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Arts & Entertainment Event highlights of the week!

SportsWise Chatting about the NBA trade deadline.

Cover Story: pushing young athletes

Most people understand the pressure felt by young professional athletes just out of college, but many people do not realize that even sports participants in grade school and high school feel pushed to perform by their coaches, peers and parents. This can harm them mentally and physically, says a scholar who specializes in sports and who describes ways to better control their situation.

From the Streets

Proposals to create affordable living spaces on LaSalle Street.

Voice of the streets (Op-Ed)

Nicole Robinson, CEO of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, introduces us to Ella Jo Baker during Black History Month.

The Playground

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher dhamilton@streetwise.org

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Photo by Luis Molinero. THIS

Photo by Brian Reginald.

DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Compiled by Emma Murphy

Theater for All!

Chicago Theatre Week

Experience the awe-inspiring work of Chicago’s fearless theater scene for just $15 or $30 (or less!) from Feb. 16 –26. Chicago Theatre Week features value-priced tickets to more than 100 performances at theaters across the city, from musicals to improv to dramas and beyond. Now in its 11th year, this highly anticipated event allows visitors and locals to sample the extraordinary range of theatrical offerings throughout the Chicago area. For the full list of participating theaters and to purchase tickets, visit chicagoplays.com/chicagotheatre-week

Getting Past Jim Crow!

Green Book Era-Inspired Performance

“A Night at the Savoy: An Enduring Legacy” is a performance by Chicago’s Emmy Award-winning trumpeter, composer, and educator Orbert Davis and his jazz quartet. Celebrate the works of Black artists from the 1920s jazz era with a night of dance and a free signature cocktail. The music celebrates an emerging Black middle class in the 1920s, even as the Jim Crow era posed restrictions on travel, as detailed in the "Negro Motorist Green Book" exhibit now at the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, 9603 Woods Drive, Skokie. The 6:30 p.m. February 23 event is free to the public, but advanced registration is required at ilholocaustmuseum.org

A Look Into Real Life!

‘one in two’ Pride Arts Center puts on the autobiographical play “one in two” running from February 16 through March 19. Ten years after his own diagnosis, Donja R. Love has written an account of the reality that one in two Black men in America who have sex with other men will be diagnosed with HIV in their lifetime. The play will follow a young man named Donté who is diagnosed with HIV. through his experiences in a bar, the bedroom, a waiting room, a medical office, and in his childhood. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Monday, and 3 p.m. on Sunday at 4139 N. Broadway. Tickets are $20+ with more information at pridearts.org

A Familiar Tune!

‘Songs We Love’

“Songs We Love '' is a musical journey beginning with the early blues and jazz of the 1920s and ending in the early 1950s. Riley Mulherkar will direct guest vocalists, Shenel Johns, Vuyo Sotashe and Brianna Thomas, and a band comprised of New York’s rising stars. The program will include the music of Ma Rainey, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and more. Jazz at Lincoln Center: “Songs We Love” is at 4 p.m. February 19 at the McAninch Arts Center, 425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn. Tickets are $50-60 at atthemac.org

The World's Most Popular Musical!

'Les Misérables'

“Les Misérables” tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice, and redemption set against the backdrop of 19th century France. Broadway in Chicago presents the iconic musical at the Cadillac Palace Theatre, 151 W. Randolph St., from February 15 - March 5.

Tickets are $52+ at broadwayinchicago.com

Classics Live!

Mäkelä Conducts López Bellido & Mahler 5

Finnish conductor Klaus Mäkelä pairs Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony and the U.S. premiere of "Aino" by Peruvian American composer Jimmy López Bellido. Mahler 5 begins with a tumultuous funeral march, but the work’s five movements include folk-inspired dances, a tender love song and a boisterous finale. Bellido’s works have been performed by leading orchestras around the world. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. February 16, 1:30 p.m. February 17 and 8 p.m. February 18 at Chicago's Symphony Center, 220 S. Michigan Ave. Tickets are $39+ at cso.org

Speak to Me!

