Citizen Week of June 13, 2018
| Vol. 1 | No. 44 | www.thechicagocitizen.com
SUBURBAN TIMES WEEKLY
PROFILING KRISTOPHER STEWARD: 100 BLACK MEN RECEIVES $5000 GRANT THANKS TO VOLUNTEER’S COMMITMENT See more on Page 3
Art Scene: eta Creative Arts Foundation Presents the Chicago Premiere of “Juneteenth Street” - Page 2 Food: Crowd-Pleasing Summer Entertaining - Page 4 |
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2 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
ART SCENE
eta Creative Arts Foundation Presents the Chicago Premiere of Reginald Edmund’s “Juneteenth Street” CHICAGO – eta Creative Arts Foundation
Premieres Reginald Edmund’s “JUNETEENTH STREET” directed by Gloria Bond Clunie, the final production of eta’s 47th Season of Plays by Chicago Writers, opening Friday June 15, 2018. This work is a part of Reginald Edmund’s nine play series ‘The City of the Bayou Collection. Performances of “Juneteenth Street” take place at 8 pm Friday and Saturday; 3 pm Sundays through July 8, at eta Creative Arts Foundation, 7558 S. South Chicago Ave. General admission is $35, with student, senior and group discounts. For tickets and information call 773-752-3955 or visit www. etacreativearts.org. When John McHenry inherits leadership of a church in a dying neighborhood in Houston, Texas, he must create his legacy, while protecting the heritage of those who have gone on before him. His Juneteenth sermon could change this history. “When I set out to write the play, I had a desire to examine the blurring between Black Christianity and African Spiritualism, reconnecting our roots to mysticism, rituals and legacy, as well as tackling modern issues of how religion has both strengthen and weakened our communities.” Reginald Edmund The cast of Juneteenth Street includes: Colin Jones (Deacon Raymond), Eric D.
University and his MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University in ‘09. He is currently the Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives Black Words International Project. Find out more about what he is working on a http:// www.blacklivesblackwords.org. GLORIA BOND CLUNIE
Reginald Edmund
Gloria Bond Clunie
Fisher (Reverend John McHenry), Ashley Dozier (Claire Winters), Stephen Washington (Ty Southmill), Deja Anderson-Ross (Angela McHenry), and Deborah Ross (Mama Love)
Most recently he was featured in American Theatre Magazine. His nine-play series titled ‘The City of the Bayou Collection’, include The Ordained Smile of Sadie May Jenkins, Southbridge, Juneteenth Street, The Redemption of Allah Black, and All the Dying Voices were developed at esteemed theaters including Ensemble Theatre of Houston, Playwright Center-Minneapolis, Pangea World Theatre, Bedlam Theatre, Wordsmyth Theatre, Yaddo, and the MacDowell Colony. Reginald Edmund received his BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern
REGINALD EDMUND (Playwright), is humbled for his play Juneteenth Street to be in eta’s season. He is resident playwright at Tamasha Theatre in London, England and a Chicago Dramatists Resident Playwright, an Artistic Associate at Pegasus Theatre-Chicago, and an Artistic Patriot at Merrimack Repertory Theatre.
(Director) is an award-winning playwright, director and educator. She is a founding member of the Playwriting Ensemble at Chicago’s Regional Tony Award winning Victory Gardens Theater where her plays North Star, Living Green and Shoes premiered. She is also the founding Artistic Director of Evanston’s FleetwoodJourdain Theatre where she directed scores of productions including Ain’t Misbehavin’, Ceremonies in Dark Old Men, Home and Raisin. She served as both playwright and director for My Wonderful Birthday Suit commissioned by Chicago Children’s Theatre (2018) and is currently adapting The Last Stop on Market Street (2016 Caldecott / 2016 Newbery/ 2016 Coretta Scott King Book Awards) for the 2018-19 Season at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte. Originally from Henderson, North Carolina, she and her husband Basil live in Evanston, Illinois and are the proud parents of daughter Aurelia.
