THE CULTURE_050124

PUBLICATION TEAM

Michael Romain

Communications Director

Frank Latin Communications Specialist/ Westside Media Project Founder

Kenn Cook Jr. Communications Specialist

Kamil Brady Circulation Manager/Sales

Kyler Winfrey

Digital Media Specialist/Good Neighbor Campaign liaison

Trey Arline Reporter

Asante Hayes

Photographer/Videographer

Jihoon Woo

Photographer/Videographer

Paul Goyette

Photographer

EDITORIAL BOARD

Morris Reed

Westside Health Authority/CEO

Karl Brinson Westside Branch NAACP/President

Bernard Clay

Introspect Youth Services/ExecutiveDirector

Frank Latin

Westside Media Project/ Executive Director

Michael Romain

Village Free Press/Publisher

CONTACT US

at mromain@healthauthority.org

Website: ourculture.us

Email: stories@ourculture.us

‘The People Are Informed That … All Slaves Are Free’

There are plenty of Juneteenth commemorations happening across the Westside and west suburbs. We’ve created a comprehensive list of many of them.

By Michael Romain Editor

“The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”

That’s the first sentence of Union General Gordon Granger’s General Order No. 3, which he read in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863.

Since then, Juneteenth has become a national holiday. This year, we conducted an exhaustive search of Juneteenth commemorations happening not just on the Westside but also in the west suburbs. We also included Westside and west suburban organizations hosting Juneteenth commemorations in other areas. So, there’s no excuse to miss a celebration this year! We’ve also included historic Juneteenth photos and a summary of the holiday’s history.

This comprehensive guide was created by The Culture and Village Free Press, a local newspaper serving nine west suburbs in Chicago, including Bellwood, Broadview, Maywood and Westchester.

If you think we’ve missed an event and want us to add it to our websites, email stories@ theculture.us.

Friday, June 14 (6 to 10 p.m.), Saturday, June 15 (3 to 10 p.m.) and Sunday, June 16 (noon to 9 p.m.) | Schroeder Park, 2600 S. 13th Ave., Broadview | Broadview will host a three-day Juneteenth celebration featuring games, R&B and Blues music, a church service and fireworks. For more info, visit broadview-il.gov.

Friday, June 14 (5 to 7 p.m.) and Saturday, June 22 (8 a.m. to 3 p.m.) | 540 W. Madison St., Loop, and Malcolm X College 1900 W. Jackson St., Near West Side | Second District Cook County Commissioner Dennis Deer and the nonprofit Juneteenth Illinois will celebrate Juneteenth with an array of programs, starting with a scholarship

reception on June 14 at 540 W. Madison St., which Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will keynote. They’ll follow that with a slate of events at Malcolm X College, including panel discussions on health, financial literacy and re-entry resources, among others. For more info, visit juneteenthillinois.com.

Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. | Oak Park Village Hall South Lawn, 123 Madison St., Oak Park | Oak Park’s annual Juneteenth community cookout will feature music, food, activities for kids, resource tables and a vendor market featuring local Black-owned businesses. For more info, visit oak-park.us/news.

Saturday, June 15, noon to 3 p.m. | Front Porch Arts Center, 5851 W. Madison St., Austin | The Front Porch Arts Center will celebrate Juneteenth with the launch of its arts space in the Austin community,

dedicated to uplifting narratives and culture through the arts. For more info, visit frontporchartscenter.org.

Saturday, June 15, 11 a.m., Saturday, June 15, noon to 6 p.m. | Columbus Park, 500 S. Central Ave., Austin | The annual Austin Juneteenth West Fest will offer opportunities to learn about history and health, as well as have great fun. Free trolleys from Austin-area parks. For more info, email b_clay@sbcglobal.net.

Saturday, June 15, noon to 8 p.m. | Anna and Frederick Douglass Park, 1401 S Sacramento Dr., North Lawndale | The third annual Juneteenth Village Fest will feature rides, games, food and performances by recording artists such as Common, Dead Prez, Domani and DJ Boolumaster. Everything is free. For more info, visit itavschools.org/villagefest.

