SSW 07.30.26

SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY The South Side Weekly is an independent non-profit newspaper by and for the South Side of Chicago. We provide high-quality, critical arts and public interest coverage, and equip and develop journalists, artists, photographers, and mediamakers of all backgrounds.

Volume 13, Issue 15 Editor-in-Chief

Jill Petty

Deputy Editor

Adam Przybyl

Senior Editors

Martha Bayne Christopher Good Olivia Stovicek Jocelyn MartinezRosales

Editor Emeritus

Jacqueline Serrato

Public Meetings Editor

Scott Pemberton

Art Director & Layout Editor

Mel Dempsey

Assistant Managing Editor

Ellie Gilbert-Bair

Fact Checkers

Ella Beiser Patrick Edwards Jo Harris Sebastiana Smith Susie Xu

Publisher

Jianan Shi

Office Manager

Mary Leonard

Advertising Manager

Susan Malone

The Weekly publishes online weekly and in print every other Thursday. We seek contributions from all over the city.

Send submissions, story ideas, comments, or questions to editor@southsideweekly.com or mail to: South Side Weekly 6100 S. Blackstone Ave. Chicago, IL 60637 For advertising inquiries, please contact: Susan Malone (773) 358-3129 or email: malone@southsideweekly.com For general inquiries, please call: (773) 643-8533

FROM THE ART DIRECTOR IN THIS ISSUE From a young age, designing and creating art provided me with relief and comfort.

A few minutes with just myself and whatever project was in front of me soothed my anxiety and paused my constant worries. My brain still quiets with each pen stroke; the basic practice of creating helps me make sense of the world, process big emotions, and imagine a better future. It has provided refuge for fellow creatives, and for humankind, over eons.

For me, this work is more than a “job” or something to major in at school. If you’ve read the South Side Weekly or the Hyde Park Herald this year you’ve already seen my work. There’s an intention behind each of my designs. I’ve learned to make choices that feel right in both function and form in the modern creative process. These choices aren’t random. They emerge from reality and lived experiences—something A.I. could never emulate—based on informed perceptions and a dreamy curiosity.

Often, I get to articulate how I got to a design—why I went with a certain mood or medium for each individual story. In an information-rich environment like the Weekly’s newsroom, our journalism inspires my design choices.

Designing newspapers is an old job in the art world, dating back to movable typesetters of the 1600s. Yet, the layout software we primarily use today all around the world, Adobe InDesign, is only 27 years old. It feels so foreign and distant to me, how designers just a few generations back did this same work. We share design principles rooted in communication, symbolism, and aesthetics, even though our production processes are drastically different.

A lot has changed in print media. The speed with which we can layout, publish, and disseminate stories directly into your hands would make Johannes Gutenberg gag. But there is a throughline in our work. Something I share with the dudes who moved lead letters and metal spacers around a printing press is passion, and the capacity to listen to others, observe and report truths, and publish stories to be shared across neighborhoods.

The art of making a newspaper feels endangered in the cyber-capitalist-hellscape that is 2026. But we’re still out here making printed publications meticulously, page by page, as one of the tried and true ways to reach people. We place every title in just the right spot, drag in each visual at just the right size, and arrange every paragraph with a Tetris-like precision. We create it together, and I’m so honored to be a part of this newsroom.

In my new role as art director and layout editor for the Weekly, I aim to support and grow people power: more contributing artists creating original pieces for covers and feature stories, more photographers traveling the South and West Sides capturing our lives and events, and more special issues each year that offer timeless experiences of local storytelling. I’m thrilled to create all of that with you, by the South Side, for the South Side, as we say.

Myself, the local illustrators, the photojournalists, the street photographers, the editors—we all collaborate to find the visuals for each story. So many folks get their very first article or editorial artwork published in the Weekly, moments we’re proud to celebrate.

Street art by Brian Herrera Cover photo by James Hoeck 2 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

If you’re interested in being a part of the Weekly’s art department by working on a commission or photo assignment, shoot me a message at mellissa.dempsey@ southsideweekly.com. I’d love to hear from you, dear reader and neighbor.

Let’s create something together!

Hyde Parker & anxious zinester, Mel Dempsey

ask an expert: what are archives for?

Teresa Helena Moreno discusses what we mean by information, how it can appear in archives, and how digitization impacts accessibility.

ellie gilbert-bair...................................3 mourning and resistance Paul Goyette’s poignant snapshots capture the grief and strength present at Chicago vigils honoring those killed

by ICE.

jill petty..................................................4 new haymarket book rewrites the narrative of fred hampton’s murder Former Representative Bobby Rush and former Black Panther Ann Campbell-Kendrick joined author Flint Taylor in a panel at the Seminary Co-op on July 14.

max blaisdell, hyde park herald........6 la casa playroom to host free bebetón daytime party Organizers, vendors, and local families share how the event creates a safe, joyful hub for South Side parents.

amaris edwards.......................................7 remember their names A public art installation honors the lives lost to the US immigration system.

jocelyn martinez-rosales................... 10 recuerden sus nombres Una instalación de arte público honra la memoria de las personas que perdieron la vida a causa del sistema migratorio de Estados Unidos.

jocelyn martinez-rosales................... 11 university of chicago medicine to open freestanding cancer center in april 2027 The 575,000-square-foot facility aims to remedy health disparities impacting patients on the South Side.

max blaisdell, hyde park herald...... 12 the chicago bears gear up for a smashing season Head coach Ben Johnson is back at the helm as the team settles in for their first open practice on July 31.

malachi hayes....................................... 15 the exchange 2.0 Welcome to a new iteration of the Weekly’s collaborative space celebrating the literary arts.

alycia kamil moaton............................ 18

EDUCATION

INTERVIEW BY ELLIE GILBERT-BAIR

Teresa Helena Moreno is an associate professor and librarian at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her scholarship critically interrogates library practices and the role of libraries as cultural institutions. Through applying methodologies and theories found in feminist studies and ethnic studies, her interdisciplinary research critically examines the impact of libraries and information on the knowledge and intellectual traditions of the global majority. She has also developed information literacy pedagogies that ask educators and learners to critically engage information.

L

ast issue, the Weekly spoke with associate professor Kellee E. Warren to break down what presidential libraries are, why they matter, and how the Obama Presidential Center is distinct. This issue, Teresa Helena Moreno illuminates what information is, how it can show up in different types of archives and libraries, and how accessibility to information has been changing in the digital age.

world of libraries, can be really static. We typically think of our public library, but by the time you’re doing really intensive research—whether you’re a student, a university professor, a journalist, what have you—you start needing more kinds of information.

We sometimes don’t realize that there are many different types of libraries, and that those libraries all have different functions. [For example, public libraries offer public programming and services, while special collections contain niche research materials.] By the time you get to university libraries, or somewhere like the Obama Center, you might ask yourself, is that a library or a museum? That’s where the idea of an “archive” falls into the landscape.

Archives are like mini libraries inside of big research institutions. At the University of Illinois Chicago, we have the Richard J. Daley Collection, for instance, [which preserves materials documenting the political career and personal life of the 39th mayor of Chicago]. Archives are, in some ways, also like museums. We don’t just have “paper,” we have artifacts, photographs, and different kinds of ephemera.

Presidential libraries bring this style of library to the general public. We get context for who a U.S. president was and what was important to them, and the ability to do our own research. In a public library, there is stuff we can absolutely research, but we might not have access to cool [historical documents], or access to [a way of ] understanding information that isn’t just about books.

Ellie Gilbert-Bair: What are the differences between a library, an archive, and a museum?

What is significant about the complete digitization of the Obama Presidential Library, and the creation of a museum at the Center?

Teresa Helena Moreno: The idea of a library, for people who aren’t in the

We are entering an era where archives are full of things that are “born digital.”

That’s what we call it when the first time something is an “information object” [an identifiable unit of data], it’s digital.

The Obama Presidential Library also did work to digitize things. When we think about digital things, we think about them being easier to access, or that more people will have access to them.

That’s because, typically, you have to go to a physical archive in order to look at the information [it holds], or even to look at the things that are available for people to research.

However, as somebody who spends a lot of time in archives, there is something very cool about seeing and touching physical things. I think [the Obama Foundation] really thought about this physical component when they created the Center, but it doesn’t always get translated as “information” to the general public. For example, researchers would look at the art that’s selected to go inside the building—that’s all information, that's all researchable.