TRAVEL
Caribbean305 Invites Foodies to Enjoy Award-Winning Dishes and Cocktails from 16 Caribbean Destinations
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ood lovers will soon delight as Caribbean305 returns this year at the Treetop Ballroom at Jungle Island on Saturday, June 23, 2018. The annual event known for highlighting the art of Caribbean cooking also celebrates and showcases all things Caribbean. To kick off the exciting festivities, media, influencers and bloggers are invited to a media cocktail that will take place Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at Segafredo L’Originale on the iconic Lincoln Road from 6:30PM-8:30PM. Guests will enjoy cocktails and lite bites as well as a short program including the City of Miami Beach, City of Miami and the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District. The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), which presents the event each year,
proudly brings together top chefs and mixologists from the region. Food, dance, music, rum, lively colors, and dynamic entertainment are just a few of the elements representing Caribbean culture. Attendees at Caribbean305 will have the opportunity to enjoy authentic creations from
16 Caribbean culinary teams, representing the following Caribbean nations: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos and the www.thechicagocitizen.com
US Virgin Islands. Caribbean305 will also include an open-bar featuring top Caribbean Hall of Fame mixologists, that will create awardwinning signature drinks, proving a true taste of the very best flavors of the Caribbean. “Foodies” will rejoice at this year’s Caribbean305, one of Miami’s top (and most anticipated) culinary events that will also feature local celebrities, city officials and big names in the food world, coming together to celebrate the spirit of the islands. “Caribbean culture is so important in Miami because it’s deeply rooted here. I feel like we are an extension of the Caribbean itself. Our people, the music, the food, the agriculture, and the traditions,” stated Chef Adrianne
Calvo, South Florida ambassador for Caribbean305. 2018 Sponsors include: Platinum Sponsors JetBlue Vacations and Sazerac Company serving Cane Run Estate Rum, Black Magic Spiced Rum, Southern Comfort, Peychaud’s Aperitivo. Gold Sponsors Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority, Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc., Belize Tourism Board, British Virgin Islands Tourism Board, Caribbean Airlines, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Goya Foods, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Jamaica Tourist Board, JetBlue, Miami Broward Carnival, Sandals Resorts, St. Lucia Tourism Authority, T-Mobile, United States Virgin Islands Department of Tourism, and Zico Coconut Water. Media Sponsor Caribbean Journal.
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
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COMMUNITY
Profiling Kristopher Steward: 100 Black Men Receives $5000 Grant Thanks to Volunteer’s Commitment Continued from page 1 BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
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t a recent awards ceremony Kristopher Steward, a ComEd employee from Flossmoor, received the Exelon Energy for the Community Employee Volunteer Award and was able to present a $5,000 check to 100 Black Men of Chicago, an organization that Steward has been volunteering for since 2014. This year’s Exelon Energy for the Community Volunteer Awards honored 24 employees from ComEd and Exelon, Steward being one of them, who showed an incredible commitment to community service. The Volunteer Awards not only acknowledge employee volunteerism, but each award winner receives a grant ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 for the nonprofit organizations that they support. “I’m very honored for the award. There were a lot of people who applied for the award and I’m very thankful that I got it. 100 Black Men does a lot of activities and most of our funding is from corporate sponsors because all of our events are free for the students so this donation will help us when we are planning things. It’s a true blessing, all I can
At a recent awards ceremony Kristopher Steward (pictured), a ComEd employee from Flossmoor, received the Exelon Energy for the Community Employee Volunteer Award and was able to present a $5,000 check to 100 Black Men of Chicago, an organization that Steward has been volunteering for since 2014.
