SAKIRA JACKSON
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E-NOTES
BreakingUpisHardtoDo
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Icanhearthewordsandmelodyinmymind, eventhoughIcan’trememberthegroupthat sangthesong,“breaking-upissohardtodo”Is it?Ifyouputitincontext,‘Oneofthehardest decisionsweevermakeinlifeisleavingalongterm relationship/married or not. You have committedandyetitjustisn’tworking.Even afteryou’vedonealltheworktocorrectwhat isn’tworkingandwhy.Itremainshardtoleave. Youhearthereasons;yourecognizetheissues, and still,you’re unable to repairorwork out thoseaffairsthataren’tworking.Thematters thatmakethedifferencebetween,“isyouoris youain’tmybaby?”So,thereyoustandatthe crossroadsinthefluxYouknowthatitmaybe time to examine moving on and all that it means.Butwhathappenedto‘loveconquers all?’Isthatjust‘talk‘orwhat?
The real question is what are the two of you willing to do, sacrifice and fight for? In my relationship,fromwhereIstood,IfeltthatIwas giving or sacrificing all of the emotional contextual effort while my mate felt that such was too demanding and took away from his ability to focus on his art which was his first commitment because it was an extension of himselfThequestionoflovewasneverindoubt We had expressed our mutual love for one anotherinsomanywaysovertheyears.
The hard truthwas thatwe had grown in our viewpoint of shared experiences differently, each feeling unique to our personal views as theyimpactedusandourfutureasindividuals. Wenotonlyfeltdifferentlyabouttheimpactof thoseexperiences,butwehadchanged.Bothof us were left feeling unappreciated for our different personal surrender It was the aftermath where we found ourselves on two different sides of the equation when we had oncestoodsidebysideasone...noafterglow.
We are emotional beings, and when our heartstrings are tied to those of another, separatingfromthatpersoncanfeellikeanactof self-inflictedsuicide.Butisit?Perhapsit’sanactof couragetobeself-expressedwhereasyoumay feeloppressed,forcedtosuppressyourunique expression within the relationship in orderfor yourpartnertobeallthattheycanbe.Itisnot somethingmostofuswilltakelightly,andmany of uswill not even recognize the glaringglitch. We struggle with our desire to remain in a relationship that is unfulfilling simply to avoid emotional pain as well as the mental pain of failure.Howcouldwehavebeensowrongwhen itfeltsorightfortwodecades?
If we can’t make it, is it an illusion or is it delusional to imagine that such a thing even exists?Wemaygothereandquestionwhether or not we might be better off simply settling whereweare;acceptingthesituationbecausewe dolikeeachother Yeah,sowechoosetomake the best of what we have even though it’s not working.
Irecallthemake-upmoment--wehadtakena trip that united our closest married friends... three couples plus us What a good time we had.ButwhenmymanaskedofmewhatIwas notreadytogivewhichwasmyunabandoned intimacy,Icouldn’t.Iheardhim,“Youhaveto forgiveme,youhavetoforgiveme,youhaveto forgiveme.”AndIknewthathewasright.Inmy heart, I had forgiven him but in my mind, I couldn’tforget...Therewasthat.Memoryhad sealedmyheart
Ontheonehand,weembracethefairytaleof princecharmingandtheprincess;butwealso holdontothepossibilitythatit’sallafarce.We almostsavortheideathattruehappinessisnot out there so that we can avoid the pain of change. On the other hand, we feel within ourselves a yearning to fulfill our desire for relationshipsthatarevitalandhealing.Wenote that they are natural and part of the human story.Byandby,mostofuswillfollowthiscall, becausedeepwithinourselvesweknowthatthe deepyearningtobehappyisinnermostwhat we believe we deserve Happiness is in our inheritanceifwe,infact,livelifeopenlywitha sanemind,nomatterwherewefindourselves in this moment, and we are all justified in movingtowardthelight Withourheadslifted inthedirectiontowardsthesun,weareledto reach forourgreatest fulfillment To get there maymeanwalkingawayfromonerelationship and moving toward the future From that stance, when you ’ re open and ready, your future will reveal itself because you have releasedallthatappearedtobeholdingyouin purgatory
Takingthatfirststepwillbehard;itmayfeellike an asthma attackasyou search deeplyforthat graspofair.Butbreathedeeplyandtakeinthe happiness that is yours to have, once we have freedourselvesfromasituationthathasdrained our energy Inner peace will outshine any hardshipweundergotogetthereTakethatdeep breathwhilekeepingyoureyeswideopenand focusedonthehorizon.Now,rightthere,inthat moment is when we begin the work of disentanglingourselvesfromtheentanglement ofwhatwas once arelationship that no longer wrapsaroundussnug,warm,andcomfortable.
Everystepaftertakesusclosertoarelationship that will work because we are now in a relationshipwithourselvesfirstThatnuancewill aid and abate us from the neediness of being with somebody, anybody to feel good about ourselves. You are not looking for a mate to makeyouwhole, but someonewithwhom to share life Whenyou are in arelationshipwith yourself,youareopentothefreedomweneed tofindthehappinesswedeserve.
MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER
SheridanGormanwas nineteenyears old. She was afreshmanat LoyolaUniversity Chicago. She was killed, andwithin hoursherdeathbecamepartofanationaldebateoverimmigrationenforcement. The grief is real and it demands respect At the same time, her death has quickly entered a policyconversation that extends farbeyond the detailsofthecaseitself
By Tuesday, elected officials and national commentators were already citing the suspect’s immigration status in calls for stricter enforcement. In that shift, the facts of the case began to share space with a broader argument about crime and immigration one that has been studied extensively and, in many cases, contradictstheassumptionsdrivingit
“There’s this kind of response to treat immigrants as the scapegoats for problems in American society There’s always these kind of moral panics about immigration. On the one hand, it’s laughable and silly and ridiculous On theotherhand,it’sverydangerous.”
Charis Kubrin, criminologist, University of California,Irvine
A growing body of research has examined the relationship between immigration status and crime A2020peer-reviewedstudypublishedin the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciencesfoundthatundocumentedimmigrants had substantially lower felony arrest rates than bothlegalimmigrantsandUS-borncitizens
A2025analysisfromtheCatoInstitutefoundthat US citizensages18to54hadanincarcerationrate of approximately 1.2 percent, compared to 0.6 percent for undocumented immigrants in the sameagerange.Historicaldatashowsimmigrants have had lower incarceration rates than nativebornAmericansineverycensussince1870.
These findings do not change the reality of Gorman’s death They do, however, shape the broader policy debate that has followed it Research across institutions including the BrennanCenterforJustice,theNationalBureauof Economic Research, and the National Institute of Justice hasnotfoundevidencethathigherlevels of immigration are associated with increased crimerates
“When politicians amplifyfears in the population, and then claim they are the only ones capable of providing protection and security from whatever threatcreatesthefear,thepoliticianbenefits”
Graham Ousey, criminologist, College of William&Mary
In Chicago, the impact of that debate is not abstract. Immigrant communities including Black immigrants, long-term residents, and families with mixed immigration status are navigatingaperiodofheighteneduncertainty
Legal aid organizations and communitygroups have reported increased concern about enforcementactions,aswellasconfusiontiedto delaysinfederalimmigrationprocessing
Those delays have been compounded by the ongoing Department of Homeland Security funding lapse, which has disrupted certain administrative functions and contributed to longerwait times for immigration-related cases andappointments
At the same time, coverage of Gorman’s death has increasingly focused on immigration status as a central detail. Criminologists have long warnedthattheuseofindividualcasestoframe broaderpolicyargumentscandistorthowriskis understood, particularlywhen those arguments arenotalignedwithavailabledata
Gorman’s death is a tragedy The policy debate surrounding it is ongoing. Both are now unfolding at the same time, in the same public conversation, with consequences that extend beyondasinglecase
TheClassroomWithoutaTeacher:WhatChicago’sNewAISchoolIsReally Selling
AlphaSchoolpromises torevolutionize educationbyreplacinginstructorswithalgorithms. Inacity thathas spentdecades dismantlingpublicschools,thequestionisn’twhetheritworks it’swhoitworksfor.
The pitch is clean and the optics are futureforward: children in bean bag chairs, laptops open, learning at their own pace while artificial intelligence handles the curriculum. No teacher mispronouncingyournameonthefirstday No underpaid sub showing a movie because the district ran out of resources Just you, a screen, and the algorithm that has supposedly figured outhowyouthink.
