PUBLICATION TEAM
Michael Romain
Communications Director
Kenn Cook Jr. Communications Specialist
Kamil Brady
Circulation Manager/Sales
Paul Goyette Photographer
Shardonae Williams Contributor
Morris Reed
Westside Health Authority/CEO
Karl Brinson
Westside Branch NAACP/President
Bernard Clay
Introspect Youth Services/Executive Director
Michael Romain
Village Free Press/Publisher
CONTACT US at stories@ourculture.us
VISIT US ONLINE at ourculture.us
Sept. 4 - 17
Saturday, Sept. 6, 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m., Austin Branch Library, 5615 W. Race Ave. | Expungement Event | My Soul, My Blackness, Roman Morrow, and Hope CDC will host an expungement event for those with a criminal record in Cook County. You must bring a copy of your record for assistance and be patient. All attorneys are working diligently to serve everyone. To obtain a printed copy of your records, go to the 35th and Michigan Avenue police precinct on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m., and bring ID.
Tuesday, Sept. 9, 4:30 - 7:30 p.m., Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, 5500 W. Madison St. | Defenders of the Court Community Legal Resource Fair | Join the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, Westside Health Authority, the Good Neighbor Campaign, the Institute for Nonviolence, Save Streetball, and the Freedom Defense Center of Austin and other sponsors for a Community Legal Resource Fair, 3-on-3 basketball tournament, free haircuts, food, and drinks (first-come, first-served).
Saturday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., Malcolm X College, 1900 W. Jackson Blvd. | Driver’s License Reinstatement Expo | The Pilsen Neighbors Community Council will host this 13th annual event, where Cook County residents can start the pathway toward reinstating their driver’s license. Preregistration is required. Attorneys will provide free counseling. You must have Cook County traffic tickets/cases. There will be official courtrooms with Cook County judges. Visit pilsenneighbors. org/dlre/ for more info.
Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Austin Town Hall, 5610 W. Lake St. | Ghan-Again Austin Music Fest 2025 | Gone Again Travel and Tours along with other community sponsors will host the Ghan-Again Austin Music Fest featuring the African Dance and Music Institute, the Austin Town Hall Youth Dancers, Gospel Artist Adrianna Thomas, the Fernando Jones Blues Band, Monique The Singer, and more. Visit GhanAgainFest.Art for more info.
Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m., Corner of 12th and Homan | MS Block Party | The Royal Court will host a block party to help strike
Look Ahead!
Saturday, Sept. 20, 9 a.m., Chicago and Mayfield | Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K | Register now for the Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Enjoy this family reunion-style celebration of fitness, fun, and community. Walk, run, dance, or cheer–there’s something for everyone. Event features a live DJ, Kids Zone, 360 Photobooth, refreshments, an after party, and food vendors. For more info or to register, visit austinpower5k. com/. Tickets are $45 per person and $450 for a team of 10.
out multiple sclerosis. Registration fee: $25. Donations will go to the National MS Society. To register, visit mssociety.donordrive.com (Search: The Royal Court). For more info, contact Edwina Betts at (312) 857-6448.
Sept. 13, Sept. 18, Various Stops in Austin | Austin Farm 2 Table Trolley Tours | Taste the fresh produce that Austin has to offer during Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures’ free trolley tours. Get free produce, gift bags, and reduced pricing. Pickups and returns during Farmer’s Market on Thursdays at Austin Town Hall Park, 5610 W. Lake St. RSVP required. Call (312) 8136047 or email info@catchtheworld.org.
Saturday, Sept. 20, 6:30 p.m., Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. | 2025 Freedom Fund Concert Fundraiser | Join the NAACP-Chicago Westside Branch for an inspiring event of live music, community celebration, and collective purpose featuring a live performance by the incomparable Terisa Griffin. VIP Tickets: $125 (includes VIP prereception access - 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., premium concert seating, and event recognition). General admission: $50 (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Valet and shuttle service available. Buy your tickets now at bit.ly/CWB25Tickets
Saturdays at various West Side locations | The Austin Garden Collective now has volunteer Saturdays available. They are working to collectively cultivate community gardens in one of Austin’s over 25 diverse green spaces. To sign up or for more info, visit austingardencollective.com.
