A group of police officers and community leaders are using their time off to give back to underserved communities by getting young kids to play sports. We head to Columbus Park on the West Side to learn more.  

We talk with Chicago Public Schools parents ahead of the return to in-person learning. How renters are faring as financial assistance has been slow to arrive. And getting in the game at Columbus Park.

The founder and executive director of Dion’s Chicago Dream talks about the importance of providing fresh, quality produce to fight food insecurity — and the lessons nonprofits should be learning from the pandemic.

Vaccine mandates are being put into place in some cities and sectors. Will those policies disproportionately disenfranchise the Black community, which lags behind in vaccination rates?

Could vaccine mandates disenfranchise Black Chicagoans? Local efforts to help those in Haiti impacted by the earthquake. How coffee and hip-hop are helping to normalize mental health therapy.

The founder of the organization Coffee, Hip-Hop & Mental Health gives us the last word on making mental health therapy normal — and accessible — for everyone who needs it.

A group of students on the West Side are determined to make a big change by confronting environmental issues and working to bring solar energy to their community. We learn more about their vision for Garfield Park.

Researchers at the University of Chicago’s Inclusive Economy Lab found that 26% of Black students at Chicago Public Schools experience homelessness during their academic tenure. We discuss those findings and what can be done to better support homeless students.

Why Black students at Chicago Public Schools are so much more likely to be homeless, and what can be done about it. New laws protecting people living with HIV. And a pedal through Big Marsh Park.

As journalists, we often work to avoid becoming part of the stories we cover. But sometimes, the story is part of us. Last month, my friend Sonya Anderson’s stepson was shot and killed, just two days before his 19th birthday. We sit down for an intimate conversation about gun violence.

The retired Harvard Business School professor and Englewood native talks about some of the ideas in his new book, “A Letter to My White Friends and Colleagues: What You Can Do Right Now to Help the Black Community.”

One-on-one with a local nonprofit leader working with young men of color whose stepson was recently killed. A guaranteed income pilot program. How white people can help reduce the wealth disparity. 

Members of East Garfield Park’s Hope Junior Drumline and WestDance Team have been practicing three hours a day, five days a week since late June to prepare for their 10-minute performance at Lollapalooza on Sunday.

We meet local entrepreneur Karen Spears, whose “mind-mapping” process helps people figure out the first or next step in starting a business, all while preserving an art form she’s passionate about. 

When recreational marijuana was legalized in Illinois, Gov. J. B. Pritzker’s stated goal was to use the burgeoning industry to reverse the harm done to Black and brown communities during the war on drugs. But those profiting from pot sales are nearly all white men.

Building equity in the cannabis industry. Uncovering the lasting impacts of surviving gun violence. And a throwback performance with blues legend Buddy Guy.