May 2 - 8, 2022 Vol. 30 No. 18
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Arts & (Home) Entertainment
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SportsWise
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Cover Story: Gender Wage Gap
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More and more events are happening in Chicago, and we want you to know about the best of the best!
The NBA finals matchups are so undecided this year that the SportsWise team expects some real excitement.
Women's Employment is still lagging in the pandemic recovery, with Black women and other ethnic minorities especially hard-hit, says Sharmili Majmudar, executive vice president of Women Employed in Chicago. There are 1.1 million fewer women in the workforce today than in February 2020, and Mother's Day is a good time to look at the reasons. Many more women may be sitting on the sidelines because of childcare or eldercare concerns. Majmudar discusses policies that would help women return to the workforce more equitably.
From the Streets
A party celebrating the 100th birthday of Harold Washington.
Inside StreetWise
Vendor John Hagan shares a poem.
The Playground THIS PAGE: A hotel worker; the "she-cession" has been particularly hard on women of color, both in terms of pay and caregiving expectations. Service jobs, the lowest paid sector, are held by 1 in 4 Hispanic women, 1 in 5 Black women - but only 1 in 10 white women and 1 in 11 white men. 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
Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Cora Saddler
You Got A Friend!
Steppenwolf Theatre’s 'Seagull' W hat is Love? W hat is Art? W hen is Lunch? If you’ve found yourself pondering these essential questions, head over to Steppenwolf Theatre’s new in-the-round Ensemble Theater in honor of Helen Zell for ensemble member Yasen Peyankov’s adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s “Seagull” from April 28-June 12. The new Ensemble Theatre is at the heart of Steppenwolf’s new Liz and Eric Lefkofsky Arts and Education Center. With only six rows, none of the 400 seats is more than 20 feet from the stage. “Seagull” follows one long summer weekend in the Russian countryside, where three generations collide and wrestle with the things that inspire, consume, and make them celebrate, together, all that makes them grateful for one another. Tickets are $54-66. Performances are Tues-Sun at 7:30 pm and Sat-Sun 2:30 pm (except May 8 and 14) at 1650 N. Halsted St. For more information, see steppenwolf.org. .
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Keeping It Real!
'Let Me Tell You: Stories of Asian American Authenticity' To commemorate Asian Pacific Heritage Month, the Chicago Public Library presents “Let Me Tell You: Stories of Asian American Authenticity” in partnership with Mia Park, 6 p.m. May 2 at Uptown’s Bezazian Library, 1226 W. Ainslie St. The hybrid Zoom and live “Let Me Tell You” will share personal stories of healing, mourning, and remembering, while amplifying the voices of Asian Americans in Uptown and throughout Chicago. The performance is a response to the recent spike in anti-Asian violence. Performers represent mixed race, adopted, immigrant, and American-born individuals from the diaspora (Performers: Hannah Ii-Epstein, Minky Kim, Thavary Krouch (pictured), Sangi Ravichandran, Peter Ruger, Jihar Shah and Giau Minh Truong). FREE. For more information and registration, see miapark.com.
ENTERTAINMENT
Quicker Than A Ray of Light!
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Kinetic Light: Wired The Museum of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., hosts the artists of Kinetic Light—Alice Sheppard, Laurel Lawson, Jerron Herman, and Michael Maag–for the gravity- and assumptiondefying performance of “Wired” on May 5-8. The performance honors histories of race, gender, and disability in America through an exploration of barbed wire told through an immersive and intimate experience of aerial and contemporary dance, light, and sound. At times, the show depicts violence as well as disability-based and racial injustice. Performances are 8-10 pm May 5-7 and 2-4 pm May 8. Tickets are $10 and livestream is available May 7. For more information, see mcachicago.org
The Doctor is Out!
