August 27, 2026 Edition

AUGUST 27, 2026 EDITION VOLUME 04 NO. 40

ARCHITECT OF STYLE

DIONNE WILLIAMS

E-NOTES

Publisher Cheryl Mainor Norman Editor-In-Chief

Kai EL’ Zabar

Associate Publisher/ Laura Miller Managing Editor

Columnists

Zada Johnson, PhD. Candi McCrary Mila Marshall. Ph.D. C.L. Blackburn Ryan Willis Mare Evans Dr. Sanja Rickett-Stinson David Seaton

Cover Photography

Raji Vela ROQI Productions

Staff Writers

Videography Podcast Production

First Moments of the Day … are the most important Kai EL’ Zabar - Editor-In-Chief

If you’ve had people around you all your life as I have, who encourage you to be your best self, then you have surely heard the word intentionally used frequently. My mother always told us to be intentional each morning because it would set the day for us. That’s why you begin by thanking God that you woke up, then ask for protection and guidance throughout the day.

What I didn’t grasp until later as a young adult is that each morning when we awake and rise, we have an opportunity to create our day with what inspires us the most by establishing our intention or desired outcome.

Knowing that the moment during the day when we very first open our eyes and come into consciousness is a Caveroom Entertainment precious opportunity can change your life trajectory. What you do in the seconds after waking is critical. I recall as a child that I would always stay in bed and say the Lord’s Chicago Weekly News Prayer before my feet touched the ground. This became a practice that I still do. It always made me feel in touch with 700 N Sacramento Blvd Suite 320 God and protected. I felt covered. As I grew older, I began Chicago, IL 60612 to ask God for specific things, from guidance to what you (312) 877-5151 do in that specific moment to an A on a test or in a course.

Volume 04 No.40 Finally, as an adult, my ‘asks’ grew and were ever so more AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, specific, like, ‘I want to land such and such position, or help 2026 me to forgive A.D. for his disrespect of me, etc. I ask for Chicago News Weekly specific things, from guidance to seeking clarity about a is Published on Thursday and conundrum I was facing. In that specific moment, our a product of CNW Network choice of what we do immediately after our waking hour www.cnwmedia.com sets the tone for all that comes after it, just like the opening advertising@cnwmedia.com scene in a film or novel. editorial@cnwmedia.com

CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’S ISSUE AT WWW.CNWMEDIA.COM/E-EDITIONS

At this moment, our ability to create the day is at its most powerful, and we can offer ourselves fully to the creative process by filling this moment with whatever inspires us most. It may be that we want to be more generous, or it may be that we want to be more open to beauty in our daily lives. Maybe it’s just a prayer to get guidance for your marriage or a friendship. Whatever the case, if we bring the vision of possibility —like anything is possible- that plants a vision into our minds at that very fertile moment.

We empower it to be the guiding principle of our day.

You’ve awakened in a mood already seemingly in place; we all have, and it’s important to give that feeling what it demands. The time you take to face it can inform us and deepen our awareness, providing insight into what's occurring within, as well as around us. Don’t take the power of choice for granted. As long as we are conscious, we can honor that feeling and also introduce a new perspective as an affirmation or vision to our conscious offering to the day. This is us taking responsibility for our lives, not leaving it to chance. The same goes for how we go to bed. Are you going to take that anger with you? You may want to decide before we go to sleep what we want to bring to the next day of our lives.

2

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

That is what intentionality looks like when you accept responsibility for your life. Will you choose to determine how your life will flow? Everything isn’t always going to be perfect, but how you address it and deal with the confrontations you face will make all the difference in the world as to whether you’re managing your life or allowing random instances and circumstances to impact your day, week, month, year or lifetime! It could be that we simply want to be more open to whatever comes our way. Or we may want to summon a particular quality such as confidence. Or, we may simply summon a feeling or emotion that perfectly captures the texture we want our day or special moment to have.

And look if you lost it for a moment and allowed the energy to manage you instead of you managing it, you can reaffirm your vision or affirmation as you shower as a cleansing ritual, ridding you of the bad or negative energy. This lack of energy management can make your breakfast turn on you, and suddenly you feel nauseous, as well as recalling it at various times throughout the day. So, what is the outcome you want? You can write it down and carry it with you on a little slip of paper or in your cell phone to refer to throughout the day. If this helps, do it. Don’t downplay awareness, which is a form of sensitivity.

Simply being aware of those first moments is critical, because we set the stage for a more conscious, enlivened experience, and we become active participants in the creation of our lives. Rather than being reactionary. Be your self-empowered source, like the sun is to all life. Know that we are all connected … every living thing. And you always have a choice in the matter.

3 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026 3

CITY NEWS

Kennedy-King Launches Historic Midwifery Program on Chicago’s South Side LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR

The new direct-entry program will create a training pipeline for future midwives in a community where maternal health advocates say access to culturally responsive care remains critically limited.

A new midwifery program formally When the System Becomes Personal launched at Kennedy-King College this For Ali, that demand represents something week, putting Chicago’s South Side at the she has seen for years: women searching for center of a growing effort to expand who another option. She understands that search is trained to deliver babies and where personally. families can receive maternal care.

The program is expected to become the When Ali became pregnant with her third 14th accredited direct-entry midwifery child, she made the decision to give birth at program in the United States, only the home without a midwife present, with only second housed within a community college her husband beside her. Her first birth had system and, according to Black Midwifery ended in an emergency C-section after she was Collective Executive Director Star August given Pitocin, an experience she described as Ali, the first established within a traumatic. By her third pregnancy, distrust of predominantly Black urban community. the hospital system weighed heavily on her Ali credited Kennedy-King College decision about where she would deliver. leadership with helping turn years of “I wasn’t going to consciously walk into a advocacy into an educational program hospital system, lay down, give them access to capable of training a new generation of my womb,” Ali said. midwives.

She chose an unassisted home birth, but does “This has been five years in the making,” not describe that decision as the ideal. As a she said. Those five years have included midwife herself, Ali said there are legislative battles, fights over Medicaid complications that require someone trained to access and a larger effort to rebuild a recognize when the normal rhythm of birth profession Ali argues is desperately needed has changed. “A skilled midwife should be in in Black communities. the room,” she said.

