Feb 05
In Chicago, 5,922 people are currently estimated to be homeless. This figure was derived from the 2007 point-in-time count mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); it is used to determine the federal funding that homeless assistance agencies receive. The Chicago Department of Family & Support Services, together with the Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness, coordinates these biennial point-in-time counts of the city’s homeless. This year’s survey took place the night of January 27, between 9pm and 2am. Single-digit temperatures and falling snow ensured that only the most unfortunate would be left on the streets. The counts are always held the last week in January for this reason. Read the rest of this entry »
Feb 05
Last Saturday afternoon, a small but enthusiastic group of activists and community members gathered in Washington Park to play kickball. Class-conscious kickball, that is. The event was part of the Unlympics, a movement that seeks to raise awareness and questions about the prospect of a 2016 Chicago Olympics. Characters dressed as wealthy corporate representatives from Phillip Morris and Walgreens played alongside people playing blue-collar workers and asthmatics lacking proper health care. The events on Saturday were part of a series of “games” organized by the Unlympics Committee. Future competitions include a spelling bee, jump-rope, and karaoke. Read the rest of this entry »
Oct 08
The Soul Circus Divas circled around the ring, grooving along to Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” as their roaring audience’s applause swelled with frenetic excitement. Accenting their performance with impressive headstands and choreographed dances, the Divas amazed the crowd with unmatched talent and gargantuan presence to a soundtrack of hip-hop favorites. Then one of the Divas stopped to defecate on stage. Children giggled and parents held their noses as the elephant keepers threw sawdust onto the Diva’s inopportune bathroom break. The ringmaster casually restored the audience’s interrupted energy by reminding everyone, “Hey, when you gotta go, you gotta go!” Read the rest of this entry »