say is thank you,” said Steward. 100 Black Men of Chicago is a volunteer-based organization that aims to improve the quality of life and enhance the educational opportunities of African American males throughout the Greater Chicago area. The organization uses mentors and role models to inspire
and encourage the young people who participate in the organization’s programs. “At 100 Black Men, we have different speakers that come, we have different activities that we take the guys to, guys and young ladies. We actually have two young ladies,” said Steward. “We try to
give African American youth the exposure that we don’t feel they get. We take them to ballet, theaters, auto shows, baseball and football games, we expose them to coding, so it’s more about exposure.” Steward was encouraged to apply for the Exelon Energy for the Community Volunteer Award by his
POLITISCOPE
Darrell Garth President / Publisher
Young People Crossing the Border Alone Face Challenges in the US Homes Where They’re Placed
BY STEPHANIE L. CANIZALES
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he fates of 1,475 migrant children recently came into question when the Department of Health and Human Services reported them as “missing”
in a report to Congress in April 2018. These children are not missing in the sense that they have disappeared. They simply remain unaccounted for in the follow-ups conducted by the U.S. government with the families into which the children were placed. Since 2012, I have conducted research with undocumented youth and young adults and their families in Los Angeles. I have spoken with hundreds of undocumented youth who crossed the U.S. southern border without a parent or legal guardian between 2007 and 2016 – often referred to as “unaccompanied minors.” When apprehended at the border, they
100 Black Men sponsor, Fred Carter, after working with one particular young man who was on the verge of expulsion from school. “There was a freshman in high school who was having some issues in school and he was on the verge of being expelled. I talked to him, sat down with his counselor and principal and we came up with a plan. We made an agreement and he wrote down some things that he was willing to do to keep him in this school and he’s a junior now with a 3.0 GPA and he is on his way to applying for college,” said Steward. As a child, Steward remembers his mother raising him with the notion that it is always better to give than to receive, which is one of the reasons why he continues to dedicate his time to 100 Black Men. “To see that this program is a vital part of going from childhood to becoming a teenager to adulthood and just to see the growth in the young generation keeps me going back,” said Steward.
are processed by the Department of Health and Human Services and placed with a “sponsor” in the U.S., typically a family member, who is responsible for their safety and well-being. While my research may not explain why the government has failed to keep track of these individuals, it reveals the various challenges facing the 180,000 children who have been placed with sponsors in the U.S. since 2013. My time with unaccompanied youth in churches, support groups, immigration courtrooms, summer and weekend camps, community cultural festivals and family gatherings reveals that children may end up leaving their sponsor’s www.thechicagocitizen.com
care for reasons ranging from financial need to their pursuit of their own idea of a better life. I use pseudonyms to respect confidentiality. FEELINGS OF RESPONSIBILITY In my conversations with recently arrived migrant youth, they have expressed feeling like a financial burden to their sponsors. In many cases, their sponsor is someone from whom they have been separated for many years, such as a parent or older sibling, or someone they have met for the first time. Many have told me how basic Continued on page 4
Janice Garth Sales Manager/ General Manager CST Weekly, published weekly on Wednesdays and distributed in the Township of Bloom, (publishing 52 issues annually). Written permission is required to reproduce contents in whole or part from the General manager or the publisher. CST Weekly does not assume the responsibility for nor are we able to return unsolicited marterials. Deadline for advertising is every Monday at noon. For information on subscriptions or advertising call us at (773) 783-1251. Our office is located at 8741 S. Greenwood Ave., Ste# 107, Chicago, Illinois 60619.
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4 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
FOOD grill them up like in this Mini Pierogy Slider Kebab recipe. CREATE SELF-SERVE STATIONS Arrange a buffet-style table to allow your guests to help themselves to food. It’s a simple way to ensure you get to enjoy yourself. Just remember to provide the necessary fixings at each station. BUST OUT SOME GAMES Whether it’s a game night or just a get-together with friends, keep games like cornhole or bocce ball on-hand to keep your soiree lively. For more recipes perfect for entertaining, visit MrsTsPierogies.com. MINI PIEROGY SLIDER KEBABS
Mini Pierogy Slider Kebabs
Crowd-Pleasing Summer Entertaining (Family Features) If you’re hosting a backyard barbecue, game night or TV show marathon with friends this summer, it’s helpful to have a plan in mind before diving in. Consider these tips and recipes featuring Mrs. T’s Pierogies that can help make planning a breeze and allow you to kick back and enjoy the fun alongside your guests. MASTER THE MUSIC Set the mood as soon as your guests walk in with an upbeat
Prep time: 15 minutes Total time: 20 minutes Servings: 4-6 Heat grill or indoor grill pan to medium heat. Toss pierogies with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Remove. In medium bowl, combine ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, onion, salt and pepper. Form into 14 equal sized patties. Add patties to grill and cook 3-4 minutes per side. Add one slice of cheese to each during last minute of cooking to melt. Remove and cool slightly to handle. To assemble: skewer one pierogy, flat-side down, then one piece of lettuce, tomato, pickle, burger and another pierogy, flat-side down, to sandwich it all together. Repeat with remaining ingredients. FARMERS MARKET MINI PIEROGY SALAD
playlist. ADD A CREATIVE TWIST TO YOUR MENU When you’re craving something real and satisfying – but want to keep things simple – reach for an option like Mrs. T’s Pierogies. Available in 16 varieties, including mini-size, these pasta shells, filled with creamy whipped potatoes, are loaded with flavor and perfect served alone or as part of creative recipes like a Farmers Market Mini Pierogy Salad. You can also
Prep time: 12 minutes Total time: 18 minutes Servings: 4 Sauté pierogies according to box directions; place in large bowl. In small bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, salt and oregano; whisk in olive oil until well-blended. Add tomato, cucumber, red onion, feta and vinaigrette to bowl with pierogies; toss to mix well.