What is interesting to me is how they separate out what they’re thinking of as archival information, and how they’re looking at artifacts like clothing [which is on display at the museum]. As an art librarian, what is going on in Michelle Obama’s fashions is incredibly historically important. There’s so much information you can get from clothing, from what kinds of articles were available, from who made the clothing—it can tell us so much about the Obamas and the time period itself.

So I wonder, what is [the Foundation’s] perspective? Maybe they’re thinking about what people are interested in.

Over the next few years, the National Archives and Records Administration plans to close three of its facilities, including its Chicago center. Do you think there’s going to be a larger shift to digital archiving?

Yes and no. Digitizing things in archives is also about people power, and how many resources you have. Digitization allows different kinds of researchers to come in and have access, if you have WiFi and access to a portal. But we already see disparities in whose information gets digitized for easy access, and whose doesn’t. And that’s often a question of who’s got money.

If you’re the Obama Foundation or if you were a president, you’re probably going to have the resources for digitization.

There are other communities that exist in archives that will sit in archives without being digitized because they’ll consistently be deprioritized.

I want holistic information, and access points are super important. If having information digitized in a certain way means I can teach it to my students, and I can do the work to temper some of the scariness of doing something brand new like visiting an archive and talking to an archivist, it helps encourage people to go into a physical archive. There’s a part of me that’s always going to encourage that. There’s a little magic in seeing the stuff in real life. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Ellie Gilbert-Bair is the Weekly’s assistant managing editor.

Do you have a topic you would like to ask an expert about?

Email us at elliegilbertbair@ southsideweekly.com JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 3

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Mourning and Resistance

Paul Goyette’s poignant photos capture the grief and strength present at Chicago vigils honoring those killed by ICE.

BY JILL PETTY

“I

CE is back, ICE never left.”

Many Chicagoans know both statements are true. And many South Side Weekly readers have not felt safe or at peace in their neighborhoods since last September, when federal agents were deployed to the city and quickly began to target people based on race and ethnicity.

Some South Siders were essentially forced underground last fall, making costly choices to limit or halt work, skip church services and other social gatherings, and miss medical appointments to avoid harassment, abduction, trauma, detention, and physical assault. People stayed inside to stay alive.

ICE arrests in Chicago dipped in the winter and early spring, but they have dramatically risen this summer.

Nationally, the New York Times estimated that federal immigration officials detained more than 10,000 people in the last five days of June. According to the Chicago Tribune, ICE agents made 16,213 arrests during the first 11 days of July across the country, for a daily average of more than 1,400. The daily average was more than 1,300 in June, the highest number in Donald Trump’s second term.

Locally, the Resurrection Project, a Pilsen-based nonprofit, reported that legal advocates received 170 referrals for immigration-related legal assistance in June, almost double the amount received in May. And since late June, legal groups

PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL GOYETTE note that ICE has been most active on the Southwest Side—particularly Back of the Yards, Brighton Park, and Gage Park.

But once again, Chicagoans are showing up for each other. Paul Goyette, a self-described “Chicago-based photographer documenting and uplifting collective action for progressive change,” captures our love, courage, and resolve.

Goyette took these photos at the Vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sabastián Guerrero on July 15 (killed by ICE agents on July 7 in Houston, Texas and on July 13 in Biddleford, Maine, respectively); the ICE Out Now! rally at the Little Village Arch on July 18; the Say Their Names march in Broadview on July 25; and the Chicago Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo and Johan on July 25.

Goyette has chosen to license most of his photographs under Creative Commons for public use. In a 2025 Instagram post, he wrote, “It’s a pretty significant change to the way I’m doing things that I believe will increase my reach while also making my work more useful to local reporters and editors.”

We’re grateful to share and amplify his labor here. ¬

Protestors at a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sabastián Guerrero on July 15, 2026 in Little Village.

Protestors at a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sabastián Guerrero on July 15, 2026 in Little Village.

Paul Goyette is a Chicago-based movement photographer primarily interested in documenting and uplifting collective action for progressive change.

Community members at an ICE Out Now! rally at the Little Village Arch on July 18, 2026.

4 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Protestors at a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sabastián Guerrero on July 15, 2026 in Little Village.

Community members at an ICE Out Now! rally at the Little Village Arch on July 18, 2026.

Community members attend the Chicago Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo and Johan on July 25, 2026.

Community members attend the Chicago Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo and Johan on July 25, 2026.

Community members attend the Chicago Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo and Johan on July 25, 2026.

Community members attend the Chicago Vigil to Demand Justice for Lorenzo and Johan on July 25, 2026.

Participants attend the Say Their Names march in Broadview on July 25, 2026.

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 5

POLICE

New Haymarket Book Rewrites the Narrative of Fred Hampton’s Murder

Author and civil rights attorney Flint Taylor sat down with former Representative Bobby Rush and former Black Panther Ann Campbell-Kendrick to discuss the assasination and its aftermath.

BY MAX BLAISDELL, HYDE PARK HERALD

B

efore dawn on December 4, 1969, then-Cook County State’s Attorney Edward Hanrahan sent a squad of police officers into a Black Panther Party apartment on the West Side. Officers opened fire with rifles, a submachine gun, shotguns, and handguns, killing Illinois Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton and fellow party member Mark Clark and wounding four other Panthers.

Within hours, Hanrahan held a news conference and falsely claimed the officers had been met with a fierce shootout. Police left the apartment unsealed afterward, allowing Panthers and lawyers from the newly formed People’s Law Office to get inside and gather evidence, including a bloody mattress and a door panel that would later undercut Hanrahan’s account.

More than five decades later, civil rights attorney Flint Taylor sat down with former U.S. Representative Bobby Rush and former Illinois Black Panther Party member Ann CampbellKendrick to discuss that raid and its long aftermath, the subject of the first part of Taylor’s new book, “The Conviction Machine: Prosecutors, Politicians, and Police Violence in Chicago.”

Rush called it the “only assassination on American soil carried out for political reasons by the United States government 6 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

Ann Campbell-Kendrick, Bobby Rush and Flint Taylor discuss Taylor’s new book, “The Conviction Machine: Prosecutors, Politicians, and Police Violence in Chicago,” at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave., July 14, 2026.

Photo by Max Blaisdell

that we can prove beyond the shadow of the doubt.”

On Tuesday, July 14, the three spoke to a small audience that included several former Panthers, as well as Taylor’s legal colleagues at the Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 South Woodlawn Ave. Taylor and Rush have known each other since the days after Hampton’s death, when Rush, then a young Panther leader, worked with the People’s Law Office attorneys to sue over the killings.

Rush called the People’s Law Office “a group of young white lawyers who had the courage and the insight and the motivation to stand shoulder to shoulder” with the Panthers and other groups

pushing for civil rights. He described his bond with Taylor and other former Panthers in the room as “steeped in blood,” saying their friendship was “unbreakable.”

Campbell-Kendrick, who joined the Black Panther Party in Chicago in 1969 after growing up in Mississippi, recalled the morning of the raid. She and other Panthers were living in a communal apartment on the South Side and woke to helicopters overhead before learning what had happened on the West Side.

Campbell-Kendrick later became a nurse and health-care advocate. She said the party’s platform, which called for access to food, shelter, and self-defense, had drawn her in after she heard Hampton speak.

Rush said he spent the day of the raid with Hampton’s fellow Panthers, following news of the killing on the radio and later helping identify Hampton’s body at the morgue. He said his first thought was to ask how many police officers had been hurt, reasoning that Hampton would never have allowed officers into the apartment without a fight unless he had been incapacitated.

“There was no way that you were going to kill Fred Hampton without knowing that you were in a vicious battle,” Rush said.

Taylor said an inquest later showed Hampton had a large amount of a sedative in his system at the time he was killed. Years later, court records showed the sedative was likely administered by FBI informant William O’Neal.

Much of the discussion centered on how Hanrahan and the Chicago Police Department pushed a false story that the raid had been a shootout between police and the Panthers. Taylor said Hanrahan held news conferences displaying weapons and photographs from the crime scene rather than those turned over to the crime lab, and later staged a reenactment for a local television station. Taylor recounted how what prosecutors described publicly as bullet holes in a doorframe, meant to show Hampton had fired at officers, were later shown to be nail heads.

