Public Invited to Experience Evening of ArTS MuSiC AnD SOCiAlizinG

The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) welcome new and returning free music performances, visual art exhibitions, film programming, and more this summer throughout the Chicago Cultural Center (78 E Washington St). Opening its doors after business hours, the new three-part Open House Series (June 15, Sept 29, Dec 9) invites guests to experience exciting art activations by DCASE’s artists in residence, DJs, shopping, socializing and more throughout the historic building. Additional Chicago Cultural Center highlights— DCASE Presents: Chicago Underground Showcase featuring a free evening of underground talent playing the newly renovated Claudia Cassidy Theater, June 2. The Chicago House Music Conference returns to the Chicago Cultural Center, June 23, with panel discussions relating to the culture, art, and business of House Music. The powerful “Surviving the Long Wars: Reckon and Reimagine” exhibition extends through July 2 in the Exhibit Hall. New this June, the “Exquisite Canvas: Mural Takeover by Cecilia Beaven, Miguel Del Real, and Anna Murphy” exhibition opens in the Michigan Avenue Galleries.

Celebrate Chicago Dance Month by visiting the resident artists in our Dance Residency Open Studio Series featuring the works of artists such as Tango 21 and Christopher Knowlton. See Chicago Dance adds to the offerings with open studios on Fridays. The Chicago Film Office partners with Cinema/Chicago to present Summer Screenings, the annual free film series that casts a spotlight on a different country’s national cinema in the Claudia Cassidy Theater. Completed in 1897 as Chicago’s first central library, the Chicago Cultural Center serves as a cultural hub for Chicagoans and visitors year-round with free arts programming, breathtaking architecture, and tours. Enclosed are details for the summer programming and events. Visit ChicagoCulturalCenter.org and follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for the latest events and updates.

Photo Credit: ajay_sureshChicago Cultural Center, CC BY 2.0, https://commons. wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=110893150

Missouri Democratic Rep. Cori Bush has introduced a bill calling for $14 trillion in reparations for Black Americans to compensate them for the reverberating effects of slavery.

“The United States has a moral and legal obligation to provide reparations for the enslavement of Africans and its lasting harm on the lives of millions of Black people,” Bush said on Wednesday (May 17) during a press confer- ence, per NPR. “America must provide reparations if we desire a prosperous future for all.”

During the press conference, Bush highlighted the long-lasting impact slavery has had on Black Americans as seen with the racial wealth gap, voter suppression, infant mortality rates, and more.

“It’s unjust and it wouldn’t happen in a just and fair and equitable society,” she said. “Those are not the natural consequences of human society.”

“They are directly caused by our federal government’s role in the enslavement and exploitation of Africans and Black people throughout our history,” the Democratic lawmaker added.

The conversation around reparations has picked up steam in the past couple of years, with dozens of cities and states considering their own reparation programs. However, over 90 percent of Republicans say they oppose reparations, while Democrats are split nearly evenly on the issue, according to NPR.