09/26/24

IWelcome to Best of the South Side 2024

f you’re thinking, “Huh, it's been a while since I saw one of these…” you’d be right. Our last Best of the South Side issue, which celebrated ten years of BoSS, came out in 2022. After iterating on the same formula for a decade, we decided to take a break and imagine how we can crank the dial up for the next decade of Bests. But you can rest assured that South Side Weekly is as reliable as the #6 Bus—if you ever miss us, there’s more on the way. (Can’t say the same about the rest of the CTA…)

This year we decided to take a different approach to how we format BoSS. BoSS is about giving the South Side its flowers, since we are often left out of other Chicago lists of “places to go” and “things to do.” With that in mind, it’s always been important to us to make sure every corner of the South Side is represented in these special issues. Usually, in partnership with community members and Weekly contributors, we break down the South Side by neighborhood and tackle different elements of each. In trying to cover the entire expanse of the South Side, however, we sometimes sacrifice the depth of experience that comes with daily life down here. Since our experiences of the South Side are not bound to just one neighborhood, we encouraged our writers, many of whom are also regular contributors to the Weekly, to take us on an odyssey through the South Side in a way that only they could. Centering our writers first and foremost has opened up a world of possibilities for them, and has given us room to learn from their writing and think about the South Side in different ways, free from the borders that so often divide us.

This year’s issue is anchored by the voices of four beloved Chicago writers who we invited to tell us what it was like growing up on the South Side and the most meaningful places in those journeys. It also features a poem from E’mon Lauren, answering the question: If the buildings Out South could talk, what would they say about their residents and about each other?

Don’t be alarmed! We’ve maintained the heart of BoSS, which can be used as a guide to find out more about what is happening on the South Side, such as Black JoyRide and block parties, or a cheat sheet for restaurants you’ve never been to like Jamaican Gates and Justice of the Pies. We’ve got an entire section dedicated to Big Brain Moves featuring libraries and museums to check out if you need an educational kick, or you can look into the past as writers tackle the histories of Marquette Park and some racist statues.

We are continually grateful for the community that has grown South Side Weekly, and we largely credit that to where our publication calls home (no shade to our North Side readers, love you guys). This new approach is personal—it serves as a letter to the South Side from the hearts of the writers and creatives it has birthed. We hope that you find something you like as you read about everything we love. (Chima Ikoro, Community Engagement Coordinator)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tasty Bites ‘n Bevvies 5

7232 Cafe

Justice of the Pies

Happy Lamb Hotpot

Outcry Brewing Co Restaurant

Legend Tasty House

Zacatacos

Taipei Cafe

Jamaican Gates

Sip n Savor

South Side as Inspiration: Alma Campos 31

Marzeya Panaderia

Pilsen Murals

Burnham Woods

South Side as Sanctuary: Carlos Ballesteros 11

Gage Park Library

Illinois Bar and Grill

St. Gabriel Catholic Church

Lumpen Radio

Finding Your People 15

Brighton Park Poets

Black Joy Ride

Miyagi Records

Softball Games

Pilsen Community Books

South Side as Culture: Arionne Nettles 22

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater

Dawn A.M. Eatery

Mamie Till-Mobley Forgiveness Garden

Carter G Woodson Library

Original Pancake House

Haire’s Gulf Shrimp

Seeking Sanctuary 27

Mt. Greenwood Block Parties

Kroc Center

Kenwood Gardens

Oakwood Beach

McKinley Park Trails

Chinese-American Museum of Chicago

Bronzeville Children's Museum

Chicago Bee Library

Hip Hop Heritage Museum Florecer

South Side as Connection: Evan Moore 41

Harold’s Chicken Shack

Gwendolyn Brooks Park

Longwood Avenue

75th St. business corridor

Stephen Douglas statue

Edward G. Irvin Achievement Center

NoLo’s Cigar Lounge

Behind Closed Doors

The art collections of Remy Guzman, Patric McCoy, and Roman Villareal

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY

The South Side Weekly is an independent non-profit newspaper by and for the South Side of Chicago. We provide high-quality, critical arts and public interest coverage, and equip and develop journalists, artists, photographers, and mediamakers of all backgrounds.

Volume 11, Issue 16

Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline Serrato

Managing Editor Adam Przybyl

Investigations Editor Jim Daley

Senior Editors Martha Bayne

Christopher Good Olivia Stovicek

Sam Stecklow Alma Campos

Politics Editor J. Patrick Patterson

Music Editor Jocelyn Martínez-Rosales

Immigration Editor Wendy Wei

Community Builder Chima Ikoro

Public Meetings Editor Scott Pemberton

Visuals Editor Kayla Bickham

Deputy Visuals Editor Shane Tolentino

Staff Illustrators Mell Montezuma

Shane Tolentino

Staff Reporter Michael Liptrot

Director of

Fact Checking: Savannah Hugueley

Fact Checkers: Patrick Edwards Arieon Whittsey

Fire Engine Company 115 White Sox game Super Mall Marquette Park

Christopher Good Mo Dunne

Layout Editor Tony Zralka

Executive Director Malik Jackson

Office Manager Mar y Leonard

Advertising Manager Susan Malone

Webmaster Pat Sier

The Weekly publishes online weekly and in print every other Thursday. We seek contributions from all over the city.

Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to:

South Side Weekly

6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637

For advertising inquiries, please contact: Susan Malone (773) 358-3129 or email: malone@southsideweekly.com

For general inquiries, please call: (773) 643-8533

Cover by meg studer

TASTY BITES N BEVVIES

BEST COMEBACK

7323 Chicago Cafe - Woodlawn

At the corner of Marquette and Woodlawn, a bright yellow and green shipping container might make you do a double take. An unconventional restaurant operating at Flying Squirrel Park, 7323 Chicago Cafe, started offering seasonal meals and refreshments to the Woodlawn community in the summer of 2022.

A South Side native, Marquinn Gibson launched the cafe using city funding from the 2021 Chicago Alfresco grant, which supported community spaces offering outdoor dining experiences. Gibson, a self-taught cook and multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, never envisioned himself owning a food service business but acknowledges the array of past experiences that led him to the present.

“My great grandmother was the first woman to ever really teach me how to cook,” said Gibson. “I just wanted to extend her legacy.” Gibson has generational roots on the South Side with his great-grandmother moving to Chicago during the Great Migration. The cafe’s name pays homage to the address of the house she purchased in Englewood, which remains a homebase for Gibson’s extended family.

When developing the business plan for 7323 Chicago Cafe, Gibson knew he wanted to serve his community and invest in the South Side. The fresh food options on the menu include smoothies, salads, paninis, and wraps. With names like The Head Nod, Love + Happiness, and The Red Line, the cafe’s menu caters to Black culture and celebrates the South Side. The Handshake panini is my personal favorite with its

delicious cajun season and chipotle aioli sauce.

Two months after a celebratory grand opening, 7323 was burglarized in October 2022. After taking a few months to recalibrate and fundraise, the cafe reopened in summer 2023. While this first setback was discouraging, it was a second robbery on July 31, barely a month after the cafe’s reopening, that was a major blow to Gibson’s morale.

“The second time it happened was gut wrenching—it floored me,” said Gibson. “My intentions are pure. I think that's why it hurts so much, because I know that I'm doing this from the right perspective and my heart is in it. It’s not about just money for me. It’s about service in the community.”

Galvanized by the collective resilience of his family, friends, and neighbors, 7323 moved forward with its one-year anniversary party, just a week after the second robbery. Despite these challenges, Gibson celebrated two years of operating 7323 this summer and looks forward to acquiring more funding to expand the cafe. He hopes to eventually purchase one of the vacant lots adjacent to Flying Squirrel Park to develop a parking lot, more seating, and additional food-preparation space.

Ultimately, it’s the day-to-day interactions that drive Marquinn’s commitment to his work.

“What I’m gratified and fulfilled by is just the fact that people see me—they drive by, they wave, they honk their horns,” said Gibson. “It feels good to be seen, to be loved, to be heard, and be able to give that energy back to them.” (Jasmine Barnes)

7323 Chicago Cafe, 6600 S. Woodlawn Ave. Wednesdays–Saturdays, 11am–7pm; Sundays 10am–3pm; closed Mondays, Tuesdays. (312) 912-5776, 7323chicago.com

Owner Marquinn Gibson of 7323 Chicago Cafe.

Photo by Jasmine Barnes

BEST CURE FOR A SWEET TOOTH Justice of the Pies - Avalon Park

Ever hear of a bakery in a former dentist office? Well now you have! In 2023, pastry chef Maya-Camille Broussard opened her brick and mortar location for the bakery, Justice of the Pies, in what was once the Avalon Park office of her mom’s childhood dentist. The bakery’s clever name is an homage to her late father, Stephen J. Broussard, a criminal defense attorney who loved to bake pies.

The bakery serves both sweet and savory treats ranging from classics like sweet potato pie and key lime pie to more novel flavors like Smoked Gouda and Spinach Quiche. While there, I tried the lavender lemon cookie and it was divine. The cookie had a texture similar to a tea cake and tasted bright and lemony, with a slight hint of herby flavor. It is a must try!

Designer bakeries are uncommon in the neighborhood, so I was interested in how the reception has been at this location. According to Broussard, a James Beard Award finalist in 2022, “The reception has been very welcoming. People are delighted to see a business such as ours in a neighborhood like Avalon Park. We also have a lot of Chicagoland customers who travel from across the city to enjoy Justice of the Pies. Many travelers, including international ones, come to visit us as well.”

In addition to baking tempting treats, Justice of the Pies serves the community by way of their I Knead Love Workshop. Founded in 2017, this workshop teaches middle schoolers how to be more self-sufficient in the kitchen. In the past, they partnered with organizations such as Alternatives Youth, The Maria Kaupas Center, and the Center for Hearing and Communication to offer workshops several times throughout the year (Broussard herself lost 75 percent of her hearing as a child). In 2020, they created the Broussard Justice Foundation, a 501(c)-3 organization to increase efforts in activating the workshops and to create more funding opportunities for their sup-

BEST HOT POT

Happy Lamb Hot Pot - Bridgeport

At the risk of losing my status as a regular at my favorite restaurant to the rest of the Chicago population, I am going to share this newly opened spot in Bridgeport.

Chicago is a great city to live in and visit under any weather, be it under a blanket of snow or in blistering sunlight. Rainy fall days in Chicago also have a special place in my heart. There is something that feels so heartwarming about eating hot soup on a cold rainy or snowy day in the city. Chicago only gets a sum total of two weeks of sun throughout the year. The rest of the time, the city can feel cold and dark.

Finding a great soup spot is critical for surviving Chicago weather and feeds the soul when all you want to do is hibernate.

There is also something so fulfilling about sharing food around a table with friends and family. Jack Chen, who runs the restaurant, says that this is why he loves hot pot. A big part of Chinese cuisine is food sharing. Sharing a meal is a family affair. You don’t order individual plates, but several plates to share. Hot pot is precisely this.

The broth is placed and heated at the center of the table so that all can reach it. The ingredients are then added into the broth by all at the table.

porters.

Before I wrapped up the interview, I had to ask about Bake Squad, the Netflix show Broussard starred in, and whether it is coming back for a third season. Broussard didn’t know—but while we may not know if Bake Squad is returning to the screen, we do know where you can find some delectable treats. Check out Justice of the Pies, you will be glad you did! (Rovetta McKinney)

Justice of the PIes, 8655 S. Blackstone Ave., Friday–Sunday, 9am–5pm. justiceofthepies.com

Happy Lamb Hot Pot in Bridgeport.

Photo by Caeli Kean

Justice of the Pies.

Photo by Rovetta McKinney

Jack has fond memories of sharing a hot pot with family and friends growing up. He says that hot pot is a celebration meal and growing up he remembers someone would yell “Let’s get hot pot!” after something good or successful happened in the family.

The broth options include bone marrow, tomato, and chili broth. Honestly, the chili broth is my absolute favorite.

This hot pot location takes the hot pot experience to the next level. Happy Lamb hot pot offers unlimited buffet style seafood, meats, vegetables, and noodles. The price is unbeatable. Only $27 for all you can eat, and you have options like quality marble lamb and head on shrimp. Not only that, but customers can get a free meal on their

BEST PLACE TO UNWIND

Open Outcry Brewing CompanyMorgan Park

If you ever find yourself zipping down Western Avenue in the Morgan Park neighborhood and you suddenly have the intense desire to have a homemade woodfired arugula & prosciutto pizza, a cold one brewed in-house and a crowler to enjoy at home—don’t be surprised. That urge you feel is probably because you’re in the vicinity of Open Outcry Brewing Company.

If I had time to hang out every week at a neighborhood pub for light bites, after-work libations or dinner with family and friends, this would certainly be the kind of place I’d choose. It has an open, casual vibe that feels perfect for catching up with friends or simply flying solo with a pint.

Before I stepped into the cheerful and brightly colored pub, I noticed the sidewalk leading to Open Outcry was painted with large, brightly colored yellow directional arrows. And, if you know me, I’m all about signs and symbolism. So, yellow arrows pointing me towards the very place I was already headed to, in my mind, was a good omen.

Walking in, I felt a welcoming atmosphere. It wasn’t crowded, but it wasn’t empty either. I noticed that most people were seated near the front, beside the bar’s wide garage-door windows. Who could blame them? It was a sunny, warm day. If you couldn’t be outside, the next best place was inside looking out. I wanted to sit by the windows, too, but there were no available spots.

Undeterred, I scanned the place and quickly realized that there were plenty of other “perfect” spots to choose from. The bottom line is: where you sit seems to depend largely on the company you’re with and the mood that you’re in. If you want to catch a sports game, there are tables near TV’s. If you want to chat with friends and have more privacy, there’s a corner spot at the back of the restaurant with four leather chairs arranged in a cozy circle (also with a TV mounted above).

As for me and my mood that day, I just wanted to chill, nosh, and take it all in. So, I moseyed over to the uber-cool bar that co-owner Katie Beck told me she and her husband Jim had renovated and expanded.

Katie is one-half of Open Outcry. Her husband Jim is the other half and together they took over ownership of Outcry in May. The previous owner, John Brand, had started the pub a few years back at the former location of O’Brien’s Pub. Asked what led to their decision to become the new owners, Kate said the decision was not a hard one to make.

“We met with John [the former owner] for a couple of hours and we left there,

birthday! Also, their lunch specials are available from 11:30am to 4pm.

Jack says that since Happy Lamb on Halsted opened, many have mentioned that Halsted Street is more vibrant. He is also happy to see Stussy’s Diner opened up because the Halsted location is really getting to be more lively. This change was needed.

Ask about their family rooms for a private room; they are gorgeous.

Finally, if you haven’t tried seaweed knots in your soup, you haven’t lived! (Maritere Gomez)

and I was in the car with my husband and said, ‘Let’s make a pros and cons list,’ and that was it,” she said.

As soon as I sat down at the bar, I was struck by the sight of a variety of beers on tap: IPAs and a rotating seasonal selection with fun names like the Piña Colada Speculator, Sweet Alley Pub Ale, Black Scholes, and the Fishing with Horus drink.

I didn’t have to wait long for service. Reagan, the bartender, popped right over to greet me and make menu and drink suggestions. She was knowledgeable about the food choices, and this being a brewery, I asked her about her picks for brews on tap versus regular drink specials. Ultimately, I decided to go with her recommended drink, the Brambleberry Zipper. Made with vodka, a blackberry liqueur and a dash of their grapefruit radler, it was light and refreshing.

O verall, Open Outcry Brewing Company is more than just a place to grab a drink. It’s a cozy community hub where you can sit back, unwind, enjoy some great food and take refuge, if you like, in the quaint rooftop beer garden. (Dierdre Robinson)

Open Outcry Brewing Company, 10934 S. Western Ave. Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11am–10pm; Thursdays–Saturdays, 11am–11pm; Sundays, 11am–9pm; closed Mondays. (773) 629-6055, openoutcrybrewing.com

Happy Lamb Hot Pot (Bridgeport), 3207 S. Halsted St. 11:30am–10pm. (872) 299-3137.

Open Outcry Brewing Company.

Photo by Cey Sincerray

BEST HAND-ROLLED ICE CREAM

Legend Tasty House - Chinatown

Legend Tasty House is the perfect night cap to end your weekend. Perhaps to my health’s detriment, it’s the perfect weekday night cap as well. The line of avid ice cream eaters stretches across at least two city buildings during peak hours, and it is fully packed indoors during others.

I am not someone with a sweet tooth; I won’t even eat a slice of cake on my birth day! Yet, somehow Legend Tasty House made me a regular customer.

I first came across Legend Tasty House when I was taking a leisurely walk down Wentworth Avenue. I noticed the line of people, and I decided to follow the pack and got in line. When it was finally my turn to order, I couldn’t select just one of the twenty-one distinct flavors.

They don’t only serve a scoop of ice cream on a cone, but make it into an art piece with all the toppings they add. Customers can watch as the employees flatten the ice cream and roll it into tight rolls on the spot. Watching them do this is hypnotic.

In addition to their delicious, rolled ice cream, Legend Tasty House offers milk tea and smoothies, among them is the You are Beautiful mango milk shake. If I could add in a yum emoji here, I would.

I love to go to Chinatown at night especially because it looks so beautiful with all of its lights. There is just something so poetic about all the colors against the cityscape. Add hand-rolled ice cream on a warm summer night and it’s a perfect night out in Chinatown.

BEST STEAK TACOS

Zacatacos - West Lawn

Zacatacos is one of those taquerias that have their carne asada recipe down to a T.

Needless to say, its name is a playful variation of the Mexican state of Zacatecas, long known for its livestock raising and meat-centered dishes.

Their grilled flank steak—or falda de res—is usually chopped chunky and steaming fresh, with bits of char on it, and perfect in tortas, burritos, gorditas, tacos (in what appear to be El Milagro tortillas), and even their underrated taco salad, aka taco bowl.

I recommend onion, cilantro, and red salsa as the only toppings on the meat in order to better appreciate the flavor.

The original location opened in 1996 and has maintained the signature look resembling a food shack for nearly thirty years. Right before COVID hit, though, they expanded the restaurant to allow for a larger, brighter seating area with mounted TVs and a music box.

As the demand for pick-up orders increased dramatically during the pandemic, they were pushed to expand their parking space into an adjacent lot and to work on providing fast service.

Some customers have said in restaurant reviews that the focus on carry-out has ended up hurting their indoor eating experience. I have yet to verify that, as I’m always ordering by phone and picking up at the door in a relatively quick fashion.

While I’ve eaten at the other Zacatacos locations, I appreciate watching the choreography of cooks in the kitchen (to the left of the entrance) at the Zacatacos on

And you can’t forget the flan! (Jackie Serrato)

Zacatacos, 5925 S. Pulaski Rd. Sunday-Thursday, 9am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 9am11pm. (773) 581-9481.