Reesheda Graham-Washington

Martha Yates Jones (left) and Pinkie Yates (right), daughters of Rev. Jack Yates, in a decorated carriage parked in front of the Antioch Baptist Church located in Houston’s Fourth Ward, 1908. | PUBLIC DOMAIN

A JUNETEENTH PRIMER

The Public Domain Review has many historic photos of past Juneteenth celebrations that have fallen into the public domain. The following excerpt is taken from publicdomainreview.org, a website we highly recommend you visit to learn more about this pivotal moment in history.

Although Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, the Civil War then raging prevented it being enacted in much of the American South until months or even years later. Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth, is a celebration to mark the eventual country-wide realization of the decree — on June 19, 1865, when around 250,000 enslaved people were finally declared free in Texas — the last state in the US to be reached by the Union Army, commanded by General Gordon Granger, meaningfully accompanied, as historian Elizabeth Hayes Turner notes, by ‘two transports of colored troops’. Although Granger did not read out the Emancipation Proclamation itself on that day in Galveston, he did read out

‘General Order No. 3’, which began:

‘The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection therefore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.’

One year later, the first anniversary of Juneteenth — or “Jubilee Day” as it was then called — was celebrated in several places in Texas. The tradition soon took hold throughout the state. Communal barbecues, concerts, prayer services, parades, as well as baseball games, fishing, and rodeos, all featured in the festivities. Some former enslaved people and their descendants living in far-flung parts of Texas made a pilgrimage to Galveston, and many dressed in their finest clothes — partly in response to the pre–1865 statewide laws that had prevented enslaved people from dressing in any clothing not given to them by those who held them in slavery.

Saturday, June 15, 6:30 pm | Forest Park Aquatics Center, 7501 Harrison St., Forest Park | Forest Park’s Juneteenth Committee will hold its annual Juneteenth Pool Party. Open to all ages. For more info, call (708) 366-7500.

Monday, June 17, 11:30 a.m. | Maywood Police Department Courtyard, 125 S. 5th Ave., Maywood | The suburb of Maywood will host its annual flag-raising ceremony. For more info, visit maywood-il.gov.

Wednesday, June 19 (9:45 a.m. to noon) and Saturday, June 22 (11 a.m. to 6 p.m.) | Various places in Broadview and Westchester | The suburb of Westchester will host a Freedom Walk starting at a local church in Broadview and FlagRaising Ceremony ending at Westchester Village Hall on Juneteenth. A Community Celebration featuring line dancing, food trucks, a vendor market and more will be at Gladstone Park, 850 Westchester Blvd. in Westchester on June 22. For more info, visit westchester-il.org/juneteenth.

Wednesday, June 19, noon to 3 p.m.

| PopCourt, 5257 W. Chicago Ave., Austin | Special Service Area AV 72 will host Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom featuring music, food and fun. Spoken word by Azariah, Maria Moon and more. Special guest: Omega Psi Phi. For more info, call (773) 378-1878.

Wednesday, June 19, 1 to 5 p.m. | Memorial Park District, 639 N. Wolf Rd., Hillside | Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch will host hits third annual Juneteenth Festival featuring food and drink vendors, games and activities, bounce houses, live entertainment and more. For more info, email admin@hdemsil.com or call (708) 838-7005.

Wednesday, June 19, 2 to 4 p.m. | UCAN Chicago, 3605 W. Fillmore St., North Lawndale | In honor of Juneteenth, UCAN and the National Association of Black Social Workers will host a presentation by Illinois Humanities Road Scholar Connie Martin about secret codes to freedom on the Underground Railroad. For more info, call (773) 819-5013.

Wednesday, June 19, 10 a.m. | Bellwood Village Hall, 3200 Washington Blvd. in Bellwood. Bellwood will host its annual Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony. For more info, visit bellwood-il.us.

Wednesday, June 19, 5:30 to 9 p.m. |

Museum Of Contemporary Art, 220 E. Chicago Ave., Near North | The Chicago West Community Music Center in West Garfield Park will hold its 25th Anniversary Gala on Juneteenth. The celebration will feature “Sweet Freedom Suite,” an original dance suite written by Chicago West Community Music Center Executive Director Howard Sandifer, with choreography by Joel Hall and a musical performance by CWCMC students. For more info, visit cwcmc.org.

