The top 10 stories of 2020

The year 2020 was one like no other in recent memory, with cataclysmic events at every turn that challenged old ways of doing things. In the end, appreciating our diversity and taking care of each other remained the common denominators in this year’s Top Ten stories unique to StreetWise.

by Suzanne Hanney

10 YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL

Chicago artist Matthew Hoffman has distributed 6.5 million “You Are Beautiful” (YAB) stickers around the world since 2002. He has received in return pictures of YAB stickers in Amsterdam, Mongolia, Antarctica and above a plaque on a Florida bridge where someone had committed suicide (June 15-21 online-only July 6-19 print, Vol. 28, No. 27). “It reinforced my guiding principles,” Hoffman said, “to do some good and not add to the negativity.” StreetWise named him one of its 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans of 2020. Whether simple black type on a silver square or block lettering, you can find YAB signs in Andersonville, in Englewood, in Uptown, on South Lake Shore Drive. Recently, he has done other large installations: “Anything is Possible” in Roscoe Village; “Be Your Best Self” in Lincoln Square; “Go for It” in Pullman; “It’s OK Not to Be OK” for the Hope for the Day anti-suicide group. Yes, the common denominator to his works is “You Are Enough,” he said in an email after reflection on his June StreetWise interview. “There’s so much going on, so many voices, people, and companies vying for your attention…it gets overwhelming and confusing. To have moments to be reminded everything’s OK and you’re enough – that’s essential.” It is a message that continued to resonate throughout the pandemic-induced isolation of 2020.

9 Michigan Avenue Bridge Centennial

The Michigan Avenue Bridge, an engineering marvel, opened 100 years ago May 14 and began the transformation of North Michigan Avenue into the glamorous street of today (May 11-17, Vol. 28, No. 19). The idea of making Michigan Avenue a major north-south thoroughfare gained traction from the “Plan of Chicago” in 1909. City planners also urged public spaces at both ends of the bridge and monumental buildings at each corner. Businesses took up this civic challenge:

• The Wrigley Building, completed in 1921 on the northwest corner by chewing gum manufacturer William Wrigley Jr., was the first commercial structure to open north of the river, and spurred development.

• The London Guarantee Building, completed in 1923 on the southwest corner, features a sculpture of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, a reference to the maritime insurance sold by its namesake firm.

• Tribune Tower, completed in 1925 on the northeast corner, was the result of an international design competition by the newspaper company

• 333 N. Michigan Ave., completed in 1928, featured an ice rink and private club on its 26th floor terrace. The story also talked about the evolution of the squatter community east of Michigan Avenue into the pricey Streeterville, and Towertown, the artist and gay community centered at the Water Tower.

8 Suicide Prevention Month

September is Suicide Prevention Month and since 2018, the state of Illinois has had a plan focused on education, community awareness, increased access to statistics, and funding for deterrence. K-12 school administrators must undergo training every two years to identify warning signs. Colleges and universities must inform students about mental health services and suicide prevention (Sept. 28-October 4, Vol. 28, No. 37). Amid the heightened racial awareness since the pandemic, the story noted risk factors for many groups. Transgender adults are 12x more likely to attempt suicide in a given year than the general U.S. population, LBGTQ youth four times more likely than straight youth. Depression among Black youth is 30 percent higher than average for their age group. And while White women attempt suicide more frequently than White men, men are three to four times more likely to die, because they use more lethal methods such as guns. “We’re all supposed to be these militant objects that can conquer all,” a mindset that stigmatizes men who share their emotions, said Jonny Boucher, founder of the Hope For The Day (HFTD) suicide prevention nonprofit, a member of the Illinois Suicide Prevention Alliance. Both NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Chicago and Boucher say that making it commonplace and less taboo to talk about suicide is imperative to prevention. “You are Not Alone” is a NAMI slogan and “It’s OK Not to Be OK” is an HFTD campaign focused on self-care and support.

7 Ella Jenkins, ‘First Lady of Children’s Music’

For 60+ years, Ella Jenkins has been making music with her audiences, which has led to 40 albums with Smithsonian Folkways, the title “First Lady of Children’s Music,” and a 2004 Grammy for Lifetime Achievement (November 16-22, Vol. 28, No. 44). In 2017, Ella was named a Heritage Fellow by the National Endowment for the Arts. This year, StreetWise recognized the 96-yearold Ella as one its 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans. Growing up on the South Side, Ella’s earliest exposure to music was her Uncle Floyd playing harmonica and Cab Calloway’s “hi-de-hi-de-hi-de-hi!” She pioneered the children’s music genre, using the same call-and-response technique, as in her signature composition: “You sing a song and I’ll sing a song. And we’ll sing a song together.” That togetherness will save us today, music educator Thomas Moore said in “We’ll Sing a Song Together,” a new documentary about Ella directed by Tim Ferrin, who was once one of the children inspired by Ella’s music. African call-and-response, Mexican hand clapping, Native American, traditional Jewish and yodeling – “Ella put the word ‘diversity’ in music before there was diversity in music,” says Lynn Orman, a publicist and friend of over 30 years. She took this music to TV appearances on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood, Sesame Street and Barney. Ferrin has watched Ella connect with his own children. “She’s a facilitator. She’s someone who can come into a place and get everybody cooperating, and that is a very special skill.”