'Rasheeda Speaking' '“Hello, Rasheeda speaking.” For a revival of Chicago writer Joel Drake Johnson’s “Rasheeda Speaking,” directed by Shattered Globe Theatre Associate Artistic Director Amber Mongomery, visit Theater Wit, 1229 W. Belmont Ave. Whether it's the doctor’s inability to remember her name or the toxic fumes coming from the lab next door, the story follows Jaclyn Rasheeda as she navigates her place as the only Black woman in the office. W.hen her white co-worker, Ileen, is promoted and asked to spy on Jaclyn, how far will Jaclyn, Ileen, and their boss Dr. Williams go, as fear of difference, racism, and tensions begin to rise. Running through June 4, at 8 p.m. Thurs - Sat, and 3 p.m. on Sun, and 2:30 & 8 p.m. on June 4. Tickets are $15+ at theaterwit.org.
A Call to Duty!
Board Member Boot Camp Think you have what it takes to serve on a nonprofit board? Find out at Chicago Foundation for Women's Board Member Boot Camp, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. May 7 and 14, with a networking session at 5:30-7:30 p.m. May 11. Both events are a comprehensive, interactive, multi-day training virtual sessions designed for individuals with limited or no experience on nonprofit boards. The aim is to help participants gain essential skills in topics like board roles and responsibilities, understanding nonprofit financials, and fundraising basics, through workshop activities. Participants will also engage in conversations about diversity, equity, includison, and more. The program is open to all, with women-identified people especially encouraged to apply. Cost to attend is $200. For more information, see cfw.org.
Back In the Game!
Special Olympics Illinois Region D Spring Games Opening Ceremony Special Olympics Illinois Region D will open its week-long Spring Games in track and field on May 5 at Soldier Field, 1410 S. Museum Campus Drive. In a long-standing Chicago Special Olympics tradition, dignitaries from the city will show their admiration and respect for the athletes, who parade across the field before lighting the cauldron. Volunteer check-in starts at 8:30 am, agency/team check-ins will be from 9:30-10am, followed by the ceremony from 10-2 pm. FREE. For more information, see soill.org.
Here's To Your Health!
'Art. Heals.' Art takes on many forms! For its two-year, 20th anniversary retrospective season, the Chicago Danztheatre Ensemble presents “Art. Heals.” in the auditorium of Ebenezer Lutheran Church, 1650 W. Foster Ave. “Art. Heals.” is a curated performance and visual art exhibition that features music, dance, theater, poetry, multimedia, and visual arts of the Chicago community. “Art. Heals.” is created to heal the wounds of the pandemic and bring the community back together through art. Chicago Danztheatre is Chicago’s only multidisciplinary arts organization dedicated to social justice. Performances take place from 8-10 pm. May 6, 7, 8, 13 and 14; the gallery opens at 7:30 pm. General tickets are $20 with student/senior discounts available. More info at danztheatre.org.
Keep it Local!
Open House Chicago Fair Trade: World Fair Trade Day Celebration Chicago Fair Trade is known for hosting the nation's largest World Fair Trade Day. This year, member businesses and allies will host over two dozen events to show how they support economic and environmental justice from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 14, citywide. As an attendee, you will receive a virtual passport when checking in at different sites. Visit three or more and you'll be entered into the raffle ($200+ value). After a kick-off at Metropolis Cafe in Avondale, events include a fair trade sample sale at Sobremesa's in West Garfield Park, fair trade cocktails at local indie designer Production Mode in Pilsen, studio tours and demos at the Weaving Mill in Humboldt Park, shopping at Andersonville Galleria, Union Handmade, Embellish, Eco & the Flamingo. More info and itineraries at chicagofairtrade.org
Immigrant Pioneers!