POLITISCOPE Young People Crossing the Border Alone Face Challenges in US Homes Continued from page 3 requests like needing a new toothbrush, deodorant, socks or calling cards to communicate with family abroad make them feel as if they’re burdening the poor families with whom they are living. For example, I met a young Salvadoran man who was placed in his aunt’s care, who reported feeling more comfortable asking his legal case manager about where to get food at local food banks rather than requesting more food from his aunt. Along with feeling responsibility for themselves, many young people feel a sense of responsibility for others, primarily to their home communities and the families they left behind. That sense may trump the responsibilities and expectations of sponsoring families in the U.S. For example, Mario recalls arriving at his aunt and uncle’s home in Los Angeles from El Salvador at the age of 16. Mario’s aunt and uncle were financially and emotionally
supportive but mandated that he attend high school full-time in exchange for their support. This conflicted with Mario’s motivation for migrating to the U.S., which was to work and support his mother and two younger siblings back in El Salvador. Mario’s decision to work rather than attend school meant he would also leave his aunt and uncle’s home. He said, “Well, it wasn’t that I had to leave school, but I wanted to. I was being supported when I was here (his aunt and uncle’s house), but I felt bad ‘cause of my brothers and my mom back over there. Nobody was helping them. I decided I wanted to work so I could get out of there. And that’s what I did.” UNMET EXPECTATIONS Some young people I spoke with said they felt disillusioned with life in the U.S.. They may leave their sponsors’ home when expectations don’t match reality. This was the case for Alejandra. She grew up with her grandparents in Guatemala until
the age of 14, when her mother in Los Angeles sent for her. Alejandra was told by her mother and grandmother she would be visiting her mother in Los Angeles for the summer of 2011, but was “just devastated because later they told me that all of it was just a lie.” Alejandra’s mother had actually arranged for her to permanently live in Los Angeles. Alejandra explained she felt deep distrust at realizing her mother’s dishonesty and resentment about being separated from the grandmother who raised her. Unable to come to terms with her mother’s decision, Alejandra eventually ran away at age 17 and lived in a local youth shelter until she finished high school. When I interviewed her two years later, she had still not spoken to her mother. Edgardo arrived in Los Angeles from El Salvador at the age of 11 in 2007. He was met in Los Angeles by his aunt, whom he described as very strict. Edgardo was disappointed by his aunt’s requests to help out at home with things like babysitting his
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cousins so that she could work more hours as a housekeeper. Edgardo left his aunt’s home at 17 and began working in a furniture warehouse. He said: “I was trying to go back to school and so I never got to finish school, and I am still trying to work on that right now… I want to go to college.” Not having yet realized his goals, Edgardo also spoke during our interview about wanting to help his unaccompanied peers: “There’s a lot of people out there that are younger than me and still make it through, you know? But it’s really hard and that’s why I want to like help out other kids that are like had that same mentality that I had when I got here.” “I don’t really have anybody to guide me through my whole life except for like school book. School only taught me like so much you know… teach me like, life skills or like life lessons that would help me out.” Stephanie L. Canizales is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at Texas A&M University.