Original Spoken Word

Enjoy a night of performances by Chicago spoken word up and coming artists with special guest performance by Monica Maxwell, an R&B singer. Totally Positive Productions presents “Spoken Word Concert 2” at 7 p.m. February 17 at Logan Center for the Arts through the University of Chicago at 915 E. 60th St. Tickets are $20 at tickets.uchicago.edu

Accessable Art!

‘Third Fridays in Bridgeport’

ALMA Art and Interiors' monthly event on third Fridays brings 70+ artists together with contemporary art, antique furniture and modern design in a 9,000-square-foot industrial loft. Displays are in constant change. Free admission 5 - 8 p.m. February 17 at 3636 S. Iron St. More information at www.almaartandinteriors.com/events

Keeping In Step!

‘Tempo, Rhythm, and Time’

Chicago Tap Theatre celebrates 20 years of critically acclaimed dance in "Chicago Tap Theatre at 20: Tempo, Rhythm, and Time" with a selection of favorites and new premieres. As always, the dancers of CTT will be joined by some of the finest musicians from Chicago playing everything from David Bowie to Queen and Charlie Parker. The show is at 7 p.m. February 18 and 2 p.m. February 19 at The Den Theatre, 1331 N. Milwaukee Ave. Tickets are $33+ at chicagotaptheatre.com

Combating Prejudice!

‘Critical Conversations: Combating Antisemitism’

Critical Conversations is an annual Spertus Institute program inspired by Judaism’s embrace of civil discourse. This year’s event will focus on antisemitism – its current manifestations and what can be done to combat it, both within and beyond Jewish communities. “Critical Conversations: Combating Antisemitism” will be presented both in person (at Spertus Institute, 610 S. Michigan Ave.) and online at 7 p.m. February 20. Tickets are $18 for the in-person program, while online participation is free. Advance reservations are required at spertus.edu/conversations

Patrick: One of the biggest discussions in Chicago right now is DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine—which should be traded during this trade season that ends Feb. 9? Before I let you guys have at it, as much as I would love for these guys— these elite ballplayers—to coexist as do, for example, the Boston Celtics’ Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, I’m not sure the personalities work. If I absolutely had to choose between DeMar or Zach remaining here in Chicago, because the East is relatively winnable now, I’d stick with DeMar.

Donald: I understand where you’re coming from. If—a big ol’ if—these two can’t co-exist, in order to win now, it may take DeMar staying to carry the Bulls over the hump. Even though he hasn’t yet won any championships, he’s played with quite a few champions.

Russ: Also, he’s been coached by San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich, who has multiple championships.

John: Personally, I don’t see the Bulls winning a championship constructed as-is. They’re currently in a state of flux. That said, I don’t believe there’s a trade out there—a possible one—that would help the Bulls. Not this season at least.

Patrick: I don’t know, man. If we’re bold enough to make

a huge move—trading one of our top two guys, even top three if we add our center Nicola Vucevic—I believe we could creep into that top 6 and avoid the play-in games that determine what final two teams make the playoffs. We could surprise a team or two, especially if we avoid the Celtics until the East Finals. Plus, I heard possible murmurings of Atlanta Hawks’ All-Star point guard Trae Young being unhappy…

Russ: The Bulls do need a true point guard. Lonzo Ball could be traded with one of the big two. I don’t believe Lonzo will play in an NBA game this season. On a separate note, I don’t want the Bulls to trade our starin-the-making power forward Patrick Williams because every time we trade somebody, they become the star we’d hoped they’d become with us!

Donald: Lauri Markkanen, anyone?

Russ: Exactly.

Patrick: Russ, what do you have elsewhere?

Russ: Well, it looks like the Celtics, as well as the Milwaukee Bucks, will be looking to trade for pieces. I can’t imagine any of their huge pieces being moved, but this could be big, especially for the Bucks, who have yet to get back into the mix a fully-healthy All-Star Khris Middleton.

John: Makes a big difference to that team. As good as they are with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, not having Middleton on board is tough. Could be the difference— again—with them getting to the Finals and winning or not.

Patrick: Over in the West, we have some powerhouses—some current and some looking to return to that level—gearing up to get it going. The Lakers—

Donald: There you go with the Lakers!

Patrick: Duh. Look, the Lakers already made the first move of this big season, picking up Rui Hachimura. Hachimura is Japanese, which could help with fandom. He’s also a big guy who can shoot and defend.

