In the fall, UCAN announced Christa Hamilton would be the first female and first Black person to lead the organization. More recently, lifetime resident pastor James Brooks became the CEO of the Lawndale Christian Health Center.
In Your Neighborhood


Kenwood stands along the shore of Lake Michigan with a mix of 19th century mansions and affordable housing. It’s an area that’s been fighting the closure of schools and gun violence. We talk with residents who have been here for decades about their investment into the community and more.

In recent years, Harvey has faced financial issues and political infighting, and it’s grappling with poverty, unemployment and crime. But officials and community leaders here say they're working to turn it around. And residents say even with the challenges the suburb faces, they feel proud of where they come from.

We go to Skokie, where some residents are upset about a potential new neighbor coming to town: a car dealer, with an untraditional model for displaying their wares.

The Clearing community on the Southwest Side of Chicago is home to many city employees and families and the southern portion of Midway Airport. We spent the day talking to people about how the neighborhood is adapting to all the changes throughout the pandemic.

The area includes part of the Bronzeville neighborhood. And it has a rich history, from its churches to its hospital. We spoke with community leaders about that and efforts to bring people together this holiday season.

The Obama Presidential Center announced Thursday that a number of its spaces will be named for historic human and civil rights figures. But as that center marches closer toward its opening date, one neighboring community has concerns about the center’s impact on longtime residents.

Located in the Edgewater community on Chicago’s North Side, Andersonville has one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish heritage and is home to a large LGBTQ community. Learn more about the history as well as what the area is doing to adopt eco-friendly initiatives.

Washington Park is nestled between Hyde Park, Woodlawn and Englewood. It’s home to the DuSable Museum of African American History and to the former Schultz Baking Company. Now closed, the building is on the National Register of Historic Places and there are plans to turn it into a data center.

Located about 35 miles north of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, North Chicago houses Naval Station Great Lakes, home of the Navy’s only boot camp.

The predominantly African American community on the Far South Side has high rates of homeownership but a relatively low COVID-19 vaccination rate.

Despite COVID-19 concerns, celebrations are coming together in Pilsen, a community just southwest of Chicago’s Loop with a substantial Mexican population.

The southwest suburb is home to several racetracks and is the birthplace of Dairy Queen. The area also has two prisons – one of which closed in 2002 and recently opened as a haunted house.

Located on Chicago’s West Side, North Lawndale is a neighborhood that has dealt with decades of disinvestment and vacant spaces. Community members have taken things into their own hands by creating community gardens and safe spaces for the next generation.

Uptown is one of Chicago’s most diverse communities. It’s home to a few icons in Chicago’s music scene. But, like many neighborhoods, it also faces gentrification. We talk with community leaders about planned luxury apartments coming to the area and a nonprofit that provides housing for women.

Arlington Heights is a suburban neighbor to O’Hare airport and about a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. The village is one of the largest in the northwest suburbs and is home to what was, until last weekend, the world-renowned Arlington International Racecourse.