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Citizen Week of June 20, 2018

| Vol. 49 | No. 25 | www.thechicagocitizen.com

COMMUNITY MOVEMENT ENCOURAGES WESTSIDE RESIDENTS TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS

The Good Neighbor Campaign, a community initiative in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, is working to organize residents to come together and share with each other and support one another.

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Business: Goya Gives Three Tons of Food to Victims of the Volcano in Guatemala - Page 4 Entertainment: Award Winning Guitarist and Composer Komie Releases “Afterglow” - Page 6 |

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Photo: The Good Neighbor Campaign

CHICAGO WEEKEND

2 | CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

NEWS briefly EDUCATION

REP. KELLY BURKE BACKS EFFORTS TO EXPAND MAP GRANTS, IMPROVE ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION State Rep. Kelly Burke, D-Oak Lawn led the charge on a measure to expand access to grants for low-income students and is urging the governor to sign the measure into law.

Burke is the chief co-sponsor of House Bill 5020, a measure that prioritizes students currently receiving funds from Monetary Assistance Program, or MAP grants, to continue their college education. Students that remain eligible for MAP and renew by the established priority deadline each year would receive the grant as long as the program is funded.

House Bill 5020 passed both the House and the Senate without opposition and is expected to be sent to the governor for approval in the near future. The proposal is one of a number of measures to strengthen higher education that came from a bipartisan higher education working group that Burke serves on.

HEALTH

ILLINOIS FIRST AND ONLY STATE TO HAVE SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATE SUPPORTING ALZHEIMER’S ASSOCIATION Specialty license plates supporting the Alzheimer’s Association are now available in Illinois. Illinois residents can now order their ENDALZ plate through the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

These purple End Alzheimer’s or ENDALZ plates will raise awareness and necessary funds in the fight against Alzheimer’s.

More than 220,000 people are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease in Illinois, and that number continues to grow.

The plate has a white background and features ENDALZ, as well as the Alzheimer’s Association’s signature color purple and Association logo.

“It’s incredible to see these Alzheimer’s Association purple plates starting to show up on Illinois roads,” says Jen Belkov, Vice President of Public Policy for the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter. “Alzheimer’s Association specialty license plates will help raise dementia awareness, while also providing a steady source of additional revenue, so the Association can continue to offer the care and support that individuals and families facing Alzheimer’s disease throughout Illinois desperately need.”

To order your plate, visit cyberdriveillinois.com and click on «Pick-a-Plate», then «Specialty Plate». There is an additional annual fee of $25, of which $23 will go to the local Illinois Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. For information on the Alzheimer’s Association Illinois Chapter visit: www.alz.org/ illinois.

Community Movement Encourages Westside Residents to be Good Neighbors Continued from page 1

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

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he Good Neighbor Campaign, a community initiative in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood, is working to organize residents to come together and share with each other and support one another. All community members are invited to attend Good Neighbor Campaign meetings held at 5437 W. Division St. on the second Tuesday of every month.

The Good Neighbor Campaign is a community-based movement that has extended from the Westside Health Authority. The purpose of the campaign is to reclaim the Austin community from violence by organizing neighbors and connecting them with needed support from anchor institutions, like churches and community-based organizations, in order to help them create and implement a vision for their community, according to the Good Neighbor Campaign.

“We started the Good Neighbor Campaign because we saw communities really coming apart and people were relying on somebody to come in and rescue them from outside the community. We felt that there were a lot of assets, gifts, and people in the community who could do more to help our community grow and to help our young people understand the value of where they live,” said Jaqueline Reed, Founder of the Westside Health Authority and director of the Good Neighbor Campaign.

The Westside Health Authority is a non-profit organization that serves Austin and the greater Westside of Chicago. The organization was founded in 1988 by Reed and operates under the idea that local residents are the authority on the needs of their own community.

The Good Neighbor Campaign has become a natural extension of the West Side health Authorities mission by inviting community members to gather once a month and share ideas about their needs and ideas on how to solve community problems.

“We don’t have a lot of people yet and we are still trying to learn what the motivations of people in these communities are,” said Reed. “We’ve been having these meetings, they

Photo: The Good Neighbor Campaign

All community members are invited to attend Good Neighbor Campaign meetings held at 5437 W. Division St. on the second Tuesday of every month.

are very good meetings and the people like them. Slowly it’s growing and it’s an organic process, it’s not forced.”

