This is my first issue as South Side Weekly’s new Editor-in-Chief, and I am delighted to have joined this team.
I am a native South Sider, and proud of it. Living here has fostered a sense of connectedness, a willingness to think unconventionally, and self-belief—incredible resources, especially in this moment.
My parents arrived here in the 1960s, Black southerners who moved to Chicago from the deep south during the second wave of the Great Migration. My earliest memories are of Chatham, the nourishing, vibrant community where our first family home was located. And when we settled in Hyde Park-Kenwood in the 1970s, I continued to learn transformative lessons about race, representation, and the power of the written word.
Indeed, coming of age on Chicago’s South Side sensitized me to gaps and silences in journalism, policymaking, and the creative arts. Not coincidentally, I’ve worked in publishing and in nonprofits—in roles centering storytelling and social justice—for many years. And the necessity of “narrative change”—storytelling that challenges dominant narratives, surfaces inequities, and shifts power—has been a throughline in my life and work.
Relatedly, this week’s issue touches on topics of deep interest to me and to many of our readers. For instance, Yuqing Liu writes about the community-driven creation of a long-awaited mental health clinic in Bronzeville; Max Blaisdell investigates a lack of accountability at the Sheriff’s Office revealed by an FBI probe; and several selections from Chicago’s vibrant arts and cultural ecosystems are featured. And the start of each baseball season offers the joy of being in community, no matter the score—see Malachi Hayes’s article on opening day at Sox Park, for a dose of camaraderie and hope!
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about the evolving mission of the Weekly, the South Side’s storied, beloved alternative paper. I’ll also be reaching out to readers and community members at large, to hear how we can better serve your needs. I’m very excited to jump in!