December 15, 2022

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY IN CHICAGO

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 10, Issue 7

Editor-in-Chief Jacqueline Serrato

Managing Editor Adam Przybyl

Senior Editors Martha Bayne Christopher Good Olivia Stovicek Sam Stecklow

Immigration Editor Alma Campos

Community Builder Chima Ikoro

Contributing Editors Jocelyn Vega Francisco Ramírez Pinedo Scott Pemberton

Visuals Editor Bridget Killian

Deputy Visuals Editor Shane Tolentino

Staff Illustrators Mell Montezuma Shane Tolentino

Director of Fact

Checking: Sky Patterson

Fact Checkers: Grace Del Vecchio, Kate Linderman, Zoe Pharo, Emily Soto

Layout Editor Tony Zralka

Special Projects Coordinator Malik Jackson

Managing Director Jason Schumer

Office Manager Mary Leonard

Advertising Manager Susan Malone

Webmaster Pat Sier

The Weekly is produced by a mostly all-volunteer editorial staff and seeks contributions from across the city. We publish online weekly and in print every other Thursday.

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

South Side Weekly

6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637

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

Last issue of the year

Dear readers, this will be the Weekly’s last print issue of the year. We’ll return in 2023 on January 12. We want to thank you for continuing to pick up copies of the paper and sharing stories you found interesting with family and friends. This year we highlighted artists and musicians, reported on immigration, analyzed segregation, and provided coverage of the primary and general elections. Next year we’ll jump into coverage of the city elections and bring on a new cohort of section editors to help shape the Weekly’s editorial vision. Stay tuned, and as always, feel free to email us at editor@southsideweekly.com with any questions, tips, pitches, and words of appreciation.

–South Side Weekly Editors

IN THIS ISSUE

brandon johnson is running to be a promise keeper

The Cook County Board Commissioner will invest in violence prevention, housing, and mental health as mayor.

sky patterson and jacqueline serrato ................................. 4

brandon johnson se postula como candidato a alcalde que cumplirá promesas

The ‘Purge Law’ is rightwing propaganda

The Weekly has extensively covered cash bond reform—it was the subject of the last cover story in 2020—but in recent months the topic gained traction after Republicans in Illinois and nationwide weaponized the issue ahead of the general elections in an attempt to push the criminalized narrative about Chicago. Governor J.B. Prizker signed a bill known as the SAFE-T Act in February that would eliminate cash bail, but the move was quickly mischaracterized as a get-out-of-jail card that would release violent criminals into the streets. When, in fact, the measure is meant to address the hundreds of detainees who are locked up in jails awaiting their trial because they cannot afford a bond: proponents consider it a matter of economic and racial justice. The SAFE-T Act does not pertain to violent felonies like murder and sexual assault or to suspects who pose a “flight risk” or a safety risk to their communities. A Loyola University study found that even though Cook County Jail released a quarter of its detainees in 2020 due to COVID, it did not have a direct correlation to an increase in crime in the city.

Gentrifying Latinx neighborhoods see staggering increase in property tax bills

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ recent report on this year’s property taxes highlighted the increased burden facing Latinx neighborhoods and prompted calls for reform to the system of property taxes. The report stated that Cook County was billed $614 million more than last year, with homeowners picking up the majority of the increase. A few reasons for the higher taxes were noted: a new state law allowing municipalities to recoup taxes refunded in the previous year; additional taxes from TIF districts going into the TIF fund instead of paying for operating expenses, shifting the burden to others; and successful appeals of assessments, lowering those individuals’ bills but forcing others to pick up the tab.

In 2018, Fritz Kaegi beat Joseph Berrios in the primary race for Cook County Assessor on the power of a simple promise: make the system of property tax assessments more fair. For years, Berrios had been underassessing the value of big commercial properties and overassessing the value of homes in low-income neighborhoods. That led to lower property taxes for corporations that owned skyscrapers and higher property taxes for homeowners—or higher rents, as landlords passed down the costs to tenants. Kaegi promised to bring the assessments in line with reality and international standards, and did so, with residential assessments falling and commercial assessments going up.

El comisionado del Condado de Cook dijo que si es elegido invertirá en la prevención de la violencia, la vivienda asequible y la salud mental.

por sky patterson y jacqueline serrato 5

the joy and struggles of building a housing co-op

ChiFresh Kitchen and others speak on the journey to start a housing cooperative. annabel rocha, jhaylin benson, jerrel floyd, city bureau ...................... 7

blissing out

Ling Ma’s Bliss Montage stretches the familiar into the surreal. reema saleh........................................... 10

a car pound, snow cones, and infested furniture in season 3 of south side

The popular comedy pays homage to the city, Black women, and untapped talent. kristian parker ..................................... 12

cook county’s embattled domestic violence courts face more reforms

“He’s horrible, he’s a misogynist, he’s a racist. He needs to go.”

max blaisdell 14

temp workers’ labor rights, explained What to do if you suspect wage theft at a staffing agency, and other questions answered. siri chilukuri, maia mcdonald, cristal ramírez, daniela tovar-miranda, city bureau ............................................ 15

the exchange

The Weekly’s poetry corner offers our thoughts in exchange for yours.

chima ikoro, c. lofty bolling ............... 18

Nolasco, WBEZ

But it turns out the assessor is only part of the puzzle. Property owners can go to the Cook County Board of Review to appeal their assessments, and in many cases lower their tax bills—which means the rest have to pay the difference. Often those with time and money are in the best position to appeal their tax bills, prompting alderpeople like Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th) to say “the system is broken” and should be reformed. Another factor is that in gentrifying neighborhoods, the overall value of land went up, leading to tax bills for residents up to three times higher than last year. Ald. Rosanna Rodriguez-Sanchez pointed out higher taxes will lead to displacement in Latinx neighborhoods, as “many live on fixed incomes” and that there’s been a “displacement of Latinos to the suburbs because they can’t afford to live here already.” On December 12, Kaegi met with members of the Pilsen Chamber of Commerce, the Resurrection Project, and the Pilsen Community Neighbor's Council to discuss concerns about the high tax bills.

forensic medical evaluators for asylum seekers need more support Evaluations of asylees’ physical and psychological trauma helps strengthen their asylum cases.

chelsea zhao ........................................... 21

calendar Bulletin and events.

zoe pharo, south side weekly staff 22

Cover photo by Joe

Brandon Johnson is Running to be a Promise Keeper

Citing Lightfoot’s broken campaign promises, the Cook County Board Commissioner will invest in violence prevention, housing, and mental health as mayor.

BY SKY PATTERSON AND JACQUELINE SERRATO

The 2023 Chicago mayoral race is crowded with nearly a dozen candidates on the ballot, and Brandon Johnson is, thus far, considered by many to be the most progressive candidate for mayor of Chicago. The Weekly recently sat down with Johnson to understand his background and what he’s about.

Johnson has served four years as Cook County Board Commissioner in the 1st District, which includes part of Chicago’s West Side and a few western suburbs. He said he’s running because Mayor Lori Lightfoot has not looked out for working families, citing environmental justice, public education, and safety as areas where her administration has fallen short.

“She has flaked, and she has broken promises, and she has failed our communities in the most dramatic ways. And that is why I’m running for mayor of Chicago, quite frankly—to be a promise keeper,” he said.

Though Johnson largely grew up in Elgin, he shared that his paternal grandmother and their family, upon arriving in Chicago during the second wave of the Great Migration, made their first stop on the West Side and later settled on the South Side around 79th and Ashland.

He treasures memories of Sundays and holidays spent with cousins, aunts, and uncles in their South Side threeflat. Other relatives would continue their journey north to Saginaw, Flint, and Detroit, Michigan.

Along with his wife Stacie, Johnson is raising his children Owen, Ethan, and

parks, affordable housing, and mental health.

In his conversation with the Weekly, Johnson spoke about his late older brother and hero, Leon, who struggled

my family has gone through, I’m gonna do that.”

As Cook County Commissioner, Johnson worked on the Budget for Black Lives, an effort to divert money away

from Cook County jails and invest more in addressing the root causes of violence. He listed several initiatives that resulted from this campaign, including Cook County’s guaranteed income pilot, one of the largest in the country; the expansion of CountyCare health insurance and the elimination of over $1 billion in medical debt; and a $75 million investment in violence prevention and reduction.

Johnson also sponsored and helped pass the Just Housing Amendment, an addition to the Cook County Human Rights Ordinance that aims to prevent housing discrimination against people with criminal records.

According to his campaign website, Johnson supports other “root cause solutions” such as reopening the city’s mental health clinics, having more youth employment opportunities, and creating an Office of Gun Violence Prevention.

He told the Weekly that within the first couple of months of his administration, he will partner with businesses, the faith community, and sister agencies to create “the most expansive, aggressive youth hiring program that this city has seen in a generation,” and it would extend yearround instead of being confined to the summer months.

If elected mayor, Johnson said he would not only work to build more affordable housing but also support policies that “protect, expand, and reimagine public housing.” Additionally, he said he supports statewide and federal policies and programs that provide down payment assistance to prospective homeowners. Johnson said he and his wife would not be Austin homeowners

Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson at MacArthur’s Restaurant.

PHOTO BY SKY PATTERSON

had it not been for these programs, and he wants to see those opportunities extended to more people.

The Bring Chicago Home Ordinance—a proposal to tax homes worth over $1 million to fund homelessness services—was stalled in City Council this November because not enough alderpersons showed up to meet quorum.

Johnson said he supports the ordinance. As mayor, he said he would provide clear direction and encourage everyone to show up to work. “We’re not going to just hide behind….procedures to avoid making decisions. We have to make decisions. That’s what people would like [elected officials] to do.”

When asked about the possibility of the progressive base being divided

mean, I was a part of that movement to represent that,” Johnson said.

“The strength of our campaign has to be about the strength of our ability to govern. So I’ve demonstrated my ability to organize, to lead, and govern. That is the strength of this movement,” he said.

Johnson has the support of SEIU Local 73, SEIU Healthcare Illinois, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), and United Working Families.

Johnson, who announced his candidacy two weeks before García, has received large donations from CTU, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, and the SEIU Local 73 Bi-Partisan PAC. And the American Federation of Teachers committed to giving Johnson’s campaign a $1 million boost.