Middle Kingdom Under the Big Sky: Experiences of Chinese Immigrants to the US Mark Johnson, assistant professor of educational initiatives at the University of Notre Dame and author of the upcoming book, “The Middle Kingdom Under the Big Sky,” will be joined by J.D. candidate at Columbia Law School Allen Wang in a discussion of Johnson’s book on the recovered stories of Montana’s Chinese population from the 1880s-1950s. The discussion, 6-7 p.m. May 5 in Ruggles Hall of the Newberry Library, 60 W. Walton St., will show the pressures that the Chinese community faced from family members back in China and from non-Chinese Montana residents. Johnson will pull several large collections of primary documents left by these Chinese pioneers, rendered in English through a transnational translation project. The program is part of the Newberry exhibition, "Crossings: Mapping American Journeys” running through June 25. FREE. Register at newberry.org
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Vendors Russell Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.
SPORTSWISE
Patrick: This year, fellas, I believe we’re going to get an awesome NBA playoffs season. These matchups are so up-in-the-air in regard to winner/loser that I am excited about every single last one of them. Haven’t thought that in quite the while. Now, when all is said or done, it could be that the only teams standing are the favorites… but my guess is that it will not have been easy by any stretch of the imagination. John: I’ll agree with you in terms of not feeling 100% about any of the teams this year—but I can come close when it comes to the Western Conference. I believe it’s only a two-team race in the West: the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors. Now, the Eastern Conference is a whole other animal. I can see the Milwaukee Bucks or the Brooklyn Nets or the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics pulling this one out.
back Wednesday, it's all over. The second, final, round of games before the championship will get even tougher, especially if the teams who’re supposed to make it out of the first round make it out. The first through fourth seeds feel so interchangeable and, until the last game of the season, there was no telling who was going to play whom.
Russ: I believe the champ is going to come from the Eastern Conference. Speaking on April 25, as we go to press, as hard as I’m rooting for the Bulls to make it out of there, they have a very tough draw against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks are now 3-1 against the Bulls in Round 1 of the semifinals, with Game 4 on Wednesday, April 27, while we are at press. It's a best-of-seven series, so if the Bulls don't come
Patrick: It is, but I gotsta go with Milwaukee to pull it out for the back-to-back. Giannis Antetokounmpo is The Man. And as much as Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets are talked about or, even, Joel Embiid and James Harden and the 76’ers, the Milwaukee Bucks have been to the mountaintop, and are still on it until someone knocks them from it…so they know what it takes. The Brooklyn Nets are 3-0 right now against the
Donald: Yeah, it’s a bit tougher this year in calling it.
Boston Celtics, but they are the seventh seed in the East and many called them the favorite to win it all. John: Now, the Bucks may have to go through the Suns to claim that mountaintop. A team, I might add, that might not take lightly to losing twice in a row to the same team in the championship series. That said, however, I believe the Miami Heat—not the Milwaukee Bucks—will emerge from the East and take on last year’s Western Conference finalist: the Phoenix Suns… and Phoenix will win it all this year. Donald: Wow. I hadn’t really given the Heat a chance… and, I guess, I’m still not—at least not against my man Giannis and the Bucks. I believe them getting the championship last year definitely helped them get and keep a certain swagger that’ll get them the trophy again this year. Some
bad boys on that squad. Shoot, Giannis, Khris Middleton, Rashanah Baldwin Jrue Holiday…man…. John: I agree, Donald; but I think you may want to keep an eye on the Miami Heat. They’re very well-coached, physical, and it could help that they’re still very much underrated. I believe for Milwaukee to make it, Giannis needs to shoot less 3-pointers, and Jrue and Khris Middleton will have to up their games a bit. If they can do that, it’s very possible they could repeat as champions. Russ: As much as I like to pick teams—I am StreetWise’s March Madness king for the year!—this NBA season, I might just sit back and enjoy the games. Donald: Russell, that don’t sound bad at all. Any comments or suggestions? Email pedwards@streetwise.org
Detecting and managing high blood pressure
by Dr. Karen Babos
High blood pressure is known as the “silent killer.” It affects adults. By educating yourself on the condition and making lifestyle changes, you can improve your overall health and manage high blood pressure. For many people, high blood pressure does not show symptoms. But some may experience: • headaches • shortness of breath • fatigue • confusion • chest pain • pounding in the chest neck or ears due to the condition
Can high blood pressure affect my body? Yes. High blood pressure that is not under control can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It can also harden arteries, decrease oxygen and reduce blood flow to the heart, brain, kidneys and eyes and may lead to memory problems or dementia.
