It is with a great deal of gratitude that we offer this July issue of South Side Drive Magazine. It is Mental Health Month and with our work, we aim to heal, thrill, and love you up with great people and stories. Love and a light to guide us into the future is what we hope to provide.

As we experience the highest number of COVID deaths in the city, and lose Black men to the pandemic in proportions unparalleled by any other group in the city of Chicago, and in the state of Illinois, what we’ve also been experiencing is a level of pride for our young activists that is also unparalleled. They are the light. They are working with pit-bull tenacity to change the narrative, to reallocate resources and change things. From the hearts of our team, we say to them, Thank You. Our city will be better because of you.

Young adults are leading. After the predictable upsets that must come when people see and understand the constant, repeated, and unrelenting attack on their generation, on Black people, something had to happen, and something did happen. Chicago residents were jolted as businesses were destroyed. We don’t sanction nor agree, but we do understand.

We close out July with a renewed spirit and new partners. You’ll read about our work with Brown Books and Paint Brushes and what Real Men Charities, Inc. is doing to physically distance, mask-up, and socially connect. Real Men Charities not only publishes South Side Drive. We actually drive the spirit of work for yet another summer. With Safe and Peaceful Chicago summer funding support for which we are grateful, our efforts will increase literacy, culture, peace, and encourage the highest level of appreciation for safely gathering. This mag-azine is reaching milestones, based on content, creativity, culture, and commitment and we have added 22 young adults to our team. We thank the MacArthur Foundation and most recently, Chicago Community Trust, for grants that allow us to build, grow, and serve as a major Chicago publishing influence. We thank Lawrence Hall, a collaborative partner in youth employment, mental and physical stability, a relationship that’s been in place ever since they ventured to the south side.

It’s healing time. It’s the Creator’s master plan we are praying for and seeking. As we work to rebuild our community, let’s work to restore mental, physical, and economic health, and let’s do it together. Let’s do this. #BuildCommunity
We proudly acknowledge support for our work from the Chicago COVID-19 Journalism Fund. (A McCormick Foundation Fund)