García’s top donors in the third

“She has flaked, and she has broken promises, and she has failed our communities in the most dramatic ways. And that is why I’m running for mayor of Chicago, quite frankly—to be a promise keeper.”

between him and Congressman Jesús “Chuy” García, who previously served as Cook County Commissioner himself, Johnson said, “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Congressman García, and I think that his leadership and the generation in which he really found his voice has created opportunities for folks like myself to lead. And I appreciate that.”

But Johnson isn’t worried, saying he believes in the broad coalition he has helped build over the last twenty years. He cited the union endorsements he has received and the bridges he’s built through his work with state representative Lakeisha Collins and alderpersons Jeanette Taylor, Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, and Rossana Rodriguez Sanchez.

“I fought for an elected representative school board, organized to raise the minimum wage, [and] we organized to bring real police accountability to this city [and] the [police] district council races. I

quarter were his own congressional political campaign committee and the political committees for state senators Edgar Gonzales Jr. and Celina Villanueva. And recently, García received an endorsement and a $1 million pledge from the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 (IUOE Local 150).

Johnson has more than $1 million cash on hand while García has over $600,000.

The 2023 mayoral election is on February 28, 2023. If no candidate receives over fifty percent of the votes, a run-off election will be held on April 4, 2023. ¬

Sky Patterson is the Weekly’s Director of Fact-checking. They most recently wrote about the Worker’s Rights Amendment for the Weekly. Jacqueline Serrato is the Weekly’s editor-in-chief.

Brandon Johnson se postula como candidato a alcalde que cumplirá promesas

Respondiendo a las promesas no cumplidas de Lightfoot, el comisionado del Condado de Cook dijo que si es elegido invertirá en la prevención de la violencia, la vivienda asequible y la salud mental.

POR SKY PATTERSON Y JACQUELINE SERRATO TRADUCIDO POR ALMA CAMPOS

La contienda por la alcaldía de Chicago en 2023 está repleta con casi una docena de candidatos, y Brandon Johnson se distingue, hasta la fecha, como el candidato más progresista. Recientemente, el Weekly se sentó con él para conocerlo y saber de qué se trata.

Johnson ha trabajado cuatro años como comisionado del Condado de Cook en el 1er Distrito, que incluye parte del sureste de Chicago y algunos suburbios del oeste. Dice que se postula porque la alcaldesa Lori Lightfoot no ha defendido a las familias trabajadoras, y señala la justicia ambiental, la educación pública y la seguridad como áreas en las que su administración ha fallado.

“No ha cumplido sus promesas y les ha fallado a nuestras comunidades de la forma más dramática. Y por eso

me postulo a la alcaldía de Chicago, francamente, para ser un cumplidor de promesas”, dijo.

Aunque Johnson se crió principalmente en Elgin, compartió que su abuela paterna y su familia, al llegar a Chicago durante la segunda ola de la Gran Migración de afrodescendientes, hicieron su primera parada en el lado oeste y más tarde se establecieron en el sur de Chicago alrededor de la calle 79th y la avenida Ashland.

Recuerda con emoción los domingos y días festivos que pasaba con sus primos, tíos y tías en su casa de tres pisos en el sur de Chicago. Otros parientes continuarían su viaje hacia el norte, a Saginaw, Flint y Detroit, Michigan.

Junto con su esposa Stacie, Johnson está criando a sus hijos, Owen, Ethan

y Braedyn, en Austin. Asisten a la Academia Kenwood y a otras Escuelas Públicas de Chicago.

Johnson dijo que la falta de compromiso de la alcaldesa ha hecho que comunidades como la suya se sientan menos seguras. Su barrio está muy afectado por la violencia, la falta de inversión y el exceso de policía. Señaló que se ha invertido demasiado dinero en el encarcelamiento en lugar de invertir en escuelas, bibliotecas, parques, vivienda asequible y salud mental.

En su conversación con el Weekly, Johnson habló de su difunto hermano mayor y héroe, Leon, que luchó con la drogadicción.

“Mi hermano murió sin dónde vivir y adicto. Y me pregunto si hace treinta años nos hubiéramos comprometido a la salud mental y a tratar los traumas de las personas, en lugar de criminalizarlas: .... ¿estaría vivo?", dijo. "Es difícil hablar de ello; extraño a mi hermano. Y si podemos evitar que otras familias pasen por lo mismo que la mía, lo haré”.

Como comisionado del Condado de Cook, Johnson trabajó en el presupuesto Budget for Black Lives, un esfuerzo para desviar dinero de las cárceles del Condado de Cook hacia abordar la raíz del problema en cuanto a la violencia. Nombró varias iniciativas que fueron resultado de esta campaña, como el programa piloto de ingresos garantizados del Condado de Cook (uno de los mayores del país), la ampliación del seguro médico CountyCare, la eliminación de más de mil millones de dólares en deudas médicas y una inversión de $75 millones en la prevención y reducción de la violencia.

Johnson también patrocinó y ayudó a aprobar la Enmienda de Vivienda Justa, una adición a la Ordenanza de Derechos Humanos que pretende evitar la discriminación la vivienda contra las personas que tienen antecedentes penales.

Según la página web de su campaña, Johnson apoya otras soluciones que

eliminan “la raíz del problema”, como reabrir las clínicas de salud mental de la ciudad, más oportunidades de empleo para los jóvenes y la creación de una oficina para la prevención de la violencia armada.

De ser elegido alcalde, Johnson dijo que no sólo trabajaría para construir más viviendas asequibles, sino que también apoyaría políticas que “protejan, amplíen y reimaginen la vivienda pública.” Además, dijo que apoya las políticas y programas estatales y federales que proveen ayuda para pagar el enganche de futuros dueños

funcionarios electos]”.

Cuando se le preguntó acerca de la posibilidad de que la base de votantes progresistas se dividiera entre él y el congresista Jesús “Chuy” García, quien anteriormente se desempeñó como comisionado del Condado de Cook, Johnson dijo: “He tenido la oportunidad de trabajar con el congresista García, y creo que su liderazgo y la generación en la que realmente encontró su voz ha creado oportunidades para que gente como yo pueda liderar. Y lo agradezco”.

Pero Johnson no está preocupado,

Así que he demostrado mi capacidad para organizar, dirigir y gobernar. Esa es la fuerza de este movimiento”, afirmó.

Johnson cuenta con el apoyo de SEIU Local 73, SEIU Healthcare Illinois, el sindicato de maestros de Chicago (CTU, por sus siglas en inglés) y United Working Families.

Johnson, que anunció su candidatura dos semanas antes que García, ha recibido grandes donaciones de CTU, la Federación de Maestros de Illinois y el PAC bipartidista de SEIU Local 73. Asimismo, la Federación Americana de Maestros se comprometió a darle a la campaña de Johnson un impulso de $1 millón.

Los principales donantes de García en el tercer trimestre fueron su propio comité político de campaña para el Congreso y los comités políticos de los senadores estatales Edgar Gonzáles Jr. y Celina Villanueva. Y recientemente, García recibió el apoyo y una promesa de $1 millón de la Unión Internacional de Ingenieros de Operaciones Local 150 (IUOE Local 150).

de casa. Johnson dijo que él y su esposa no serían propietarios en Austin si no fuera por estos programas, y quiere ver esas oportunidades extendidas a más personas.

La ordenanza Bring Chicago Home —una propuesta para imponer un impuesto a las viviendas de más de un millón de dólares para financiar los servicios para las personas sin hogar— fue paralizada en el Ayuntamiento este noviembre porque no se presentaron suficientes concejales para hacer la votación.

Johnson dijo que apoya la ordenanza. Como alcalde, dijo que les daría una dirección clara y animaría a todos a ponerse a trabajar. “No vamos a escondernos... para evitar tomar decisiones. Tenemos que tomar decisiones. Eso es lo que a la gente le gustaría que hicieran [los

diciendo que cree en la amplia coalición que ha ayudado a construir en los pasados veinte años. Citó el apoyo de los sindicatos que ha recibido y los “puentes” que ha formado gracias a su trabajo con la representante estatal Lakeisha Collins y los concejales Jeanette Taylor, Carlos Ramírez-Rosa y Rossana Rodríguez Sánchez.

“Luché por un consejo escolar representativo elegido, organicé para aumentar el salario mínimo, [y] nos organizamos para que la policía asumiera realmente su responsabilidad en esta ciudad [y] en las elecciones del concejo de distritos [policiales]. Es decir, formé parte de un movimiento para representar eso”, dijo Johnson.

“La fuerza de nuestra campaña tiene que ser nuestra capacidad para gobernar.

Johnson tiene más de $1 millón en efectivo a la mano, mientras que García tiene más de $600,000.

Las elecciones a la alcaldía se llevarán acabo el 28 de febrero del 2023. Si ningún candidato obtiene más del cincuenta por ciento de los votos, se realizará una segunda ronda electoral el 4 de abril del 2023. ¬

Sky Patterson es directore de verificación de datos del Weekly. Anteriormente escribió sobre la Enmienda de Derechos de los Trabajadores. Jacqueline Serrato es la editora en jefe del Weekly

“Johnson dijo que la falta de compromiso de la alcaldesa ha hecho que comunidades como la suya se sientan menos seguras”.

The Joy and Struggles of Building a Housing Co-op

BY ANNABEL ROCHA, JHAYLIN BENSON, JERREL FLOYD, CITY BUREAU

This story was originally published by City Bureau on December 7.

Cardboard boxes of food stacked across the kitchen might appear scattered to outsiders, but make sense to staff working in a building on East 71st Street, in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood.

The warehouse feel and gleam of stainless steel appliances fades from the kitchen when stepping through a doorway into a nearby room. Columns of unopened food boxes form an almost mazelike pathway toward the backroom, where a small table makes it a tight fit. The room is modest, but serves a space for brainstorming, arguing, cracking jokes and discussing the needs of the staff of ChiFresh Kitchen.

ChiFresh is a food service contractor and worker cooperative that prioritizes hiring formerly incarcerated Black women. Founded in 2020, ChiFresh has become a valued resource in neighborhoods across the city, serving healthy meals to lowincome communities in locations such as daycares and schools. Owner and president Kimberly Britt explained that from allergies to portions to temperature control—one mistake has the potential to throw off the quality of the end product.

With the food business running smoothly, ChiFresh’s handful of owneremployees are in the process of organizing their own housing cooperative, which they believe will give them more control over their housing needs.

