November is the month of Thanksgiving, and the South Side Drive is thankful to you, our readers, for continuing to make our magazine a success. We’re also thankful to our contributing writers for bringing us new and interest-ing articles every month. As you celebrate Thanksgiving with your loved ones, please continue to be safe, social dis-tance and mask up when you’re indoors around people, especially crowds.
November 19th is International Men’s Day and we’re part of the Real Men’s Charities event that evening to give some real men of Chicago the kudos they deserve. Starting at 5:15 at the Quarry Event Center that Friday, a reception will be followed by recognitions of six international Black brothers for their contributions. This year’s honorees are Dr. Shaffdeen Amuwo, Salim Muwakkil, Dr. Harold Pates, Eugene Useni Perkins, Julian Roberts and Patrick Wood-tor. Check out their profiles in this issue.
In addition to kicking off the Real Men Charities “Gimme 5 more healthy years” campaign at the Novem-ber 19th event, we’ll also be discussing some crucial topics such as the grave disparity in life expectancy among Black men, compared to white men. Thus it’s fitting to acknowl-edge one man who defied that disparity in a magnificent way. You’ll love reading about and honoring our griot and historian, Timuel Black, who would have been 103 years old in December. That’s an exceptional achievement, and Professor Black was an exceptional man.
Professor Black was mentally alert and sharp until the very end, and as we mention in our tribute article, he gave his final interview – a three-hour-long interview — two weeks and four days before joining the ancestors.
The South Side Drive congratulates President Joseph Biden and Congress for the passage of the Build Back Better Bill, which promises to bring thousands of blue-collar jobs into our urban cities. Hopefully, the Black community will get its fair share of those jobs – especially the South Side of Chicago where the industry is nonexistent. Biden’s bill not only concentrates on infrastructure but also improvements in our environment to address impending climate change. This calls for “A Solar Revolution,” as Beejeray Morrison explains in the intriguing article by that name. Contributing to the fight against global warming is the electric car. No, not that cute little electric car that your toddler rides around in as William “Billy” Davis explains in the article on electric cars which includes interviews of some happy owners. Solar energy and electric vehicles are two ways to fight the inevitability of global warming.
Speaking of fights, there is one going on right here on the South Side, in the South Shore Community where three innovative entrepreneurs are fighting to make boarded-up businesses a thing of the past – and to restore South Shore to what it once was. You’ll be surprised to know who their fight is with.
December, of course, is the month when we celebrate the largest holiday of the year, Christmas – and one that has special meaning to the Black community, which is Kwanzaa. The school will be out for the holidays, and Jennifer Schultz gives us a rundown on some kid-friendly activities to keep them busy and having fun – the good, educational kind of fun our kids deserve.
The holidays are also the time when we love to indulge in delicious and hearty food. Beginning with Thanksgiving, through Christmas and Kwanzaa, we’ll be breaking bread, dining, and snacking to our heart’s content. TS Douglas, nutritionist, professor, and owner of Fresh, Raw, Natural, tells us how to make our winter dining nutritional as well as tasty in her delicious article on Winter Nutrition.
You’ll find our magazine in businesses, cultural institutions, even Aldermen’s offices, and you can also access the full issue at http://southsidedrivemag.com. Please visit and share!
