Kyler Winfrey Digital Media Specialist/Good Neighbor Campaign liaison
Paul Goyette Photographer
EDITORIAL BOARD
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
Westsiders On What They Want To See In Local Media
Community members expressed opinions on news and storytelling at Nov. 9 event
By The Culture Staff
On Nov. 9, Westside community members gathered at BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison St., to celebrate The Culture, a new Austin-based storytelling platform, and to provide their input about how they want their stories told, what stories they want to be shared, what storytelling means to them, and how they receive news and information.
Below is a summary of the feedback that we garnered that day. The Culture team
and Austin Coming Together’s Authentic Storytelling Campaign will utilize this feedback to guide our work in securing resources, funding, and support for existing arts, culture, local news, and storytelling initiatives.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN ‘THE CULTURE’?
We received 10 responses that included ideas about stories they’d like to see and ways of telling stories. They recommended stories and information about:
Labor issues that include:
Workers’ struggles, organizing, and hiring conditions at Westside workplaces like Amazon
Small businesses
Laws
Financial literacy
Farmer’s Markets 8. Digital design and art programs 9. And, generally, “stories that empower and promote unity”
Community members gather at BUILD Chicago, 5100 W. Harrison St., on Nov. 9 for The Culture's launch event, where attendees shared their ideas on news and storytelling. | SHANEL ROMAIN
Other people focused on the storytelling method, with one person wanting to see “honesty about who’s who on the Westside.”
We received a comprehensive response submitted by the Austin-based groups Black Workers Matter (BWM), which fights discrimination/ segregation in hiring and on the job, and Get Back to Work, Inc., a direct-hire/jobs placement program. The groups provided a constructive critique of previous The Culture reporting and included several recommendations, including:
• “We want worker self-representation in media.”
• “How well are essential workers—and the groups they lead—represented in city/neighborhood media?”
• “We want ‘The Culture’ to ‘platform’ the voices and struggles of independent workers’ and workers’ groups like BWM. This includes ‘growing’ and holding accountable employers and development initiatives that are designed to benefit them. With this coverage and feedback, rights can be respected and programs improved.”
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR NEWS & WHAT IS STORYTELLING TO YOU?
We received 7 responses for this section focusing on storytelling that captures people’s real, authentic experiences.
• “Capturing the stories of families going to church, the grocery store, and playing double-butch.”
• “Storytelling is sharing your experiences.”
• “Authentic communication that defines truth.”
• “Learning and retaining our history.”
• “Real news told by real journalists.”
• “Real people in the community.”
• “Reassurance”
WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR NEWS?
Attendees were invited to place a dot on areas indicating where they get their news and how frequently. Among those surveyed, 14 said they get their news from social media (11 said they get their news from social media “multiple times a day”). Despite the media category, most respondents said they check news “multiple times a day.”
Westside Health Authority's Good Neighbor Wellness Workers are also critical to The Culture's print circulation. On Nov. 9, they got a shout-out in front of audience members at BUILD Chicago. | SHANEL ROMAIN
Members of Westside Health Authority's Corridor Ambassadors program, the group responsible for circulating the newspaper throughout the Westside, were acknowledged on Nov. 9 for their valiant efforts. | SHANEL ROMAIN
Karl Brinson, the president of the Westside Branch NAACP, was mentioned on Nov. 9 for his contributions to The Culture. | SHANEL ROMAIN
In addition to the Nov. 9 event at BUILD Chicago, Austin Coming Together's Authentic Storytelling Campaign facilitated a conversation among community leaders about news and storytelling held Dec. 6 at the Kehrein Center For The Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. | PAUL GOYETTE
Record Low Turnout Across Westside As Harris Support Lagged Previous Years
By Michael Romain Editor
The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the results of the Nov. 5 Presidential Election on Dec. 2. The results show that, despite sky-high turnout nationally, voter turnout in the city, and particularly on the Westside, was lower than previous years.
The results also show that support on the Westside for the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris, plummeted compared to the 2016 and 2020 election cycles. The Republican nominee, former president Donald Trump, experienced notable increases in his vote share over 2016 and 2020.