Looking back, Reed remembers a time when people would always turn to their neighbors and community stakeholders for help. Today there is so much distrust within communities, according to Reed, that when people ask for help they are immediately referred to a large government-funded organization rather than being supported by their community.

“Older people have the memory of when people in the community really helped each other. If you had a problem with paying your rent you could have a rent party and people would come and support you because they knew they may have a problem paying their rent,” said Reed. “Now if you have a problem paying your rent, people will tell you to go down to the welfare office.”

In an attempt to get back to being that helpful, neighborly community that Reed remembers, she is championing the Good Neighbor Campaign as a way to bring residents of Austin back together.

COMMISSION TO ENSURE MINORITIES PROPERLY COUNTED IN 2020 CENSUS

Spencer Leak, Sr. and Spencer Leak, Jr. of Leak & Sons Funeral Homes Honored at Annual Fundraiser

A new Illinois commission launched by State Senator Emil Jones III (D-Chicago) will work to ensure diverse populations in Chicago and around that state are properly counted in the 2020 United States Census.

Jones’ legislation was passed in response to a U.S. Census Bureau report that said the 2010 census undercounted minorities in the United States by nearly 1.5 million with African-Americans, Hispanics, renters and young men not properly counted.

The Illinois Complete Count Commission will develop, recommend and help administer a census outreach strategy to encourage full participation in the census.

“It’s important that we get ahead of the issue this time around, and use this commission to make sure all communities in Chicago and other areas of Illinois are equally accounted for in the 2020 Census,” Jones said.

he Loretto Hospital Foundation Board of Directors, Chicago business leaders and others will come together on Thursday, June 21, at the Galleria Marchetti located on 825 West Erie Street in Chicago to honor Spencer Leak, Sr. and Spencer Leak, Jr. of Leak & Sons Funeral Homes at the 10th Annual Spirit of Achievement Awards Gala for their leadership in public service and advocacy for social change.

Past recipients of the Spirit of Achievement Award Include: Tyronne Stoudemire, Les Coney, Earl Jones, Connie L. Lindsey, James D.

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Montgomery, Timothy & Everett Rand, Pervis Spann, James Reynolds and Abe Thompson.

Since 2000, the Foundation has developed numerous community outreach health initiatives to support the hospital, including, but not limited to: • Breast cancer screenings • Diabetes screenings • Programs for seniors • Men’s health programs & center • Asthma clinics • Renovation of ambulatory care clinic • Patient transportation buses

Since its establishment in June, 2000, The Loretto Hospital Foundation has served as the hospital’s principal fundraising, not-for-profit organization with the goal to promote the hospital’s mission to provide quality patientcentered care, while promoting wellness and education to the Austin and surrounding communities. The LHF raises thousands of dollars each year for medical education, community outreach, and support for various health screening programs.

For more information about the Loretto Hospital Foundation call 773854-4200.

CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

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NEWS

OP-ED: Redlining Settlement Fails to Provide Strong Penalties

BY CHARLENE CROWELL DEPUTY COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR RESPONSIBLE LENDING

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or as long as many people of color can remember, succeeding generations have called for justice. Despite these age-old pleas, justice is not only elusive, but frustrating since the enactment of a series of civil rights laws. Despite federal guarantees of equal treatment, much of Black America experiences something short of what was promised.

A recent settlement of a federal redlining lawsuit is yet another sign that justice is still being denied. Even worse, those entrusted in key federal agencies are willing to accept much less than what is fair or just.

On January 13, 2017 and as one of the last cases brought under the Obama Administration, the Department of Justice (DOJ) sued KleinBank, a lender in the Twin Cities’ metropolitan area with violations of both the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA).

The complaint said in part that from at least 2010 to 2015, “KleinBank’s discriminatory practices as described herein have been intentional and willful, and implemented with reckless disregard for the rights of individuals on the basis of their race and/or national origin.”

The January 2017 lawsuit followed a near two-year DOJ investigation that uncovered illegal redlining in neighborhoods of color.

Within the metro area, lending in 78 of 97 majority-minority census tracts were excluded by the bank. Further, as KleinBank expanded to add at least seven full-service branches since 2007, not one is in a community of color.

Beyond a failure to serve all consumers, mortgage applications and approvals among consumers of color were equally disturbing.

Other metro lenders surpassed KleinBank by as large a ratio as five-to-one in serving consumers of color. For example, among

the 5,837 single-family residential loan applications filed with KleinBank, only 1.06 percent – 62 – came from consumers of color.