Russ: But that’s not all they’re going to do. I think this is the time when point guard Russell Westbrook is finally traded. Mind you, no telling who the Lakers will get in return, but, unfortunately, despite his good play this season, Russell’s presence has been a huge distraction and will continue to be so until he’s gone.

Patrick: Can’t wait to see how it all shakes out.

Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org

Rashanah Baldwin

Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

5 ways pressuring young athletes to perform well does them harm

by Eva V. Monsma

When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed during a January 2 NFL football game, much of the public attention was on the pressures athletes face to perform despite the perils they face on the field.

However, as a scholar who specializes in youth sports, I have found that this pressure often begins well before a player enters the pros – often very early in a young athlete’s life. And sometimes the biggest forces behind this pressure are coaches, peers and parents.

Here are five ways young athletes experience unhealthy pressure, and what those influences do to their minds and bodies.

1. Harsh criticism

Coaches who belittle athletes, yell and emphasize winning over personal improvement use what is known as a “controlling style” of coaching. Rather than provide information and feedback about technique, tactics and attitude, controllingstyle coaches tend to communicate objections to obvious mistakes and personal insults during crucial moments.

This style of coaching shifts athletes’ attention away from their abilities and toward mistakes, a win-at-all-costs attitude, unethical behavior, injury and burnout. Many athletes value their coaches’ perceptions more than their own self-perceptions.

When coaches focus on the negative, they influence their athletes to do the same. But it’s much more effective to tell athletes what they should do with concrete specifics, like “push the ground away” or “aim for the rim.”

Often, these sorts of old-school controlling-style coaches use methods that were used on them as young people, despite years of research showing such methods are dangerous. For instance, it is now known that punishing athletes with physical activity – running so-called “suicide” sprints, staying late to run laps, and dropping for 20 pushups – does more harm than good. Expending energy randomly at the end of practice increases the likelihood of fatigue and injury.

2. Peer pressure and influence

Peers also follow the behavior they see from coaches.

Athletes who perform well in matches and within-team scrimmages find acceptance and opportunities for meaningful connections with their teammates. For many athletes, making friendships outside of sports is challenging, especially in collegiate athletics.

But teammates who observe and repeat ridicule, bullying and exclusion can create conflicts with other team members. As a result, their fellow athletes may approach practice not seeking to master skills, test abilities and make friends but rather to

This page: The example coaches set is crucial to the health of young athletes (Katherine Frey/ The Washington Post via Getty Images). Next page: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young has a total valuation of $3.2 million in NIL deals. He saw his value rise in 2022 after winning the coveted Heisman Trophy the previous season (NCAA photo).

Name-Image-Likeness (NIL)

by Eva V. Monsma

by Kristi A. Dosh

I receive emails almost daily from high school and college athletes, as well as their parents, asking how to get started with Name-Image-Likeness (NIL).

There’s a lot more you can do with it than simply make $100 on an Instagram post, whether it’s a long-term contract that pays you consistently, or a deal that opens the door to your future, post-graduation.

When I speak with student athletes, I start by asking them first, “What do you already enjoy doing outside of your sport?”

I ask this because the easiest—and most fun—way to make money is doing something you already do. So, if you have fun posting your #OOTD [Outfit of the Day] on Instagram, then partnering with brands and boutiques to create more Instagram content is a great idea.

The second question is, “What do you want to do after graduation?” One of the smartest things an athlete can do with NIL is use it to engage with people, companies and deals that help them get to where they want to be after graduation.

For example, I know athletes who are asking for sit-downs with key executives at companies as part of their NIL deal to promote the company on social media. They’re getting face time and networking with people they might want to work for down the road.

I know athletes who are forming LLCs and getting realworld experience running their own company, doing things like creating business plans, marketing strategies and more. They’re learning how to create products and find manufacturers and distributors.

I spoke with a young woman recently who wants to work with children in some capacity after graduation, so we talked about how she could give lessons or host a camp or a clinic with her high school coach. NIL allows her to profit from that, but those opportunities also give her the ability to gain experience she can put on her resume that relates to her future career.

Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Sam Breen, for example, is set to release a line of signature dog treats called “Turbo’s Treats,” inspired by her dog, Turbo.