6 Folded Map Project

When Tonika Lewis Johnson commuted two hours each way from Englewood to Lane Tech High School, she realized that northsouth streets like Ashland, Paulina and Western looked different in her neighborhood than on the Northwest Side. If you folded the map of Chicago at Madison Street, Englewood would touch neighborhoods like Andersonville, Edgewater and Rogers Park. Johnson, who is one of the 2020 StreetWise Most Inspiring Chicagoans, began the Folded Map Project as a tool to examine segregation in Chicago. Her medium is photography of crosstown addresses like 6329 S. Paulina and 6330 N. Paulina and portraits of “Map Twins,” the people who live in them, which made the story particularly relevant in the heightened racism awareness after the death of George Floyd. Johnson has encouraged the Map Twins to meet, to share experiences and to discuss what’s missing from their neighborhoods. One South Side Map Twin said he would like a movie theater, a bowling alley, an after-school center for kids; his North Side twins couldn’t think of anything they lacked. “With Chicago having streets that extend 15-18 miles from neighborhoods that are under-resourced to neighborhoods that are over-resourced, it just provided an opportunity for people to see it very clearly and to use photography as a means for them to expand their understanding, questions and thinking about what role our city has played in perpetuating this ongoing issue,” Johnson said (October 26-November 1, Vol. 28, No. 41).

5 'WHERE I STAY'

StreetWise collaborated with Rivet to present the “Where I Stay” cover story and podcasts about Angelica, who was homeless for 20 years after her mother kicked her out at age 12. The eight-part series, available weekly at www.streetwise.org/whereistay and wherever you find podcasts, is hosted by Jesse Betend and journeys through the child welfare and criminal justice systems as well as alternative economies that can feel like the only option for survival. Stylistically, Betend said Angelica’s story unfolds like Franco-Belgian comic book that treat serious issues. “StreetWise saw this as a great opportunity to branch into a new medium to leverage its magazine coverage of homelessness, poverty, inequity and inequality, and life in Chicago,” said StreetWise Executive Director Julie Youngquist. “The podcast featuring local, original art, and set to the sounds of those in the independent music scene, bridges advocacy and culture in a way that lifts the story off the page.” Angelica told StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney she wanted to tell her story because she doesn’t look like the Google image of a homeless person: with torn shirt, living under a viaduct, during a blizzard. Instead, Angelica was “invisibly homeless,” not on the street but “doubled up” with friends – who did not provide the resources she needed, Chicago experts said. Her story resonated with them -- and with years of StreetWise coverage -- because it incorporated common aspects of homelessness: family dynamics, poverty, mental illness and more (November 23-29, Vol. 28, No. 45).

4 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans

“Honoring the everyday heroes among us who are making our amazing city even stronger is so important, especially during these challenging and unprecedented times,” said StreetWise Executive Director Julie Youngquist (September 21-27, Vol. 28, No. 37). “Our 20 honorees of 2020 represent a wide variety of courageous people who selflessly work on behalf of others and represent the philanthropic spirit of the city.” On October 1, during our virtual StreetWise Fundraising Gala presented by the Kadens Family Foundation, these 20 Most Inspiring Chicagoans were honored:

Aleta Clark, founder of Hugs No Slugs

Bryan Cressey, founder of Above and Beyond Recovery Center

David Dietz, social responsibility program director at the National Basketball Association (NBA)

Seth El-Jamal, program director for the Chicago Chapter of Friends of the Children

Dr. Ngozi Ezkie, who has been a leading voice in containing the pandemic in Illinois

Matthew Hoffman, custodian of You Are Beautiful, a project to better the world in little ways

Adam Hollingsworth, the Dreadhead Cowboy

Ella Jenkins, “First Lady of Children’s Music”

Tonika Johnson, social justice artist and photographer, founder of Folded Map Project

Kristi Katz, Chicago Director of Field Operations with Jose Andre’s World Central Kitchen

Diane Latiker, who founded the award-winning Kids Off The Block, Inc. in 2003 in her own home

Ed Marszewski, director of the Public Media Institute, cofounder of Marz Community Brewing Co. and founder of Community Kitchen, which prepares 1,000 hot lunches a week for Chicagoans

Lamell McMorris, founder of Greenlining Realty USA in West Woodlawn

Dr. Izabel Olson, founder / CEO of Salt and Light Coalition

Julian Posada, founder and president of LiftUp enterprises

Chris Redd, actor, writer, rapper, standup comic returning to Saturday Night Live for his fourth season