Saturdays, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., The New Man Outreach Church, 5816 W. Chicago Ave. | First Come, First Served | Get free clothes, a free delicious dinner, free resources, counseling, housing, jobs, medical resources, senior help, and the Gospel. For more info, call (773) 413-7254.
Mondays at By The Hand Club For Kids, 415 N. Laramie | SLAM | Every Monday, By The Hand Club For Kids hosts SLAM, an event
CULTURE • September 3, 2025
MS Warriors want you to know that Black people get multiple sclerosis, too
By MICHAEL ROMAIN The Culture
Nicole Monroe, 48, wanted to know what was going on with her body. She kept falling, she had a stroke, her vision and cognition were impaired, and her body felt weak.
“It took me 12 years to get diagnosed,” Monroe said. In the meantime, she experienced “a lot of medical gaslighting” because people didn’t typically associate multiple sclerosis (MS) with Black people.
“At one time, MS was known as a white woman’s disease, so a lot of therapies we have now didn’t include Black people in the research process,” said Monroe, a former Chicago Public Schools principal who is now a community en-
focused on games, mentors, and God, hosted by GRIP Youth. This event is for high school students.
Third Wednesday of the month, 5 - 7 p.m., Christian Valley Church, 1237 S. Homan Chicago | Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors Support Group | The National MS Society maintains a network of affiliated groups to provide opportunities for people living with multiple sclerosis to connect with others in their community. The Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors Support Group welcomes anyone living with MS, as well as their family and friends. For more info or to RSVP, contact Edwina Betts at edwinabetts@ gmail.com or (312) 857-6448 or Victoria Muhammad at (708) 325-8568.
gagement manager with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
Monroe has been helping a group of West Side residents launch the Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors—the only support group for MS survivors and their loved ones on the West Side.
Edwina Betts, 62, is one of four facilitators for the group, which meets every third Wednesday of the month at 5 p.m. at Christian Valley Church, 1237 S. Homan. Betts, who also has MS, echoed Monroe’s observations about a widespread misconception about the disease that affects around 1 million people in the United States.
“A lot of people think it’s a white person’s disease,” Betts said. “That’s a widespread attitude, but we’re here to let them know that Black people have MS, too.”
According to a study funded by the National MS Society, around four whites, three Blacks, and 1.5 Hispanic/Latinx people have MS for every 1,000 people in the U.S.
One of the most challenging realities about the disease is that it’s so unpredictable. Multiple sclerosis affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.
Thursdays through October (rain or shine), 1 – 6 p.m., Austin Town Hall Park, 610 W. Lake Street, | Austin Town Farmers Market | Join the party in the park! There will be live music and entertainment, live cooking demonstrations, yoga and massage therapy, and supporting local businesses. Discover the best of local, sustainable farmers and food producers, community programs for all ages, and more. Visit austintownhallcitymarket.com for more info.
Thursdays, 3 p.m., Good Neighbor Center, 5437 W. Division St. | Faith, Family and Community Overcomers Meeting | The Good Neighbor Campaign’s weekly Overcomes Meeting is open to the public and offers community members an outlet to talk about
“This system controls everything we do,” the National MS Society explains on its website. “MS disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body. An individual’s experience with MS may change from day to day and year to year.”
Symptoms vary from person to person and include fatigue, memory loss, mood changes, pain, impaired vision, and numbness.
Group facilitator Victoria Muhammad, 58, said she was diagnosed with MS in 2007 at 34 years old.
“I had trouble walking and weakness in my left leg,” Muhammad said. “I was going to the bathroom a lot. One symptom of MS is a weak bladder. I tired easily, and my children were very active. That’s when I knew something was wrong. I had to have a spinal tap, and they said there’s a 90% chance I have MS. I didn’t believe
their anxiety, fears, and addictions.
Thursdays, 5 p.m., La Follette Park, 1333 N. Laramie | Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) | CARA’s Austin running crew focuses on improving the health and wellness of the Austin Community through walking and running. The group meets every Learn more at cararuns.org/arc.