Legend Tasty House.

Photo by Caeli Kean

Zacatacos, 5925 S. Pulaski Rd.

Photo by Jackie Serrato

BEST BLENDING OF FLAVORS

Taipei Cafe - Bridgeport

Spicy beef noodle soup! It is like a Mexican caldo de res, but the meat is sliced into tender thick slices with udon noodles added.

One of the owners, Nate Wong, says he was inspired to open this restaurant after visiting Taiwan with his wife. Eating the food there was a game changer for him.

There were virtually no Taiwanese restaurants in Chicago, and he could not wait to open one up to show Chicagoans the delicious flavors of Taiwan.

He wanted to bring the blending of flavors in Taiwanese cuisine. Wong said that Taiwanese food is flavored with several similarly measured tastes in one bite.

Taipei Cafe is the spot I take my friends to prove that I live in a cool neighborhood. How many places can flaunt an authentic Taiwanese food restaurant? It’s about a block from the intersection of Halsted and Archer.

You’re a short walk away from three different neighborhoods in this one intersection. If you take a right coming from the east, you’ll be in Chinatown in five minutes. If you go straight west, you’ll be in Pilsen in five minutes, and if you simply stay by the intersection, then you’re in Bridgeport.

Palmisano Park is also right across the street and an amazing place to stroll through after a hearty lunch at Taipei Café. (Maritere Gomez)

Taipei Cafe, 2609 S. Halsted St. Sunday–Thursday, 11am–9pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 11am–10pm. (312) 374-1986.

Chapin-May Foundation

Taipei Cafe.

Photo by Caeli Kean

Taipei Cafe.

Photo by Caeli Kean

BEST CRAVINGS

Jamaican Gates - Roseland

Chicago is home to many iconic restaurants and food staples, and Roseland is no different. You might not find these hidden gems trending online as destinations for tourists—you just have to be in the neighborhood to know. One of the spots I love the most is Jamaican Gates, on Halsted. They have the best Caribbean food I’ve had in all of Chicago. Jamaican Gates is a local, family-owned restaurant that has been serving the community for over twenty years. That longevity just confirms how good the food is—I hope they continue for another twenty years and beyond. When you have a taste for a savory home-cooked meal but don’t feel like cooking, this is where you go.

If you’re from Chicago, you know our lives and experiences can differ based on our view of the Sears Tower (which is the correct way to pronounce “Willis Tower”) or the lack thereof. Imagine living so far south that you can’t even see it from any spot in your neighborhood. People rarely come through neighborhoods like Roseland that are so far from downtown. It’s like we exist on the edges, unseen, with our own hidden treasures that outsiders miss. Jamaican Gates is one of those treasures.

Don’t wait until the last minute to come and check it out for yourself because some days they do sell out close to closing, and there’s nothing worse than hearing that “we are out of chicken.” Nothing else can satisfy that craving, and I would rather “eat sleep” for dinner than eat something else. The chicken is juicy and seasoned to perfection with spices that add flavor and not just heat. The cabbage has layers of flavors that coat your taste buds in an instant. They give you a filling amount of rice and peas, but you’ll still be wanting more, I promise you. Get extra gravy if you want because why

5850 South Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 rockefeller.uchicago.edu

not? The more flavor, the better.

This far south, people might not see our homes, our streets, or our everyday lives, but they don’t know what they’re missing. Hidden gems like Jamaican Gates—with its perfectly cooked plantains adding a nice hint of sweetness to a meal full of savory, delicious flavors—are part of what makes this area special. It’s the kind of food that makes you want to call in an order just thinking about it. Oh, yeah, be sure to call it in because real food takes time to be prepared, and you won’t ever be the only person craving Jamaican Gates no matter the time of day.

This restaurant has a taste you will never forget, so I apologize in advance for your three-times-a-week cravings. If I have to go through it, you do too! Usually, I’d gatekeep such a great spot to try and keep wait times down, but either way, I’ll be there, and hopefully, you will be too. Remember, just because you can’t see the Sears Tower from here doesn’t mean there aren’t things worth seeing or tasting in this part of the city.

(Kalief Dinkins)

Jamaican Gates, 10226 S. Halsted. Monday–Saturday, 11am–8pm; Sundays, 11am–7pm. (773) 779-1708

BEST CAFE TO FIND YOUR RHYTHM Sip & Savor - Bronzeville

Sip & Savor is much more than a popular, expanding chain of cafes; it’s a cornerstone of community and creativity. Founded by Trez V. Pugh III, this Black-owned cafe has carved out a space where local patrons connect over specialty drinks and ideas.

The moment you step into any of Sip & Savor’s five locations, including my favorite one on 43rd Street, you’re greeted with a sense of intentionality. The staff is always friendly and there’s a shared understanding that this space belongs to the community. The Bronzeville location, in particular, is steeped in history, a nod to the area’s significant cultural contributions to Chicago’s Black community. It’s no coincidence that Sip & Savor chose to plant its roots here, honoring the rich legacy of Bronzeville while also pushing forward economic growth and creative expression.

The hum of informal business meetings paired with the steady rhythm of coffee being brewed creates a soothing backdrop for anyone seeking to work or brainstorm. For me, it’s become a place where ideas flow freely. Something about the blend of sounds—the clinking of fingers typing ideas, conversations, and the barista’s machine—creates an atmosphere where multitasking becomes second nature. I often find myself coming here to flesh out ideas for projects, particularly in the early hours when it’s quieter. But as the day picks up, the intimate spaces fill up fast, and that can make it challenging to stay focused. Still, there's an undeniable energy in the air, a reminder of the productivity that can thrive in each of their locations.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 | 4 PM

Pets and Pipes: Bring your pet and enjoy the E.M. Skinner organ! Tea and treats (human and animal) will be provided.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 | 4 PM

Thierry Escaich and Quatuor Ellipsos: the French musicians perform music for organ and saxophone quartet.

Next year, the cafe chain will celebrate twenty years of business, a milestone that speaks to the its commitment to quality, community, and social impact. Pugh’s vision for the cafe was rooted in more than just selling coffee—he wanted to build a space where people could come together, share ideas, and fuel personal and communal growth. His working-class background makes his story more inspiring. Despite the challenges of running a small business in underserved areas, Pugh has remained steadfast, expanding to an additional location in Bronzeville and spots in Hyde Park, the South Loop, and most recently, Edgewater.

Finding spaces that nurture creative growth and foster community in a city as vibrant and diverse as Chicago is invaluable. Sip and Savor is a testament to the power of local businesses to uplift communities and fuel expression. Whether you’re there for a casual meet-up or a quiet moment to yourself, it’s a place where everyone can find their rhythm. (Kristian Parker)

Carlos Ballesteros reports on incarceration, policing, and issues affecting immigrants and older adults in the court system. Before joining Injustice Watch in 2020, Carlos was a Report for America corps member at the Chicago Sun-Times and a breaking news reporter at Newsweek in New York. Carlos was born and raised in Chicago and also lived in Mexico.

South Side as Sanctuary

BY CARLOS BALLESTEROS

I’ve spent thirty-one years on this terrestrial plane, and I’ve spent two-thirds of them in Chicago, my place of birth. And for all of those years in this city, I’ve always lived south of Roosevelt Road—up until a couple months ago, when I moved to Humboldt Park, which, to a young Carlos, was practically the North Side. I still get plenty of chances to visit my old South Side neighborhoods— six in total, by my count. I moved a lot when I was a kid, including twice to Mexico and back, and each time we returned to a different neighborhood. Our border hopping was mostly due to my dad, an immigrant and high school dropout who worked his way up to overseeing an industrial t-shirt

screen printing plant that used to be on Grand Avenue. In the early 2000s, after the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the plant’s owner—a brusque Argentinian with a strange sense of humor—went all-in on a maquiladora in Campeche, a city of a quarter-million people on the Gulf of Mexico. The maquiladora went belly up a few years later, so we came back to Chicago. But then another one took its place, and they wanted my dad to run it, so we went back to Campeche, until that one went belly up, too. Did I mention we lived in San Antonio, Texas, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, right before I started kindergarten?

All that moving around meant I never spent more than three years at the same school until I got to college. In retrospect, the constant moving was surely a pain in the ass for my parents, who were in the late twenties and early thirties, and especially so for my wonderful mother, my only true constant in a sea of change, but not so much for me. I’d like to think part of the reason why was because I always felt like I could back home to the South Side, a sanctuary that afforded my dad and maternal grandparents a fresh start and a place to lay roots. I still feel that way about the South Side, and it pains me to see others—even some of my family members—talk down on new immigrants seeking to make it a sanctuary of their own.

Below I write about four places on the South Side which guided me to where I needed to go, from middle school through my first job in Chicago journalism. I’ll cherish these places — and the people who made them special—forever.

Gage Park Library

Photo by Susan Carlotta Ellis

BEST UNDERFUNDED PUBLIC SPACE TO FIND YOURSELF

Chicago Public Library, Gage Park Branch - Gage Park

As a beefy public school kid in the early 2000s, the immediate area around 55th Street and California Avenue offered some of the things I cared about most: Chinese takeout, gas station snacks, and the video rental store on the corner where my cousins and I would get scratched up DVDs and Xbox games on the weekends. On one of those weekends, I deviated from the plan and walked into the Chicago Public Library’s Gage Park Branch. The library occupies a stout, two-story commercial building on 55th Street, two doors down from what used to be the video rental store.

I was already a certified straight-A nerd by then, but I never read books outside of school, much less go to the library. In fact, no one I knew hung out at the library. But on that day, as corny as it sounds, I distinctly remember feeling like I had arrived somewhere I belonged. The other kids doing their homework on the tables, the stack of football magazines I could take home for free, the librarian who answered all my questions—all of it elicited a sense of comfort and wonder that’s stayed with me since.

In all honesty, I only went back to the Gage Park library maybe once or twice after that first encounter, and we moved to Campeche for the second time soon after. But the library stayed with me—I even worked at my college library as a workstudy student, until they asked me not to come back junior year. (If you’re my friend in real life, ask me why and I’ll tell you, maybe.) Down the line, I would come to understand public libraries as a fundamental building block for any true democracy, and that we should create other types of public spaces that meet the needs of working people, like public bathrooms and laundromats, and of course, public housing.

I recently went back to the Gage Park Branch for the first time in decades, and was disappointed to see that it looked exactly the same as I remembered

it. According to the Chicago Public Library's website, the Gage Park Branch opened in its current location on 55th Street in Dec. 1990, and it looks like it hasn’t been updated since, even though the library’s alderman from its inception until a couple years ago was the almighty Ed Burke, whose ward office stood less than a mile away. An op-ed from 2021 published in the Weekly relayed a petition signed by more than 2,700 people calling on the city to build a new, bigger library in Gage Park with more Spanish-speaking staff to service the predominantly Mexican neighborhood. I mean, the library is so small that it was unable to reopen for a year and a half due to COVID-19 precautions!

The city has so far failed to act. I hope they soon reconsider.

Gage Park Library, 2807 W. 55th St. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10am–6pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12–8pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 9am–5pm; Sundays, 1–5pm. (312) 747-0032, gagepark@chipublib.org

BEST WOODEN BOOTHS TO WATCH THE BEARS WITH YOUR DAD

Illinois Bar and Grill - Archer Heights

In between the first and second stint in Mexico, we lived in a garden unit in Archer Heights, off 48th Street and Karlov Avenue.

I felt very lonely back then. I went to school in Brighton Park, and I didn’t know any other kids in the neighborhood. So, as boys do, I developed a deep relationship with the Chicago Bears. Rooting for Devin Hester, Tommie Harris, Lance Briggs and the rest on Sundays was mandatory, and there was no better place to do it than Illinois Bar & Grill with my dad. We would demolish a stack of whole chicken wings, him with a beer, me with a Sprite, and do that thing

Gage Park Library.

Illinois Bar and Grill.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

dads and their sons do when they don’t talk and stare at the TV together in total unison. Until one of those Sundays, my dad told me that we would probably be moving back to Mexico—which was great news to me. I missed the friends I had made the first time over, and I was excited to rejoin them at my old Catholic school.

Of course, the Bears would go up and down, and then down, down, down, down… But Illinois Bar & Grill still rocks. Aside from the wings—which are top five in the city as far as I’m concerned—they’ve been doing smash burgers way before TikTok. Their pool table is always busy (a good thing) and they have a random assortment of bar games in the back that make for a pleasant aesthetic experience. But my favorite place to sit in the joint is on their wooden booths by the front door, where you can get a bird’s eye view of The Regulars and the game on the tube, or whatever cop drama the bartender likes.

Illinois Bar and Grill, 4135 W 47th St. Tuesday–Thursday, 11am–11pm; Fridays, 11am–midnight; Saturdays, noon–midnight; Sundays, 12–10pm; Mondays, 12–9pm. Kitchen closes a few hours early. (773) 847-2525.

BEST DIA DE LA VIRGEN CELEBRATIONS AT A CATHEDRAL DESIGNED BY A FAMOUS ARCHITECT

St. Gabriel Catholic Church Canaryville

My parents split up after we moved back to Chicago from Mexico for the second time in 2009. My sister and I stayed with my mom, and after living at my aunt’s house in Bridgeport for a few months, we moved into a third-floor apartment in Canaryville off 45th Street and Wallace Avenue. I left for college in 2012, and my grandma moved into the apartment with my mom and my sister, and I would stay there during winter break. My grandma was a social butterfly and a devout Catholic, and quickly made friends at St. Gabriel Catholic Church across the street.

The 127-year-old church was designed by John Wellborn Root of Burnham and Root, the famous Chicago architecture firm responsible for designing places like the Rookery Building and the since-demolished Masonic Temple in the Loop. The church is beautiful, and I’m going to let Lee Bey, architecture critic for the Chicago Sun-Times, explain why: “Built for Irish immigrant workers, St. Gabriel has a simplified Romanesque design that emphasizes the edifice’s form and geometry rather than its adornment, giving the century-old church a hint of modernity that is still evident today. Root is said to have based the design on that of a medieval Romanesque church in Toulouse, France.”

Got that?

I wish my grandma was still around so I could try to translate Bey’s analysis into Spanish for her. But she didn’t need to know its architectural merit to

Inside Illinois Bar and Grill.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

Illinois Bar and Grill smashburger with bacon. Photo by Kaelah Serrano

St. Gabriel Catholic Church.

Photo by Susan Carlotta Ellis

know that the church was important—so important, that she organized its first celebrations for Dia de La Virgen de Guadalupe. If you don’t know, Dia de la Virgen falls on Dec. 12, and it’s a big fucking deal in Mexican Catholic culture. It honors the day that San Juan supposedly saw her apparition some 500 years ago on a hilltop in what today is known as Mexico City, and Mexicans tend to celebrate the date with lots of tamales and recitations of the rosary. And if you didn’t know, Canaryville isn’t known for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. There’s a history of unabashed racist violence there—I even saw two Confederate flags fly on people’s porches less than a block from our apartment—and I almost got jumped by white teens while walking home from the bus stop. For as long as we lived there, I don’t remember seeing another non-White family on our block, except for our downstairs neighbors.

By organizing a party for La Virgen in St. Gabriel’s basement—with a mariachi, no less—my grandma created a safe space for the other Latino families in the neighborhood. I didn’t go the first year she organized it (I don’t remember why), but I was there on the second and third time that she did, and I saw the number of attendees double year over year. I was honestly shocked; I had never seen that many Latinos congregated in the same place in that neighborhood. I wondered where they all lived, and regret not interviewing them and writing down my reflections.

After that third year, my grandma ended up moving to the suburbs with my uncle. She was a home health aide, and her patients were closer to his house than my mom’s apartment. She kept in touch with some folks from the church, but she never got to organize another basement party there before she died last year. I miss her everyday.

St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 600 W 45th St. Monday–Friday, 9am–2:30pm. See website for mass times. 773-927-6263, nativitystgabriel.org

BEST FM VIBES

Lumpen Radio - Bridgepoprt

After graduating from college, I returned to the Canaryville apartment without a job. It took dozens of applications before I landed one, but I had to move to New York. I had already lived there for a semester while interning at The Nation magazine, and I was excited to go back. But the job was a bust, and I ended up moving back to Chicago less than a year later, but this time, I came back with a job at the Sun-Times, and instead of moving back in with my mom, I sublet a room on Morgan Street in downtown Bridgeport.

That’s when I was introduced to Lumpen Radio, a community radio station based out of Co-Prosperity Sphere. I don’t remember how I came to learn about Lumpen, but it was probably through my buddy Eric Streichert, a poet, musician, and bartender at Maria’s Packaged Goods and host of the “The Butter Hours,” a two-hour dance music excursion which airs live every

third Wednesday on Lumpen. Eric’s show is a prime example of what makes Lumpen so great: Underground and underappreciated tracks curated by a local artist and transmitted with love for Chicago and beyond, for free. I can’t count how many times I’ve pulled out my phone while driving just to Shazam a song that was playing on the station—a behavior I would never condone and would actually strongly condemn. And then there’s the whole slew of Lumpen talk shows like Eye 94 and Perceptions of the Real, in which hosts Sarah Conway and Eli Ramirez are joined by a guest who produces a piece of writing live onair. “Together we will detangle the question of why we make what we make,” the show’s description reads. How cool is that?

The South Side is lucky to have Lumpen, which started out as an onlineonly station in 2015 with volunteer DJs and producers as part of the Public Media Institute, the brainchild of Bridgeport lord, Ed Marszewski. After a $100,000 fundraising campaign that lasted a year and a half—and thanks to some FCC rule changes—Lumpen was finally able to break into FM in 2016. Lumpen is what’s known as a low-power FM station, “which provides coverage within roughly three to five miles, operating at a power of one hundred watts,” according to a Weekly article about the launch. “By comparison, large commercial radio stations operate between 50,000 and 100,000 watts.” That explains why, depending on where you tune in, Lumpen’s signal might come in and out. As it nears a decade on the air, Lumpen’s programming has only expanded while still maintaining the station’s weirdo edge and progressive bent. The station is now under the leadership of Stephanie Manriquez, one of the city’s most important media minds whom I have the privilege of knowing personally. Manriquez’s fingerprints are all over the Southwest Side’s vibrant cultural scene, and she’s brought more Spanish programming into the mix.

Radio stations like Lumpen are what makes our city special. Every big city around the world has a Lumpen, but only Chicago has Lumpen. So stop playing around and tune into 105.5 FM. (Carlos Ballesteros)

Lumpen Radio, 3219 S. Morgan St. Tune in at 105.5 FM or online at lumpenradio.com

Lumpen Radio.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

FINDING YOUR PEOPLE

BEST BILINGUAL POETRY WORKSHOP SERIES TO HELP GET OVER WRITER'S BLOCK

Brighton Park Poets - Brighton Park

Brighton Park Poets is a free, bilingual (Spanish-English) poetry workshop series. The group meets every first Sunday of the month, often at the Brighton Park Library. Paige Savarese, twenty-six, began Brighton Park Poets in her apartment last July.