“Everybody wants three times the rent on your paycheck,” Britt said while reflecting on her own struggle to find

housing. “Everybody wants to do a background check.”

For many renters in Chicago, the feeling of being powerless and at the mercy of property owners is all too familiar.

An array of issues plague the housing market—rising rents prices, gentrification, displacement—and given that Chicago has a shortage of 120,000 affordable housing units, housing co-ops have once again emerged as viable options to help fill the gap.

A housing cooperative is a residential property that is owned, and often managed by the people who live in the building.

The members of the co-op do not pay rent to a traditional landlord and are jointly responsible for maintenance. Co-ops can make home ownership more accessible for lower-income residents.

While there is little legal resistance for those who wish to start a housing co-op in Chicago, there is an education gap because of the absence of a centralized place for information to assist aspiring co-ops along the way. So what does starting a housing cooperative entail? City Bureau met with folks establishing their own to discuss the joys, the struggles and what they’re learning through the process.

As formerly incarcerated individuals, the ChiFresh worker-owners faced barriers to safe and affordable housing like cost, credit and background checks, forcing them to live in areas that felt unsafe.

“It’s not really realistic for us to have a $2 million building that we work out of, but we’re living in the hood, where we get our cars stolen, our houses broken into, et cetera, et cetera,” said Britt.

“To live somewhere safe, it’s just, it costs you a lot,” agreed Edrinna Bryant, owner and chef of ChiFresh.

Like many people, the ChiFresh staff did not know what a housing cooperative was. Camille Kerr, consultant and founder of the worker ownership firm Upside Down Consulting, taught Britt and Bryant about the potential of cooperative models.

ChiFresh had the vision of building a network of resources for people who were formerly incarcerated and Kerr had the knowledge to help direct them.

“Being able to have someone who knew what a co-op was and just walking us through, we [were] able to plan this on our own and come up with our own ideas,” said Bryant.

“Once we put our vision together,” said Britt, “how could you say no? The whole world is claiming to be about reentry.”

Cooperative building isn't linear and without help from someone experienced in establishing one, it can be a difficult process to endure. ChiFresh is also receiving guidance from Jason Tompkins, a co-op resident and board member of NASCO Properties, an organization that primarily works with student housing cooperatives. “There is a learning curve if you really want to do this in a way that protects your sanity and, then really, is able to keep it in the hands of the people,” he said, although he notes local resources like the Chicago Rehab Network can offer some assistance.

Connections

The first step when establishing a coop is building a network of interested members. For most housing co-ops this

Left to right: Edrinna Bryant, Daniel McWilliams and Kimberly Britt, worker-owners of ChiFresh Kitchen, a food service contractor and worker cooperative, are hoping to purchase a building to launch an affordable housing co-op.

PHOTO BY ABEL URIBE/CITY BUREAU

Camille Kerr is a consultant who supported the worker-owners of ChiFresh Kitchen when establishing their worker cooperative. She networks for the team as they attempt to create a housing co-op.

PHOTO BY ABEL URIBE/CITY BUREAU

wants it to be. He said he wishes Logan Square had been more diverse with age and families. “We’re all getting older now, so we’re also less able to do a lot of physical tasks,” Smithivas said, referring to things like shoveling snow and general building

But Hatcher said the first step for emerging housing cooperatives is forming a legal entity. That process is often broken down into two options: formally incorporating a business in the state or forming a nonprofit and applying for recognition by the Internal Revenue

ChiFresh is an already established legal entity. And because of its success with fundraising and popularity and name recognition—funding the housing

Hatcher warned that one of the most common mistakes is rushing to acquire Kerr said in addition to applying for loans, ChiFresh is also looking for grants to offset additional costs to make sure the

“We probably got the funding lined

“It’s not easy to get anything from them,” Hodges said. “They push you … they make you have accountability,” she said, referencing the training they had to go through to get funding.

In March, the city of Chicago revealed a new pilot program aimed at preserving vulnerable properties in South Shore by granting money to housing co-ops and condos. The city’s Community Wealth Ecosystem Building (Community WEB) Program, allocates $15 million in grants to organizations that support entities like limited equity co-ops, a type of housing cooperative that limits how much a resident can resell their unit. The idea is to maintain affordability.

But what makes a housing co-op unique is its ability to move as a collective. Maurice Williams, the vice president of economic development for the Chicago Community Loan Fund, said individual credit scores aren’t necessarily important when starting a co-op. What matters more is the group’s financial standing.

One of the first financial steps for a housing co-op is simply establishing a savings and checkings account as a collective. Those accounts should also include accountability measures, like making sure that one person can’t withdraw and limiting individual access to the funds.

Agreeing on the rules

ChiFresh’s cooperative bylaws and guidelines hold members accountable. Britt said there’s no room for them to sway from or make exceptions to those agreed upon rules.

“Because then that opens up Pandora’s box,” she said.

Unlike other emerging housing cooperatives, ChiFresh is approaching the process from a unique perspective. They’ve already established bylaws through their worker cooperative.

Renee Hatcher, a professor and the director of the Community, Enterprise and Solidarity Economy Clinic at UIC Law School, works with a variety of collectives and cooperatives, including housing coops. She said establishing bylaws gives a co-op the opportunity to legally note priorities centered on their mission. So if a group wanted to create a housing coop that provided affordable options for its

For example, in the bylaws of the Logan Square Cooperative one of their first agreements is “to provide affordable, adequate, safe and sanitary housing accommodations for persons of low and moderate income.” The co-op can also share information about openings at the space to potential members or to organizations that align with the co-op’s mission.

That diversity in experience typically adds to a cooperative. Mark Smithivas, resident of the Logan Square Cooperative, said a co-op can be as diverse as the group

up,” Britt said.

That’s not the case for all housing cooperatives. Dianne Hodges, a longtime resident of one of South Shore’s oldest Black-run housing cooperatives, the Genesis Cooperative, first moved there in 2009. As board president she led refinancing efforts and successfully approached the Chicago Community Loan Fund, an organization that provides technical and financial assistance to development projects that benefit low- and moderate-income residents.

Potential lenders will likely ask to see the group’s bylaws and funding structure. They’ll ask how much tenants will pay each month toward the loan, how much money has already been saved in the shared account and how much the construction costs are. This information typically falls into what is called a pro forma document, which is essentially a financial blueprint or outline for a cooperative. It typically breaks down things like estimated expenses, annual revenue and debt coverage.

ChiFresh will likely still be able to establish equity within the future building while getting a significant portion of their costs covered through grants, fundraising and loans. Kerr said they’ve already started constructing a pro forma document and the priority now is finding property to determine the final dollar amount of the housing cooperative.

“It all depends on the spot,” Kerr said.

Finding the right space

“We’re thinking about Bronzeville

The first step for emerging housing cooperatives is forming a legal entity. That process is often broken down into two options: formally incorporating a business in the state or forming a nonprofit and applying for recognition by the Internal Revenue Service for tax-exemption.

because that’s close,” Bryant said.

“You’re gonna make me raise lots of money for Bronzeville,” replied Kerr, illustrating the sometimes difficult discussions needed to reach a consensus. Purchasing property for a housing cooperative is similar to purchasing property as an individual, with the added challenge of making the decision jointly.

Finding the right building for a co-op goes beyond aesthetics like high ceilings or a big yard. It’s important to determine the quality of the space and uncover any hidden costs that could be detrimental to the co-op’s financial success.

“If you can see where a problem is, often it's fixable. If you don't know what the problem is, then it could be even a bigger problem than you think,” said Peter Landon, founder of LBBA, a Chicagobased architectural practice that’s worked with housing cooperatives like the Pilsen Housing Cooperative. “You don't want a money pit if you're really trying to make it be affordable.”

He said co-op members must be realistic in determining what they can afford at the moment and may consider creating accounts like a replacement reserve, which are funds set aside to eventually pay for costly repairs. Zelalem said establishing reserve funds into those accounts is vital to the strength-building of the cooperative.

It’s important to factor additional costs like maintenance into the budget and consider city zoning ordinance laws and permit requirements required for any work needed. The city offers an online calculator to help estimate permit building fees. Tompkins said it could take up to two and a half years to move into a space.

Making it happen

Establishing a housing cooperative creates a snowball effect of learning, leading to a vast pool of new legal, housing and interpersonal knowledge.

It’s easy to nonchalantly discuss the desire to create group housing and picture what that might look like, but ChiFresh worker-owners said it takes more than a shared vision to make this happen—it’s a combined willingness and effort that’s taken them this far.

“[During our weekly meetings] we was strategizing and coming up with plans and what will work, we had different ideas, different targets, and everybody was just really putting forward like they’re own personal experience,” said Bryant.

The ChiFresh worker cooperative and soon-to-be housing cooperative has experienced challenges individually and as a group, but is now creating its own path in a system that structurally blocks housing options. While it isn’t easy, there’s joy in the freedom they are finding.

“We are in the beginning stages, we’re excited about it,” said Britt. “And we gon’ make this happen. Like we made ChiFresh.” ¬

This story was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Chicago. Learn more and get involved at www.citybureau.org.

Annabel Rocha and Jhaylin Benson are 2022 Fall Civic Reporting Fellows. Jerrel Floyd is City Bureau’s engagement reporting covering economic development and segregation in Chicago. You can reach him with tips at Jerrel@citybureau.org.

PHOTO BY ABEL URIBE/CITY BUREAU

Blissing Out

BY REEMA SALEH

Ling Ma’s latest short story collection Bliss Montage is a fever dream where the real and surreal have merged into one. The eight stories that make up the collection follow intimate, confessional protagonists and absurdist fantasies carried to their conclusion.

From toxic friendships, abusive relationships, and vacations to an unfamiliar homeland, Ma takes familiar situations and pushes them to their extremes. A listless housewife keeps her one-hundred ex-boyfriends housed in her Los Angeles mega-mansion even as her life has moved on without them. A soonto-be film student takes invisibility drugs with her childhood friend, wreaking havoc in New York for the last time. A lonely government employee finds a small baby’s arm protruding out from inside her—a rather normal, if uncanny birth defect in the United States these days.