Saturday, June 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | West Town Museum of Cultural History, 104 S. 5th Ave., Maywood | The nonprofit Operation Uplift and its museum is partnering with the village of Maywood to host the 2024 Juneteenth National Freedom Day Celebration. The event will feature an address at noon from King Togbi Nyako Tamakloe VI of the Anlo Kingdom Volta Region in Ghana and two Reflection of the Past Trolley Tours of historically significant places in the village. For more info, call (708) 343-3554.

Sunday, June 23, 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. | Art Studio 928, 452 S. Oak Park Blvd., Oak Park | The Chicago Brickyard chapter of More Perfect Union, a national movement

to strengthen communities, will host a Juneteenth Tea Party designed with a variety of activities to deepen our understanding of Juneteenth’s historical significance. It provides a space to engage in meaningful conversations about freedom, reflecting on the journey from emancipation to acknowledgment. The event will also explore the rich history of tea, drawing connections between the cultural significance of this beverage and the resilience of a community that has triumphed over adversity. For more info, visit mpu.us/chapters/chicago-il.

Friday, June 28, (4 to 9 p.m.) and Saturday, June 29 (6:30 to 11:30 p.m.) | Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd., Austin | On Friday, the Kehrein Center will host a free screening of the film “Juneteenth” and a conversation with panelists Opal Lee, Jarred Howard, and Afton Battle. Food, drink, vendors, a workshop with Ear Taxi Creative Director LaRob Rafael, and more. On Saturday, the Center will host the Black Aura Gala featuring dinner, libations, the Black Aura Awards, a VIP reception, and an afterparty. Tickets for Saturday’s event start at $55. For more info, visit kcachicago.org.

Juneteenth band. Photograph by Grace Murray Stephenson of celebrations in Eastwoods Park, Austin, 1900. | PUBLIC DOMAIN

Baseball Is Back on the Westside

Young members of the Chicago Westside Police and Youth Sports Conference marched with officers from the 10th, 11th, 15th and 25th Chicago Police Department districts on June 1 to celebrate opening day. The parade started at 9 a.m., with marchers walking south on Central Park Avenue before the opening day games started at the Garfield Baseball Fields.

PHOTOS BY JIHOON WOO

WESTSIDE LIVES

Commemorating Juneteenth as It Was Intended

Reesheda GrahamWashington, executive director of the Kehrein Center

for the Arts, urges us to think deeper about

Juneteenth

By Michael Romain Editor

Juneteenth (a combination of June and nineteenth) marks the date – June 19, 1865 – when “Gen. Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced to residents of Texas that all enslaved people were now free. Granger commanded the Headquarters District of Texas, and his troops had arrived in Galveston the previous day,” according to the National Archives.

Formerly enslaved people in Texas have been celebrating that historic day since 1866. In 2021, a year after George Floyd’s murder, Juneteenth was designated a state holiday in Illinois and a federal holiday across the country.

Reesheda Graham-Washington, the new executive director of the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. in Austin, spoke recently to The Culture about her thoughts on how Juneteenth has been remembered since coming to mainstream prominence and her plans as head of the Kehrein Center to reimagine the commemoration.

‘WE GOT THE HOLIDAY … AND THEN WE STARTED BARBECUING’

State Rep. La Shawn Ford passed a bill for the commemoration of Juneteenth [in Illinois] and Opal Lee, an amazing human being in Dallas, Texas, literally walked to the national capitol in an effort to raise the significance of Juneteenth and why it should be celebrated.

So, we have this day set aside as a holiday, but we don’t completely understand and appreciate the significance of Juneteenth. Rep. Ford would say part of the reason we don’t

know is that we’re not doing a good job of teaching history in schools.

Also, once we got the holiday, we kind of didn’t know what to do with it. We were happy to have it. We kind of understood it had something to do with the freedom of Black people. And then we started barbecuing and we threw parades. But what I don’t feel like we took the opportunity to do is step back and say, ‘What is this holiday? What does it mean? What is it for? And how do we commemorate it in the way it is intended? In the way our ancestors would have wanted us to think about it?