The South Side, she said, remains an That contradiction sits near the center of Ali’s obstetric desert, a concern reflected in argument for expanding midwifery. Women Illinois’ own data. Between 2016 and 2023, may want alternatives to hospital births, but the state lost 32 obstetric hospitals, those alternatives require a trained workforce. representing a 27% net reduction in Unlike doulas, who provide nonmedical birthing facilities. Those closures were emotional and physical support, midwives are especially concentrated in Chicago’s medical providers trained to provide prenatal, southern half, where majority-Black birth and postpartum care, including neighborhoods are now served by just monitoring fetal heart tones and blood three of the city’s 16 birthing hospitals. pressure, assessing fetal positioning and The outcomes are equally troubling. The identifying when a mother or baby may Illinois Department of Public Health require a higher level of care. found that 91% of pregnancy-related deaths in 2021 and 2022 were potentially Ali’s path into that profession began after her preventable, while Black women were more first birth at 23. During a routine prenatal than twice as likely as White women to die appointment, she was told her amniotic fluid from pregnancy-related conditions. was low, admitted to the hospital and given Pitocin. When her son’s heart rate dropped, Ali estimates Illinois currently has only she was rushed into an emergency C-section. about 40 certified professional midwives, Ali recalled feeling the procedure begin before or CPMs, and just five or six Black CPMs she lost consciousness and later waking to see available to serve families seeking culturally her son being resuscitated before he was taken congruent care. to the NICU. The Kennedy-King program is designed to “I walked out feeling very robbed, very begin changing that equation. Its inaugural traumatized and wanting answers,” she said. cohort will be small, with approximately 15 Those answers led Ali first to doula work and to 20 slots as the program develops clinical eventually midwifery. After moving to Illinois, sites and a larger base of practicing she enrolled in a Wisconsin midwifery midwives capable of training students. The program, but CPMs were not yet legally interest, however, is already much larger. permitted to practice community-based birth Ali said roughly 300 prospective students in Illinois. Ali said she ultimately spent three have expressed interest, including people years training underground with an Illinois with advanced degrees and others who preceptor while raising four young children, have relocated to Chicago hoping to enter knowing the work could expose her to the program. criminal charges.

4

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

The experience pushed her into policy. Ali fought to ensure Medicaid access was part of the conversation, arguing that legalizing midwifery would mean little to many Black families if they could not afford to use it.

She and her business partner used stimulus money to hire a lobbyist and pursue legislation, and Ali later became the first president of color in the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives’ 40-year history. Within six months of her presidency, she said, legislation legalizing CPMs passed in 2021. Illinois began allowing midwives to apply for state licensure in 2025.

Now, Kennedy-King represents another piece of that work: creating a place on the South Side where future midwives can be trained and building a workforce capable of meeting women where they are.

“When we talk about system change, we should always be thinking in terms of system change,” Ali said. “Once we’re dead and gone, what are we setting up our babies to inherit?”

At Kennedy-King, part of that answer is now taking shape in the classroom.

CITY NEWS Safelight Announces it's 2026 Class Success CNW STAFF REPORT

Photo: Standing (left to right): Mark Lee, Joseph Glover, Alvin McCall, Jr., Yvonne Davila, Taryn Holmes, Ethan Burns, Dashay Jackson, Ruby Contreras, Anuj Subramanian, Tiffany Li, Aubrey Lawrence, Tristyn House, Edwin Schultz. Sitting (left to right): Karina De Leon, Tamryn Betts, Dylan Matthews, Sarah Flores, Emily Herrera, Mallory Ford, Nina Olvera Not pictured: Miranda Kelley, Laia McClain, Fareess Ogunlola

Safelight is happy to announce that its Teen Ambassador Class of 2026-27 is on its way to creating thought-provoking safe driving awareness campaigns. This cohort represents 11 schools: Marist HS, Whitney Young HS, Mother McAuley HS, Southland College Prep, Lindblom HS, De LaSalle HS, Thornton Fractional South, John Hancock College Prep HS, Niles West HS, Adlai E. Stevenson HS, and Kenwood HS. At the end of the program, the Ambassadors will receive a scholarship for college.

The SafeLIGHT Foundation Teen Ambassador Program does not have traditional public star ratings or consumer reviews online, but it is highly recognized by state agencies and community partners for its advocacy work.

What is the Program?

The SafeLIGHT Foundation is an Illinois-based non-profit. Its flagship youth initiative is the Teen Ambassador Program.

Target Audience: High school students from various Chicago-area high schools.

Core Focus: Teaching peer-to-peer safe driving skills to prevent auto accidents and fatalities.

The Mission: Ambassadors spend a school year creating public service announcements, hosting informational events, and educating peers on traffic safety.

Perks: High schoolers get to practice leadership, build public speaking skills, and earn college scholarships upon graduating from the program.

Program Reputation and Feedback

Strong Institutional Support: The program operates in close alignment with major state entities. It is heavily backed by the Illinois Secretary of State's Office.

Strategic Partnerships: They work hand-inhand with civic healthcare groups like Donate Life Illinois and Gift of Hope to dual-educate teens on responsible road behavior and organ donation.

Expanding Footprint: In recent school years, the program has consistently grown its class size, pulling student leaders from major regional institutions like Kenwood Academy High School, Mother McAuley, and Noble Network campuses.

Safelight is highly recognized by state agencies and community partners for its advocacy work while tracking public program reports reveals a strong community impact:

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

5

NATIONAL NEWS Weeks After Howard University Unenrolled Hundreds of Freshmen, Fallout Continues MOSES HUNTER - CONTRIBUTING WRITER WASHINGTON — When Nikiyah Clark got the keys to her Howard University dorm room this month, she said she still found it hard to trust that she would be allowed to stay.

Weeks earlier, Clark, 17, of Cleveland, was among 502 incoming first-year students Howard University told had been unenrolled after they did not meet a deadline connected to tuition payment, a payment arrangement or required financialaid documentation.

Howard said students who believed their status had been changed in error could submit financial records for review.

According to ABC News, the university initially reinstated 46 students; by late July, Howard officials said more than 200 of the 502 students had been reinstated or had their cases resolved.

Howard has not released a final public breakdown showing how many of the original 502 students ultimately enrolled for the fall, deferred admission or chose another “I didn’t just lose my dream. I lost my way college. out,” Clark told The Associated Press after traveling by bus to Washington to appeal The controversy led other institutions to her case in person. Clark was later reinstated offer alternatives. The University of the and moved into campus housing, according District of Columbia extended its to the AP. undergraduate application deadline to Aug. 7 and waived its application fee, according to Howard sent the unenrollment notices local reporting by FOX 5 DC and WTOP. around July 22, citing a July 10 deadline for students to secure their enrollment. In a In a July 27 announcement, New York Gov. statement reported by ABC News, the Kathy Hochul said affected New York university said students had been informed residents could receive expedited latebeginning in March through emails, admissions consideration at SUNY and financial-aid communications and CUNY campuses. Hochul’s office also said orientation programming that they needed eligible students could receive an $800 credit to pay, arrange payment or document to help cover nonrefundable deposits they qualifying funding. had made to Howard.

Students and families said the notices came The episode also prompted questions about with little warning, particularly because they Howard’s broader finances and operations. arrived shortly before move-in.

