January 31 - February 6, 2024 by StreetWise_CHI

January 31 - february 6, 2024 Vol. 32 No. 05

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4 Arts & Entertainment 6 SportsWise

Event highlights of the week!

The SportsWise Team debates how college football athletes play the game now, in comparison to years prior.

8 Cover Story: good times

“Good Times” debuted 50 years ago, on Feb. 8, 1974. CBS aired the show about the daily struggles and triumphs of the working-class Evans family until Aug. 1, 1979. The show featured strong female characters and many nods to Black popular culture.

13 From the Streets

Gov. J.B. Pritzker sends open letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott about migrant crisis.

15 The Playground

ON THE COVER: The cast of "Good Times." THIS PAGE: Ja'Net DuBois hugs Janet Jackson on the set of "Good Times." (Both photos CBS Photo Archive). 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.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Standing Against Injustice!

‘a home what howls (or the house that was ravine)’ A coyote howling. A home in disarray. A young woman alone. In Matthew Paul Olmos’ world premiere, Soledad Vargas is in the city, fighting for her family’s right to live on their land. W hen hope starts to dwindle, how far will she go, and what will she be forced to leave behind? A modern myth drawn from the real-life struggles of displaced communities around the globe, "a home what howls" is a lyrically-rendered quest of youth activism standing against forces of injustice. Steppenwolf for Young Adults premieres “a home what howls (or the house what was ravine)” by Matthew Paul Olmos and directed by Laura Alcalá Baker. This powerful and poetic look at displacement and youth activism will play February 7 – March 2 in Steppenwolf’s Ensemble Theater, 1646 N. Halsted St. Tickets are $5 for high school students and school groups, and start at $20 for public performances at steppenwolf.org .

Get Engaged with Shakespeare!

‘Measure to Measure’ In this production of "Measure for Measure," The Olde School Shakespeare Collective brings the audience into the story of a religious community in crisis. The leader has abandoned them and left the stringent Angelo in his place. His brutal attempt to eliminate debauchery ignites the community in a counter-quest for justice led by the purest soul of all, Isabella. W hen Shakespeare wrote the story, he was inspired by the Catholic reign in Vienna. Today, Olde School Shakes chooses to tell this story through the lens of fundamentalist evangelicalism. Audience engagement and participation is encouraged, reminiscent of the groundlings and playhouses of Elizabethan England with a modern twist. Enjoy drinks and revelry in the back room at Redline VR, and don’t just watch the story, help make it happen. 7:30 p.m. at Redline VR, 4702 N. Ravenswood Ave. $15 or $25 for VIP at theoldeschoolshakes.com .

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Lost Queer Stories!

'Sunsets: Two Acts on a Beach' "Sunsets on a Beach" by Cal Yeomans, a long-lost drama by an early pioneer, was last performed at the 1982 American Gay Arts Festival in Chicago and offers an intimate exploration of human sexuality and relationships from the pre-AIDS era. Act One is a monologue featuring Henrietta, an aging drag star whose life has taken a turbulent turn. This character’s journey delves into the complexities of gay life with heavy yet authentic language. Act Two explores the relationship between Dan, a married construction worker on a quest for self-discovery, and John, who prefers anonymous hookups. The production contains nudity. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Open Space Arts, 1411 W. Wilson Ave. Tickets are $25 at openspacearts.com

Thank You For Being A Friend!

‘Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue’ Picture it. United States, 2024. "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" is a parody that brings Miami’s sassiest seniors to stages around the country for one more hurrah. We find Sophia out on bail after being busted by the DEA for running a drug ring for retirees. Blanche and Rose have founded CreakN, a thriving sex app for seniors. And Dorothy is trying to hold it all together with help from a new (much) younger sex-crazed lover. "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" allows audiences to relive the heartfelt hilarity of the four ladies who never stopped being best friends. Playing February 6 - 25 at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, 175 E. Chestnut St., at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, 1 & 7 p.m. Wednesdays, 7 p.m. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 2 & 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays. Tickets start at $26 at broadwayinchicago.com

A Classic Re-Imagined!