High blood pressure can be controlled with medication and lifestyle changes. Some changes to think about starting, include: • Check your blood pressure regularly at doctor visits and at home. You may be able to get a free blood pressure monitoring device. It may depend on your medical insurance coverage. For more information, contact your health care provider. • Quit smoking. • Eat a healthy diet. Eat more fruits, vegetables, lean meats and whole grains. Eat less foods high in salt, saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. For salt intake, try to eat less than 2,000 mg daily. • Drink less alcohol. • Get regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Dr. Karen Babos, D.O., M.B.A., is the Chief Medical Officer for Molina Healthcare of Illinois. Dr. Babos is triple-board certified in internal medicine, geriatric medicine and palliative care.
HEALTHWISE
It is important to regularly visit your doctor, share your symptoms and monitor your blood pressure at home. A normal blood pressure is 120/80 and below. High blood pressure is when the body has a range higher than 120/80, while at rest.
How can you control high blood pressure?
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After 2 Years of the Pandemic, the Gender Wage Gap Remains by Suzanne Hanney
asking themselves, ‘Does it make sense to work when all of my income is going to pay for childcare?’
There are 1.1 million fewer women in the labor force today than in February 2020, according to the March 31 report by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), “Resilient But Not Recovered: After Two Years of the COVID-19 Crisis, Women are Still Struggling.”
“And on top of that straight-up cost/benefit analysis, you have to ask, ‘What exposure risk am I bringing to myself and my family, my health and the wellbeing of my kids?’”
Improving the labor statistics is not as simple as reopening industries like hotels and restaurants, Majmudar said. "It's a matter of making sure industries are stronger because of investments in workers." Unemployment rates are a limited indicator of recovery, Majmudar said, because they do not capture people who are no longer looking for employment – like many Moms. What makes childcare especially relevant to the recovery is that women of color comprised much of its infrastructure. “The childcare infrastructure was already frayed going into the pandemic, not necessarily accessible, affordable or with assurances of consistent level of quality,” she said.
COVER STORY
“Then the pandemic happened, and the childcare industry was hit very hard. We lost lots of providers and many have not come back. They have been navigating the same things so many of us have. What happens when a child contracts COVID and you have to shut down the daycare center?” Childcare is not just an employment sector for many women of color who are either the primary breadwinner or the co-breadwinner for their families. It also “is an industry that women up and down the economic ladder rely on in order to work themselves,” Majmudar said. Two factors have inhibited women’s use of childcare to return to work at pre-COVID levels. “If you are earning so little that your primary expenditure is childcare itself, women are
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Women’s employment seesawed during the pandemic, according to Liz Elting on Forbes.com. In the first two months, women accounted for the majority of lost jobs-- 12.2 million, compared to 11.2 million jobs lost by men. But as the first wave of the pandemic ebbed during the summer of 2020, restaurants and hotels reopened, and women regained jobs as service workers and waitstaff faster than men. A fall wave of COVID caused women’s job gains to falter, followed by an uptick and then a collapse in winter. By the end of 2020, employment of both sexes was down by 3 million. Elting described “wild” employment swings in 2021. There were gains in February and March, thanks to vaccine optimism, then a crash when April brought more COVID numbers. August, and the combination of the start of the school year and the peak of the delta wave, curtailed hiring. A slow recovery fell apart with the omicron surge. “Women lose opportunities at the start of the school year (due to uncertainty as to whether schools will be open and whether childcare will be available) and during the winter (when the virus surges, schools go remote, daycares close, and mothers are more likely to need to be home to care for their kids), while women's gains surge in the warmer months (when there is both a decline in virus transmission and an uptick in restaurant and retail business, thus necessitating more service staff) and fall again as new waves of variants disrupt shopping, travel, and dining out.” Men’s employment, however, doesn’t seem to follow the same rationale, Elting wrote. Indeed, the “Resilient But Not Recovered” study noted that among parents who lost or quit a job during the pandemic,
Majmudar (Women Employed photo).