This deal is unique because the proceeds from turbotreat sales will be donated to the Dakin Humane Society, a Springfield, MA. nonprofit focused on animal welfare.

“I had thought about how the passing of NIL rules for student-athletes could be used to help community-based charities like animal shelters, so when the UMass Collective brought this idea to me, it was a no-brainer,” Massachusetts graduate basketball player Breen said in a statement.

How do you make money with NIL?

Student athletes make money with NIL from social media marketing, personal appearances, autographs, merchandise, NFTs, camps, clinics, lessons, creating their own products, making shout-out videos for fans, even playing video games.

Dozens of companies have been founded to help student athletes find and secure NIL deals, and many companies that already worked with professional athletes or influencers have started new divisions or platforms to cater to college (and, in some instances, high school) athletes.

FanJolt, a new experiential platform that creates memorable interactions between fans and a curated list of premier talent, has entered the NIL market with multiple collective partnerships, including Cavalier Futures (UVA), Garnet Trust (South Carolina), Think NIL (TCU) and The Foundation (Ohio State). These new partnerships will create opportunities on the platform and through the FanJolt app for student athletes to connect directly with fans through live broadcasts, personalized messages, recorded videos and more for a fee to earn revenue from their NIL and support their favorite causes.

Although new to the NIL space, FanJolt is not a new organization. FanJolt has worked with a variety of celebrities in sports, music, entertainment, and pop culture. It supports organizations such as the Rafa Nadal Foundation, Aaron Judge’s #AllRise Foundation, Patrick Mahomes’ 15 and the Mahomies Foundation, Tua Tagovailoa’s Tua Foundation and Jewel’s Inspiring Children Foundation.

-Kristi A. Dosh is the founder of BusinessofCollegeSports. com and has served as a sports business analyst and contributor for outlets such as Forbes, ESPN, SportsBusiness Journal, Bleacher Report, SB Nation and more. She is a former practicing attorney.

Self-determination theory has 3 Facets

Research shows that the most common reason young people drop out of sport is their psychological needs not being met. It’s a factor that coaches can control, unlike injury or competing priorities.

According to Self-Determination Theory, the three psychological needs that all people possess are relatedness, competence, and autonomy. When we’re placed in an environment where these needs are fulfilled, we have higher motivation to play within that environment.

According to Self-Determination Theory expert, psychologist Richard Ryan, Ph.D., relatedness means feeling cared for and connected to others: “It’s based on a sense of belonging, a feeling that you matter to the other people that are there,” Ryan says. “And it’s enhanced, not just by people treating you warmly and including you, but by you giving to them, and being able to matter in their lives.”

Competence is fundamental to our motivation and sense of wellness. “To feel effective in your environment, it’s very, very important to have some sense of mastery of the things that matter to you,” Ryan says.

Autonomy is the most essential of our psychological needs. “It refers to behavior that is selfendorsed — that you agree with and find congruent within yourself.

Coaches and parents must create a climate of development within our teams and sports clubs, whereby things like effort, improvement, and the building of connections are prioritized

over results, and there is no favoritism shown to so-called “better” athletes.

Coaches should model good behavior on gameday — by remaining calm and unobtrusive on the sidelines, and minimizing interventions, in order to allow athletes to problem-solve on their own.

Helping athletes to develop a Growth Mindset will also increase motivation. Stanford University professor Carol Dweck says that a growth mindset is a function of how individuals think about ability and talent. An individual with a growth mindset will consider qualities like intelligence, ability, and character as things that can be developed through hard work and perseverance, not traits that are innate or fixed.

A growth mindset, Dweck says, allows athletes to base their enjoyment of their sport solely on factors that they can control — such as their own decisions and effort levels — instead of external outcomes, like results. It becomes easier, therefore, to find motivation.

Ways to help athletes develop a growth mindset include:

• Presenting failure as a learning opportunity.

• Celebrating improvement ahead of outcomes.

• Reframing “achievement” to reflect traits like effort and discipline.

• Promoting a new attitude towards ability (instead of letting athletes believe “I can’t do this.” encourage them to think “I can’t do this yet”).