‘Antigone’ As Antigone mourns her brothers who have murdered each other in a civil war, she must decide if she will sacrifice her life to balance the scales of justice. Her victorious brother is posthumously exalted; her treasonous brother is left unburied by order of King Creon, Antigone’s uncle and adversary. Antigone deliberately defies the king’s edict and buries her traitorous brother, igniting a devastating chain of events and thrusting urgent questions of justice to the fore. Playing Wednesdays - Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. February 2 - 25 at Court Theatre, 5535 S. Ellis Ave. $60 at courttheatre.org

Experience Experimental Music!

CHIMEFest: Beyond This Point & lovemusic The CHIME Studio (Chicago Integrated Media Experimental Studio) will present two instances of CHIMEFest, an annual celebration of electroacoustic music produced by the CHIME Studio at the University of Chicago. The February 2nd CHIMEFest showcases works and practices that explore the theme of intermedia, highlighting compositions that creatively employ multimedia in both conceptual and poetic ways. The concerts will feature performances by Beyond This Point at 5:30 p.m. and lovemusic at 7:30 p.m. FREE at the Logan Center Penthouse, 915 E. 60th St.

Architecture Meets Cinema!

Architecture & Design Film Festival From January 31 – February 4, the Chicago Architecture Center will transform its galleries into a temporary cineplex for the Architecture & Design Film Festival (ADFF). The line-up includes 20 stories of creative vision, design innovation, and human relationships embodied in architecture across the globe. Tickets are $20/film or $15 for CAC Members and include a single film showing plus access to view all ADFF Short Films before or after your movie time. All showings will be at the Chicago Architecture Center, 111 E Wacker Drive. Please arrive 20-30 minutes ahead of your scheduled showtime. For a full schedule and to purchase tickets, visit adfilmfest.com/adff-chicago

A Heartbreaking Play!

‘Selling Kabul’ Taroon once served as an interpreter for the U.S. military in Afghanistan. Now that the Americans are withdrawing — along with their promises of protection — Taroon spends his days in hiding, a target of the increasingly powerful Taliban. On the day his son is born, he must choose between staying concealed in his sister’s apartment or risking his life to see his child. Playing through Feb 25 at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets start at $39 at northlight.org/events/sellingkabul

Jazz meets Classical!

Akropolis Reed Quintet Hailed as “a sonically daring ensemble who perform new works with charisma and integrity” by BBC Music Magazine, Akropolis will present imaginative arrangements alongside original reed works that highlight exploration into jazz and its impact on classical music. The program will include a traditional Baroque dance suite with early jazz harmonies, and "Moods and Attitudes," a new work by jazz composer Omar Thomas consisting of a modernized shuffle, a noir ballad, and a bebop romp. Friday, February 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. $40 at tickets.uchicago.ed

Classical to Pop Ballet!

Complexions Contemporary Ballet 'STAR DUST: From Bach to Bowie' Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, armed with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of 16 spectacular dancers, have re-envisioned ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess, and sheer passion. Complexions’ blockbuster hit, "STAR DUST: From Bach to Bowie," is sure to rock audiences with a soundtrack celebrating David Bowie classics, including “Young Americans,” “Heroes,” and “Space Oddity.” February 3, 7:30 p.m. at the Auditorium Theatre, 50 E. Ida B Wells Drive. Tickets start at $30 at auditoriumtheatre.org

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Vendors (l-r) A. Allen, Tammy Kohnke, John Hagan and William Plowman chat about the world of sports.

Changing the way to play John: The Michigan Wolverines just won the national championship with a 34-13 beatdown against the Washington Huskies. They did it with a unique style, unlike most college football and NFL teams: they run more than they pass. They pound the ball instead of a wideopen game like Washington’s. So, do you think this style of play is an outlier or is it a sign of things to come?