When you think about the resilience associated with Blackness and Black people, it doesn’t just come out of nowhere, it comes out of a struggle. Resilience is born of struggle. So, how do we use this holiday to hold these two notions of struggle and resilience in tandem with each other and do that in a way that is informed by our collective social

identity in Chicago and in a way that is inspired by the beautiful artistic expressions of Black folk, which span music, art, dance – all the genres of artistry.

ON THE ‘BLACK AURA’ WEEKEND

The Black Aura is a weekend: June 28 and June 29. On June 28, we will hold workshops to explore some of these ideas and learn more about the history of Juneteenth. That evening, we’ll screen the documentary “Juneteenth” with Afton Battle, one of the people in the documentary.

We’ve invited Mama Opal Lee and the curators of the National Juneteenth Museum in Dallas-Fort Worth.

On Saturday, we’ll host a performance gala. The first part of the evening will be an artistic expression by way of various genres of performance that celebrate the tension

between struggle and resilience, specifically as it exists in Chicago — through house music, hip-hop culture and so much more. We’ll also dig into the history of Black people in orchestral music, which people don’t even know is a thing.

We’ll have various partners, from Ravinia to Lyric Unlimited to Chicago Opera Theater and many others, who will come and be with us as we celebrate this multiplicitous existence called Blackness in Chicago. We hope to build on this year after year.

ON THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNE 28 AND JUNE 29

The June 28 and 29 weekend sits right between Juneteenth and the Fourth of July, or Independence Day. It tugs on these histories, teasing them out and getting present to what they really mean, what they really entail, and how we might be present to the grief of the struggle but also present to the celebration of that resilience we get from it.

Another reason for the dates is that we don’t want people to feel torn about where to be. We want folks to do their barbecues and parades and all the things they do for Juneteenth, but then let’s get together at the end of the month and get present to what work we haven’t done around how we get present to Juneteenth.

Having these conversations communally might change the way we celebrate Juneteenth as a city moving forward.

How To Attend

The Black Aura weekend will occur Friday, June 28, and Saturday, June 29, at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. Friday programming is free.

Tickets for Saturday’s gala are $40 (if purchased early), $55 (general) and $75 (VIP). They can be purchased at rb.gy/ nyyskf. For more information, visit KCAChicago.org.

Reesheda Graham-Washington, the new executive director of the Kehrein Center for the Arts, inside her office. Caption | KENN COOK JR.

They’ve Got Talent!

The Westside Branch NAACP’s ACT-SO Awards on May 20 showcased gifted young people

By Frank Latin Westside Media Project

The Chicago Westside Branch NAACP held its annual Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technical and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) at Malcolm X College on May 20.

Often called “the Olympics of the mind,” ACT-SO is a national enrichment program that includes local competitions and ceremonies that allow students to display their talents and abilities outside of sports.

Young people compete in 32 different categories — ranging from the humanities and performing arts to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

"This is all about giving back to the students and giving back to the community."

The May 20 event culminated a few months of enrichment activities that students participated in at their local schools. It attracted over 400 people, who filled the college’s auditorium with energy, laughter and cheering.

Some Westside schools represented included Chicago Math and Science Academy, Westinghouse College Prep, Christ the King College Prep, North Lawndale College Prep,

and Austin College Career Academy.

After the performances, students were treated to an indoor carnival with games, caterers, desserts, and a live DJ.

“I’m so excited to have learned about this program,” said Minion Mack, whose son, Chicago High School for the Arts senior DeAngelo Davis, and daughter, Chicago Bulls College Prep freshman Dariana Davis, participated in the program.

“I only wish I had learned about it when my son was a freshman, but he’s a senior now,” she said. “However, my daughter is a

freshman, and she will definitely continue to participate throughout high school.”

DeAngelo won two gold medals in the music category — one for contemporary vocals and the other for classical vocals. Dariana also won a gold medal in the contemporary vocals competition. They’ll both travel to Las Vegas for the national ACT-SO competition.

The ACT-SO initiative was founded in Chicago by Vernon Jarrett, a pioneering Black journalist who died in 2004. Jarrett used his syndicated newspaper columns and long-running radio and TV shows to educate Americans

about the Black experience in America.