Savarese grew up in Edison Park and moved around the Northwest and West Sides before settling down in Brighton Park three years ago. Savarese’s own experiences with poetry groups motivated her to start her own.

“I don’t want to sound like a hater, but there were a lot of hater tendencies that motivated me to do it,” she said.

Savarese felt there was often an in-group at a lot of the poetry events she attended. In high school, she was part of a poetry club and attended Tuesday WordPlay nights with Young Chicago Authors.

“There was the cool kids who were there, and then there was the kids who were just kind of geeky and just really like poetry, but didn’t have any friends. I was one of those kids,” she said.

Savarese wanted to create a consistent space for anyone on the Southwest Side

interested in writing poetry to come together and feel included.

“There was just a lack of [a] young adult community [in Brighton Park],” Savarese said. “I kind of wanted an excuse to connect with people in the area as well.”

She began by posting on Lex, Chicago Queer Exchange, other queer-centered groups, and neighborhood Facebook groups, as well as posting physical flyers in different places.

After a rocky start hosting the series at her apartment, Savarese was able to secure a space at the Brighton Park Library. She has also hosted the series at Party Per Purpose, a local non-profit organization offering programming for youth.

Savarese has managed to attract a diverse crowd of writers. At least 100 people have attended a workshop since she first started, and ninety percent are from the Southwest side. She says the oldest and youngest people to attend the workshop were seventy-five and nineteen.

Savarese wants to maintain classes accessible to Spanish speakers, recognizing that there aren’t many bilingual poetry spaces available. When college level poetry classes use Spanish poems, they use translated versions, which don’t always hold the same feeling as the original.

Being mindful of the introverted, shy type, Savarese has incorporated different methods of participation into her workshop to ensure everyone feels included. She has writers fill out a slip to share what they’d like to gain out of the workshop or their favorite line they wrote. Writers can also jot down something they like during the sharing portion of the workshop to give to that person afterwards.

“I want people to feel like they can approach it, come be a part of it, and make a

Brighton Park Poets

Photo by Ruby Que

friend,” she said.

The two-and-a-half-hour workshop is mainly dedicated to free writing in response to a selected piece of writing and other work of art. At the end of the workshop, writers are encouraged (but not pressured) to share their work. Whether it’s the welcoming environment created by the facilitator or the stickers that Savarese rewards participants, almost everyone in attendance is eager to share.

“There’s a lot of beautiful poetry, but if [there’s] somebody who doesn’t have the most self confidence and they’re not the most performative personality, then I don’t think their work gets the time of day,” said Savarese in regards to open mic-centered poetry spaces. “So the people who write for the page instead of the stage, they don’t usually get their stuff seen as much,” she added.

But the Brighton Park Poets had their time on the mic on September 14, when participants read some of the poems they’ve written at the workshops compiled in their one-year-anniversary chapbook. The chapbook is titled La cosa misma, “The Thing Itself”, after a line in Intelijencia dame by Juan Ramón Jiménez. Each writer got up there and read their poem as comfortably and confidently as they did at the workshop. (Citlali Perez)

BEST BIKE CREW

Black

JoyRide

For Shawnee Dez, biking is about collective liberation. Four years ago, Dez founded Black JoyRide, a massive group bike ride that takes place yearly on Juneteenth with additional social rides throughout the year.

“The dream is large and vast, but at the core, it is to use biking as a tool to connect more Black people to each other,” said Dez. “By way of connecting more Black people, we’re connecting more of our neighbors in our community, whatever their ethnicity is.”

Biking has always been an avenue for Dez to access self-care and freedom. As a child growing up in Jeffery Manor, riding her bike was a way to move beyond the confines of her block and have a taste of independence.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and global racial uprisings in the summer of 2020, Dez and her friends were desperate for healing human connections. When the murder of nineteen-year-old Florida community activist Oluwatoyin Salau made national news that June, Dez took to the streets not to protest in a traditional sense but to offer her community an alternative way to process grief—through biking. With the support of her co-planner David Marby and other co-creators, the first Black JoyRide was organized in just five days. On Juneteenth 2020, over 200 bikers gathered at the Johnson Publishing Building downtown and biked south to the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center.

While Black JoyRide promotes joy and freedom, the biking group was also developed as a direct response to the violence and segregation experienced by Black communities both in Chicago and nationally. This discrimination extends to all areas of life including safe, accessible transportation. While Chicago generally ranks low in its bikeability and bike safety, this lack of safe infrastructure disproportionately affects riders on Chicago’s West and South Sides, with Black bikers making up almost half of all fatal crash victims.

“I think about riding through this city and the deep-seeded segregation and redlining that we experience and the hyper awareness and hypervigilance of most Black people [and] Black women even more specifically,” said Dez. “Mobility is important: moving the body, moving through heavy emotions, [and] doing this with a

This year, as I mounted my bike to join the fifth-annual Juneteenth ride from the Formal Gardens to the Salt Shed’s Black Freedom Market, the collective power of biking down Michigan Avenue with dozens of melanated people made me feel safer than I’d ever felt biking in the city. Moving into its first year as a collective, Black JoyRide continues to promote mental and physical wellness with group bike rides happening during Chicago’s warmer months. In partnership with local community organizations, group rides show off the beauty of South Side neighborhoods and educate riders about important local initiatives.

When asked about dreams and visions for the initiative, Dez shared her goal to one day take the biking group across state lines to connect with biking communities in other cities. She hopes Black JoyRide can become a physical bike shop on the South Side—a spacer where, in Dez’s words, “community is made even more possible.” (Jasmine Barnes)

You can follow @blackjoyride on Instagram for updates about upcoming rides.

Brighton Park Poets

Photo by Ruby Que

Black JoyRide

Photo by Jacob King

BEST PLACE TO GO CRATE DIGGING BY THE BOULEVARD

Miyagi Records - Washington Park

Imet Maker in the late ’90s at a breakdancing battle, I think. I heard he made dope beats. Later, around 2003, a label I was a part of, Birthwrite Records, put out his album Honestly and my crew did a song for it. I met TREW a little bit later through marketing promotions, and then he booked me to perform at a couple of shows that he helped produce. Two of my favorites were Dre Day and the 2010 Little Brother show at the Double Door. That show was crazy; the audience was so live (Maker and TREW’s names are Marco Jacobo and Nigel Ridgeway, respectively). Fast forward to 2023, and I heard rumors of a new record store coming to Wash ington Park by the Green Line. Soon after, I found out Miyagi Records was Maker and TREW’s shop—a definite win for the culture. Sometimes people open businesses and are not really a part of the scene they want to cater to. I have seen them both be a part of so many different events in different ways in the scenes here and other cities, from DJing to event curation.

Last year TREW reached out to have DJ K-Max (my partner in CTA Radio) and I do an in-store DJ set and a pop-up shop for my USUWE 93 brand. We took a few photos and I left with some nice records. I got to catch up on old times with Maker,

Miyagi Records.

Photo by Mike Richardso

and he told me about what’s to come at the store. Since then, they’ve had so many instore performances, album listening parties, beat sets, workshops, and so much more. They have a local selection of vinyl to boot (I have a few records there), and they have a great staff, too.

They are definitely creating a space that people can be a part of, from buying records to putting independent releases on shelves, or just enjoying their events and the dope patio vibes. You never know who may pop through on any given day. (Pugs Atomz)

Miyagi Records, 307 E Garfield Blvd., Tuesday-Wednesday, 12pm-5pm, Thursday-Sunday, 12pm-7pm. (708) 586-9773. https://miyagirecords.com/.

BEST MEMORIES IN THE MAKING

Mt. Greenwood Softball GamesMt. Greenwood

In Mt. Greenwood, the crack of a bat and the cheers from the stands are more than just a sign of a good game—they’re a sign of community. This neighborhood on Chicago’s Southwest Side has long been known for its deeply rooted traditions of playing softball; it’s a tradition that brings people of all ages together, year after year. Mt Greenwood Park, where the games are hosted on nine different fields, is located on the Far Southwest Side of Chicago, near 111th and Hamlin. On any given day, it hosts youth activities like football, soccer, track, baseball, tee ball, and even cheerleading. My favorite is softball.

From adults reliving their glory days in intramural leagues to youth teams just starting to learn the ropes of the game, softball in Mt. Greenwood is more than just a sport; it’s a way of life. The neighborhood’s well-maintained softball fields are the heart of this tradition, acting as gathering places where neighbors can come together, not just to play or watch a game, but to strengthen the ties that bind this community.

One of the most beautiful things about this tradition is how inclusive it is. Adults, from young professionals to retirees, join intramural leagues that balance friendly competition with a shared love for the game. These leagues are where coworkers, longtime friends, and even families take to the field, showcasing skills, teamwork, and, most importantly, the joy of simply being active together. Whether it’s a tightly contested game or one filled with more laughter than runs, the real win is the camaraderie that grows with every season.

For the youth in Mt. Greenwood, the softball fields represent more than just a place to play—they represent memories in the making. Young players learn not only the mechanics of the game but also valuable lessons about teamwork, perseverance,

and sportsmanship. The cheers from parents on the sidelines, the shouts of encouragement from teammates, and the pride of wearing a team jersey all contribute to a sense of belonging that extends beyond the field. These fields have witnessed countless first hits, home runs, and game-winning catches, all of which form the foundation of lifelong friendships and cherished memories.

What makes Mt. Greenwood’s softball culture even more special is how it transcends generations. Parents who once played in the leagues now watch their kids and grandkids step onto the same fields they once did, passing down the love of the game. It’s this continuity that keeps the neighborhood connected, with each new season becoming a link between the past, present, and future. I remember playing tee ball and baseball on these fields nearly twenty years ago and watching my brother, more focused on playing with the grass in the outfield than on the next batter.

The softball games in Mt. Greenwood are also a social experience for spectators, who gather to watch, chat, and enjoy the sense of community that permeates the air. It’s not just about the score—it’s about the shared experience, the friendly faces, and the sense of pride that comes from supporting one another. Whether you’re playing or watching, you feel like you’re part of something larger, a community tradition that has stood the test of time. It’s the ladies walking around the park while you play, the hot dog cart from Fat Tommy’s making its way around the track, and the vibrant energy that lasts well into the evening, until the sun sets and the streetlights come on.

In today’s fast-paced world, it can be easy to lose sight of what makes a neighborhood feel like home. But in Mt. Greenwood, the softball fields remain a constant reminder that community is built through shared experiences, and that traditions, like the love for a simple game, can bring people together in ways that are deeply meaningful.

So, whether you’re a seasoned player, a proud parent, or a casual observer, there’s something undeniably special about Mt. Greenwood’s softball tradition. It’s not just about the game—it’s about the friendships, the memories, and the community spirit that come alive with every pitch, swing, and catch. In the spirit of community, many of these games are organized by word of mouth. If you are interested in playing, keep an eye out for postings around the neighborhood in the summertime! (Andrew Peterson)

Miyagi Records.

Photo by Mike Richardso

BEST BOOK STORE DOUBLING AS POLITICAL HOME

Pilsen Community Books - Pilsen

Book store enthusiasts will often judge a store each by their own set of criteria, which could include anything from what authors are represented on the shelves to whether or not the poetry section is large enough to whether a children’s section exists. A question on the top of my list is: how is the store organized? Or more specifically, how are the books categorized and where in the store do they inhabit relative to the entrypoint? This says everything about first impressions. It is no surprise that most book stores will show you their fiction first since studies have shown that fiction occupies the biggest market. And although Pilsen Community Books (PCB) does have a massive wall of books dedicated to fiction, they lead with their politics.

PCB is much more than just your average labyrinthine local indie where you can get lost for hours on end. It is a space where books are used as a medium to build political community. Retail simply paves the way for this by keeping the lights on.

Upon entering the store, a Palestinian flag is dropped like a banner against the window above the door. The afternoon sun shines perfectly on their multi-colored motto hanging from a wall closest to the window—“always carry a book,” or ACAB for short. It’s a cheeky double entendre that signals safety for those who believe a world beyond carceral solutions is possible.

I am greeted first by the new releases tables. The first one displays books on policing, surveillance, and technofascism, and another with books on Palestine and by Palestinian authors such as the famed novelist and politician Ghassan Kanafani. Behind these tables are carefully curated floor-to-ceiling shelves, repurposed from high school bleachers, organized into sections of history, politics, and theory. These include, “History of Turtle Island/so-called “United States””, “Reproductive Justice”, “Queer Studies”, “Labor”, “Anti-colonialism, Anti-imperialism, & Anti-war (or Death to Empire!)”, and others.

and ideas compel people towards discussion. “It gives people an excuse to talk to one another.” This is not unlike many of the conversations I’ve struck with worker-owners at PCB and is how I’ve gone from browser to neighbor to friend with each worker at the store. Many of my conversations began with, “so what are you reading?”

It is common for these questions to spill over into larger conversations, some of which involve dialoguing fiction with reality: how does Octavia Butler’s “Parable of the Talents” mirror our current world and what lessons can we take away? Others involve manifesting future possibilities: how does one write towards freedom? PCB believes that because books explore the nuances of ideas, they have the power to slow us down, allowing us to closely examine and consider the questions presented to us.

“So books kind of, if you actually read the book, it forces you to sit with an idea for much longer than liking something on social media,” said Medley.

cilitate political community, she told me that books are simply another form of ideas,

Many such conversations have led to invites to an event being hosted at the store. In addition to author talks, PCB’s endless queue of events include teach-ins and artbuilds from grassroots organizing communities such as Friends of Congo, Stop Cop City, and numerous autonomous groups fighting for a free Palestine. In this way, PCB is not a place of constant beginnings or a revolving door of icebreakers — it is a place where introductory exchanges continue, bonds are created, and ideas are forged. Amidst a theater of towering books, strangers become comrades and comrades become community.

“We learn so much from the community and from people who want to put on events. The world is changing so quickly and all the things that the left has tried before have not worked. So we have to find new ways, right? And not just new ways of doing things but new ways of looking at things. That doesn’t happen unless we talk to one another,” said Medley.

PCB wants more than just to put readers in proximity to political books, it wants to carve out a corner in the city where folks who have already been dreaming of a world beyond our current systems can come and build that world together. More than a political space, it is a place of safety, experimentation, honesty, connection, even failure — a political home. Medley said that for those who might find themselves politically “orphaned,” it becomes “a space where people can come and find their people.”

It has certainly been that for me. (Kevin Hu)

Pilsen Community Books, 1102 W 18th St. Mondays–Wednesdays and Fridays, 11am–7pm; store closes at 4pm, 5pm, and 6pm on Thursdays, Sundays, and Saturdays, respectively. (312) 478-9434, pilsencommunitybooks.com

Pilsen Books.

Photo by Kayla Bickham

Pilsen Books.

Photo by Kayla Bickham

Arionne Nettles is a journalism professor, culture reporter, and audio aficionado from the South Side of Chicago. She is the author of We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything, and you can follow more of her work at arionne.com or on X or Instagram at @ ArionneNettles.

South Side as Culture

BY ARIONNE NETTLES

Growing up in Chicago, the South Side was my playground. And Englewood, where my family lived for three generations, was home base.

Playing at Hamilton Park and swimming at Kennedy-King College filled my summers. It felt like I could swing higher than anybody, swim faster than a fish, and find joy in all the places it can lie. And as I grew older, the entirety of my side of this beautiful city was in my reach. Whether it was spending all day at Evergreen Plaza on a Saturday or catching a movie

at the Chatham Theater with my friends, there wasn’t a place I didn’t go.

I was born in 1985, so although I might’ve been young, I came into the world right at the time. 1990s Chicago had a certain energy, and that energy was heavy on the South Side. I was here for the Chicago Bulls championship run and the pride that ensued. I was around for house music at skating rink parties and rap groups selling CDs on 87th and the Dan Ryan. I was at the big radio summer jam concerts, and I called in to try to get on WGCI’s Birthday Line. And even now, with Chicago looking and feeling different, I see the DNA of our great South Side all around me, running through everything I love.

That’s because when my grandparents came to Chicago from Greenwood, Mississippi, during the Great Migration, they saw the South Side in the same way: as a community that was limitless, and one they were a part of. They worked and lived and loved here. And they instilled in our family that a community is not just a place, but also a gathering of people and a wealth of opportunity. This is where we grow.

For me, the best of the South Side are the places that connect us to each other, to these feelings, and to ourselves.

Mamie Till-Mobley Garden

Photo by Cey Sincerray

BEST PLACE TO GET GROUNDED IN COMMUNITY AT ANY AGE

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s education program

For the past couple of years, my Saturdays have always started with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater’s education program. At 10 a.m., I start with hugs and laughs with my favorite dance teacher, Dereque Whiturs, who teaches Mature H.O.T. Women, a class for ladies (and a few men) to get technical training in modern, ballet, and African dance.

Being in a class with women ranging in ages from their twenties to their eighties is a treat. The wisdom, the care, and overall, the love, makes it an environment that’s impossible to duplicate. For me, personally, it’s a lesson in getting grounded in community.

“It’s not just about the steps that are happening, it's the conversations after,” explained Kelli David-Low, Deeply Rooted’s dance education director. “It’s how loud everybody is in the hallway when class is over, because you're talking about whatever is going on. … That’s part of that building of that community, because you're carrying that out of the interactions in the studio.”

Whiturs is a former Alvin Ailey dancer and acclaimed choreographer. At sixty-seven years old, his energy and love for his dancers extends to his focus on challenging everyone at every level. Because of his creativity and dedication, the Mature H.O.T. Women do perform, and as we work together weekly, it’s a reminder that it’s not how I look individually, but how we dance as a collective.

As a writer, so much of what I do is based on my own performance and growth. It can be a solitary experience to sit down and create something. Working with the Deeply Rooted education program, I’m reminded about the beauty of group work. When I’m on that stage with other people, every move I make is tied to all of us.

“It’s not just about us teaching a step,” Whiturs said. “It’s about us connecting to the people in the room. And when you make that connection to the people in the room, it builds stronger relationships. It builds relationships where you can communicate from an honest place, and be held accountable and hold people accountable.”

For me, accountability looks like the fundamental reminder that we have to follow each other—a lesson reinforced when we’re visited by Deeply Rooted Company members, like Mekeba Malik, Nyemah Stuart, and Joshua Ishmon (who teaches the Men’s Moving class, which meets right after ours most weeks).

“When the company members come and they’re teaching, they'’re continuing what is being taught to them and being given to them,” Whiturs told me. “They

say, ‘In order to keep something, you got to give it away.’ So they’re giving it away to you guys. They’re giving away to this program so that we also stay in the true commitment to what the values and principles are of this organization.”