SPORTSWISE

Bill: I think it could be a sign of things to come. We're always seeing something new in football. Allen: Well, it could be. It could become a trend, especially with Chicago. We have a tendency to run the ball with Justin Fields. I'm sure Chicago observed the game, how the quarterback played with Donovan Edwards, the running back. That’s what kept the ball on the ground, and Edwards scored two touchdowns, which was real good for the running game. Me and you, John, agree Chicago needs a running back. Justin Fields wouldn't have to run as much and to play two positions: quarterback and running back. Tammy: I think it's a trend. John: I'm gonna actually disagree. To me, it's more of an outlier. Nowdays, this has become more of a passing league. Teams are coming back from 20, 30 points down. It’s like nothing.

Whereas back in the 80s and 90s, if you had to come back from that much of a deficit, it’d be huge. Going forward, how would this set up with the NFL Draft in April? Bill: The Bears draft 1st and 9th this year. I'm hoping they'll pick wisely and get some really good players who are teamwork-oriented, too. Allen: The Bears have a lot of building to do with the offense. We have a good quarterback with Justin Fields. He just needs a little help in the backfield. A running back would do the Chicago Bears just fine. I was looking at Michigan’s running backs Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards. They rushed for a combined 238 yards and four touchdowns to lead Michigan into this great upset. If we was to have two good men on the ground and to

protect our quarterback, that would be good.

up his skills before he goes pro.

Tammy: I agree with William and Allen.

Bill: I would agree with Alan on that. I wouldn't mind having him as quarterback for the Bears, but not with any of the other teams in the NFC North because that would make it tough for the Bears.

John: There are so many quarterbacks who are seniors and ready for the NFL draft this year: Caleb Williams of USC, Jayden Daniels of LSU, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington and Drake Maye of North Carolina. J.J. McCarthy took Michigan to the national championship, but he’s a junior. So if I were him, I would stay at Michigan, because in that final game against Washington, he was 10 of 18. He was more of a game manager, unlike most quarterbacks today. Allen: A lot of people are looking at McCarthy because he is a really good quarterback for Michigan, and I'm sure a lot of pro teams would be after him, but as you say, it might be to his advantage to stay at Michigan and sharpen

But yeah, I think overall, he should stay, hone his skills and make sure he gets his degree. Most people, once they graduate, they go pro in something other than sports. I think the NFL should have a policy that says you have to finish college before you can actually play for the NFL. Because anything could happen. You know, you get an injury, can't play anymore. Now what are you gonna do for a living? Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Staying healthy in Cold & flu season When the weather shifts in temperature, the cold and flu season has begun. The flu (influenza) and the common cold share many of the same symptoms. Both are contagious illnesses that affect the respiratory system and are spread through viruses. How can you tell if your symptoms are a cold or the flu? Here’s how: Cold symptoms are usually milder, develop over time, and can include: • Fever • Runny or stuffy nose • Sore throat • Cough • Sneezing • Fatigue • Muscle aches • Headaches

by Dr. Marina Claudio

Flu symptoms can be more severe, appear suddenly, and can include: • Fever (often higher than one that’s due to a cold) • Stuffy nose • Feeling like you want to vomit (nausea) • Chills • Sweats • Fatigue • Muscle aches • Cough • Headaches • Loss of appetite • Vomiting and/or diarrhea (more common in children) Whether or not you have a cold or the flu, be sure to take steps to feel better while your body fights the virus: • Get lots of rest • Stop smoking • Drink lots of fluids • Avoid alcohol • Gargle with warm salt water a few times a day to help your sore throat feel better • Use saline (saltwater) nose drops or sprays to help loosen mucous and hydrate dry nasal passages • Use a humidifier • Take medicine recommended or prescribed by your provider • Get the annual seasonal flu vaccine early in the season!

