FREE Vol. 40 No. 34
August 26, 2026 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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Route 66 Festival celebrates North Lawndale’s place in history
A progressive Black man who works the system By BILL DWYER Staff Reporter
(Editor’s note: Wednesday Journal/ Austin Weekly News is following Ford as he prepares to move from Springfield to the national stage in Washington D.C. come January. This is the first installment of that coverage.
See LA SHAWN FORD on page 8
Boxing Out Negativity Page 4
La Shawn Ford reflects on relationships and transitions
La Shawn K. Ford is feeling the pull of both the past and the future as the Labor Day weekend heralds the final stretch of the election season. In January Ford is virtually guaranteed to take Danny K. Davis’s seat in the U.S. Congress, and he is keenly aware of the historical weight of taking the place of an iconic figure with 50 years of public service. On the morning of Governor’s Day at the State Fair in Springfield, as he walked over to the Illinois State Capitol Building, coffee in hand, Ford reflected on his 20 years of public service in the Illinois House and his thoughts on the new challenges awaiting him in Washington. Ford is the prohibitive favorite to win in November against 88-year-old Kane County Republican Chad Koppie, who
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Classic cars and performances remind residents of another time along Ogden Avenue By HECTOR CERVANTES Staff Reporter
BILL DWYER
La Shawn K. Ford reflects on his 20 years of service in the Illinois House, early morning, Aug. 19, in the State Capitol.
Classic cars, music and youth performances filled Ogden Avenue on Sunday as the second annual Lawndale Route 66 Festival celebrated North Lawndale’s connection to the historic highway. The free festival grew from Chicago’s Historic Route 66 Classic Car & Bike Show and now combines multiple community events into one day, including those from Lawndale Christian Community Church, The Firehouse Community Arts Center, the 24th Ward Aldermanic Office, Principals Barber Shop, The Young Dr’s Club, the American Red Cross, Youth Boxing Club of Chicago and Boxing Out Negativity. Located just south of historic Route 66 on Hamlin Avenue, the arts center has long been See ROUTE 66 on page 2