Deeply Rooted is currently fundraising to open its own facility, the Deeply Rooted Center for Black Dance and Creative Communities, in Washington Park. But in the meantime, our Saturday class is held at Mayfair Arts Center at the same time tons of littles take their own dance classes with other theaters, such as Black Girls Dance. With dancers of literally all ages dancing under the same roof every week, this class has turned my Saturdays into a multigenerational oasis.

BEST PLACE TO RUN INTO SOMEONE YOU KNOW

Dawn A.M. Eatery

For the past couple of years, my Saturdays have always started with Deeply On my thirty-ninth birthday, my friend Jenny LeFlore and I wanted to try a place in Hyde Park neither of us had ever been to. So, on a bright August morning, we headed to Dawn A.M. Eatery. We soon found out that we must be the only two people on the South Side to have never tried its delicious fried catfish and grits.

Jenny is my breakfast and lunch friend—my ride-or-die for an all-day eats adventure or a multiple-stop snack and sip day—so it’s very rare that there is ever a restaurant on our side of town we haven’t tried. But we were happily stunned to run into so many people we knew, people we loved, people we hugged.

This place, full of cheer with its bright and airy atmosphere, reminds me of the stories I used to hear about The Stroll, a strip of State Street in the 1910s and ’20s that was known for being the place for gathering. It was said that being on The Stroll, in any form or fashion, during the day or night, would lead into runins with everyone you knew.

Dawn A.M. is just a little over a year old. And unsurprisingly, it shares the same owner as another newer Hyde Park spot—14 Parish, a Caribbean restaurant that immediately gained popularity in my own social circles when Chicagoan Racquel Fields opened it in 2020. Dawn seems to be the result of Fields’ love, because she has said in interviews just how much she views brunch as a time for connection. And that’s exactly what me and my friend experienced. The energy in Dawn is not one that can be fabricated. It’s real.

The restaurant also has a full bar. So in addition to the catfish, which had a perfect crunch, we had delicious drinks. Cheers to another year, cheers to me! And we followed it up with Aunt Lou’s Strawberry Crunch Cake—a yummy pound cake that reminded me of the kind my grandma used to make, topped with ice cream and fresh strawberries.

BEST PLACE TO GO GREEN

The Mamie Till-Mobley Forgiveness Garden

Living in the city, the hustle and bustle of urban life can have us forgetting to seek out moments of calm. But we actually are lucky enough to have green spaces on the South Side that can help us slow down.

The Mamie Till-Mobley Forgiveness Garden in West Woodlawn is a new and special addition to the neighborhood because not only is it a place for people to sit and take in the greenery, it’s named for a very important reason. After Emmett Till was murdered by a white mob during a visit to Mississippi in 1955, his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, became an important part of the civil rights movement.

Environmental advocacy group Blacks in Green created this space in her honor. It sits alongside the Till family home the group is working to turn into a museum. And as Naomi Davis, founder and CEO of Blacks in Green, has explained, Till-Mobley spoke about forgiveness. This space is an open invitation to sit, to meditate, and to think.

Just the idea of slowing down and thinking through forgiveness is an essential one for us. Our city—especially our part of the city—is particularly maligned. In stories that others tell about us, the violence that we have experienced often overshadows all of the good that happens here. As someone who has experienced great loss myself, I would never want to downplay how much violence hurts, how

much it takes away.

But, we are also a place of healing. Here in Chicago, every single day, there are people working to build a better city, and so much of that work is being done on the South Side. It starts, though, with creating a spirit of calm. So, I’m appreciative of this space where I can usher in a more positive energy when I’m feeling down.

BEST PLACE TO GET LOST IN HISTORY Woodson Regional Library

Carter G. Woodson Library and I have had a long love affair. When I was in seventh grade, my teacher assigned us a big Black History Month project. My classmates and I started to go to Woodson after school to do research, and pretty soon, I was begging my mom to take me there. I even lied to my parents a few times and snuck off to this library. So, trust me: When I say affair, I really mean it.

And now, as a full-blown adult, Woodson Library is still my refuge. It’s still where I go to get lost in a book, to get lost in the unknown, to get lost in history. A few years ago, I felt that same spark I first felt as a preteen when I discovered the Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection, which Woodson now houses on its main floor after a beautiful renovation. Now, the Harsh Collection had been at Woodson for decades, but now, with its prominent eye-catching space, it’s able to host events, pull in the community, and make history feel even more like a celebration.

Last summer, during Black Music Month in June, I went to Vivian G. Harsh Society’s "Harsh Remixed" event in the library’s beautiful yard. It featured renowned music historian and DJ Duane Powell along with musician/composer/ producer Sam Thousand, who remixed historic blues and jazz songs from the collection. Even with the sun beating down on us, many could find refuge in the shade as we bobbed our heads to the beat and relaxed into the sounds, eating individually wrapped charcuterie snacks and sipping on cold water.

For me, it felt like a balm to be in this place that had meant so much to me, and so much to so many people. My relationship with Woodson started off as a working one, and now, it was one of recreation. It made me grateful to know there are very few places where this could be the case.

As Elizabeth Todd-Breland, historian and board member of the Vivian G. Harsh Society, explained, we are really lucky to have the largest collection of African American history and literature in the Midwest right here at our fingertips.

“When we’re thinking about what the Great Migration wrought not just to Chicago but to the entire Midwest, the Harsh is the place, and its documents certainly have a focus on the history of Black Chicago, but also on Black history more broadly,” she said. “And so, to have this rich collection right here on 95th Street in the Woodson Library, it’s just a treasure.”

Mamie Till-Mobley Forgiveness Garden.

Photo by Cey Sincerray

BEST PLACE TO HAVE BREAKFAST WITH FRIENDS

The Original Pancake House (in Beverly)

The Original Pancake House in Beverly is a restaurant I’ve been going to since high school. It’s a place I go to get a little bit of everything: two pieces of bacon, two eggs scrambled hard, two pancakes. The only time I switch it up, honestly, is when I add strawberries to my pancakes. It’s almost the same as my breakfast “order” at my mama’s house. It’s that kind of place.

No matter how many breakfast places Chicago may have, this pancake house will forever be my favorite place to meet up with a group of friends and hang out, chat, and catch up on life until the morning turns into the afternoon. We can relax into the familiar and we can create the kinds of mornings we’ll always remember.

This is perfect for a group of South Side career mamas. We pull up after school or summer camp drop-off and order the same thing every time. The conversation ranges from work to kids and family to community news. And we’re never the only group doing this, either. There are groups of Chicagoans of all ages getting together. There are tables full of laughs. The coffee is always flowing.

There is a simplicity in this act that brings me a great amount of comfort, and I can tell why. The Pancake House has been a family-owned business since the Harrigans bought the franchise in 1965. When you walk in, decades later, it still has the warmth of a local restaurant. There’s no ninety-minute table limit, no rushing you out, and still no long waits. It’s a not-so-hidden gem of a place that we’re still so lucky to have—and one that’s still affordable enough to keep it in your restaurant rotation.

BEST PLACE TO GET A TASTE OF A FAMILY LEGACY

Haire’s Gulf Shrimp

Sometimes, what I’m craving is a steaming hot bag of fried shrimp, with a breading recipe so specific I can only get it from one place. I think that’s what the late Finnie Haire wanted when he first created Haire’s Gulf Shrimp, using his retirement savings from his long career as a U.S. postal worker. That first location was in a train caboose on Stony Island, and the famed restaurant is now on 75th and Vincennes in Greater Grand Crossing. They also now have a food truck.

Even though it’s been over three years since Haire has passed away, Aisha Murff, the company’s president and owner, says when Haire died in 2021, she promised her husband she would continue his legacy. “Every day when a customer comes in, I feel they're still tasting a piece of the Haire love,” she told me.

And it’s true. The recipe, which Haire learned from his own mother, is still the same one we can expect when we stop by for its famous “bomb bag” filled with fried shrimp. Also, in true Chicago fashion, you can get either fries or spaghetti as a side from Haire’s as part of your dinner—a perfect blend of Haire’s Louisiana shrimp recipe and our own local flair.

That’s one of the best aspects about being a South Sider. Our people, our places, and our traditions are a beautiful mix of where we came from and what we are today—of our roots and the flowers we’ve sprouted.

BEST OF BEING CONNECTED

We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything

This year, my book, We Are the Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything, came out. This means that I’ve spent the entire year talking about how amazing Chicago is, how resilient Chicago is, how Chicago is the heart of the country. And, that’s naturally included my love for the South Side.

So, it’s been pretty difficult to transition to Florida, where I will now be during the school year to teach at my alma mater, Florida A&M University. (As soon as school wraps for breaks, the South Side will see me. I’ll be home all summer.)

But, I am so grateful that the South Side is a part of me. Everything that’s considered good about me was formed there, everything I hope to be was planted there, and any good I plan to spread—whether in Chicago or in another part of the world—is because of the best of the South Side. (Arionne Nettles)

The Original Pancake House in Beverly.

Photo by Logan Wieczorek

SEEKING SANCTUARY

BEST SENSE OF TOGETHERNESS

Mt. Greenwood Block Parties -

Mt. Greenwood

Mt. Greenwood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s Far Southwest Side, may not always make headlines, but it consistently creates a unique sense of community that larger, bustling parts of the city can struggle to maintain. One of the biggest reasons behind this strong sense of togetherness is the tradition of block parties, which have become more than just a way to close the street for a day of fun—they’re the heartbeat of the neighborhood. Block parties are typically hosted on weekends during the summer when the weather is nice. It’s not uncommon to discover other neighborhood block parties by unexpectedly encountering a road closure on your usual route home or a friend inviting you over.

These block parties are a slice of old-school Chicago charm, where neighbors come together to enjoy food, drinks, music, and games, turning a simple street into a lively hub of friendship and celebration. Whether it’s a barbecue grill smoking in the corner, kids racing up and down the street, or adults gathering in lawn chairs to swap stories, there’s a contagious energy that fills the air. It’s the kind of atmosphere that encourages people to step out of their homes, meet the people they may have only nodded to in passing, and build lasting connections.

In a time when many people have become increasingly isolated, with everyone rushing to their next obligation, Mt. Greenwood’s block parties slow down time just enough for neighbors to truly connect. You see families sharing meals, kids playing together without a care in the world, and even older residents reminiscing about how things “used to be.” These gatherings help everyone feel like they’re part of something larger than themselves—a true community where people care about one another. It’s also a time of year when you can catch up on your neighbors’ progress, whether it’s improvements to their yard or home, their fitness achievements, or seeing new additions to their families.

One of the most important things about these block parties is how they make the neighborhood feel alive. For one day, an entire street is electrified, and the usual quiet of suburban life gives way to the festive feeling of a village fair. They’re more than just fun events; they foster a deep sense of belonging, reminding everyone that, despite the hustle and bustle of modern life, we are all part of the same neighborhood.

Mt. Greenwood’s block parties are also a reminder of the power of human connection. In a world where people are increasingly reliant on technology to communicate, these events offer a chance to experience community in its most genuine form—faceto-face. They reinforce the idea that community isn’t just about living in the same area but about building relationships, creating memories, sharing experiences, and supporting one another. We’ve had firefighters bring their fire engine for the kids to explore, opened fire hydrants, set up inflatable bounce houses, and held raffles for everyone to participate in. When I asked my students about their favorite part of block parties, they told me that riding their bikes and scooters on the closed-off streets is one of the most liberating experiences of the summer.

Mt. Greenwood

Photo by Tonal Simmons

For the residents of Mt. Greenwood, these block parties are not only a summer tradition,they are an essential part of what makes the neighborhood feel like home—a place where you know your neighbors, share your lives, and come together to celebrate both the ordinary and the extraordinary. Last year, I had the chance to invite friends over, compete (and lose) in a bean bag tournament, and celebrate with my eightyyear-old neighbor until sunrise. You never know who on the block might need that connection the most, but by being fully present and making the most of the day, you

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PLAYSPACE

The Salvation Army Joan Kroc CenterWest

Pullman

Chicago has produced some of the best athletes the world has ever seen. We love to be active and competitive, but we also love to connect with our communities.

Roseland has numerous facilities that allow you to do both and stay active no matter your age or skill level. Even though we are so far south, we’re proud to be here, and we wear being from the South Side like a badge of honor because it is. My favorite place over this way is the Salvation Army Joan Kroc Center. If you’re from the Roseland and Pullman area, this place is like your second home.

can help ensure everyone enjoys themselves.

As Chicago continues to grow and change, it’s comforting to know that neighborhoods like Mt. Greenwood still value the traditions that make a community strong. It’s these small, meaningful events that remind us all what it means to be part of something larger, to live not just next to one another but with one another. So, here’s to Mt. Greenwood’s block parties—a simple yet powerful reminder of the magic of community. (Andrew Peterson)

The Kroc Center is a neighborhood favorite. The whole family can get active whether you’re going for a game of volleyball, a yoga class, or even a walk on the track around the football field. They have something for everyone, a true staple in the community. My first experiences were during the summer in high school; you could go at any given time and the facility would be packed. Kids playing in the water park area, summer camps taking place, or my favorite, the four-court gymnasium for basketball. The Kroc Center is like a rite of passage for basketball lovers on the South Side. Downtown may be our North Star, but the heart of the city beats right here.

I’ve seen kids as young as five practicing on the courts, and you get to see them grow up over the years as they continue to come to the facility and practice. The consistency of showing up allows you to build community as you spend countless hours together playing the sports you love. You go in to play, but you end up leaving with a sense of home. That’s what life’s all about. People tend to think the closer you are to the bright lights, the better. They don’t realize that the lifeline of the city is everywhere else, especially in places like the Kroc Center.

The Kroc Center is big on community, and the state-of-the-art facility isn’t just for show. They are a part of the community and support the community by orchestrating charity events, programming for all ages, and hosting sporting games and tournaments for schools all over the city. If you haven’t been, I encourage you to visit and see what

BEST MIND-BODY CONNECTION

Frankie Knuckles House Music Celebration - Grand Crossing

On a warm Saturday evening in August, the unmistakable sounds of house music reverberated from the lush grounds of the Kenwood Gardens. The Rebuild Foundation—a community-focused arts non-profit founded by Chicago-based artist Theaster Gates—hosted its third annual “Soul Liberation: A Frankie Knuckles House Music Celebration” on August 18.

Kenwood Gardens, an outdoor events space located in the Grand Crossing neighborhood, was developed on thirteen abandoned lots as a part of the Rebuild Foundation’s neighborhood transformation initiatives. The artful landscaping and abundance of native plants and flowers creates a feeling of serenity and ease in what was once a sight of disinvestment. This natural beauty creates the perfect background for the celebratory, transient music and dancing that filled the cemented event platform and spilled far out onto the sprawling green lawns.

House music, a unique form of electronic dance music that spans disco, postpunk, and R&B, was invented in Chicago’s underground Black, queer dance scene in the 1980s. The late Frankie Knuckles, often referred to as “The Godfather of House Music” is known as one of the genre’s most prolific and innovative music producers and remixers. Gates and his collaborators hosted the first “Soul Liberation” in 2022 to honor Knuckles’s legacy.

Celeste Alexander, a mentee of Knuckles, served as this year’s curatorial director and delivered the skillful DJ set of a veteran who’s committed decades to her craft. Alexander invited up-and-coming DJs to take the stage including k.tea and CtrlZora. She also featured legendary Chicago DJs with Greg Gray, Duane Powell, and Alan King rounding out the event’s lineup.

With over 600 people attending the festival some years, Rebuild Foundation chose to position this year’s event as a fundraiser with ticket sales directly supporting the organization’s house music programming. Guests were also welcome to buy from local food vendors and purchase the festival’s inaugural t-shirt.

Neighbors and house heads from across the city of every race, age, and gender danced in pairs, in cyphers, and alone amongst the crowd—some staying for the event’s full six-hour duration. The festival is a reunion for many house music lovers who’ve been around for decades and experienced Knuckles’s regular performances at now shuttered venues like the Warehouse and the Power Plant. Simultaneously, the event welcomes all generations, with a plump, dimpled baby dancing on the grass, elders lounging in folding chairs, and young folks bringing new dance moves to the center of the crowd.

SEEKING SANCTUARY

they have in store for you and your family. (Kalief Dinkins)

The Salvation Army Joan Kroc Center, 2150 W. 119th St. Monday–Friday, 5:30am–9pm; Saturdays, 7am–8pm; Sundays, 9am–4pm. (773) 995-0151, kroccenterchicago.com

With the City of Chicago commemorating 2024 as the 40th year of house music, “Soul Liberation” stands out as an annual event that embodies the values of house music culture including creative self-expression and liberated movement.

As the Metra train rolled past and dense trees rustled in the evening breeze, DJ Alan King played the day’s final set. Everyone, myself included, danced to the music,

welcoming a kind of euphoric laughter with strangers turned friends, moving our bodies together in loving community. (Jasmine Barmes)

Kenwood Gardens, 6929 S Kenwood Ave. Sundays, 10am–4pm. (312) 857-5561

DJ Greg Gray, K. Tea, DJ Duane Powell, DJ Celeste Alexander, CTRLZORA, DJ Alan King.

Photo by Ryan Stefan. Courtesy of Rebuild Foundation.

Photo by Ryan Stefan. Courtesy of Rebuild Foundation.

Oakwood Beach - Bronzeville

On the coastal edge of Bronzeville rests a small and beautiful beachfront. Oakwood Beach, which was recently developed in 2010, is more than just a stretch of sand and water—it’s a public sanctuary that merges the beauty of nature with the pulse of Chicago’s city life.

Everything about the beach feels intentional, from its sourced materials to what the space is often utilized for. Built with sand from a Wisconsin quarry and protected from erosion with piers, the few acres of land serve as a grounding space. Life in the city can get loud and not everyone has the means to easily escape. But having spaces like Oakwood Beach, where you get beautiful, accessible views of the skyline and lakefront, makes it a comforting public space to collectively retreat away from the noise of the world.

Oakwood Beach is a space where the city’s history intertwines with the present, providing both a physical and emotional respite for those seeking it. Located in Bronzeville, a neighborhood known as the “Black Metropolis” during the Great Migration, this stretch of the lakefront has long been a haven for Chicago’s Black community. That sense of belonging persists—as Oakwood remains a communal space that feels as inclusive as it does restorative.

I often find myself here, not just to enjoy the scenery, but to clear my mind. The sounds of the lake and the city in the distance create a unique harmony, providing the perfect backdrop for reflection. I found myself releasing emotions along the nestled lakefront, purging pages of my life I no longer wanted to carry. It was here that I also realized the power of narrative—how we are not confined to the stories we tell

ourselves, but instead, can write new ones. This realization fuels my creative process. There’s something about being close to nature that opens a floodgate for new ideas.