Alpha School, a private institution with campuses expanding nationally, is coming to Chicago in fall 2026. The model has drawn praise from the Trump administration, includingEducationSecretaryLindaMcMahon, who recently highlighted the school’s AIsupported approach Students spend about two hours a day on AI-driven core instruction, with therestoftheschooldayfocusedonwhatAlpha calls “life skills” workshops. At the Chicago campus, tuition is listed at $55,000 a year, placing it among the most expensive private schoolsinthecity
Charles Logan, an education researcher at Northwestern’s Center for Responsible Technology, Policy and Public Dialogue, told Block Club Chicago: “The research on personalized learning is mixed at best, and I think the Alpha Schools’ approach to adaptive tutoring is like an open experiment not supported bycritical research”A2026 Stanford review of more than 800 academic papers found that while AI can help improve student performance, the benefits are less clear when students are later asked to work without AI support.
“It’s sort of strange to be comparing Alpha’s students to students from awidevarietyofvery challenging circumstances, rather than comparing their students to other students in eliteprivateschools”
RobReich,StanfordUniversity BlockClub Chicago
It would be easy to dismiss Alpha School as a boutiqueexperimentforaffluentfamilies.Butin Chicago, nothing about education is ever just about the school. In 2013, the city closed 50 public schools in what was widely described as the largest mass school closure in American history The impact fell overwhelmingly on Blackandlow-incomecommunities:University of Chicago Consortium research found that 88 percent of the students affected were African American, and later analysis found that 96 percent of students in the closed schools qualified for free or reduced-price lunch. Ten years later, more than half of those school buildingsremainedunused.
Alpha School’s Chicago campus is in Lakeshore East, in the Loop Its marketing materials emphasize student autonomyand personalized learning What they don’t address is what happenswhenachildwhoisbehindgradelevel, who has an IEP, who experienced the educational disruption that poverty produces, sits down across from apiece of software and is expected to perform Alpha’s model replaces certified teachers with adult “guides” not required to hold education degrees The Pennsylvania Department of Education, reviewinganaffiliatedcharterschoolapplication fromthesamefounders,describedthemodelas “untested.” Alpha’s performance claims rest on internal analyses that have not been independentlyverified.
MALACHI
WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER
“DOGE already happened in Chicago Our publicschoolsystemwasravagedbythetypesof policies being implemented at the federal level right now: closing schools, privatizing schools, pushingoutworkersthathavebeenanchoredin theworkforalongtime”
Stacy
Davis Gates, President, Chicago
TeachersUnion
TheTrump administration moved to eliminate the Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and, according to Education Week, terminated more than 400 federal grants aimed at advancing STEM educationinK-12schoolsanduniversities Atthe same time, Melania Trump invited an Alpha School student to the 2026 State of the Union Chicago has seen this storybefore dressed in different language, arriving with different branding, and often landing hardest on the families with the fewest options Alpha School may or may not be a good school for the childrenwho attend it But it is arrivingin acity that did not create the conditions that make it appealing, and the people most responsible for those conditions are not the ones paying $55,000ayearintuition.
CITYNEWS
70Degreesto40inaMatterofHours.Chicago’sInfrastructureWillNotSurviveThisForever Aseverestormsystemismovingin.Thecity’sstormwaterandpowerinfrastructure aging,underfunded,andinequitably distributed—tellsyouallyouneedtoknowaboutwhoabsorbsthecostofabadThursday.
Wednesday is a warm day in Chicago By Thursday morning, the temperature will have dropped thirty degrees and the National Weather Service will be tracking severe thunderstorms moving through the metroarea ThisisclimatechangeintheMidwest not theslowcreepofarisingoceanbuttheviolentswingofa destabilized atmosphere that can go from spring to Januaryinanafternoon
The meteorology is interesting The infrastructure questionismoreimportant.Approximatelyaquarterof Chicago’s water and sewer mains are more than a century old When a major storm event hits, the overflow doesn’t distribute itself evenly Research from the Center for Neighborhood Technology found that just thirteen Chicago zip codes accounted for nearly three-quarters of all flood damage insurance claims paid in the city between 2007 and 2016. In those thirteenzipcodes,93percentofresidentsarepeopleof color Morethan200000childrenlivethere Morethan
The Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stormwater Infrastructure Project found that Latino and African American communities bear the greatest vulnerability to floodingevents in Chicago The city’s Department ofWater Managementoverseesmorethan4,500milesofsewerlines but does not maintain maps showing the age orcapacityof those pipes Officials relyprimarilyon 311 flood complaints todecidewhichsewerstoreplace
Chicago is second in the country for the number of properties at risk of flooding, according to First Street Foundation. The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District completed flood prevention plans specificallyforthe South and West Sides two years ago and has refused to release thempublicly
“Watergoesintothesystemandit’salltryingtogettothe samepointatthesametime andthatcausesittobackup
A thirty-degree temperature drop with severethunderstormsisaweatherevent.But for families in a basement apartment in Greater Grand Crossing or Gage Park where repeatedviaduct flooding traps entire blocksanddisruptsemergencyresponse it issomethingelse
It is the full weight of decades of deferred investment arriving in a single Thursday afternoon. Broken sewer systems contribute mold,moisturedamage,andinsuranceclaim gaps that leave many without recourse after the water recedes The storms will keep coming The swingswill keepwidening The question the weather forecast does not answer is who has been left standing in the h thetemperaturedrops
HOTTOPICS
WhoControlsAI?TheFightOverChipsIsNowaFightOverPower
Artificial intelligence is often framed as a software race, with companies competing over chatbots, image generatorsandincreasinglysophisticatedtools But the more consequential battle is happeningdeeper inthesupplychain
It is unfolding through semiconductors commonly known as chips the small but essential components powering not only artificial intelligence, but also smartphones, vehicles, medical devices and the digital infrastructurethatunderpinsmodernlife. Thatoverlapiswherethepressurebegins
According to Reuters, the rapid growth of artificial intelligence is driving a surge in demand for chips that theglobalsupplychainisstrugglingtomeet Thesame high-performancechipsusedtotrainAImodelsarealso required by consumer electronics manufacturers, automakers and telecommunications companies, creating competition across industries for limited supply
That strain is no longer theoretical On March 18, Samsung said the semiconductor industry is entering what it described as an “unprecedented supercycle,” fueled largely by demand tied to artificial intelligence and the rapid expansion of data centers. A day later, Reutersreportedthatthecompanyplanstoinvestmore than$73billionin2026tostrengthenitspositioninthe AIchipmarket,asignalthattheindustryispreparingfor sustained,long-termdemand
ButthosechipsarenotbeingproducedforAIalone Theyare also embedded in the devices consumers use every day, from smartphones to laptops to connected vehicles. As manufacturers shift production toward AIrelated components, supply for other products can tighten, placing upward pressure on prices and availability
That is where the story shifts from innovation to economics and increasingly, to power On Jan 14, former President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on certain advanced AI chips, according to Reuters, as partofabroaderpushtoreduceUS relianceonforeign semiconductor manufacturing The United States currently produces roughly 10% of the chips it consumes, a gap officials have framed as both an economicvulnerabilityandanationalsecurityconcern
Thosetariffsarenarrowlytargeted,buttheimplications arebroader
Whenthecostofimportingchipsrises,companiesthat rely on global supply chains often pass those costs downstream, affecting everything from consumer electronics to industrial production In a market where chips are embedded in nearly every modern product, therippleeffectsrarelystaycontained
At the same time, access to chips is becoming a tool of geopoliticalleverage
OnMarch5,ReutersreportedthatUS officialswere considering new rules governing AI chip exports, including proposals that could require foreign governmentsorcompaniestoinvestinU.S.artificial intelligence infrastructure or provide security guarantees in order to secure access to advanced chips The move reflects a growing shift in how semiconductors are being treated not just as commercialgoods,butasstrategicassets. Lessthantwoweekslater,theglobaldynamicshifted again.
On March 18, Reuters reported that Chinese authorities approved Nvidia’s H200 chip sales in China,allowingoneoftheworld’smostinfluentialAI chipmakers to resume access to a key market after months of uncertainty The approval underscored the fluid nature of the US-China technology relationship, where competition, restriction and cooperationoftenexistatthesametime
Takentogether,thesedevelopmentspointtoalarger reality Artificial intelligence may dominate headlines, but the real contest is centered on infrastructure whocanmanufacturechipsatscale, who controls supply chains and who sets the rules forglobalaccess
For consumers, that reality may feel distant But its impactisalreadyshowingupinthecostofeveryday technology, the speed at which new devices reach the market and the broader question of which countries and companies are positioned to lead the next era of innovation Because the future of artificialintelligenceisnotjustbeingwrittenincode It is being built, controlled and increasingly contestedthroughthechipsthatpowerit Sowho'szoomingwho?
MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER
LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR
NATIONALNEWS
YourBodyHasAlreadyBeenFiled.WhatBiometricSurveillanceMeansforCommunities theStateWasNeverProtecting
ThereisaWiredexcerptcirculatingthisweekfrom a new book by law professor Andrew Guthrie Ferguson,anditscentralargumentisthis:thebody you carry into the world its face, its gait, its biometric signature is increasingly treated as a searchable document, raising questions about whether the Fourth Amendment is equipped to protectit
The piece is written as a revelation For Black Americans who have watched facial recognition softwaremisidentifytheirfacesincasesthathaveled to wrongful arrests, who lived through COINTELPRO’s surveillance architecture, who have navigated a carceral system that has long treatedBlackbodiesasevidence therevelationis thepartthatrequiresthemostcarefulinterrogation
The technology has advanced rapidly Facial recognitionisnowdeployedinairports,retailstores, stadiums, and police precincts Fitness trackers and smartwatches generate continuous biometric data streams:heartrate,sleeppatterns,locationhistories, movement signatures That data sits in corporate serversgovernedbytermsofservicethatfewpeople read Law enforcement access to it has created a parallel surveillance infrastructure, often obtained through subpoenas, data purchases, or legal gray areas that do not always require a traditional warrant
CNW STAFF REPORT
In Chicago, this is not abstract The Chicago Police Department’s Strategic Subject List a predictive algorithm that ranked residents by their estimated likelihoodofbeinginvolvedinashooting tracked more than 300,000 Chicago residents at its peak AfricanAmericansaccountedformorethanhalfof allindividualsonthelist.Accordingtodatareviewed by Chicago Magazine, 56 percent of Black men aged 20 to 29 living in Chicago had an SSL score. Forwhitemeninthesameagerange,thefigurewas 6 percent Of the individuals with the highest risk scores,85percentwereAfricanAmericanmen.The algorithm did not include race as an inputvariable It did not need to. The city’s policing patterns and arresthistoryencodedraceintotheoutputanyway
“These databases which captured data on more than 300,000 individuals, disproportionately people of color have finally been decommissioned-.Giventheyearsofpubliccriticismanda studyshowing them ineffective, CPD never should haveusedthematall.”
KarenSheley,DirectorofPolicePractices,ACLU ofIllinois
The SSLwas retired underpublic pressure, but the underlying appetite for surveillance infrastructure has not changed Biometric surveillance has only expandednationwide
Gait analysis software is being developed foruse in public spaces. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has accessed driver’s license photo databasesinwaysthathaveraisedlegalandconsent concerns in multiple states State and local fusion centers are pooling commercial data with law enforcement records in ways that rarely generate headlinesuntilsomeoneiswronglyarrested Ferguson’s book arrives in a moment when the federalgovernment’sdatacollectionambitionshave expanded,whentransandimmigrantcommunities areacutelyawarethatthedatatheirdevicesholdcan be subpoenaed, shared, or leaked and when the gap between who is protected by privacy law and who is surveilled through it has rarely been more consequential Know thyself, the old adage goes Rightnow,thestateknowsyoufirst
DeltaPulledCongress’sPerks.TheShutdownAlreadyPulledEveryoneElse’s
Thegovernmenthasbeenpartiallyshutdownsincemid-February.Anewscyclefinallynoticedwhenanairlinecutservices tomembersofCongress.Thattellsyoueverythingaboutwhoseinconveniencecounts.
SomewhereinWashington,asenatorhadtowaitin a regular line at an airport. And the country finally paidattentiontotheshutdown
Delta Air Lines announced Tuesday that it is suspending special services for members of Congress, including airport escorts and certain VIP rebooking assistance a pointed response to the partial government shutdown that is now nearing 40 days The shutdown began February 14, when fundingfortheDepartmentofHomelandSecurity lapsed, leaving the Transportation Security Administration operating on emergency footing Forthecountry’slegislators,theconsequencewasan inconvenient Tuesday at O’Hare or Dulles For everyone else, it has been something considerably moreseriousandconsiderablylesscovered
“ATransportationSecurityOfficersellingplasmato keepthelightsonisunconscionable”
EverettKelley,President,AmericanFederationof GovernmentEmployees
This is the third shutdown to hit DHS workers in less than six months Roughly 50,000 airport security officers are working without pay, while more than 61,000 TSA employees are classified as essential overall meaning they are legally required to report toworkwhether or not theyare beingpaid
Absenteeism has climbed sharply On some recent days,calloutrateshavehoveredaroundorabove10 percent nationwide, with thousands of officers missingshiftsasfinancialstraindeepens Atleast458 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown began, accordingtoDHS
Union representatives and agency officials say the impact has been immediate and personal: workers taking on second and third jobs, applying for food assistance, sleeping in their cars, facing eviction notices, and in some cases sellingplasmatocoverbasicexpenses
O’Hare International Airport is the busiest in theUnitedStatesbyaircraftoperations Itisalso a major employment hub for Chicagoans particularly Black and immigrant workers in food service, ground operations, cleaning, and security. A sustained DHS disruption does not stay at the terminal Chicago’s immigrant communities are now navigating a bureaucratic instability that historically lands hardest on the people with the least institutionalaccesstonavigateit.
“Most employees live paycheck to paycheck Thisisunsustainable”
Johnny Jones, Secretary-Treasurer, AFGE TSACouncil100
This is not the first time TSA workers have absorbedthecostofcongressionaldysfunction. Many had barely recovered financially from the last shutdown when the DHS lapse began again in February The machinery of the country’saviationsystemisbeingheldtogether by people the government has decided it can asktoworkforfree
Delta’s move generated a news cycle The workers who showed up without a paycheck didnot Nobodywillpulltheirperksforthat
MALACHI WEBSTER - STAFF WRITER
COVERSTORY
DR.SAKIRAJACKSON DR.SAKIRAJACKSON DR.SAKIRAJACKSON
BYLAURAMILLER - MANAGING EDITOR
The life she chose The life she chose The life she chose
Afterwalking awayfrom everything she built, Dr. Sakira Jackson is helping leaders alignwho theyarewith whattheycreate andownboth.
There is a moment Dr. Sakira Jackson can recall downtothedetails,includingtheday ItwasApril11, 1998, and she was driving when a question arose with a force she could not ignore “Whose life is this?” she remembers asking out loud “It’s not mine,” she heard herself clearly say to her higher self
What made the moment significant was not that herlifelookedempty Bythen,shehadamarriage, children,businesses,andresponsibilities,thekindof life that reads as full, from the outside looking in But what she understood in that instant is somethingmanyhigh-performingpeoplecometo realize much later, if ever Success and alignment arenotthesamething.Alifecanlookcompleteand still feel disconnected by the person living it That gapwouldeventuallybecomethefoundationofher work
“Whoselifeisthis?…It’snotmine.” IfyoumeetJacksonnow,whatstandsoutfirstisnot force, but ease Her presence feels composed, intentional, and fully her own. Her photos are vibrant, her style expressive, and she wears a smile that does not read as performance, but as comfort. There is nothing loud about her authority It is steady It shows up in the way she listens, in the clarityofherlanguage,andinhowshespeaksabout hard-earned lessons without needing to dramatize them.Yousenseeverythingaboutherisintentional without being performative It’s genuine and authentic. What reads as ease today is not the absenceofstruggle Itistheresultofsomeonewho has done the work to become grounded within herself.
“I’malittlegirlfromtheprojects” Jackson says that without hesitation. ShegrewupinSpringfield,Illinois,in the John Hay Homes, one of several childrenraisedinahouseholdshaped by both limitation and expectation Afterhermotherleftherfatherwhen Jackson was 12, the structure of the home shifted, but the standards did not She and her siblings were raised with discipline, responsibility, and a clear understanding that they were expectedtothinkforthemselves
Her mother’s approach to learning was direct and unwavering. If Jackson asked whatawordmeant,shewastold to look it up If she still didn’t understand,shewasexpectedto continue the pursuit until she achieved her end goal. That expectation molded more than her academic habits It shaped how she moved through the world She learned early that answers were not something you waited for They were somethingyoupursued.
Evenasachild,thereweresignsthatshewasnotentirely comfortableacceptingthingsastheyweregiventoher At fiveyearsold,sheaskedhermotherifshecouldchange hername Theanswerwasno,buttheinstinctbehindthe question mattered It reflected a belief that identity was not fixed, that it could be questioned, examined, and, whennecessary,redefined
“IjustknewthattheexistenceIwaslivingwasnotmylife,” shesays Thatawarenessdidnotcomewithaplan,butit did come with direction. By 13, she had already found her way into a job, determined to create options for herself When her mother told her that college was not financiallypossible, Jackson made a decision thatwould definehowsheapproachedobstaclesmovingforward “I forgedhernameonthepaperwork,”shesays.Itwasnot anactofrebellion Itwasadeclarationofrefusal
Around that same time, a psychology class introducedhertoawayofthinkingthatfeltbothnew andfamiliar,hencetwothingscanbetrueatthesame time Anassignmentmeanttobethreepagesbecame twenty-seven “Iknewatthatmomentthattherewas somethingaboutthatfield,”shesays,“thatconnected with me The instinct was there long before the credentials.”