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
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NEWS Janice Lopez Discusses the Impact of Early Childhood Education Businesses, WBDC’s Upcoming Expo and the Organization’s Support of Women-Owned Businesses BY LISETTE GUSHINIERE
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he Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) will host its 20th annual Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo on Saturday, June 16, 2018 from 8:00am2:00pm. Rise Up: From Educator to Entrepreneur! focuses on building the foundations of child care businesses in Chicagoland. Expo is presented in Spanish and English and is the only event of its kind in the Chicago area that offers state-of-the-art and industry-specific business guidance and resources to prospective and established early childhood education entrepreneurs. Highlights include workshops on increasing safety in businesses and orchestrating excellence through hiring, and the opportunity for childcare providers to complete the continuing education credits required to maintain their license. Founded in 1986, the WBDC has been in operation for more than 31 years.
Janice Lopez
In this Q & A, the Citizen Suburban Times Weekly and Janice Lopez, managing director of entrepreneurial services at the Women’s Business Development Center.(WBDC) discuss the impact of early childhood education businesses, the upcoming expo and the organization’s support of womenowned businesses. CSTW: Besides this event, can you speak about other initiatives WBDC is currently involved in? What are some of the services you provide? JL: The Women’s Business
Development Center (WBDC) is a 501 (c)(3) and a nationally recognized leader in the field of women’s economic development. The organization was founded in 1986 to provide services and programs to support and accelerate women’s business ownership and strengthen the impact of women on the economy by creating jobs, fueling economic growth and building strong communities. The mission of the Women’s Business Development Center (WBDC) is to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in, and impact on, the economy. In Illinois, the WBDC offers: • Capacity building to scale businesses to compete in the marketplace • Technical assistance, financial support, direct lending and debt equity placement • Woman Business Enterprise
(WBE) certification • Corporate and public sector procurement opportunities. Along with our annual Expo, the WBDC offers our Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Program year-round. The program supports the availability of more safe, affordable, and quality childcare for working mothers by helping early childcare entrepreneurs establish or expand their operations. It also creates a path to self-employment for those exploring this industry. CSTW: Explain in your view how women entrepreneurs impact the global economy? How are women entrepreneurs making an impact specifically in Chicago? JL: Entrepreneurship is on the rise
and does not show signs of slowing down anytime soon. According to the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Index, the United States ranks first out of 138 countries
for cultivating the best environment for business owners. An even bigger achievement is that nearly 11.3 million of those businesses are owned by women. According to American Express, women-owned businesses account for nearly 40% of the U.S. workforce, employ 8% of the private sector and contribute 4.2% of all revenues. Women entrepreneurs also significantly impact the employment growth rate, with women-owned businesses being stronger than all other businesses at 27% vs. 13%. Female entrepreneurs and business owners are innovating industries, empowering employees, and improving local communities. Specifically, through the child care industry, Chicago entrepreneurs are providing valuable resources to help combat the child care deserts - meaning a neighborhood either lacking any childcare options or with so few child care providers that there are more than three children for every licensed child care slot – in Chicago’s low- to moderate-income neighborhoods. CSTW: Do you have any statistics on the number of women owned businesses in Chicago?
Continued on page 6
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6 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
NEWS
History Making Gubernatorial Candidate, Stacey Abrams, to Keynote Rainbow PUSH Coalition International Women’s Luncheon
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tacey Abrams, who made history last month by becoming the first black woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the United States, will keynote the Women’s Leadership Luncheon at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Citizenship Education Fund 47th Annual International Convention to be held on Friday, June 15th at 11:45 AM – 1:15 PM at the Hyatt Regency Chicago located on151 East Upper Wacker Drive in Chicago. “Stacey Abrams has already shattered one glass ceiling for black women and she’s on the verge of making even more history in November,” said Jacqueline L. Jackson, the
chairwoman of the luncheon and the wife of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., founder and president of Rainbow PUSH. “We are honored to have this remarkable and gifted woman share her experience and wisdom with us.” Only two African Americans have been elected governor by voters in U.S. history – L. Douglas Wilder in Virginia and Deval Patrick in Massachusetts. There have been 39 women governors. Abrams, a political progressive with a solid record in health and criminal justice reform, would be the first black woman elected to lead a state. Abrams, who is a Yale University-trained lawyer, business woman, romance novelist
Janice Lopez Discusses the Impact of Early Childhood Education Businesses Continued from page 5 JL: As of 2017, minorities accounted for 46%
of all women-owned businesses. In the City of Chicago, females are 51.48% of the total population, and based on the most current information of the U.S. Census, there are over 300,000 businesses in the City of Chicago of which over 123,000 are women-owned firms. . CSTW: Are your services specific to a certain geographical area or do you work with entrepreneurs outside of Chicago? JL: The WBDC serves a nine-state region with
three offices in the Chicagoland area, including its headquarters in Chicago, and four other satellite offices across the Midwest. Most of our programming and resources are offered to business owners and entrepreneurs in the state of Illinois (for example, their Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Program is only offered in Illinois) but the WBDC has many resources to help entrepreneurs across its entire Midwest region. Beyond Illinois, the WBDC focuses on procurement, capacity building and certification services for women-owned businesses.