-Provided by Sport New Zealand

avoid conflict and targeting. Those mental and emotional distractions break their performance focus and consistency.

Coaches and players who focus on athletes’ looks and weight – often in aesthetic or weight-restricted sports like gymnastics and wrestling – contribute to a culture of body shaming that values athletes’ physical attributes rather than what their bodies can accomplish. Athletes who think that others want them to be smaller or bigger than they are can experience anxiety, depression and eating disorders. Expectations like participating in public weigh-ins, avoiding sweets and wearing revealing competitive uniforms are common in upper echelons of sports like cheerleading.

3. Parental expectations

The effects of competition begin long before the start of a season, game or match. How kids feel about themselves in sports, especially after a loss, is often linked to how parents view, value and teach competition.

When parents pay their kids for scoring points or winning the game, they turn their kids into selfish teammates and decrease their long-term motivation. Of course, most parents can’t continue opening their

wallets forever, and even students who earn scholarships to college tend to lose their motivation when they’re paid for performance.

Parents can behave badly when they are looking for external signals of their children’s achievements, like championship trophies, selection for elite teams, scholarships, endorsements and, now, name-image-likeness deals (see page 9), in which student-athletes can earn money from product endorsements and advertising appearances. But those goals can conflict with children’s natural motives in sports – including to demonstrate competence, make decisions and be with friends (see page 10).

When kids sense their parents’ stress over expectations, they shift their ideals and become more prone to perfectionism, burnout, anxiety and depression and eating disorders.

4. Early specialization

Parents push their kids into year-round intensive training in a single sport as early as age 7. Overuse injuries, psychological stress and burnout are well-documented consequences of specializing before 12. But is this necessary? Super-early training isn’t really helpful for sports whose athletes tend to peak later in life, like marathon runners, for example.

Transitioning to higher levels of play during adolescence strengthens athletic identity as training expectations expand to diet and exercise. To conform, athletes may begin using anabolic steroids, overtraining, playing through injury and restricting their diets. Encouraging a healthy diet for training purposes can translate to compulsive ingredient checking, food planning, restricted eating and other symptoms of a relatively new eating disorder: orthorexia nervosa.

Trying out various sports while young helps athletes discover what they enjoy most, and which activities work well for their body types.

5. Overtraining

Overuse injuries like “Little League elbow” and Osgood-Schlatter disease, a cause of knee pain, are becoming more common. American high school athletes who specialize in just one sport are 50% more likely to experience an injury from overuse than people who play multiple sports – and athletes who focus on two sports are 85% more likely. High-pressure environments that expect athletes to endure injuries can lead to long-term conditions like arthritis and tendonitis.

In such sports as football, boxing and mixed martial arts, the culture even rewards injuries and risk-taking. But when an injury forces an athlete into an early and unexpected retirement, coping with the transition is tough. Identity loss and purpose can exacerbate mental illness and even increase the risk of domestic violence, particularly when the injury involves mild traumatic brain injuries.

Witnessing sports-related injuries – just as the millions of NFL fans who watched Hamlin did – has consequences for observers, too, such as psychological trauma. Symptoms, which can include intrusive thoughts linked to the injury, nightmares and anxiety, can last from a single day to more than a month. The situation can even escalate to post-traumatic stress disorder. In the coming weeks, teammates who witnessed Hamlin’s collapse may be up to 25% more likely to develop symptoms of psychological trauma than the rest of us.

That’s something to keep in mind as people watch and cheer young athletes to run faster, jump higher or score more points. The question becomes: At what expense?

Eva V. Monsma is professor of Developmental Sport Psychology, Department of Physical Education at the University of South Carolina. Courtesy of The Conversation.

Top high school athletes often face significant pressure to perform (Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images).

Affordable housing on lasalle

by Suzanne Hanney /

Chicago

A City Hall initiative to diversify LaSalle Street with mixed income housing in the wake of COVID vacancies and a shift in office investment to the West Loop has attracted six proposals for five buildings. Up to three winning applicants will be chosen by the end of March, a city official said. Three other proposals were withdrawn, incomplete or at an ineligible address.

The goal of “LaSalle Reimagined,” said Department of Planning and Development (DPD) Commissioner Maurice Cox, is to turn the thoroughfare into a '15-minute neighborhood' where affordable housing can be found" and all one's other needs are within a quick walk.