According to results shown on the Chicago Board of Elections website, voter turnout was around 68% across the city—the second-lowest voter turnout in 80 years, city election
officials said. Turnout on the Westside was even lower. In the 24th, 28th, 29th, and 37th wards, turnout was 49.5%, 52.8%, 59.1%, and 49%, respectively.
Harris beat Trump convincingly in those four Westside wards, where her vote share ranged from a high of 87% in the 28th Ward to a low of 81.6% in the 29th Ward. What’s notable, however, is the extent to which Harris underperformed both Biden’s 2020 performance and Hillary Clinton’s 2016 performance in those wards—not only in vote share but also in turnout.
Both in 2016 and 2020, turnout wasn’t much lower than 59% in the Westside wards.
Clinton trounced Trump in those wards by anywhere from 90.7% to 97%. In 2020, Biden won those wards by between 87.2% and 92.8%. In 2024, however, Harris garnered a low of 81.6% in the 29th Ward to a high of 84.6% in the 37th Ward.
Meanwhile, Trump’s vote share in those wards steadily climbed from 2016 to 2024. In 2016, Trump’s vote share ranged from 1.5% in the 24th Ward to 7.4% in the 29th Ward. In 2024, Trump garnered between 11.7% in the 28th Ward to 17.2% in the 29th Ward.
The story on the Westside mirrors what happened in other places where the Presidential Election wasn’t contested.
“Turnout dropped from 2020 in noncompetitive states such as Illinois, which recorded more than 500,000 fewer votes than in the last presidential election, and Ohio, which reported more than 300,000 less,” the Associated Press reported.
The pattern is also consistent with election analysis showing support for Trump up nationally among some Blacks and Hispanics. An NBC analysis of census data showed a rightward shift of Black voters in the South and counties with large Black populations. The analysis also found that areas with “high concentrations of high school graduates saw some of the steepest Democratic declines.” And an Edison Research exit poll showed Trump’s support among Hispanic voters up 14% from 2020, Reuters reported.
The voting shifts on the Westside also reflected what’s happening in urban areas like New York City.
“Donald J. Trump won 30 percent of the votes cast in New York City this month,” the New York Times reported. “It was a seven-point jump from his performance in 2020, and a higher share of the vote than any Republican nominee has won in the city since George H.W. Bush in 1988. But his improved vote share was driven more by the votes Democrats lost than by the votes he gained.” Statewide, Harris beat Trump 55% to 44%. Biden won Illinois by around 17% in 2020. Clinton won the state by around 16% in 2016. Trump, who won 312 Electoral Votes to Harris’s 224, leads in the popular vote by around 2.5 million votes. The Cook County clerk must certify election results before Nov. 26. The state must certify Illinois election results by Dec. 6.
Political yard signs scattered outside an early voting station on the Westside ahead of the Nov. 5 Presidential Election. | KENN COOK JR.
By The Culture Team
Austin Coming Together (ACT) held its annual Membership Awards on Nov. 14 at the Morgan MFG, 401 N. Morgan St. Westside nonprofit’s event was sponsored by Wells Fargo and emceed by Austin radio host, entrepreneur, consultant, and activist Marseil “Action” Jackson.
Marisa Novara, the vice president of Community Impact for Chicago Community Trust, hosted a conversation with ACT Executive Director Darnell Shields about Austin’s rich past and bright future.
ACT also recognized the following organizations and individuals with awards at our 2024 event:
• Excellence in Early Childhood Development Honoree: A House In Austin
• Excellence in Neighborhood Safety and Youth Development Honoree: Territory NFP
OUT & ABOUT [ [
Austin Coming Together Honored Community Leaders at Annual Membership Awards Kehrein Center Hosted
• Excellence in Workforce Development Honoree: HIRE360
• Excellence in Housing and Neighborhood Development Honorees: Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning & Urban Land Institute Chicago for their collaborative work on the Central Avenue redevelopment project
• Member of the Year Honoree: Defy Ventures
• Champion of Collective Impact in Austin Honoree: Austin Fresh
• The Mildred Wiley Community Fire Award Honorees:
- Crystal Dyer, founder and CEO of Gone Again Travel & Tours in Austin, Executive Director of Chicago Austin Youth Travel Adventures
- Pastor Steve Epting, Sr. with Hope Community Church in Austin
- Charles Anderson, Principal at Michele Clark High School in Austin
On Dec. 7, the Kehrein Center for the Arts Foundation hosted its inaugural Living Room Sessions at the Kehrein Center For The Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. in Austin.