Call your provider if you have the following symptoms: • High fever that lasts for more than a few days • Symptoms that last for more than 10 days or get worse instead of better • Trouble breathing or shortness of breath • Severe sinus pain in the cheeks or forehead • Severe or constant vomiting • Confusion https://familydoctor.org/is-it-a-cold-or-the-flu/

Dr. Marina Claudio is a board-certified family physician who has been in practice since 2003. She is currently a Medical Director at Molina Healthcare of Illinois/Wisconsin. She's a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago and completed her residency in Family Medicine at the UIC/Advocate Illinois Masonic Family Medicine Residency Program.

HEALTHWISE

Viruses that cause colds and the flu have no cure. Over-the-counter medicines help to lessen symptoms. There are a few prescription anti-viral medications available to help treat flu symptoms. Here is what you can do to protect yourself and others from getting sick: • Wash your hands frequently to stop the spread of germs • Eat healthy, exercise and get enough sleep to boost your immune system • Cough and sneeze into your elbow to avoid the spread of germs • Clean surfaces like countertops, door handles and light switches with antibacterial products • Stay home when you are sick • Avoid contact with people who are sick • Get a flu shot early in the season.

'GOOD TIMES' changed TV with a show about working-class Black f by Angela M. Nelson

I loved watching Norman Lear’s trailblazing television shows when I was growing up in Dalzell, South Carolina, in the 1970s. “Good Times,” my favorite, debuted on Feb. 8, 1974 – nearly 50 years ago. CBS aired the show about the daily struggles and triumphs of the working-class Evans family until Aug. 1, 1979. Lear, who died at 101 on Dec. 5, 2023, forever changed sitcoms. His characters were more diverse, and their predicaments included situations that had previously been out of bounds for humorous TV programs, such as child abuse, unemployment and alcoholism. As a result, they more accurately reflected modern life in America than their counterparts that predominated through the 1960s. “Good Times” stood apart from Lear’s other successful comedies because it featured, as Lear put it, the “first full black family on television.” I have been researching “Good Times” and other shows with primarily Black casts since 1989. Along the way, I’ve developed a deep appreciation for the show’s strong female characters and its many nods to Black popular culture.

Compelling characters

COVER STORY

“Good Times” starred actress Esther Rolle. She had previously been cast as a domestic worker with the same name but in a different city in “Maude,” another popular show Lear produced. “Maude” was also a spinoff – its main character originated on “All in the Family,” Lear’s first breakthrough hit.

On “Good Times,” Rolle’s character, Florida Evans, was a loving wife and mother. She was married to James Evans Sr. Her hardworking and easily angered husband was played by John Amos until 1976. Their children included J.J. – James Jr. – the eldest son and a talented painter. He was played by stand-up comedian Jimmie Walker. The gangly young man won viewers’ devotion by frequently shouting “dyn-o-mite!” to express his excitement. Bern Nadette Stanis had the role of Thelma, the middle child and only daughter. She aspired to be a doctor, and her beauty attracted many suitors her parents found unsuitable. Michael, the militant The cast of "Good Times in 1974 (CBS Photo Acrhive).

d ta family

Norman Lear headshot for GQ Magazine, 2017 (Peter Yang photo).

