Urban Gateways Welcomes Poet, Activist and Published Author Leslé Honoré as CEO

March 14, 2023 (CHICAGO, Illinois) -Urban Gateways announced recently that Leslé Honoré will be their new CEO, becoming the first woman of color to hold the position in over two decades. Since its founding in 1961, Urban Gateways has provided Chicago youth with equitable access to arts experience and education in order to support their personal development, social well-being and passion for lifelong learning. Honoré, a member of Elevated Chicago’s Steering Committee, has a strong track recording of infusing her expertise in poetry and art into youth engagement, leadership style and into governance and programming. Her past work threads seamlessly into Urban Gateways’ mission to inspire creativity and impact social change.

Honoré was publicly welcomed to her new role at a celebration and fundraiser event at the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom Law Firm downtown. The event showcased the current work Urban Gateways has been doing, while also providing a look at what future programming. Guests were treated to wine and hors d’oeuvres by Skadden’s award-winning chef and were given the opportunity to bid for tickets to some of the biggest arts events Chicago has to offer.

The highlight of the night was two youth performers; 13-year-old poet Khalil Taylor and 22-year-old hip-hop and spoken word artist Solomon Xavier Lee, graced the event with a live rendition of their work. Taylor, an aspiring doctor who loves to cook, wowed the crowd with an emotional poem titled The Fighter. “Books are my inspiration and I’d like to be an author”, said the middle schooler. “This experience opened my eyes to poetry and made it more appealing and enjoyable for me.”

Lee, who performs under the name ‘Xavier Battles’, per- formed his song City Pain, a heartfelt reflection of his experiences and life. “I want to make timeless music that’s impactful. When people think of me, they’ll think of my artistry.” said Lee. Especially fond of the audio and video editing programs, he attributes his improvement in writing and performance to his mentors at Urban Gateways.

In addition to the live performances, attendees got a look into Urban Gateways’ current programs that inspire young Chicagoans to use their creativity. Street Level, a youth digital media center, teaches audio and video editing, while Teen Arts Pass gives kids the chance to experience arts and culture events throughout Chicago at an affordable low price. Mild Sauce is a zine created, edited and distributed by its youth participants, teaching valuable journalistic skills. Each program is 100% free to participants and is delivered by experienced professional artists and staff.

With Leslé Honoré as the new CEO, Urban Gateways is set to create even more opportunities to expose Chicago’s Black and Brown youth to the arts. Already reaching over 80,000 young people across approximately250 locations annually, the organization will continue to provide arts education, mentoring and arts events.

“The arts teaches us to connect,” said Honoré. “All young people deserve access to the arts, no matter what their zip code, their school’s budget or what they do during the day,” Urban Gateways engages young people in arts experiences to inspire creativity and impact social change. We envision a world where everyone’s creative spirit thrives. Our organizational values are the pillars that guide our work and hold us accountable to the people we serve.