Of the bank’s approved 4,392 residential mortgages, only 51 were secured in neighborhoods of color.

With these and other findings, DOJ’s complaint requested both monetary damages to those consumers who fell victim to these illegalities, and a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest.

Yet on May 8 of this year when a settlement was reached with the current DOJ, there was no civil penalty or judicial oversight – two key elements in earlier settlements with similar charges. Among other requirements, a limited, three-year agreement authorized a $300,000 loan subsidy fund to increase credit access in predominantly minority neighborhoods, as well as another $300,000 for credit repair initiatives, education, outreach and advertising that would include minority media.

The settlement required the bank to redraw its Community Reinvestment Act assessment area. KleinBank also agreed to open a single branch in a neighborhood of color within the next year.

According to the settlement, “The United States agrees to jointly stipulate with KleinBank to the dismissal of the Civil Action. The parties agree and acknowledge that this consideration is adequate and sufficient.”

Pardon me, but I respectfully disagree— and so do others who believe in fair lending.

A lack of civil penalty coupled with a brief term of compliance does not bode well for fair or just lending.

“The absence of a civil penalty is noteworthy and inconsistent with past redlining cases,” noted Melissa Stegman, a Senior Policy Counsel with the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL). “Furthermore, unlike prior cases, the parties entered into a settlement agreement – not a consent order.

Photo: Center for Responsible Lending

Charlene Crowell says that a recent settlement of a federal redlining lawsuit is yet another sign that justice is still being denied.

A consent order is a more powerful vehicle in that it is subject to the judge’s approval.

Also, with a court order, the court maintains supervision of the agreement. Arguably, it’s a stronger way to hold the bank accountable for meeting the terms of the settlement.”

According to the original DOJ complaint the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) never conducted a redlining examination of the bank, nor did it comment on or approve the bank’s CRA assessment area.

It is also noteworthy that earlier this month HUD announced it planned to seek public comment to revisit whether its 2013 rule known as ‘disparate impact’ was consistent with the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Until this rule was adopted in the previous administration, many entities argued in fair housing lawsuits that lenders never intended to discriminate in housing.

Disparate impact theory focuses on the effects of practices that foster housing discrimination and was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015. HUD’s interest in public comment in 2018 sets the stage for weakening or reversing the rule and is yet another rollback of Obama-era initiatives.

Unfortunately, these kinds of fair lending concerns are experienced across the nation.

In 2017, 28,843 housing-related complaints

were reported, according to the National Fair Housing Alliance’s 2018 Fair Housing Trends Report. Of these complaints, more than 70 percent were handled by private, nonprofit fair housing organizations.

But the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is charged with ensuring effective enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Even so, HUD processed less than five percent of last year’s complaints – about 1,311. Further, DOJ brought only 41 cases from the 6,896 complaints forwarded

by Fair Housing Assistance Program agencies.

The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act is the nation’s most comprehensive mortgage lending report for its inclusion of data on lending by race and ethnicity. It too will be under review by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and appears to be in jeopardy. Currently, this annual report informs the housing industry as well as consumers as to remaining disparities and challenges. Without its detailed data, fair housing measures would be watered down.

When government offices charged and entrusted to enforce laws fail to fulfill their full duties, laws enacted to end discrimination become meaningless. If HUD turns away from fair housing enforcement, as recent actions taken by the agency indicate, or DOJ settles for far less than the law allows or what has even occurred as precedent, none of us should stay silent in the face of these failures.

“It has been 50 years and the Fair Housing Act still has not been fully implemented,” noted Lisa Rice, President and CEO of the National Fair Housing Alliance. “We cannot build a thriving society as long as our nation is plagued by discrimination, segregation, and severe economic inequality.”

Charlene Crowell is the Communications Deputy Director with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org

Resolution Celebrates Special Olympics Milestone, Honors Athletes’ Accomplishments CHICAGO – A resolution presented

by State Senator Bill Cunningham celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Special Olympics and congratulates Special Olympic athletes, past and present, on their accomplishments.

“As athletes and organizers from all over the world prepare to convene in Chicago to celebrate the

Special Olympics’ 50th anniversary, I’m privileged to present Senate Resolution 1796 to commemorate the athletes who have carried this movement for their continuous inspiration over the past 50 years and to encourage the next generation of athletes and volunteers to get involved,” Cunningham said.

