CHICAGO DEFENDER (ISSN: 07457014)
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INSIDE
Wednesday – Tuesday August 22 - 28, 2018
Cover Story................................................................3 Sports.......................................................................19 Classifieds................................................................15
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2 August 22 - 28, 2018
City News MadeGood Foods, My Dental Gallery and Razzmatazz Games Host Free Back-to-School Bash To ensure children residing on the South Side of Chicago are well equipped and excited to head back to school, MadeGood, a company dedicated to providing healthy snacks that are school safe, organic and rich in nutrients, is partnering with My Dental Gallery and Razzmatazz Games & Grill to host a first-of-its-kind Back-to-School Bash from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 26 at 3900 S. Ashland Ave. “The Back to School Bash is a part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring all students are well-equipped for the school year,” says Nima Fotovat, president of MadeGood Foods, Inc. “Because nearly two children in every classroom have a food allergy, we’re thrilled to provide book bags filled with school supplies and allergy-friendly, school-safe snacks for students to enjoy throughout the school day. We’re also thankful to USA Expo and American Family Insurance for jumping at this opportunity for additional support in making this a possibility.” During the event, students will enjoy a variety of free products, including fully stocked book bags packed with MadeGood’s Granola Bars and Crispy Squares, free game cards for all-day play at Razzmatazz Games & Grill, and free dental cleanings from Dr. Ogbonna Bowden, DDS, owner of My Dental Gallery. To top it off, children can get free haircuts from award-winning barber Mark Lawrence, the owner of Shop Official, and up-and-coming barber, Martese Cole. “We’re thrilled to host the Back to School Bash in partnership with MadeGood and My Dental Gallery,” said Simon Horwell, general manager at Razzmatazz Games & Grill. “The celebration is another avenue for children to authentically be themselves and enjoy the experience, innocence and fun of being a child, in a safe setting, and we’re pleased to be a part of this experience.” “As someone born and bred on Chicago’s South Side, I respond to any opportunity to give back to my community and this event is a great example of business leaders coming together to influence our youth positively,” said Dr. Ogbonna Bowden DDS, owner of My Dental Gallery. “Every child should have access to dental care, but that’s not always the case. It’s my hope that free cleanings for students will ensure each child shows up for their first day of school with fresh and clean pearly whites.” See the Community Calendar on page 14 for more school supply giveaways.
Plan to Prevent Future CPS Closures Becomes Law State Senator Mattie Hunter’s (D-Chicago) plan to prevent future closures of Chicago Public Schools without proper warning was signed into law this week. “For years, CPS has made decisions about opening and closing schools without engaging communities,” Hunter said. “It’s long overdue but I’m glad that we now have a practice in place that will help bring transparency and valuable community input into the capital improvement process.” Under the current school code, CPS is expected to create and implement a 10-year facilities plan, but they have failed to do so in recent years. Mattie Hunter “As we’ve seen in the news lately, CPS has been closing school doors without notice, leaving thousands of students without a neighborhood school to go to or forcing them to travel to a new consolidated school,” Hunter said. “That’s unacceptable.” House Bill 5721 requires more long-term planning, transparency for capital spending, community input and district collaboration to prevent inefficient and disruptive school closings. It also mandates CPS to provide more notice and information on the status of schools. “This new law will help us gather all the information we need so we can make the best decision for our students,” Hunter said. “This is a step in the right direction to reforming CPS and ensuring that students all across Chicago are receiving the quality education they deserve.” The governor signed House Bill 5721 this week. It takes effect immediately. www.chicagodefender.com
Bishop Reginald Jackson, President, Bishops Council of the African Methodist Episcopal Church
Black Church to Assemble for Call to Conscience, Day of Action Across from White House on Sept. 6 The African Methodist Episcopal church has released a statement calling for the Black Church to participate in a day of action. The statement says in part: “This is a challenging time in the life of our nation, a time which demands the church of Jesus Christ, to live up to what it is called to do, to represent Jesus in His world, to be about the work of His kingdom on earth. Historically, the Black Church has been ‘the conscience of the nation.’ “Today the Black Church is again called to be ‘the conscience of the nation.’ To speak to the nation about the rightness or wrongness of its policies and behavior. This is particularly important when the so called ‘Evangelical Christians’ appear to be the dominant voice for people of faith in this nation, supporting the nation’s leader who spouts racism, sexism, and repeatedly lies to the nation. They appear to be the dominant voice of people of faith in the nation, because the Black Church has largely been silent. “It is time for the Black Church to speak, our congregations and the nation need to hear us. Therefore, Black denominational and faith leaders have scheduled a “Call to Conscience - Day of Action” for September 5th and 6th in Washington D.C. It is not only time for us to say something, we must do something. “Our coming together will also kick-off our efforts for the mid-term elections. Our priority will be to register, educate, organize and mobilize our people to vote in November. If Blacks turn out in large numbers, we will determine the outcome in a large number of races. “We are calling pastors, congregants, and citizens from across the country to join us in Washington D.C. on September 5th and 6th, as we call the nation to conscience. Additionally, Sunday, September 2nd is designated as ‘Social Justice Sunday.’ We are asking every pastor to preach a sermon related to “Social Justice.” “There are some who think the Black Church is weak and has little strength or influence. This thinking is incorrect. We are at war, and we call all soldiers to active duty.” For further information on the Day of Action, call (770)-220-1770. THE CHICAGO DEFENDER