“Ithoughtthat’swhatlovewas”
Jackson married young, and the violence, she says, began almost immediately By the second or third dayof the relationship, he had alreadyhit her What followed was a 22-year abusive marriage, though at thetimeshedidnotyethavetheclarityordistinction tofullynameitthatway.Whatshewasexperiencing didnotfeelforeign Itfeltfamiliar
“I thought that’s what love was, ” she says again, this time with the clarity of distance Even within that reality, she continued to build She raised children, created businesses, and moved through life with a level of productivity that concealed what was happeningbeneaththesurfaceofwhoshewasbeing. But functioning is not alignment A person can be effectiveandremaindisconnectedfromthemselves
Theshiftcameinamomentthatshestillremembers clearly “And something inside of me said, no, ” she recalls
Not longafter, that claritysharpened into something undeniable On April 11, 1998, while driving, the questionreturned,thistimewithananswerattached. “Whoselifeisthis?It’snotmine”
“WhatIdidknowisthatIwasnolongergoingtohave thelifethatIhad”
Thateventfulofrealizationcamewithundeniable clarity Yet the moment of leaving did not come with a detailed plan It came with a decision Jackson says she gave up everything the car, the furniture, the life they had built not because those things didn’t matter, but because peace matteredmore Shewaswillingtofigureoutwhat came next if it meant she no longer had to live insidewhatshehadalreadyoutgrown
COVERSTORY
Whatfollowedwasnotimmediatereinvention,butreconstruction.After thedivorce,shespenttwoyearsintherapy,twiceaweek “Ihadtolearn howto love me, ”she says. Before therewas aframework, therewas ‘the work’
Intheyearsthatfollowed,shealsofoundloveagain “Iactuallymethim onlineonBlackPeopleMeet,”shesays,recallinghowtheymetinperson onJuly23andmarriedonthatsamedatethefollowingyear.“We’vebeen married ever since” She speaks about that relationship with a kind of groundedcertainty.“MyhusbandisthispersonthatI…IknowGodknew whathewasdoing,”shesays
It is in the smaller details that she describes him most clearly. At one point, she mentions that he built her a greenhouse while he was in a wheelchair “No, he’s wonderful,” she says, almost brushing past it The imagelingers aquietactofcare,constructedpiecebypiece,inalifeshe oncethoughtmightneverholdthatkindofsteadinessagain “Iranmyselfintotheground”Longbeforehercurrentworktookshape, Jacksonhadalreadybuiltmultiplebusinesses,navigatinggrowththrough experienceratherthaninstruction.Oneventureexpandedintoaprivate label manufacturing company with 10,000 square feet and 50 employees. She secured major contracts, created large-scale activations, andbuiltmomentuminspaceswhereshewasoftenthefirst
From the outside, it looked like success. Internally, it came at a cost. “I didn’tknowwhatIdidn’tknow,”shesays
Sheknewhowtobuild Whatshehadnotyetlearnedwashowtobuildin a way that sustained her Some opportunities worked Others did not She speaks openly about losses, including the financial impact of producing a large-scale Super Bowl event that did not return what she expected.
“Iranmyselfintotheground,”shesaysagain,nowasinstruction. What Jackson came to understand is that success, when it is built from survival rather tha alignment,willeventuallyasktobereexamined “Whattheydon’ttalkaboutisthesoul.”
Herwork as a consultant exposed a pattern that extended far beyond her own experience Business owners came to her for strategy, systems, and solutions. And while those things mattered,theyrarelyaddressedthedeeperissue
“What they don’t talk about is the soul,” she says. The issue wasn’t information. It was alignment Many of the leaders she works with have already built something successful, butwhatthey’vebuiltoftenreflectsaversionofthemselvesthey’veoutgrown.
“What creates friction isn’t a lack of knowledge,” she explains “It’s a lack of alignment betweenidentity,decisions,anddirection”
Instead of leadingwith strategyalone, Jackson focuses on recalibration. Because once the internal shift happens, everything else begins to move differently Decisions become clearer.Leadershipbecomesmoregrounded.Growthbecomesmoreintentional. “Theinternalshiftdrivestheexternalresults,”shesaystheprecisionofanexacto Knife
Shedescribesherworkassittingattheintersectionofbusiness,behavior,andbelief Itisnot just about what a company does It is about how the person behind it thinks, what they believe,andwhetherthelifetheyarebuildingactuallybelongstothem. “Myjobistobringclarity”
Jacksonisalsoclearthatherworkisnotsimplyabouthelpingpeoplegrowbusinesses Now approachingthe10-yearanniversaryofherIntentionalCEOMastermind,shehasrefined a model that asks deeper questions about structure, sustainability, and legacy. Through initiatives like Solomon’s Council, her invite-only advisory circle, she works with leaders whoarenotjustlookingtoscale,buttobuildinwaysthatreflectwhotheyarenow.
For Jackson, business is never just business It is an extension of belief, behavior, identity, andstewardship “Ineedthepsychologyofbusiness Ineedthebiblicalbusinessprinciples that God already set down so I can help people bring those tools into their business practice,”shesays.
In her view, the Bible is not separate from business. It is structure. It is instruction. It is stewardship Itisaframeworkforhowtolead,howtobuild,andhowtosustainwhatyou create Andatthecenterofitallisownership notrestrictedtoacompany,butthecenter ofalife.
Herbackstorygivesweight to that belief She is not speakingfrom theory, but from alife that required herto rebuild more than once She knowswhat it means to perform from strengthwhile carrying private pain. She knowswhat it costs to buildwithout alignment. And she knows what becomes possible once a person tells the truth about their life and choosestolivedifferently.
Foryears,thequestionfollowedherasshecontinuedtobuildalifethasshecouldcallhers Whoselifeisthis?
Now,theanswerisnolongercomplicated.Shelivesherlife. Andthistime,itfits.
STAYREADYPLAYBOOKTEASER:ImaniMaatukaIsThinkingBeyondtheCornerOffice
Before 30, Imani Maatuka, Esq., stepped off the traditionalpartner track at amajor law firm to help lead her family’sBlack-ownedfirm.Here’swhylegacy,ownershipandaccessmatter.
LAURA MILLER - MANAGING EDITOR
Before 30, Imani Maatuka, Esq., made a decision thatrunsagainstthewaysuccessincorporatelawis usually defined She stepped away from the traditionalpartnertrackatamajorlawfirmandinto a leadership role at her family’s firm, Maatuka AlHeetiEmkesLLC(MAELaw),whereshenowserves as managingpartnerof the Dallas office MAE Law also has an Illinois office, a detail that makes the conversation feel less distant than it otherwise might
The movewas not driven bya lackof opportunity Ifanything,itwastheopposite “Nothingcouldhave gotten me to leave that place except for the opportunity to litigate alongside my mother,” Maatukasaid.
That decision says a lot about where she is in her career and what mattered more Before joining MAE Law, Maatuka had already built experience inside one of the largest law firm environments in the country, with a clear path forward. But the choice in front of her was less about what she was leavingandmoreaboutwhatshewassteppinginto: a familyfirm built overdecades,with longstanding clients,institutionalknowledgeandareputationthat hastobemaintainedinrealtime.
It also camewith a timeline. “It’s nowornever, ”she said, describing the moment it became clear that steppinginwasnotsomethingtoputoff.
That expectation was not abstract After watching howquicklystabilitycanshiftwhenafirmisforced into transition, Maatuka said her mother made the planclearearly.“Afterthatexperience,shemadeall ofuspromisethatwewouldgotolawschoolsothat she could one day pass the firm on to the next generation,”shesaid
It was not just talk inside the family. Her brother is already practicing law, and her younger brother is onthesamepath
Somewhere in the background of that decision is a conversationmanybusinessownersavoiduntilthey are forced to have it Succession planning is often treatedassomethingthatcanwait Maatukaframed itmoredirectly “Successionplanningisyouhaving the foresight to understand thatyouwill not always be here but you want the firm to have that continuity,”shesaid
It is not just about ownership It is about whether a business can continue to function when leadership changes. Maatuka pointed to what happens when thatplanningismissing “I’veseenfirmsclosedown because the sole partner passed away ... clients left scrambling, staff losing their jobs, and years of institutional knowledge vanishing overnight,” she said.
That reality is part of what makes her perspective resonate beyond law The same risk exists across industries, particularlyfor smaller or family-owned businesseswheresomuchoftheoperationistiedto one person or a small group of people For minority-owned firms, the impact can be even more pronounced “When a minority-owned firm isclosingunexpectedly,itcanleaveavoidthattakes yearstofill,”shesaid
Still,whatstandsoutmostaboutMaatukaisnotjust thatshesteppedintoleadershipearly.Itisthatsheis thinking beyond her own position In addition to her work at the firm, she is the co-founder of the BridgingtheGapScholarshipProgram,aninitiative designedtosupportminoritylawstudentsentering corporate law. It is a direct response to a pipeline problem that continues to shape who has access to theprofessionandwhodoesnot.
