In her sophomore year of college, Jamila Trimuel became a mentor. In 2011, she started her own organization, Ladies of Virtue, which offers mentorship and support to girls ages 9-18.
The Last Word
Kenneth Griffin said as a young man growing up in Englewood, he didn’t have many positive interactions with the police. That’s part of the reason the trained chef became a Chicago police officer — to create connections between young people and police in his community.
Kids in mentorship programs might not yet appreciate how their mentors have helped keep them on a successful path. But Hector Perez of the Union League Boys & Girls Clubs says these programs are critical to shaping productive futures.
My Block My Hood My City founder Jahmal Cole says bringing back basketball to our parks will lead to a safer city. Cole is leading the Save Street Ball campaign to replace and restore rims and nets across city parks.
Francisco Perez gives “La Ultima Palabra” on why he says creating a smoother landing for people leaving incarceration is good business for everyone.
About 26,000 people leave Illinois prisons each year, and many of them report having trouble finding employment once they’re home.
Activist Aleta Clark has hosted “sleep outs” under a Pilsen viaduct to raise funds to support Chicago's homeless communities and open a shelter.
The stories that can be told on a stage are limited only by the storyteller’s imagination. But just who gets to write those stories and bring them to life on Chicago’s stages is too often limited to a privileged few.
Community activist Jitu Brown says that we are still seeing the reverberations of the decision to close 50 Chicago schools in 2013.
The acting career of Raspy Rivera was derailed by an injury in 2020. But she says that injury wound up being a life-changing gift.
A Chicago spoken word artist is celebrating Black men and women with a collection of poems praising and acknowledging their accomplishments. Harold Green’s “Black Roses and Black Oak” are odes to celebrities, leaders and changemakers.
Highlighting African innovation is the goal of the Field Museum’s new assistant curator of African anthropology, Foreman Bandama.
While many companies struggled during the pandemic, Chicago French Press saw sales skyrocket. The coffee brand can now be found on Amazon and in several stores, including Chicago-area Targets, which started selling the products in February.
An exhibit celebrating Black creativity is open from now until April 17 at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Zahrah Hill, who’s a plumber, and her mother Renee Wilson-Hill, a turbine generator winder, started their careers through Chicago Women In Trades. As part of our Last Word series, They give us a look into why they entered their industry.
Like Rosie the Riveter, ironworker Jennifer Ortiz wants women to know they can do it. Here, she gives La Ultima Palabra on how the spark that ignited her career in the trades can work for other women, too.