Norman Lear: a lifetime on TV Norman Lear, who died Dec. 5, 2023 at 101, transformed American television in the 1970s with groundbreaking shows that generated national conversations. “All In the Family” (197179), featured the Bunkers of Queens, New York, whose domestic lives illuminated the social upheavals of the times. Lear’s other hit shows included “Sanford and Son” (1972-78), “Maude” (1972-78), “The Jeffersons” (197585), “One Day At A Time” (1975-84), “Good Times” (1974-79), and the cult hits “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman” (1976), “Fernwood 2-Night” (1977) and “America 2-Night” (1978). Lear’s shows of the 1970s reflected an inclusive America: Black and Latino characters and diverse families dealing with everyday problems as well as racism, feminism, and sexuality. His lasting impact on American culture was recognized with the National Medal of Arts in 1999. “Norman Lear has held up a mirror to American society and changed the way we look at it,” President Bill Clinton said in presenting the medal. Lear was born in 1922 in New Haven, Connecticut. As a teen, he won a scholarship to Emerson College in an American Legion oratorical contest about the U.S. Constitution. He drew on his experience as a child hearing antisemitic radio broadcasts by the notorious Father Coughlin. These broadcasts awakened in Lear a love of country and a lifelong devotion to justice, equality, and the preservation of First Amendment rights. During World War II, Lear dropped out of Emerson College to fight fascism; he flew 52 combat missions over Europe in a B-17 bomber. In the 50’s, Lear began a successful career writing and producing television programs like The Colgate Comedy Hour, The Martha Raye Show, and The Martin and Lewis Show. By the 60’s he wrote and produced films such as “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Never Too Late,” “Divorce American Style,” “The Night they Raided Minsky’s,” and he wrote, produced, and directed “Cold Turkey.” He then returned to television and his hits that began with “All in The Family.” At the end of the 1970s, Lear was alarmed by the rising political influence of televangelists who suggested that only people who shared their religious beliefs and political worldview could be good Americans. He recruited civic, religious, business, and civil rights leaders, including the late Rep. Barbara Jordan, to join him in creating People For the American Way. They campaigned to defend freedom of expression, oppose censorship, uphold religious liberty, support access to the ballot, and more. Lear and his wife Lyn purchased a rare, original printing of the Declaration of Independence. Starting July 4, 2001, the document traveled to all 50 states and the District of Columbia for 10 years, giving thousands of Americans an opportunity to share Lear’s awe. An outgrowth of the road trip was Declare Yourself, a nonpartisan project that registered almost 4 million young people to vote. In a Washington Post op-ed published in 2021 on his 99th birthday, Lear wrote, “I am a patriot, and I will not surrender that word to those who play to our worst impulses rather than our highest ideals.” -Suzanne Hanney, from online sources

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The actress Ja'net DuBois rounded out the core cast as Willona Woods, the Evans’ fashionable, sassy neighbor who was virtually another member of this boisterous and tightknit family. Other actors rotated in and out, including a very young Janet Jackson cast as Willona’s adopted daughter, Penny.

Familiar folks The Black characters in “Good Times” looked and sounded real to Black viewers. Also, Florida had authority in her home, just as her husband, James, did. The Evans family and Willona resonated with me because they authentically presented African American culture on the small screen. Their speech, hairstyles, clothes, dance moves and music were recognizable to me as a young Black girl. The cast regularly referenced Black pop culture icons, including Ebony magazine, the comedian and variety show host Flip Wilson, and the composer and musician Isaac Hayes. “Good Times” also made a mark because Black women had agency on and off the set. Rolle openly shared her concerns

with Lear and other producers about the show’s direction. Rolle wanted more stories that focused on the show’s female Black characters. And she got them. Thelma was the first Black teenage girl and Willona was the first Black female divorcée on prime-time television. Both characters were interesting, funny and beautiful.

Race’s role One way that “Good Times” differed from Lear’s other Blackcast sitcoms was the role that race played. In “Sanford and Son,” which revolved around a Los Angeles junk dealer and his adult son, and “The Jeffersons,” in which the audience saw a successful Black entrepreneur and his wife “movin’ on up” to a fancy Manhattan apartment, the protagonists disliked and distrusted white people. And they let everyone know it. The Evans family, on the other hand, were mostly cordial and welcoming in their interactions with the white characters who infrequently appeared in “Good Times.” They also turned distant and aloof when racism intervened, as happened in the episode “Thelma’s Scholarship.” Thelma and her family are initially thrilled by the prospect of getting a full ride to a boarding school in Michigan. But they reject the opportunity in disgust when it turns out she would

(CBS Photo Archives)

youngest son who often expressed his indignation over social justice issues starting as a young tween, was played by Ralph Carter.