Access, continuity and ownership show up in both parts of her work. It is not just about building a career It is about understanding what it takes to sustain somethingandwho gets the opportunityto bepartofitmovingforward.
ThefullStayReadyPlaybooknewsletterwillgo deeper into Maatuka’s perspective on succession planning, leadership and the practical considerations business owners should not ignore If you are not already subscribed,thisisoneworthsigningupfor
Don’tmissout!Join theStayReady PlaybookNow!
Closing the Gap: Why Black Homeownership Still Lags—and WhatItWillTaketoChangeIt
MayorBrandonJohnson
Black homeownership in America has never fully recovered. In 1968, when the Fair Housing Act was signed into law, the Black homeownership rate stoodatroughly41percent Morethanfivedecades later,ithasbarelyshifted.Today,ithoversaround44 percent, compared to nearly 74 percent for white households,accordingtoU.S.Censusdata.Thegap is persistent, and by most measures, deeply structural
InChicago,thedisparityisevenmorepronounced Black homeownership in the city sits closer to the mid-30percentrange,whilewhitehomeownership exceeds 70 percent, a divide shaped by decades of redlining, disinvestment, and uneven access to credit that continues to reverberate across neighborhoods.
Ashley Thomas III has spent decades working within that reality As National President of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, his focusisdirect:expandingaccesstohomeownership and closing a gap that has proven resistant to both timeandpolicy
“I’mahousingadvocate,”Thomassaid “Ourmission is simple but urgent: building Blackwealth through homeownership,”Heexpressedwhenhestoppedby CNWOfficesinChicago.
The urgency is not abstract. For most American families, a home is the single largest asset they will ever own It represents stability, leverage, and the ability to pass something tangible from one generation to the next Without it, wealth building becomessignificantlymoredifficult.
“Thismattersbecausehomeownershipisstilloneof the primary ways people in this country build wealth,” Thomas said “If you ’ re not in the game, you ’realreadybehind”
.
That reality shows up clearly in the numbers The median white household holds significantly more wealththanthemedianBlackhousehold,adisparity driven in large part by differences in home equity While figures vary by dataset, the gap consistently reflects a compounding disadvantage: those who ownhomesbuildequityovertime,whilethosewho donotareleftwithoutthatfoundationalasset
For Thomas, the issue is not just access, but awareness “There’s a knowledge gap that we have to close alongside the wealth gap, ” he said “If people don’t understandtheprocess,ortheyassumeit’soutofreach, theywon’teventry.”
That gap begins early. Research from the National AssociationofRealtorshasshownthatBlackAmericans arelesslikelytoreceiveearlyfinancialguidancearound homeownership,whichcandelayentryintothemarket or prevent it altogether By the time many prospective buyers begin to consider purchasing a home, they are already navigating a system that feels both unfamiliar andinaccessible.
At the same time, the market itself has grown more difficult to enter. Home prices have risen sharply in recent years, while higher interest rates have made borrowing more expensive For first-time buyers, especiallythosewithoutfamilywealthtodrawfrom,the barriertoentryhasonlyincreased “Peoplestillwantto own homes,” Thomas said. “That hasn’t changed. What’schangedishowattainableitfeels”
That sense of distance is shaped by more than just marketconditions Structuralbarrierscontinuetoplaya significant role. Access to credit remains uneven. Appraisal gaps where homes in predominantly Black neighborhoods are valued lower than comparable homes elsewhere can limit both purchasing power and long-term equity growth And for many families, the absence of generational wealth means there is no financial cushion to rely on for down payments or closingcosts.
“Affordability is a major issue,” Thomas said “But it’s layered It’s credit, it’s valuation, it’s the fact that many families don’t have that generational support” Each of those factors reinforces the next, creating a cycle that is difficulttobreakwithoutintervention
Thatiswherepolicyenterstheconversation.Programs tied to the Federal Housing Administration, including efforts to modernize lending standards, are often positionedastoolstoexpandaccess ButThomasisclear thatpolicyaloneisnotenough ithastoevolveinstep withthemarket.
“Policy shapes access, ” he said “If the policies don’t evolve, then access doesn’t expand. We can’t keep usingsystemsthatwerebuiltforadifferenthousing marketandexpectthemtosolvetoday’sproblems” For younger buyers, particularly millennials navigatinghighcostsandeconomicuncertainty,the path forward requires both preparation and persistence
“Start with understanding your credit. Understand your finances,” Thomas said “And don’t count yourself out before you even try” There are programs designed to support first-time buyers, including down payment assistance and FHAbacked loans. But as Thomas emphasized, those tools only work if people are aware of them and willingtoengagewiththeprocess.
“Homeownership is still possible,” he said “But it requires intention” That word intention comes up repeatedly in conversations about closing the wealth gap. It reflects both individual action and systemicresponsibility Becausewhileeducationand preparation matter, they exist within a broader frameworkthatcontinuestoshapeoutcomes Thomasdoesnotframethegapasinevitable Buthe isclearaboutwhatitwilltaketocloseit “Wecan’tacceptthisgapaspermanent,”hesaid “It’s not.Butit’snotgoingtofixitselfeither.”
ForcitieslikeChicago,wherehousingdisparitiesare visible block by block, the stakes are not theoretical They are embedded in who owns, who rents, and who has the ability to stay rooted in their communityovertime
KeeanaBarber
KeeanaBarber
CNW
WOMENONTHEMOVE
AsWomen’sHistoryMonthcomestoaclose,wearereflectingonthespiritofpossibility.PharrellWilliamsonceasked,“Don’tyou knowthatwe’reable?”andthatsentimentfeelsespeciallyfittingaswespotlightthisfinalgroupofremarkableChicagowomen In puttingthisseriestogether,onethingbecameclear:thisisonlythesurface.Thecityisfullofdynamic,brilliantwomenbuilding, leading,creating,andpushingforwardeverysingleday.Intellingtheirstories,wefoundmorethaninspiration.Wefoundhopefor whatisstilltocome Thesewomenareonthemove,andChicagoisbetterbecauseofit
Ivana Miles is an entrepreneur, educator and speaker with more than 30 years of experience in cosmetology, business ownership and educational leadership She is the founder and CEO of Ivana Miles LLC and Ivana Miles Beauty Academy, a multicultural, healing-centered cosmetology school that equips students with technical skills, business training and leadership development to thrive in the beauty industry
A graduate of Cornell University’s Bank of America Institute for Women’s Entrepreneurship and the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women in Business program, Miles has successfully owned five salons and served as a field education leader overseeing 126 salons and 1,400 stylists across the Midwest
Her academy has reached more than 5,000 young people through cosmetology programs in Chicago Public Schools and surrounding districts, helping bridge education with real-world career pathways.
An active member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc., Zeta Pi Chapter, Miles is dedicated to service, mentorship and building generational wealth through education At the center of her work is a commitment to helping youth and women build confidence, leadership and lasting opportunity. Through Ivana Miles Beauty Academy, she is shaping the next generation of beauty professionals and business leaders with an approach grounded in skill, purpose and legacy.
Ariel DeNey Rainey Ivana Miles
Ariel DeNey Rainey is the CEO and founder of Hustle Mommies, a social service agency rooted in policy, advocacy and social work that is transforming how mothers are empowered to lead within their families, businesses and communities. She is also a creative strategist focused on brands, innovation and community building, with collaborations that include Nike, Amazon, Walmart and hip-hop icon MC Lyte.