In Bliss Montage, the surreal often bleeds into the familiar. Its characters inhabit the normalcy of Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, DC, Utah, a fictional, post-communist country named Garboza, and a United States so far deteriorated that migrants no longer rush its borders and its founding artifacts are on loan to foreign museums. The abnormal becomes normal—for as repeated by one of the characters in her stories, “it is in the most surreal situations that a person feels the most present, the closest to reality.”

Bliss Montage is Ma’s second book following the publication of her debut science-fiction novel Severance, a comingof-age novel following millennial office worker Candace Chen through the apocalypse. Published in 2018, Severance was lauded as the coronavirus novel come early. Set in a 2011 apocalyptic New York ravaged by a fictional Shen Fever, Ma

managed to capture overwhelming societal collapse in her own darkly satirical way— of late-stage capitalism, immigration and alienation from one’s home, and harmless zombies doomed to repeat their same old routines until they perish. “Even though there’s no scene in Severance that’s directly from my life, when I open it up, and I read maybe a paragraph, I feel like I’m back to my mid-late twenties,” Ma said. “There’s a mood, like an energy that I feel it’s faithful to that time that I like.”

If Severance became the novel to capture the zeitgeist of the pandemic, what’s to be said of Bliss Montage—written during the pandemic and published this

back to a term coined by film historian Jeanine Basinger on a particular montage in early Hollywood films, showing female characters blissing out on a pleasure sequence—encapsulating “the rapid and brief passage of time in which a woman can be happy” as Basinger writes in her 1993 book A Women’s View: How Hollywood Spoke to Women, 1930–1960. The happy interlude becomes a marginal piece of joy—a piece of editing that leaves her “maybe two minutes’ running time.”

“That feature actually originated with what they call the women’s film. So there was an old-time genre of film back in the day that showed women’s stories, and they

contains none of that same moralizing, but it nods to how their glimpses of happiness are struck down by loneliness and alienation. In “Los Angeles,” the life that the unnamed protagonist has knit together for her family and one hundred ex-boyfriends begins to fall apart, slowly and all at once. “Yeti Lovemaking” presents a flirty one-night stand with the mythical beast but starts and ends with a primal cry of loneliness—one that cannot be recognized by anyone else.

The brief periods of bliss that the characters experience are interrupted, and oftentimes by circumstances entirely out of their control. A female professor in “Office Hours” hides herself in the Narniaesque office closet to another dimension, only to learn she still cannot escape her insipid and overbearing male colleague. In “G,” Bea, the expected film student, runs so far into drug-induced invisibility, she stays untethered from her own body—her nostalgia-driven high becomes shattered by the breakdown of her former friendship. She tries to leave her old life behind and say goodbye to her childhood friend, only to be seized with memories of their toxic competitive friendship growing up in the same Chinese immigrant community.

fall? “It was so strange during the pandemic that people were reading [Severance]…that was when I managed to get some time off from teaching,” Ma said. Severance emerged as a story written while living on severance pay and finished while completing her MFA at Cornell University.

Ma is currently a creative writing professor at the University of Chicago. Finished in the delirium of lockdown and during the birth of her first child, Bliss Montage came to life with its own unexpected irony. The collection’s title calls

were like morality tales. So if the heroine has an affair, then she ends up getting punished in some way,” Ma said. “It would show like two minutes of the female lead enjoying her life, like shopping, and then usually it would come right before the downfall or the complications of the plot would arise. It would come right before her downfall.”

The eight stories in Bliss Montage always feature female protagonists, who in the runtime of their short stories, find their bliss rapidly cut short. Bliss Montage

“It’s body image through an immigrant lens, which I hadn’t seen before. It did feel like growing up that some of the consciousness of our bodies was really tied into this immigrant competitiveness with like SAT scores, as well,” Ma said. “Thinking about how I was considered, as a teenager, I was considered thin as an American, but overweight as a Chinese girl, and it was just thinking about those two standards—it was kind of maddening, and it was fun to make a story around that.”

Ma’s protagonists are often messy and conflicted—making questionable decisions throughout the run of their narratives.

Ling Ma’s Bliss Montage stretches the familiar into the surreal.

“When you deal with minority characters, there’s the burden that you have to make them into these idealized archetypes or something, but maybe they could just be human, or maybe we can just take these characters for what they are.” –Ling Ma

critiques where her classmates question whether her depiction of her mother is too stereotypical as a Chinese immigrant. She shows her mother an advance copy of her book, a story collection “with a vaguely Chinese cover image of persimmons in a Ming dynasty bowl” coming out the following month, and the two politely bicker over whether she was actually trying to capture her experiences and whether she prefers to write negative things about their assimilation. The last section plays out the event from her fictionalized mother’s perspective, leaving us to wonder—is this the daughter’s retelling that appears in the book? Is this her mother’s true story or is her mother’s voice wholly out of reach? And can anyone truly claim ownership of a story?

said. “We were not really looking at the work, and we weren’t taking the work, this workshop submission on its own terms, that it was just sometimes going off track.”

Her advice for other writers is simple.

“I would say spend time alone, read a lot, and write a lot—and be willing to embrace your own bad writing…You have to find a way to counter your own perfectionism tendencies because it’s never the published version at first,” Ma said. “Embrace wasting time. Embrace spending two hours writing a paragraph that never makes it into print. But you have to be okay with that, and you have to enjoy the process of it because actually, the process of you trying to put together that paragraph does lead you to the paragraph that works.” ¬

Ling Ma, Bliss Montage. $14–26. Macmillan, 2022. 240 pages.

Reema Saleh is a journalist and graduate student at the University of Chicago studying public policy. She last interviewed artists Martha Wade and Sebastian Silverio. Ling Ma

She talks about the burden of positive representation—how for marginalized groups with fewer stories and media portrayal, the pressure to create positive, flattering depictions becomes greater. “When you deal with minority characters, there’s the burden that you have to make them into these idealized archetypes or something, but maybe they could just be human, or maybe we can just take these characters for what they are,” Ma said.

Representation becomes a doubleedged sword, where the complexity afforded to white characters isn’t always afforded to characters of color. Ma described one such incident with a producer who was interested in turning “G” into a movie. “There was one woman who was a bit skeptical. She asked: what do you think this story is saying about women? But that’s not what the question was. Her question: what do you think the story is saying about Asian American women, about Chinese American women?” Ma said. “Because you could argue it’s not like a positive representation, two girls pitted against each other. But there are tons of stories of white women—they get a plethora of narrative options that aren’t available to these two Chinese American characters.”

Like “G,” half of the stories in the collection feature first and secondgeneration immigrant protagonists. “Returning” and “Tomorrow” match each other. “Returning” chronicles a woman traveling with her husband to his homeland for a ceremony of rebirth. Both are popular authors unhappy with their own married lives, and the story is intermixed with excerpts of their own published books about the inherent impossibility of ever truly returning home. For Eve in “Tomorrow,” visiting the country of her birth doesn’t exactly offer her the relief she hopes for, leaving her and the baby’s arm dangling outside her body straddling a line between her two homes. Both end in their respective homelands and on the precipice of great change—but the frame cuts before anyone can determine what this means for them.

Bliss Montage isn’t afraid to embrace the metafictional as many of them unpack immigrant backgrounds familiar to Ma’s own life. “Peking Duck” becomes something of a story within a story within a story, following an MFA student who fictionalizes one of her mother’s own experiences as a nanny dealing with a threatening white intruder. The frame changes throughout the story, going through workshop

“Some of the more contentious workshops mostly revolved around the question of who has the right to write about the next topic. And not necessarily always pertaining to immigrants or race, but that question often came up. Often I didn’t find those discussions to be very fruitful,” Ma

A Car Pound, Snow Cones, and Infested Furniture in Season 3 of South Side

BY KRISTIAN PARKER

On December 6, part of the cast, directors, and show supporters gathered at the DuSable Museum to watch an advanced screening of HBO Max’s critically acclaimed South Side season three. South Side only an ode to Chicago, but a ride of comedic relief that embraces the cultural complexities of the city.

The series primarily follows the misadventures of Simon and K, portrayed by cocreator Sultan Salahuddin and fresh face Kareme Young, as they repossess furniture from indebted families for the show’s Rent-to-Own (RTO) store.

Based on the premeire, which explored the abyss of Lower Wacker Drive and Officer Goodnight’s incompetence to properly diffuse any situation, it’s clear season three will be no different in its hilarious depiction of everyday life and people on Chicago’s South Side. According to the creators, this was nothing short of intentional.

“We want you to know what you’re getting into” in the first episode, affirmed Bashir Salahuddin, cocreator, EP, and actor on the comedic series.

WBEZ Reset host Sasha-Ann Simons moderated an enriching conversation after the screening where they shared much about the inspiration and development of the show. “When you’re an episodic series, you’re really like someone’s meal. You really have to feed them.” An episodic series means that each episode does not build on the previous one, so character development is only gradual, and directors have to make sure each episode can stand on its own.

The first episode of the season spotlights some of the main characters’ flaws and their inability to acknowledge them. Simon can’t accept that the nature

of his job, and how strong he is at it, essentially makes him appear “heartless” to the victims of repossession. Officer Goodnight overreacts to petty crimes, often leading him to underperform his duties as a cop. Then there’s characters like Officer Turner, Q, and even Stacy serving as the liaisons between rationality and nonsense.

PHOTO BYY JOE NOLASCO, WBEZ

During this season, the series will explore the social, political, and living conditions that led characters to become who they are today. Showrunner, EP, and “Alderman Gayle of the 51st Ward” (some fictional area comparable to Englewood), Diallo Riddle, said how fulfilling it was to get to know each character better. “Because

these characters are intentionally complex, we feel comedy is more fun when dealing with three-dimensional characters” Riddle said, “while exploring unexpected storylines and plot twists.”

In one scene, officers Goodnight and Turner end up at the car pound in an attempt to recover a stolen police SUV— and prove that not even their badge can get them past the wait times and red tape that city pounds are notorious for. At some point in the episode, the cast hilariously grapples with a bed bug infestation at the repo store.

According to the creators, the true brilliance of the show comes from a collective of minds and experiences. “The show South Side is what it is specifically because of the constant influence of Black women,” said Riddle. “I sat back one day and realized there were more Black Women in the writer’s room than Black men. And that’s not a typical thing, at least not in Hollywood.”