In many ways, the beach also serves as a unique creative playground. I’ve shared this space with fellow writers and artists, sitting in grass hidden under the arms of age-old trees, exchanging stories and experiences. The environment feels fertile as if the lake itself nurtures creativity. Whether it’s quiet moments alone with a journal or impromptu meet-ups with other artists, Oakwood Beach always seems to spark something new within me.

This creative energy isn’t just limited to intimate gatherings. The beachfront has hosted festivals that bring together artists, local businesses, and community members to celebrate the rich cultural history of the South Side. Most notably, the Silver Room Block Party found its home here in recent years. It’s one of my favorite memories— seeing our community come together to celebrate music, art, and local businesses. Watching people dance, laugh, and connect by the water felt like a reminder of why spaces like Oakwood are so important.

Another cherished memory is watching The Wiz during one of the Movies in the Park events over the summer. Sitting near the water and surrounded by people who, like me, come to escape and unwind, was a beautiful reminder of the power of public spaces. It’s not just a place to relax and commune—it’s where we gather to celebrate culture, grieve, grow, and be inspired.

Whether I’m there to think, write, or simply exist, Oakwood Beach continues to be the space where I find balance—grounding myself and building the courage to shape new narratives for myself. (Kristian Parker)

Oakwood Beach, 4100 S. Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable Lake Shore Drive. Beach open 6am–11pm, but swimming only allowed while lifeguard is on duty, 11am–7pm. (773) 971-6258

Oakwood Beach.

Photo by Mike Richardson

Alma Campos is an award-winning, Mexican-American multimedia journalist. She is a senior editor at the Weekly and independent reporter with work featured in the Guardian, Crain’s Chicago Business and Univision among others. You can learn more about her work at almacampos.com. X:alma_campos

South Side as Inspiration

BY ALMA CAMPOS

While walking, biking, or running in the South Side neighborhoods where I’ve lived, I’ve observed details that remain like vivid mental snapshots.

One of my favorite memories comes from living in the East Side neighborhood on the city’s Southeast Side where massive industrial bridges stand out as the area’s skyscrapers. Their impressive structures and the activity surrounding them continue to inspire me.

These bridges span the Calumet River and various waterways, connecting neighborhoods and industrial areas. In winter, I loved observing them, as the snow, ice, and white morning

sky added a dramatic touch. The stark contrast between the structures and the winter landscape creates a unique beauty.

I would meander on foot through the snowy sidewalks past the 95th Street Bridge to get to the bus to the other neighborhood—South Chicago. When this drawbridge went up, I’d have no choice but to wait, as did the cars, sometimes for up to twenty-five minutes to let the freight or oar boats pass. These quiet and still moments of waiting inspired me: the white sky surrounding providing guidance to the chickadees. Making little circles with my shoes, the earth was damp and the ice covered the ground.

A couple of men sometimes sat nearby in this mysterious waterway system moving things from place to place. The sulfur piles, the barges—all have a role to play. And the piles of road salt that sit on the river banks stood like the pyramids of Al Giza Desert.

I later found out that the freight carried in these barges is loaded in Wheelersburg, Ohio, approximately eighty miles south of Columbus along the Ohio River. Then around the bend at Cairo, they are headed up the Mississippi River. The oil from these barges is destined for refineries in Gary and East Chicago, and the iron is transformed into car parts. These parts are then shipped to the local Ford Plant and other factories.

My best friend from high school was scared of crossing this bridge. She was

95th St Bridge

Photo by Addison Annis

five and one night after she and her family were coming back from a barbecue at Calumet Park, she told me her dad grabbed her from the ankles, flipped her upside down and simulated throwing her in the river beneath the bridge. When she told me this, Alyssa and I were walking back home late one evening and the river and sky were pitch dark with the Skyway twinkling in the distance. We crossed the bridge holding each other’s arms. She scrunched her eyes the whole way—is it over yet?

During my time living in the area, I worked in several shops during high school and college but one of my favorites was a local bakery that filled Commercial Avenue with the delightful aroma of pan dulce each morning. Each week, I’d also get a free bag of pan dulce to take home.

Nearby, there was a mural on the side of a Family Dollar depicting César Chávez, a powerful symbol of the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights and equality. This mural served as a reminder of the importance of advocacy and community during a time when it seemed like everyone was leaving the neighborhood.

One of his most famous quotes was painted on the wall: “We cannot seek achievement for ourselves and forget about progress and prosperity for our community.” As a teenager, I struggled to understand why anyone would choose to stay in a place that seemed to lack opportunity and was marked by disinvestment, heavy manufacturing, broken glass bottles on the ground and boarded-up homes. Yet, years later, as a reporter, I find myself returning to this neighborhood, inspired by the people, the places and especially—the bridges.

Many residents still hold onto their connection to the area, embodying the spirit of Chávez’s quote. It resonates particularly with the work being done by the Centro de Trabajadores Unidos (United Workers’ Center), a grassroots organization established in 2008 which began advocating for immigrant workers who were facing unpaid wages at nearby factories. Now, Centro provides vital support to immigrant families through citizenship workshops, leadership training, and education on workers’ rights. Initially housed in the basement of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in South Chicago, the center has since relocated to the East Side and, in 2023, opened a dedicated immigrant welcoming center. This evolution reflects not only the community’s enduring spirit but also a commitment to fostering progress and prosperity for all its residents, embodying the essence of Chávez’s message.

Founder and executive director Ana Guajardo, who also grew up in the area, envisions transitioning the center into a self-sustaining social enterprise, reducing reliance on grants and empowering community members with business skills, ultimately allowing the organization to operate independently and effectively serve the community.

Groups like Bridges // Puentes, Alliance of the Southeast, and the movement to Stop General Iron have emerged in recent years to promote awareness of environmental justice and community development. Through events, campaigns, and mutual aid efforts, they engage the community and advocate for sustainable practices, striving to create a healthier and more equitable environment for residents.

Pilsen also holds some of my most cherished memories. It was the first place

where I truly had “a room of my own,” becoming the first woman in my family to live independently—a big deal if you come from a Mexican immigrant family.

For my family, who by then had moved to Northwest Indiana, Pilsen was “far.” Although it’s only about a twenty-five minute drive, I can see why they would think it’s “far.” The far Southeast Side has alway been disconnected from everything else. The industrial area is cut off, and a lack of public transportation and easy access to other neighborhoods makes owning a car a necessity for families.

A few years later, what captivated me about Pilsen was the neighborhood’s vibrant energy and the immediate sense of life and pride I felt upon arrival. In no other part of Chicago had I experienced such a strong connection to my heritage. The art throughout Pilsen stirred deep feelings of cultural pride. I was a recent college graduate seeking writing motivation and the murals and community spirit sparked new creativity, reminding me of the importance of identity and expression. Pilsen offered a perfect backdrop for my artistic journey.

But the neighborhood continues with its set of problems including rising gentrification which has raised concerns among long-time residents and community advocates. As new developments and higher-end businesses emerge, rising property values and rents are displacing many families who have lived in the neighborhood for generations. The influx of wealthier newcomers continues to threaten the cultural identity that has long defined Pilsen.

McKinley park on Chicago’s Southwest side is my current home. I fell in love with the park—it is the number one reason I’m here. I also like the grand trees and my neighbors. Living in various neighborhoods across the South Side, I longed for community. The easy access to public transportation, schools and a library at a walking distance, supermarket and being surrounded by other neighborhoods like Chinatown, Pilsen and being a ten-minute train ride from downtown were a score for me.

But the neighborhood has faced significant challenges since the construction of MAT Asphalt in 2018, located just across from the park and in close proximity to homes and schools. The plant’s establishment quickly ignited protests among residents who were concerned about the environmental impacts, including potential air pollution and health risks. The plant’s effects on the community go beyond immediate health concerns, as its presence symbolizes a broader debate over the role of industrial development in residential neighborhoods, particularly in historically underserved areas on the South Side.

While the struggle against MAT Asphalt has been difficult, it has brought the community together in powerful ways. Neighbors, united in their efforts to protect their homes and environment, have found strength in solidarity. Organizations like Neighbors for Environmental Justice have been at the forefront of demanding stricter regulations, greater oversight, and, ultimately, the closure of the plant. Through these shared efforts, I’ve gained new friendships, a stronger sense of community, and a deeper sense of belonging.

These “bests” you’ll read about are just a few of my favorites, marking the beginning of a journey through these South Side neighborhoods.

Panaderia Marzeya - South Chicago

Walking into Panaderia Marzeya in South Chicago, customers are greeted by the sweet aroma of freshly baked conchas, bolillos, and other Mexican pastries, each prepared with care and attention to traditional recipes.

Upon entering customers will find rows of glass cases filled with buñuelos, puerquitos, cuernitos, conchas of all colors and other sweet confections.

When I worked there as a teenager, I remember customers sharing how they’d been coming to the bakery for decades and how many of them traveled long distances from different neighborhoods after having moved, taking large orders for their families. Some would say they’d been coming here since they were children and shared stories as I packed their bread in a white paper bag or box.

Marzeya’s isn’t just popular among locals or those who grew up with pan dulce at home. It also draws a diverse crowd, including West Africans, who frequent the bakery on Sundays, especially around midday. They come for the toasty French bread and warm croissants. A reviewer, Andrea Sanchez, noted her appreciation for the bakery’s offerings, highlighting its appeal beyond the traditional Mexican community. This cross-cultural connection adds to the bakery’s unique and welcoming atmosphere:

“I spent a lot of time in Mexico as a kid and I crave bread that reminds me of Mexican bakeries. My husband was raised in West Africa and he also craves bread that reminds him of West African bread. Panaderia Marzeya fulfills that craving for both of us.”

During Lent, people also come to find their pan de capirotada—the bread used in capirotada, a traditional Mexican dessert similar to bread pudding. The

bread, usually stale, is soaked in a syrup made from piloncillo, cinnamon, and cloves, then layered with ingredients like cheese, nuts, and dried fruits.

But the most sought after item is la Rosca de Reyes. It’s a large ring-shaped bread traditionally made on Three Kings’ Day (January 6th) in Mexico. The candied fruits on top of it symbolize the Wise Men’s crowns. Inside the pastry, small figurines representing baby Jesus are hidden. Those who find a figurine in their slice are expected to host a celebration continuing the holiday festivities.

Some new additions are pan de nata, cupcakes, vanilla and chocolate cakes cut into squares.

New opening hours make it convenient for customers looking for fresh baked goods early in the day. Coffee is also available to go. If you don’t know what to get when you’re there, I recommend croissants or cuernitos

Panaderia Marzeya, 8908 S Commercial Ave. Monday–Saturday, 4am–8pm; Sundays, 5am–8pm. (773) 374-7855

BEST IMMIGRATION NARRATIVES

ILLUSTRATED

ON WALLS Pilsen murals - Pilsen

Immigration is a central theme in many of Pilsen’s murals depicting the struggle of crossing borders, family separation, and the fight for dignity and human rights. These murals and so many others unfold vibrantly along the walls of storefronts, narrating stories, honoring lives, and, most importantly, bringing great art within reach of any person with a moment to notice.

Héctor Duarte’s “Gulliver in Wonderland” is a famous mural in Pilsen that symbolizes the immigrant experience, portraying a giant figure trying to break free from barbed wire, which represents both the border and the systemic

Panaderia Marzeya

Photo by Addison Annis

Panaderia Marzeya

Photo by Addison Annis

barriers faced by immigrants.

It’s located on the side of Duarte’s studio at 1900 W. Cullerton Street. The mural, which covers three sides of the building, portrays a Latinx version of Gulliver from Gulliver's Travels attempting to break free from barbed wire. While the interior of the studio is usually not open to the public, the mural is one of Pilsen’s most popular and can be viewed by all.

The first mural I remember seeing when I moved to the area in 2011 is tucked where the alley begins on 1401 West 18th Street. It’s called the “Declaration of Immigration” created in 2009 at the end of the Great Recession by artist Salvador Jiménez-Flores and youth from the Yollocalli Arts Reach and Radio Arte.

It features powerful imagery, such as barbed wire draped with torn flags from different parts of the world and monarch butterflies, symbolizing migration–carrying empowering messages like “Wake Up” and “Dream Act.” Emblazoned on the wall with large letters are: “No Human is Illegal” and “National Security is Used to Foster Inter-Ethinic Tension.”

This mural is my favorite because it symbolizes the struggles and rights of immigrants from around the globe. And the mural’s location—an alley—adds to its unique character, with tangled power lines, exterior pipes, and an apartment window.

BEST URBAN TRAIL TO FIND QUIET TIME Burnham Greenway in Eggers Grove Calumet Park

I was going for an early morning run at Calumet Park one day when I discovered the Burnham Greenway. Following other cyclists south, it took me to Eggers Grove and its trails in Wolf Lake. It became my next go-to escape whenever I needed to clear my mind or find some peace.

This trail is around five miles long and typically takes about two and a half hours to complete. It’s ideal for biking, running, and walking, and you’ll likely experience a quiet, peaceful time with few others around. If you’re seeking a laidback spot to enjoy some solitude while exercising, this is a perfect choice.

The trail, which is on a former railroad corridor between Chicago and Lansing, connects to Eggers Grove, which is part of Forest Preserves of Cook County and offers a continuous path for biking, walking, and running. The

Declaration of immigration

Photo by William Guerrero

Eggers Grove

Photo by Addison Annis

Burnham Greenway stretches north-south, to other green spaces.

In a largely industrial area, Eggers Grove serves as an essential green space. It’s popular for birdwatching, especially due to its proximity to Lake Calumet and its wetlands. The area attracts a variety of bird species, including migratory birds.

frequently spotted along the paths throughout the year.

This loop, which is about a mile long, offers beautiful views of the water and the surrounding natural environment, an expanse of wildflowers like purple coneflowers and Zizia Aurea. These wildflowers were planted by community stewards during the COVID-19 pandemic for neighbors and visitors to enjoy.

BEST HIDDEN NATURE GEM

Mckinley Park trails - McKinley Park

McKinley Park, on Chicago’s Southwest Side, has become one of my favorite places for walking and running. The same is true for residents and surrounding residents from places like Brighton Park and Back of the Yards. While my daughter enjoys gymnastics, the pool and ice skating, my favorite is the park itself with the lagoon at its center, offering a peaceful escape in the middle of the day, perfect for listening to a podcast, reading a book, or simply taking in the beautiful scenery. Trails meander through the lagoon on the east end of the park in a variety of landscapes, including grassy fields and wooded areas. The park is a haven for birdwatchers, with ducks, geese, and other birds

There’s a lot to do for everyone. Its 71.75 acres provide space for outdoor sports, including soccer, baseball, and basketball, as well as indoor activities in its gymnasium and gymnastics center. The park is known for its seasonal offerings, such as ice skating in the winter, arts and crafts activities, an outdoor pool in the summer as well as the summer day camp program—a popular six-week day camp. But as with any Chicago park camp program, spots fill quickly, so it’s good to prepare ahead of time before registering your children. Special events, like Halloween festivities and Movies in the Park, are also offered.

Don’t expect a nightlife or an endless choice of restaurants and bars in McKinley Park. It has more of a close-knit community vibe with the park itself being the heart of the community. Some community spaces to try are Huck Finn’s Restaurant, known for its award-winning donuts; La Placita Supermarket, offering Mexican favorites; and a recently opened coffee shop, Cadinho Bakery & Café that makes Portuguese pastries.

Nature path in McKinley Park on a sunny afternoon on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

Nature path full of color and life on a sunny afternoon in McKinley Park on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

windchimes

BY E’MON LAUREN

up here, all we know is rain howling like a glass of frost. deepened by public soot and morning ambition.

they call us, children of the built lakes. tethered to anything wanting excavation. long steele, made by the runaways. and we sing, the long cry.

oh, we sing the people’s song. their migrations of feet, ears and corn. when a forest fire becomes a daughter’s candle. when a box holds a family’s everything.

up here, we swing in the wind like summer porches. twinkles sound like cake toppings or lemon seeds twisting a center of sweet yellow.

our shoulders spreads, and touches next door neighbor, as if to say, ‘welcome. we’ve been waiting on you to find us here. we know you come from a long line of trains. hearts, molded pocket corners and lack thereof. symbols of

wishes stuck to the bottom of your shoe’

there’s no place like home

our brother became one of the dirt. we see them fall. developed dominos’. hands, shake us down with a swift pen. their wind different down there. decisions made quick like white castles. they pop up like advertisements and stay persuasive.

we then, become a town of busy. admitting how we miss the best parts of simple. of tender nurturing, that can only be found, after a long walk.

when the sun remembers just enough of who you decided to become that day. always hoping.

along your path, you will see someone who invites to come. and take a seat, next to the wind’s voice.

BIG BRAIN MOVES

Chinese American Museum of ChicagoChinatown

In the heart of Chicago's Chinatown, the Museum of Chinese American History is redefining its role. Once a repository of historical artifacts and personal stories, in 2024, this cherished institution embarked on a transformative journey that merges its documentation of the past with a dynamic, contemporary approach to exhibitions and community engagement.

As the only Chinese American museum in the Midwest, the museum has long been a pillar of cultural preservation since it opened in 2005, dedicated to chronicling the experiences of early Chinese immigrants. Its exhibits have traditionally showcased historical photographs, artifacts, and personal narratives, illuminating both the resilience and challenges faced by these pioneers.

“There’s literally no way that our existence and our stories and our history can ever be known if we didn’t [protect them],” said Caroline Ng, the museum’s new executive director as of 2024. “That’s where the impetus for this museum came from. We are story keepers here.”

Under Ng, a professional curator who joined the museum in January 2024, the institution has undergone a notable shift. Archival displays have gently made space for vibrant, interactive installations designed to spark dialogue and reflection. “We wanted to rethink the space and open it up,” Ng said.

This vision has manifested in a series of innovative events that have rejuvenated the museum’s connection with the community. This year, the museum kicked off its new focus with a spirited picnic during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, aimed at both celebrating and challenging traditional narratives of Chinese American identity. Artists were invited to reinvent the museum space and

transform it from an “ivory tower” into a lively, inclusive venue. The museum also hosted a workshop on creating personal family archives through zines. “I’m … taking the chance to be more engaged with the storytelling part, not just the story keeping,”

In June, for the first time, the museum organized workshops during Pride Month, fostering discussions about the queer Asian community. Ng said that during these conversations, “the staff had to pass tissues around.” She acknowledges the challenge: “Even with pride, I was a little bit [hesitant]... I think everybody is on some level open to it, but culturally, there’s a reticence to alienate or embarrass anyone. There are a lot of stories that are uncomfortable [to tell] and very personal and very close to home.”

These exhibitions represent a broader effort to address the tensions between preserving traditional heritage and embracing contemporary narratives. “As much as you want to make sure that you can make space for the new generation, you want the people who have so lovingly put this together and stewarded it to this day to also feel seen,” Ng said.