While the official 2018 Special Olympic Games will take place in Seattle this summer, there is a weeklong series of events taking place in Chicago from July 17-21 to celebrate the Games’ 50th anniversary and raise awareness and support of the Special Olympics and its “Choose to Include” movement. Over 70,000 www.thechicagocitizen.com

athletes and supporters are scheduled to attend.

Earlier this year, the Chicago Park District presented the Eternal Flame of Hope Monument as a permanent tribute to the organization and its athletes. The monument sits at the entrance of Soldier Field, the site of the very first Special Olympics.

The Special Olympics was inaugurated in July of 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the sister of President John F. Kennedy, who invited 1,000 intellectually disabled athletes from 26 states and Canada to Chicago’s Soldier Field to compete in Olympic-style track and field events.

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BUSINESS

Goya Gives Initial Donation of Three Tons of Food to Victims of the Volcano in Guatemala JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Goya Foods,

America’s largest Hispanic-owned food company, has made an initial donation of three tons of Goya products, including canned beans, meat, and vegetables to victims of the volcano in Guatemala.

“It has been a devastating time for the people of Guatemala and we are diligently working with officials and organizations to ensure that the people who need it the most will directly receive the food,” said Joe Perez, Senior Vice President of Goya Foods. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by the volcano and we thank everyone who is helping to make this donation possible.”

The donation is part of Goya Gives, a national initiative committed to promoting and supporting the overall well-being of communities through social responsibility.

Landmarks Illinois Preserves Ebony Test Kitchen from Johnson Publishing Company Building CHICAGO – Landmarks Illinois, a statewide historic

Goya Gives Initial Donation of Three Tons of Food to Victims of the Volcano in Guatemala

Ben Caballero Sets a New World Record With $1.9 Billion in Home Sales

G Guinness World Record holder Ben Caballero of HomesUSA.com in Addison, Texas, set a new world record for home sales in a single year. Caballero sold over 4,700 homes worth more than $1.9 billion in 2017, smashing the record he set last year.

uinness World Record holder Ben Caballero of HomesUSA. com in Addison, Texas, set a new world record for home sales in a single year. Caballero sold more than 4,700 homes worth in excess of $1.9 billion in 2017, smashing the world record he set in 2016.

Caballero sold 4,799 homes last year totaling $1.906 billion in the state of Texas. In 2016, he sold 3,556 homes totaling $1.444 billion. It was his 2016 production that recently landed him the title of real estate’s first Guinness World Record holder.

Caballero lists homes for more than 60 builders in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. As published in The Wall Street Journal, and independently confirmed by REAL Trends, Ben Caballero is the top-ranked real estate professional in the U.S. in both total number of home sales and total annual dollar volume.

To put Caballero’s 2017 numbers in perspective, he sold an average of 92 homes a week – more than one dozen homes per day, every day of the year.

That’s more than one-and-a-half home sales every business hour.

preservation nonprofit, is working to preserve the iconic Ebony test kitchen from the former Johnson Publishing Company Building, a Chicago landmark.

Landmarks Illinois recently acquired the test kitchen and materials for $1 and, with the help of volunteer professionals from its Skyline Council, disassembled the kitchen and removed it from the former headquarters of the Johnson Publishing Company. A developer purchased the building, located at 820 S. Michigan Ave., in 2017 with plans to convert the former office space into apartments.

Landmarks Illinois wanted to ensure the kitchen was not demolished, but preserved for future display or reuse.

The Ebony test kitchen is being safely stored until future plans are made for preserving and presenting it to the public. Landmarks Illinois is forming a short-term advisory panel to help the organization determine these future plans. It is Landmarks Illinois’ goal this kitchen will be reassembled, displayed and interpreted as an exhibit or reused for educational purpose at an appropriate location where its historic integrity will remain intact and its story will be celebrated.

“Landmarks Illinois looks forward to working collaboratively with our advisory panel and with potential future partners who share a vision for preserving this culturally significant piece of history from the country’s most influential African American publisher of its time,” said Bonnie McDonald, President & CEO of Landmarks Illinois.

The Johnson Publishing Company Building was completed in 1971 and designed by African American architect John Warren Moutoussamy. It was the former home to Jet and Ebony magazines – publications that shared inspiring stories of African Americans – until the Johnson family sold the building in 2010. The Ebony fourth-floor test kitchen is where Editor Charlotte L. Lyons would test meals before adding them to Ebony’s monthly feature, “A Date with a Dish.”