THIRD SPACES

Fred Hampton speaks at a rally in Grant Park, Chicago, September 1969.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Both Taylor and Rush credited organizing by the Panthers and the Black community with helping remove Hanrahan from office. Thousands of Chicago voters, including many lifelong Democrats, crossed party lines to vote him out in 1972 following his acquittal on obstruction of justice charges by a judge backed by Richard J. Daley’s political machine. Taylor said that defeat helped set the stage for Harold Washington's election as Chicago’s first Black mayor a decade later.

Asked what lesson he hopes readers will take from this episode of history, Taylor said he hoped readers would learn the importance of seeking the truth and holding government officials accountable.

“As a lawyer, your major battles are in the courts, and the battles that you fight are for transparency, are to get the evidence in these major cases that show government misconduct, and then to fight to make them public, because the other side first fights against the production of this evidence,” he said.

Even after evidence is obtained, Taylor said, attorneys working for the government sometimes try to keep it under protective order, so lawyers must fight to get it entered into evidence at trial, which makes it public and available to the press. Taylor and his colleagues

took that approach during the civil trial over Hampton’s death, entering hundreds of documents related to the FBI’s COINTELPRO program into evidence so reporters could access them.

“As political movement lawyers, we also have an obligation not only to fight for that evidence, but to talk about that evidence, teach about that evidence, write about the evidence, and speak about the evidence, and to help, along with movement people, reshape the narrative, because those in power are going to continue to tell those lies until and unless you fight to change that narrative,” he said.

Taylor also pointed to the Commander Jon Burge torture scandal, also chronicled in the book, as an example in which he and others were able to transform the public consciousness.

From the early 1970s through the early 1990s, Burge and his Midnight Crew of police detectives tortured more than 100 people—mostly Black men—into confessing to crimes many did not commit. But the revelation “of systemic and racist police torture that spanned over 20 years” only came to light after defense lawyers, organizers, and independent journalists poked holes in the official story of Burge as a decorated Vietnam veteran and police commander helping catch and convict the Wilson brothers, two supposed cop killers.

“It not only implicated the highest levels of the police department, but also the mayor and the prosecutors, both of whom at various times carried the name Daley,” he said.

Taylor continues to pick those kinds of fights. In 2024, the People’s Law Office joined a lawsuit alleging the CIA and other government agencies played a significant role in Malcolm X’s assassination. The case is ongoing.

Flint Taylor, The Conviction Machine: Prosecutors, Politicians, and Police Violence in Chicago. $14.97 (paperback). Haymarket. 352 pp. Max Blaisdell is the staff writer for the Hyde Park Herald.

La Casa Playroom To Host Free Bebetón Daytime Party Organizers, vendors, and local families share how the event creates a safe, joyful hub for South Side parents.

BY AMARIS EDWARDS

F

inding high-energy, culturally welcoming spaces designed for both lively toddlers and their caregivers on Chicago’s Southwest Side has long been a challenge.

La Casa Playroom, known for championing bilingual and multicultural play and for fostering community, is taking direct aim at that gap.

This Saturday, August 1, they are putting on Bebetón, equal parts neighborhood fiesta and early childhood resource hub, in Brighton Park.

This free daytime celebration is the playroom's biggest project yet, transforming the Chicago Park District headquarters—Brighton Park Campus Gymnasium (4830 South Western Ave)—into a sanctuary for parents and children between the ages of zero and six years old.

Attendees can expect soft play zones, bouncy houses, and giveaways alongside samples from local vendors.

The gathering goes beyond standard entertainment to connect caregivers

directly with local non-profits and family services, while prioritizing accessibility with a dedicated nursing room and a quiet, low-stimulation sensory space for families who need a break from the noise.

The inspiration behind Bebetón stems from a simple realization shared

by La Casa Playroom co-founders—and parents of two—Angie Maciel-Wright and Jeremy Wright: young children love to move, but caregivers deserve to have fun and unwind just as much. The vision for the event began with a New Year’s Eve celebration tailored specifically for early risers with early bedtimes.

Their very first event was built around a noon countdown, offering toddlers and their caretakers a chance to experience the excitement of a traditional midnight ball drop without the late-night meltdowns or ruined sleep schedules.

“Our kids like to dance. Our kids already act like they're caffeinated, right?,” co-founder Jeremy Wright said.

“The very first one that we had was based off of [a] New Year’s Eve ball drop.”

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 7

THIRD SPACES

La Casa Playroom’s New Years Eve flipping the clock celebration. Photo courtesy of Holiday Studios

La Casa’s celebration featured a noon countdown rather than a midnight celebration.

Photo courtesy of Holiday Studios

By flipping the clock, Wright noted the event helped “kill two birds with one stone",”giving parents a fun, guilt-free way to celebrate alongside their children, while creating a unique party atmosphere young kids rarely get to access.

Co-founder Angie Maciel-Wright approached the concept by designing the experience around the realities of everyday parenting, ensuring caretakers feel cared for too.

“When I was planning this, I was focusing on the parents having fun and, by extension, the kids would have fun based off the space,” Maciel-Wright said.

"I really thought about it [through] the lens [of ] a mom and as a caregiver that's exhausted ... I wanted to do all the heavy lifting for the moms and the caregivers,” she said.

W

hile La Casa Playroom has hosted a few iterations of Bebetón since their opening, this upcoming gathering marks their largest event to date and remains completely free for families to attend.

The leap in scale was directly driven by overwhelming demand from local neighborhood families as past iterations frequently reached capacity.

“There's a huge need ... We always have a waitlist for Bebetón,” MacielWright said.

8 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

“And then this Bebetón at the Park District, we thought, ‘Oh, we're barely going to get 150 RSVPs.’ We then expanded it to 250, then we expanded it to 350, and now we have people on a waitlist,” she said.

For Maciel-Wright, the sheer volume of interest highlights a long-standing gap in neighborhood family programming across the area. The Bebetón crowd has grown to more than five times its previous attendance of 60 people.

“The writing is on the wall that this is what's needed in the community, especially in the Southwest Side,” MacielWright said. “I was born and raised on the Southwest Side ... and I've never seen a community, an organization build this type of community for children this age.”

For local parents like Gage Park resident Angelina Romero, the lack of dedicated, high-quality family spaces on the Southwest Side was a routine frustration.

“I found myself constantly having to drive to the North Side of Chicago to sort of partake in these events ... I had to drive so far to get there,” Romero said. “I had a really hard time finding places where I could connect with other mothers. I think it's important that resources are spread throughout the city.”

When Romero discovered La Casa Playroom, it offered a refreshing

neighborhood alternative. Attending a Bebetón event provided an environment that catered to her daughter while offering real connection for herself.

“It was finally a place where I could, yes, take my daughter, but also have fun as a mother—and get to hear music, drink coffee, and socialize with other mothers,” Romero said. “Something that really stood out to me too is the bilingual aspect of it ... and not only in Spanish, but in Chinese too, so I felt like they're capturing the larger community.”

Recognizing the potential to bring that same energy to a much larger audience, Romero took on the role of co-host for the upcoming event and approached the organizers with an ambitious proposal.

“I pitched them: ‘How about you make this bigger and make it free? Make it a little bit more inclusive, because I think these kinds of events are needed on the Southwest Side,’” Romero said. “And they were completely receptive to it.”

Romero suggested scaling up to the Chicago Park District headquarters in Brighton Park, choosing the venue specifically for its modern facilities and spatial flexibility, as well as its direct access to public transit via the Orange Line.

The location also accommodated essential inclusive features, such as a separate nursing room for mothers and

a low-stimulation sensory space for children with special needs.

With hundreds of families preregistered—drawing heavily from surrounding neighborhoods like Brighton Park, Gage Park, Little Village, Chicago Lawn, Garfield Ridge, and Back of the Yards—Romero sees the overwhelming response as proof of a crucial community need.

“I'm excited to see the energy, the vibe ... I'm excited for the music, to dance,” Romero said. “I'm excited to see my daughter have fun and the other kids in the neighborhood.”

For parents living in the Brighton Park neighborhood, the impact of La Casa Playroom and its signature event extends far beyond a single afternoon of entertainment. Zophia Villareal first discovered the playroom as a neighborhood stay-at-home mom looking for ways to socialize her young son, who was not enrolled in daycare.

“When I saw the concept of the playroom, I was very excited because I lived two blocks down,” Villareal said.

“I was like, ‘This is exactly what I was looking for’ ... It's like everything we needed and more.”

