Margot McMahon says her father called himself an innocent bystander, but if this exhibition of graphite and watercolor pictures is any guide, I’d call him an engaged, active witness. Comprising some 40 pieces that portray protests, court scenes, political gatherings, as well as portraits and cityscapes with historic significance, the work dates from the 1940s […]
Tag: Martin Luther King Jr.
Posted inNews
A century of guaranteed income
The push to solve poverty through government-backed cash grants is nearly 100 years old.
Posted inOn Politics
Happy birthday, Harold
It was just unofficially Harold Washington week in Chicago as the city celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth. That’s right—had Harold lived, he’d have been 100 years old on April 15. Everywhere I look I see articles proclaiming Harold’s greatness. Oh, if only he had so much support when he was mayor. Look, I […]
Posted inOn Politics
The lying game
Just about the only good thing to come out of the Aaron Rodgers fiasco is that it gives us a textbook example of how MAGA finagles its way out of a jam. Almost as though the Green Bay Packers quarterback’s behavior was orchestrated by Donald Trump himself. First—they lie. Then—deny. Then prevaricate. Then obfuscate. Or […]
Posted inMusic
Sasha Daltonn, jazz singer and founder of the Chicago Gospel Music Festival
“We weren’t only honoring Professor Dorsey—this was a major event introduced by the first Black mayor of the city, and it needed to be outstanding.”
Posted inFilm
The revolution is finally televised with Summer of Soul
The documentary is a window into the Harlem Culture Festival and discussions of Black history, community, and identity in the 60s.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Chicago’s plan
The shooting of Adam Toledo shows that not much ever changes in Chicago.
Posted inMusic
James Brown’s “Funky President (People It’s Bad)” is unfortunately relevant again
Written shortly after Nixon’s resignation, James Brown’s “Funky President (People It’s Bad)” speaks to today’s political corruption too.
Posted inColumns & Opinion
Grave robbers
Hey, MAGA, stop using Dr. King to justify police brutality.
Posted inArts & Culture
The Mountaintop depicts a very human Martin Luther King Jr. on the eve of his assassination
Have we reached the promised land he died fighting for?
Posted inNews & Politics
Archive dive: Blvck Vrchives remembers Martin Luther King Jr.’s impact on Chicago
“Dr. King’s dreams can still be heard echoing through the streets of Chicago in vigils, parades, protests, murals, and strolls along King Drive.”
Posted inNews & Politics
Fifty years ago, 35,000 Chicago students walked out of their classrooms in protest. They changed CPS forever.
Among their demands: black and Latino teachers and administrators, ethnic studies classes and clubs, and bilingual education
Posted inMusic
How a south-side church taught rapper and activist Ric Wilson to fight back
Rapper and activist Ric Wilson grew up attending Fellowship Missionary Baptist, a south-side congregation that helped nurture the civil rights movement.
Posted inBlogs
Durbin challenges Trump to prove he’s not racist with a compromise on the ‘Dreamers,’ and other Chicago news
Also, a record 55 million tourists visited Chicago in 2017.
Posted inNews & Politics
The infamous practice of contract selling is back in Chicago
Wall Street-backed firms are duping would-be homebuyers, 50 years after Martin Luther King Jr. and west-side activists fought against housing discrimination.