Riddle went on to describe how actresses on the show, Chandra Russell (Officer Turner) and Zuri Salahuddin (Stacy), constantly come up with scenes and lines that wouldn’t occur to them otherwise because of distinct life experiences. “Their voices are more mature, and that’s why you constantly see stories on this show that you don’t see anywhere else.”

For many of the characters we see, it's their first time on the big screen. Take the snow cone guy from the premiere. One day, Bashir Salahuddin, who plays Officer Goodnight, craved an ice cone in real life while filming the season. He asked his mom, who sat in the audience during the screening, where he could go to find the Chicago summer gemstone and was pointed in the direction somewhere south

The popular comedy pays homage to the city, Black women, and untapped talent.

“I sat back one day and realized there were more Black Women in the writer’s room than Black men. And that’s not a typical thing, at least not in Hollywood.”

of 83rd and Vincennes. Next thing he knew, the guy who sells them is making him laugh endlessly without having any idea who his customer is. Now, he’s in the show and making America laugh, too.

When the creators were asked if the comedy could be deemed a classic, Sultan Salahuddin (Simon) confidently asserted, yes. “I think it’s a very special and anointed show for many reasons you cannot see and can see on screen. I think it’s in the DNA of the show.” He further explains how they survived a network switch when the series, originally aired on Comedy Central, was bought by HBO Max during the pandemic. “A lot of shows don’t survive that jump,” he exclaims. “We’ve survived the eye of a needle several times. So I think the proof is in the pudding.”

The directors and actors reminded other creative folks that—before they seek recognition or to work with big names— often the most talented and supportive people are within arms reach. “When you talk to people about who's the funniest person in your life, some of you are sitting next to them. Some of them are people you went to school with. Ya cousins, ya aunties. We really are tryna have the city be redefined. More comedically, more joyously, more of the city we know. We thought who better to do that than actual Chicagoans,” said Bashir.

This season’s viewers can expect their favorite characters to explore parts of themselves previously unseen, while an

uptick in outlandish circumstances results in the chaotic world that makes South Side so tantalizing to fans.

According to the writers, in this season, Alderman Gayle is “looking for ways to keep the things about being an alderman that he likes but lose the work.” We’ll get a peek into the “connections Simon has, explored passions, and his ability to embrace Kwanza.” And as expected, Goodnight, in simplest terms, will “get worse over time.”

Add a Lollapalooza episode (yes, Lolla) and even some animated scenes, and South Side is confidently creating new boundaries for what it means to be an original, modern-day comedy series. You can be from anywhere around the country and identify with some character or experience portrayed in the show. Don’t just take our word for it.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re from southwest Atlanta, south Philly, the south Bronx, [or] South Central,” attested Riddle, “If you are from the South Side, you’ll take away a little bit of what makes the show work.”

The instant classic is now streaming on HBO Max, with two new episodes airing on Thursdays. ¬

Kristian is a writer and visual storyteller, inspired by sharing narratives that positively shift and shape perspectives. She last wrote about vegan comfort food in Hyde Park in Best of the South Side 2022.

Cook County’s Embattled Domestic Violence Courts Face More Reforms

Report finds “deeper misogyny” within Cook County courts.

BY MAX BLAISDELL

He’s horrible, he’s a misogynist, he’s a racist. He needs to go.”

These were the words one attorney used to describe Judge Raúl Vega, who served as the presiding judge of the Cook County Domestic Violence Division from 2018 to 2022. The negative judicial culture Vega fostered and the lack of sympathy he showed for survivors of domestic violence petitioning the court were among the reasons activists cited when calling upon Chief Judge Timothy Evans to remove him. Ultimately, Vega went into early retirement in January 2022 after his colleagues referred him for investigation by the Judicial Inquiry Board for misconduct, and has been replaced by Judge Judith Rice.

And yet, navigating the Cook County Consolidated Courthouse and the byzantine judicial system within it, with its layers of overlapping city, state, and county jurisdictions, has been another challenge for petitioners.

Housed within this enormous rust-colored building is the domestic violence division, which Judge Vega led. In contrast to most other counties, Cook County combines all domestic violence

cases, both criminal and civil, into one specialized division, rather than sending them to the domestic relations and criminal divisions—two divisions that already exist.

Part of the impetus for the consolidated courthouse was Cook County’s history of problems with overcrowding and delayed case processing at its previous two domestic violence courthouses, which had been among the busiest of such courts in the country.

Constricted corridors, packed waiting areas, and sluggish elevators meant that defendants had ample opportunities to threaten or harass their partners into dropping charges.The frequency of intimidation was such that it became clear petitioners were being put at unnecessary risk of further harm just by the spatial limitations of the courthouses themselves.

With separate waiting areas for petitioners and respondents, dedicated rooms and staff for children to be left with, and overall more spacious facilities, the consolidated courthouse seemed to remedy those long-standing issues. In addition, the creation of a dedicated domestic violence division within the

PHOTO BYY JOE NOLASCO, WBEZ

JUSTICE

Circuit Court of Cook County partly addressed the lengthy wait times and efficiency issues, improving case efficiency.

Through the years, however, concerns have been raised by petitioners and advocates alike about misogyny and racial bias in the Domestic Violence Division that goes beyond Vega, implicating not just judges but also clerks, interpreters, and county sheriffs. Others have decried the lack of 24/7 availability for judges to sign off on the Emergency Orders of Protection that petitioners sought in cases where they feared immediate intimate partner violence. In one case, a mother with her children in tow was turned away from the court at 3pm on a sweltering summer afternoon, despite this being two hours before the court’s official closing time.

Back in February 2020, at the behest of the numerous stakeholders, the Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts and the Chicago Council of Lawyers embarked on a project to understand the current problems with the beleaguered court and issue recommendations. The groups conducted interviews with dozens of employees—judges, court staff, attorneys, community services providers—and a volunteer staffed court-watching program that observed 188 domestic violence cases. The result of their work is a 91page report filled with keen observations and offering a comprehensive description of what is going right and wrong at the courthouse, and what steps can be taken to create a better system.

One missed opportunity noted in the report is the failure to triage litigants at the door. A robust screening process could determine whether legal remedies exist to provide redress to litigants, whether there are social supports that may also serve them, or if they have attendant concerns relating to housing or immigration status.

“What we think the court can do and what we think the court should do is integrate better with the services that are [already available],” said Elizabeth Monkus, one of the lead authors of the report and the civil court project director at Chicago Appleseed. “Problems can only be solved by creating a larger network of services that judges are empowered to share with the people who come before them.”

To remedy issues with the judicial

culture in the division and reduce the chances of retraumatizing survivors, the report recommends regular, ongoing training in trauma-informed and culturally responsive practices. To that end, Rice had judges go through a twoday sensitivity training course led by the U.S. Office of Violence Against Women,and required that all new hires to the Office of the Chief Judge either have

judge be more responsive to community input. Through a standing committee composed of stakeholders, or quarterly meetings with advocates like the ones who sounded the alarm about Judge Vega and members of the public, the court could develop mechanisms for getting actionable feedback before crises arise.

Although the court has yet to move to a fully 24/7 model, it is piloting a

a difficult and confusing process. Though not attorneys, these paraprofessionals will help self-represented litigants make sure their paperwork is complete and in order, assist them with filings, and make sure they know what to expect from the legal process. The hope is that these litigant services professionals will be bilingual in either English and Spanish or English and Polish, given that these are the most common language interpretation needs.

Although the court is taking measures to reform itself, more has yet to be done in terms of transparency. One of the major limitations of the report is the lack of access to quantitative data on the demographics of litigants and the length and dispositions of their cases— information crucial to reaching an improved understanding of who is being served by the court and whether the court is operating efficiently and without bias.

This is in part due to Illinois law, which bars administrative judicial information from being subject to Freedom of Information Act requests (court filings are, of course, public, but not through FOIA). However, according to Monkus, “There are differing opinions as to what that means. We are firmly on the side of, that does not mean court statistics are not public information.”

or will undergo forty hours of training relating to domestic violence.

However, not all of the people interviewed in the report were optimistic about the efficacy of a few additional training sessions. “There’s a deeper misogyny going on there, I think, and also just that intersection of misogyny with racism and class issues. So, when you have someone who is poor and Black and a woman or not, and add non-binary to that, and those are real barriers to people understanding someone else’s experience,” one lawyer interviewed in the report said.

To make sure that problems like these don’t get out of hand in the future, the report also advises that the presiding

program that offers additional hours on weeknights and weekends via remote hearings. Petitioners can electronically file Emergency Orders of Protection with the clerk of the court using forms available from Illinois Legal Aid Online and obtain a virtual hearing with a judge in after-hours sessions from 9pm to 3am Monday through Friday, and 1pm to 6pm on Saturday and Sunday.

In response to the increased volume of cases since the start of the pandemic, the Office of the Chief Judge has also made a slew of new administrative hires, and is expecting to add extra judges to the division come 2023.

Included in these hires are staff to assist litigants with navigating what is often

Individual judges have informed Monkus that they do try to keep informal track of statistics about their own cases, but this information is informal and incomplete. Thus, ultimate responsibility for the poor data collection practices lies at the door of the Clerk of the Circuit Court’s Office. “Having talked to many a programmer, you code the information going in, and you're able to pull it out and you can share it,” Monkus told me. “That is not being done, and until someone makes the clerk do it, they're never going to do it.”

Perhaps promisingly, the Office of the Chief Judge has told Appleseed that their data and research team is actively working with the Clerk's Office to make criminal and civil data from domestic violence proceedings publicly accessible. ¬

Max Blaisdell is an educator and basketball coach based in Hyde Park. He is originally from New York City and later served in Peace Corps Morocco. He last served as the Woodlawn neighborhood captain for Best of the South Side.

ILLUSTRATION BY SHANE TOLENTINO

“There’s a deeper misogyny going on, and that intersection of misogyny with racism and class issues.”

Temp Workers’ Labor Rights, Explained

City Bureau answers common questions from Chicago staffing agency workers—from what to do if they suspect wage theft to where to file complaints with the city and state.

BY SIRI CHILUKURI, MAIA MCDONALD, CRISTAL RAMÍREZ, DANIELA TOVAR-MIRANDA, CITY BUREAU

This story was originally published by City Bureau on December 7.

Temp jobs are on the rise.