Every First Saturday through June 2026, 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., Bethel New Life, 1140 N. Lamon Ave. | Join Bethel New Life for their next FREE Spiritual Wellness Retreat on Saturday, Sept. 6. The retreat is a space for women over 18 years old to breathe, reflect, and reconnect. We’ll gather in sisterhood for guided mindfulness practices, offering gentle
it. So, I got second and third opinions.” “There are a lot of different things that come along with MS,” said Betts. “My MS is not Victoria’s MS. Everyone’s MS is different. A lot of times, what throws us off is when people say we don’t look like we have MS. What does MS look like? We started this support group on the West Side, because a lot of people don’t know.”
For more info on MS, visit nationalMSsociety.org. For more info on the Out West North Lawndale MS Warriors, call Betts at (312) 857-6448 or email her at edwinabetts5@gmail. com. Both MS survivors and their loved ones are welcome.
rest for the mind, body, and spirit. This retreat will continue every first Saturday through June 2026, creating a rhythm of stillness in your month. There are limited spots available, so reserve your seat ASAP by contacting keely@ bethelnewlife.org or (708) 677-4435.
Want to see more events, job openings, and resources? If you’re an Austin resident looking for resources, please contact the Austin Community Hub at hub@ austincomingtogether.org or text your Full Name to (708) 529-5042, and a member of the Hub team will follow up with you.
BY BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois
CHICAGO — In front of gleaming skyscrapers along the Chicago River, Illinois’ Democratic leaders showed a united front on Aug. 25 against President Donald Trump’s threats to deploy the military into Chicago’s streets to fight crime with one message: “Mr. President, do not come to Chicago.”
“You are neither wanted here nor needed here,” Gov. JB Pritzker said at a news conference. “Your remarks about this effort over the last several weeks have betrayed a continuing slip in your mental faculties and are not fit for the auspicious office that you occupy.”
The Washington Post reported last month that the Pentagon has been considering for weeks deploying the military to Chicago. The report came a day after Trump suggested Chicago will be the next city he sends the military to after he activated the National Guard and other federal law enforcement personnel in Washington, D.C., in August.
Thousands of troops could be deployed in Chicago as soon as September, though two officials who spoke to the Post anonymously said the deployment is considered less likely for now.
“When I have some slob like Pritzker criticizing us before we even go there — I made the statement that next should be Chicago because Chicago is a killing field right now and they don’t acknowledge it and they say ‘we don’t need them, freedom, freedom, freedom, he’s a dictator. He’s a dictator.’ A lot of people are saying maybe we’d like a dictator,” Trump said on Aug. 25. “I don’t like a dictator. I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person.”
The state’s leaders said they have not been contacted by the Trump administration asking whether the state wants policing help, and state leaders said they have not asked for help.
“If this were happening in any other country, we would have no trouble calling it what it is — a dangerous power grab,” Pritzker said.
The state’s top democrats said Trump is targeting Illinois for political reasons.
“This is an act of political theater by Donald Trump, and sadly, we have to take it extremely seriously,” said U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.
Trump’s move faces significant legal questions, and Illinois leaders promised to file lawsuits to block the mobilization of the military.
General Kwame Raoul said.
Raoul noted his office has long had effective crime-fighting partnerships with federal agencies.
“I’m not and have never been opposed to collaborative help from well-trained federal law enforcement agents. Were the president serious about addressing crime or criminal threats in Chicago, he would dedicate more resources to collaborative work that we already engage in with these federal agencies,” Raoul said.
Overall crime in Chicago has declined by 13% this year, according to data from the Chicago Police Department. Nearly every category of crime has decreased this year, including murders — down 31%. Chicago has seen 256 murders through Aug. 17 this year, compared to 370 over the same timeframe in 2024. Shooting incidents broadly are down 36%. Crime in Chicago has trended downward since 2023 and is down 15% overall since then. Incidents of crime are still 40% higher at this point of 2025 than in 2021, though murder is down 50% since 2021 and shooting incidents are down 57%. Felony theft, misdemeanor theft and motor vehicle theft are all up significantly since 2021.
The city’s data portal shows crime has generally been trending down throughout the 21st century from nearly half a million crimes in 2001 to about that level in 2024. The number of annual crimes in the city has been relatively flat for about 10 years, however.