The Johnson Publishing Company Building was designated a Chicago Landmark in November 2017, for which Landmarks Illinois advocated. The landmark designation protects the building from demolition, but does not protect its interiors.

Great Lakes Coca-Cola Bottling Launches Dear Future Chicago, a $30,000 Challenge to Chicagoans to Improve Workforce Development

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n June 11, the Great Lakes Coca-Cola Bottling will introduce “Dear Future Chicago,” an ambitious challenge to young adults to come up with new, innovative ideas to improve workforce development in the greater Chicago area. Dear Future Chicago is a part of the national “Dear Future Challenge,” an initiative by The Coca-Cola Company to encourage people to join in locally based efforts

to renew and strengthen communities across America.

To participate in the Dear Future Chicago challenge, young adults ages 18 to 24 can submit their ideas on how to provide local residents with the tools to land jobs online or live on campuses around the country this fall. After the program closes in mid-October, all of the submissions will be evaluated and an award of $30,000 will

be made to one change making idea. The change maker behind the winning ideas will be paired with local partners – Coca-Cola Scholars, local NGOs – who will mentor them and help them turn their vision into reality. Details on the program and submission can be found by visiting www.coke.com/dearfuturecommunity.

Dear Future Challenge is inspired by the decades-long Coca-Cola Scholars program, where

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The Coca-Cola Company encourages America’s youth to help lead and renew their communities.

In the program’s 30th anniversary, The CocaCola Company is partnering with Scholars to invite their peers to participate in Dear Future Challenges across America. Chicago is one of 15 cities around the country where young people can sign up and propose their ideas to address an issue that’s impacting their community.

CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

IT’S TIME TO GET OUTSIDE AND

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ENTERTAINMENT THEATRICAL PERFORMANCES

Northlight Theatre Announces Casting for 44th Season

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orthlight Theatre, under the direction of Artistic Director BJ Jones and Executive Director Timothy J. Evans, announces its 44th season, opening with Curve of Departure by Rachel Bonds and directed by BJ Jones. The season continues with the World Premiere of Mansfield Park, Kate Hamill’s new adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic tale of social satire, directed by Stuart Carden; followed by Christina Ham’s Nina Simone: Four Women, directed by Kenneth L. Roberson; and the World Premiere of Landladies (previously titled The Janice), written by Sharyn Rothstein and directed by Jess McLeod. Closing out the

season is Into the Breeches! by George Brant and directed by Jessica Thebus.

The cast of Curve of Departure includes: Mike Nussbaum (Rudy), Sean Parris (Felix), Danny Martinez (Jackson) and Penelope Walker (Linda). The cast of Mansfield Park includes: Anu Bhatt (Maria Bertram/Susan Price), Nate Burger (Henry Crawford/John Price), Kayla Carter (Fanny Price), Kate Hamill (Mary Crawford/Lady Bertram), Curtis Edward Jackson (Tom Bertram/Mr. Rushworth/William Price), Heidi Kettenring (Mrs. Norris/Mrs. Price), Mark Montgomery (Sir Thomas Bertram/Mr. Price) and Gabriel

Ruiz (Edmund Bertram). The cast of Nina Simone: Four Women includes: Melanie

Brezill (Sweet Thing), Sydney Charles (Nina Simone), Deanna Reed Foster (Sarah) and Ariel Richardson (Sephronia). The role of Sam Waymon will be announced at a later date. The cast of Landladies includes: Shanesia Davis (Marti), Leah Karpel (Christine) and Julian Parker (Poet). The cast of Into the Breeches! includes: Mitchell Fain (Stuart Lasker), Kate Fry (Maggie Dalton), Molly Hernandez (June Bennett), Annie Munch (Grace Richards), Hollis Resnik (Celeste Fielding), Penny Slusher (Winifred Snow), Penelope Walker (Ida Green) and Fred Zimmerman (Ellsworth Snow).

Award Winning Guitarist and Composer Komie Releases “Afterglow”

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ward-winning guitarist and composer Komie has already enjoyed a successful career creating music for hundreds of hit shows including Ozzy Osbourne’s World Detour, The Voice, NASCAR, Dateline, Late Show With Stephen Colbert and The Amazing Race. His music has been featured in advertising campaigns for Diane Von Furstenberg, Bailey’s Irish Creme, Six Flags and CocaCola (amongst others) and has won several Emmy Awards for best music, 3 BMI TV Music Awards and a Clio nod along the way. But despite all of these accomplishments, Komie desired something more: a project made purely for the art of it. No boundaries except one — it had to express the deepest part of his artistry at the highest level possible.

