Stories by erica gunderson

(WTTW News)

Hospitality Hiring Event Pairs Chicago Job Seekers With Employers on April 18

The 6th annual Hospitality Hires Chicago event puts job seekers face-to-face with industry employers who are ready to interview and hire for a variety of open positions.

Activist Aleta Clark has hosted “sleep outs” under a Pilsen viaduct to raise funds to support Chicago's homeless community and open a shelter. (WTTW News)

‘The Last Word’ on What Being a Friend Truly Means

Activist Aleta Clark has hosted “sleep outs” under a Pilsen viaduct to raise funds to support Chicago's homeless communities and open a shelter.

(Courtesy of Jorge Pacheco)

‘90s-Era Golden Gloves Champ Puts the Fight Into His Business

Three-time Golden Gloves champion Jorge Pacheco became dedicated to boxing as a teenager. He now applies lessons learned in the ring to his business.

In the exhibit “Glencoe’s Black Heritage,” the Glencoe Historical Society explores the town’s beginnings. (WTTW News)

‘Glencoe’s Black Heritage’ Uncovers History of Shrinking Black Community in North Shore Suburb

A new exhibit from the Glencoe Historical Society explores the town’s beginnings as an unusually integrated community and takes a stark look at how the Black members of that community were pushed out.

The National Museum of Mexican Art launched its annual Sor Juana Festival, an event series featuring Mexican and Mexican-American artists. (Facebook / National Museum of Mexican Art)

Celebrate Mexican Women in the Arts at Sor Juana Festival

The National Museum of Mexican Art launched its annual Sor Juana Festival, an event series featuring Mexican and Mexican-American artists. The festival’s name honors 17th century Mexican nun, mathematician, writer and activist Sor Juana Ines de La Cruz.

Author Rachel Jamison Webster with her cousins and collaborators Edie Lee Harris, Robert Lett and Gwen Marable. (Adele Fammeree)

In ‘Benjamin Banneker and Us,’ Author Discovers Hidden Black Ancestry

Americans are discovering family secrets every day thanks to DNA testing and online genealogy. But not everyone learns they have a luminary of Black American history as an ancestor.

(WTTW News)

Chicago Park District Wants Teens for ‘Perfect Job’ This Summer

The Chicago Park District is offering teenagers a chance to work where they play this summer in seasonal positions like recreation leaders, lifeguards and junior laborers.

(Lyric Opera of Chicago)

‘Proximity’ Takes on Modern Topics at Lyric Opera

“Proximity” comprises performances about the search for connection in a tech-dominated world, humanity’s fraught stewardship of the environment and the impact of gun violence in cities and communities.

(WTTW News)

Exonerated Police Torture Survivors Continue to Pursue Certificates of Innocence in 1994 Murder Conviction

In 1994, brothers Sean Tyler and Reginald Henderson were convicted of murder after being tortured into false confessions. They were exonerated in 2021 after serving more than 25 years in prison.

(Provided by Tim Adams)

As Golden Gloves Tournament Turns 100, ‘70s-Era Boxing Champs Look Back at Knockout Careers

This year, Tim Adams and Frank Smith will be inducted into the Chicago Golden Gloves Hall of Fame as the tournament marks 100 years since the Chicago Tribune sponsored the first competition in 1923.

Left to right: Azreya Lomeli, 15, was reported missing; she was last seen walking in Little Village. Reyna Cristina Ical Seb, 20, was found shot to death in an alley in February. Rosa Chacon, 21, was found dead in an alley in March; she had been missing since January. (Provided)

Little Village Residents Demand Answers from Police in Cases of Missing and Murdered Young Women

Little Village is on high alert as two young women have been found dead there in recent weeks. And now with a reported disappearance, 15-year-old Azreya Lomeli, who was last seen walking in Little Village, community members are increasing calls for action from the police.

Twenty super-sized sculptures have traveled to the North Riverside Park Mall. (North Riverside Park Mall)

Shop Alongside Alebrijes at North Riverside Park Mall

If you weren’t able to make it out to Cantigny Park last summer to see the “Creatures of a Dream World” exhibition of alebrijes, good news! Twenty of those super-sized sculptures have traveled to the North Riverside Park Mall.

(Courtesy of "Tomorrow's Hope")

Documentary ‘Tomorrow’s Hope’ Tells Story of Early Education Project in Chicago

Amid the chaos that characterized the last decades of the Robert Taylor Homes in Bronzeville, an ambitious early education program helped the children who lived there flourish.