Before the student notices were sent, Howard announced a voluntary retirement Some told news outlets they had already incentive program for more than 600 eligible declined other college offers, signed housing faculty and staff members. leases, arranged travel or borrowed money for the academic year.

6

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

In an Aug. 7 statement, the university said the program was part of long-term workforce and financial planning. Howard has not said the retirement program was connected to its decision to unenroll students. For Clark and other students whose enrollment status changed shortly before move-in, reinstatement did not necessarily end the uncertainty.

Clark told the AP she remained concerned that her enrollment could again be affected.

Her experience and those of other incoming students have intensified scrutiny of how colleges communicate tuition deadlines, process financial aid and resolve account disputes before students lose their places in an incoming class.

Howard has directed students with unresolved concerns to its Enrollment Management, Financial Aid and Bursar offices. The university has said it reviews disputed cases individually and seeks a path forward for eligible admitted students.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

Calling Chicago's Next Generation of Visual Storytellers Chicago has never lacked talent.

Every day, photographers across our city capture moments that deserve to be remembered. They document neighborhood festivals, family traditions, entrepreneurs building businesses, artists creating culture, young athletes chasing dreams and the everyday moments that make Chicago unlike anywhere else. Some have built impressive portfolios. Others have quietly honed their craft without the recognition their work deserves.

At Chicago News Weekly, we believe great storytelling isn't limited to those who already have the biggest platform. Some of the city's most compelling visual storytellers simply haven't had the opportunity to publish their work in a newsroom.

That's why we're launching CNW Through the Lens, a new initiative created to discover photographers whose work reflects the heart of Chicago. We're looking for photographers with a distinctive perspective, a passion for visual storytelling and a commitment to documenting the people and communities that make this city extraordinary. Whether you're self-taught, a student, an experienced creative or someone who has simply been waiting for the right opportunity, we want to see the city through your lens.

The selected photographer will have the opportunity to photograph an upcoming Chicago News Weekly cover story, receive a published editorial feature highlighting their work and be considered for future assignments as a contributing photographer.

This isn't simply about finding great photographs. It's about opening the door for talented creatives whose work deserves a wider audience and creating another pathway into Chicago's media community. Submission guidelines, deadlines and application details will be announced in our next issue. Until then, start curating your strongest work and share this opportunity with a photographer whose talent deserves to be seen. Because every published photographer had a first assignment. Make yours at CNW!

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

7

NATIONAL NEWS Power's Back on for most in Gary, But the Anger at NIPSCO Isn't Going Anywhere CNW STAFF REPORT

GARY, Ind. — For the first time in two weeks, Dasia Blackmon slept last night with her air conditioner running. She wasn't the only one celebrating. Northern Indiana Public Service Company, the region's dominant electric utility better known as NIPSCO, said Tuesday it had restored power to 99% of customers affected by the Aug. 11 storm and subsequent severe weather after recording roughly 374,500 outages since the event began.

But as the lights come back on across this majorityBlack city of roughly 67,000 people, a new fight is just getting started over who's to blame for how long it took and whether Gary's prolonged outages exposed deeper problems in the way the utility prepares for and responds to disasters.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun this week directed the state's consumer advocate to formally petition for an investigation into NIPSCO's handling of the storm, including its preparation beforehand, its response afterward and its management of trees and vegetation near utility infrastructure. The move followed mounting frustration as NIPSCO repeatedly revised its restoration outlook. The utility initially projected that 90% of affected customers systemwide would have power restored by Aug. 18 and that customers who could safely be restored would be back online by Aug. 21. Gary was later given a new target of Aug. 25 as crews confronted extensive infrastructure damage.

The storm produced a 99 mph wind gust at Gary/Chicago International Airport, putting it within the wind range associated with a Category 2 hurricane. According to NIPSCO, roughly 300 utility poles and 44 transmission poles required repair or replacement in Gary alone. Residents and local leaders, however, say the length of the outage exposed something beyond storm damage: a pattern of neglect in a city where roughly a third of residents live below the poverty line.

Gary City Council President Linda Barnes-Caldwell described neighbors on her block glaring at her in disbelief when her own power returned while homes across the street remained dark. Community members organized their own relief efforts in the meantime, delivering ice and dry ice to elderly residents who needed to keep medication cold and turning sites such as Gary's City Life Center into hubs for food, charging and other assistance.

The outage also drew national attention from civil rights advocates. Bernice King, daughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., argued publicly that the crisis in Gary reflected a broader pattern in which Black communities are too often expected to endure conditions that would generate greater urgency elsewhere. The ACLU of Indiana echoed those concerns, calling for disaster relief that reaches every community quickly and equitably.

Questions of Maintenance and Accountability NIPSCO has pushed back on criticism that Gary was overlooked, saying crews were assigned to outages of every size throughout its service territory and that the extent of the damage required the rebuilding of portions of the electric system rather than routine restoration work.The company is also facing a lawsuit. A Porter County resident has filed a negligence claim in state court seeking class-action status, accusing NIPSCO of failing to properly manage trees and vegetation near its power lines.

8 8 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

The lawsuit argues that inadequate maintenance contributed to the scale and duration of the outages. NIPSCO has said it strongly disagrees with the allegations and will vigorously defend itself.

Separately, vegetation management falls under the oversight of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, and Braun has asked the commission to examine NIPSCO's practices as part of a broader review of the company's storm preparation and response. Gary and Portage were among the communities appearing latest on NIPSCO's published restoration schedule as crews worked through the most heavily damaged areas.

And Gary wasn't the only majority-Black community confronting prolonged outages. After separate storms struck Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, roughly 34,000 customers served by Memphis Light, Gas and Water were still without electricity late Monday. About 140,000 customers had lost service at the height of the storm.

The similarities were difficult for some residents and advocates to ignore: another predominantly Black city, another major storm and another prolonged period in which thousands of people were left trying to navigate extreme summer conditions without electricity.

Federal support is now reaching Indiana, though direct FEMA assistance to homeowners and renters has not yet been approved. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration allowing FEMA to provide direct assistance to state and local response efforts. Braun has separately sought a broader major disaster declaration, which could make additional assistance available if approved.

Eligible SNAP recipients in Lake and Porter counties who lost food because of the storms have until Aug. 31 to request replacement benefits through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. FEMA and Indiana emergency officials also completed joint preliminary damage assessments Aug. 21 as the state continued documenting losses associated with the storm.

What comes next is less certain. The investigation into NIPSCO has no publicly announced timetable, and it remains unclear whether it will lead to new requirements governing vegetation management, infrastructure investment or outage response.

For Gary residents, those questions extend beyond what happened Aug. 11.

The larger concern is what will be different when the next major storm arrives, and whether the vulnerabilities exposed over these two weeks will still be there waiting with it.