Thus the concept of Afterglow was born.

Progressive Music Planet writes, “Afterglow is filled with incredibly tasteful playing and great songs”, and “there’s so many great moments that each time I listen, I hear more of them...This is how it’s DONE.” Komie shares, “I’m excited about releasing this new album, it’s truly a project from the heart. Some of you might be familiar with my music for television and film. In that arena, generally there are limits to what an artist can do musically, especially in terms of lead guitar and solos since the music is typically under dialogue and shouldn’t stick out. But Afterglow is different, there are no limits. A blend of progressive rock, post-rock, and alternative styles, I crossed any musical boundary as long as it was true to the song. Leaving no stone unturned, I developed each piece to the fullest.

Through this process of discovery, my best composing and guitar playing began to emerge. Hope you like it as much as I enjoyed creating it!”

Afterglow was written and recorded in Komie’s studio in Los Angeles and is comprised of 13 tracks. Along with the album, Komie has released the breathtaking video for the song “Cirrus Flow” and is in the midst of producing and co-scripting three new music videos that will feature songs from the album and capture the exciting, inspired feeling of the music within a human story of adventure, fantasy and love.

Saints & Sinners centers around the pursuit of power, intertwined with greed, deception, corruption and murder - all set against the backdrop of a large southern church.

Bounce’s “Saints & Sinners” Season Three Seen by 7.5 Million Viewers ATLANTA, GA – America loves Bounce’s Saints & Sinners.

The only original, scripted drama series on multicast television shined in its third season, reaching over 7.5 million total viewers.

Viewership was up versus season two among Households and in the delivery of Persons 2+ and the primetime premieres of the new episodes delivered over half a million P2+for eight consecutive weeks.

Saints & Sinners was the fourth most-watched program among all ad-supported cable in the delivery of African-Americans (25-54), Bounce’s target-audience, Sunday nights at 9:00 p.m. during its run.

One of the many season highlights occurred on May 6 when Saints & Sinners was the #1 most-watched program in all of television, beating CBS, FOX and NBC and all ad-supported cable and pay

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networks in the delivery of African Americans (P25-54) between 9:0010:00 p.m. (ET). Saints & Sinners beat such shows as NCIS: Los Angeles on CBS, Family Guy on Fox, Fear The Walking Dead on AMC and Westworld on HBO that night.

Consumers can catch up on all three seasons of Saints & Sinners anytime on Brown Sugar, Bounce’s new subscription-video-ondemand service.Brown Sugar features an extensive library of iconic black movies, all un-edited and commercialfree and is accessible on Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Apple TV, Roku, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com.

Saints & Sinners centers around the pursuit of power, intertwined with greed, deception, corruption and murder - all set against the backdrop of a large southern

church. The series stars Vanessa Bell Calloway, Clifton Powell, Christian Keyes, Keith Robinson, J.D. Williams, Jasmine Burke, Tray Chaney, Demetria McKinney, Afemo Omilami and Donna Biscoe. Saints & Sinners is produced in partnership with Swirl Film’s Eric Tomosunas (Undershepard, 35 and Ticking).

Bounce (@BounceTV) airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage, and features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports, and more.

Bounce has grown to be available in more than 109 million homes across the United States and 97% of all African-American (AA) television homes, including all the top AA television markets. Bounce is part of The E.W. Scripps Company (NASDAQ: SSP)

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CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

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Black Thought Award-winning MC, Actor, Actor, Ac Cultural Curator

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From the underground to the center stage Find the music that moves you and the sounds that shape culture. Celebrate Black Music Month and experience the collection of groundbreaking music, movies and videos. Stream it at home or on-the-go with Black Film & TV. Just say, “Black Music Month” into your X1 Voice Remote to check out Black Thought’s top movie and music lists and much more.

Visit xfinity.com/discovermore

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Xfinity TV with X1 and On Demand required.

8 | CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

FASHION

TNT’s Claws Kicks Off Their #ClawsUp Tour with a Surprise Appearance by Niecy Nash TNT’s CLAWS kicked-off their #ClawsUp Tour in Herald Square, New York with a surprise appearance by the star herself, Niecy Nash. Media, Influencers and Consumers stopped by the #ClawsUp pop-up manicure salon truck and were treated to nail designs by influencer nail stylist, Lady Fancy Nails with nail polish sponsored by Floss Gloss. In addition, throughout the day, there were empowering “Lady Boss” Panels moderated by The Breakfast Club’s Angela Yee and TheYBF’s Natasha Eubanks, featuring women who have made major moves while building their companies.