Nationally, Chicago ranked 92nd in violent crime per 100,000 people in 2024 among the nation’s 200 largest cities, according to FBI data. Memphis ranked first and Milwaukee and St. Louis were eighth and ninth, respectively, while Rockford ranked 19th. Chicago had the 22nd highest murder rate and was eighth in robbery.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson acknowledged the city must do more to reduce violence and said the Trump administration should release $800 million in violence prevention funding it has withheld this year and provide more funding for housing.
The president and Congress have more powers over Washington, D.C., because of its status as a federal district and not a state, but it’s unclear what legal authority the president is considering applying to send troops to Chicago.
The National Guard is under the control of
the governor, though the president has the power to federalize it to quell a rebellion or “unable with the regular forces” to enforce laws. The president can also invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops to serve as law enforcement.
Those criteria haven’t been met, Attorney
Also on Monday, Trump signed an executive order seeking to block federal funding to states and cities with cashless bail policies. Illinois eliminated cash bail in 2023, and Trump claimed that jurisdictions with it have higher levels of crime. Early research of the first year without cash bail in Illinois did not show an increase in crime.
The shop carries on the legacy of its founder, James Cole, who died in 2022
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
T.C. McCoy sits inside the Shine King on Austin’s Central Avenue — but he doesn’t want his shoes shined.
McCoy has brought hundreds of pairs of shoes to the shop during the more than 50 years he has patronized it, staff said. But on this August morning, he just wanted to sit, chat, and enjoy the vibes.
“I like coming here. I like interchanging with people,” McCoy said as he leaned back against a wall of the shop. A poster honoring the shop’s late founder, James Cole, hung above him. They were close, and Cole grew to know McCoy’s family.
“Nobody gives you services like Shine King, and that name means something,” McCoy said. “This is like the barbershop where they talked and [Cole] gave information to people, and [he] always was available to help people.”
To McCoy and many Austin residents, the atmosphere of Shine King keeps them coming back. Light music or the latest Dr. Phil rerun takes a backseat to the lively conversations between patrons and staff that fill the shop, covering everything from sports to the latest life lesson.
In its heyday, the shop would see over 100 pairs of shoes shined daily. Now, traffic is slower — but the
swish of a rag across leather is still the heartbeat that has kept Shine King in the neighborhood for more than 60 years.
Shine King, 338 N. Central Ave., has been a staple in Austin, providing the neighborhood’s residents with spiffy shoes and offering jobs to those in need. The business is still going strong despite a decline in shoe shining’s popularity and the death of its founder, “Shoe Shine King” James Cole.
Cole’s son, current owner Vernon Cole, is working to bring the shop into the future and appeal to a younger generation.
James Cole, the child of Tennessee sharecroppers, moved to Chicago as a teenager. After graduating from Marshall High School, he worked odd jobs as a welder and factory worker before starting to shine shoes outside of a pool hall in Garfield Park.
James Cole eventually moved to shine shoes outside a nearby record store — and then he took over the shop’s lease. Shine King opened Dec. 21, 1964, at 3205 W. Madison St. in Garfield Park before moving to the Austin location in 1968.
Back then, it was 25 cents for a rag shine, 50 cents for a spit shine, and $1 for a wax shine.
The shop garnered a following. Its famous clientele included comedian Mike Epps, musicians Little Milton and Johnnie Taylor, mayors Harold Washington and Lori Lightfoot, Louis Farrakhan, and a young Barack Obama, who came by himself “like any other customer,” Ver-
non Cole said.
The 1970s and ’80s were a bustling time for Shine King, Vernon Cole said. There would be customers waiting to be serviced from the time the shop opened at 8 a.m. until after closing time at 8 p.m. Oftentimes, employees would not leave until 11 p.m., Vernon Cole said.
But business has changed. Vernon Cole said the shop’s slow times in the ’70s and ’80s are equivalent to today’s busiest season. A shoe shine now starts at $6 and, with many supplies being imported, prices could rise this year due to inflation and tariffs, Vernon Cole said.
Following James Cole’s death in 2022, Vernon Cole took over operations, opening the shop the day after losing his father.
“It’s funny … when I was growing up, my dad spent so much time here that I pretty much swore that I would try to find another direction,” Vernon Cole said while working recently.