Villareal, who eventually joined the team as a staff member and helped prepare for the original New Year’s Eve event, saw firsthand how the concept

THIRD SPACES

La Casa Playroom’s brick-and-mortar is set to close in September but will continue its programming via pop-up events.

Photo courtesy of La Casa Playroom

created a welcoming space for families who often lacked local options. Unlike larger, commercial play spaces that can feel overwhelming, she noted that the unique environment helps young children build confidence and form organic friendships.

“It's very intimate,” Villareal said.

“What I enjoyed working there and seeing was how the kids are pushed to interact. Once they come out of their little shell, they're the best of friends.”

That sense of social connection proved equally meaningful for the caregivers themselves.

“I really enjoyed interacting with moms, because I'm a mom as well,” Villareal said. “I feel like it just brought a community and moms together, parents, and especially the kids ... As a parent, your kids having a blast just makes your heart happy.”

L

a Casa Playroom’s events have also been helpful for local entrepreneurs. Nancy Torres, founder of Nevarez Carne Seca and N&E Dulces, credits La Casa Playroom with giving her the initial push to step into the local market. Torres, who runs her business alongside her son, Efran, originally started making custom beef jerky and chamoy-infused gummies as a small family venture.

When La Casa Playroom was preparing to celebrate its one-year anniversary, Torres took a leap and reached out about becoming a vendor—a move that marked her very first pop-up event.

“I really didn't even know where to start, to be honest,” Torres recalled. “La Casa Playroom was actually the first place that I reached out to ... and that's what actually led me a little bit more to get out there and be like, ‘Okay, you can do this.’”

Since that first event, Torres’ business has expanded into three local retail locations.

She credits the welcoming atmosphere cultivated by La Casa Playroom's founders with creating an environment that truly supports small vendors. ”They make you feel like this is your shine,” Torres said. “The way I see [Maciel-Wright], how she pushes ... it gave me the energy.”

For other local vendors, collaborating with La Casa Playroom is rooted in mutual support and shared community vision.

Sandra Soto, founder of Elite Chicago Snack Bar, entered the local market in March 2025, seeking a creative outlet and additional income as a stay-athome mom.

What began as a venture serving fresh fruit cups, elote en vaso, mini

pancakes, and chamoy treats quickly grew into a thriving business catering birthday parties, weddings, and corporate events across the city.

When La Casa Playroom hosted its Valentine’s Day Bebetón, Soto reached out directly to Maciel-Wright to donate her snack bar services, recognizing a shared effort to uplift families on the South Side.

“I wanted to give back to the community, and I wanted to do something that I knew was going to [bring] more people to go to La Casa Playroom,” Soto said. “I messaged her on Instagram and let her know I would love to donate my services, give out everything for free, and post it on my social media so it gets more attention.”

For Soto, who has lived on the South Side most of her life, spaces like La Casa Playroom fill a long-standing void for local families by offering bilingual, culturally grounded programming where neighbors of all backgrounds can connect.

“We have daycares and stuff, but we don't have these types of businesses in our area ... Having La Casa Playroom means so much because everybody gets a chance to get to know each other, and we have a chance at a good community, especially for the little kids.”

Soto points to the event’s mix of entertainment and essential family resources—spanning childcare to immigration services—as proof of its lasting impact.

“They truly do care about the families and creating a positive impact in the community,” Soto said.

“I want families to leave feeling like they found a community they didn't know they had,” Wright said.

As Bebetón continues to expand to meet overwhelming demand, this summer’s celebration arrives at a bittersweet crossroads.

Maciel-Wright and Jeremy Wright are preparing to vacate La Casa Playroom’s physical space around September, bringing an end to the storefront that served as an essential sanctuary for local parents. While La Casa’s events are growing and expanding, everyday foot traffic is slow, forcing them to shutter.

Navigating the closure of a brickand-mortar hub comes with real logistical and financial strain as the team works through the costs of moving, clearing out the facility, and sustaining their programming beyond a set location.

The two have found that a pop-up model has a higher success rate, and they intend to lean into it.

For the co-founders, the immediate need during this transition is to find sustained community support, financial backing, and long-term partners to help preserve the framework they spent years building. For now, the plan is to continue programming quarterly events and their staple celebrations like the cooking workshops and ‘mommy and me’ events.

To stay updated on their transition, support their next steps, and follow their ongoing journey, you can follow them on Instagram and visit their website at lacasaplayroom.com. ¬

or co-founders Angie MacielWright and Jeremy Wright, Bebetón has always been a labor of love—a grounded response to the distinct lack of family-centered infrastructure on the Southwest Side.

Maciel-Wright intentionally structured the event to lighten the load for exhausted caregivers, taking on the heavy lifting so parents can step into a space where they can genuinely relax. For Wright, the ultimate goal reaches beyond a single afternoon of fun—it’s about long-term belonging.

Amaris Edwards is a Chicago-based freelance journalist and storyteller dedicated to covering the narratives of South and West Side communities. A former City Bureau Civic Reporting Fellow, her work spans staff reporting and multimedia production with outlets like The Columbia Chronicle, True Star, and Block Club Chicago.

Amaris leverages her background in poetry and local activism to center South and West Side communities, mutual aid, and youth experiences.

F

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 9

ART

Remember Their Names

A public art installation honors the lives lost to the US immigration system.

BY JOCELYN MARTINEZ-ROSALES

T

wo weeks after Lorenzo Salgado Araujo’s killing by ICE agents in Houston, local South Side artist Brian Herrera responded the way he knows best: through his art.

At the corner of 18th and Wood Streets in Pilsen, Herrera wheat-pasted a portrait of Salgado Araujo alongside a list of people killed in detention and encounters with immigration authorities since the start of the second Trump administration.

“Remember Their Names” is Herrera’s latest public art installation. He posted his process online, receiving more than 1.5 million views and 35,000 shares across Instagram and TikTok. Set to Chicago hardcore punk band Los Crudos' 1997 song “Asesinos,” the video pairs the installation with lyrics condemning attacks on immigrant communities. In one line, the band declares, “Quieren que nos vayamos, pues de aquí somos,” which translates to “They want us to leave, but we’re from here.”

The Weekly spoke to Herrera about “Remember Their Names.”

The following interview has been edited slightly for clarity.

Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales: What story were you trying to tell with “Remember Their Names”?

Brian Herrera: A memorial dedicated to people that have passed away due to ICE activity in general, whether it's in detention or throughout the period of time since the start of 2025.

It's sort of me trying to navigate this climate, and me trying to respond to it, and trying to translate all this 10 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

information that we've been bombarded with, whether through the media or social media, and trying to summarize, or as a graphic designer, come up with an infographic to have that impact visually.

What has been the response that you've received from the installation?

It's been taken really well with people.

I wasn't expecting it to get that much attention. Honestly, the reason for it was to bring awareness. The names were a last minute idea because when I was doing the Lorenzo illustration, I thought “well, there's more names, there's more people,” unfortunately. So I was like, it would be good to remember their names, and that's why I literally wrote on top, or typed on top, of the infographic, “Remember Their Names.”

If I had all the time in the world, I would illustrate each and every person on that list. Which, by the way, I forgot some names on there.

What are some emotions that come up for you? I saw a comment from Salgado Araujo’s son, Ronaldo, thanking you.

I love it and I hate it, the way that [I] made such a connection and impact with people through my art. And when I say that, it really did feel so strange to me that someone that was directly connected to this person that passed away thanked me.

I don't want to be thanked by anyone, [as if ] I did the art for the family that died. I don't want to be praised for doing work that has to be done. I feel, in a way, responsible for translating this information—inform folks through my set of skills.

On the corner of 18th and Wood Street is a portrait in memory of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by artist Brian Herrera.

Photo by James Hoeck

Did you expect “Remember Their Names” to resonate beyond Chicago?

What has it been like to see people want to recreate it elsewhere?

That was the coolest part about this whole thing. That not only did it get a lot of interaction, but it engaged a lot of people to partake in their own individual action, and it's just allowing folks to have, once again, a tool, an accessible, free, downloadable tool.

People from all over the states—a lot of people in California, New York, Texas, actually, too—were reaching out, and I guess people from France and Brazil, too, were showing their support.

I was doing a lot of this political work back in 2022, and then I stopped because it took a lot out of me. I was talking a lot about the immigration movement, supporting this movement and creating art for it, and it burned me

out. I kind of did a little comeback with this one. I was like, one, no one's doing this. What the hell? And then two, I don't see me doing any change being at a protest, or reposting. I’d rather volunteer or do something with my art.

