Life in the Doughnut

Cheryl Johnson talks about growing up in Altgeld Gardens and the future of environmental justice

by Quinn Myers 3 months ago

Quinn Myers

Altgeld Gardens and Phillip Murray Homes sit about as far south as you can go in Chicago. Wedged between Lake Calumet, West Pullman, and South Deering, the almost 1,600-unit CHA-owned development is notably isolated, removed from business districts and most public transportation options. Altgeld also lies in what has become known as the “toxic doughnut”; emissions and lingering waste from former refineries and steel mills in the area have been linked to widespread public health issues in the community, including, historically, some of the highest cancer rates in Chicago.

Wrestling for the 25th Ward

Extremes of Pilsen’s political spectrum face each other in the runoff

by Quinn Myers 4 months ago

Siena Fite

The energy in the auditorium at Benito Juarez High School in Pilsen on March 20 was charged and heated, at times feeling closer to a pep rally than a political debate. Neighborhood residents and members of various community organizations had packed in to hear the two runoff candidates for 25th Ward alderman, Byron Sigcho-Lopez and Alex Acevedo, present their visions for the next four years of ward leadership.

Elections | Interviews

Meet the Candidates: Troy Hernandez

The Weekly sits down with the data scientist and environmental activist running for alderman in the 25th Ward

by Quinn Myers 5 months ago

Katie Hill

I met up with Troy Hernandez at his house in Pilsen during the polar vortex in late January. He’s been rehabbing it for the past few years, and workers filed in and out as we sat near a wood burning stove in the living room.

Elections | Features | Pilsen

The Ward Organizations

Burning and building bridges in the race for alderman in the 25th Ward

by Quinn Myers and Ellen Mayer 5 months ago 1 Comment

L-R: Alex Acevedo, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, Troy Hernandez, Hilario Dominguez, Aida Flores (Katie Hill)

Six months ago, 25th Ward Alderman Danny Solis’s grip on power was starting to feel a little shaky. After serving in City Council for twenty-two years, aligning himself closely with Mayor Richard M. Daley and then Rahm Emanuel, criticism of Solis was reaching a fever pitch. While longterm ward residents faced increased property taxes and skyrocketing rates of displacement, Solis greenlit new developments marketed toward young white professionals. Community organizations were fueling a swell of anti-gentrification activism, with Solis cast as the central, money-grubbing villain. And candidates were lining up to run against him in 2019, with five challengers ending up on the ballot.

Interviews | Politics

Meet the Challengers: Byron Sigcho Lopez

The Weekly sits down with the educator and community activist for alderman in the 25th Ward

by Quinn Myers 8 months ago

Katie Hill

For the past few years, Byron Sigcho Lopez has been a ubiquitous fixture around Pilsen. As the director of the Pilsen Alliance for the past three years, he’s helped organize a wide range of community meetings, protests, and referendums, with a special emphasis on housing justice. Sigcho Lopez has now taken a leave of absence from the group to run for alderman in the 25th Ward, which stretches from a northeastern corner of McKinley Park, across all of Pilsen, north to parts of the West Loop and South Loop, and south to Chinatown.

Interviews | Photo Essay

Voices of the 2018 Bud Billiken Parade

Sights and sounds from the largest Black parade in the country

by Quinn Myers and Bridget Vaughn 11 months ago 3 Comments

Bridget Vaughn

For a few hours last Saturday, thousands of people gathered along King Drive in Bronzeville to take part in the annual Bud Billiken Parade. Stretching from Oakwood Boulevard to Washington Park, the street turned into an endless flow of dance troupes, drill teams, and high school marching bands from across the South Side, all there to celebrate education and the upcoming school year—this year’s theme.