As a publication that covers the South Side, we have to be real. We cannot celebrate without acknowledging the struggles so many people are facing at this moment, both here and overseas. The current administration has named Chicago many times as a target for its mass deportation agenda, and we’ve seen and responded to a recent surge in ICE and federal agents arresting our people without warning or care for the lives they’ve built in this country. In response, community members are fighting to (literally) shield their loved ones and neighbors from ambush, and have done so without hesitation.
Beyond our city, multiple communities with ties to Chicago are facing unimaginable crises. Shortly after this issue is released, we’ll cross the two year milestone of the U.S.-backed Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Three and a half years have passed since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with no end in sight, while conflicts in Sudan and the Congo claim tens of thousands of civilian lives. Efforts to oppose genocide are criminalized or ignored, but our city has shown unending support for those causes.
We want to remind you (and ourselves, to be honest) that the grief and urgency we feel is a result of the love we have for one another. That is not something that anyone can separate us from. These moments exemplify our passion for our people and communities, and our resilience. We do not celebrate our strength as merit for undeserved suffering, but instead we celebrate the choice to continue to empower ourselves as a means to overcome.
Don’t let anyone fool you, the South Side is full of life, and it’s animated by our diversity. The folks who call this home have come from all over across generations; different states, the American south, and countless countries. Everyone deserves to feel at home somewhere, and the South Side has served as a refuge throughout this city’s history.
While the segregation of our city still plays an active role in our lives, Best of the South Side seeks to reclaim power by seeing our differences as passageways to connect, learn, and grow.
There is so much to do and see south of Roosevelt, and year after year contributors come up with new or reimagined things to fill this special issue with. It’s an honor to share that work with each other and the entire city.
We ask that you join these writers and contributors in supporting and valuing the South Side. Take the time to patronize the works of Black, Brown, immigrant and other disenfranchised communities, especially those most impacted by the current and continued climate.
Thank you for taking a moment to read this special issue. Celebration is one of our favorite acts of resistance.
– Chima Ikoro, Community Builder
“come celebrate with me that everyday something has tried to kill me and has failed.” - Lucille Clifton