Where can people download the installation files if they want to replicate the action?

They can download it through the National Day Labor Network website at ndlon.org. It'll be there for people to access. Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales is a Mexican American independent journalist from Belmont Cragin covering music and culture.

She is also a senior editor at the Weekly.

ARTE

Recuerden Sus Nombres

Una instalación de arte público honra la memoria de las personas que perdieron la vida a causa del sistema migratorio de Estados Unidos.

POR JOCELYN MARTINEZ-ROSALES

D

os semanas después de que agentes de ICE mataran a Lorenzo Salgado Araujo en Houston, el artista del South Side de Chicago, Brian Herrera, respondió de la manera que mejor conoce: a través de su arte. En la esquina de las calles 18 y Wood, en Pilsen, Herrera pegó con engrudo un retrato de Salgado Araujo junto a una lista de personas que han muerto bajo custodia o durante encuentros con autoridades migratorias desde el inicio del segundo gobierno de Trump.

Recuerden Sus Nombres es la más reciente instalación de arte público de Herrera. Compartió el proceso en redes sociales, donde el video ya supera 1.5 millones de reproducciones y ha sido compartido más de 35,000 veces.

Con la canción "Asesinos" (1997) de la banda de hardcore punk de Chicago Los Crudos como fondo, el video combina la instalación con una letra que denuncia los ataques contra las comunidades inmigrantes. En una de las líneas, la banda canta: "Quieren que nos vayamos, pues de aquí somos."

El Weekly habló con Herrera sobre Recuerden Sus Nombres.

La siguiente entrevista fue ligeramente para mayor claridad.

editada

Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales: ¿Qué historia quieres contar con Recuerden Sus Nombres?

Brian Herrera: Es un memorial dedicado a las personas que han perdido la vida por la actividad de ICE en general, ya sea mientras estaban detenidas o desde que comenzó 2025.

También es mi manera de tratar de entender el momento que estamos viviendo, de responder a lo que está

En la esquina de la calle 18 y Wood se encuentra un retrato en memoria de Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, realizado por el artista Brian Herrera.

Foto de James Hoeck

pasando y de transformar toda la información que nos ha estado llegando, ya sea por los medios o por las redes sociales. Como diseñador gráfico, quise resumir todo eso en una especie de infografía que tuviera un impacto visual. ¿Cómo ha reaccionado la gente a la instalación?

La respuesta ha sido muy buena. La verdad, no esperaba que recibiera tanta atención.

Mi intención siempre fue crear conciencia.

La lista de nombres fue una idea de último momento. Mientras hacía la ilustración de Lorenzo pensé: "Pero hay más nombres, hay más personas", desgraciadamente. Entonces sentí que era importante recordarlos, y por eso escribí arriba de la infografía, "Recuerden Sus Nombres".

Si tuviera todo el tiempo del mundo, haría una ilustración de cada una de las personas que aparecen en esa lista. Y, de hecho, hasta olvidé incluir algunos nombres.

¿Qué emociones te provoca todo esto?

Vi un comentario del hijo de Salgado Araujo, Ronaldo, agradeciéndote por tu trabajo.

Me encanta y al mismo tiempo lo odio, en el sentido de que mi arte haya conectado tanto con la gente por una tragedia así. Y cuando digo eso, me refiero a que fue muy extraño para mí que alguien directamente relacionado con una persona que murió me diera las gracias.

Yo no quiero que la familia de alguien que falleció tenga que agradecerme por hacer este trabajo. Tampoco busco que me aplaudan por hacer algo que siento que tenía que hacerse. De alguna manera siento la responsabilidad de traducir toda esta información y ayudar a informar a la gente usando las habilidades que tengo. ¿Esperabas que Recuerden Sus Nombres tuviera impacto más allá de Chicago? ¿Cómo ha sido ver que otras personas quieren recrearlo en otros lugares?

Esa ha sido la parte más increíble de todo esto. No solo tuvo muchísima interacción, creo que ya lleva más de 1.2 millones de vistas, sino que motivó a mucha gente a hacer algo por su cuenta. Al final, lo único que hice fue poner a disposición de la gente una herramienta gratuita, accesible y fácil de descargar.

Me escribió gente de todas partes de Estados Unidos, muchísima de California, Nueva York y Texas. También recibí mensajes de apoyo de personas en Francia y Brasil.

En 2022 hacía mucho trabajo artístico con contenido político, pero lo dejé porque emocionalmente me agotó mucho. Hablaba constantemente del movimiento por los derechos de los inmigrantes, hacía arte para apoyarlo y terminé completamente quemado.

Con esta pieza sentí que era momento de volver. Pensé: primero, nadie está haciendo algo así. ¿Qué está pasando? Y segundo, siento que yo no genero tanto cambio solo asistiendo a una protesta o compartiendo publicaciones. Prefiero ofrecer mi tiempo como voluntario o aportar desde mi arte. ¿Dónde puede descargar la gente los archivos de la instalación si quiere replicar la acción?

Pueden descargarlos en el sitio web de la National Day Labor Network, ndlon. org. Ahí estarán disponibles para que cualquiera pueda acceder a ellos. Jocelyn Martinez-Rosales es una periodista independiente mexicoamericana originaria de Belmont Cragin que cubre temas de música y cultura. También es editora senior del Weekly.

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 11

COMMUNITY HEALTH

University of Chicago Medicine to Open Freestanding Cancer Center in April 2027

The 575,000-square-foot facility aims to remedy health disparities impacting patients on the South Side.

BY MAX BLAISDELL, HYDE PARK HERALD

T

he University of Chicago Medicine’s new cancer center is on track to open next spring, officials told South Side residents on Tuesday, July 14, marking the final stretch of a yearslong project to bring comprehensive cancer care to a community where death rates from the disease are nearly twice the national rate.

The AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, a 575,000-square-foot facility located north of 57th Street between Maryland and Drexel avenues on the Medical Center’s West Hyde Park campus, is scheduled to welcome its first patients in April 2027. It will be Illinois’ first freestanding facility dedicated exclusively to cancer care, according to UChicago Medicine.

UChicago Medicine officials laid out the specifications for the $815 million project during a community meeting at the Crown School of Social Work, 951 East 58th Street. The event featured Dr. Mitchell C. Posner, chief clinical officer of the new cancer center, Kimyatta Washington, vice president and chief administrative officer of cancer services, and Catina Latham, senior vice president for community health transformation and chief equity officer.

Construction on the cancer center broke ground in September 2023 after a state board approved the project. Its cost grew from an initial estimate of 12 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

A rendering of the University of Chicago Medicine’s Cancer Center, to be built on 57th Street between Maryland and Drexel avenues.

Photo provided

$633 million to $815 million, supported in part by a $75 million donation from the AbbVie Foundation after which the center is named.

UChicago Medicine officials said the need for the facility was rooted in stark health disparities. Cancer is the second-leading cause of death on the South Side, according to UChicago Medicine’s 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment. Latham said the

need assessments, conducted every three years, repeatedly identified cancer as a top concern, along with the difficulty of finding nearby screening and treatment.

“We learned from this study that people needed access to care, people needed screenings so that they could find and detect cancer early. People needed help with insurance costs and navigating the entire healthcare system, and so we wanted to respond to those needs,” Latham said.

About 56% of South Side patients left the area for care and 67% of cancer patients left for inpatient treatment specifically due in part to capacity constraints at UChicago Medicine.

“When I come in every morning and see that building going up, I know that my neighbors, my family, will be able to have access to world-class care and not leave our community,” Latham, who lives in Bronzeville, said. “That’s so important.”

The pavilion will house 80 inpatient beds, 90 consultation rooms, and 67 chemotherapy infusion bays. Washington said the building was designed with “shelf space” that would allow the hospital to expand capacity to as many as 124 beds if demand exceeds the available space. In response to a question as to whether that would be enough space, she said that “many of the therapies that before we thought needed to be in the hospital are actually shifting to the outpatient setting.”

The facility will consolidate cancer services now spread across five buildings on the medical campus and will include an Oncology Rapid Assessment Clinic designed to let patients undergoing treatment bypass the emergency department when they develop fevers or uncontrolled pain. A parking deck bridge will connect directly to the second-floor clinic.

Washington said the first floor will function as a community space open

“When I come in every morning and see that building going up, I know that my neighbors, my family, will be able to have access to world-class care and not leave our community.”