Women’s employment is still lagging in the pandemic recovery, with Black women and other ethnic minorities especially hard hit, says Sharmili Majmudar, executive vice president of policy and organizational impact at Women Employed.
only 41 percent of mothers have gotten a new one, compared to 78 percent of fathers. Where parents were caring for ill or disabled grandparents, the gender gap was even larger: 46 percent of these women returned to work, compared to 83 percent of the men. In addition, “Resilient But Not Recovered” agreed with federal data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) that, “Care burdens and the impact of the pandemic-related ‘she-cession’ have been particularly hard on women of color.” Moreover, the recovery has been uneven: nearly 40 percent of women, and 51 percent of women in jobs paying $15 an hour or less, say that their financial situation is worse today than before the pandemic. Just 26 percent of men agreed. Just over half (51 percent) of respondents to “Resilient But Not Recovered” said their mental health deteriorated during the pandemic. Women were more likely than men (58 percent compared to 45 percent) to say so. Among women, nearly 50 percent said bills and expenses were their top sources of stress, 12 points higher than men. Latinas in particular (61 percent) said their mental health had worsened since the pandemic. One in 5 Latinas quit or lost a job during the pandemic, while 32 percent had their hours reduced – more than any other racial or ethnic group. “Resilient But Not Recovered” noted 12 policies in Congress that could improve women’s working conditions. Most popular among Black women: paid family and medical leave, funding for home care, free pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds (88 percent in favor of each). Among Latinas: paid family and medical leave (92 percent), more funding for home care (89 percent), the right to seek a work schedule change without fear of retaliation and at least two week’s notice of schedule changes (88 percent). At least 2/3s of Black, Latina and Asian-American, Pacific women supported all 12 initiatives, including raising the national minimum wage to $15, access to comprehensive
health care without cost-sharing, and access for all to the $300 monthly Child Tax Credit (https://nwlc.org). Another study released in March by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) said that the pandemic illustrated the U.S. level of “occupational segregation,” where men and women work in different occupations, and those held by women pay less. As a result, women overall earned just 83.1 percent of what white men did in 2021. White women earned 79.6 cents, Black women 63.1 cents, and Latinas 58.4 cents, for every dollar earned by a white man. Service jobs, the lowest paid sector, were held by 1 in 4 Hispanic women, 1 in 5 Black women -but only 1 in 10 white women and 1 in 11 white men. The median weekly earnings for minority women in service occupations would leave a family of one adult and two children with a near-poverty weekly wage of $660.56. Simultaneously, similar numbers of women of each ethnicity worked in the occupations with the highest earnings: management, business and financial operations. These fields were comprised of 1 in 5 white and Asian women; 1 in 6 Black women and 1 in 7 Latinas.
