Greetings:
July is the month for celebrating Black love and recognizing summer festivals and events.
This month the Rainbow PUSH National Coalition will celebrate 57 years of serving the community at its International Convention. Pastors, politicians, and representatives from the business and civic community will be
there. In this issue, we take a look back to the beginning when Operation Breadbasket chose Reverend Jesse Jackson to lead its Chicago chapter, fifty-seven years ago.
At the end of August, Chicagoans will gather at Washington Park for the 34th Annual African Festival of the Arts. Devorah Crable will provide a little history of the Fest, along with some information about what to expect at this year’s Fest. Be sure to check out this informative article.
Speaking of events that have become staples in the Black community, the Soulful Chicago Book Fair has
Chicagoans reading like never before. We interviewed the dynamic founder, Asadah Kirkland to learn of her journey
from Harlem New York to Chicago to create the largest book fair of its kind. Asadah is a strong proponent of African American literature and literacy, and an author herself. We promise you’re going to love reading about this incredible woman and her amazing life.
Also, in this issue, author, Walter Perkins asks the poignant question, “Where is the Black Love?” Citing the growing discord within urban cities, Perkins questions our love for each other. Yet his questions transition into positive answers as he shows us where the love is, and then not only answers the question, but provides a recipe for our readers to do their part in conjuring up Black love. Hopefully, this article will leave readers with the hope that Black love is attainable and alive and well within our wonderful city.
Speaking of events and Black love, we hope our readers will be as intrigued by Josh Mercer’s story of a Black father’s love as we were as he was telling it to us. As a husband and a father, Josh manages, as best he can, to keep the family in the forefront. As he tells it, as an African American entrepreneur, managing several businesses, he
faces challenges and obstacles nearly every day. Yet despite the day-to-day challenges of managing several businesses, family is always on the schedule, family is always in the plan. . In fact, the obstacles, and challenges of running a business, which he is confronted with almost daily, find their way into life lessons that he teaches his children.
As President of Real Men Charities, I would like to express my gratitude to the Field Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation for recognizing me and my organization as a 2023 Leader for a New Chicago. I share this honor with nine other awardees. The Field and MacArthur Foundations have recognized us for our “work to advance racial and social justice in communities across the city” The Foundation has stated that it recognizes individuals who are seeking to build a more inclusive city and are designing impactful approaches to civic discourse and action to shape Chicago’s landscape. I am humbled and proud to share this award with my community and especially you, my readers. Greetings: July is the month for celebrating Black love and recognizing summer festivals and events. This month the Rainbow PUSH National Coalition will celebrate 57 years of serving the community at its International Convention. Pastors, politicians, and representatives from the business and civic community will be there. In this issue, we take a look back to the beginning when Operation Breadbasket chose Reverend Jesse Jackson to lead its Chicago chapter, fifty-seven years ago. At the end of August, Chicagoans will gather at Washington Park for the 34th Annual African Festival of the Arts. Devorah Crable will provide a little history of the Fest, along with some information about what to expect at this year’s Fest. Be sure to check out this informative article. Speaking of events that have become staples in the Black community, the Soulful Chicago Book Fair has Chicagoans reading like never before. We interviewed the dynamic founder, Asadah Kirkland to learn of her journey from Harlem New York to Chicago to create the largest book fair of its kind. Asadah is a strong proponent of African American literature and literacy, and an author herself. We promise you’re going to love reading about this incredible woman and her amazing life. By Yvette Moyo The Avalon Regal Coming s