Employers have increasingly turned to temp workers because of the flexibility a temporary workforce provides, meaning companies can ramp up or scale down their workforce as needed. So far this year, the industry has employed an average of more than 3 million people nationwide—already surpassing 2021 figures, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The trend holds in Illinois. Last year, the number of temp workers in the state rose by more than 10 percent from 2020 to nearly 170,000 workers. While those figures include office workers, the majority of temp jobs in the state are in industrial facilities. The jobs are filled by staffing agencies, which are concentrated in Cook County and the surrounding collar counties, according to a City Bureau analysis of Illinois Department of Labor staffing agency registration data.

Chicago-area worker advocates said many of the temp workers they interact with have complained about wage theft, retaliation and workplace safety issues. They are not alone. Nearly a quarter of temp workers interviewed as part of a national survey published earlier this year said they’ve experienced wage theft, meaning they were paid less than the minimum wage, not paid overtime rates or not paid

for all the hours worked. Nearly 20 percent said they hadn’t received safety training and the majority of workers interviewed said they had experienced some form of employer retaliation for raising workplace issues.

In the Chicago area, worker advocates said people who gravitate toward the industry are undocumented immigrants or have been incarcerated, which makes them less likely to report abuse, including discrimination.

A 2021 report on industrial temp hiring found that staffing agencies in the Chicago area routinely engage in racial discrimination. The report revealed that when workers of similar gender, age and employment history were paired and sent to look for jobs at staffing agencies, more than a third of the agencies tested favored Latinx applicants over Black applicants. Some only allowed Latinx workers to apply or, when both applied, offered Latinx workers more or better jobs.

Dan Shomon, a spokesperson for Staffing Services Association of Illinois, which represents about 20 companies in the state, disputed the report’s findings and said that association members are committed to good quality jobs and report similar numbers among Black and Latinx hires to the association.

City Bureau reporters surveyed more than a dozen workers in North Lawndale and neighboring Little Village, which is home to several industrial staffing agencies,

about their experiences in the industry. Workers said they had experienced or suspected wage theft and discrimination, and wanted to know how to transition to permanent employment and more information about their rights. Below, we answer common questions from workers.

What can I do if I suspect wage theft?

Keep good records. Gather evidence stating the promised wages, such as flyers, contracts or screenshots of online ads, and documents showing a worker’s actual pay, like pay stubs, text messages or emails. Worker advocates said workers should also track their hours and pay.

“Don’t talk to management or employers alone because then they can deny whatever transpired in that conversation,” said Jannelle White, the director of Temp Workers Union Alliance Project. “So, first steps: document, document, document. Take notes and take a witness whenever possible.”

Tommy Carden, an organizer with Warehouse Workers for Justice, a worker center organizing warehouse and transportation industry workers in Illinois, said that if a paycheck seems short, workers can talk with their coworkers to assess whether it is a one-time error or an issue they are all experiencing.

Worker advocates stress that temp workers have a better shot at forcing their

employer to pay up if they band together and collectively organize at worksites. Some workers have used the courts to collect what’s owed. “One single worker trying to make a legal claim and having a legal case will be less successful than having many coworkers coming together and applying pressure around the same issue,” Carden said.

Can I report wage theft to the city or state?

Yes, workers who live in Chicago can file a complaint with the city or the state.

Under the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act, staffing agencies are required to provide workers a detailed statement including the number of hours worked, the places where they worked, the pay rate and any deductions. The Illinois Department of Labor handles complaints about unpaid wages and illegal deductions. To do so, workers can fill out a form and include photocopies of their evidence.

In Chicago, temp workers earning no more than $29.35 per hour, working for companies with at least 100 employees and employed in industries including manufacturing, retail or warehouse services are covered by the Fair Workweek Ordinance. Workers can submit an anonymous complaint with the Office of Labor Standards, said Andrew Fox, director of Chicago’s Office of Labor Standards. Are companies required to offer me a

full-time job?

So-called client companies, the firms contracting staffing agencies to provide workers, are not required to permanently hire temp workers. However, workers can apply for permanent positions when they become available. Under state law, a temp agency should attempt to place workers in a permanent position when client companies have openings.

The lack of regulation on how long a temp worker can stay a temp creates a class of what local worker advocates call “perma-temps.” Client companies can keep a temp worker employed for an indefinite period of time without offering an opportunity for permanent employment.

“It's a contradiction but it's a reality that you have people who are temporary workers forever,” said Carden, of Warehouse Workers for Justice.

Labor experts said some companies have union contracts or other collective bargaining agreements that limit the temporary employment status of a worker, but those still do not guarantee permanent employment.

What if my workplace is unionized?

Workers can review the union contract to see if there is any language that creates a pathway for permanent employment of temp workers. If there is no union, the employee handbook from the client company may have information on tempto-hire practices.

“There could be a limitation in the contract that says that a temp has to become a direct hire,” said Tim Bell, executive director of the Chicago Workers Collaborative. “If there is no contract, there is no collective bargaining agreement in that shop, then the period is unlimited.”

Bell said temp workers should build a relationship with their union steward and coworkers to learn if and how they can transition to a permanent role.

Do I have to join a union to organize?

No. Federal labor law protects privatesector workers who want to organize with coworkers with or without a union. Workers can bargain for better wages,

benefits and working conditions. In Chicago, worker centers, like Arise Chicago, have supported workers who have formed a worker committee, which can represent workers in conversations with employers without a union.

However, retaliation against workers who form worker committees can and does happen. Workers fired or disciplined for organizing their workplace can file unfair labor charges against their employer with the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that protects private-sector workers’ right to organize.

I was fired. Now what?

Illinois is an “at-will”' employment state, meaning that non-unionized workers can be terminated for any reason. However, if workers feel they were discriminated against and are part of a protected class, their firing might have been illegal.

First, do you believe you were fired because you are a part of a protected class?

The Illinois Human Rights Act forbids discrimination based on “age (40+),

status, color, conviction record, disability (physical and mental), familial status (with respect to real estate transactions), gender identity, marital status, military status, national origin, orders of protection, pregnancy, race, religion, retaliation, sex, sexual harassment, sexual orientation and unfavorable military discharge.”

Federal laws also make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and related conditions, gender identity and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is the agency enforcing the federal laws while the Illinois Department of Human Rights handles complaints under the Illinois Human Rights Act.

Document all communication

Similar to suspecting wage theft, worker advocates said workers should document everything that would support their discrimination case and reach out to coworkers for support.

“If there's community support,

there's potential for protests and direct actions, and those things sometimes can get better results than going through the legal system,” said Bell, of the Chicago Workers Collaborative. “It's very hard to win discrimination cases.”

Betsey Madden, chief legal counsel and ethics officer at the Illinois Department of Human Rights, said any evidence of what happened, including a letter of termination or email, is helpful for the department when investigating claims.

Workers can also check with a local worker center for additional support.

Consider filing a charge of discrimination

Workers can file a complaint against their employer with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights. Separately, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division handles civil rights violations and also enforces federal laws that protect people from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability status, sex, religion, familial status or loss of other constitutional rights. Workers can report a civil rights violation against their

ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID ALVARADO FOR CITY BUREAU

employer on the department’s website.

What if I’m undocumented or have been arrested?

Anyone, regardless of their immigration status or whether they have been accused or convicted of a criminal offense, can submit a charge with the Illinois Department of Human Rights or a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Find a lawyer

Workers can reach out to a legal aid provider or private attorney familiar with workers’ rights cases, said Jane Flanagan, acting director of the Illinois Department of Labor.

However, temp workers should know that discrimination cases can be difficult to prove and win because of all the documentation that’s needed.

Carden, of Warehouse Workers for Justice, said that often workers who approach the worker center are interested in the legal route. He added that “a lot of the time you have to be real honest with workers and say, OK it’s going to be really hard for you to win this unless you have a very specific set of documented facts.”

His advice: Use every tool in the workers’ rights toolbox to organize and apply pressure while the case is working its way through the courts.

Government entities and organizations that support workers

Illinois Department of Human Rights administers the Illinois Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination in employment, financial credit, public accommodations, real estate transactions, housing and sexual harassment. Workers can fill out an employment charge of discrimination online and submit the form by email to IDHR.Intake@illinois. gov, by mail to 555 West Monroe Street, 7th Floor, Attn. Intake Unit, Chicago, IL 60661, or by fax to 312-814-6251.

Illinois Department of Labor enforces the state labor laws. Workers can file employment-related complaints, including minimum wage violations, overtime unpaid wages and violations of the Day and Temporary Labor Services Act.

To file a complaint visit the department’s complaint website.

Illinois Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health enforces occupational safety and health standards. Employers are required to report a fatality within eight hours, and inpatient hospitalization, amputation or loss of an eye within 24 hours. Workers can make a report to the 24-hour number (217) 782-7860. Public-sector employees can make a complaint about unsafe working conditions on its website, by email at DOL.Safety@illinois.gov or by mail to 524 South 2nd Street, Suite 400, Springfield, IL 62701. Private-sector workers can make a complaint to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to

The Office of Labor Standards promotes and enforces Chicago’s labor laws. Workers can submit a complaint on wage theft, minimum wage, paid sick leave, fair workweek scheduling, retaliation related to COVID-19, paid sick leave or domestic work via the 311 online portal or by calling 311. Complaints can also be submitted by email to BACPlaborstandards@ cityofchicago.org or by mail to 2350 West Ogden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60608.

Worker Centers in Chicago

Arise Chicago supports workers in learning about their rights. Members learn how to educate and organize coworkers, keep records and set goals. They can also build strategic planning, negotiation and leadership skills and more. (773) 769-6000; 1700 W. Hubbard

legal services (including citizenship applications), and by promoting public health and safety in workplaces in the Chicago area. (847) 596-7491; 1914 S. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL 60608; 783 Highland Ave., Elgin, IL 60123; 300 Grand Ave., Waukegan, IL 60085

Latino Union Of Chicago supports low-income immigrant and U.S.-born workers, in particular day laborers and household workers. Latino Union of Chicago runs the Albany Park Workers Center, a hiring hub for day laborers and workers who clean homes and offices. Workers can participate in an array of trainings and classes at the center. (312) 491-9044; 4811 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago, IL 60625.