The May 20 event also highlighted students participating in the NAACP’s Mediation, Enrichment, Mentoring Opportunities (M.E.M.O.) program. This program teaches students about mediation, conflict resolution, and restorative justice practices that can be used to address minor altercations that could potentially escalate to violence.

“I’m just happy and overjoyed,” said Anissa Burrell-Butler, the event’s organizer. “This is all about giving back to the students and giving back to the community.”

ACT-SO student winners pose with Chicago Westside Branch NAACP staff members. | JIHOON WOO

Students enjoy ACT-SO performances. | JIHOON WOO

Sole' Sampley stirs the audience with her vocal performance. Caption. | JIHOON WOO

TNT Restaurant In Austin Is A Whole Vibe

By Frank Latin Westside Media Project

TNT Rooftop Restaurant, 5405 W. Madison St., is a whole vibe. The establishment provides much-needed upscale dining in the Austin community. It is a place to enjoy a cozy, intimate atmosphere while smooth, jazzy tunes play in the background. It has a very modern but classy décor that feels like something you’d see in the West Loop.

Shakela has served as the restaurant’s manager since its opening in December.

“We’re not a big corporation, but [the owners] care,” she said. “They don’t mind doing dishes or waiting tables. You know what I’m saying?”

The restaurant has a bar area, a dining area, and an additional private dining room that is also used for regular seating when it’s not reserved. As the name implies, the restaurant also includes a rooftop area with a separate bar and grill that will officially opens in June.

Anthony Anderson is a lifelong Austin resident. He and his wife Tanika purchased and renovated the property, which was previously a dry cleaner, to open a clothing boutique. They created three separate businesses in the space, including TNT Restaurant, an event space, and the clothing boutique Dressed 1213. They are both very hands-on and involved in every aspect of their businesses.

The wait staff at TNT is very professional and attentive, which helps to create a pleasant environment.

“This is a really good staff,” Shakela said. “They’re fun to be around. It’s very rare when you enjoy going to work, but I don’t mind coming to work because these six to seven hours that I’m here fly by. We’ve created an atmosphere

OUT & ABOUT [ [

here where everyone is like family. We have Venezuelan migrants who work here and they are just as much family as everyone else.”

Anthony and Tanika are from the area and wanted to create a business that would allow them to connect with the community. The couple had lived in Miami for a while, so they developed the idea of creating a rooftop venue.

“We wanted to put something in the community that would be impactful,” Anthony said. “There are a lot of people who don’t get to travel outside the neighborhood, which means they don’t get to experience some of these other environments and upscale restaurants.”

As a person familiar with the area, I couldn’t help but no-

If You Go

TNT Rooftop Restaurant, 5405 W. Madison St., has a great selection of sides. You should definitely try them. I ordered the seafood bites (fried lobster, salmon, and shrimp) and buffalo shrimp. It was all fire.

Contacts

On the web: instagram.com/tnt_rooftopchgo/?hl=en By email: tntrooftopreservations@gmail.com

By phone: (773) 417-4529

Hours: Sun. - Thurs., 4 to 10 p.m. | Fri. - Sat., 4 p.m. to midnight | Closed Tuesday (Walk-ins are Welcome)

tice the current transformation. There’s a nice, tranquil garden next door, the Aspire Center is being built at Madison and Laramie, and I was enjoying a sit-down meal in an upscale restaurant looking out onto Madison Street in Austin.

Regarding the food, the main courses include filet mignon, bone-in ribeye, lamb chops and blackened salmon. TNT also offers a great choice of appetizers and sides, including buffalo shrimp, TNT wings, asparagus, garlic mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese.

For safety purposes, the restaurant’s policy is that everyone must be wanned before entering, so be prepared. Also, for weekends, it may be a good idea to make reservations in advance because it may get crowded.

The bar area inside TNT Rooftop Restaurant in Austin. The restaurant has a cozy, intimate atmosphere. | PHOTO BY ASANTE HAYES

TNT Rooftop Restaurant's seafood bites (fried lobster, salmon and shrimp) and buffalo shrimp. | PHOTO BY FRANK LATIN

Austin Town Hall City Market Now Open

The Austin Town Hall City Market, 5610 W. Lake St. in Austin, officially opened for the season on June 6. Now through Oct. 31, the market will open every Thursday from 1 to 6 p.m. There’s no market on July 4.

