In her new book, author and psychologist Inger Burnett-Zeigler examines the stress, trauma and unacknowledged emotional suffering Black women have faced for generations, while offering a new way of being strong that includes being comfortable with vulnerability.

While the number of women in prisons is relatively small compared to the number of incarcerated men, the rate of female incarceration is on the rise. Black women in particular are overrepresented in the nation’s jails and prisons.

The impact of the carceral state on Black women — and the notion of the “strong Black woman” is the topic of this week’s Black Voices Book Club pick. And why it’s time for Black people to take a hike.

Meet travel enthusiasts Chevon Linear and Kameron Stanton who are using TikTok to encourage Black people to explore the outdoors. 

Gun violence is on the rise in Chicago and across the country, and its impact is felt not only by victims, but their families and communities, too. We learn about a new series from The Trace, a national news organization covering gun violence in the U.S. 

Keeping teens engaged during the summer. Remembering the life of civil rights icon John Lewis. Helping former drug abusers find a new lease on life. And the end of the state’s eviction ban.

After a year of being cooped up inside, many Chicago teens are ready to get outside. We talk with youth organizations about low- or no-cost activities young people can do right now and through to the fall.

The challenges Black women face in academia. The striking life expectancy gap between Black and white Chicagoans. The new Ida B. Wells Monument. Leveling the playing field for Black-owned businesses.

The CEO of local engineering firm Ardmore Roderick tells us what he thinks the city should do to help Chicago’s small businesses.

In the wake of the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist’s decision to reject a tenure offer from the University of North Carolina, we talk with local scholars about their experiences in higher education as Black women.

This Fourth of July holiday we look at a word that has had different meanings for different Americans: patriotism, and what it means to some members of the Black community.

On this Fourth of July, what Independence Day means in the Black community. The city’s new monument to activist Ida B. Wells. Meet the new head of the Lincoln Museum. And ladies who sing the blues.

In the U.S., many people view incarceration as the punishment one receives for breaking the law. But a recently released study indicates that for the more than 3.3 million people with criminal records in Illinois, punishment continues well beyond time served.

Helping people who’ve been involved with the criminal legal system get a fresh start. A new book from the late novelist Richard Wright. And The Last Word on mental health in the Black community.

A novel by Richard Wright, published more than 61 years after his death, is this month’s Black Voices Book Club selection. We discuss “The Man Who Lived Underground” with the grandson of this influential author.

From the Civil War to the civil rights movement and everything in between, the lives of these prominent Black Chicagoans are educating others. We visit Oak Woods Cemetery for a lesson.