HEALTHY LIVING A New Warning System for Diabetes The FDA has cleared the first wearable to continuously track both glucose and ketones, offering patients earlier warning of a dangerous complication while raising familiar questions about who will be able to access the technology.

CNW STAFF REPORT A new wearable diabetes device could change how patients detect one of the disease’s most dangerous complications by watching two critical numbers at the same time.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Aug. 25 authorized Abbott’s Libre Duo 10 Day Continuous Dual Glucose Ketone Monitoring System for people with diabetes ages 2 and older. The device is the first wearable in the United States to continuously monitor ketone levels and the first device in the world to continuously track both glucose and ketones with a single sensor.

For people living with diabetes, glucose monitoring is already part of daily disease management. Ketones can be just as important when the body does not have enough insulin to use glucose for energy.

Instead, it begins breaking down fat, producing ketones. If ketone levels rise too high, they can trigger diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA, a potentially life-threatening emergency that can develop quickly.

Abbott says it plans to launch the Libre Duo 10 Day in the United States later this year. For patients already navigating the cost of insulin, medications, sensors and other supplies, pricing and insurance coverage will help determine how broadly patients can benefit from the new technology.

The device does not eliminate the need for medical care. The FDA cautions that ketone readings should be considered alongside glucose readings and symptoms. Warning signs of DKA can include nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid or heavy breathing, confusion and extreme fatigue and can require immediate medical attention.

Still, continuous ketone monitoring introduces something patients have not previously had: a way to watch danger developing instead of discovering it only after taking a separate test.

For millions of people managing diabetes every day, that added warning could matter.

Until now, patients who needed to check ketones generally relied on separate blood or urine tests that provided a reading at one moment in time. The Libre Duo 10 Day is designed to measure both glucose and ketones in fluid just beneath the skin every minute, sending results wirelessly to a compatible smartphone. The system can also alert users when ketone levels reach a concerning threshold.

That real-time warning could be especially important during illness, infection, dehydration or missed insulin doses, all situations that can increase the risk of DKA. The FDA said its authorization was based on six clinical studies involving more than 600 participants ages 2 and older. According to the agency, the device accurately tracked clinically meaningful changes in ketone levels during its 10-day wear period, including identifying elevated levels before the onset of DKA. A Breakthrough, But Who Gets Access?

The new technology arrives as diabetes continues to affect a significant share of the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 40.1 million Americans are living with diabetes, or roughly one in eight people.

The burden, however, is not evenly distributed.

Among U.S. adults, the age-adjusted prevalence of diagnosed diabetes is 12.2% among Black adults compared with 7.1% among White adults, according to the CDC’s latest national surveillance data.

That disparity makes access to new diabetes technology part of the story.

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

09

COVER STORY

Architect of Style: Three Decades of PR Mastery, the Black Beauty Boom There is a distinct kind of joy that comes from watching someone you knew in their youth step fully into their power, mastering the currents of an industry where only the resilient survive. Sitting across from Dionne Williams in the CNW Network Studio, catching up before our podcast interview, I was reminded of just how far back our shared orbit extends. Back in the day, I watched her as a young woman entering the vibrant ecosystem of media, public relations, and cultural commerce. Today, she is a titan in her own right—a master publicist, strategic brand architect, and the visionary force behind the renowned Emerge Fashion Show.

Dionne carries herself with a quiet, unshakeable confidence. She is neither brash nor performative about her standing in a world defined by high-stakes visibility. Instead, her authority stems from a deep well of experience: a career spanning more than thirty years, evolving from managing boutique public relations for Chicago’s small businesses and cultural icons to steering multi-million-dollar beauty brands, executing legendary concert riders, and reshaping how independent designers claim space on the global fashion calendar.

As we sat down to record, our conversation flowed effortlessly across decades of cultural history—touching on the golden age of Black beauty advertising in the 1990s, the art of working with demanding, legendary artists like Aretha Franklin, the paradigm shift of the digital age, and the monumental 15th year milestone of Emerge. Nope, I can't help but smile at the Founder and CEO of D. Williams PR Group.

Chapter 1: Foundations of Excellence — From the South Suburbs to the Chicago Media Scene To understand Dionne Williams’s instinctive grasp of human psychology and public relations, you have to look at the intentional foundation laid during her formative years.

Though she is intimately associated with the pulse of Chicago, Dionne grew up in a southside suburb, observing the city with wideeyed admiration.

10 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

"I’m not a Chicago girl originally; I grew up in suburbia," Dionne shares with a smile.

"Growing up, my friends and I deeply admired the Chicago girls because of their style points from head to toe. Their hair was immaculate, they were dressed impeccably, they carried the right purses—their presentation was noticeably different from our suburban style."

Recognizing her curiosity and potential, her father made it his mission to ensure she was exposed to the broader cultural and civic realities happening within the city limits rather than remaining insulated in suburban comfort.

This exposure planted the seeds for an extraordinary career trajectory. She attended Polaris in Oak Lawn, an experimental, alternative high school that encouraged independent thinking and real-world engagement.

Her entry into professional spaces began with high-level baptisms by fire. Her first major internships were with Operation PUSH under the legendary Reverend Willie Barrow, and Stephen Graham’s Athletes Against Drugs.

These early experiences instilled a rigorous sense of discipline. She soon found herself at NBC working alongside Dolores MeBain, former director of station relations for NBC 5, and serving as an intern for broadcasting stalwart Art Norman.

"They instilled the practice of professionalism in my repertoire of etiquette that is essential if you want to excel and go to the top," Dionne reflects. "You may do well for a moment, but if you lack professional ethics, it will be your downfall. Your lack of professionalism will catch up with you, and clients will dwindle without you ever knowing why."

This foundational training taught her a fourstep framework that she still enforces with her own staff and interns today: Know the end goal. Clear vision is nonnegotiable.

Identify the requirements. Understand precisely what knowledge and actions are needed to accomplish that goal.

Create a meticulous plan. Strategy bridges the gap between vision and execution.

Execute flawlessly. Leave nothing to chance.

COVER STORY

Dionne Williams

and the 15th Anniversary of the Emerge Fashion Show KAI EL ZABAR - EDITOR IN CHIEF Chapter 2: The Burrell Blueprint and the Golden Era of Black Beauty As Dionne transitioned into independent public relations and event production in Chicago during the 1990s, her early roster included trailblazers like fashion designer Barbara Bates.

Working alongside the giants of the Baby Boomer generation who set the benchmark for excellence, Dionne absorbed the nuances of high-level business execution.

Her big breakthrough came when she was brought into the orbit of Burrell Advertising Agency, one of the most influential Blackowned advertising powerhouses in history.

Burrell brought her on board to execute branding for a rapidly scaling beauty product line.

"That was the beginning of my love affair with brand work," Dionne notes. "I literally fell in love with branding, especially in the beauty world. It was the 1990s, and understanding different demographics, different generations, how those generations speak, how you speak to them, how they purchase, and what resonates with them was more important than ever."

