Stories by Erica Gunderson

Themes of justice, pride and community have blossomed in murals along Chicago’s streets and storefronts, creating a constantly evolving and thought-provoking backdrop to a tumultuous year.

The fatal shooting of Anthony Alvarez by Chicago police Officer Evan Solano has left many people in Chicago questioning use of force tactics in situations involving police foot chases. But others are standing firm in support of police.

After a year that has laid bare persistent inequities in everything from health care outcomes to criminal justice, leaders of philanthropic organizations are reassessing how, and to whom, they are lending their support.

Our trip down memory lane with the WTTW program “Our People” from the late 1960s and early ‘70s brought back memories for one former Chicagoan. Here is his story.

After a three-week trial, former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of murdering George Floyd, a conviction President Joe Biden called “a giant step forward in the march toward justice in America.” We discuss the verdict, the reaction and what comes next with local journalists.

Health professionals say the fatal shooting of Adam Toledo by police has led to a mental health crisis among Latino youth. We take a look at the resources available to them.

According to a Drexel University study, 42% of young adults with autism never worked for pay in their 20s. We meet a Chicago woman has cooked up a way for those young adults to develop crucial social and work skills while contributing their own unique flavors to the business.

The violinist and bank-teller-turned-software-engineer talks about making career changes during the pandemic. 

Lutheran Child and Family Services says its anti-racism approach has made a big difference in outcomes for the children they serve.

As the country awaits an outcome in the murder trial of former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin, the manner in which police operate in Black and Latino communities – in particular, how they use deadly force — remains very much in the spotlight. 

For the past two weeks, Chicago residents have been reacting to the death of 13-year-old Adam Toledo at the hands of a Chicago police officer. Now, video footage of the shooting is raising more questions about the incident. We discuss the March 29 shooting with Little Village community members.

When Avelino Maldonado started his spice distribution company in Chicago, the biggest waves of Latino immigrants had yet to arrive. Sixty-four years later, Latinos comprise nearly 30% of the city’s population, and La Criolla’s new owners hope to bring their Latin flavor to another generation of cooks.

When city leaders and developers discuss new plans for major real estate projects, some groups are often left out of the discussion. What’s being done to bring more Black and Latino developers into the industry. 

Urban historian Shermann “Dilla” Thomas gives us the last word on how knowing the city’s past can change the energy of its future.

In neighborhoods like La Villita and Back of the Yards, outreach workers are taking a ground-up approach to registering residents for vaccinations by meeting them in grocery stores and taquerias, and through texts and social media.

Why women should take their ideas and aspirations off the back burner.

Chicago’s most storied arts institutions have elevated Black leaders to the helm in the last year. We talk with some of them about how the Chicago arts scene is planning its 2021 comeback.

As a global destination for culinary adventure, Mexico City is full of exciting and surprising flavors. Among them is the unique food culture created by its robust community of Mexican Jews, which brings together some of the best food traditions of each community. Now, two Mexico City natives have brought their version of those flavors to Chicago.

The Biden administration is struggling to manage a new cycle of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border as it looks to Congress to pass sweeping immigration legislation.

Evanston has become the first city in the country to offer reparations for Black residents. Last week, aldermen voted to distribute $10 million over the next 10 years, using tax money from the sale of recreational marijuana. We discuss the local and national outlook.

In this 1981 clip from “The Week in Review,” Bill Campbell, who was then in his third year as editorial director at WLS, talks with host Joel Weisman about his signature on-location editorials and deriving meaning from his work.

From jumping out of airplanes to zip-lining through the jungle, Luvvie Ajayi Jones has become an expert at challenging fear — but not all of her daring adventures involve leaving the ground. She tells us about her new book, “Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual.”

The Chicago Lighthouse offers children’s education, vision care, rehabilitation and job training for the blind, visually impaired, disabled and veteran communities and employs them in a variety of capacities. 

In recent months, the tension between industry and community has escalated as protests erupted against metal scrapper General Iron’s proposed relocation to the Southeast Side. And while activists say the area has been overburdened with industry, the need for jobs with low barriers to entry is still high.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day (March 8) had a theme of “Choose to Challenge,” and data engineer Lorena Mesa wants to challenge your career aspirations. Here, she gives us the last word on Latino representation in tech.

The Chicago-based comedian and actor talks about making the most of a year spent at home.