– Catina Latham

Max Blaisdell is the staff writer for the Hyde Park Herald.

773-241-6044 • 6100 Blackstone Ave. • @61market • 61market.org A program of Experimental Station, with the support of: WOODLAWN DISTRIBUTION TRUST

for

Fall

gi

24

Park Kids

Register

ter Schoo Af

rogram lP

Trials are also important, Posner added, because they “can improve care today and shape the future for generations to come.”

UChicago Medicine already has the highest rate of enrolling minority patients in clinical trials in the country, Posner said, and is considering moving toward a model in which “you don’t have to opt in for a clinical trial, you actually have to opt out.”

UChicago Medicine officials also addressed concerns about the cost of care amid coming changes to Medicaid eligibility that are expected to result in an estimated 330,000 Illinoisans losing coverage. Latham said the health system is preparing to help patients understand the changes and find coverage, and Washington pointed to the system’s broader community benefit spending, which included more than $900 million on the South Side.

But some attendees pressed UChicago Medicine officials on whether that spending was making enough of an impact. Dr. Byron Brazier, pastor of the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn, said the university has struggled to show residents the tangible effects of its spending.

“It’s really important that you all communicate exactly what you’re doing,” he said.

Latham agreed. “We need to do a better job of messaging the impact that we’re having,” she said. “That is something that we’re working on.” ¬

n s A g u st u

be

to anyone, whether or not they have an appointment, with acupuncture, access to social workers focused on prevention and screening education and also a teaching kitchen.

“It’s important to teach patients how to eat well while undergoing treatment,” she said. “But it's also important to understand how we should eat today in order to try to prevent cancers.”

Patient and family amenities will include private rooms with sleeper sofas, showers and laundry facilities, along with video-visit technology for families who cannot be present in person.

The building will serve adult cancer patients only. Pediatric oncology will remain based at Comer Children’s Hospital, though Washington said the new center will work with Comer to draw a “bridge between our two programs” as the latter sees a rise in early onset cancer cases.

The UChicago Medicine Ralph Lauren Center, funded in part by a $25 million grant from the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, will open its first location at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey this year, Washington said, with a second location inside the new pavilion when it opens in 2027. The center is intended to expand screening, prevention, and patient navigation services.

Posner said expanding access to clinical trials will be a cornerstone of the new center, and that patients enrolled in trials receive the best care and experience the best outcomes.

“There have been bad things that have happened in the past, but clinical trials in this day and age are very different,” he said.

Programs & Events at the Chicago Park District!

View programs online the week of July 28.

Online registration opens Monday, August 3 & Tuesday, August 4.

In-person registration begins Saturday, August 8.

Fall Programs session runs September 8 to December 13.

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 13

CLASSIFIED SERVICE DIRECTORY Section To place your ad, call: 1-773-358-3129 or email: malone@southsideweekly.com Ad copy deadline: 1:00 p.m. Friday before Thursday publication date

Notice Help Public Wanted Looking for former employees who worked for Walgreen Laboratory INC., located at 47th and S. St. Louis, any time between 1960 and 1990. Please call 813-503-5952 or email sfisher@mrhfmlaw.com.

Apartments for Rent-Chicago 51 & Greenwood Sunny & Spacious 4BD, 2BA. Laundry in building. On-site mgmt.

773-251-1200

Cleaning Service Best Maids 708-599-7000 House Cleaning Services Family owned since 1999 www.bestmaids.com

Help Wanted Construction 001 JO & RUTH REMODELING We Specialize in Vintage Homes and Restorations! Painting, Power Washing, Deck Sealing, Brick Repair, Tuckpointing, Carpentry, Porch/Deck, Kitchen & Bath Remodeling.

10% Discount For All Seniors Thru Oct 15, 2026 10% OFF For 1st-Time Homebuyers *Since 1982* 773-575-7220

Advertise in the South Side Weekly Today!!

Masonry

001

Accurate Exterior and Masonry Masonry, tuckpointing, brickwork, chimneys, lintels, parapet walls, city violations, caulking, roofing. We are licensed, bonded and insured.

Rated A on Angie’s List Free Estimates 773-592-4535

Plumbing The Plumbing Department Available for all of your residential plumbing needs.

Lic. & insured. Serving Chicago & Suburbs. Senior Discounts.

Call Jeff at 773-617-3686

Let Us Help Build Your Business!

Advertise in the South Side Weekly Business & Service Directory Today!!

BUSINESS & SERVICE SHOWCASE:

MASONRY, TUCKPOINTING, BRICKWORK, CHIMNEY, LINTELS, PARAPET WALLS, CITY VIOLATIONS, CAULKING, ROOFING.

Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Rated A on Angie’s List. FREE Estimates

708-599-7000 Accurate House Cleaning Exterior & Masonry Family Services owned since 1999 773-592-4535 www.bestmaids.com Advertise in the South Side Weekly’s Business & Service Directory today!! email: malone@southsideweekly.com

CLEANING -

CONSTRUCTION -

JO & RUTH 708-599-7000 REMODELING

MASONRY -

PLUMBING -

MASONRY, TUCKPOINTING, BRICKWORK, CHIMNEY, LINTELS, PARAPET WALLS, CITY VIOLATIONS, CAULKING, ROOFING.

Licensed, Bonded, Insured. Rated A on Angie’s List. FREE Estimates

General Contractors Accurate

Residential Plumbing Service Exterior & Masonry Family owned since 1999 Complete Remodeling Services www.bestmaids.com 773-592-4535 Specialists in:

House Cleaning Services

Build Your Business!

Place your ad in the Business & Service Directory!

14 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

- Family Owned Since 1982 -

• Vintage Homes Restorations • Kitchens & Baths • Basements • Electric & Plumbing • Wall & Floor Tile • Painting & Carpentry

10% Discount 10% OFF For For All Seniors 1st-Time Thru Oct 15, 2026 Homebuyers

We Work With You To Meet Your Needs

773-575-7220

SERVICES INCLUDE:

Plumbing • Drain Cleaning • Sewer Camera/Locate Water Heater Installation/Repair Service • Tankless Water Heater Installation/Repair Service Toilet Repair • Faucet/Fixture Repair Vintage Faucet/Fixture Repair • Ejector/Sump Pump • Garbage Disposals • Battery Back-up Systems

Build Your Business!

Place your ad in the Business & Service Directory!

Licensed & Insured • Serving Chicago & Suburbs

10% OFF Senior Citizen Discount License #: Call 773-617-3686 058-197062

Build Your Business!

Place your ad in the Business & Service Directory!

SPORTS

The Chicago Bears Gear Up for a Smashing Season Head coach Ben Johnson is back at the helm as the team settles in for their first open practice on July 31.

BY MALACHI HAYES

I

t’s hard to believe, but football season is already around the corner.

The Chicago Bears rookies reported for training on Saturday, July 25, and veterans followed on Tuesday, July 28.

Their first open practice is slated for July 31, and we’ve got everything you need to enter this season in the know.

Looking back at 2025

Who could forget the magic that was the Bears’ last season? The 2025-26 campaign stood on the shakiest of legs before landing an 11-6 final record and a thrilling playoff win against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field.

Fans shared a massive exhale during week four when Josh Blackwell blocked a Las Vegas field goal with 33 seconds left on the clock to salvage a Bears victory.

This was the first of an improbable six games won by the Bears in the final two minutes last season, becoming the first team in NFL history to do this. Two weeks later, placekicker Jake Moody’s kick sailed successfully through the uprights to avenge the Bears’ wrenching

last-minute loss to the Washington Commanders in 2024.

In week nine, jaws hit the floor as rookie Colston Loveland spun his way through two Cincinnati defenders for a 58-yard touchdown that stunned the Bengals and the Cincinnati crowd.

A week later, the offense scored two late fourth-quarter touchdowns in a heartstopping win, at home, against the New York Giants. Fans were left in disbelief as Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return set up yet another lastsecond field goal in Minnesota during week 11.

Come week 16, fans held their breath as Caleb Williams’ 46-yard touchdown pass hung in the air for three full seconds before finding D.J. Moore’s arms; the rivalled Packers were beaten in overtime last December. When the Packers lost to the Baltimore Ravens the following week, the Bears had secured their first division championship since 2018. The night of January 10 was a season highlight: the Monsters of the Midway erupted for 25 fourth-quarter points against those same Packers, engineering an unlikely playoff JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 15

SPORTS comeback win that seemed to defy reality.

