Tag Archive
Dollars and Census: Will more South Siders march to the mailbox in 2010?
For most of the boys and girls participating in “March to the Mailbox” day, the Census 2010 one-size-fits-all T-shirts and hats are plainly oversized. Some can barely see over their signs, while others juggle fliers and census paraphernalia. Small as some of these volunteers may be—the youngest at just nine months old—their voices ring... »
Moving in Circles: When does a new home lead to a new life?
Movement is part of the American dream. Across an ocean to the new world, west to the last frontier, then up the social ladder, out to the suburbs—or so they say it goes. Social mobility and housing mobility are inextricably linked in the national psyche. But there is a darker, less public story about... »
The Turnaround: The Academy for Urban School Leadership is transforming Chicago’s worst public schools
Harvard Elementary School in Englewood was a teacher’s worst nightmare. Kids ran in and out of classrooms in the middle of class, started fights, and swore at faculty. Principals cycled through without making any impact. In 2007, less than a third of Harvard students passed the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT), putting the school... »
Graffiti & Grub: The Hip-Hop Generation Gets Its Grocery Store
True wealth lies in a healthy spirit and body. This truism seems to suggest that wealth is within everyone’s reach. In the United States, however, living a healthy lifestyle can seem like a luxury of the upper and upper-middle classes. Not only do the poor lack monetary wealth, they often do not have the... »
Dream Catchers: An Englewood foundation works to keep young girls out of the sex trade
Seated in a circle eating fried chicken and fries, the girls at the Dreamcatcher Foundation are listening to their director, Brenda Myers-Powell, tell a story. Her voice is loud and becomes increasingly intense; her whole person conveys an energy that puts the room on edge. But close up, her eyes contrast with her loud... »
Putting Down Roots: The city’s first year-round farm tenders new growth in Englewood
Though soil has been trucked in and piled thick on top of the concrete, cracked pavement still emerges at the edges of this empty lot in Englewood. Adjacent residential streets are scattered with discarded couches, and those couches are scattered with rusty springs and mildew stains. A couple of portable trailers nestle up to... »
The Melting Pot: Tastes and cultures collide at Sikia, Englewood’s new dining destination
A new appetite is growing in Englewood. And at Sikia, the appetite only gets bigger with every dish served. As the restaurant outlet of the Washburne Culinary Institute of Kennedy-King College, Sikia gives its culinary students the opportunity to practice their skills in a real restaurant setting, creating a high-end dining experience on the... »
Live from Englewood: Chicago Public Radio’s Natalie Moore covers the real South Side
Sometimes it seems like there are two different versions of this side of Chicago. Media portrayal of the “mean streets” of the South Side can sometimes look like a whirlwind of shootings and low-income housing controversy, but this sensationalized portrait is not the South Side that residents know—as many can attest, life south of... »