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However, women’s pay lagged that of men in most of the top 20 occupations for both women and men. Among women’s top occupations, female teachers earned $1,138 a week and men, $1,301; female nurses $1,274, compared to $1,437 for men; and female secretaries $807, while men earned $1,006. Looking at male-dominated occupations, women earned $732 as truck drivers, compared to $933 for men; $1,396 as managers, compared to $1,747 for men and $1,840 as software designers, compared to $1,992 for men. An IWPR briefing paper said that for women re-entering the workforce, the top two desired benefits were a living wage (87.8 percent) and health insurance (86 percent). Over 6 in 10 (61.4 percent) considered control of their schedules to be “very important” or “important.” More than 1 in 3 (37.5 percent) said they did not have paid sick leave; nearly 2 in 3 (65.2 percent) did not have paid family leave. “What we hear from women who have been in hourly, minimum wage roles is that they need jobs that not only will pay them a family-sustaining wage, but have paid sick time, a schedule that is flexible and where they can drive that flexibility,” Majmudar said. “Then they need some job security, opportunity for advancement, benefits.” These Moms want to be able to weather a minor crisis, like an emergency refrigerator repair. They want the possibility of buying a car, a home, or saving for their kids’ education. “When we talk about women’s wealth, we are talking about
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choices. When your circumstances are such that you don’t have any choices, you’re really stuck.” The pandemic meant that domestic violence survivors often lacked financial choices and had to return to an abusive partner, according to new research released by Women Employed in January. During the pandemic in 2020, the Illinois Domestic Violence Hotline received a 16 percent increase in calls for help. Especially among women of color, immigrants, and workers without a college education, the increased unemployment caused by the pandemic created an economic entanglement that was too complex for women to leave without another source of economic support, according to Women Employed’s “Intersecting Barriers: Challenges to Economic Empowerment for Domestic Survivors” report produced with support from the Michael Reese Health Trust. The survivors’ immediate requirement was a roof over their heads, but they also needed childcare, mental health support and flexible schedules. On June 25, 2021, Women Employed celebrated with UNITE HERE Local 1 the passage of a two-year Chicago ordinance that would require hotels to offer laid-off employees their previous positions before they hire replacements. The laid-off employees would also qualify for the same training as a new hire. And when more than one hotel worker is qualified, the job would go to the one with the most seniority.
Top graph & page 9 graph courtesy of National Women's Law Center. Bottom graph courtesy of Forbes. OPPOSITE PAGE: Courtesy of Institute for Women's Policy Research.
As a result, many workers came back before they felt it was safe. They wound up becoming “de facto public health marshals,” as the One Fair Wage site quoted the CDC, enforcing both mask and social distancing protocols. In response, 91 percent reported that tips had decreased; 78 percent said they had decreased by 50 percent. Nearly 3 out of 4 (74 percent) said they had witnessed or experienced harassment after they requested safety from customers; 40 percent said the harassment had sexual overtones. One manager who told a customer to put on their mask was called a “whore.” There were also comments like “Pull that mask down so I can see if I want to take you home later” or “lemme see that pretty face – just a quick flash.” Kristina Magro, a bar manager in the West Loop, told a customer who had been dining outside to put on his mask when he came inside to use the restroom. He closed out his check and emblazoned it with swastikas, then handed it to her hostess – who was Jewish. Her whole staff was shaken by the experience. Relying on tipped wages makes many workers reluctant to confront bad behavior, Magro said on the One Fair Wage site. She also feels that tipping gives patrons an unearned sense of power over restaurant staff. “If everyone was just paid a collective rate, this type of behavior would not be allowed.”
During the pandemic, at least 62 Chicago hotels laid off over 12,000 workers, according to press material from the mayor’s office. “My job at the hotel is all I’ve known for almost two decades. As a 46-year-old woman, it is very difficult to find a new job,” said Erika Hernandez of Humboldt Park, who was fired by a downtown luxury hotel during the pandemic. “Thanks to this ordinance, I know that I can go back to work at the job I love. It will help protect me and many other women like me.” Eliminating the national subminimum wage for tipped workers is yet another concern for Women Employed “because these workers are overwhelmingly women, and women of color,” Majmudar said. During the pandemic, 90,000 restaurant workers in Illinois lost their jobs; nearly 2 out of 3 women workers were unable to qualify for unemployment insurance because the subminimum wage did not meet the threshold.
The Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA) did not respond to a request for comment from Illinoisnewsroom.org in February, after state Rep. Camille Lilly (D-Chicago) introduced a bill to pay restaurant workers the state minimum wage plus tips starting Jan. 1, 2025. However, IRA President Sam Toia stood beside Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019 when Pritzker signed the law raising the minimum wage to $15 and the wage for tipped workers to $9 by 2025. Toia praised the law for allowing restaurant owners to pay workers 60 percent of the minimum wage if tips comprise the remainder. Amid the restaurant staffing crisis, however, 300 restaurants in Illinois (239 of them in metro Chicago) have joined the RAISE (Restaurants Advancing Industry Standards in Employment) High Road Restaurants campaign to recruit workers. They are paying all employees, including tipped staff, wages of $10 to $20 an hour, so that they are legally able to share tips with back-of-the-house employees. “This is where the restaurant industry needs to go,” Majmudar said. “Making sure there are good jobs that pay a full minimum wage.”
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Harold Washington's 100 birthday th
by Suzanne Hanney
All photos by Suzanne Hanney Pritzker Katz
FROM THE STREETS
Tom
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More than 30 years after the death of Chicago’s first African American mayor, “this city and this state still reverberate with Harold Washington’s soul. That’s why it’s our responsibility to continue his legacy,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at Washington’s 100th birthday celebration April 12. The Winter Garden of the Harold Washington Library was filled with friends and politicians alike, intent on defining Washington’s essence – the better to replicate his Chicago of 1983-87.
Garcia and former U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Chicago) referred to Washington’s work in Congress to improve the Voting Rights Act, which inspired a lawsuit by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. MALDEF said the ward remap after the 1980 census did not reflect Latino and Black population growth; a federal judge agreed, and called for special elections in seven wards in 1986. Gutierrez was elected in the Northwest Side 26th ward as the City Council shifted to 25-25, with Washington having the tie vote.
“From building a grassroots movement to making the city’s workforce look far more like the people it served, to giving voice to people who had been shut out too long, he shook up the model and turned it into a demonstration of true leadership,” Pritzker said.
“Latinos thought, ‘We are not invisible anymore. Somebody sees us. Somebody loves us,’” Gutierrez said.
“Harold Washington left us a legacy because he changed the balance of power,” said former Ald. Dick Simpson, now a political science professor at the University of Illinois-Chicago. “He shifted city politics from one of downtown development and elites to a city of neighborhood power. He saw a Chicago that runs well, where services are provided as a right, not as a favor, where contracts are distributed fairly. Harold ended the old machine. He didn’t quite make it dead, dead, dead, as he promised; but close, close, close and now it’s our job to finish it.” “He had the unique ability to make people feel special and unified,” said Marilyn Katz, who worked on Washington’s media strategy during his first primary and general election campaign and on policy in his administration. “He gave the people who lived beyond Lake Shore Drive a voice in the running of their own city.” Washington’s first four years were marked by the 29-21 white City Council majority that blocked him. If he had lived past the first year of his second term, “he would have made Chicago not only a city that prospered, but one that prospered equitably,” Katz said. Washington brought people together around common issues and built coalitions through respect, said U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia (D-Chicago). “He inspired us – Latinos, Blacks and whites – to form a 22nd ward organization. That is our task as we leave here tonight: to embrace all people.”
Darryl Tom, son of late Chinatown Chamber of Commerce President Ping Tom and past president himself, said that Washington was the first Chicago mayor to use tax increment financing (TIF), for what is now known as Chinatown Square, a mix of commercial and residential units. In 1984, the Santa Fe Railroad announced that it wanted to sell a 32-acre freight yard just north of Chinatown. His father saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to expand the neighborhood. But the U.S. Post Office and the 1992 World’s Fair committee also wanted the site. Washington ate Chinese food with community leaders – and rejected the other proposals. Washington made city records public and enacted an ethics code that prevented politicians from using their offices for political gain, said Mayor Lori Lightfoot. “Because of him, we have several mayor’s commissions, like the one for women. Minority- and women-owned businesses thrive because city government has become so much more diverse and representative of Chicago.” Lightfoot termed herself “proud to use his blueprint” of equity and inclusion. Still, Washington’s ideal city disappeared in the chaos after his death, she said, and “there are those who would turn back the clock. Every single day we have to make sure we are doing what we can to make Harold’s legacy alive and breathing, so our children can touch it.”