Chef Mark Mendez of Libertad. (WTTW News)

On the Pass: Chef Mark Mendez on the Serious Deliciousness of Latino Cuisine

The colors and flavors of Latino cuisine can be found all over Chicago now, but it hasn’t always been considered worthy of fine dining. Chef Mark Mendez of Libertad said Latino cuisine deserves a spot among the world’s great culinary traditions.

(ePhotographyAustralia / Pixabay)

The State of Early Childhood Education in Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s proposed Smart Start program would allow an additional 5,000 kids to go to preschool next year, eventually adding a total of 20,000 slots. The plan would also add money to increase wages for early education providers.

Ritmo del Mar at the Shedd Aquarium is an adults-only evening that combines Latino music and culture with the aquatic life and cityscapes of the Shedd. (Shedd Aquarium)

Latino Entertainment Under the Sea at Shedd Aquarium’s Ritmo del Mar, March 25

If you like a little salsa with your fish, Ritmo del Mar at the Shedd Aquarium might be the event for you. The adults-only evening will combine Latino music and cuisine with the aquatic life and cityscapes of the Shedd.

(WTTW News)

Illinois Tops Nation in Applications for Student Loan Debt Relief

Millions applied for student loan forgiveness before President Joe Biden’s plan was put on hold amid legal challenges. The forgiveness plan’s fate is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, which just heard arguments on the case.

Exterior rendering of The Seng. (Courtesy of Structured Development)

All-Affordable Condo Development Offers Middle-Income Families Homes in Heart of the City

The Seng is a 34-unit condo building that aims to attract middle-income families previously priced out of the area. A three-bedroom unit might go for $333,000, the developer said, compared to the market average of $700,000 in the neighborhood.

Pilsen Food Pantry purchased a permanent home at 21st and Ashland. (WTTW News)

Pilsen Food Pantry Purchases Permanent Home

Since it first opened inside a health clinic in 2018 and moved to a deconsecrated church in 2019, the Pilsen Food Pantry has expanded its offerings and ambition.

A still from “The Woman King.” (Sony Pictures)

Oscars (Still) So White? 2023 Academy Awards Continue to Lack Representation

The 2023 Academy Awards will see historic Asian representation, but the Oscars are still coming under fire over issues of representation, even eight years after the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite led to a reckoning within the Academy.

“Chi Boy: Native Sons and Chicago Reckonings" by Keenan Norris.

‘Chi Boy’ Examines Chicago’s Place in Black American History

For young Black boys and men, Chicago can be a cradle and a crucible, a place where they can encounter both endless inspiration and endless despair. In “Chi Boy: Native Sons and Chicago Reckonings,” author Keenan Norris draws connections between the experiences of literary giants and those of his own father.

Augustus Tolton was the first recognized African American Roman Catholic priest. (Provided)

Get to Know ‘Good Father Gus’ at Evenings with Tolton Events

The first recognized African American Roman Catholic priest is on the road to sainthood. Augustus Tolton’s journey from enslaved child to priest is the subject of a series of events happening at the Tolton Heritage Center in Bronzeville.

(WTTW News)

Birrieria Ocotlan Stews on 50 Years of Tradition and Tacos

When Andy Reyes rhapsodizes about the perfect bowl of birria, he has generations of his forebears speaking through him. His family’s birria recipe dates back to 1926, when his great-grandfather developed his own version of the stewed goat dish in Ocotlan, Jalisco.

(WTTW News)

Jeylú Gutiérrez First New Alderperson to Represent 14th Ward in 54 Years

For 54 years, the 14th Ward was represented by the now-indicted Ald. Ed Burke. Jeylú Gutiérrez said she was inspired to run for office when she saw her ward lacked for city services.

(WTTW News)

Applications Open for Miller-Perez Scholarship for Latino and Immigrant Students

Attention high school seniors and college students: Applications are now open for the Miller-Perez Family Scholarship at the nonprofit Latinos Progresando. Five $2,000 scholarships are being awarded.

(WTTW News)

City Colleges of Chicago Announces Timuel D. Black Jr. Scholarship and Fellowship

The program honors the life and work of Timuel D. Black Jr., the late City Colleges professor, activist and historian. The goal is to help 20 City Colleges students develop into community leaders in the mold of Black, who died in 2021 at the age of 102.