Guided by her lived experience and a vision for systemic change, Ariel has created groundbreaking initiatives under the Hustle Mommies brand, such as Paint The Hood Orange, a violence prevention and healing movement, and Pitch Like a Mom, a pitch competition that invests in Black mom-owned businesses These efforts reflect her commitment to addressing community needs through innovative programs that blend advocacy with direct impact
In addition to her community-based initiatives, Ariel has expanded Hustle Mommies’ reach through programs like #EducateUS, which champions equitable education for urban and rural Black families, and Mom Means Business, a platform designed to cultivate entrepreneurship and financial independence among mothers Her signature healing program, Mom Who Grew From Concrete, highlights the resilience of mothers overcoming trauma and adversity while creating pathways to wellness and stability. Through these programs, Ariel has positioned Hustle Mommies as more than an organization; it is a movement that builds bridges between mothers and the resources they need to thrive
Recognized for her leadership and global vision, Ariel was named a 2025–2026 Obama Foundation USA Leader, an honor that underscores her influence in shaping policies and solutions that uplift women and families worldwide Through Hustle Mommies, Ariel continues to inspire a national and international network of mothers, advocates and changemakers dedicated to ensuring that moms are not only seen and heard but also equipped with the tools to lead change in every sphere of life
Deida K. Massey
Deida K Massey is a beauty industry entrepreneur, nonprofit leader and community advocate whose work blends creativity with purpose A South Side Chicago native, she is the founder and CEO of Reel Beauty Inc , a 501(c)(3) organization that has served girls in Chicago and Chicago Public Schools for more than 20 years, with international programming in Mwanza, Tanzania
Massey began her career after leaving her role with the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office to pursue makeup artistry in Los Angeles She went on to build an extensive career in television and film, working on projects including Divergent, Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq, Transformers 3, Netflix’s Beats, Widows, NBC’s Chicago Fire, FOX’s The Big Leap, Disney’s Saturdays and The Emperor of Ocean Park Her work spans more than two decades in the entertainment industry, including serving as a key makeup artist across major productions
As a serial entrepreneur, Massey also founded Bixa Beauty Inc , a vegan-friendly luxury brand that celebrates cultural identity while supporting educational and entrepreneurial opportunities for young women. Through Reel Beauty, she has led large-scale initiatives providing mentorship, education and hygiene resources to girls and families across Chicago and beyond. She is the author of Face Values: The Foundation of Beauty and co-owner of Last Looks Chicago and Social STEAM Global At the core of her work is a commitment to service, empowerment and creating pathways for the next generation to lead and thrive
Karen Ford
KarenFord,anativeofChicago’ssouthsuburbs,hasbuiltanimpressivecareerrootedinleadership, resilience,andpurpose Herleadershipjourneybeganearlyasahighschoolclasspresidentandvarsity tenniscaptain ShelatergraduatedSummaCumLaudefromHamptonUniversitywithadegreein financeandaminorinleadershipstudies,whereherHBCUexperiencehelpedshapeherpassionfor excellenceandadvocacy
KarenbeganherprofessionalcareerasafinancialanalystatIBMinNewYorkbeforeansweringher truecallingintheautomotiveindustry returningtoafamilylegacyfoundedbyherparents, MalloryandNateSutton.ShewentontobuildherexpertiseatToyotaMotorSalesinCalifornia, excellinginmanagementrolesbeforeearningherMBAfromEmoryUniversity’sGoizuetaBusiness School
Today,KarenservesasDealerPrincipalofSuttonFordinMatteson,Illinois,wheresheandhersister, Karmala,arebreakingbarriersastwoofonlythreeBlackfemale-ownedForddealershipsamong morethan3,100nationwide.Passionateaboutleadership,legacy,andcommunityimpact,Karenis redefiningsuccessinanindustryhistoricallydominatedbymenwhileraisinghertwosonswithher husband,MarioFord
Andstill,thisisonlythebeginning.Foreverywomanfeaturedhere,therearecountlessothersmaking animpactinboardrooms,neighborhoods,classrooms,businesses,nonprofits,andbeyond Thatmay bethemostpowerfultakeawayofall Thetalentishere Thevisionishere Themomentumishere As Women’sHistoryMonthends,ourappreciationdoesnot Weleavethisseriesencouraged,inspired, andremindedthatthefutureisalreadytakingshapethroughthewomenboldenoughtobuildit Thesewomenareonthemove,andwecannotwaittoseewhatcomesnext.
ARTS&CULTURE
Breakfast at The Auditorium with Alicia Graf Mack
BYKAIEL’ZABAR
Asthequestsofthemediagatheredwithafewotherspecialguestsat theChicagoAuditoriumtomeettheveryspecialguest.KenyaMerritt, DCASE Commissioner served as the interviewer. As she stood after beingintroducedthetallslenderAliciaGrafMackstandingnearly6ft tallwholefttheAlvinAileyAmericanDancetheatrein2015beganher story She sat gracefully with perfect posture as she spoke, “I have always been in love with dance and often share that I arrived here dancinginthewomb”Sheaddedthathermotherco-signedthatThe youngdancerwas named the newArtistic Directorof theAlvinAiley American Dance Theater on July 1, 2025 She oversees the main company, Ailey II, The Ailey School, and educational/community programs
Since then, she has spent time planning and making ready the repertoireofworktobepresentedthroughoutthecountryin2026. The former star dancer with the company, spoke of her mentor, Judith Jameson who immediately approached Alicia and imparted wisdom pointing to her height explaining it as an asset and to utilize thelengthofherlinesasthepowerthattheyare Aliciaspokefondlyof her experience while a member of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater but held her professional experience after her departure as importantandinvaluableinitscontributiontoheroverallabilitytoall thatshewantstodoinhercurrentposition Sheisthefourthpersonto lead the institution in its 66-year history, succeeding Robert Battle Graf Mack previously served as the director of the dance division at The Juilliard School Just one of the leadership roles she’s held previously.
Whatwewere leftwith from ourshared momentwith heris asense of rebirth for the dance institution and renewed enthusiasm She brings a youthful exuberance that has been absent, not to take away fromtheconsistant powerofdancethatthecompanyhascontinued tobringsinceMr Ailey’spassing Butthesenseofabreathoffreshair emanates and permeates from Ms Graf Mack is undeniable and exciting I am waiting with bated breath for the upcoming performancesattheAuditoriuminApril
World renowned ambassadors of Dance and Culture, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to its Chicago home – The Auditorium, Chicago’s Landmark stage at 50 E Ida B Wells Drive –withfourdynamicperformancesdebutingsixnewworks,April24-26, 2026 Marking its 57th Chicago engagement at The Auditorium, the companywillperformtwodistinctprograms,eachfeaturingChicago premieres and a finale of the must-see Alvin Ailey masterpiece Revelations Tickets start at $46 and are now available at auditoriumtheatreorg,bycalling3123412300,orattheBoxOfficeat 50EIdaBWellsDriveinChicago
MILA K. MARSHALL, PHD. - STAFF WRITER
OnthefarSouthSideofChicago,wheresteelonce definedbothskylineandlivelihood,anewfutureis taking shape At the former South Works site, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) promises transformative jobs, investment, and a place in the global race for next-generation technology
AtthecenterofthatpromiseiskeytenantIBM The company plans to bring its Quantum System Two computertothecampusandpartnerwiththestate to build a National Quantum Algorithm Center The headlines have been optimistic, even celebratory Illinois has committed roughly $700 million to support the project, helping fund remediation, infrastructure, and the institutions meanttoanchorthisnewinnovationhub.
But beneath that optimism sits a harder, largely unasked question: what guarantees exist that the water sustaining this community, its most basic sourceoflife,identity,andsecurity,willbeprotected withthesameurgencyasthetechnologybeingbuilt aboveit?
Tounderstandwhythatquestionmatters,youhave to travel about 700 miles east to the Village of Endicott Endicott isn’t where IBM’s story as waterpolluting juggernauts begins, but it is the most recent legacy of contamination and ongoing litigation.
Fordecades,thecompanyusedchemicalsolvents like trichloroethylene (TCE) in its manufacturing processes to clean and produce electronic components. Over time, those chemicals seeped into the soil and groundwater The contamination didn’t stay contained It spread beneath homes, schools, and neighborhoods, creating long-term environmental and public healthconcerns
Today, that history is not just environmental it is legal. IBM is still facing lawsuits tied to contamination in Endicott and nearby communities, including claims connected to pollutedmunicipalwatersupplies.Residentshave alleged that exposure to these chemicals has affected their health and quality of life, while cleanup efforts and monitoring continue under regulatory oversight The litigation is ongoing, a reminder that the impacts of industrial decisions canstretchacrossgenerations
Back in Chicago, the land chosen for the quantum campus carries its own environmental past. Heavy metals were identified in soil studies decades ago Developers have entered the state’s remediation program and received approval to move forward. On paper, the site is being preparedforsaferedevelopment
But paper assurances are not the same as lived experience Because this is where the two stories meet. A company with a documented history of solvent-related contamination and active environmental litigation is now a central partner in a publicly funded project, located in a community that has already borne disproportionateenvironmentalburdens Andyet, the public conversation has remained narrowly focused on jobs, on displacement, on economic opportunity.
Those issues matter. But they are not the whole story What has not been publicly examined are the specifics: What environmental covenants govern IBM’s operations at IQMP and how do theyexplicitlyprotect the sourcewaterthat feeds Lake Michigan and the region’s drinking water systems?
What discharge monitoring requirements are in place, how frequently will they be enforced, and how will they account for cumulative impacts to waterways that ultimately connect back to our drinkingwatersupply?
Who has real-time access to that data and will it betransparentandaccessibletothecommunities whosewater,health,andhomesareontheline
If contamination occurs or treatment standards tighten, who pays for the increased cost of cleaningthewater: the company, the state, orthe ratepayers already struggling with rising water bills?
What financial safeguards are in place to prevent future cleanup costs from being passed on to residentsthroughhigherwaterratesortaxes?
How will regulators ensure that the burden of maintaining safe drinking water does not fall disproportionately on Black and Brown communities already facing higher water affordabilitychallenges?