Reesheda Graham Washington, the Kehrein Center’s executive director, said the event was designed to share, showcase, and build community for people like Anjanette Young, the founder of the I AM Her Foundation.
In 2019, Chicago Police handcuffed Young while she was naked during a botched raid at the wrong home. Young said she started I AM Her to help other women experiencing trauma. She said therapy was a huge part of her healing process and she wants to offer
the service to other women.
The event featured a panel that included Washington, Young, and other community leaders in mental health, law enforcement, and other areas. The event also featured the work of artists and other creatives who were inspired by Young’s story.
More
You can learn more on the Kehrein Center for the Arts at kcachicago.org. You can learn more about I AM Her Foundation at iamher21.com. You can learn more about Austin Coming Together at austincomingtogether.org.
Westside Health Authority CEO Darnell Shields, far right, spoke about Austin's past and future during the organization's Membership Awards on Nov. 14. | COURTESY ACT
Activist Anjanette Young participates in the first Living Room Session at the Kehrein Center on Dec. 7. | PAUL GOYETTE
Smell of Raw Cannabis Allows Police To Search a Vehicle, Illinois Supreme Court Rules
High court ruled earlier this year that the smell of burnt cannabis was not probable cause
By Ben Szalinski Capitol News Illinois
The smell of raw cannabis in a vehicle gives police probable cause to search it, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled earlier this month.
The ruling comes months after the court ruled the smell of burnt cannabis does not give police probable cause to search a vehicle, drawing a fine line for motorists and police to follow when evaluating legal possession of cannabis.
“The odor of burnt cannabis suggests prior or current cannabis use, and the odor of raw cannabis suggests that cannabis is currently possessed in the area where the odor is detected. Different laws are implicated based on those inferences,” Justice P. Scott Neville, a Democrat, wrote in the majority opinion.
The 4-2 ruling by the court, with Republican Justice Lisa Holder White abstaining, found that an Illinois State Police trooper conducted a legal search of a car in which Vincent Molina was a passenger in December 2020, after the driver was pulled over for speeding on Interstate 88 in Whiteside County.
According to court documents, the trooper said he smelled raw cannabis in the vehicle and initiated a search. The trooper then found multiple joints in a cardboard box in the car’s center console and cannabis in a sealed plastic container in the glove box. Molina was charged with a misdemeanor for illegal possession of cannabis.
A circuit court initially ruled in Molina’s favor, finding the search was unreasonable because Illinois law allows people over age 21 to possess recreational cannabis. But an appellate court and the Illinois Supreme Court disagreed with that ruling, citing the state’s laws for how cannabis should legally be possessed in a vehicle.
Illinois law requires cannabis to be in a “sealed, odor-proof, child-resistant cannabis container” when in a car and for it to be “reasonably inaccessible while the vehicle is moving.”
Neville wrote the trooper made a “reasonable inference” that the smell meant cannabis was illegally possessed.
“While cannabis is legal to possess generally, it is illegal to possess in a vehicle on an Illinois highway unless in an odorproof container,” Neville wrote. “The odor of raw cannabis strongly suggests that the cannabis is not being possessed within the parameters of Illinois law. And, unlike the odor of burnt cannabis, the odor of raw cannabis coming from a vehicle reliably points to when, where, and how the cannabis is
possessed — namely, currently, in the vehicle, and not in an odor-proof container.”
The Illinois Supreme Court unanimously ruled in September, with White abstaining, that the smell of burnt cannabis does not indicate a crime has been committed and does not give police probable cause to search a vehicle. Though a state trooper found a gram of cannabis in the car at the center of that case, the driver exhibited no signs of impairment, and the trooper should not have searched the vehicle, the court concluded in an opinion authored by Neville.