It was a historic high point for Black beauty products. Brands were literally flying off retail shelves and beaming into living rooms via television commercials on Soul Train, print advertisements in Ebony, Jet, Black Enterprise, Emerge, Essence, and Upscale. It was an era of unprecedented economic awakening, and Dionne was in the room, observing firsthand how advertising began to authentically embrace Black beauty and lifestyle.

When Burrell's roster became too full to manage the explosive, day-to-day growth of a specific beauty client, the agency executed a graceful handoff, recommending Dionne to assume full ownership of the account.

It was a pivotal moment that permanently elevated her career trajectory. "For which I am still grateful," says Dionne.

Chapter 3: Cultural Architecture and the Historical Tide of Black Wealth The explosion of Black beauty and marketing in the late 20th century did not happen in a vacuum. It was fueled by the rise of the Baby Boomer generation, who emerged as the largest cohort of college graduates and professionals following the legislative victories of the Civil Rights movement.

This era witnessed a rapid closing of the economic divide. The worlds of sports, music, and film shattered traditional financial ceilings. Trailblazers like Moses Malone (1974), Dave Parker (1978), and Johnny Jones (1980) broke the million-dollar barrier in professional sports, while figures like Curt Flood and Michael Jordan revolutionized legal and endorsement structures to secure multi-million-dollar futures for generations of athletes.

Corporate suites, recording studios, and Hollywood production offices saw Black professionals accumulating real generational wealth, radically shifting purchasing power and market influence.

However, the elite, closed-door world of high fashion historically held its cards much closer to the chest. While Black individuals had always driven fashion culture, mainstream institutional acknowledgment was rare. Dionne frequently highlights the foundational giants who cracked open those heavy doors Anne Lowe: America's first Black highfashion couturier, who famously designed Jacqueline Bouvier’s iconic 1953 wedding dress for her marriage to John F. Kennedy.

Zelda Wynn Valdes: Opened her legendary boutique on Broadway in New York in 1948, dressing Black royalty and was famously commissioned by Hugh Hefner to design the original Playboy Bunny costume.

Stephen Burrows: Stole the show at the historic 1973 Battle of Versailles Fashion Show, establishing Black design genius on an international stage.

Willie Smith: Co-founded the groundbreaking modern streetwear label WilliWear in 1976.

Patrick Kelly: Broke massive international barriers by becoming the first American and the first Black designer elected to France's prestigious Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter.

As we talked about the list of 'firsts, we noted their invaluable importance, noting that they represent the front line that laid the groundwork and opened doors so that a Dionne Williams could come along and do what she does.

Yet, few stories match her experiences working with the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin. who was the star performer for a client's gala that Dionne's company was overseeing.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY : RAJI VELA ROQI PRODUCTIONS

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026 11

COVER STORY Aretha required absolute precision, unyielding respect, and an acute understanding of oldschool professionalism.

"Aretha Franklin, to the average person, seemed difficult," Dionne recalls with a knowing smile.

"The venue was the Erie Crown Theater, and she had very specific requirements. First, she did not want the air conditioning on. It was June in Chicago, and it was sweltering. Ms. Franklin was on stage going through her preparation rudiments and realized the air was running.

Without hesitation, she stopped and said, 'If y'all don't turn off that air, this concert is off.

Second, she had to have Lem’s Barbecue. That wasn't on any standard rider; we learned about it the day of the event. It didn’t matter; I had to deliver it immediately. Just like being paid in cash and having it in her direct line of sight while on stage at all times. Things like that were absolute deal breakers. But once we learned what she took seriously, we delivered. You had to respect that. She came out of an era where people paid in checks, and they bounced. She was old school, and we respected her craft."

Whether handling technical lighting riders that cost small fortunes or ensuring an artist’s exact preference for black towels was met, Dionne’s golden rule for her team remains absolute: "You never say no to a client. Nothing is impossible".

Chapter 5: The Pandemic Pivot and the Rise of the Influencer Economy When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe, it brought traditional live events to a grinding halt. For publicists and event producers, survival demanded radical reinvention.

"The reduction in advertising dollars as a response to the pandemic naturally shifted us to our social platform presence," Dionne explains.

"Suddenly, everything moved to digital because the moment demanded that people stay indoors, and digital formats made continuous communication possible. It was a natural shift."

Recognizing that many traditional clients had failed to integrate digital strategies or influencer marketing into their business models, Dionne seized the moment. She built dedicated influencer marketing frameworks within her agency, partnering digital creators with beauty, haircare, and skincare brands. Gen Z quickly recognized the power of these platforms, by the success of the Millennials and solidified their role in moving capital and negotiating substantial brand deals across the digital marketplace.

Once public life resumed, consumers were no longer satisfied with standard, cookie-cutter gatherings. The post-pandemic landscape required experiential marketing.

12 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

DIONNE WILLIAMS & DAPPER DAN

"There was no space for the usual," Dionne says. "We had to come up with ideas that left people asking, 'Yeah, what is that?' with genuine curiosity. Guests had to be made to feel uniquely special through highly curated experiences."

She pioneered immersive wellness events featuring professional speakers and yoga instructors, pairing physical engagement with guided discussions on holistic nutrition and lifestyle choices. These high-end, bespoke experiences command significant market value and demonstrate the evolution of modern public relations.

Chapter 6: Crafting Inclusion — The Birth and Evolution of the Emerge Fashion Show Perhaps Dionne’s most enduring cultural contribution is the Emerge Fashion Show, which celebrates its 15th anniversary in September 2026.

The concept was born when her longtime friend and designer Terry Stevens—known for her vibrant, funky, and beautiful aesthetic—was selected to compete on Project Runway. As Terry's plus-one for the show finale during New York Fashion Week under the official tenets managed by the CFDA and IMG, Dionne experienced the dazzling lights, high fashion, and exclusivity of New York's fashion epicenter.

After that Dionne paid closer attention to the world of fashion and noticed a critical gap: independent designers of immense talent were often relegated to substandard production quality. Drawing on her extensive PR and eventproduction background, Dionne decided to step in.

"I realized I can't let these shows drop. That's unacceptable," Dionne recalls. "So I decided to produce a show for Terry the next year. I made it a collective featuring about five other independent designers.

But I infused it with Chicago-style hospitality and production excellence. To build immediate credibility and visibility, I instituted the Fashion Innovator Award to honor the trailblazers who paved the way."