And ultimately: what guarantees exist that protecting Lake Michigan as a drinking water source is treated not as an afterthought but as essential infrastructure, equal in priority to the technologybeingbuiltonitsshores?
In Endicott, those questions came after contamination. In Chicago, there is still time to ask them beforehand And Chicago already knows what it looks like when communities do askloudly,persistently,andtogether
On the Southeast Side, residents and environmental advocates recently forced a different outcome along Lake Michigan After years of organizing, legal pressure, and public testimony, a proposal by the US Army Corps of Engineers to expand a toxic dredged waste landfillalongthelakefrontwasstopped.
In its place, the city has committed to transforming that same site once filled with decades of contaminated sediment into longpromisedpublicparkland.
That victory did not happen by accident. It happened because residents understood something fundamental: protecting the lake is not just about land use it is about drinkingwater, publichealth,andwhobearsthecostwhenthings gowrong
Because Lake Michigan is not an abstract resource. It is the source of drinking water for millions It is infrastructure It is identity And when it is threatened, the consequences do not stay contained; they show up in water bills, in household budgets, in long-term health outcomes.
Community organizers have begun raising concerns, even attemptingto bringthe project to areferendum Butthefocushaslargelyremained on economic and social impacts, not the environmental track record of the company at thecenterofitall
And that absence is striking Because the story unfolding on the South Side is not just about innovation. It is about memory. It is about whether we connect the dots between past and present or treat each new project as if it exists in isolation Remember, Chicago sells Lake Michigan water to over 120 cities, and more will bevyingforgallonsastheirgroundwaterdriesup.
Chicago has an opportunity to lead not just in quantum computing, but in what responsible developmentlookslikeincommunitiesthathave alreadygivensomuch Thatleadershipstartswith transparency, with scrutiny, and with the willingness to ask uncomfortable but necessary questions.
Questionslikethis:
If a company ’ s past includes groundwater contamination, Superfund obligations, and ongoing lawsuits tied to public water systems, what guarantees exist right now that history will notrepeatitselfhere?
BecausethefuturebeingbuiltatIQMPisreal Butsoisthepast.
BeforeYou GetAttached:Ask Better Questions This Time
Spring brings new beginnings and second chances in dating, but many relationships fail for reasons that were visible earlyon.Therightquestionscanhelpyouspotalignmentbeforeit’stoolate
LAURAMILLER - MANAGING EDITOR
Every spring, it happens like clockwork The apps get downloaded again Profiles get a quiet refresh People who swore they were done with dating sometime around November find themselves back outside, a little more open than they planned to be There is something about longer days and warmer air that makes connection feel possible again Notjustcasual,butreal
And if we are honest, a lot of people are not just looking They are hoping Hoping this time feels different Hoping thisonesticks Hopingtheyarenotwastingtheirtime Buthope,onitsown,isnotastrategy
According to the American Psychological Association, a significant percentage of marriages in the United States end in divorce The exact number is often debated, but the underlying truth is not Many relationships fail for reasons thatwerevisibleearlyon,butneverclearlydiscussed.
Divorce attorney James J. Sexton has spent years watching relationships fall apart in real time In interviews, he has said most relationships do not collapse because of one dramatic moment They unravel slowly, through a series of smaller decisions, overlooked tensions and conversations that never quitehappened.Thatpartmatters.
Because what often gets missed in the early stages is not chemistry.Itisclarity.
I also spent an embarrassing amount of time watching Blue TherapyonNetflix,andonethingthatstoodouttomeagain and again was how often the conflict was not rooted in one huge betrayal, but in basic things that had never really been discussed in the first place In many cases, the couples seemedtobewrestlingwithproblemsthathadgrowninthe silence, the assumptions and the skipped conversations Watchingit,Ikeptthinkingthesamething:alotofthismight have surfaced much earlier if the right questions had been askedatthebeginning
Peoplecanlikeeachotherandstillbein completely different seasons of life
The right questions get softened, delayed or skipped altogether in favor of keeping things light and enjoyable Nobody wants to be the person who makes things feel too serioustoosoon.Soinstead,peoplegowiththeflow.Theylet thingsbuild Theyassume
And those unasked questions do not disappear They settle intothefoundationoftherelationship Later,theyshowupas confusion, misalignment or resentment. What could have been handled in one conversation becomes a pattern over time. Those smaller, unsettled things, the ones that felt insignificant in the beginning, are often the very issues that growintosomethingmuchhardertoignore Ithinkaboutthatinthecontextofmyownmarriage
Shortly after my husband and I eloped, a friend offered to buy us a cake to celebrate. When she asked what kind we wanted, I said caramel cake without hesitation My husband pausedandsaid,“Actually,Idon’tlikecaramelcake” Itcaughtmeoffguard
A couple of years earlier, I had made one from scratch, and heateitwithoutcomplaint Inmymind,thatmeantheliked it. But standing there in that moment, I realized I had made an assumption based on something I had never actually confirmed He had been gracious I had been certain And somewhereinbetween,thetruthhadgoneunspoken
Now,inthegrandschemeofamarriage,thatisasmallthing Wearetalkingaboutcake Butitstayedwithme
Because if you can be that sure about something that small without ever asking, imagine how easy it is to do the same withbiggerthings.Communication.Expectations.Emotional needs Whatcommitmentactuallylookslike That is usually how it starts. Not with deception, but with assumption
Andifpeoplearebeinghonest,alotofearlydatingisbuilton thatexactdynamic Thingsfeelgood,sowefillintheblanks Wetellourselvesastoryaboutwhothispersonis,whatthey meant and where this is going. Instead of slowing down to ask,wemoveforwardlikewealreadyhavetheanswers That is how people end up deeply invested in something theyneverfullyunderstood
So if you are starting fresh this spring, the goal is not to interrogatesomeoneorturnafirstdateintoaninterview.Itis tostaycuriouslongenoughtoactuallyunderstandwhoyou are dealing with Because attraction is easy Alignment is wherethingseitherbuildorbreak Whatdoesarelationship looklikeforyourightnow?
This question matters because people often use the same words to describe very different intentions Someone may say they want a relationship, but that does not necessarily mean they want the same kind of relationship you do For one person, it may mean consistency, emotional availability and a genuine desire to build For another, it may mean something that feels good but does not require much structure
Asking this early moves the conversation beyond vague language and into something more honest You are not lookingforaperfectanswer Youarelookingforclarityabout whattheywantandwhattheycanrealisticallyoffer. Howdoyouhandleconflictwhenitshowsup? Everybodyispleasantwhenthingsareeasy Conflictiswhere peoplerevealhowtheyactuallyoperate
ResearchfromrelationshipexpertJohnGottmanshowsthat communication patterns during conflict are one of the strongest indicators of long-term relationship success So when you ask this question, you are listening for accountability Do they shut down? Do they escalate? Can they reflect on how they behave when something goes wrong,ordotheyplacetheblameeverywhereelse? Whatareyoustillhealingfrom?
Everybodyiscarryingsomething
Thequestioniswhethertheyareawareofit Thisislessabout gettingeverydetailandmoreaboutlisteningforownership Someone who can acknowledge what they are still working throughisoftenfarmorepreparedforahealthyrelationship thansomeonewhoinsiststheyhavenobaggageatall Whatdoesconsistencylookliketoyou?Consistencysounds simple,butitisinterpreteddifferentlybyeveryone
Forsome,itmeansregularcommunication,intentionalplans andasteadypresence Forothers,itmeanssomethingfarless structured A lot of frustration in dating comes from people assumingtheysharethesamedefinitionwhentheydonot This question brings expectations into the open before disappointmenthasachancetobuild.Whatareyoubuilding rightnow?Thisquestionisaboutdirection
One person may be building something that requires most of their time and energy, while the other is looking for a relationship that requires more availability and consistency That disconnect matters more than people like to admit What does emotional safetymeantoyou?Emotionalsafetyis one of those phrases that sounds universal until two people realize they defineitverydifferently.
According to Esther Perel, modern relationships are constantly balancing closeness and independence This question helps uncover how someone gives and receives care, and what they need in order to feel secure enough to bevulnerable.
Asking the questions is one thing, but listening to the answers is another Vague answers usually signal a lack of clarity. Overly polished answers can sometimes mean someone is telling you what sounds good instead of what is real Thoughtful, imperfect answers tend to reflect a higher level of selfawareness. But more than anything, payattentiontowhathappensafterthe conversation. Do their actions match what they said? Because that is where therealanswerlives
Springhasawayofmakingeverything feelpossibleagain,andthereisnothing wrongwiththat Butifyouaregoingto try again, try differently. Ask better questions Pay attention to the answers And do not confuse potential with compatibility just because something feels good in the moment The people who avoid asking hard questions early often find themselves answering much harder ones later, when they are already too far in And by then, the stakesarealothigherthancake.