Well, it certainly defied the previous decade-and-a-half of precedent. Heading into December 2025, the Bears had won just four of their last 30 matchups with their Wisconsin rivals. Now, the Bears have won three of their last four matchups. While the Packers are still favored to win the division this coming season—just behind the Detroit Lions— the gap between the two franchises is closer than ever.

It’s easy to understand why fan excitement for the Bears is so high. Last year’s defense had a knack for timely and exciting plays, leading the NFL with 23 interceptions. And Caleb Williams’ record-setting play has fans believing that their team has a quarterback worthy of carrying a Super Bowl squad for the first time in a long while. Plus, it didn’t take long for first-time head coach Ben Johnson’s adrenaline-fueled postgame shouting—and acquiescence to a hot dog stand’s challenge for public shirtlessness— to become local sports lore.

Position previews: coaching staff

Fresh off a smashing coaching debut and a fourth-place finish in last year’s Coach of the Year voting, 40-year-old Ben Johnson returns for his second year as head coach. Much of this summer’s optimism derives from the idea that their solid offense should only get better after a full year internalizing the South Carolina native’s complicated system.

38-year-old Press Taylor has been promoted to offensive coordinator after incumbent Declan Doyle departed to take a promotion with Baltimore. The brother of Cincinnati leader Zac Taylor, the younger sibling held the OC role in Jacksonville from 2022 to 2024 before joining the Bears last season.

Former New Orleans ringmaster Dennis Allen is back for a second season as defensive coordinator. Last year’s defensive performance was inconsistent, with its best moments fueled by a bevy of timely turnovers that are unlikely to be replicated this year. It’s fair to say that 16 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

Illustration by Lilly Sundsbak

Allen made the most of the lackluster personnel he was given, but the pressure to improve will be higher this season.

Other coaches of note include Riverdale native, Thornton Township High School grad, and Super Bowl winner Antwaan Randle El, who returns as wide receivers and assistant head coach; former Ohio State star J.T. Barrett, who returns as quarterbacks coach; and Al Harris, who returns as defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator, despite taking interviews with Tennessee, Green Bay, and Washington during the offseason.

Position previews: offense

He’s the star of the show: Caleb Williams enters his third season as Chicago’s quarterback following a breakout sophomore campaign, wherein he set a new franchise record with 3942 passing yards, breaking Erik Kramer’s three-

decade-old mark. Though his decisionmaking skills garnered criticism from some, his intelligence, laser arm, speed, and agility is a once-in-a-generation package.

Tyson Bagent is in his fourth year as the Bears’ primary backup quarterback, having signed a two-year contract extension before the 2025 season. The unlikely pro out of Division II Shepherd University hasn’t seen much action since Williams arrived, but showed enough spunk during his 2023 fill-in stint to endear himself to fans (and Bears coaches, it seems). 38-year-old Case Keenum returns as third-stringer, serving as a de facto coach for the youthful Williams and Bagent.

Though it’s rarely in the spotlight, a team’s offense frequently lives and dies with its offensive line. Last season, the Bears’ offense coalesced just as the line found its footing as a unit, but center Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement and left tackle Ozzie Trapilo’s playoff

knee injury have necessitated some adjustments. Center Garrett Bradbury replaces Dalman from New England while the team trains newly-minted second round pick Logan Jones for the role. Starters Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet will duke it out in training camp to fill in for Trapilo, while first team AllPro Joe Thuney, second team All-Pro Darnell Wright, and Jonah Jackson are all expected to reprise their starting roles.

Our favorite running-back duo from 2025 is also back for more rushing attacks. Seven-year veteran D’Andre Swift will nominally sit at the top of the depth chart after a career-best 1386 scrimmage yards and 10 touchdowns last year, but he’ll cede plenty of snaps to second-year rising star Kyle Monangai, who burst onto the scene last year with 783 rushing yards on just 169 carries, including a memorable 176-yard outing against Cincinnati in his only start.

We’re expecting a classic smash-anddash combination, with Swift catching

SPORTS passes and handling outside runs while Monangai takes the lead in short-yardage and inside runs.

Fan-favorite receiving leader D.J. Moore went to Buffalo in an offseason trade, giving former 9th overall pick Rome Odunze a relatively clear runway to number one wide receiver, though second-year speedster Luther Burden III could pose a challenge after a strong finish last season. Plus, expectations are lofty for tight end Colston Loveland, who is projected to be a focal point of Johnson’s offense after starring with 137 yards in the Bears’ playoff win over the Packers last January. Veteran TE and Barrington native Cole Kmet is back for his seventh year with the team, as is Bear alongside kicker Cairo Santos. 2026 third round pick Sam Roush is expected to play a blocking role this year while Loveland handles receiving duties and Kmet does a bit of both.

Rounding out the receiving corps, we have longtime Detroit stalwart Kalif Raymond; veteran Scotty Miller, most recently with Philadelphia; sophomore Jahdae Walker; and rookie Zavion Thomas, whom the Bears selected in the third round of the draft this spring.

Position previews: defense

Thought by many to be the Bears’ biggest weakness, the team’s ability to reach championship caliber may hinge on improvements in pass rushing. Montez Sweat led the defensive line with 10 sacks last season, but is considered best cast as a number two, while general manager Ryan Poles’s failure to acquire any alternatives leaves the underwhelming combination of Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo lining up opposite Sweat. Defensive tackles Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. return to starting duties, and 2025 second-rounder Shermar Turner will try to make an impact after a lost rookie year.

Lake County native T.J. Edwards returns from a serious postseason leg injury to lead the linebackers after the team parted ways with leading tackler Tremaine Edmunds in the offseason.

Veterans Devin Bush and Jack Sanborn

CHICAGO BEARS 2026 SCHEDULE WEEK

DAY

DATE

OPPONENT

TIME

TV

1

SUN

SEP 13

@ CAROLINA PANTHERS

12 PM

FOX

2

SUN

SEP 20

vs MINNESOTA VIKINGS

12 PM

FOX

3

MON

SEP 28

vs PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

7:15 PM

ABC

4

SUN

OCT 4

vs NEW YORK JETS

12 PM

FOX

5

SUN

OCT 11

@ GREEN BAY PACKERS

3:25 PM

FOX

6

SUN

OCT 18

@ ATLANTA FALCONS

12 PM

FOX

7

THU

OCT 22

vs NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

7:15 PM

PRIME

8

MON

NOV 2

@ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

7:15 PM

ESPN

9

SUN

NOV 8

vs TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

7:20 PM

NBC

10

BYE

11

SUN

NOV 22

vs NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

12 PM

FOX

12

THU

NOV 26

@ DETROIT LIONS

12 PM

CBS

13

SUN

DEC 6

vs JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

12 PM

FOX

14

SUN

DEC 13

@ MIAMI DOLPHINS

12 PM

CBS

15

SAT

DEC 19

@ BUFFALO BILLS

7:20 PM

CBS

16

FRI

DEC 25

vs GREEN BAY PACKERS

12 PM

NETFLIX

17

SUN

JAN 3

vs DETROIT LIONS

3:25 PM

FOX

18

TBD

@ MINNESOTA VIKINGS

were inked to replace him after a careerbest 125 tackles in Cleveland last year, while D’Marco Jackson was re-signed to compete for snaps with 2025 backup Noah Sewell and former second round pick Ruben Hyppolite II. This group is of less concern than the line, but its efficacy will rely on whether Bush can live up to his three-year, $30 million contract, as he showed little in the way of stardom before last year’s breakout.

The ball-hawking defensive backs will be led by star cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, both of whom struggled with injuries in 2025, but remain in Chicago on long-term extensions. The safety positions will both have new occupants this year, as hard-hitting Jaquan Brisker signed with Pittsburgh and league interception leader Kevin Byard departed for New England. One will be replaced by Coby Bryant, who tallied 64 tackles and four interceptions for the Super Bowl champion Seahawks last year before becoming the Bears’ marquee offseason

TBD

acquisition with a three-year, $40 million contract. The other spot will likely be filled by rookie Dillon Thienemann, the team’s first pick in last spring’s draft.

Tyrique Stevenson still has a chance to make an impact despite a turbulent Bears career, as does Josh Blackwell.

Schedule highlights

The Bears’ 2026 schedule is a weird one, and it’s not clear it’s to their benefit.