Despite that sentiment, Vernon Cole began working for his dad in 2002, and his outlook began to change.
“Over time, you grow to like the place. You grow to like your position, and because of that, you grow to love it. Being with somebody like my dad over a period of time, you grow to love and appreciate things,” Vernon Cole said, fighting tears.
Vernon Cole has done his best to adapt to the current state of shoe shining.
Shoe shining has long been a part of work-
places in the United States. Having work boots, loafers, and leather shoes polished was as much of a daily ritual as morning coffee.
The tradition began to decline in popularity over the years. Then, the COVID-19 pandemic sent the industry reeling as more people worked remotely and adopted more casual workwear. From 2013 to 2023, the shoe repair market, which includes shoe shine businesses, decreased by about 23 percent, according to the Associated Press.
Downtown’s Brooks Shoe Service closed in 2018. Broadway Shoe Repair shut its doors last year after more than 80 years in Lakeview.
“The entire shoe shine and shoe repair industry took a humongous hit during COVID,” Vernon Cole said. “It’s a lot different [from] when the leather dress shoe was the shoe of the day. In my lifetime, as an adult, I saw the transition.”
For Vernon Cole, adapting to the changing shoe repair market meant expanding Shine King’s services.
The shops work on more casual work shoes, gym shoes, and other footwear popular among younger people, such as Ugg boots. Beyond shoe shines and cleanings, the business offers repairs and alterations like shoe dyeing, and customers can buy their own supplies to maintain their shoes.
“The other life for shoe repair that I see is pretty much centered around the gym shoe. This time of year, of our orders, probably 40 to 50 percent are gym shoes, and in the wintertime, probably 50 to 60 percent,” Vernon Cole said.
Laughing, he joked, “But then you have to add the infamous Uggs and Timberlands, which are very popular.”
Vernon Cole is proud of his customer base of regulars and new, younger people. Ministers, businessmen, city workers, and more still steadily support Shine King, he said.
Anthony Ross, Vernon Cole’s cousin, has worked at the shop for as long as he can remember — even hanging out there as a 4-year-old when it opened in 1964, he said. He remembers working at Shine King in 1985 when Nike released first Air Jordan sneaker. He knew his craft would have to change with the times, he said.
“You’ve got to learn to adapt,” Ross said. “I was able to raise my kids off of this.“
There is still a market for more traditional shoe-shining services on the West Side, Vernon Cole said. Since the 2023 opening of a training facility for fire and police recruits in West Humboldt Park, Shine King has seen more police and fire cadets come through the doors, Cole said.
And, of course, those stopping by for a shine can still enjoy old-school conversation.
Contact reporter Michael Liptrot at michael@blockclubchi.org.
Neighbors and local leaders gathered to honor the Voice Newspapers editor, who died in a June apartment fire in Austin. The publication faces an uncertain future amid financial troubles.
By MICHAEL LIPTROT
Block Club Chicago
West Side residents last week helped lay to rest a man who had an outsized voice in their community, and now they’re working to ensure his Austin-based newspaper can continue operations.
A memorial service was held on Aug. 22 for Brad Cummings, founder and longtime editor of the Austin Voice newspaper. Cummings, 76, was one of four people killed in a June apartment fire that police say was intentionally set. Weeks later, police arrested a 23-year-old East Garfield Park man accused of setting the blaze.
Cummings’ death marked the end of a 40-year career dedicated to reporting on the West Side. As friends, family, and local leaders continue to remember his passion for community advocacy, the newspaper’s future remains uncertain amid outstanding debts and operational challenges.
“He cared deeply about the importance of education, freedom of the press, civil rights [and] voting rights,” said Mary Beth Lawton, Cummings’ sister, during the memorial at New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, 4301 W. Washington Blvd. “Your voice will be deeply missed, especially in these troubled times.”
“For the first time, Austinites saw themselves getting good things done in 20 photo-packed pages,” Steve Sewall, director of Chicago Civic Media, wrote in a recent op-ed for the Tribune. “Seven days a week, Cummings covered the community with his trusty camera. And Austinites found their voice in The Voice. They penned their own poems and opinion pieces. And chuckled with Spicy, Austin’s own puckish cartoonist.”