“It makes no sense to treat raw cannabis as more probative when the odor of burnt cannabis may suggest recent use, whereas the odor of raw cannabis does not suggest consumption,” O’Brien wrote. “If the crime suggested by the odor of burnt cannabis is not sufficient for probable cause,
then certainly the crime suggested by the odor of raw cannabis cannot be either.”
O’Brien, a former state lawmaker, noted it is legal to possess certain amounts of cannabis in Illinois.
“The result, whether intentional or not, is to continue to stigmatize the use of cannabis despite the legislative efforts to legalize the use of cannabis,” she wrote.
Supreme courts in other states have also issued rulings placing limits on when the smell of cannabis gives probable cause to police to search a vehicle.
Illinois lawmakers have also sought to enshrine limitations on vehicle searches based on the smell of cannabis into state law. The Senate passed a bill in 2023 that would prohibit police from searching a vehicle based on the smell of burnt or raw cannabis, but it stalled in the House pending resolution of the court cases.
Uncovered cannabis in a jar. | UNSPLASH
New Freedom Defense Center Coming To Aspire Center
Ribbon cutting for converted school at Central and Madison scheduled for April 2025
By Michael Romain Editor
The Cook County Public Defender plans to open its second Freedom Defense Center inside the Aspire Center for Workforce Innovation, a three-story, 78,000-square-foot facility at 5500 W. Madison St. that will open in the spring. The facility was once home to Robert Emmet Elementary School, which closed in 2013.
Community members saw what the Freedom Defense Center might look like at an informational meeting held Nov. 20 at Columbus Park Refectory, 5701 W. Jackson Blvd. in Austin.
Emmanuel Andre, the public defender’s deputy of policy and strategic litigation, told attendees that the center will focus on three key elements that are often missing in conventional relationships between the accused and the public defenders assigned to represent them: Developing relationships with attorneys, creating access to attorneys, and allowing people accused of crimes the ability to express agency.
“So often a person’s voice is not heard in [the legal] process,” Andre said. “This is your life. The attorneys are legal experts but
you’re the expert in your life.”
Andre said the Freedom Defense Center will include a trauma recovery specialist, a client advocate, community navigators, and an arts coordinator.
The public defender opened the first Freedom Defense Center in Roseland last year. Andre told Block Club Chicago in 2023 that the centers are modeled, in part, on the nonprofit Bronx Defenders in New York City and the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy in Evanston.
During the Nov. 20 informational meeting, community members were given a set of questions designed to survey the public about what residents want to see inside the Westside center.
Some of those questions include:
• What are specific legal needs and challenges the community faces?
• How can they ensure the center is accessible and inclusive?
• What role should the community play in the operation and governance of the center?
ASPIRE CENTER MAKING PROGRESS
During the Dec. 10 monthly meeting held at Columbus Park Refectory by the Leaders
Network, the Westside faith-based social justice organization, Westside Health Authority (WHA) CEO Morris Reed said a ribbon-cutting for the Aspire Center is planned for April 2025.
Reed said WHA and Austin Coming Together (ACT), the two Austin-based organizations that are co-developing the $41 million project, just received their certificate of occupancy and tenants are moving in.
The center will include a financial hub that will help residents secure a range of financial services, a BMO Bank branch, the Freedom Defense Center, offices for WHA and ACT, and the Jane Addams Resource Corporation, among other things.
Reed said the development team plans to hire a director and engagement officer for Aspire early next year and is also looking for future tenants for the facility’s third floor.
Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot Returns To Westside To Stomp For Nonprofit
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot returned to the Westside this month to stomp for a new nonprofit she founded and to take some responsibility for the raft of new development projects happening on the Westside that received funding during her administration.
Lightfoot attended the Leaders Network’s monthly meeting on Dec. 10. She said she had toured the Aspire Center mo-
ments before appearing at the meeting.
“I felt weepy but proud and excited about the future that you all are building,” Lightfoot said.
The former mayor’s INVEST South/West provided city funds for community development projects like the Aspire Center.
Lightfoot’s new organization, the Chicago Vibrant Neighborhoods Collective, is designed to provide free resources and sup-
port for local organizations that need help building capacity.