From TOP: Cabrini Green Homes, view SE from W. Division St. and N. Cleveland St., Chicago, 1988 (Camilo Vergara / Library of Congress photo); Mayor Jane Byrne meets with children during her stay at the Cabrini Green complex (still from a 1981 NBC News report); In 1995, the demolition of Chicago’s Cabrini-Green housing project got underway (Beth A. Keiser / AP photo).

Life at Cabrini Green Olympic heavyweight boxing bronze medalist Nate Jones lived in CabriniGreen during the 1974-79 era, when the public housing complex was featured in “Good Times” opening and closing credits – but never mentioned on the show. Jones, who also trained 1996 Olympic teammate Floyd Mayweather, said that Cabrini was nothing like it was portrayed on the TV show. “It was more like life and death,” Jones said in a YouTube video. “You would see guys walking down the street and they would fall. A lot of people got killed. I seen a lot of funerals get turned inside out:” a rival gang member would come and flip the casket over with the deceased inside. He shook hands with someone who turned the corner of the building and was killed. Jones lived in the same high-rise as the late Mayor Jane Byrne, who moved into 1150-60 N. Sedgwick in March 1981. He hated it, he said, because her security team locked down the building for an hour before and after she entered the building. A resident couldn’t take out garbage or go outside to play baseball. Jones lived on the 7th floor and the mayor in two corner apartments on the 4th. According to Chicago Magazine, when the building manager started showing apartments to Byrne’s advance team, the first “vacant” apartment had a family of squatters. So did the second. Although Cabrini’s official population had dropped to 14,000, the Chicago Housing Authority estimated that another 6,000 people lived there unofficially. Thirty years later, Bern Nadette Stanis, who played Thelma on “Good Times,” was mistress of ceremonies for the second annual National Public Housing Museum fundraiser, “An Afternoon of Good Times,” in April 2011 at the Chicago Cultural Center. National spokesperson for the museum, Stanis told how she had lived in the Brownsville Housing Development in Brooklyn. Among former public housing residents telling their stories, Stanis said that her father used to tell her, “’What’s around you does not have to be in you.’ The sound inspiration coming from within her home life gave her strength and courage ‘to do better than what “they” said my future could only be,’” according to The Residents’ Journal. Roughly two weeks earlier, on March 30, 2011, demolition began on the last Cabrini high-rise, at 1230 N. Burling St. The Cabrini Rowhouses at 900 N. Hudson Ave. are the only remainder of the development. The 140 units were built in the early 1940s and named for St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. -Suzanne Hanney, from online sources

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'GOOD TIMES' for a new generation Netflix ordered 10 episodes of a Good Times animated reboot in September 2020 and insiders told BET.com that the 30-minute show may finally premiere this summer. Originally created, written and produced by Carl Jones, its executive producers include the late Norman Lear and Brent Miller of Act III Production, four-time NBA Champion Golden State Warrior Point Guard Stephen Curry and Seth MacFarlane (“Family Guy,” “Ted,” “American Dad”). Sony Pictures Television is the studio. Fifty years after the Evans family lived in Cabrini-Green, the show is intended to remind viewers that with the love of family, we can keep our heads above water, as the family navigates today’s world and contemporary social issues. Leading the cast of voice actors will be J.B. Smoove and Yvette Nicole Brown, with SNL alum Jay Pharoah as their son, Junior. Rounding out the cast are “Blackish” star Marsai Martin, “Black Jesus” star Slink Johnson and Rashida “Sheedz” Olayiwola. Ranada Miller (“Born Again Virgin”) is the new showrunner. The family will be living in Apt. 17C of the “last remaining housing projects in Chicago,” according to prepared material. In reality, however, there are no public housing high-rises left in Chicago. -Suzanne Hanney, from online sources

have become a token Black student rather than being valued for her academic achievement and potential.