The Austin Voice was one of the first local publications to make readers aware of the AIDS epidemic, and it helped found the Austin AIDS Prevention Coalition, which became the
however, was posted June 19. One week later, on June 26, a fire broke out in a three-story apartment building in the 5200 block of West North Avenue, where Cummings lived across the street from the Voice Newspapers office. Ald. Emma Mitts told Block Club that the fire was started intentionally as part of a “domestic violence” incident, leading to Molotov cocktails being thrown in the building. Also killed in the fire alongside Cummings was Gina Henry, who was pregnant, her 5-year-old son Jayceon and her sister Destiny Henry, according to ABC7. Lontray Clark, the East Garfield Park man arrested in July, is being charged with three separate murder counts per each person killed as well as four counts of arson, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and one count of residential arson.
The Voice Newspapers has not published an issue since the fire as the remaining leadership figures out how to move forward.
publishing,” said Jones, who now lives in Virginia. “I wanted to pass it on to the future publisher and future editor because my time is up. … I really do want to see the paper continue on to new leadership, but I don’t want to pass the burden over to the next individuals.”
Jones said that if the debt is able to be cleared and the Voice Newspapers returns to “solid financial grounds,” then the board of advisors for the newspapers will work to select new leadership.
Regardless of the paper’s future, Jones is certain it will never be the same, but that Cummings’ memory will persist.
“Brad was one of a kind and we won’t find any replacement,” Jones said. “This was his life’s work, his passion.”
Others said that the Voice should continue on as a testament to Cummings and his belief in the possibility the West Side holds.
Cummings started the Austin Voice in 1985, co-founding the publication alongside publisher Isaac Jones. The newspaper was remarkable for its time, as it established a publication dedicated to the West Side during a period when such local news was lacking in the area.
Westside HIV/AIDS Regional Planning Council, according to Cummings’ obituary. Cummings also served as president of the Austin Business Council.
In 2005, the Garfield-Lawndale Voice started, and the publications collectively grew to be known as the Voice Newspapers. The last issue available on the Voice Newspapers’ website,
Jones, the newspapers’ publisher, told Block Club that the company owes around $65,000 in expenses for production and facilities. Jones launched a GoFundMe fundraising campaign to honor Cummings and fund the Voice called “Keep the VOICE Alive.” Nearly $3,000 has been raised towards its $10,000 goal as of Tuesday.
“If we’re not able to get the debt vacated or resolved, then the paper will just discontinue
“People ask: Will the scrappy Voice make it without Brad’s courage, creativity and 80-hour weeks?” wrote Sewall. “If Cummings could answer, he’d insist — in his boldest newscaster voice — that the West Side has all the talent, young and old, to make The Voice Chicago’s most respected newspaper.”
Read
Block Club Chicago stories at blockclubchicago.org
Contact reporter Michael Liptrot at michael@blockclubchi.org.
The Soul City Corridor was named a state cultural district around the same time a $9 million overhaul of the corridor was finalized
By MICHAEL LIPTROT Block Club Chicago
West Side business leaders are hoping the Soul City Corridor can become one of the region’s premier Black business districts after a new state cultural designation and the unveiling of a major streetscape project.
Austin’s Soul City Corridor — Chicago Avenue from Cicero Avenue to Austin Boulevard — is now a state cultural district, a designation that opens the area up to state funding and other economic development opportunities.
The state district also expands the north and south boundaries of the corridor to encompass the area between Madison and Division streets from Cicero Avenue to Austin Boulevard.
The cultural district designation, announced in May, came around the same time the city unveiled a nearly $9 million overhaul of Chicago Avenue. The project brought new pedestrian-friendly improvements and signs to the corridor, among other components.
Leaders of the Austin African American Business Networking Association, which established the Soul City corridor in 2019 and administers the state cultural district, said they hope the cultural district designation and street improvements can help them secure more opportunities and attract more customers.
“When you look at all of these pieces, now you can just say it’s not part of just one street, but now we can start looking at
an entertainment corridor versus a historic corridor and what we want the corridor to be,” said Malcom Crawford, executive director of the group. “It gives us all something that we all can get together on because it’s actually inclusive of almost the whole of Austin.”