Raise the Floor Alliance provides free and direct legal assistance to lowwage workers in the Chicago area. The organization also conducts research, supports local worker centers, informs policy and supports low-wage workers in Illinois. To contact for legal assistance, workers can use the online form on their website. (312) 795-9115; 1 N. LaSalle St., Suite 1275 L Chicago, IL 60602.

discriminate against a worker or a job applicant. A charge of discrimination can be completed on the commission’s website.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission resolves disputes between workers and employers regarding work-related injuries and illnesses. The commission can be reached by email wcc. infoquestions@illinois.gov, or by phone Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at (312) 814-6500.

Illinois Attorney General’s Workplace Rights Bureau protects the employment rights of Illinois residents. The bureau takes complaints on unpaid wages, wages, hours and overtime, health and safety issues, discrimination, sexual harassment and other workplace-related issues. Workers can submit a complaint by email to workplacerights@ilag.gov or by mail to 100 West Randolph Street, 11th Floor, Chicago, IL 60601. Call the Workplace Rights Hotline at (844) 7405076 for more information.

St., 2E, Chicago, IL 60622.

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos (United Workers’ Center) builds power among low-wage, immigrant and Latino community members on the Southeast Side of Chicago and in the south suburbs. They provide free and low-cost immigration legal assistance, build worker power through organizing and cooperatives and support parent mentors. (773) 720-7111; 10638 S. Ewing Ave., Chicago, IL 60617.

Chicago Community and Workers’ Rights (CCWR) supports working class community members regardless of color, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation to learn about their rights and how to organize more effectively in their workplaces. CCWR offers information sessions and even emergency services for workers experiencing a crisis. (773) 827-2490; 1801 S. Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60608.

Chicago Workers Collaborative (CWC) supports low-wage workers through “know your rights” workshops,

Warehouse Workers For Justice organizes manufacturing, food production and warehouse workers, and trains workers on basic labor rights and how to come together to hold their employers accountable. The organization also works with government agencies at the local, state and federal levels to identify and target abusive employers. Chicago office: (815) 722-5003; 37 S. Ashland Ave., First Floor, Chicago, IL 60607. Joliet office: (815) 7225003; 114 E. Jefferson St., Joliet, IL 60432.

Workers Center For Racial Justice organizes Black workers and their families to address the root causes of high rates of unemployment, low-wage work and overcriminalization. (312) 361-1161; 22432245 E. 71st St., Chicago, IL 60649

This story was produced by City Bureau, a civic journalism lab based in Chicago. Learn more and get involved at www.citybureau.org.

Siri Chilukuri, Maia McDonald, Cristal Ramírez and Daniela Tovar-Miranda are 2022 Fall Civic Reporting Fellows. Sarah Conway, City Bureau’s senior reporter covering jobs and the economy of survival in Chicago, also contributed. You can reach her with tips at sarah@citybureau.org.

¬

“Don't talk to management or employers alone because then they can deny whatever transpired in that conversation.”

“WRITE

Our thoughts in exchange for yours.

The Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner, where a poem or piece of writing is presented with a prompt. Readers are welcome to respond to the prompt with original poems, and pieces may be featured in the next issue of the Weekly

The Light Called You First

by chima “naira” ikoro

In the beginning, there was the sound of a voice, and this voice was not calling to the light, it was the light. There is something that scares me about the before.

Before I ever got here, there was light, there was sound, there was someone, and then came somethings, and afterward everyone else that ever existed as well, and not a single one of those things belongs to me.

What if instead of grieving at a loss, I consider that the dust a memory makes is just proof that something existed? The survival of a memory means the light spoke, and the sound reached me, and I saw something that I loved so much I gained the ability—the strength—to miss it. To recreate it in my mind. To hold it, forever. Even after it’s no more, something about it materializes within me. Whatever it makes, it makes. Sometimes I call them tears, sometimes I call it by your name—but I call to it. I call to it because the light called you first, gave the idea of you the ability to be called, seen, remembered.

Chima Ikoro is the Weekly’s Community Builder.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:

A LETTER FROM YOURSELF IN DECEMBER ADDRESSED TO THE VERSION OF YOURSELF THAT EXISTED IN

JANUARY.”

This could be a poem or a stream-of-consciousness piece. Submissions could be new or formerly written pieces. Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to chima.ikoro@southsideweekly.com.

Our thoughts in exchange for yours.

The Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner, where a poem or piece of writing is presented with a prompt. Readers are welcome to respond to the prompt with original poems, and pieces may be featured in the next issue of the Weekly.

An ode to Oceania

by c. lofty bolling

Find a valley illuminated A tree branch in the shade Find the building that talks the loudest Sways the most, until you wonder if this Is a tree, if not simply a giant sapling? Correction, a small tree.

Find the building that sways Like a nervous arm, something that leans and almost swings too far. Correction, find your arm and let it Sway, like a nervous tree. If It snaps, throw it away. Correction Throw the arm away, correction take The arm and use it for a back bone When you cough after crying too hard

Find a valley, illuminated After the arm falls off, steal a tree branch Tape it to your shoulder, harden a frown

And melt a smile. Be like something Speechless. Forget what passes, let go Make a left, at the pile of left arms left behind.

I found a valley, shallower My sibling is frolicking there My mom stands hopefully, with cig in between lips With patience (like it’s mine, I can wait) (If you need a lighter, give me a call) Her valley is illuminated, like mine

I pray I see something more than a shadow Of the man who calls me. A name rings across The tree leaves like a wave. I seen a few Branches who sit too heavy to move but, no bother The many who do, the many who sing, who dance Who wish upon a star. Remember names. Light The candles, make the stew, sit in circles. I pray We see something more than shadows in these life times.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT:

This could be a poem or a stream-of-consciousness piece. Submissions could be new or formerly written pieces. Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to chima.ikoro@southsideweekly.com.

Chima Ikoro is the Weekly’s Community Builder.

Forensic Medical Evaluators for Asylum Seekers Need More Support

As asylum seekers attempt to escape trauma in their home countries, Midwest Human

BY CHELSEA ZHAO

Earlier this year, dozens of organizations, government officials, and neighbors mobilized to help meet the short-term needs of the 3,700 migrants that Texas Governor Greg Abbott bused to Chicago as part of a political stunt. As the migrants, many of whom are seeking asylum in the United States, settle down to find housing and work, enroll in schools, and seek medical care, they will also need to put together their applications for asylum in order to stay in the country in the long-term.

Asylum seekers are people who have left their home country to seek protection from prosecution. To be granted asylum in the United States, the Refugee Act of 1980 requires that a person must demonstrate past persecution or “credible fear” of persecution in their home country. Evidence of trauma and attack in their home country, documented in the form of a forensic medical or psychological affidavit, help to strengthen their asylum case.

According to a national analysis of asylum seekers from 2008 to 2018, those with forensic medical evaluations were twice as likely to obtain immigration relief—a 81.6% grant rate of those with medical evaluations as opposed to the national asylum grant rate of 42.4%.

“When you do have a forensic evaluation, it tends to only benefit [a case], especially if it is well done,” said Aimee Hilado, assistant professor of social work at the University of Chicago and chair of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Mental Health.

There is clearly a need for forensic evaluations in Chicago: of the 2,696 asylum applications filed in the last quarter of 2021 in Chicago, for example, only 1,165 or forty-three percent were completed, according to USCIS data from fiscal year 2022. Of the 1,165 cases that were heard, only 330 or twenty-eight percent were granted asylum.

BY ASH H.G.

According to Immigration Court Backlog Tool by Syracuse University, Chicago currently has 87,489 pending asylum cases, with an average wait time of over 800 days. “The backlog of applications that are waiting, I think that they have placed greater pressure on making these cases incredibly strong,” Hilado said. “And that’s where forensic evaluations come in.”

The Midwest Human Rights Consortium (MHRC), part of Refugee Immigrant Child Health Initiative, is one attempt to address the need for more forensic evaluations and trained evaluators.

The group consists of mental health providers, physicians and other health professionals who provide evaluations for the National Immigration Justice Center.

MHRC launched in 2019 by organizing the first forensic asylum evaluation training conference in Chicago. A total of 103 attendees went through the eight-hour full-day training. Since then, the group has organized quarterly mentorship meetings about clinical cases and invited guest speakers.

MHRC operates as a referral network which connects immigration attorneys with trained evaluators. In the past three years,

MHRC has facilitated over 100 evaluations, mainly of asylum seekers from Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador.

MHRC partners with several institutions including Loyola Medicine, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital, the UIC College of Medicine, and the DePaul School of Social Work.

Alongside MHRC, organizations including the national non-profit Physicians for Human Rights and the nine regional organizations of Society of Asylum Medicine also offer evaluations to asylum seekers.

Minal Giri, co-founder of MHRC, said the length of evaluation takes six to eight hours, including conversation with the immigration lawyer, picture documentation, and writing the affidavit.

Abubakr Meah, an immigration attorney who takes in asylum cases, said many of his clients have experienced physical violence and traumatic flashbacks from their home country.

The evaluation includes two parts. First, the history of the applicant, starting from their childhood, the persecution that led to departure from the home country, to trauma during their journey and bordercrossing. Second, the physical or objective findings, similar to an injury or abuse exam.

During the forensic evaluation, the health professional documents medical issues such as scars from maltreatment, Giri said. The psychological evaluation further supports the asylum cases by documenting trauma from the asylee’s experiences, such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, or depression.

All the findings are documented in a private note before being transcribed and printed as a medical affidavit, said Yessenia Castro-Caballero, one of the doctors who founded the Loyola Medicine Asylum Clinic at MacNeal Hospital

Hilado said she usually schedules two hours for the first evaluation and utilizes

standardized instruments to measure symptoms of psychological trauma.

Hilado said she attends to the vulnerability of her clients and spreads out the sessions if their experience is difficult to process. “I think sensitivity in doing the evaluation does lead to the most accurate depiction of a person’s experience,” Hilado said. “And that’s why it takes time.”

Hilado teaches four classes a year as an assistant professor. The forensic evaluation will sometimes require her to provide oral testimony before court. She said funding wouldenable evaluators to sustain this service.

“That’s where I feel like money support can be useful,” Hilado said. “Not necessarily as an added income stream but ways to work within the systems already [in place] with people that are eligible to do this work.”

The practitioners typically receive support and clinical space through their institutions or, if those are not accessible, completely pro bono. Hilado found support through RefugeeOne, a non-profit organization where she worked for eleven years that established a forensic room for the evaluations.