Normal people’s problems “Good Times” also broke ground because the Evanses lived in poverty. Their fictional, cramped two-bedroom apartment was in Chicago’s very real Cabrini-Green Homes, which the city has since demolished after years of neglect.

I believe that “Good Times” lives on in contemporary depictions of 21st-century, urban, Black, working-class nuclear families. Netflix’s “The Upshaws” is the most recent example of a two-parent, Black, working-class nuclear family with children.

The hassles and heartaches tied to their housing problems often became part of the plotlines.

Like Lear’s comedies, “The Upshaws” is packed with situations that would have been out of bounds before Lear redefined TV sitcoms – such as adultery and gay central characters.

In contrast, typical TV families in the 1950s and 1960s were white, middle class and suburban.

And, as it happens, “Good Times” itself is being reincarnated.

These included the Nelsons in “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,” the Andersons in “Father Knows Best” and the Stones in “The Donna Reed Show.”

“Family Guy” creator Seth MacFarlane and NBA star Stephen Curry joined with Lear in 2020 to executive-produce an adult animated reboot.

The Nelsons, Andersons and Stones, however, also had some things in common with the Evans family.

The series, slated for release in 2024 on Netflix, will follow a new generation of the Evans family 50 years after it first showed up in American living rooms. Lear will reportedly make a posthumous cameo appearance in it.

For example, Betty Anderson in “Father Knows Best” contemplated marrying her boyfriend in the episode “Vine Covered Cottage,” as did Thelma in “Thelma’s Young Man.” Michael dealt with a bully in “The Lunch Money Rip-Off,” as did Bud Anderson in “Bud, the Boxer.” “Good Times” showed that Black families had many of the same problems and concerns as white families.

‘Good Times’ reboot

I hope a new generation of viewers will find as much to revere in the new “Good Times” as I have in the old one. Angela M. Nelson is associate professor of popular culture at Bowling Green State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.

Texas continues to transport migrants, despite pritzker's plea by Suzanne Hanney

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s open letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott – published at his own expense as full-page ads in Texas newspapers over the January 12 weekend – has fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, Chicago continues to grapple with migrants coming from south of the border to subzero weather with a planned meeting of regional mayors. "You are now sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter - many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow - to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here," Pritzker said, in a letter quoted by NBC5 Chicago. VanityFair.com quoted Democrat Pritzker that Congress had acknowledged the need to vote on “bipartisan solutions to the border crisis,” but the Texas Republican had instead “chosen to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points. “Your callousness, sending buses and planes full of migrants in this weather, is now life-threatening to every one of the arrivals,” Pritzker added. “Suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state. We are asking you to help prevent additional deaths.” Abbott’s office responded that it would not stop busing migrants until President Joe Biden takes action.

“Until President Biden steps up and does his job to secure the border, Texas will continue transporting migrants to sanctuary cities to help our local partners respond to this Biden-made crisis.” At roughly the same time Abbott received Pritzker’s letter, he boasted in social media that Texas has shipped more than 100,000 migrants to Democratic-run cities since April 2022, according to the American-Statesman. New York City has received 37,100 migrants, followed by Chicago with 30,800, then Washington, D.C. and Denver.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott

However, the migrants eligible for the bus program have been granted at least temporary permission to remain in the United States, according to the Austin paper. They must volunteer to go and sign a waiver in a language they understand. In this regard, the migrants do not fit the “sanctuary” label that protects undocumented immigrants. Nothing in Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance obligates officials to use taxpayer funds to care for immigrants in Chicago, according to WTTW. Chicago’s Welcoming City ordinance only prevents the Chicago Police Department and other city employees from helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest people, but ICE can still act on its own, Illinois Coalition of Immigrant and Refugee Rights Senior Policy Counsel Fred Tsao told StreetWise. More than 200 buses have also arrived in suburban Chicago since December 1, 2023, so Mayor Brandon Johnson was scheduled to host a meeting of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus January 16 at the United Center. The meeting was postponed because of the cold weather. “By working with state, county and local authorities throughout northeastern Illinois, mayors are demonstrating their ability and action-oriented approach to managing the unscheduled arrival of asylum seekers in their respective communities, said Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, chair of the caucus. “Our collective efforts are rooted in providing safe, respectful and compassionate assistance for asylum seekers making their way to their final destination.” www.streetwise.org