Cultural districts can apply for up to $3 million in funds. The funds can go toward area needs and supporting programs “to foster economic development and help communities preserve their unique cultural identities,” according to the state Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
The cultural district designation is expected to help developments throughout the corridor, Crawford said. The Soul City gateway arch has been planned for years by the city and experienced delays that Crawford hopes the new status can resolve.
Crawford also hopes the designation can bring new programs and events to Austin, building on events, including the Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K, the network’s It’s Getting Chili In Soul City cookoff event, and local blues festivals.
New public infrastructure along the corridor will also help efforts to grow the area’s commercial district.
An overhaul of Chicago Avenue was launched in 2022 by the Chicago Department of Transportation to revitalize the commercial corridor with wider sidewalks, improved bike lanes, street resurfacing, curb extensions, and aesthetic improvements, including landscaping, according to the department.
The $8.7 million Chicago Avenue overhaul was completed in May, according to the city. A later phase is planned to focus on improving the area between Central and Laramie avenues, according to CDOT. Mayor Brandon Johnson praised the investment as an example of the city working “hand in hand” with residents.
“The Soul City Corridor is becoming a reflection of the Austin community’s pride and potential,” Johnson, an Austin resident, said in a statement. “These infrastructure improvements create opportunity, support small businesses and build a stronger West Side for future generations.”
Marshawn Feltus opened the A.C.T Yoga Studio in Austin in 2023 and has been involved with the Austin African American Business Networking Association for more than five years. He had seen North and South side businesses as vendors at West Side events, particularly the Austin P.O.W.E.R. 5K, and wanted to learn how his business could obtain similar exposure.
Though businesses are still learning the ins and outs of being part of a cultural district, they are hopeful it will bring increased business and attention on Austin.
“I would love to see all businesses flourish,” Feltus said. “I would love to see, especially, the business corridors in the district become more frequented, more people patronizing, more cultural connections. … It’s just building that capacity to have the human capital as well as monetary capital to be able to embark on different endeavors to bring in younger generations.”
Crawford ultimately hopes the continued success of Soul City can lead to similar predominantly Black-owned business areas in other major cities.
“Just like Chinatowns, we want to create a model that can be used in other places where, when you get to New Orleans or Detroit, you can go to a Soul City,” he said.
Read More Read
Michael Liptrot at michael@blockclubchi.org.
By MICHAEL ROMAIN The Culture
On Aug. 29, a few dozen people gathered in a vacant lot at 942 N. Lockwood Ave. owned by Edie Jacobs, the founder of the nonprofit Get to Work, Inc. Since 2013, Jacobs has leveraged her nonprofit to help West Siders find jobs. She also works closely with Black Workers Matter and Westside Workers United, organizations of workers “fighting racism in hiring and on the job,” according to their website. Dan Giloth, an organizer with the groups, said Jacobs was hosting the gathering—billed on the flyer as a Community Fish Fry Fundraiser—to raise money for her nonprofit. Those who had it to give donated, and those who didn’t ate anyway, “just how it should be,” Giloth said.
Jacobs, who has lived on the 900 block of Lockwood Avenue for more than 50 years, reminisced about how she started Get to Work. The following is her story, as told in her own words.
My son had just got out of jail and was looking for work. At that time, they weren’t hiring people in the city. They had to go out to the suburbs to get jobs, so my son met Dan and was telling him about how he went to these temp agencies to get jobs, but they weren’t hiring him. Then, one day, they had some jobs and were calling people to work, and when they called my son, they told him he couldn’t get on their van (to go a job site). They called the police on him. They didn’t arrest him.
In fact, I was working at Westside Health Authority, and they had a van. People would come to me for a job, and that van would take them to the suburbs. We’d send busloads out to the suburbs for jobs. When me and Dan got together, Dan said, ‘Ms. Jacobs, why do you
have to send people out to the suburbs when we have jobs in the city?’ That’s how we started and we’ve worked together ever since.
Even after I left Westside Health Authority, I had a van. The city donated a van to me, and I started taking people out to the suburbs for work. I’ve probably helped over 1,000 people get jobs.
But over the past two years, people have stopped coming to me for jobs. There was just a drop off. Now, maybe two or three people a week will come to me. That’s how it is now. I don’t know why.
