Tacuma Roeback

1 week ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

Photo Courtesy of Nappy.CoIn Chicago, your zip code can shape how you live—and how you die. Where you live often dictates whether you’ll have access to decent housing, healthy food and stable employment. On the South and West Sides, many residents still struggle to secure those basics. But when it comes to Black maternal health, the disparities go beyond geography and income. And it’s time more men become aware of this alarming trend.

1 week ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

Thousands gathered in Chicago’s Daley Plaza as part of the nationwide “No Kings” protests opposing Donald Trump’s policies. Federal lawmakers, activists, and union leaders called for renewed civic engagement and resistance to authoritarianism (Photo Credit: Tacuma Roeback).. Organizers reported that one million nationwide participated in the “No Kings” protests against President Trump and his administration’s policies.

2 weeks ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

At the United Center, the Chicago Bulls, fintech firm Plus500, and the Greenwood Project teamed up to equip Black and Latino college students with real-world financial knowledge, mentorship, and access to careers in finance (Photo Credit: Tacuma R. Roeback). Thanks to the Chicago Bulls, fintech firm Plus500 and the Greenwood Project, a group of college students spent the day learning how financial literacy can change lives and not just balance sheets.

2 weeks ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

For the organizers of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s 2025 People’s Conference, this year’s program is as consequential as ever—a summit to bring about policy solutions, strategy and healing to a nation at a crossroads. Set for June 12–14 in Chicago, the conference arrives during what they describe as a full-scale attack on civil rights and democratic freedoms.

2 weeks ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

Cordell Shelby, a King College Prep graduate and Chicago Builds participant, turns his hands-on skills and South Side upbringing into a career with the city’s General Laborer Trainee Program (Photo Provided). Cordell Shelby builds things. He and his mother—an experienced plumber with the City of Chicago Water Department—have built barbecue grills, Hibachi setups, and even a motorcycle from the box—wrench in hand and purpose in the other.