When originally presented in September, “LaSalle Reimagined” had a goal of 1000 housing units, 30 percent of them affordable. The number of housing units delivered will depend on how much assistance developers require, “but given the quality of the proposals received, we believe we will be able to meet our initial aspiration to assist in bring

ing at least 1,000 new residential units to this corridor,” Department of Housing Director of Public Affairs Rima Alsammarae said in an email.

Although LaSalle Street has traditionally been the Loop’s financial, banking, legal and government office district, vacancies there are higher than any other downtown submarket for both retail (36%) and offices (26%), officials said in a webinar for applicants.

Moreover, "There is nearly 5 million square feet of vacant commercial space on the LaSalle Street corridor, but not a single unit of affordable housing," Mayor Lori Lightfoot said at the initiative’s unveiling in September.

Affordable housing on or adjacent to LaSalle between Washington and Jackson is the first goal. Proposals must provide a minimum 30 percent of units affordable to people earning 60 percent of the Area Median Income, which is $43,800 for a one-person household, ($50,040 for two persons). Adaptive reuse of underutilized landmark buildings and activation of their grand interior spaces is also a priority. The creation of ground floor assets such as grocery stores and small-scale dining and cultural attractions is yet another requirement.

FROM THE STREETS

City officials said they were encouraged by Google’s recent announcement that it would locate its headquarters in the James R. Thompson Center, formerly occupied by the state of Illinois.

Funding assistance to developers is expected to come from a variety of sources: Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits, the Affordable Illinois property tax incentive provided by a state law passed in July 2021 in response to the pandemic, low-income housing tax credits, and Tax Increment Financing. The LaSalle-Central TIF was worth $197 million at the end of 2021.

City officials said in the webinar that a successful precedent for using TIF funds for housing downtown is the Randolph Tower City Apartments at 188 W. Randolph St., which had been vacant since 2007, with terra cotta in need of restoration. The $145 million project received a $34 million subsidy from the Randolph Wells TIF in 2010. It now has 310 units of housing, 20 percent of them affordable, as well as 2nd floor office space and a restaurant. However, a phone call to the apartments revealed a waitlist of one to five years for the affordable units.

105 W. Adams St. (Two proposals)

1. MAVEN Development Group proposes 423 studio, one- and two-bedroom units with 30% affordability (127 units). The $167 million project would also include a rooftop amenity deck.

2. The Reimagine Adams Limited Partnership, an affiliate of Celadon Partners and Blackwood Group proposes 247 studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom units with 75% affordability (185 units). The $192 million project would also include a tenant fitness room and roof deck, a public food market and a coffee shop. The high-rise was built in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

111 W. Monroe St.

A proposed $180 million development by 111 W. Monroe LLC, an affiliate of Prime/Capri Interests LLC, would create 349 studio, one- and two-bedroom units with 30% affordability (105 units). The project would also include a new hotel on lower floors with a spa and fitness center, underground parking and a new rooftop pool and restaurant. The Ionic-columned brick and granite structure dates to 1910 and is listed on the National Register. It has been home to BMO Harris Bank, which announced in 2018 it would be moving to its new tower adjacent to Union Station.

photos provided by the City of

135 S. LaSalle St.

Riverside Investment & Development/AmTrust proposes 430 studio, one- and two-bedroom units with 30% affordability (129 units) for the Art Deco Field Building, which is listed on the National Register. The $258 million project could also include up to 80,000 square feet of lobbies, retail, food and beverage, event and cultural space; and a fresh market grocer. Previously home to the LaSalle National Bank and the Bank of America (which has relocated to a tower on Wacker Drive), the 45-story skyscraper dates to 1934 and is listed on the National Historic Register of Historic Places. It was the last major office building constructed in Chicago until One Prudential Plaza in 1955.