Over the past decade and a half, Emerge has honored legends of the fashion and media industries, including: Andre Leon Talley: (Former Vogue Editor-atLarge André Leon Talley, (he was also her first podcast guest, 'Emerge Design Talk', during the pandemic) Audrey Smalls : (groundbreaking Essence and Ebony Fashion Fair producer) Sergio Hudson: (Sergio Hudson Collections is a Women's ready-to-wear brand, designed by Creative Director Sergio Hudson and crafted entirely in the US) Dapper Dan ( an American fashion designer and haberdasher from Harlem, NY frontrunner to the hip-hop style) Pat Cleveland: (one of the first Black supermodels and one of the most influential runway models of the 1970s) Beverly Johnson (the first Black model to grace the cover of Glamour magazine) Continued on Page 15

AROUND TOWN

XL FEST 26’ Bigger Better More Chicago

CNW STAFF REPORT

XL Fest returned to Chicago for its fourth year, uniting filmmakers, actors, and industry leaders to celebrate film and storytelling. The festival expanded across the city, featuring events at Harper Court, Harper Theater, the Chicago Cultural Center, the University of Chicago, and the Obama Presidential Center, with pre-festival activities in Millennium Park. Founded by Troy Pryor and Creative Cypher, XL Fest blends screenings with networking and live events, fostering connections for creatives. Notable attendees included Anthony Anderson, Karyn Parsons, and emerging filmmakers, making XL Fest 2026 a can’t miss event.

PHOTO CREDIT: RAJI VELA ROQI PRODUCTIONS

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

13

AROUND TOWN

4 Days & Nights of Creativity

PHOTO CREDIT: @BLKDAVINCIMEDIAHOUSE IG.

14

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

COVER STORY "Note that I was scared to death to ask Andre Leon Talley to join me on my podcast, but I did and he shared that he was a fan of Emerge.

But Beth Ann Hardison, who founded Bethann Management Agency, was our guest speaker two years ago. She told the folks publicly, “I had to say yes, so she would just get off my back.” It was so funny because she was right," Dionne says, 'I was so obsessed over her story; her appearance at the 1973 Battle of Versailles fashion show and their presence was a game changer in the fashion world.

Bridging Cities: Chicago vs. New York Reflecting on geographic dynamics, Dionne notes the distinct personality of each market.

While Chicago remains a powerhouse of historical Black enterprise—home to The Chicago Defender, Ebony, Johnson Publishing Company, and Burrell Advertising, etc, —its social and geographic lines can sometimes feel rigid and segregated.

Chapter 7: Mentorship, Networking, and Looking Toward the Future As Emerge prepares for its grand 15thanniversary production on September 15, 2026, in New York, Dionne’s vision continues to expand.

The upcoming showcase will feature an all-star runway, an R&B artist debuting a new collection, and major industry honorees. Looking beyond New York, she is actively expanding the Emerge footprint into Miami during Art Basel and extending her reach to London to bridge connections with visionary African and Caribbean designers whose creative freedom remains unburdened by traditional Western framework restrictions.

Yet, despite her international success, Dionne remains deeply anchored in the principles of oldschool mentorship and human connection. She expresses ongoing frustration with modern professional habits among younger generations entering the workforce.

Get out from behind the screen. Step into the field and network in person.

Master the art of service. When introducing yourself, always ask: "What can I do to assist you?"

Create your own opportunities. People are not hunting you down; you must pitch your value, seize the moment, and follow through with relentless execution. you hav eto stand out.

Final Note Listening to Dionne Williams recount her journey from a curious suburban teenager admiring Chicago's style icons to an internationally respected event producer and publisher partner is a masterclass in professional evolution. She has navigated the seismic shifts of the 1990s beauty boom, the digital pivot of the pandemic, and the elite corridors of fashion capitals without ever losing her core authenticity.?

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF EMERGE FASHION SHOW

In New York, my show is in the Financial District, far away from the official tents, but it gives me the freedom to simply be myself and move fluidly," Dionne explains. "In Chicago, you have to be extraordinarily thoughtful about venue placement. If I want the Gold Coast crowd, they aren't traveling down to the South Loop. New York offers a wider, more open landscape for cross-pollination."

Emerge is top shelf and hires 100 models to be live mannequins to showcase the participating designers' wares. That fact knocked me off my stool. Dionne said, “ Yes, Kai, we have no time 1 for hesitation, no lagging, the movement has to be flawless.”

6

"My number one pet peeve is the individual who says they came to learn the job, yet spends all their time reading and studying the job description rather than implementing actual work skills," Dionne states candidly.

"You can’t sit behind a computer screen all day and assume a company or supervisor is going to find you if they have no idea you exist. This work is deeply people-oriented."

Her advice to Gen Z interns and aspiring professionals is direct and actionable:

As Emerge marks its fifteenth year on September 15, 2026, Dionne stands not just as a producer of runway shows, but as an essential cultural architect.

She has built tables where independent creators are seen, where veterans are honored, and where the next generation of style leadership is forged with grace, grit, and uncompromised excellence.

What specific strategies from Dionne Williams's three decades in public relations and brand building resonate most with your own professional journey or creative ventures? Write and tell us...

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

15

ENTERTAINMENT Mathew Knowles, Destiny’s Child and the Business of Greatness

Still managing the business of Destiny’s Child decades after building the group into a global force, Mathew Knowles talks Black women in music, rejection, ownership, preparation and the Chicago experience giving the catalog another life.

LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR Destiny’s Child may not be making new albums, but Mathew Knowles still has Destiny’s Child business to do. The founder and CEO of Music World Entertainment, who helped build a group of young Black girls from Houston into a global music force, remains involved in managing the group’s catalog and the business surrounding its music. This weekend, that stewardship arrives in Chicago in another form with Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined, a candlelit orchestral treatment of the music that helped define a generation.

Select guests will also have access to meet-and-greet opportunities, while the event’s VIP package includes a reception with Knowles. He plans to be part of that experience himself, greeting fans and taking photos. His instructions to Chicago are considerably simpler: “show up and show out,” look sharp and, perhaps most importantly, be on time.

His own evaluation of artists rarely started with music. At Music World, performers arriving ready to audition could instead find themselves invited to sit on a sofa and talk.

Knowles wanted to know who they were before hearing what they could do. Could they listen? Would they be difficult to work with? Was music their real commitment or simply something they enjoyed?

It is easy, particularly in hindsight, to look at Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams and see the success as inevitable. Knowles remembers an industry in which Black women often had to take a different route to reach the same global stage, and when asked whether Destiny’s Child was ever expected to become more “universal” at the expense of its Blackness, his answer was not about changing the women. It was about making them impossible to ignore.

“If those answers were wrong before, it didn’t matter how well they could sing or how well they could rap or how good looking they were,” he said. “Talent was just one aspect of it.”

That made Knowles a natural person to answer a question borrowed from the philosophy behind the CNW Network’s The Stay Ready Playbook, a podcast built around the belief that preparation must precede opportunity. If an artist has already reached success, what does staying ready require when it becomes easy to believe the preparation is no longer necessary?