Season Two of CLAWS premiered on Sunday, June 10 at 9/8c on TNT.

J.Hilburn, a custom, made-to-measure menswear line, has 2,000+ personal stylists in all 50 states across the country who travel to their clients for fitting and styling appointments with the product.

Wynn Las Vegas Announces Exclusive Retailers Joining Wynn Plaza LAS VEGAS - Wynn Las Vegas

recently announced an update to the collection of world-renowned luxury, contemporary, and lifestyle brands joining Wynn Plaza, the resort’s unique new 70,000-square-foot retail

destination located directly on Las Vegas Boulevard.

“Wynn Plaza is a dynamic new addition to Las Vegas’ vibrant retail scene, offering many brands that haven’t been available in Las Vegas until now,” said Maurice Wooden, President of Wynn Las Vegas. “With

dozens of fashion, dining, and lifestyle options that are exclusively

found at Wynn Plaza, we’re giving visitors experiences that are truly www.thechicagocitizen.com

one-of-a-kind.”

Brands that can only be found in Las Vegas at Wynn Plaza include Cipriani, Urth Caffé, SoulCycle, Céline, Balmain, Loewe, James Perse, Cotton Citizen, Marie France Van Damme, and Vitra Eyewear, with more to be announced in the coming months. Additional boutiques include Stella McCartney, Kiton, Omega, RIMOWA, Breitling, and Le Labo.

“Consumers today define luxury in a different way than in the past,” commented Haim and Stanley H. Chera, joint venture partners with Wynn in its Las Vegas retail.

“The customer is looking for an experience that is not only unique to market, but unique globally, and one that addresses their lifestyle needs.

This collection of boutiques provides for a casual, contemporary, luxury mix that exists nowhere else in North America.”

This new group of retailers joins the recently opened boutiques of Bottega Veneta, Saint Laurent, and the only permanent Louis Vuitton Men’s store in the country. Wynn Plaza will complement the existing luxury retail collection currently at Wynn Las Vegas and Encore which includes Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Hermes, Cartier, Givenchy, Prada, Rolex, Loro Piana, Moncler, Brunello Cucinelli, Christian Louboutin, Alexander McQueen, Watches of Switzerland, and many more.

Wynn Plaza is scheduled to open in October 2018.

CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

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10 | CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

CALENDAR NAVY PIER INVITES CHICAGO NONPROFITS TO APPLY FOR ITS COMMUNITY RIDES PROGRAM

JUNE EVENTS

Chicago Public Library Invites Teens to Imagine Doing More! This Summer

C

hicago Public Library invites teens to participate in the 2018 Teen Summer Challenge, Imagine Doing More!, available now through September 1. CPL challenges teens to make a positive impact in their local environment, individually, in pairs or groups. Teens choose one environment to investigate and change (natural, neighborhood or social-emotional), and one of four possible actions (volunteering, creating campaigns, developing projects or coordinating programs). Learn more atchipublib.org/ ImagineAtCPL. Teens are encouraged to sign up inperson at their neighborhood branch or online. The self-directed challenge is easy for teens to follow with four phases of participation. Whether it’s pledging to reduce their carbon footprint, develop a blog, build a garden or create a photography exhibit, teens’ ideas and solutions for improving the environment will be shared and celebrated. Teens can potentially earn service-learning hours, see their work recognized on the CPL website, and develop experience relevant for college or a future job.

“At CPL, we believe that empowering teens to investigate what matters most to them, and guiding them to develop ideas and solutions to make a positive impact on that area, leads to a deeper connection with

their summer learning and helps builds self-confidence,” said Chicago Public Library Commissioner Brian Bannon.

This year as part of the challenge, Imagine Doing More! invites teens to participate in partner institution challenges to improve the quality of their Chicago environment.

All partner institutions will host Incubation Days at branches citywide to introduce unique real-world challenges for teens to solve, including: • Adler Planetarium: Reduce Light Pollution in Chicago!

• Chicago Architecture Foundation: Design Your Neighborhood!

• Chicago Botanic Garden: Defend Chicago’s Native Pollinators!

• Environmental Law & Policy Center: Improve the Air We Breathe!

• WE: Make the World A More Inclusive Place!

