Tiffany Walden

Chicago

Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief at The TRiiBE

Freelance Writer at Freelance

EIC, @thetriibe | 2024 @jskstanford Fellow | Studs Terkel 🏆 | [email protected]

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Articles

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Stands Up to House Republicans

1 month ago | inthesetimes.com | Tiffany Walden

This story is co-published with The TRiiBE. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Mayor Brandon Johnson did the thing nearly every Chicagoan does whenever people — especially those who aren’t from here — start talking mess about the city. In a bright riff of direct examination led by Rep.
‘This is absolutely a sham,’ Mayor Johnson plays into the performative sanctuary city hearing with pro-Chicago messaging

1 month ago | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

Mayor Brandon Johnson did the thing nearly every Chicagoan does whenever people — especially those who aren’t from here — start talking mess about the city. In a bright riff of direct examination led by Rep.
Mayor Johnson is taking his message straight to Black Chicagoans

1 month ago | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

Though he is the mayor of a big city, the spirit of organizing is still within Brandon Johnson. No longer the hunger striker protesting former Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s attempt to close a South Side high school, Mayor Johnson’s administration represents a regime change from Democratic politics as usual. It’s a tough direction to take.
How Chicago drill artists hacked the conversation about gun violence

Jan 24, 2025 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

This story was originally published by The Trace, a nonprofit newsroom covering gun violence in America. Sign up for its newsletters here. For more than a decade, city leaders helped to prevent Chicago drill rapper Chief Keef from performing in his hometown.
Art Design Chicago amplifies Black and Indigenous histories with 2025 exhibitions

Jan 15, 2025 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

Art reflects and interprets the society we live in. Monica Rickert-Bolter knows this all too well. As a visual artist and co-founder of the Center for Native Futures, she works closely with artists and curators to amplify Black and Indigenous histories and influences through art. “We have the agency to tell our own stories. We are the future our ancestors hoped for and for which they endured the unimaginable,” said Rickert-Bolter, who identifies as Potawatomi and Black.
Update your 2025 playlist with these 10 rising Chicago artists

Dec 30, 2024 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

From the “Chicago Made” stage at Lollapalooza to viral hits circulating on TikTok and YouTube, Chicago’s music is still one of the city’s biggest exports. Our musical calling card used to be gospel, the blues and then straight up funk and soul. But as of late, Chicago’s hip hop has been the dominant chart topper in today’s scene. You can see this with the national breakout of young stars such as Star Bandz and VonOff1700. But hip hop isn’t alone anymore.
Sober in the city: Rethinking celebration in Chicago

Dec 30, 2024 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

A sober-curious movement is growing in Chicago and its backers believe that New Year’s Eve, St. Patrick’s Day, and even the Superbowl don’t need to center alcohol. The restaurants, groups, and social societies that are pushing for this cultural change are making headway and have lots of advice for those who want to avoid liquor as a holiday guest or support sobriety as an event host. Being intentional with your RSVP is the first step.
Some Chicago singles find joy in celebrating the holidays their way

Dec 23, 2024 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

For some singles, the holiday season can be a reminder of what’s missing. Living in a major city like Chicago, populated with millions of people, feelings of loneliness and isolation can be amplified during this time of year. There are some in Chicago, however, who embrace being single during the holiday season. The TRiiBE spoke with two women who are finding bliss in celebrating the season in their own ways; the men who were contacted for this story did not want to be included.
‘Santa looks like me’: How Santa Larry brings representation to Chicago for Christmas

Dec 18, 2024 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden

Santa Larry doesn’t just deliver presents to Chicago — he brings the gift of inclusive Christmas magic. During the holiday season each year, veteran Larry Jefferson embodies the spirit of Christmas by spreading joy, light, love and laughter. He’s currently posted up at Griffin Museum of Science and Industry, taking photos with families and greeting guests every day from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. through Dec. 20.
LETTER: Frank Chapman’s statement on Kim Foxx leaving office

Dec 4, 2024 | thetriibe.com | Tiffany Walden |Frank Chapman

First of all, let us recognize that the 2016 electoral victory that put Kim Foxx into the Cook County State’s Attorney Office (CCSAO) was based clearly and squarely on the demands of our movement coming in the wake of the 2014 Chicago police murder of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. That case exposed several things at the same time. It exposed the role of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel in covering up police crimes because he held the video tape for over 400 days so he could win reelection.