Community members can buy fresh, affordable fruits and vegetables with various payment methods, including SNAP EBT. For every dollar spent with a Link card, you earn Link Match coupons to spend on fresh produce up to $25 per swipe. For more info, visit fortyacresfreshmarket.com/markets.

Michele Clark Gets ‘Adopted,’ Unveils New Football Field

Students at Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School, 5101 W. Harrison St. in Austin, have had much to brag about lately.

On May 3, the school held a ribbon-cutting for its new state-of-the-art turf football field, which was built on the site of what used to be an abandoned lot.

“They should know that this is in their backyard,” Michele Clark Principal Charles Anderson told TV news outlets. “It was just so much garbage over here that people couldn’t see that this would be a field.”

Later in the month, the 90 students in Michele Clark’s 2024 graduating class celebrated commencement at Living Word Christian Center, 7600 W. Roosevelt Rd. in

NEWS BRIEFS [

Forest Park. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson gave the keynote address at the May 30 ceremony.

Living Word recently adopted Michele Clark as part of the national Adopt-A-School program through an initiative originally established by Dr. Tony Evans, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, more than 30 years ago.

“Living Word adopted Michele Clark High School to align with the vision of Dr. Bill Winston, senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center, to help enhance local public schools by providing crucial resources such as mentoring, leadership training, booster club support, vocational skills training, character building and additional outreach services that expose students to a variety of opportunities and increase their outlook for professional success beyond high school,” church representatives explained in a statement.

Dr. Bill Winston, Living Word’s pastor, lauded the Adopt-A-School program in a statement.

“By adopting public schools in the Chicagoland area, our hope is to provide students with indispensable skills and undeniable value, the Booker T. Washington Model,” Winston said.

Westside Travel Expert Gets New Chicago Avenue Home

Crystal Dyer has been the face of Westside travel for around two decades. In the early 2000s, she founded Gone Again Travel and

Clothing Giveaway Attracts Hundreds

On June 6, the Westside Health Authority’s Community Wellness Team and Corridor Ambassadors hosted a clothing giveaway at PopCourt, 5237 W Chicago Ave. in Austin. Wellness Workers said over 100 people showed up to grab free clothes, jackets, coats and shoes. There was also food and resources from various vendors, including the Christian Community Health Center and Community Healing.

Tours, and in 2015, she founded Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures (CAYTA). The latter organization takes Westside young people across the city and worldwide to expose them to new experiences.

For years, Dyer has done business at 5940 W Chicago Ave. On June 6, Dyer turned a new chapter in her career by opening her new office at 4952 W. Chicago Ave.

“The nonprofit will have three units here — a computer center, a game room, and a horticulture area to benefit the youth’s mental health, so they can learn about food grown from the ground up,” Dyer said.

Dyer also debuted the Austin Farm to Table Trolley Tours on June 6. She’ll guide a group of community members through different community gardens in Austin at no cost. Future tours are scheduled for the months ahead.

For more info or to donate to Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures, visit caytaworld.org.

Joseph Green, WHA’s workforce/job development director who also manages the Corridor Ambassadors program, said the Wellness Workers and Ambassadors wanted to hose the clothing giveaway to give back to the community.

“They went to the businesses in the community and asked for donations,” Green said.

“That’s the first part of learning how to fundraise. This opportunity was to help them to learn how to do community-building, give back and put God in it first.”

The 2024 graduating class of Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School at their May 3 commencement ceremony at Living Word Christian Center in Forest Park. | COURTESY MICHELE CLARK

The new, state-of-the-art turf football field at Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School in Austin. | COURTESY MICHELE CLARK

Ald. Emma Mitts and Crystal Dyer cut the ribbon on Dyer's new office space. | KENN COOK JR.

Wellness Workers and Corridor Ambassadors host a clothing giveaway on June 6. | KENN COOK JR.

Layla Lee, 17, Has a Lofty GPA To Match Her Lofty Ambitions

A few months ago, we invited community members to nominate a young person for our Student of the Month feature. Layle Lee is the first student we’re profiling in this effort.