CSTW: What challenges does the WBDC help women entrepreneurs overcome when they are establishing/maintaining their businesses? Please speak to this both in terms of entrepreneurs who work in the child care industry and as it pertains to entrepreneurs in general? JL: At the WBDC, we help business owners
navigate through a variety of challenges at every stage of a business’ life cycle. For instance, we provide one-on-one business advising to those just starting out, professional development seminars for business owners looking to take their business to the next level, and
access to resource partners and other special programming for established businesses. Our Early Childhood Education Entrepreneurship Expo provides the opportunity for business owners to receive professional development credit which is vital to growing and maintaining a child care business. Also, for women who are just starting out in business, we provide our Developing Your Child Care Business series, which focuses on business operations and also enables them to earn up to 16 hours of INCCRRA/Gateway credit. As for entrepreneurs in general, one of the challenges we see time and time again is access to capital. At the WBDC, our Access to Capital program provides business owners with financial assessment, counseling, loan application assistance, direct lending and more. For instance, we educate business owners on how to prepare a profit and loss statement, or the importance of crowdfunding and equity treatment. We also inform them of what documentation is required for a loan application, or how to differentiate between potential sources of capital. As the Midwest’s regional partner for the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), the country’s largest third-party certifier of women business enterprises (WBEs), we help local women business owners compete for contracts through Women’s Business Enterprise (WBE) certification. From entrepreneurs to established business owners to supplier diversity leaders and community partners, we’ve built a network through which certified WBEs can learn and innovate together while accessing our diverse group of corporate and government partners that are eager to work with diverse suppliers. CSTW: How are entrepreneurs who are providing quality child care having an impact? Why are these services important?
and former Georgia State House leader, will join a sisterhood of accomplished and courageous doctors, judges, educators, scientists, activists and elected officials at the Women’s Luncheon. Previous Women’s Luncheon keynote speakers have included, to name just a few, Hillary Clinton, Maxine Waters, Elizabeth Warren and Cicely Tyson. In May, Georgia Democrats selected Ms. Abrams, 44, to be their nominee for governor. The election is Nov. 6, 2018. “Stacey Abrams,” declared an op-ed in The Hill, “could revolutionize politics if elected Georgia governor.”
JL: One of the many entrepreneurial areas in
which we’ve seen women-business owners thrive is the child care industry. In fact, America’s Small Business Development Center estimates that the U.S. child care services industry contributes $20 billion to the nation’s economy, which is why we offer specific programming related to starting and maintaining a child care business. These services are critical for Chicago communities – especially low- to moderateincome neighborhoods. In Chicago and Cook County, 38% of children live in single-parent households, which makes reliable child care even more important. Without safe and affordable child care, parents in Chicago cannot work and support their families. There is a lot of emphasis on making sure kids have access to early childhood education during the ages of 0-3 because that is a crucial time for their development. When business owners are given support to manage a sound business they can, in turn, invest in our children. Providing a solution to child care issues can mitigate a number of economic hardships for working families.