COMMENTARY TheBookofDavid:WhenPolicyBecomesTragedy
DAVID SEATON - COLUMNIST
The tragic killing of 18-year-old Loyola University studentSheridanGormanonChicago’slakefrontis more than just another headline it is a sobering reflection of the consequences of public policy decisions that too often ignore real-world outcomes
According to reports, Gorman was walking with friends in the early morning hours when she was approachedbyanarmedassailantandfatallyshot.
The suspect, Jose Medina-Medina, a Venezuelan national, has since been charged in connection with the crime. (New York Post) This was not a targetedattack,butratheraseeminglyrandomact of violence that has left a family grieving and a communityshaken.
At the center of the controversy is the role of sanctuarypoliciesinIllinoisandthecityofChicago Federal immigration authorities have stated that Medina-Medinahadpreviousencounterswithlaw enforcement and was released despite those interactions. (New York Post) Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has now lodged a detainer request, seeking cooperation from local authorities.
Thisraisesadifficultbutnecessaryquestion:when policies designed to protect certain populations conflictwithpublicsafety,whereshouldthelinebe drawn?
Supporters of sanctuary policies argue that they fostertrustbetweenimmigrantcommunitiesand law enforcement, encouraging individuals to reportcrimeswithoutfearofdeportation
Critics,however,pointtocaseslikethisasevidencethat such policies can create gaps in accountability particularly when individuals with prior arrests are releasedbackintothecommunity
The truth likely lies somewhere in between. Public safety and compassion are not mutually exclusive, but policy must be grounded in reality not ideology When even one preventable tragedy occurs, it demandsseriousreflection,notpoliticaldeflection
For leaders like Governor JB Pritzker and Mayor Brandon Johnson, the challenge is not simply managing optics it is restoring public confidence Citizensexpecttheirelectedofficialstoprioritizesafety while upholding the law When that trust erodes, frustrationgrows,anddivisiondeepens
But this issue extends beyond any one administration orpolitical party It speaks to abroadernational debate about immigration enforcement, local autonomy, and theresponsibilitiesofgovernmentateverylevel
What happened to Sheridan Gorman should never be reducedtoatalkingpoint Shewasayoungwomanwith afuture onethatendedfartoosoon Herstoryshould compel policymakers to re-examine systems that may be failing, and to ensure that safeguards are in place to preventsimilartragedies
Accountabilityis not about assigning blame forpolitical gain It is about acknowledgingwhere systems fall short andhavingthecouragetofixthem.
Becauseattheendoftheday,theroleofgovernmentis not abstract. It is measured in outcomes real lives, real families, and real consequences And when those systemsfail,thecostisfartoohigh
FOOD&WINE
Peach-WhiskeyBarbecueChicken
MARE EVANS - STAFF WRITER
If you ’ re anything like me, you love southern comfort food and there’snonebetterthantherichPeach-WhiskeyBarbecueChicken dishthatgrabsandsticktoyourbones.
I mean you can’t go wrong with two beautifully Southern things: whiskeyandpeaches!Addbarbecuechickentothemix,andyou've gotyourselfamealtoremember
INGREDIENTS:
12wholeChickenThighs,Bone-in,Skin-on
2Tbsp OliveOil
2Tbsp Butter
1wholeYellowOnion,Diced 11/2cupsWhiskey
12oz.fluidBarbecueSauce
1jarPeachPreserves
1/2cupWater
2Tbsp.WorcestershireSauce
4clovesGarlic,Peeled
3wholeGreenOnions,SlicedThin
Reheatovento300degrees.
Heat oil and butter in a heavy pot over medium-high heat Place chicken thighs, four at a time, in the pot, skin side down. Brown both sides, then remove to a plate and repeat until all chicken is browned
Pouroffhalfthegrease,thenreturnpantostove Addonionstopan and stir, cooking for 2 minutes Pour whiskey into the pot, being very careful if you ' re using an open flame. Stir and scrape the bottomofthepan,allowingwhiskeytoreduceforaminuteortwo Pourinbarbecuesauce,peachpreserves,water,andWorcestershire sauce. Throw in garlic cloves. Stir until combined, then return chickentothepot,skinsideup Coverandputpotinoven
Cookfor11/2hours,thenremovefromoven.
Serve pieces of chicken over a big pile of smashed potatoes
Sprinkleslicedgreenonionsoverthetop
Smells like booze! Stir this around and cook it for a couple of minutes,allowingittobubbleandreducejustalittlebit
Next,pourinabottleofyourfavoritebarbecuesauce. And when they’re golden brown and lovely, grab the Jack Daniels(oranotherwhiskey)fromyourbedsidetable
Next,grabsomepeachpreserves.
And *glug-glug-PLOP* Throw in the whole jar Then fill the jar about halfwayfull with water Shake it up to loosen all the leftover bits stuck in the jar Then pour in the water And really, it’s not necessarytoshakethewaterinthejar Justalittletipifyoudon’tlike towaste.
Next,throwinsomeWorcestershire Oh!Andthrowinsomegarlic cloves.Itjust…itjustfeelsright.Nextup:theCHAAAAAANGE! Thenwhiskit all together Give the sauce anotherstir, then put the chickenbackintothepot
Next, grab some peach preserves.And *glug-glug-PLOP*Throwin the wholejar Thenfillthejarabouthalfwayfullwithwater Shakeitupto loosen all the leftoverbits stuckin the jar Then pourin thewater And really,it’snotnecessarytoshakethewaterinthejar.Justalittletipifyou don’tliketowaste
Next, throw in some Worcestershire… Oh! And throw in some garlic cloves Itjust itjustfeelsright Nextup:theCHAAAAAANGE! Then whisk it all together Give the sauce another stir, then put the chickenbackintothepot.
Andpourinthejuicefromtheplatewherethechickenwasresting Not time to eat ityet, though Firstyou have to stickit in the oven fora good hour and a half The chicken will finish cooking, the sauce will becomemagical,andthemeatwilleventuallyfalloffthebone. Andifyoudon’tknow,meatfallingofftheboneisgoodforyourhealth Andyourattitude Andyourreligion Movingon
Cookthe chicken in the oven for1 1/2 to 2 hours, then remove it from theovenandkeepitwarmuntilyouserveit.
Look at this! It a little bite of chicken, sent from Heaven to fall off the boneduringthecookingprocesssothatwhenIliftedthelidoffthepot,I wouldretrieveitwithmyforkandgobbleitdownwithoutapology. Servethechickenwithabigplateofwarm,creamymashedpotatoesand sprinklethewholelovelymesswithslicedgreenonions Butthendothis.Thesauceisjustoutofthisworld.
Sobasically,here’swhathappens:youstickyourforkanywhereremotely close to the chicken and pieces of gorgeous meat just fall all over the place Ity’sso,deliciousandtender Butthenwhenyoutakeabiteofyour smashedpotatoes,yougetsomeofthatwhiskey-and-peach-ladenflavor, too. SimplyDivine.You’lllovethis.
FASHION TheGreatEscape:FrederickAndersonLiftstheVeilon
Spring2026
C L BLACKBURN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Thisweek’sBlackFashionDesignerSpotlightisFrederickAnderson
Brand:FrederickAnderson
When Frederick Anderson stepped onto the runway this season, it wasn’t just a showcase of fabric; it was a masterclass in fashion as a form of liberation. An FIT alum with a pedigree that reads like a Who’s Who of music royalty, Anderson spent decades honing his couture craft underDouglas Hannant dressing icons like Beyoncé andJanetJackson beforelaunchinghiseponymouslabelin2017.
Fresh off the momentum of his 2023 FGI Rising Star Award, Anderson’strajectoryisnolongerjustrising;it’ssoaring.
FromShadowstoSunshine
Inthelead-uptohisSpring2026debut,themoodintheatelierwas admittedlyheavy.Reflectingonaturbulentsocio-politicallandscape, Anderson initially felt the weight of the world However, a creative pivotshiftedhisperspectivefromthesombertothesublime
“This season, I broke into another level and started thinking about lifting us up and finding a joyous experience,” Anderson shared “Withalltheintensityaround,Iwantedustotakeasecondandfinda happyplace notjustindestination,butinourminds” Theresult?A collectionthatservesasapassporttoamentalparadise
TheItinerary:IbizatoSt.Tropez
The collection is a sartorial journey through the world’s most glamorouslocales Anderson’saestheticthisseasoniswherehighart meets wearable luxury, defined bysignature textures and avibrant, "sherbet"palette
Anderson has successfully curated an " escape for everyone " Whether you ' re manifesting a stayin an overwater bungalowin the Maldives orstrollingthroughtheSeychelles,thesepieces aredesignedfortheglobalnomadwhorefuses tosacrificeeleganceforease.
It is a rare feat to capture the zeitgeist while simultaneously offering a way out of it, but Anderson has done just that This isn't just a collection;it’saninvitationtoexhale
