Chicago Defender

5 days ago | chicagodefender.com | Ben Jealous

This region is one end of the Monarch’s northern migration path and they cluster in large numbers in protected groves like this one (Photo Credit: Lee Jaffe). My childhood growing up in Pacific Grove, California was blessed with the kind of exposure to and immersion in nature that all kids deserve. We played among towering redwood trees that seemed to reach all the way to heaven. We surfed at Asilomar Beach, and marveled at both how small we are in our place in nature yet how connected we all are.

6 days ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

After a break-in at their Beverly restaurant, Brian and Linda Flippin reopened Flippin Flavors the same day. Backed by their community, they turned hardship into hope (Photo Credit Tacuma Roeback). On a chilly Saturday morning in late March, Brian Flippin was shopping for supplies when he got the alert no small business owner ever wants to receive. His Beverly restaurant, Flippin Flavors, had been burglarized.

1 week ago | chicagodefender.com | Damon Carr

Let’s keep it a buck—tariffs ain’t just boring political talk for CNN and policy nerds. Nah, tariffs hit the streets, your shopping cart, and your stock portfolio like a freight train. Case in point: recent tariffs slapped on Vietnamese imports by former President Trump caused chaos in the markets, shook Nike to its core, and took a big bite out of Big Tech. If you didn’t feel it yet, hold tight—it’s trickling down fast. What is a Tariff?

1 week ago | chicagodefender.com | Tacuma Roeback

Stacy Davis Gates (Photo: Facebook). For the first time in over a decade, the Chicago Teachers Union and Chicago Public Schools have reached a contract agreement without a strike. In a historic move, 97% of CTU members voted to approve the four-year contract, with an 85% turnout. It’s a moment CTU President Stacy Davis Gates sees as a reflection of the union’s alignment with its members and the communities they serve.

1 week ago | chicagodefender.com | Marshelle Sanders

Chairman Fred Hampton Jr. opens up about his father’s legacy, his own revolutionary work, and how the Black Panther Cubs continue the movement today (Photo Credit: Tacuma Roeback). “I’ve often said I’m a revolutionary living in reactionary times; much of my work involved being on what we call a political pivot—always adapting to the unexpected while staying focused on the mission. It’s a daily grind. But this is what movement work looks like.