Olatunji Oboi Reed, founding president and CEO of Equiticity

Britney Robbins, founder of The Gray Matter Experience

Jesse Teverbaugh, director of student and alumni affairs at Cara

LaSaia Wade, founder and executive director of Brave Space Alliance

3 The Census

The U.S. Census every 10 years determines how much federal money states receive for programs like Medicare, Medicaid, TANF, Housing Choice Vouchers, school breakfasts and lunches; and also seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. StreetWise covered the census March 30 (Vol. 28, No. 13) “You Count! The 2020 Census” and June 22-28 (Vol. 28, No. 35) “You Still Count!” Faced with the potential loss of two House seats from population loss and an undercount as bad as in 2010, the state of Illinois spent $40+ million on outreach for the 2020 census – more than any other state. Grants went to Regional Intermediaries (RIs), or “trusted messengers” for hard-to-count communities such as immigrants, LG- BTQ, people of color, low-income or homeless people. Their common denominator was a mistrust of government. This year, between the pandemic and the death of George Floyd, more people fit that description. That’s where the trusted messengers were important, said Regan Sonnabend, vice president of marketing and communications and census director at the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, an RI for LGBTQ people, for opportunity youth and for homeless people. The YWCA subcontracted with StreetWise, which joined the YWCA earlier this year, in reaching out to the latter. StreetWise vendors brought census information to their magazine sales locations and to their housing and service providers. The pandemic also limited the usual face-to-face contact required for outreach, so the RIs got creative with Facebook and WhatsApp and even car caravans decorated with census information that honked their horns as they snaked through undercounted neighborhoods. The message after Floyd’s death was not only that “you count,” but to get yourself counted so that Chicago can receive federal resources to help you.

2 ‘Anguish & Action’ after the death of George Floyd

On May 25, George Floyd died after 8 minutes and 46 seconds under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, as shown in a haunting eyewitness video. In a special 36-page “Anguish & Action” edition June 8 (Vol. 28, No. 29), photographer Kathleen Hinkel captured protests in Chicago’s Loop, in Wrigleyville, Bronzeville, Uptown and Union Park. Rendel Solomon, a StreetWise Most Inspiring Person for 2019, contributed an essay that “your but stinks” if you are still saying things like, “BUT other groups have faced discrimination” to justify an unarmed Black man’s death at the hands of a law enforcement officer. StreetWise Chairman Emeritus Pete Kadens pondered how great the world would be “when none of this silly stuff like skin color or the numbers on a bank statement [matters], but rather things like work ethic, how you treated people who could do absolutely nothing for you and the quality of your inner character.” The symbolism of Floyd’s death overshadowed the man himself, StreetWise Vendor Donald Morris noted, but it was a personal loss to his family and friends. Floyd’s death ignited racial awareness across all color lines in Chicago, accentuated the racial inequities of the pandemic and influenced our coverage for the rest of 2020. In August, StreetWise did two editions for Black Owned Business Month: August 17-23, Part 1, on restaurants (Vol. 28, No. 32) and August 31-September 6, Part 2, on service and retail (Vol. 28, No. 34). Even the December 7 Holiday Gift Guide (Vol. 28, No. 47) sought out Black entrepreneurs. The Chicago Architecture Center’s annual Open House Chicago, October 12-18 (Vol. 28, No. 39) forced to go virtual during the pandemic, featured buildings in underserved neighborhoods on the West and South Sides.

1 Coronavirus

The Coronavirus is the top story of the year because social distancing to avoid contagion has shut down businesses and cultural events since April and impacted nearly every aspect of American life. The story continues into 2021, with no end in sight. Because of shelter-in-place restrictions, StreetWise made the tough decision to discontinue publishing a print edition until it was again safe to congregate. Shortly after moving from Uptown to the South Loop, StreetWise Magazine went to digital-only editions from April 13-19 until July 6. We led by example, so that all vendors understood the gravity of the situation. The office remained open, however, to provide emergency financial support and essential services such as counseling, meals and hygiene kits, including essential PPE, to vendors. We encouraged supporters to purchase a digital issue or subscription to the magazine to continue to support their vendors in the interim. We printed a series of “I’m Still Here” stickers for vendors to post at their spots as reminders. The August 3-9 Women & Coronavirus edition (Vol. 28, No 30) covered the disproportionate impact on women, according to a Women Employed panel. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in April said 12.3 million jobs altogether were lost in three sectors where women comprise the majority of workers: retail, leisure and hospitality, health and education. The edition also featured an Alpha Kappa Alpha panel that asked why African Americans were just 12 percent of the U.S. population, but 20 percent of COVID-19 cases. The answer? Where they live: in densely populated areas; where they work: in occupations where it is difficult to social distance, such as nursing, nail techs, tourism and transportation; and their unequal access to health care. On October 16, Chicago Public Schools officials called safe, in-person instruction an “issue of equity” after they noted that Black and Latinx students were signed up for remote learning at lower rates than in previous years (October 26-November 1, Vol. 28, No. 41). CPS had loaned out 128,000 Chromebooks and set a goal of enrolling 100,000 students for free high-speed internet. However, only 38,000 students did so, because of outstanding debt the City was addressing. www.streetwise.org 13