created the products in 1954 on Chicago’s South Side. He pushed through racial barriers to become one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs in the U.S. by the late 1960s.

President Donald Trump is set to outline his policy agenda in a speech to Congress on Tuesday night. It comes just over a month into his second term — which has brought an onslaught of cuts to federal spending, efforts to overhaul agencies and the ouster of swaths of the federal workforce.

Shermann “Dilla” Thomas has a new gig at theDuSable Black History Museum as a brand ambassador and social media chief — an opportunity he’s called a “dream job.” It’s just one of his many projects — from giving bus tours to posting on TikTok about the city’s lesser-known history.

The movie is about Harith Augustus, a 37-year-old barber who was shot and killed by police in South Shore in July 2018. The shooting sparked immediate public outcry and legal fights for full access to police body camera video.

Some officials are pushing for policies to address root causes of violence and help offenders repair their relationships with their communities.

The freeze threatened to hold up trillions of dollars in funding for basic government functions like health care, infrastructure and support for children and veterans.

Low-income Illinoisans feeling the weight of college tuition might soon get a bit of a relief.