four seasons of chicago weather by StreetWise Vendor John Hagan
In the Winter snow begins to fly it's often cloudy cold and dark
When Winter turns to Spring snow becomes rain trees grow leaves showers bloom into flowers
Then Spring becomes Summer everything becomes bright and hot so much so you can fry an egg on the sidewalk Finally Summer turns to Fall Leaves go from green to orange then fall sky goes from clear to cloudy then it circles
INSIDE STREETWISE
back to Winter
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1 to 9.
Streetwise 4/17/17 Crossword
Sudoku
To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
©2017 PuzzleJunction.com
55 Smidgen 57 “God’s Little ___” 58 Declare openly 59 Uniform shade 60 Cattail, e.g. 61 Supreme Court count 62 Annex 63 Rare trick-taker 64 Tiny amount
own 1 Tex-Mex treat 2 Graphics machine 3 Conductor and composer Leonard 4 Model material 5 Borders
6 Goya’s “Duchess of ___” 7 Look of lust 8 Bad feeling 9 Originated 10 Make over 11 Chemical suffix 12 Listening device 13 Interstate sign 21 Retina depressions 23 City between Boston and Salem 25 Modern (Prefix) 26 ___ Quentin 28 Chocolate substitute 29 Prayer’s end 32 Gambian cash 33 Mordant
34 Attacker 36 Invitation letters 37 Sparkler 38 Pay dirt 39 Guided missile payload 42 Collarless jacket 44 Puzzle type 45 Duel participant 47 Small lizard 48 Feel the same 49 Rundown 51 Like sour grapes 52 Maple genus 54 Merino mother 55 Cousin of calypso 56 High degree
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Copyright ©2017 PuzzleJunction.com
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last week's Solution Puzzle Answers
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Solution
PuzzleJu
Crossword Across 1 Paint layer 5 Fatuous 10 Part of B.C.E. 13 Place for a valve 14 Sheer curtain fabric 15 Chop off 16 Reenforcing 18 Good times 19 Cathedral recess 20 Hawaiian garland 21 Like tears 23 In apple-pie order 25 Partly enclosed porch 26 Sinew 29 Patches up 30 Wall climbers 31 Dentist’s order 32 Viña ___ Mar, 54 Steamer pusher Chile 57 French sea 35 Regatta 58 Door part 36 “La vita 59 Out of this nuova” poet world 37 Bring into 60 Snoop being 61 Kills, as a 38 U-turn from dragon WSW 62 Matinee hero 39 Inlets 40 Vista Down 41 Roof 1 Masterstroke overhangs 2 Dog bowl bits 42 Roto follower? 3 Partygoer 43 Got a whiff 4 Bluejacket 46 Gloomy 5 Map within a 47 Consecrate map 48 Consume 6 Not yet final, 49 Spanish wine at law 53 Leave 7 Singer speechless DiFranco
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8 9 10 11 12 13 17 22 24 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33
Flapdoodle Fencing words Mischievous Ring unit Sleeper’s woe Camel hair fabric Panache ___ Tunas, Cuba Dawn goddess Heat releasers Radial, e.g. John, in Wales Riviera city Goes for the gold? Carried on Fast Ballyshannon’s river
34 Salacious glance 36 Mortise joint 37 Charred 39 Muslim leaders 40 Old French coin 41 Kind of beetle 42 Learning style 43 Rapscallion 44 Garden tool 45 Kind of wheel 46 Broad valleys 48 On pins and needles 50 Saab model 51 Sign of secrecy 52 Stout relative 55 Genetic material 56 Old Chinese dynasty
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