FROM THE STREETS

“Instead of complaining about migrants sent from Texas, where we are also preparing to experience severe winter weather across the state, Governor Pritzker should call on his party leader to finally do his job and secure the border — something he continues refusing to do,” Abbott spokesman Andrew Mahaleris told the Austin American-Statesman, one of the newspapers targeted for full-page ads.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker

1 to12/23/19 9. se Sudoku

PuzzleJunction.com

Streetwise 12/23/19 Crossword

Sudoku To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

6 Help for the 34 Cheap jewelry stumped 37 Children’s 7 Eliminate game 8 Add years to 38 Priest’s robe one’s life 43 Unoriginal 9 Strong point 46 Prawn, e.g. 10 Cut of meat 48 Menagerie 11 Donkey’s 51 Gullible one years 54 Peddled 12 Maven 56 Kind of system 13 Kind of 57 Pioneer in aerobics Surrealism 21 Progeny 58 Neatnik’s 23 Venus or Mars opposite 25 One with a Down 59 Pepsi, for one beat 60 Agitate 1 Metal fastener 26 Hang out 61 ___ slaw 27 Believe in 2 “The Thin 62 Cognizant of 28 Hearsay Man” canine 63 Like Jack 29 Sufficient 3 Open carriage Sprat’s diet 4 The best of 30 Take turns 64 Hat type times Copyright ©2016 32 ___PuzzleJunction.com profundo 67 Fruity drink 5 Impolite dinner 33 Hunter of 68 Hither’s sound myth partner 65 Roller coaster feature 66 Synthetic silklike fabric 69 Joint with a cap 70 Assortment 71 Graven images 72 And others, for short 73 Unadorned 74 Dogma 75 Word of warning

lastSudoku week's answers Solution

Solution

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Puzzle

Crossword Across 1 Sandpiper 5 Lingerie item 9 Painter Chagall 13 Declare 14 Inadvisable action 15 Detached 17 Cuzco’s country 18 Wood sorrels 19 Birth-related 20 Orange kin 22 Buddy 23 Met display 24 High spirits 27 Scarlett O’Hara, e.g. 30 “So soon?” 31 Early evictee 32 Like some ©2019 PuzzleJunction.com humor 33 Nativity 9 Kind of power 60 Wild goat nursery 10 Like some 61 Pretend 36 Trouser part desserts 62 From square 37 Personal quirk one 11 Service 38 Sweet potato organization 63 Thunder 39 Fortune 12 Raccoon sound 40 Clans relative 64 Soaks, as flax 42 Thai river 16 Kind of collar 65 Glasgow gal 43 Stars and 21 Bard’s 66 Achilles, e.g. Stripes land “before” 44 Piece of men’s Down 25 Ice cream jewelry flavor 1 Spellbound 46 Liabilities 2 Part of the eye 26 Mischief 48 Camisole 27 Boxing prize 3 Terrarium 50 Juliet, to 28 Constantly plant Romeo 29 Lawful 4 Penny51 Donations 30 Rainbow’s pinching 52 Vaporize 5 Sound of shape 57 Salmon River 32 “Saturday contempt locale 6 Places Night Fever” 59 Church music 7 Fatuously section 8 Charlatan 34 Party thrower

35 J.F.K. postings 37 Adolescent 38 Jabber 41 VIP, usually 42 Shangri-la 45 Relating to the spleen 46 Twosome 47 Improve, in a way 48 Bucket 49 Patriarch 50 Gushes 53 Ancient greetings 54 Competent 55 Drop from Niobe 56 Really big show 58 Switch settings

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