Looking ahead, the museum is set to continue its innovative approach with upcoming exhibitions. One will explore Chinese trading cards from the 1800s, offering historical insights into racial conceptualization through artifacts. Another planned exhibition will showcase abstract art by contemporary Chinese American artists, juxtaposing internal and external perspectives on identity. “It’s a tension that is part of the immigrant experience for any community,” Ng says.

For many, the Museum of Chinese American History is more than a historical site—it is a vibrant part of the community, navigating the complexities of representing diverse generations and identities. As it continues to honor the past while embracing the future, the museum is creating a space where history, art, and contemporary conversations about race and culture converge, ensuring that both heritage and innovation are celebrated. (Xuandi Wang)

Chinese American Museum of Chicago, 238 W 23rd St,. Wednesdays and Fridays, 9:30am–5pm; weekends 10am–5pm; closed Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. (312) 949-1000, ccamuseum.org

BEST CHILDREN’S MUSEUM

Bronzeville Children’s MuseumCalumet Heights

Playing with purpose” could be the motto of the Bronzeville Children's Museum, located not in Bronzeville but in Calumet Heights. Founded in 1993, the museum is masterfully effective in educating children about African American history and culture through instruction, guided exploration, and play.

Founder Peggy Montes is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and assistant principal who has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to education, civic engagement, community improvement, and advocacy. She was the first female chairperson of the board of trustees and building committee at the DuSable Museum of African American History, and spearheaded construction of the museum’s Harold Washington wing. During his tenure, Mayor Washington appointed her executive director of the Chicago Commission on Women, and she’s also active in various other local organizations, including the Illinois Arts Council, the Art Institute of Chicago’s Leadership Advisory Committee, the Museum of Science and Industry’s Black Creativity program, the Black Chicago Heritage Initiative, and the African American Association of Museums.

The Bronzeville Children's Museum distinguishes itself from other children’s museums by how intentionality is built into the structure of each exhibit. Visitors are invited to tour interactive exhibits uniquely curated for children ages four to nine that cover relevant topics such as health, African African contributions to society, STEAM education, and Bronzeville’s African American History

BEST CALM STUDY SPACE

Chicago Bee Library - Bronzeville

Nestled away under a cozy corner off 37th and State, the Chicago Bee Library is a historic building that serves as my local branch. I’ve found it to be a source of creativity. More than just a place to check out books, it’s a space where I can explore different interests and get things accomplished. There’s something about the calm, airy environment, both in and outside the building, that instantly sets the stage for focused work. Whether I’m working remotely or drafting an article, I find that the quiet gem offers a retreat from the noise of the world. Inside their bookable spaces I’ve completed major projects, like a DCASE application and the early stages of a Sundance submission.

What makes the Branch even more special is its connection to history. The library resides in the Chicago Bee Building, the former home of the Chicago Bee newspaper. It was built between 1929 and 1932 by Anthony Overton, a trailblazer in Black entrepreneurship and journalism. His work championed Black businesses and civil rights. Understanding the history of the space motivates me to push boundaries in my own line of work and creative projects.

And then there’s the design—the building’s Art Deco architecture, a visual reminder of Bronzeville’s vibrant past. Designed in 1929 by Z. Erol Smith, it has stood the test of time, becoming a Chicago Landmark in 1998. It feels like a bridge between eras, a place where the past informs the present. Creating in a space like this reminds me that I’m part of something bigger—a continuum of storytellers, past and present.

This library isn’t just about its history, though. The community energy here is undeniable, from the welcoming staff who’ve been there for years to the creative outlet YOUmedia space for teens, alongside a variety of hands-on workshops like sewing and

When asked what she would like to share with Weekly readers, Montes said that “people must develop a more positive attitude about the South Side in terms of what it has to offer.” The Bronzeville Children’s Museum is one of the few cultural institutions located on the far South Side. It is housed in a beautiful building and, according to Montes, thousands of people pass through the museum daily; however, she would like more of those individuals to slow down, stop in, and learn something new. (Rovetta McKinney)

Bronzeville Children's Museum, 9301 S. Stony Island Ave., Wednesday–Saturday, tours offered every hour on the hour from 10am–2 pm. 773-821-9301, bronzevillechildrensmuseum. com

Chicago Bee Library.

jewelry making. It’s a place where creativity flourishes at every level, and I’m proud to be a part of that. Despite living closer to the Hall branch, I come here as my source to check out books. For me, reading and writing are intertwined—you can’t truly excel in one without the other. Every time I engage with the Bee branch, I’m reminded of the power of words and the importance of exploring creative interests within community.

(Kristian Parker)

Chicago Bee Library, 3647 S State St. Mondays and Wednesdays, 12–8pm; Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10am–6pm; Fridays and Saturdays, 9am–5pm; Sundays, 1–5pm. (312) 7476872, chipublib.org/locations/18/

Bronzeville Childrens Museum.

Photo by Rovetta McKinney

Photo by Mike Richardson

BEST MUSIC HISTORIANS

Hip-Hop Heritage MuseumGrand Boulevard

Imet Artistic and Kingdom Rock around 1993 at a Chi-ROCK Nation meeting I stumbled upon while walking through Hyde Park. In those times, if you were hip-hop there were only a few dress codes that would alert others—baggy clothes, fat laces, ski goggles, etc.

The dress code also made it easy to become fast friends, as you were likely buying the same magazines and listening to the same music. I looked at Chi-ROCK’s meeting place, the “Terrordome” (actually the Iowa Building across the street from the Museum of Science and Industry), as a sacred space. I would listen to them plan things, see the breakers, graffiti artists, and emcees get busy, and anticipate my involvement as I got to know more people in the scene. People from all over the city would come there to network, express their grievances, show their skills, and build.

Fast forward to 2021, and it came as no surprise to me that Artistic, Kingdom, and Brian Gorman would start a Chicago hip-hop-focused museum. I already saw them as hip-hop historians, because they and their respective crews taught me so much about what hip-hop was before I was of age to experience the scene. The first time I visited The Chicago Hip Hop Heritage Museum I was struck. Their inaugural installation focused on the start of the hip-hop scene locally. Featuring photos of soul-train dancers, OG b-boys like the late great Shabba Doo, old school graffiti, hip-hop magazines, crew photos, and a memorial wall for all of our fallen brothers and sisters from the scene. It also includes podcast studios and a room dedicated to Chicago’s rap scene, past and present. I even saw myself and my crew from the ’90s, The Nacrobats.

I came back soon after to donate stage props from The Nacrobats’ twenty-seventh-anniversary show (2020) and a few CDs, books, and vinyl. The museum is always looking for items to display that tell our stories. “Come see yourself on the walls” is something we all say when telling others that they need to visit and take it all in.

Last October, I held my listening party for my album “Mookie on The Southside” there. It was a perfect location, as the album is about growing up on the South Side hip-hop scene. It's a great space for community, from the many events, podcasts to shows like “An Awesome Day in Chicago” photo event by Ronnie Boykin Jr. Each year, they center the exhibition around a different theme. 2022’s programming was about crews, and 2023’s exhibit featured photos from the late ’80s to early ’90s of hip-hop performances in Chicago, taken by internationally known photographer Raymond Boyd. (Pugs Atomz)

Currently on display is “Revisit to the Fundamental Elements,” where each room represents a different element of hip-hop. Located at 4505 S. Indiana Ave. Be sure to book a tour at enterthecity.com/chicago-hip-hop-heritage-museum

Chicago Hip Hop Museum.

Photo by Mike Richardson

Florecer

Cthat continue to harm youth today. These neighborhoods were practically abandoned by the government, which left noticeable gaps in education and love that were filled in with rampant poverty and survival-based violence. Many Black and Brown neighborhoods in Chicago lack adequate schools as they were left overcrowded, underfunded, and unloved.

Florecer is a Black, Brown, and queer-led organization on the Southwest Side dedicated to reintroducing love into Black and Brown communities. Florecer was

started in 2020 by my good friend Jesus Hidalgo and some of his friends, though at the time it was called Chi Student Pandemic Response. The organization’s first actions were to demand the City address educational and racial inequalities in the midst of COVID-19, and protesting against the unjust killings of Black and Brown people in 2020 and before. In 2021,the Chicago Police Department took the lives of two young Latinx people, Anthony Alvarez and Adam Toledo, only twenty-two and thirteen, respectively. Since then, Florecer has been able to open and extend the care it has provided in an effort to make all of Chicago a safe space for Black and Brown people.

Florecer has its roots in harm reduction, violence prevention, and generally creating a space where Black and Brown youth can reimagine the meaning of community through art, mutual aid, and community building. I was drawn to Florecer for all these reasons, though the biggest motivator is the community that it builds.

The past few years, Florecer has hosted annual community cookouts across the Southwest Side to address intercommunal gun violence with community building. This tradition started the summer of 2020, sparked by multiple shootings in Brighton Park. The inaugural event was held on a hot summer day in Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy playground where kids played soccer, listened to music, enjoyed tacos and picked up free clothes. As the hours passed and the fatigue set in, moms and their kids bonded together in the safe chaos found in a game of musical chairs, collapsing into each other, replacing the sounds of the night with laughter.

Since its inception, Florecer members have stepped up to meet communities’ essential needs—medicine, clothing, food—where the City had largely failed. Florecer helped furnish migrant families’ homes, provided clothing, and tutored their children. These young leaders took on the responsibility with a resolve beyond immediate relief, forming lasting bonds with families even after being moved out of the police stations.

Florecer has been a beacon of love and care for Black, Brown, and queer youth since its creation in 2020. Its collective organizing efforts have begun to bridge historical gaps created by those before us. It may take a lot to heal these wounds completely but Florecer has taken the initiative to create space for healing to begin. (Jimmy Rodgers)

Follow Florecer on Instagram and X @Florecer_Chi

Chicago Bee Library.

Photo by Diego Garcia

Photo by Diego Garcia

South Side as Connection

BY EVAN F. MOORE

When someone refers to the South Shore Country Club as the “South Shore Cultural Center,” I immediately make one of two observations about them:

They are the opps.

They are not from South Shore.

There’s a stark difference between folks who grew up in South Shore and those who live in South Shore.

The latter tend to see little more than the lake and a decent commute to downtown. Meanwhile, folks who grew up in the neighborhood see something completely different.

We see the lakefront areas like Bongo Beach (63rd Street Beach House), the area behind the Country

Club, and Rainbow Beach as an opportunity for not only leisure activity, but also a respite from life’s trials and tribulations.

And, perhaps most importantly, the lakefront breeze over east is like none other.

My maternal grandparents, cousins, cousins’ children, aunts, uncles, and other family members lived—and died—in South Shore. I’m connected to the neighborhood, and the neighborhood is connected to me.

No doubt our hood has had some issues over time. I tell folks that South Shore is probably one of Chicago’s most diverse neighborhoods—not in the way most people would readily recognize.

79th and Exchange, 67th and Jeffrey, 75th and Yates, 79th and Stony Island, and 69th and Constance are completely different intersections characterized by gas stations with liquor stores vibes around the corner from home prices that start at $500,000.

Our biggest battles in South Shore are, in my humble opinion, probably not what you think.

Violence? I’m not mad at you.

Poverty? Sure.

Disinvestment? I won’t hold you.

Gentrification? South Shore is cheaper than Hyde Park, though.

Neighborhood Karens? Them too.

Evan F. Moore is an award-winning writer, author, and DePaul University journalism adjunct instructor. Evan is a third-generation South Shore homeowner.

Longwood Drive.

Photo by Tonal Simmons

For instance, remember the 2023 reaction to then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s plan to house migrants within the old South Shore High School?

Some of my neighbors yelled the following:

“Send them back.”

“Close the border.”

“We don’t want them here.”

Another person held up a sign saying, “Build the wall 2024.”

If someone has lived in the neighborhood long enough, they may remember the things white people said and did to Black folks when we first came to South Shore. According to Becoming, the memoir written by former First Lady Michelle Obama née Robinson—our neighborhood’s most famous former resident, South Shore went from 90 percent white to 90 percent Black within a thirty-year period (1950–1980).

In the book, she says, “One by one, they packed their bags and they ran from us.”

My mother collects blackface figurines. Guess where she found some of them? In South Shore. I asked her once why she collected them and why they were displayed near the front door. She said that she wanted to let me know that this is what the world thinks of Black people.

Seems like my mom and Mrs. Obama was talking about the same people.

My neighbors who showed up that night to protest the possible use of the old South Shore High School for migrants weren’t entirely wrong regarding their belief that migrants are getting preferential treatment to Black folks. America has a long history of dumping its problems on Black communities in the guise of a common good.

Moreover, people in the neighborhood had been asking for years for the building to be made into a community center.

Instead of listening to the community, the city gave the building to the police.

Last year, I found myself in the midst of a social media debate with a fellow South Shore resident, a white man who is extremely vocal and believes in shaming people for parking near bike paths by taking photos of alleged offenders and posting them to X, formerly Twitter.

He would also like to get rid of cars despite knowing that his Black neighbors travel the furthest for education, employment, and amenities.

As you can imagine, the conversation went left when I told this person and his defenders that they were knowingly deputizing themselves in the absence of law enforcement, whose history has its roots in slave patrols and protecting property.

I still say it’s ok to speak with our neighbors. If I, as a reporter, can go knock on the door of a police officer in a neighborhood with a history of terrible behavior toward Black people who was involved in the shooting of a local barber (Harith Augustus) that sparked neighborhood protests, I think the South Lakefront Karens—they know who they are—can engage in a civil conversation with their Black neighbors to work out differences.

Gwendolyn Brooks, one of my personal heroes, said it best: “We are each other’s harvest; we are each other’s business; we are each other’s magnitude and bond.”

As much as I love the neighborhood, I, like many Chicagoans, venture out to see what the rest of the South Side has to offer. The places I’ve identified below mean a lot to me.

Maybe you’ll check them out for yourselves one day.

BEST PLACE TO BUY CIGARS AND EAT FRIED CHICKEN

NoLo’s Cigar Lounge and Harold’s Chicken Shack, No. 69 - Jeffrey Manor

There’re not many places in the city where one can order a six-wing fried hard with mild sauce and go next door to get a maduro cigar. In the Jeffrey Manor neighborhood, two of my favorite things to do—smoke cigars and revel in a Chicago delight—are right next to each other.

NoLo’s Cigar Lounge, a Black woman–owned business, is next door to a Harold’s Chicken location on the 9900 block of South Torrance Avenue. For Black folks, seeing our dollar staying in the areas we shop in means everything. Like other areas of the city that have nightlife and other amenities, this part of the South Side should be able to enjoy things close to home.

To be honest, at times, it can be an expensive habit. However, a lot of folks have no problem shelling out their disposable income if the business has the

NoLo Cigar Lounge.

Photo by William Guerrero

community’s best interest at heart.

NoLo’s clientele represent professional Black folks from all walks of life. That may sound like any other cigar shop, but many of these folks are often looking for amenities outside of Hyde Park, downtown, and the surrounding suburban areas.

Cigar shops are welcoming spaces to begin with. What makes NoLo’s a bit different is that they often host pop-up events expanding the visibility of Blackowned businesses throughout the Chicago area.

Lori Shelby-Conley, co-owner of NoLo’s with her husband, Nolan Hardy, says the space, which has been open since 2023, serves multiple roles; it’s a place where professional Black folks can unwind, and it can be the spark for someone in the surrounding community to not only see a Black-owned business, but become an entrepreneur themselves.

“We wanted to go into a business, but we wanted to do something that we both enjoyed, so we figured, why not open the cigar lounge? We both smoke cigars,” said Shelby-Conley, a social worker by trade. “It’ll be a great thing for us to have somewhere in the community that we come from and that we live in for people to come enjoy themselves, feel safe and secure, have a great cigar, have a coffee, or whatever it is they might want to do....

“I feel it’s important for Black dollars to circulate in our communities. We have to be able to support and have things where we can buy in this area, whether it be someone doing a pop-up, or whether it be someone opening a brick-andmortar store. We want to be able to circulate our dollars here, so if I can provide a space for people to sometimes come and say: ‘Hey, you’re having an event. Can I sell my cupcakes?’ Sure, it’s not a problem, because we want to be able to promote those businesses so they can move forward to do bigger things, as I’ve had the opportunity to do with this space.”

Also, having Harold’s Chicken Shack, one of Black Chicago’s most wellknown brands, as a next-door neighbor is something NoLo’s isn’t mad at.

“A lot of my patrons, of course, come here, and then they go there to support [Harold’s] as well. And we look out for each other. So I want to say every business on this particular block looks out for each other, not just Harold’s Chicken,” Shelby-Conley said.

“We have Skyway Bowl, who’s a staple in the community. We have the [East] Odyssey Lounge. So we all try to make sure that we support each other, whether it be something as small as getting a package that’s been delivered out the front door... we all try to support each other and what we’re doing here on Torrance.”

NoLo’s Cigar Lounge, 9932 S. Torrence Ave., Monday and Wednesday, 5pm–9pm; Thursday, 5pm–10pm; Friday, 5pm–midnight; Saturday, noon–midnight. (773) 359-2474. facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090951978483

Aperson I talked to on the phone for a few minutes as an eighth grader and met briefly continues to have a profound effect on my life. Pulitzer Prize–winning poet Gwendolyn Brooks called my house one day to tell me that I had won a poetry award. Even though I didn’t pick up writing until decades later, she’s the catalyst that led me to become an award-winning reporter and author.

Going to Ms. Brooks’s statue and having a seat at the park is an emotional

Harold's Chicken.

Photo by Amber Stoutenborough

Gwendolyn Brooks Park.

Photo by Tonal Simmons

experience for me. She saw something in me that I didn’t know existed.

I close my eyes and think about the people around me who helped me to succeed. Friends, family, neighbors, childhood friends, fraternity brothers, and random people whom I’ve met over time who believe I’ve amplified their voices. Before I know it, I start to cry.

You never want to let down the people who invested so much into you. The weight is heavy.

I often wonder what she saw in my writing. Admittedly, I didn’t put a lot of effort into what I wrote. I wrote what I experienced in my neighborhood.

Sometimes the simple route is the best way to convey one’s emotions.

Lifelong friendships forged through our amazing, depressing, heartbreaking, beautiful city that often overlooks the marginalized. I described what I was seeing and feeling. I recently ran into one of my childhood friends who was taking a trip down memory not expecting to run into someone he knew. We talked about old times, and how he’s leaving the city to get away from the violence. Can’t say that I blame him. The city we grew up in and the city we now live in are two different places.

Artist, author, and CEO Leslé Honoré believes the park and Brooks’s legacy are intertwined.