“We’re gonna be so damn good, we’re gonna kick the door in,” Knowles told Chicago News Weekly.

The statement carries more weight when placed against the scope of his career. Long before Music World Entertainment, Knowles spent roughly 20 years in corporate America before becoming an entertainment executive, entrepreneur, author and educator. He managed Destiny’s Child through its rise to international superstardom and helped guide Beyoncé’s early solo career, building a reputation for an almost relentless emphasis on preparation, business acumen and the difference between being talented and being ready.

A Familiar Catalog, Heard Differently On Saturday, Aug. 29, Destiny’s Child: Iconic Reimagined Tribute makes its Chicago stop with two performances at the Congress Plaza Hotel. The show strips away much of the choreography and original production audiences associate with Destiny’s Child and places songs including “Say My Name,” “Survivor,” “Independent Women” and “Bootylicious” in the hands of a live string quintet. Knowles will narrate portions of the evening, sharing stories about how the songs and moments surrounding them came together.

The experience is designed to extend beyond the performance itself. Knowles said frontrow and VIP guests will receive a collector’s laminate, a digital download of his bestselling book, Destiny’s Child: The Untold Story, and a collector’s program.

16 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

Rather than simply celebrating how wrong the assessment turned out to be, Knowles pointed to something larger about who gets to judge what audiences will embrace.

“Music is an individual thing,” he said.

“And it’s also culture.”

“Staying ready is when you walk outside the door,” Knowles said.

Whether he was in corporate America or standing in front of an audience decades later, he said the level of preparation remains the same. Even nervousness before speaking serves a purpose, signaling to him that it is time to “gear up” because the moment matters.

For Knowles, reimagining the catalog is also business. His corporate background taught him early to understand the value of intellectual property, and he said Music World still has music, photographs, video and other Destiny’s Child content the public has never seen. He believes there is enough material to continue introducing audiences to another side of the group for years, while remaining mindful that Beyoncé, Rowland and Williams have individual careers and projects of their own.

Greatness Requires More Than Talent Knowles has also had plenty of opportunities to learn that the people making decisions are not always right. When asked about the rejections that helped shape his career, he recalled submitting Beyoncé’s first solo album and hearing a record executive say he did not hear a single hit. That album included “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Me, Myself and I” and “Dangerously in Love.”

CHECK OUT THE FULL INTERVIEW MATHEW KNOWLES TO LEARN MORE!

“Good is just the starting off point,” Knowles said. “You gotta go harder than that.”

After decades spent building artists, brands and businesses, his definition of success has become considerably simpler. Asked what success means to him today, Knowles answered with joy: his wife Gina, his family, his grandchildren and the memories the current show has allowed him to revisit.

“It’s not the money,” he said. “It’s the joy.”

For a man who spent much of his career teaching artists how to kick through doors, there is something fitting about returning to the music now without needing to prove what it accomplished. The records already did that. Knowles is still managing the business, still thinking about what comes next and, this Saturday in Chicago, giving audiences another way to experience what he helped build.

COMMENTARY The AI Readiness Gap: What Organizations Miss When Chasing Automation DR. SANJA RICKETTE STINSON, D. MIN., M.ED.

Open LinkedIn, attend a conference, join a webinar, or spend five minutes scrolling social media, and you will quickly find someone talking about AI agents. They are being described as the future of work. We are told they can answer emails, schedule appointments, manage projects, analyze data, follow up with customers, and automate countless tasks that consume our time.

And to be fair, much of that excitement is justified. Before we go any further, let me be clear: I am not against AI agents.

In fact, I believe AI agents are one of the most exciting developments in artificial intelligence today. Their potential to increase productivity, reduce administrative burdens, and help organizations operate more efficiently is remarkable. I believe nonprofits, small businesses, entrepreneurs, and faithbased organizations can benefit tremendously from these technologies.

The issue is not whether AI agents are valuable. The real question is whether organizations are ready for them. As I have engaged leaders across multiple sectors, I have noticed a pattern emerging. The conversation often begins with a statement like, "We need an AI agent," or "Can AI automate this process for us?"

As an AI-Certified Strategist and Trainer, my response is usually not to recommend a tool immediately. Instead, I begin asking questions. What do you want the AI agent to accomplish? What problem are you trying to solve? How does the process work today?

Who is responsible for each step? Where does information currently live? And what outcome are you hoping to achieve?

While these questions may seem simple, they often reveal something much bigger than a technology challenge. They reveal a readiness challenge. That is why I often ask what may be the most important question of all. Is your organization actually ready for automation?

That question reveals what I call the AI Readiness Gap, which is the distance between an organization’s excitement about artificial intelligence and its actual preparedness to implement it successfully.

And the reality is that many organizations are eager to embrace AI, but they have not yet built the foundation necessary to support it.

Consequently, the foundation is not technology—it is workflow preparedness. In my opinion, this is the first and most important step organizations must address before deploying AI agents.

The reality is that AI does not create organizational clarity—it amplifies what already exists. If your processes are clear, AI can make them faster. If your communication is organized, AI can make it more efficient. If your systems are functioning well, AI can help them scale.

However, if your workflow is inconsistent, your information is scattered, and your processes are undocumented, AI will not magically solve those problems. In many cases, it will simply help confusion move faster.

Let me give you a simple example. Imagine an organization wants to use an AI agent to manage client follow-up. On the surface, that sounds helpful. But what happens if the organization does not have a clear follow-up process?

One person responds by email, another sends a text message, someone else keeps notes in a spreadsheet, while another team member relies on memory. Some inquiries receive a response the same day, while others fall through the cracks. In that situation, the AI agent is not the problem. The problem is that the workflow has never been clearly defined.

Now, let’s imagine the same organization has taken the time to create a clear workflow.

A new inquiry arrives through the website.

The information is automatically captured in a central location. The AI agent sends an acknowledgment message within minutes.

The inquiry is assigned to the appropriate team member.

Follow-up reminders are generated automatically. Notes are stored in a consistent format. Leadership can easily see where each prospect is in the process and identify any bottlenecks. In this scenario, the AI agent is not creating the workflow is supporting and accelerating a workflow that already exists.

That is the difference. When organizations establish clear processes, defined responsibilities, organized information, and measurable outcomes, AI can become a powerful partner. It reduces repetitive tasks, improves consistency, and helps teams focus on higher-value work.

But without a defined workflow, automation often magnifies inefficiencies rather than solving them. The goal is not simply to add AI. The goal is to create a workflow that AI can successfully support.

The truth is that organizations should not rush to embrace AI agents simply because they are the latest trend. The temptation is to focus on building a team of AI agents, adopting the newest platforms, and pursuing the promise of automation without first ensuring the organization is truly prepared for it.