They’re set to get a whopping seven prime time (nationally broadcast) or holiday games, including Thanksgiving and Christmas, which will be the most the team has played in its history. This means they’re playing six games on less rest than usual, which could be a recipe for injuries and sloppy play against a tough slate of opponents. Here are some games to look out for: 9/28: Monday Night Football against the Philadelphia Eagles presents

a rematch of last year’s inaugural Black Friday matchup, when the Bears announced their arrival on the competitive scene with a 24-15 beatdown in front of the whole country.

10/22: Thursday Night Football brings the defending AFC champion New England Patriots to Chicago in a matchup that will be framed by the battle between Caleb Williams and Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who was selected just two picks after Williams in the 2024 draft.

11/2: Chicago returns to the west coast for Monday Night Football against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, which ought to test how ready the Bears are for the bright lights.

11/26: After a one-year hiatus, Thanksgiving football is back with the Bears’ traditional matchup against the Detroit Lions. The 2024 Turkey Bowl between the two infamously saw Bears coach Matt Eberflus allow time to expire despite a chance to tie the game. This error led directly to Eberflus’ dismissal— the first in-season firing in team history.

Nonetheless, the Bears hold an 11-9 lead in the all-time holiday series.

12/19: Saturday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills in the often snowy western New York December promises an intense battle between aspiring contenders. It’s the Bears’ first trip to Buffalo since 2018, when they won 41-9 on the way to a division title.

12/25: Given how last year ended for the Bears’ century-old rivals, it’s hard to envision Christmas Day against the Green Bay Packers as anything less than the climax of the regular season.

This will be the third edition of Yuletide football for Chicago, with both previous appearances also coming against the Packers in 2005 and 2011, a win and a loss, respectively. Malachi Hayes is a Bridgeport-based writer and South Side native.

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 17

LIT

A collaborative space celebrating the literary arts

T

he Exchange is the Weekly’s poetry corner that celebrates the power of the literary arts and the bridge it creates between those of all walks of life. As someone who was saved by the ink on pages, it’s an honor to be stewarding this collaborative series that celebrates the power of the literary arts, and the bridge this power creates between people from all walks of life.

In this relaunch of The Exchange, I wanted to showcase the work of an artist whom I greatly admire, and who has a piece for every occasion. In moments when oppressive forces feed on division, how do we live and breathe non-trivializing solidarity? How do we laugh together? How do we grieve together? How do we hold the ability to recognize when one needs a few more hands lent to them than someone else?

And how do we do this when our various pigmented shades still signal danger to those who have dreaded our communion?

Anti-Blackness is a global machine, and our social othering, even intra-communally, keeps it well-oiled daily. Additionally, no othered beings are marked as completely safe in a supremacist society. Danez Smith’s poem reminds us of the tenderness that is needed for harmony. The understanding required to not just walk in someone else’s shoes, but realize we have a perfect match nestled in our own closets. Our cultural differences have been misconstrued as kryptonite to our union, but the mirror never cracks when we stand face to face with each other.

In each entry of The Exchange, you’ll be introduced to various pieces of writing and encouraged to create something of your own. Writers are encouraged to respond to the prompt with original work and be

18 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026

considered to be featured in the next issue of the Weekly. Join us every third Thursday of the month for Third Thursdays: a writing workshop and open mic in partnership with Build Coffee and Books Alycia Kamil is a 25-year-old crossdisciplinary artist, educator, and freedom fighter from the South Side of Chicago who uses the power of creative expression to spark social change. She is engaged in on-theground community organizing, centering mutual aid, accessible arts programming, and radical political education.

Alycia is a founding member of Good Kids Mad City, a youth-led gun violence prevention organization. In 2020, Alycia founded Undoing Our Erasure, initially a podcast series that transformed into a multidimensional platform dedicated to cultivating the tools needed for a Black-liberated future. A lifelong creative, Alycia works across visual, literary, and performing arts. In the last six years, Alycia has developed curricula, facilitated workshops, and launched mutual aid initiatives that provided free resources to Chicago residents. She is a collective member of La Escuelita Bombera de Corazón’s Bomberxs D’Cora, a Bomba ensemble dedicated to sharing the power and soul of Afro-Puerto Rican music.

Alycia is the director of What’s My School Worth?

(2024), a documentary project examining the lasting impacts of the 2013 Chicago Public Schools closures.

She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at DePaul University, double-majoring in Anthropology and Black Diasporic Studies with a minor in Documentary Film Production.

Illustration by David Alvarado

LIT

A collaborative space celebrating the literary arts What was said at the bus stop by danez smith

lately has been a long time says the girl from Pakistan, Lahore to be specific at the bus stop when the white man ask her where she’s from & then says oh, you from Lahore? it’s pretty bad over there lately. lately has been a long time she says & we look at each other & the look says yes, i too wish dude would stop asking us about where we from but on the other side of our side eyes is maybe a hand where hands do no good a look to say, yes, i know lately has been a long time for your people too & i’m sorry the world is so good at making us feel like we have to fight for space to fight for our lives “solidarity” is a word, a lot of people say it i’m not sure what it means in the flesh i know i love & have cried for my friends their browns a different brown than mine i’ve danced their dances when taught & tasted how their mothers miracle the rice

different than mine. i know sometimes i can’t see beyond my own pain, past black & white, how bullets love any flesh. i know it’s foolish to compare. what advice do the drowned have for the burned? what gossip is there between the hanged & the buried? & i want to reach across our great distance that is sometimes an ocean & sometimes centimeters & say, look. your people, my people, all that has happened to us & still make love under rusted moons, still pull children from the mothers & name them still teach them to dance & your pain is not mine & is no less & is mine & i pray to my god your god blesses you with mercy & i have tasted your food & understand how it is a good home & i don’t know your language but i understand your songs & i cried when they came for your uncles & when you buried your niece i wanted the world to burn in the child’s brief memory & still, still, still, still, still, still, still, still, still & i have stood by you in the soft shawl of morning waiting & breathing & waiting Reprinted with the permission of the poet.

Alycia Kamil Moaton is the engagement editor for the Weekly.

THIS WEEK'S PROMPT: “SOLIDARITY” IS A WORD, A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY IT I’M NOT SURE WHAT IT MEANS IN THE FLESH. WHAT DOES NON-TRIVIALIZING SOLIDARITY LOOK AND FEEL LIKE TO YOU? Feel free to write this as a poem or free-form writing. Submissions can be new or something previously written.

Join us on August 20 for Third Thursday where we’ll write around this prompt more in depth.

Submissions can be sent to bit.ly/ssw-exchange or via email to alycia@southsideweekly.com.

Illustration by David Alvarado

JULY 30, 2026 ¬ SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY 19

You could buy a home with no down payment!

Zero down payment options and down payment assistance loans could help you reach your dream of homeownership sooner than you thought!

Reach out to start your home buying journey!

Giovanni Lopez

Mortgage Loan Originator

[M] 937.716.3663

glopez@usa-mortgage.com glopez.usa-mortgage.com

8075 Washington Village Dr. Dayton, OH 45458 NMLS: 2085998 | Co. NMLS: 227262 Not an offer to lend. Subject to credit approval and additional terms apply. DAS Acquisition Company, LLC dba USA Mortgage NMLS #227262. OH #RM.850291.000. Headquarters: 12140 Woodcrest Executive Drive, Suite 150, St. Louis, Missouri 63141, Toll Free: (888) 250-6522. For licensing information, go to: www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org. Licensed by the Department of Financial Protection and Innovation under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act Interest rates and products are subject to change without notice and may or may not be available at the time of commitment or lock-in. DAS Acquisition Company, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government entity or agency, including USDA, HUD or VA.

Age Well Together ARTS & WELLNESS PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS 55+ FREE PROGRAMS

EXPLORE YOUR

POSSIBILITIES

GOLDEN STAR ICE CREAM SOCIAL

Lindblom Park | 6054 S. Damen Avenue August 5 | 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

MATHER AT DUSABLE

The DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center 740 E. 56th Place August 26 | 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

FEED YOUR MIND, BODY & SOUL

AKARAMA Foundation | 6220 S. Ingleside Avenue August 27 | 9:30–11:30 a.m.

Register today! Anyone 55+ is welcome to join for our free programs.

VISIT MATHER.COM/IN-PERSON OR CALL/TEXT (888) 600.2560 TO REGISTER

073026 CB SSW

20 SOUTH SIDE WEEKLY ¬ JULY 30, 2026