“I think honoring Gwendolyn in that way pays homage to what she wrote about, which was everyday Chicago life that sometimes people overlooked as not important or not worthy of celebration. So I just love that is one of the many ways that we can honor her, by taking a moment to sit and think and observe and be a part of and be connected to,” Honoré said. “It doesn’t have to be these grandiose ways that deepen our connection, but the small ones that create permanency and legacy—that’s what I think of.”

“I think it was just the truth in storytelling and the truth in our voices” that touched her about Brooks’s work, Honoré said. “I think often when we are studying English literature or poetry, we’re often studying people whose voices aren’t our own, and don’t sing our songs and tell our tales. And so, beyond all of the accolades that she has like the first African American to receive a Pulitzer [Prize], doing so at a time when our value as whole people was still in question.”

Honoré, an accomplished poet, says it’s best for visitors to document their thoughts when in Gwendolyn Brooks Park.

“I would encourage [visitors] to write there, to sit, to spend a moment and write what you see, what you feel, how you feel in that space. Honor that legacy of creating in that way, and do it more than once,” Honoré says. “Do it during different seasons and different times of the year. See how it changes and how it doesn’t. How you change and how you don’t when you enter that space.”

Brooks (Gwendolyn) Park, 4542 S. Greenwood Ave., Monday–Sunday, 6am–9pm. (312) 747-7138, chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/brooks-gwendolyn-park

BEST PLACE TO SEE A FRIENDLY SCHISM WITHIN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

High school reunion alumni picnics

Should’ve been a Mustang.

Should’ve been a Bronco. Should’ve been a Dolphin.

Should’ve been a Jaguar.

Black South Side Chicago is a small place. One can tell a lot about a person based on where they attended high school.

Whether we attended a public school, Catholic school, private school, or charter school, the conversation usually goes like this:

Where did you go to high school?

Kenwood.

My cousin went to Kenwood. Did you know Larry? Tall. Light-skinned. Yeah, him and my homegirl used to go together.

During the summer months, peak alumni picnic season, graduates of these schools will proudly boast about their high school alma mater while playfully disrespecting anyone who attended other schools. Online, I’ve witnessed sneak dissing, subbing, and blatant disrespect.

In my case, I went to my high school alma mater (Morgan Park) for my junior and senior years. Anytime I’ve met a fellow Mustang, they treat me as if I attended all four years.

At MP, I met my best friend and people I’m still tight with today. Unfortunately, each year there are less and less of us due to folks passing away. Any time Mustangs and the alumni of other schools get together, a time is had. We often share stories, show pictures of our kids, tell each other how proud we are of them, and see if that guy or girl who curbed us still looks good.

Also, every time I see a fellow Mustang, whether we knew each other back then or not, they say they’ve seen my rise over time as a respected writer and author, and they say how proud they are of me. Affirmations like that mean a lot.

This is my response to folks who say to leave high school where it was—in the past. I think it’s bigger than saying everyone mostly went to at least high school. Shared experiences are transformative.

A couple of years ago, I was visiting Washington, DC, and I ran into a Morgan Park alumnus who was a manager at a hotel I stopped in while eating lunch. Back then, we weren’t friends by any means. However, he treated me as if we were; he bought my book.

I think he showed hospitality because we had a shared experience. We’ve been cool ever since.

South Side born and raised Gator Bell graduated from Hyde Park Academy, now known as Hyde Park Academy High School, in 1996. (Hyde Park is my

father’s alma mater).

Bell says he loves seeing the high school alumni discourse. He believes that the playful discussions keep Chicagoans connected to each other.

“I love it because even though a lot of us moved on... it’s still that connection with the hometown, with the neighborhood of how we became who we are as adults,” Bell said. “Reestablishing those connections with some of our classmates and some of our school members and making sure those institutions—those high schools—are still connected.”

“High school is definitely one of those formative years—those times in a person’s life where you start to get to become who you are as a person, and figuring out where you want to go or what you want to become,” said Bell. “But it’s not like where you just reinvent yourself. You’re actually growing into yourself. You’re becoming the person who you think you want to be. And so when somebody says, ‘Where’d you go to high school,’ especially with Chicago, it’s like, okay, so it’s kind of like your background, but it’s more.”

Bell, a higher education administrator by trade, says the connections Chicagoans have to their high school alma mater are personal. Especially when meeting someone who went to the same high school you did.

“I meet somebody from Hyde Park. I ask, ‘Did you play football? Did you hoop? Were you in ROTC? What was your division classroom? Or, even better, what bus did you take to get [to school]?’”

Idiscovered Longwood Drive as a student at Morgan Park High School. I had some friends who lived in the neighborhood. The times I was able to drive my dad’s car—an Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera—I’d pick up my friend, and we’d head to school via Longwood Drive. Over time, when I would be in the neighborhood, I would go for a drive just ’cause.

I’m a big history buff who’s a novice architecture fan. I like seeing things: how things are, and how they used to be. What happened? Why is there a church in a castle? That’s a cool place to visit. Why are the driveways so spacious? Why is it so quiet in Beverly?

Sometimes a nice drive calms the nerves. This was something I did pretty frequently when the COVID-19 pandemic shut things down. Being able to take a ride during an extremely unsure period of time was something I relied on to level off the depression and anxiety the pandemic brought upon us all.

If you’re out and about in Beverly, I suggest taking a ride down Longwood Drive.

The street is a part of a historic area where architecture nerds revel in the size and style of the homes from 98th Street to 110th Street.

Scott Smith, the host of The Frunchroom, a locally based storytelling series, says folks who can take a ride through Beverly will eventually end up on Longwood Drive nerding out about what they are witnessing.

“Longwood Drive is basically like driving through Chicago history, specifically the sort of late 1800s, early 1900s. If you are a fan of architecture, it’s got all these different kinds of styles. They’ve got Queen Anne homes that everybody really points to, but it’s got all these other examples of great architecture,” said Smith. “There’s a really incredible Frank Lloyd Wright home up on the hill..... It’s probably one of the big highlights of driving down there. And then there is the Horton House.... It was built by this guy who ran Chicago [Bridge & Iron] for a long time.

“So it’s all these folks who would be able to have famous architects designing their homes, or were these kind of captains of industry, all had houses there.”

Smith says Beverly, along with the architecture on Longwood Drive, fuels a part of the city that is vibrant and interesting, highlighted by the scores of city workers—police officers, firefighters, and teachers, along with elected officials— who call the neighborhood home.

“I think sometimes if you grow up in a certain part of the city and you have a certain view of it, it’s hard to understand that there’s a different way of living. And I think being a city of neighborhoods, it’s important to remember that there’s all kinds of different places and experiences in Chicago,” Smith said.

“Beverly has a very long history, and it’s sort of fueled a part of the city of Chicago because of how much it has city workers and how many people who live here have been involved in politics or running the city in some way. So I think it’s worth knowing for that reason, because it does illuminate a part of the city of Chicago that most people might not be familiar with.”

Longwood Drive Historic District, 9800–11000 blocks of S. Longwood Dr. and 10200–10700 blocks of S. Seeley Ave. webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/districtdetails.htm?disId=17

Longwood Drive.

Photo by Tonal Simmons

BEST PLACE TO SEE THE BLACK DOLLAR IN ACTION

75th Street Business CorridorGrand Crossing and Chatham

The 75th Street Business Corridor represents the best of Black-owned business in Chicago touching the lives of Black folks in one way or another.

You may have heard about the heavy pour at President’s Lounge. The barbecue at Lem’s Bar-B-Q. The vegan food options at Soul Veg City. Maybe sign up for cycling classes at Bikettle? Pick up a caramel cake from Brown Sugar Bakery? Or check out the 50 Yard Line, a local lounge for a drink or dancing?

Either way, the Black dollar rarely leaves the community when done right.

For instance, during a recent Friday evening, me and my significant other celebrated her birthday by visiting a new restaurant, Nafsi, that opened up within the Country Club. I live close enough so we walked over. After dinner, we stopped by the beach to take in the last night of South Shore Social Beach Club’s Summer House Music Series.

Hundreds of beautiful Black faces were feeling the vibes of their favorite house tracks while grilling, smoking cigars, eating, dancing, and enjoying fellowship. Once we left the beach we walked down 71st Street, and we discovered a blues concert within the Crandon Community Garden.

Looking back at the experience, I enjoyed the amenities in my community. And, perhaps more importantly, my dollar circulated within three blocks.

Slowly but surely, I’m starting to see more sit-down restaurants in the area. In the past, it’s been tough to name many outside of a handful.

South Shore resident and program director for Real Men Charities (known for its “Real Men Cook” celebrations) Rael Jackson, who helms several roles at The Quarry, a local event space connected to Real Men Charities, wants the same sense of business acumen for the neighborhood that the 75th Street Business Corridor displays.

He says our neighbors to the west in Grand Crossing and Chatham are

showing South Shore the way. “South Shore has so many Black professionals, but we all in silos—like most of our communities are people in silos. They go to work, they come home, pretty much in their home,” said Jackson. “But we have all these doctors, lawyers, judges in the area, and we all need to come together because I think a lot of that money, I heard it was $52 million worth of leakage that’s going toward downtown restaurants because we don’t really have any prominent businesses, but we see them growing.

“We already know Chatham was one of the best areas of Chicago where people move,” Jackson said. “That’s where the Black professionals were at. That was the place to go to raise a family; it was safe, it was insular. And then when the eighties came and that drug money came in, and a lot of the violence was created, it really sort of started to destroy the fabric of the community. And [today] to be able to have a walkable space, to have people be able to walk to get food, be able to get healthy food from Soul Veg, be able to get the barbecue from Lem’s...

“I think Chatham really planted a seed of growth. And you see it all over there. You see the energy. You see the people out on the street... And so when people can come out, interact with each other, that’s when true community is created, because

BEST LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT BY A BLACK FRATERNITY OR SORORITY

Edward G. lrvin Foundation

Achievement Center’s Woodlawn Food

Pantry - Woodlawn

In Black communities, there’s some talk about the role of Black fraternities

75th Street Business Corridor, (in my opinion) Cottage Grove Ave. to State St. blocks

75th Street business corridor.

Photo by Susan Carlotta Ellis

Lem's BBQ.

Photo by Susan Carlotta Ellis

and sororities, better known as the Divine Nine. Some see them as influential community members. Some see them as elitists who only look out for themselves.

Personally, my dad is a member (and so am I), and most of the men I knew growing up were in a fraternity and/or a member of a Masonic lodge.

These were the teachers, coaches, police officers, driver’s education instructors, attorneys, and doctors—the men I wanted to emulate.

One of the first things I noticed about them was the sense of community. They care, and implore the people around them to do the same.

These groups are back in the cultural zeitgeist due to the presidential race. Vice president and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.—often referred to as the AKAs. The influential sorority’s international headquarters is located in Hyde Park.

And you may have seen some Democrats portraying Harris’s match up with former President Donald Trump as “the AKA vs. the KKK.”

One of the Divine Nine organizations owns and operates a food pantry in Woodlawn. Kappa Alpha Psi’s Chicago alumni brothers run the Edward G. lrvin Foundation Achievement Center’s Woodlawn Food Pantry, which partners with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The food pantry, according to Achievement Center officials, serves nine hundred people on a monthly basis.

According to a 2019 study called “A systematic review of food pantry-based interventions in the USA,” food pantries have a stabilizing effect on surrounding communities. In addition to mitigation of food insecurity, diabetes management and overall nutrition education are among the services many food pantries are responsible for providing.

Edward G. Irvin, the namesake of the Chicago Kappa Alpha Psi chapter’s philanthropic arm was not only one of the fraternity’s founding members; he was also a journalist and war veteran who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the U.S. Army’s second-highest award.

The food pantry is open every Monday 2pm to 5pm and 1pm to 3pm on the second and fourth days of the month.

Edward G. lrvin Foundation Woodlawn Community Food Pantry, 500 E. 67th Street, Monday, 4pm–6pm. (773) 363-1683. egif@egifoundation.org

BEST PLACE TO LAUGH AT RACISTS

Stephen A. Douglas Tomb - Bronzeville

Many statues, streets, parks, schools, and other public entities are named after terrible people who’ve been lionized by historians. The Stephen A. Douglas Tomb in Bronzeville is no different.

Douglas, as a senator for Illinois in the mid-1800s, played a major part in the lead-up to the Civil War, and he also engaged in a series of well-documented debates with Abraham Lincoln in which he discussed his belief in white supremacy

and supported policies that enabled the expansion of slavery.

In 2020, three state representatives who were members of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus wrote a letter to Governor J.B. Pritzker calling for the statue to be removed, saying:

“There’s an edifice dedicated to allowing a bigot even in his grave to look down upon the Black community.”

Growing up in the mid-eighties and early nineties, one of my favorite TV shows was The Dukes of Hazzard

Believe it or not, I had the General Lee toy car with the Confederate flag on top (also noticed the show’s main antagonists were law enforcement).

Years later, I asked my mom why she and my dad allowed me to have something that has a long and terrible history with Black folks. She said the car is history, and she didn’t want to spoil it for me just yet.

I wholeheartedly understand the discourse. After all, the people who ran point on these sordid choices wanted to let everyone know what time it is. They wanted their way of life to last forever.

I think about that looking back at the time I visited Boone Hall Plantation in Charleston, South Carolina. What I remember the most about my family visiting there was the slave cabins. I walked in and saw dirt floors and no windows. Someone made a choice to say that they were okay with ignoring the humanity in people they enslaved.

Those were the folks Douglas tried to control—even in death.

Clint Smith, the author of the book How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America, said it best when is comes insidiousness Douglas cosigned:

“The splitting of families was not peripheral to the practice of slavery; it was central. And [Thomas] Jefferson was no exception; in addition to the enslaved human beings he sold during his lifetime, nearly all the enslaved Africans in his possession were sold after his death to cover his extensive debts. Little remains of the history of these enslaved human beings; much of what is known comes from Jefferson’s meticulous note-keeping of the buying and selling of enslaved Africans.”

Little did Douglas know that slavery wasn’t going to last forever.

Despite all we know about the horrors of slavery, I say leave the statue be. Here’s why. For over a century, Douglas’s statue has witnessed the upward mobility of Chicago’s “Black Metropolis” and its descendants going forward. He’s seen Black folks cut up in so many ways.

I know it’s a statue, but it’s hilarious that he’s witnessing the people he’d ignore the humanity of.

Just think of what he’s seen. The Bud Billiken Parade. All the Black creatives Bronzeville has forged like Ida B. Wells, Quincy Jones, and Lou Rawls.

What better punishment for a documented racist than having to watch Chicago’s African diaspora live their best lives.

Let’s laugh at “The Little Giant.”

Stephen A. Douglas Tomb, 636 E. 35th St., Friday–Sunday, 10am–4pm. (312) 2252620. dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/experience/sites/northeast/douglas-tomb.html

ART BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

BEST SNAPSHOT OF MEXICO CITY

Remy Guzmán Pilsen

When I heard South Side Weekly wanted the “Best of the South Side” issue to take readers on a journey, I immediately knew I wanted to capture the homes of favorite artists and their home art collections. I truly enjoy decorating my spaces with my art and literary collections for others to peruse when in my space, and Remy Guzmán is someone in my community who lives in one of my favorite homes to visit.

Remy lives in a historical building in Pilsen that housed Decima Musa, an artistic cultural center that closed its doors years ago. Remy is an interdisciplinary artist and educator, co-founder of Marimacha Monarcha Press (M.M.P.), a queer and trans people of color collective of artists and educators, centering themes of queerness, race, language, migration, accessibility, and visual storytelling. They are also a co-founder of Santabear Productions (S.B.P.), a queer DIY production company focused on creating a diverse platform for sketch comedy and film, prioritizing equitable representation. They perform stand-up, sketch, and character work across the city.

Remy opens the door to their third floor apartment and I'm immediately transported to Mexico City. The blue kitchen walls are decorated with unique trinkets, art made by familiar artists in Chicago’s queer community, such as Jose Rosa, Melody Chang Snyder, Mony Kaos, and Cielo Saucedo. Unique clothing items and accessories are hung throughout the apartment. I ask them what their favorite piece is and they debate with themselves between a Rico Nasty x Rhymezlikedimez Collectable Figurine they purchased for $250 or zine 'Display' by Vivian Le, a small accordion style

zine tied with a bow which they describe as the scariest zine they have ever read. The zine is one of hundreds of publications that Remy houses. Remy collects art from their friends, gathers trinkets and creates them too. You can find them vending one-of-akind keychains and chains as Realfreshshrimp. (Luz Magdaleno Flores)

Remy Guzmán

Photo by Luz Magdaleno Flores

BEST COLLECTION OF BLACK ART

Patric McCoy Kenwood

When I first met Patric McCoy, he mentioned his vast collection of Black art. I was not ready!

I stepped inside his home, and my jaw dropped at the over 1,500 art pieces he has acquired and hung proudly on his walls. Many were created by Black Chicagoans. I smiled when I spotted a collage tin by contemporary collage artist Kee Mabin. No room was off limits: even his bathroom is decorated from floor to ceiling.

In his spare room, Patric displays a painting by his father

that found its way back to the McCoy family after being lost in the early 1900s. Someone read an article in The New York Times about his art collection and put two and two together. The piece was returned to Patric, and even though it was originally purchased for three dollars, this is his most valuable piece in his collection.

If you pay close attention, much of the art in his home tells you who Patric is. I noticed a collection of miniature bicycles in the corner of his living room; a bicycle also hangs f rom the kitchen ceiling, and portraits he took in the South Side sprinkle throughout the apartment. He pointed to a section of the wall that seems to be missing something and tells me that he will fill it with something soon, while the original art has been lent to an art exhibition he’s participating in.

In the spirit of Patric McCoy and the article I previously wrote on him for the Weekly, I decided to take pictures of this collection with my polaroid camera. (Luz Magdaleno Flores)

BEST COLLECTION OF CHICANO ART

Roman and Maria Villareal

South Chicago

The Villareals are an artistic Chicano-Tejano family with a vast collection of Chicano (Mexican American) art in their home and studio on Chicago’s East Side. We met at the family’s gallery, Nine 3 Studios on 9300 S. South Chicago Ave. Maria, the family matriarch, walked me to the open garage studio area, where I said hello to DTEL, an artist who shares studio space with Roman, Maria’s husband. There is almost always live art happening at Nine 3. Roman’s apprentice was working on one of two huge turtle sculptures. Roman later said that this is his last big scale work.

The Villareal home has two floors full of Chicano arte, much of it made by the many artists they call friends or family. Very little wall space is left bare.

These walls were not white. Their blue, yellow, lavender, and red walls were decorated with hundreds of art pieces made by artists such as Gamaliel Ramirez, L/W Vasquez, R Ferreyea, Francisco Mendoza, Marcos Raya, Sal Vega, Traz, and Jeff Maldonado, all artists from across the midwest, and many of them graffiti artists. The first floor houses Roman’s archive of his paintings, stacked along the walls, with most featuring his iconic portraits of brown people, many without eyes, reminiscent of cholos and pachucos. I feel lucky to be welcome into the home of one of my favorite artists.