208 S. LaSalle St.

UST Prime III Office Owner LLC, an affiliate of The Prime Group Inc., would spend $130 million to build 280 studio, one- and two-bedroom units with 30% affordability (84 units). Additional proposed improvements include a private dog run, fitness center, tenant lounge and access to the amenities of the two existing hotels within the building. The former Continental Bank Building was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

30 N. LaSalle St.

Golub & Co. LLC/American General Life Insurance Co. would spend $186 million to redevelop the 1975 high-rise into 432 studio, one- and two-bedroom units, with 30% (130) of them affordable. There would also be ground floor retail, exterior green space, and seating along both Washington and LaSalle streets.

Get to know Ella jo baker op-ed

by Nicole R. Robinson

Each January, we have the opportunity to honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Most of my life, I’ve looked forward to celebrating Dr. King’s legacy. I’ve admired his ability to transform how we connect as people, as well as how he, alongside other civil rights leaders, built a revolutionary movement which shined a light on the social, economic, and political inequities faced by Black Americans. And, rightfully so, Dr. King is forever memorialized in our history as the architect of the modern American civil rights movement, influencing outcomes across women’s rights, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter.

As a masterful grassroots organizer, she is most widely known for convening a coalition of Black and white college students who fueled the momentum behind sit-ins at lunch counters and other public spaces where Blacks and Whites could not co-exist.

But we know that the civil rights movement was not led solely by one man or even a group of men. Truth be told, thousands of unsung women–and in particular Black women–were the backbone of the movement. The person I’d like to share King’s spotlight with in this Black History Month is my latest and greatest “shero:” Ella Jo Baker. For me, it’s bittersweet that Ella Jo Baker is not a household name, because by all accounts she is the Godmother of the civil rights movement, having stood shoulder to shoulder with Dr. King as a leader and ally, serving often in the shadows and behind the scenes.

Born in the South, Ella Jo Baker was a full-time activist working around the clock with leading civil rights organizations including the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) in the forties, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in the fifties, and as co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the sixties. Across all of these organizations, she served as strategist, advisor, mentor, mobilizer, abolitionist and catalyst to a movement that would strategically support thousands to nonviolently resist legal racial segregation while advancing the humanity and economic opportunity for all people. As a masterful grassroots organizer, she is most widely known for convening a coalition of Black and White college students who fueled the momentum behind sit-ins at lunch counters and other public spaces where Blacks and Whites could not co-exist. Ella’s coalition of young people would evolve into her co-founding of SNCC (pronounced Snick).

One of Ella’s greatest gifts to the civil rights movement was her mentorship of young social activists who wanted to change the world, and her service as a bridge-builder across so many

organizations. In fact, she directly unleashed the activism of equity champions like Julian Bond, Fannie Lou Hamer and Black Panther Stokely Carmichael. I’m also proud to say that through funding from the YWCA, Ella convened YWCA college student council members to train them in the non-violent resistance strategies and mobilize them to join the civil rights movement. This resulted in young women of the YWCA being among the thousands of young people protesting racial segregation in the South. Additionally, she mentored two young White women, Mary King and Sandra Cason “Casey” Hayden, members of the YWCA college coalition that would help build a bridge between the civil rights movement and the women’s rights movement.

During Black History Month, connecting with the legacy of Ella Jo Baker inspires me and helps further fuel my passion for the YWCA mission, our programs, our community and the people across the organization who bring them to life. Similar to Ella Jo Baker, we unleash the potential in people, particularly young people who have the audacity to dream a better world, imagine new possibilities and drive positive change.

Nicole R. Robinson is chief executive officer of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago.

Ella Jo Baker c.

1944 (Everett Collection photo).

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the

Last week's Puzzle Answers

StreetWise exists to elevate marginalized voices and provide opportunities for individuals to earn an income and gain employment. Anyone who wants to work has the opportunity to move themselves out of crisis.

StreetWise provides “a hand up, not a handout.”

How StreetWise Works

Buy the Magazine, Take the Magazine

All vendors go through an orientation focusing on their rights and responsibilities as a StreetWise Magazine Vendor. Authorized vendors have badges with their name, picture and current year.

Vendors purchase the magazine for $1.15 and sell it for $3 plus tips. The vendor keeps all of their earnings.

When you buy the magazine, take the magazine, and read the magazine, you are supporting our microentrepreneurs earning an income with dignity.

New vendor orientation is every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at 2009 S. State St. Find your nearest vendor at www.streetwise.org