Stories by Joanna Hernandez

The Museum of Contemporary Art is showcasing a new exhibition tracing the visual, political and spiritual origins of popular Caribbean music. Art installations are designed to immerse visitors in sound and movement.

“Wrigleyville is the entertainment district of Chicago, and I want to take my seat where we belong,” owner Clarissa Flores said. “I didn’t want to be in the outskirts. People don’t realize this, but the majority of the fans that go to Wrigley are women.”

Every Monday, Back of the Yards Coffeehouse hosts Senior Mondays, welcoming seniors to enjoy a free coffee and pastry while participating in activities designed to foster community and connection.

The South Side Healthy Community Organization and the Chicago Birthworks Collective are partnering to provide free doula services to South Side mothers who are uninsured or on Medicaid.

Women are often not believed, and in many cases, they are blamed. As a survivor of sexual assault, we need to change the culture of silence around sexual abuse.

At 92 years old, Glennette Tilley Turner is still telling the stories that shaped her life. The author has spent decades researching and preserving the stories of Harriet Tubman and the freedom seekers.

Inside the Department of Behavioral Sciences at the University of Illinois Chicago, a dedicated team of researchers is working to solve decades-old mysteries by locating and identifying the remains of missing American service members who never made it home from war.

It was a legal and spiritual victory for local clergy members who were given access to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Broadview on Wednesday.

The Ravenswood shop isn’t just fixing cars — it’s working to fix an industry-wide gender gap. Founder Lisa Thompson said women make up just 2% of auto mechanics nationwide.

After nearly a month spent in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, a Chicago father of three with epilepsy has been reunited with his family.

“Rieles y Raíces: Traqueros in Chicago and the Midwest” takes a closer look at Mexican railroad workers and how the roots they planted still shape communities today.

Albeiro Ropero Remolina and his wife were taken into custody in Chicago on Dec. 29. While his wife was released, he remains detained. Ropero Remolina needs to take medication twice daily for a severe seizure disorder, his wife said.

Since the launch of “Operation Midway Blitz,” the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has reported that more than 3,000 people in the Chicago area were detained by federal immigration agents.

Many of Chicago’s street vendors say they’re being pushed out of business amid concerns over federal immigration enforcement. A number of vendors have stopped selling altogether.

“The moment that the raids started happening and people started getting pulled off the street, you could just see it,” volunteer Alyssa May said. “You could see less students, less families, less vendors. And it really did change. It just became a really quiet place.”

“I thought after COVID, like, alright, we’re in the clear,” said Adrian Zamudio, owner of Angelo’s Stuffed Pizza in Archer Heights. “We don’t have to think of anything spontaneous or something to survive anymore. A couple years later, here we are again.”

El Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a tradition that dates back centuries. The Mexican holiday honors deceased loved ones by creating altars and sharing memories.

Luis Kevin Islas says lately the Rogers Park neighborhood is like a “ghost town.” In recent weeks, the area has seen an increase in federal immigration agents and raids.

Juan Navarrete was parked in front of the store he ran with his wife, ready to bring in a load of coconuts he had just picked up. Surveillance video shows a masked federal agent walking toward him.

“I love giving back, and the thing is, us pharmacists, we’re the most accessible health care provider in the community,” pharmacist Freddy Gomez said.

Centro Sanar began five years ago as a grassroots initiative launched by local mental health providers. It focuses on helping people break through their complex traumas using different techniques.

Despite fears of enhanced immigration enforcement, the Little Village Mexican Independence Day Parade took place this weekend without any issues. On Monday, events continued for El Grito, an annual celebration marking Mexico’s independence.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement strike teams are likely to begin operations around Chicago in the coming days, and local officials expect agents to target large gatherings like Sunday’s parade in Little Village and Saturday’s 26th Street Mexican Independence Day Parade in Pilsen.

In 2013, Emmet Elementary School was one of 50 schools closed by former Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools. The Westside Health Authority and Austin Coming Together collaborated to redevelop the vacant building.

Glamorous Quinceañera dresses and an Indigenous ceremonial mask are among the items that will be on display in “Aquí en Chicago,” an upcoming Chicago History Museum exhibit celebrating the long history of Latinos in the city.

Two brothers had an emotional reunion Friday after the Resurrection Project filed a humanitarian parole application on the family’s behalf.