Maria offered me some mango Jumex as we walked through the second floor. She laughed when Roman opened the door to a bedroom, saying, “Nothing is ever private!” Sprinkled throughout the home are family photos of their fifty years of marriage. I felt like I was at my Tia’s house, but with more art than I have ever seen in a Mexican household.

As I toured the home and studio, I couldn’t help but feel as though all the brown people that Roman has created, through paintings or sculptures, are also in whatever room Roman is in. (Luz Magdaleno Flores) ART

Patric McCoy collection Photo by Luz Magdaleno Flores

Home of Roman and Maria Villareal Photo by Luz Magdaleno Flores

NOSTALGIA, HISTORY, AND LEISURE

BEST FIRE STATION TOUR

Firehouse Engine Company 115West Pullman

When I first set out to tour one of the largest fire stations on the South Side, I had a vague notion of what to expect. After all, I watch Chicago Fire, so I thought I knew about fire stations. I was expecting to chat with firefighters, see some serious-looking equipment, and plenty of shiny fire trucks. I soon discovered that the popular NBC series is unlike the real thing. The actual experience went far beyond my assumptions.

Chicago firehouses are open to the public, and tours are conducted as a public courtesy. Individuals can simply show up anytime between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m., as long as firefighters aren’t busy; groups need to make reservations.

Despite being alone, I called ahead, and wound up scheduling a tour of Firehouse Engine Company 115, located at 1024 West 119th in West Pullman. I set up my first tour with Firefighter Adrienne Neely.

Neely, who was a police officer for fifteen years, has been a firefighter for eight years. She’s been assigned to that firehouse for the past three. Her role at the fire station is “225-Alpha,” or, in layperson’s terms, Deputy District Chief Anthony Frazier’s driver.

On the day of my tour, Neely met me at the firehouse’s main entrance. I was glad to see her waiting for me. The 27,000-square-foot, single-story building was colossal, and one could easily get turned around touring it.

Designed by the Public Building Commission in consultation with the Chicago Fire Department and the Office of Emergency Management (OEMC), the building was considered the largest firehouse ever constructed in the city proper when it was built in 2021. It houses two engines, one Tower ladder, two Advanced Life Support Ambulances, an OEMC communications monopole, an EMS Field Chief and a Deputy District Chief, according to the city.

The firehouse is “strategically located to allow for rapid response to both I-94 and I-57 interstate highways as needed, while serving its primary function of providing enhanced coverage of the Far South Side, which has not seen a new multi-apparatus firehouse in decades,” the city said in a statement.

The tour began just inside the entranceway. My eyes were immediately drawn to a memorial banner that hung on the wall in honor of fallen Firefighter Jermaine Pelt, who died in the line of duty in 2023 while battling a house fire in West Pullman. Neely recounted where she was the day the call came through about the loss of Pelt. It was a reminder of the close family bond shared between the firefighters.

From there, we toured the Administrative Area, where strategic planning takes place and where the office of the Deputy District Chief is located along with other administrative staff.

Neely made the tour interesting by sharing her extensive knowledge of the fire station, blending in personal stories and station history. Periodically, I had a chance to briefly speak with firefighters as we entered each area–about seven of them that day. Every greeting was warm and courteous.

As we reached the kitchen and lounge area, it began to smell like a Creole restaurant down in New Orleans! The kitchen was state-of-the art and the lounge room reminded me of being at a spa.

It was clear that each space was designed with comfort and functionality in mind, reflecting the firefighters’ need for relaxation and rest in between shifts. Each room

Firehouse Engine Company 115.

Photo by Cey Sincerray

was designed to support the approximately twenty firefighters/EMTs, their duties and well-being.

One of the most striking aspects of the visit was the “Apparatus Bay,” where the fire trucks and emergency vehicles are housed. Neely explained the function of each piece of equipment from the high-pressure water pumps to the hoses. I even got to try on one of the uniforms! I could barely stand upright in it because it was so heavy, and I only had on the jacket and the helmet.

As the tour concluded, I thanked Neely for making my visit such an enriching experience and leaving me with an even deeper appreciation of their work.

If you’re considering a tour, I would highly recommend stopping by your local fire station and requesting one. You’ll be happy you did. (Dierdre Robinson)

Firehouse Engine Company 115, 1024 W. 119th St.

Firehouse Engine Company 115, West Pullman.

Photo by Cey Sincerray

BEST LAZY SUNDAY AFTERNOON

White Sox Game - Bridgeport

For some fans, baseball is beautiful because the outcome of a game doesn't have to matter. This is especially true on the South Side, where the White Sox have lost a mind-boggling 120 games, and will likely set the record for the most losses (121) in an MLB season by the time this paper hits newsstands. That doesn’t stop a few hours at Guaranteed Rate Field from being a summertime Chicago activity for almost any mood. Perhaps more importantly, it might be the most purely Chicago of any sports venue in a city that has plenty of them to offer.

Before we get into the specificities that make baseball on the South Side a special experience, it has to be said that an afternoon at the ballpark is, in my view, summer in its ultimate form. In a world increasingly devoid of third spaces, it’s a place where a lone fan can feel social while maintaining their solitude, whether the crowd is at its current sparse baseline or 40,000 strong in the best of times.

Simultaneously, the slow and unrushed nature of the sport makes it a lovely environment for those who are inclined to be social, facilitating hours of conversation interrupted only by the periodic moments of excitement that ultimately lead to a win or a loss.

Live baseball is a unique environment within the landscape of professional sports. Again, the action on the field can be completely secondary if one wants it to be. In Chicago, I’ve found there are few better places to simply hang out than in the seats at Guaranteed Rate Field. At a Bulls or Blackhawks game at the United Center, the nonstop action and dazzling lights of a dark and cavernous arena don’t make a fruitful setting for conversation. Football features plenty of pauses for breath, but one might have some difficulty sustaining any kind of physical relaxation while bracing against the winter winds at Soldier Field. Even though baseball is played on the North Side too, Wrigley Field can resemble a college party house as much as a ballpark.

There’s a serenity to an afternoon or evening at the Sox game that can’t be taken for granted, and a kind of peace to soaking in the sun with an overpriced draft Old Style that I have difficulty finding anywhere else in the city.

The ballpark still colloquially referred to by erstwhile names like “Comiskey” and “Sox Park” has a less-than-stellar reputation among those who frequent the MLB stadium circuit; when it opened in 1991, the park’s bland design and steep seating was panned by local critics. A series of renovations in the mid-2000s completely reshaped its aesthetic, though, and while it’ll never be the out-of-town tourist attraction you can find in Lakeview, it’s become one of the most quintessentially local entertainment venues in the city and one of my favorite places to bring visitors.

Though it still has hot dogs, cracker jacks, and classic baseball fare, there are but a select few venues across our area codes that match the diversity of food you can find at 35th and Shields. It encapsulates the cultural landscape of the South Side as well as any quasi-public space in the city, and even with quite literally the worst team in MLB history on the field, the experience gets no less fresh as the summer marches on.

There’s always something new to discover. Despite having wandered those concourses hundreds of times, it was only this past June that I came across an excellent empanada stand tucked underneath the center field fan deck. I also recently enjoyed their spiritual Eastern European counterpart with a tray of pierogis behind home plate.

If you’re craving Mexican food, or simply want to avoid meat, I’ve often availed myself of the elote bowl, a version of the street food that I have yet to see replicated across the nearly fifteen MLB parks I’ve visited. Other choices pay homage to the his-

tory of the team itself, like the vendors along the baselines selling Cuban sandwiches named for Hall of Famer and Sox legend Orestes ‘Minnie’ Miñoso, the first in what over the last several decades has become an extensive tradition of Cuba-born stars to play on the South Side.

In summers past, I’ve watched friends delight at finding the perfect vacation photo op with a footlong Chicago-style hot dog. If I ever developed a spell of mid-game amnesia and forgot where I was, it wouldn’t take long for the availability of a slice of Beggars Pizza or a neon-colored Rainbow Cone to jog my memory.

The local flavor doesn’t end with food. There’s a simple lightness to the in-game entertainment that makes the oft-ugly action feel irrelevant. It often draws a smile or a laugh even amid some of my darkest moods. With every fan being given a card with an assigned winner upon entering the stadium, the crowd’s investment in the scoreboard’s animated Italian Beef race—a virtual sprint between anthropomorphized varieties of beef available at your local Buona—is palpable. Just a few weeks ago, I laughed as I watched a group of Elvis impersonators skydive onto the field to throw the first pitch of Elvis Night, a Sox tradition stretching back nearly two decades now. No matter what happens on the field, the Friday night fireworks show rarely disappoints.

There’s a kind of public entertainment to be found here at the ballpark in Bridgeport that seems to exist in fewer and fewer places. On September 13, Hispanic Heritage night, three days before Mexico’s Independence Day, I jammed out in my seat as live performances of musical genres across the Latin diaspora took place outside the stadium and in the eye-catching Kids Zone, a huge, multi-level mezzanine beyond the left field concourse with activities and entertainment options for younger fans. An attendee of Polish Heritage night, meanwhile, often hears the stadium filled with polka music. The list of cultures celebrated at GRF is extensive; the 2024 season’s schedule also included Greek, Mexican, African American, and Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage nights, as well as the tongue-in-cheek Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day, a longtime favorite of the team’s sizable South Side Irish fanbase.

Perpetually the little brother franchise, the White Sox are frequently crushed under the weight of the attention afforded the Bears, Cubs, and Bulls. It’s far from Chicago’s flashiest attraction, and the White Sox themselves seem highly intent upon leaving the stadium after the 2028 season. All more the reason, perhaps, to enjoy the peaceful lightheartedness of a day at the ballpark, with such a well-executed local twist. (Malachi Hayes)

Home games at Guaranteed Rate Field, 333 W. 35th St. Check schedule and buy tickets at: mlb.com/whitesox

Guaranteed Rate Field.

Photo by Tonal Simmons

BEST ALL-YOU-CAN-FIND SHOPPING CENTER

Super Mall - Midway

After Discount Mall’s unpopular downsizing in Little Village, Supermall is the only shopping mall of its kind on the South Side—a huge business hub made up almost entirely of immigrant vendors, from Mexican to Korean, in rented ten-by-ten-foot stalls.

One exception might be the interior of the Swap-O-Rama flea market, but they require an entrance fee. Meanwhile, Super Mall is free to browse and loiter in.

When I was a student at Curie High School, and in the absence of community centers and hangout spots, I would often cross the four-lane street at 52nd and Pulaski and a massive parking lot to go to Super Mall, alone or with friends.

I’m talking about the pre-digital era, and what first drew me in were the various discotecas (music stores) that would promote young talent in the house, hip-hop and duranguense music genres. If you were lucky, you could even bump into music promoters who would pass out complimentary baile tickets.

But what has kept me coming back is the variety of products that you could find in one place.

I have literally visited the shopping center to: buy a gold ring for a quinceañera, grab medicinal herbs for a home remedy, get a graduation t-shirt airbrushed, get something embroidered, find soccer cleats, solicit a DJ for a party, ask prices for a plane ticket, and try on imported sombreros. Not to mention, the tacos from the food section are fire!

Places like this are needed to allow independent entrepreneurs to start up and flourish, even when there might be a language barrier or a limited understanding of how to run a business in Chicago.

The Super Mall of the Midwest is managed by E.P.K. Management and opened in 1996, when the area had yet to see many Latinx people living on the Southwest Side. We’ve seen its evolution into a busy and colorful market, hopefully for decades to come. (Jackie Serrato)

Super Mall, 5220 S. Pulaski Rd. Monday–Saturday, 10am–8pm; Sundays, 10am–7pm. (773) 581-9200

Super Mall

Photo by Jackie Serrato

BEST PIECE OF PRE-COLONIAL PRAIRIE

Ashburn Prairie in Marquette Park Chicago Lawn

Like many other longtime Southwest Siders, I grew up frequenting Marquette Park in Chicago Lawn to gather with family, feed the ducks, or check out the former rose garden.

As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, the park continues to serve as a reliable space for me to gather safely with friends. We go on nature walks and mini-adventures, each time noticing something different: an odd-looking duck, graffiti tags with culturally relevant statements, or an improvised path leading to a secretly stunning view.

Thanks to groups like the West Lawn Conservation Club and Chicago BIPOC Birders I have become better acquainted with the plants and birds that inhabit the park such as the black-crowned and great blue herons that can often be spotted catching fish with pinpoint precision.

On any given summer day, you'll find the 315.18 acres of land being utilized in many ways: compadres fish at the lagoon, families gather for soccer games at the various fields, kids and adults play basketball at the courts, and different groups host community or private events.

On especially hot days, the tree canopy and lagoon offer respite from industrialization and the heat island effect of the Southwest Side. My favorite trees are the willows that lean towards the lagoon as if staring at their reflection. I especially like visiting in the evening when the sun is setting, painting the tops of trees pink and illuminating the surface of the lagoon with its glow.

I recently learned that at the center of the park lies a precolonial piece of land known as the Ashburn Prairie. The three-and-a-half acre prairie was transplanted from its original location on 87th and Kedzie in 1993 as a preservation effort. This got me wondering how the park’s history shapes how we relate to it.

Known as the largest park on the Southwest Side, Marquette is also marked by a racist history. Named after “explorer and missionary” Father Jacques Marquette, the park’s racist and violent history—along with the rest of Chicago’s—can be dated back to the colonization of the Americas. The name, derived from Jacques Marquette’s “exploration” of the Mississippi River with Louis Joliet, disregards the knowledge and relationships to the land that exists among native people.

According to the Park District’s website, Marquette and other Chicago parks were created by the South Park Commission, which worked to “acquire” the land between 1878 and 1909.

“Superintendent J. Frank Foster conceived the new parks as beautifully landscaped ‘breathing spaces’ that would provide educational and social services to the City's congested immigrant neighborhoods,” the website reads. The immigrant communities that these parks were originally designed to serve were composed of central, southern and eastern Europe whites.

When Martin Luther King, Jr. visited on August 5, 1966, he was met with a crowd of angry white residents that physically attacked him and other peaceful protesters. MLK had come to Chicago Lawn to advocate for open housing, but was met by hostility from what was at the time a predominantly white neighborhood. In 2016, a memorial was unveiled on the corner of S. Kedzie Ave. and W. Marquette Rd. to commemorate the fifty-years since the event. The memorial was sponsored by the Inner-city Muslim Action Network located on 63rd and California.

According to the website, the process of realizing the plan for Marquette Park was slow, “due to drainage problems and the site's large size.” I wonder what the process of “acquiring” so much land looked like, and what the land was like originally.

The Ashburn Prairie contains a wide range of native species as well as rich soil. If I had to choose one aspect of the park I cherish the most, this would be it. The Ashburn Prairie serves as a reminder that we are still on unceded and occupied Indigenous land.

(Citlali Perez)

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

Two sisters feeding ducks in Marquette Park.

Photo by Kaelah Serrano

WRITERS

Jasmine Barnes (she/her) is a multidisciplinary writer, community builder, and facilitator exploring themes of relational healing, communal care, creative self-expression and spirituality in her work. She is a Muña Art Writing Resident and a regular contributor to Sixty Inches From Center and South Side Weekly. Website: jasbarnes.com

Kalief Dinkins is a twenty-six-year-old self-taught Fine-Artist from the South Side of Chicago. His artwork spans from canvas paintings to fashion design and largescale murals. IG: @kaysean_ - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Luz Magdaleno Flores @lightofyourvida is a Chicana photographer, writer, vinyl DJ, and bilingual editor for SixtyInchesFromCenter.org. Currently based in Chicago by way of Oxnard, California she aims to evoke feelings of nostalgia and melancholy for cultural and romantic memories in her artwork.

Rovetta McKinney is a buyer with over thirteen years of purchasing experience in the jewelry, interior design and education industry. She is also the owner of a Christian lifestyle website, www.COTHlife.com. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, researching future travel and leaving a new creative skill. (Also took photos for the issue)

Kristian Parker is a writer and visual storyteller whose work is rooted in intentionality and excitement for sharing keen observations about the world around her. Inspiration is often sourced from lived, everyday experiences —from the unique to the mundane. She’s written other articles about the arts for the Weekly.

Citlali Perez is a bilingual freelance multimedia journalist and artist based in Chicago’s Southwest side.

Dierdre Robinson is a frequent arts and entertainment contributor to South Side Weekly. She loves - and writes about - the arts, theater, books, and popular culture. She graduated from Michigan State University and has worked for the Lansing State Journal in Michigan, Louisville Courier Journal, Rockford Register Star and Pensacola News Journal

Jimmy Rodgers is a student at the University of Illinois at Chicago studying physics with a minor in political science. He is a freelance writer in his spare time, and by the age of twenty, published his first book ‘Letters From Grief’. Instagram & X: @Florecer_Chi

Xuandi Wang is a writer and researcher. He hails from Zhejiang, China.

Writers whose bios were not available by press time: Pugs Atomz, Malachi Hayes, Maritere Gomez, Andrew Peterson.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kaelah Serrano is a photojournalist from the South Side of Chicago. She is currently a senior at Columbia College Chicago and is pursuing her Bachelors of Arts (BA) in photojournalism and will be receiving it in May of 2025.

Cey (“see”) Sinceŕray is a multimedia entrepreneur in mediums of documentary photography, film and international podcasting. They are currently a Visual Arts teaching artist with Changing Worlds, one of Vera Creative’s CORE Team leaders, and an Englewood Lead Civic Researcher for the Black Researchers Collective.

Caeli Kean (she/they) is a community organiser, food justice advocate, and artist committed to building people's power and resistance through collective action. Caeli's work primarily centres around solidarity with the National Democratic movement in the Philippines, community control of the police, and anti-imperialist, anti-war struggle.

AJ Johnson is a photography student and documentarian based in Hyde Park.

Addison Annis is a multimedia journalist pursuing a B.A. in photojournalism with a video production minor at Columbia College Chicago. Annis is the deputy editor at The Columbia Chronicle, and has worked for news organizations including The Associated Press and Gateway Journalism Review.

Amber Stoutenborough is a Chicago-based freelance multimedia journalist. She studied Journalism at DePaul University, where she served as the Multimedia Managing Editor for the school's award-winning newspaper, The DePaulia

Tonal Simmons Tonal (tuh-nawl) Simmons is a Chicago-based portrait photographer and writer. Their work explores the intersections of the natural world, gender identity, Blackness, mental health, and art.

Photographers whose bios were not available by press time: William Guerrero, Susan Carlotta Ellis, Logan Wieczorek, Mike Richardson

BREAK CYCLES TO BUILD FUTURES