As part of CPL’s commitment to nurture learning for all ages, CPL teen librarians and mentors create engaging and welcoming spaces designed to develop teens’ 21st century skills through interest-driven programs. Teen participants gain access to state-of the-art technology and digital resources, and discover connections to college and career pathways.

Programming, workshops, events and more take place year round at various CPL branches, including 12 dynamic YOUmedia locations. Designed to inspire collaboration and creativity, YOUmedia programs emphasize digital media, making and mentorship by engaging teens across a variety of core content areas including graphic design, photography, video, music, 2D/3D design, STEM and hands-on making. By the end of 2018 CPL will have 20 YOUmedia locations in branches citywide, including its flagship at Harold Washington Library Center, thanks to the support from Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the City of Chicago.

Imagine Doing More! is made possible thanks to the generous support of BMO Harris Bank, Allstate, the Hive Chicago Fund at Chicago Community Trust, the Susan Crown Exchange, the Oppenheimer Family Foundation, and other generous donors to the Chicago Public Library Foundation.

Imagine Doing More! is running now through September 1. Use #ImagineAtCPL and #CPLteens on social media to join the conversation and follow YOUmedia on Twitter (@YOUmediaChicago), Facebook (youmediachicago) and Instagram (youmediachicago). To learn more about self-direct activity guides, events and more, visit chipublib.org/ImagineAtCPL.

www.thechicagocitizen.com

In honor of Navy Pier’s 102nd anniversary this July, Chicago’s mission-driven cultural destination is awarding 102 local nonprofit organizations the opportunity to either ride the iconic Centennial Wheel or experience the popular Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest for free as part of its annual Community Rides program. The Pier is accepting applications from now through Friday, June 29, and recipients will be announced on Friday, July 15 to coincide with the Pier’s anniversary.

Applicants must be Chicagoland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits in good standing, and must serve a community primarily located in Cook, Dekalb, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Kenosha (WI), Lake, Lake (IN), and/or Will counties in order to be considered. Past recipients are welcome to reapply. Awarded nonprofits will be issued complimentary Centennial Wheel tickets or Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest following the announcement on July 15. Centennial Wheel tickets will be valid through May 31, 2019, while Fifth Third Bank Winter WonderFest tickets will be valid through the duration of the event (from November 30, 2018 to January 6, 2019). Interested organizations are encouraged to apply online by close of business on June 29.

Now in its third year, the annual Community Rides program has quickly become a popular program within the local nonprofit scene. Mara O’Brien, executive director of past recipient, SitStayRead, shared how the program afforded her students the rare opportunity to venture out of their school and neighborhood and allowed them to see and appreciate their city from a unique perspective while riding the Centennial Wheel.

Girls in the Game’s Teen Programs Manager Elizabeth White added, “The experience provided the opportunity for girls from different backgrounds to come together as a team and have fun, while proving to our participants that they are part of a larger community and family across Chicago.”

For more information, visit www.navypier. org or download the Navy Pier app on any Android or iOS device.

UNCF HOSTS “A MIND IS …”

GALA CHICAGO, JUNE 16 The United Negro College Fund (UNCF) hosts its annual black-tie fundraiser, “A Mind Is…” Gala Chicago, June 16, at 6:00 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago.

The Gentlemen of Leisure Band performs.

Visit uncf.org/amiChicago. For sponsorships, call 312-845-2200.

EVENT: United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Annual Black-Tie Fundraiser, «A Mind Is...»

Gala WHEN: Saturday, June 16, 2018 WHERE: Hyatt Regency, 151 E. Wacker Drive, Chicago TIME: 6:00 p.m.

ENTERTAINMENT: The Gentlemen of Leisure Band More Information: visit www.uncf.org/ amiChicago. For sponsorships, call 312-8452200

CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

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SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY

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12 | CITIZEN | Chicago Weekend | Week of June 20, 2018

CHEVROLET AND NNPA JOIN TOGETHER TO OFFER HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY STUDENTS A $15K FELLOWSHIP! The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) is excited to partner with the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox to present Discover the Unexpected (DTU) – an amazing journalism fellowship.

Selected DTU Fellows from Historically Black Colleges and Universities earn a $10,000 scholarship, $5,000 stipend and an exciting summer road trip in the all-new 2018 Chevrolet Equinox.

Join our DTU Fellows on this multi-city journey as they discover unsung heroes and share stories from African-American communities that will surprise and inspire. DTU is back and better than ever! Are you ready to ride? #ChevyEquinox, #Chevy, #NNPA

#DTU2018