Again, I want to be clear: I am not against AI agents. In fact, I embrace them. However, their greatest value is realized when organizations have established the readiness, workflows, and processes necessary to support them effectively.

In the end, AI readiness is not just about adopting new technology it is about creating the clarity, structure, and alignment necessary to use that technology wisely and effectively.

Dr. Sanja Rickette Stinson, D. Min., M.Ed. AI-Certified Strategist | HumanCentered AI Consultant Helping nonprofits, small businesses, and faith-based organizations prepare for responsible AI adoption.

Therefore, the organizations that achieve the greatest success with AI will not necessarily be those with the most advanced technology.

They will be the ones that have invested the time to build a strong foundation of readiness, workflow, and organizational clarity first.

AI agents are powerful. I believe they will continue to transform how we work, communicate, and serve our communities.

But before we ask AI to automate our work, we must first understand the work itself.

Consequently, the foundation is not technology; it is workflow preparedness, which, in my opinion, is one of the first and most critical steps organizations should take before implementing AI agents.

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026 17

FOOD & WINE HONEY GARLIC CHICKEN Fall is in the air and I’m gathering healthy, easy crockpot recipes to keep the preparation smooth, easy, and healthy.

MARE EVANS - STAFF WRITER This week, this slow cooker honey garlic chicken thighs is a favorite of mine and will be one of yours too. So, let’s get busy.

This tasty slow cooker honey garlic chicken is exactly what you want at the center of your plate surrounded by great-tasting veggies. Let’s begin with the ingredients.

Ingredients Chicken. I opted to make this a juicy and flavorful boneless, skinless chicken thighs slow cooker recipe, but you certainly can make this a honey garlic chicken breast slow cooker recipe. Either will be tasty!

Honey and Garlic. This is a seriously underappreciated ingredient combination. The honey gives the sauce its signature sweetness and stickiness, without the need for any additional sugar.

Soy Sauce. The salty ying to balance the honey’s sweet yang.

Tomato Paste. Wait, don’t go. I know that tomato paste sounds odd in a takeout-type recipe, but it gives the sauce richness and a touch of acidity. Don’t skip it.

Chili Paste. (Also known as sambal oelek.) You can find it in the Asian or international food aisle of most major grocery stores (and even Target). If you don’t have it, swap red pepper flakes. This dish isn’t spicy, but you can always add more if you like a good kick.

Rice Vinegar. To make the sauce punchy and addictive.

The Directions Add your chicken to the slow cooker. In a mixing bowl, whisk your sauce ingredients together, and pour over the chicken. Cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is done. The chicken will bathe the yummy sauce!

Remove the chicken to a plate to cool. Whisk the cornstarch directly into the slow cooker and cook until your sauce thickens.

Shred the chicken, and return it to the slow cooker. Stir and coat your chicken in the sauce. Serve as desired (I like to serve it over rice topped with green onions and sesame seeds), and ENJOY! As noted above, after the chicken has cooked, I add cornstarch directly to the slow cooker to thicken the sauce further because we like our sauce nice and thick.

Choosing Between Breasts and Thighs, Bone-In or Bone-Out You have options. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are what I used in this recipe. Dark meat is more forgiving, so it won’t dry out as easily. If you like, you can certainly make this a slow cooker chicken breast recipe instead. Be sure to check the chicken early to ensure it doesn’t overcook.

To make slow cooker chicken thighs bone in, I suggest removing the skin first so that the sauce doesn’t become greasy. You will also need to extend the cook time. I’d estimate 4 to 6 hours on low, depending upon the size of your chicken. The same is true of slow cooker bone-in chicken breasts.

18 AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

Complete the Meal with Veggies Make this recipe more filling by adding a side dish, or turn it into slow cooker honey garlic chicken and veggies.

Veggies. Simply sauté or steam broccoli or mixed vegetables while the sauce finishes thickening in the slow cooker. I used a frozen stir-fry blend that I sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and a few shakes of soy sauce. Steam-in-the-bag microwavable frozen veggies are an easy option too.

Try your honey garlic chicken over the top of Sautéed Cabbage for a low-carb meal.

Rice. Pile the veggies over cooked brown rice Instant Pot Brown Rice is an easy way to make rice) with lots of the juicy chicken. Spoon the tasty honey garlic sauce generously over the top. Or, you could serve this honey garlic chicken with Cauliflower Fried Rice.

Salad. Tasty Asian-inspired, crowd-pleasing Ramen Salad, Asian Cabbage Salad, or Asian Cucumber Salad would be delicious. Bon Appetite!

FASHION

Fashion Spotlight Chicago Designer Kendall Reynolds C.L. BLACKBURN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

From a college apartment at the University of Southern California to the international luxury stage, Chicago native Kendall Reynolds has carved out a distinct space in high fashion. Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Reynolds originally launched her brand, Kendall Miles Designs (KMD), as a passionate side project while completing her degree in International Relations.

Balancing her coursework, she taught herself the intricate art of footwear design, an impressive feat that ultimately inspired her to pursue the craft fulltime.

To hone her vision, Reynolds sought formal training at the world-renowned accessories design institution Ars Sutoria in Milan, Italy, followed by two years in New York City building a vital fashion industry network.

Since 2015, Reynolds has remained fiercely committed to offering high-quality, uncompromising luxury footwear. While her designs are conceptualized in her Los Angeles headquarters, production is proudly rooted in Florence, Italy, where master artisans source and manufacture each collection. As a Blackowned, woman-led luxury house, KMD views boundaries not as limits, but as barriers to be broken. A central founding pillar of the brand is simple yet powerful: Black women deserve luxury. The brand embraces an ethos of excellence, celebrating the desire to look your best, demand the best, and settle for nothing less.

From a college apartment at the University of Southern California to the international luxury stage, Chicago native Kendall Reynolds has carved out a distinct space in high fashion.

Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Reynolds originally launched her brand, Kendall Miles Designs (KMD), as a passionate side project while completing her degree in International Relations. Balancing her coursework, she taught herself the intricate art of footwear design, an impressive feat that ultimately inspired her to pursue the craft full-time.

As a Black-owned, woman-led luxury house, KMD views boundaries not as limits, but as barriers to be broken. A central founding pillar of the brand is simple yet powerful: Black women deserve luxury. The brand embraces an ethos of excellence, celebrating the desire to look your best, demand the best, and settle for nothing less.

To hone her vision, Reynolds sought formal training at the world-renowned accessories design institution Ars Sutoria in Milan, Italy, followed by two years in New York City building a vital fashion industry network.

Since 2015, Reynolds has remained fiercely committed to offering high-quality, uncompromising luxury footwear. While her designs are conceptualized in her Los Angeles headquarters, production is proudly rooted in Florence, Italy, where master artisans source and manufacture each collection.

AUG 27, 2026 - SEP 09, 2026

19