The 17-year-old graduated from North Lawndale College Prep with a 4.3 GPA. After getting into all 10 colleges she applied for, she chose Northeastern Illinois University.

Layla told us more about herself in an interview last month.

Why did you choose Northeastern?

It has my major, business administration, and I like the community. I visited twice and it was very nice. I liked the living spaces, the dorms were very nice. It was beautiful.

What are your career aspirations?

I want to have my own business — either a

We’re Seeking Student Interns and Students of the Month STUDENT of the MONTH [ [

The Culture and Westside Media Project is seeking students to highlight and train

By Frank Latin Westside Media Project

Westside Media Project (WMP) is looking to partner with area high schools to locate students interested in developing media skills by participating in a paid journalism internship program.

The selected student(s) will receive a series of trainings, tools and resources that provide insight and exposure into the world of journalism. In addition, students will be assigned to cover and write one to two local stories that will appear in The Culture newspaper. At the end of the internship, students will understand the importance of ethical standards in journalism and trained in media literacy, particularly the skill of distinguishing

daycare center or a fashion store. I want people to express their feelings through clothing.

Why a daycare?

When I was growing up, I used to babysit my cousins and I got paid to do it. I really like kids. If I see a kid, I’ll give them a dollar or some candy and take them to the store.

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

I like going outside with my friends and shopping. I also like going to the movies, writing poetry and listening to music. Some of my favorite artists are Rod Wave, Lil Baby, Alesha Keys and Beyonce.

Poetry, in particular, relieves me. I used to write poems and say them to my grandmother, who gave me feedback. I let go of my feelings through poetry.

Who’s your biggest role model?

I consider my mother, Tashawnda Fort, my biggest role model. She’s an entrepreneur herself. She is a licensed esthetician and does full-body waxing. She went to school to do that and stepped her game up. I look up to her. She owns a barbershop called Studio 290, 4313 W. Cermak in Chicago.

What are some of your favorite things about living on the Westside?

The food is dope and I love how the community takes care of the youth. I just want the community to know that coming together and working together is not bad. The youth are trying to make a change.

facts from opinions. The training is aligned with the Illinois Learning Standards and designed to help students improve their research, interviewing and writing skills. The training willa lso help students develop and utilize their critical thinking skills to process information and produce accurate, responsible news stories.

This is a unique opportunity for area students who want to develop a voice on issues they view as important and that impact their lives. Students will receive a stipend of between $50 and $100 per issue.

If you know of a student in grades 9 through 12 who may be interested in this opportunity, email us at westsidemediaproject@gmail.com explaining why they are interested in the program.

Westside Media Project’s mission is to provide exposure to networks, opportunities and pathways in media-related fields as well as to provide assistance to participants in utilizing their words, voices and skill sets to tell their own stories for individual and community transformation.

NOMINATE A STUDENT OF THE MONTH

The Culture is looking to highlight Black excellence among our Westside youth. We will begin recognizing and celebrating students’ accomplishments in an effort to boost their confidence and self-esteem.

Publicly acknowledging student achievements motivates not only the students who are recognized, but also their peers. It also sets a positive example and encourages others to work hard and achieve similar success.

When students see that their hard work and accomplishments are valued and celebrated, it fosters a positive and supportive learning environment. This positivity can lead to increased engagement, participation, and overall academic success.

Highlighting student achievement can also inspire other students to set goals for themselves and work towards achieving them. It promotes a culture of goal setting and continuous improvement.

If you know of a student in grades 6 through 12 who has excelled in at least two

of the following areas, please scan the QR code to complete the nomination or email us at westsidemediaproject@gmail.com:

■ Academic Achievement: Demonstrates significant improvement or outstanding performance in their studies

■ Personal Growth and Resilience: Shows significant personal development or improvement in any area. Displays resilience and a positive attitude.

■ Character and Values: Exhibits integrity, honesty and respect for others.

■ Leadership and Initiative: Displays leadership qualities in the classroom and other school activities.

Layla Lee, a graduate of North Lawndale College Prep, will attend Northeastern Illinois University in the fall. Right, she enjoys a moment during her prom send-off. PROVIDED