“We know that the vibrancy of neighborhoods right here on the Westside depend on anchor community impact organizations,” Lightfoot said. “Not an outpost of something else but organizations that started by and for people in neighborhoods.”
For more info about the Chicago Vibrant Neighborhoods Collective, visit chivnc.org.
Former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot talks during a Dec. 10 Leaders Network meeting. | PAUL GOYETTE
Westside Health Authority CEO Morris Reed talks about Aspire Center progress on Dec. 10. | PAUL GOYETTE
Emanuel Andre, center, speaks about the Freedom Defense Center on Nov. 20. | PAUL GOYETTE
NEWS BRIEFS [ [
Austin Coming Together Releases Central Avenue Action Plan
Last month, Austin Coming Together (ACT) released the new Central Avenue Action Plan for this commercial corridor extending across Austin. ACT partnered with the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) on the document.
The new plan focuses on actionable ways to improve the Central Avenue corridor, re-imagining it as the “spine” of the community and unifying the neighborhoods within it by connecting other commercial corridors, transit stations, schools, parks, and major community assets that either intersect or reside along it.
The Austin’s Central Avenue Action Plan goals include:
• Creating an attractive, safe public realm for residents and visitors that helps unlock the neighborhood’s development potential.
• Encouraging development that enhances quality of life and increases opportunities for residents.
• Building community support and partnerships, identifying funding sources, and securing other resources to advance community priorities.
ACT was awarded CMAP’s 2018 call for projects for technical assistance support to help implement the Austin Forward. Together quality of life plan. The planning assistance specifically focused on the Central Avenue Corridor from Grand Avenue to Roosevelt Road.
Along with CMAP, we want to thank the many volunteers, residents, and partners who contributed their time, experience, inspiration, and wisdom, including the Urban Land Institute, Alderman Emma Mitts (37th ward) and her staff, and Alderman Christopher Taliaferro (29th ward) and his staff.
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) was instrumental in the development of the plan’s goals, strategies, and recommendations via their Technical Assistance Panel process, which brought expert voices to the table. To create the final action plan, CMAP conducted robust community engagement, developed clear next steps, identified funding sources, and prioritized the final recommendations and actions to best position ACT for the successful implementation of the plan.
Read the full plan at austincomingtogether.org/centralavenue.
Leaders Network Planning Madison Street Renaissance
To Honor King
At the Leadership Network’s monthly meeting on Dec. 10, Rev. Dr. Marshall Hatch Sr., the group’s co-chairman, announced that the organization is in the early stages of planning a Madison Street Renaissance in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“If we’re not careful, these forces will hijack people who belong to us like Martin Luther King,” said Hatch, referencing the Jan. 20 inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump on
King Day.
Hatch said the Madison Street Renaissance will be a destination in Chicago that honors King’s legacy, particularly his time spent addressing housing inequality Chicago in the summer of 1966.
Hatch said they’ll launch the project on King Day in 2026, which will coincide with the 60th anniversary of King’s visit to Chicago. More details are forthcoming.
Tio Hardiman Talks Peace In Austin
Anti-violence advocate
Tio Hardiman visited Every Block A Village Christian Fellowship, 5834 W. Augusta in Austin, on Nov. 26 to discuss ways to unite community members around a strategy to reduce gun violence. |
KENN COOK JR.
IN PHOTOS
Spread Joy
Westside Health Authority hosted a holiday food and toy giveaway at PopCourts, 5249 W. Chicago Ave., on Dec. 6. WHA, along with Rep. La Shawn K. Ford and Kindness Campaign, have given away $15,000 worth of toys and over 4,000 pounds of food, representatives with the organizations said.
PHOTOS BY PAUL GOYETTE
Community members gather for the annual Tree Lighting on the Boulevard hosted by 24th Ward Ald. Monique Scott, Riot Fest, and other entities on Dec. 7. | COURTESY ALD. SCOTT/FACEBOOK
Local elected officials and community leaders joined Mayor Brandon Johnson for the Austin Chamber of Commerce's 20th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade on Dec. 6. | COURTESY AUSTIN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
Rep. La Shawn K. Ford hands a young person a gift at By The Hand Club’s annual Christmas giveaway on Dec. 7. | COURTESY REP. FORD