CSTW: What trends are you seeing, if any, in the child care services profession? JL: According to a recent study by the Center
for American Progress, in Chicago, 5 out of 6 children under the age of 5 live in child care deserts – meaning a neighborhood either lacking any child care options or with so few child care providers that there are more than three children for every licensed child care slot. For those reasons, we want to bring more attention and awareness to the importance of the child care industry. We’ve also seen research that proves mothers are more likely to leave their job and less likely to start a new job to address child care concerns. Receiving child care assistance is linked to increased earnings and months worked. The more child care businesses that are readily available, the more it helps women overall because moms can go back to school
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Stacey Abrams (pictured) who made history last month by becoming the first black woman to be a major party nominee for governor in the United States, will keynote the Women’s Leadership Luncheon at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition Citizenship Education Fund 47th Annual International Convention.
or work, or start their own businesses, giving them the opportunity to earn more money to support their families. CSTW: Please explain some of the goals of the upcoming WBDC’s 20th annual early childhood education entrepreneurship expo. What are you planning to accomplish? JL: At the Women’s Business Development
Center (WBDC), our main priority is the economic empowerment of women- and minority-owned businesses and we work with entrepreneurs at all levels to help them succeed. Expo is one way we hope to inspire hardworking child care providers to continue or expand their services or entrepreneurs considering child care to fuel their own economic empowerment. We hope the event gives them the tools they need to succeed. Our annual Expo focuses on building the foundations of child care businesses in the Chicagoland area to support the increased availability of more safe, affordable and quality child care for working families by helping early child care entrepreneurs establish or expand their operations. This drives our ultimate mission of strengthening the communities we serve. We also hope business owners will use this opportunity to earn some of their continuing education credits so they can remain in good standing to provide this valuable child care service to their community. Janice Lopez is the Managing Director of Entrepreneurial Services at the Women’s Business Development Center. López works with both start-up and established women business owners, with an emphasis on underserved communities and minorities, to not only launch their business, but to help them create a solid foundation to grow and become sustainable. The mission of the Women’s Business Development Center is to support and accelerate business development and growth, targeting women and serving all diverse business owners, in order to strengthen their participation in, and impact on the economy.
CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
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NEWS
The third annual Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival was hosted by the Blue Island Park District and served as a community building and team building event for almost 200 people who participated in this year’s Dragon Boat Race.
Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival Takes Advantage of Blue Island’s Waterfront BY KATHERINE NEWMAN
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he third annual Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival recently took place at the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Waterfall Park at Chatham and Fulton streets along the Calumet-Saganashkee (Cal-Sag) Channel in Blue Island. The event was hosted by the Blue Island Park District and served as a community building and team building event for almost 200 people who participated in this year’s Dragon Boat Race. A Dragon Boat is a big long canoe, typically adorned with dragon-like scales and a dragons head on the front of the boat, that holds 22 people. During the race, 20 people paddle,
one person steers, and one person bangs a drum to keep all the paddlers synchronized. During the race two or more dragon boats go head-to-head against each other. “I think it is a really unique space for people to come together, whether it’s team building for businesses or companies or just a way for friends and family to get together to do something fun and competitive. You get a mix of everything. You get community, family, friends, a ton of good food, good times, and then you get to go out on the water in a setting that I think is really beautiful,” said said Kevin Brown, Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival organizer. The event hosts and organizers held the Southland Dragon Boat Festival on the
first Saturday in June as a way to make better use of the waterfront access in Blue Island. “We are really a waterfront community that doesn’t use it’s waterfront so we had been looking for something like this and we are still looking for more opportunities to do events like this on our waterway and bring some use to it and hopefully bring some development along the waterway because it’s prime for it,” said Brown. Aside from the Dragon Boat Race, spectators can enjoy food and beer vendors, live music, and activities for kids. The Waterfall Park is also within walking distance to Olde Western Ave. which is Blue Island’s entertainment district and home to the Maple Tree Inn, Rock Island Public House, and the
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Blue Island Beer Company. It is also located along the Cal-Sag Trail which is currently under construction. “The event site we have is along the Cal-Sag trail, well it is about to be along the Cal-Sag trail which is coming next year. You can come to check out the event and when the trail is done people will be able to walk along the Cal-Sag Trail and take in the view there,” said Brown. The Chicago Southland Dragon Boat Festival is unique from other Dragon Boat races because they accept teams of all different sizes, you can enter with a full boat, a half full boat, or as a single person and you will be placed in a boat. This year, one of the nine Dragon Boats was made up of individuals and small groups.
8 | CITIZEN | Suburban Times Weekly | Week of June 13, 2018
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