Castro-Caballero said it takes time to complete the training and establish the programs at an institutional level without federal funding. “We’re able to provide standardized, forensic medical evaluations and try to cover a huge gap in this type of work,” Castro-Caballero pointed out.

Strong federal support would subsidize the infrastructure for training, clinic setups, and a workforce that would give more asylum seekers a chance to stay. ¬

Chelsea Zhao is a master’s student of Health, Science and Environment Journalism at Northwestern. Her previous works appeared in Cicero Independiente and Chicago Health. She is passionate about covering topics of social justice, health and environment.

ILLUSTRATION

BULLETIN

La Posada at OPEN

OPEN Center for the Arts, 2214 S. Sacramento. Thursday, December 22, 4pm–7pm. Free. bit.ly/PosadaOPEN

In collaboration with parent leaders from Kanoon Elementary Magnet School, Saucedo Scholastic Academy, Spry Elementary Community School, and Hammond Elementary School, we will be hosting our fifth annual series of traditional Mexican events, starting with La Posada. Join the pilgrimage caroling in search of “posada” and finding it at OPEN! In the warm interior of the art gallery, celebrate with piñatas, delicious tamales, and ponche. (Fernando Aburto, OPEN Center for the Arts)

Grown Folks Stories

12 Year Anniversary

The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. W. Thursday, December 15, 6pm–9pm. Tickets are $10. bit.ly/GrownFolksStories12

Celebrate the twelve-year anniversary of Grown Folks Stories, which is a raucous two hours of five-minute stories ranging from hilarious to the absolutely real. A group of nonprofessional, unrehearsed storytellers take the stage and deliver real stories we live everyday. There is no theme, no judging, no poetry, and no readings. Taking place every third Thursday of the month, this is the twelfth anniversary of this gathering. Created by Cara Brigandi

and Eric Williams, founder of the Silver Room, and hosted by Binkey. Guest storyteller to be announced. (Zoe Pharo)

Kwanzaa Showcase

Mahalia Jackson Court, 1 E. 79th St. Saturday, December 17, 2pm–4pm. Tickets $0-25. bit.ly/KwanzaaShowcase

Greater Chatham Initiative presents a Kwanzaa showcase, featuring a holiday trolley tour along 79th St. from State St. to Cottage Grove Ave. At Mahalia Jackson Court, there will also be a ceremonial drum and dance performance, libation ceremony and history by Mangue Silla, hot chocolate bar by South Side Grinds, interactive Kwanzaa storytime, games and activities, and tree lighting ceremony in Auburn Gresham. There will also be a section of “Holiday Pop-ups on the 9ine” along 79th St., with author signings for T’Keyah Crystal Keymáh’s new book Cycle of Love and Mama Butterfly’s book, African hand pies, and Kwanzaa days. (Zoe Pharo)

La Rosca at OPEN

OPEN Center for the Arts, 2214 S. Sacramento Ave. Thursday, January 6, 4pm–6pm. Free. bit.ly/RoscaOPEN

In collaboration with parent leaders from Kanoon Elementary Magnet School, Saucedo Scholastic Academy, Spry Elementary Community School, and Hammond Elementary School, we will be hosting our fifth annual series of

traditional Mexican events. Celebrate Three Kings Day (Día de Reyes) in the warm interior of OPEN Center for the Arts, with the traditional bread known as a "rosca," Mexican hot chocolate, and prizes worth up to $1,000 (must buy raffle tickets at opencenterforthearts.square.site). (Fernando Aburto, OPEN Center for the Arts)

EDUCATION

Documentary Screening: Care

Richard J. Daley Library, 3400 S. Halsted St. Friday, December 16, 11:15am–12:15pm. free. bit.ly/3We5Heo

Join us for a screening of <i>Care</i>. Stay after for board games and socializing. <i>Care</i> pulls back the curtain on the poignant and largely hidden world of in-home elder care. Beautifully shot and deeply moving, the film reveals the complex nature of care work, the intimate bonds that form between care workers and elders, and the cracks in a system that is poorly serving both. New Day Films - 2017 - 57 minutes - NR. Community Cinema is at a branch near you! Check out hundreds of other screenings at libraries across Chicago. (Richard J. Daley Library)

Urban Trivia at The Promontory

The Promontory, 5311 S. Lake Park Ave. Saturday, December 17, 5pm–9pm. Tickets are currently $25. bit.ly/ urbantriviathepromontory

Urban Trivia, a Black-owned trivia card game that tests your knowledge on the latest and greatest in Black culture, comes live to The Promontory with guests DJ Almost Famous and Stanley Newcomer. (Zoe Pharo)

Black Researchers Thought Summit

Hatch 41, 4131 S. State St. Sunday, December 18, 2pm–5pm. Free. bit.ly/ blackresearchersthoughtsummit

The Black Researchers Collective is holding their inaugural thought summit at Hatch 41 in Bronzeville to learn more about the group’s collective journey through FY22 and preparation for FY23; to hear from their Civic Researchers in Bronzeville, South Shore, Woodlawn, and Washington Park; and to network and build community. (Zoe Pharo)

2022 Burst Into Books’ Family Holiday Celebration

Burst Into Books, 11001 S. Michigan Ave. Thursday, December 22, 5pm–7pm. Free. bit. ly/BurstIntoBooksHolidayCelebration

Chicago nonprofit Burst Into Books is partnering with Rose Cafe for their third annual family holiday celebration. Join for a full day of fun, toys, books, music, and holiday treats. Attendees will also be able to get pictures with “Dreezy Claus” from 6pm to 7pm (Zoe Pharo)

ARTS

Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical

Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St.

Thursday, December 15, 10:30am–11:30am. Tickets range from $15-20. Kids two and under are free. bit.ly/MrsClausmusical

Chicago Kids Company celebrates the 23rd year of the holiday classic “Mrs. Claus! A Holiday Musical.” Join Mrs. Claus and the Elf Class of 2022 as they try to recover Santa’s missing Christmas list. It is the only Chicago Kids Company production not based on another story or fairy tale; it was written by Jesus Perez in 1999 and features original songs composed by Paige Coffman. (Zoe Pharo)

Art After Work: Roman Villarreal

Intuit: The Center for Intuitive and Outsider Art, 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. Thursday, December 15, 5pm–6:30pm. Free. bit.ly/ ArtAfterWorkVillarreal

Chicago-based, self-taught artist Roman Villarreal guides an art-making workshop inspired by his exhibition “South Chicago Legacies.” The class is part of “Art After Work,” a free series of facilitated workshops inspired by outsider and self-taught art and artists from Intuit’s collections and exhibitions. At this inperson workshop, participants will carve figures—like animals, birds, and faces— from bars of soap using found objects and carving tools. (Zoe Pharo)

BOYCP Choir Winter Concert

Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School, 2111 W. 47th Pl. Thursday, December 15, 5pm. bit.ly/BOYCPwinterconcert

Back of the Yards Preparatory High Schools presents their seventh annual winter concert, “In the Still of the Night,” featuring festive music and treats courtesy of their choir students. (Zoe Pharo)

Keymore Festival Inaugural Concert

PianoForte Studios, 1335 S. Michigan Ave. Saturday, December 17, 7pm–8:30pm. Tickets $30. bit.ly/keymorefestconcert

Henderson, WGCI Radio Host Leon Rogers, South Side and Empire star

Overflow After Dark with B. Lilly and Alysha Monique

Overflow Coffee, 1449 S. Michigan Ave. Saturday, December 17, 6:30pm–9pm. Tickets range from $15 to $40. bit.ly/ OADLillyandMonique

Overflow After Dark, an interactive music experience fusing blues, soul and jazz over time, provides local artists and entrepreneurs with a professional platform to showcase their work. Hosted at Overflow Coffee, the former home of Vee-Jay Records, Chicago artists B. Lilly Music and Alysha Monique will perform. Lilly was born and raised on Chicago’s West Side in Austin and has a style that has been described as “a refreshing fusion of rhythm and blues, gospel, jazz, and hiphop.” Monique has a sultry vocal styling that mixes jazz and soul music. (Zoe Pharo)

Performers AShi-An Costello and Francis Yun will take to the stage to kick off the first-ever Keymore Festival, showcasing contemporary piano and keyboard music. The show will feature the festival’s first commissioned piece—Aeryn Jade Santillani’s “weathering”—alongside ShiAn Costello’s “Piano Parents” and “encores for piano.” “Weathering” incorporates themes of nature, pollution, and the idea of home. “Piano Parents” features voice memo recordings of parents reflecting on the experience of parenthood and unique stories that overlap with the instrument. And “encores for piano” are a set of studies in intimacy, time, and focus, written during the summer lockdowns of 2020.

(Zoe Pharo)

Til Death Do Us Screening #2

Classic Cinemas Lake Theatre, 1022 Lake St., Oak Park. Monday, January 10, 7pm–9pm. Tickets are $20. bit.ly/ TilDeathDoUsScreening

The premier of the hit new film “Til Death Do Us” is back for another run. Writer and Director Quincy J. Trent brings the brand new drama starring BET’s “The Family Business” star Darrin Dewitt Hensen, Maisha Carter, Simeon

Antoine McKay, Thea Camara, Philana Sanders, Stacey Dean Miner, Michael Holub, John Campanile, Polly Coyle, Sharon D. Robinson, and more Chicago legends. (Zoe Pharo)

Lead individual sponsorship for Forecast Form: Art in the Caribbean Diaspora, 1990s –Today is generously contributed by Kenneth C. Gri in.

support is provided by the Harris Family Foundation in memory of Bette and Neison Harris; Zell Family Foundation; Cari and Michael Sacks; the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; Jana and Bernardo Hees; Mellon Foundation; Gael Neeson, Edlis Neeson Foundation; and Karyn and Bill Silverstein.

Major support is provided by Julie and Larry Bernstein Robert J. Buford, Citi Private Bank, Lois and Steve Eisen and the Eisen Family Foundation, Marilyn and Larry Fields Nancy and David Frej, the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Foundation, Anne L. Kaplan, and anonymous. Generous support is provided by the Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation and by Marisa Murillo

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. This exhibition is supported by Etant donnés Contemporary Art, a program from Villa Albertine and FACE Foundation, in partnership with the French Embassy in the United States, with support from the French Ministry of Culture, Institut français Ford Foundation, Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, CHANEL, and ADAGP.

Ricardo Adame © MCA Chicago