Kamala Harris Accepts Historic Nomination, Vows to Unite America
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Kamala Harris Accepts Historic Nomination, Vows to Unite America

In a powerful address on the final night of the Democratic National Convention, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the nomination for President of the United States, promising to protect women’s rights, uphold American values, and offer an inclusive agenda for all

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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Accepts VP Nomination, Calls for Unity and Action at DNC
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz Accepts VP Nomination, Calls for Unity and Action at DNC

On Wednesday night of the Democratic National Convention, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz accepted the nomination as Vice President of the United States. 

“Thank you, Vice President Kamala Harris. Thanks for putting your trust in me and for inviting me to be part of this incredible campaign,” he said. “And it is the honor of my life to accept your nomination for vice president of the United States.”

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New South Side Sanctuary Aims to Heal Community and Revitalize 47th Street
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

New South Side Sanctuary Aims to Heal Community and Revitalize 47th Street

Standing on a formerly vacant lot on the southwest corner of 47th and King Drive, the South Side Sanctuary is a 13,000-square-foot green space featuring a stage, grassy knolls for picnics and parties, outdoor classrooms, and a market space. 

Its community-led programming will be presented under four pillars: Integrative Wellness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Arts and Culture, and Sports and Recreation. 

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Chicago’s Enduring Legacy of the Black and Unhoused
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Chicago’s Enduring Legacy of the Black and Unhoused

Demetrius France, 55, is just 15 credits shy of earning his Associate’s degree.

“I started college in the early 1990s and studied electrical engineering and aviation at Florida Memorial University.”

When his heart led him to Chicago, he hoped to finish college, too. But life and a few challenges: marriage and separation, unemployment, and children delayed those goals. And now homelessness pushes that goal even further away.

Today, France is a resident of Inner Voice’s Systemizing Options and Services (SOS) – Joint Transitional-Rapid Rehousing Program on Chicago’s West Side.

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A Venezuelan Exodus: UIC Prof Explains What Helped Fuel Migrant Crisis, Pt. 1
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

A Venezuelan Exodus: UIC Prof Explains What Helped Fuel Migrant Crisis, Pt. 1

Over the last year and a half, Chicago’s Sanctuary City designation has been tested. As of August 2022, the city has absorbed over 21,700 migrants, spreading them throughout. The influx of migrants raises one simple question among many Chicagoans: “What’s going on in Venezuela? Followed by, “Is it that bad that they have to come all the way here?”

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Erica Campbell’s Album, ‘I Love You,’ is a Light of Hope in Troubled Times
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Erica Campbell’s Album, ‘I Love You,’ is a Light of Hope in Troubled Times

Award-winning singer and songwriter Erica Campbell has released her third studio album, “I Love You.” This album is an open invitation to a world that could use a little bit more love.

Campbell used the pandemic to create something beautiful.

“I chose to focus on something else,” said Campbell. “Positive was the first song written during the pandemic when ‘positive’ was a scary word.”

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Black Leaders Push for Equitable Representation in School Board Maps
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Black Leaders Push for Equitable Representation in School Board Maps

The battle to approve an equitable map for the proposed Chicago Elected School Board continues.

On Thursday, a coalition of Black community activists, elected officials, and educators convened a press conference outside the Chicago Board of Election meeting. The group gathered to illuminate the challenges that Black students face in Chicago Public Schools. It demanded sufficient representation in the forthcoming Chicago Elected School Board by creating an equitable map and a legally binding Black Student Achievement Advisory Board.

An equitable map is critical to ensure that those elected to the school board will prioritize Black students’ needs and be accountable for improving their academic achievement.

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Black Women Childcare Providers Face Peril as COVID-Era Funding Expires
Nicole Jeanine Johnson Nicole Jeanine Johnson

Black Women Childcare Providers Face Peril as COVID-Era Funding Expires

Rosia Watson has been in the childcare industry for nearly 25 years. She’s watched generations of children go from learning to walk to walking across stages at graduations.

“I do it for the love of the children and their parents.”

Watson prides herself on the quality of care she offers her children. Before starting her Englewood-based home childcare business, she worked the graveyard shift at the Cook County Hospital.

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