.Greetings:
June is the month for so many things – Father’s Day, Real Men Cook, Black Music Month, Juneteenth, sunshine, warm weather, and the Lake!
Our April issue showcased music in an incredibly special way, paying tribute to many local jazz greats, while Chicago hosted an unforgettable International Jazz Day on April 30th. I’m happy we recognized the great Sonny Rollins before he joined the Ancestors last month.
The cover art for this issue illustrates something that is extremely near and dear to my heart and that of the lead steward of Real Men Charities, Rael Jackson. I’m speaking of the essential habit of reading. Alarmed about the failures in literacy, Rael shares his love of reading and what it’s meant to him, and urges us to ensure that our children become readers. His article in this issue expresses his dedication to that mission, as do the various events he hosts throughout the year. He’s added research on how you can raise reading levels and foster love by devoting just 7 minutes a day to reading. As the lead steward of Real Men Cook, Rael hosts the 37th Annual Father’s Day event on Sunday, June 21 st at the Quarry.
Continuing the Father’s Day theme is Award-winning journalist, author, and radio host, Salim Muwakkil, who, by the way, is a father himself. He looks at fatherhood from a different perspective and relates it to his favorite subject – Reparations. If you don’t see the relationship between fatherhood and Reparations, you will after you read this intriguing article.
In the midst of all of these men discussing fatherhood, retired teacher and prolific writer, Mary Griffin, authored a special article on everything related to it. Mrs. Griffin doesn’t just talk about how fathers have inspired their offspring; she brings real-life examples of the men who’ve discovered ultimate successes simply by walking in their fathers’ footsteps. Yet her Father’s Day accolades are not limited to biological fathers; she also tells us how important the roles of surrogate fathers and mentoring organizations are in shaping lives.
If you haven’t heard the debate about the teen takeovers that are creating chaos and havoc on the streets of Chicago and other urban cities, perhaps you just haven’t been listening. Filmmaker, journalist, photographer, author – and of course, father, Floyd Webb never fails to give a different perspective and solutions.
Again, the south side is the center of the universe on Juneteenth. In addition to the many celebrations is the Grand Opening of the Obama Presidential Center. This is something we’ve been looking forward to for quite some time. In the August 2024 issue, Michael Strautmannis, the Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of the Obama Presidential Center, shared the vision for the OPC. Now that vision has become a reality, and with it comes the lasting gift that President Barack Obama gave to the nation – HOPE. In our article, HOPE: Grown in Chicago, we take pride in our great city of Chicago, where HOPE was brought to life through the words and actions of Reverend Jesse Jackson over a half a century ago. Barack Obama’s belief in that HOPE gave us our first African American President. And where today, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, under the leadership of Yusef DuBois Jackson, brings new life and labor focused on humanity, as does the Obama Presidential Center. Both headquarters stand as monuments to the HOPE that was grown in Chicago and inspires the world.
Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere. We look forward to seeing you at the Quarry Event Center, 2423 East 75th Street, on Father’s Day, June 21, for our Annual Real Men Cook Event.
Please join us in thanking the MacArthur Foundation and the Field Foundation of Illinois for their support, which partly allows South Side Drive Magazine to amplify Black voices and serve as a major Chicago publishing force, valuable in print and accessible online. Find us on social media, www.southsidedrivemag.com.
#southsidedrive.
With Gratitude and Pride.
Yvette Moyo
Editor-In-Chief
