Editor’s Note:By now millions of words and hundreds of thousands of pictures have been shared about the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. No doubt, those words and images have elicited a broad range of emotions among people around the globe. The Chicago Reporter is pleased and proud to present one of those reactions, unfiltered by editing, from a former Chicagoan who has a new appreciation and understanding of the meaning of the U.S. flag. Lady Gaga sang “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the inauguration of Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris today. She sings the lyrics, “that our flag was still there”, and motions toward the flag on the Capital.
Race and Culture
How Black women cleared a path for Kamala Harris to be the Democrats’ VP pick
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Harris makes history as America marks the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote — a right that most Black women weren’t afforded until much later.
against the legacy of the many Black women on whose shoulders they believe she stands.
Perspectives
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s surveillance system will outlast the protest movement
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For communities of color, surveillance is just another iteration of a policing system that inherently views them as suspicious, a digital stop-and-frisk.
Perspectives
Families can support kids’ mental health whether they’re learning remotely or at school – here’s how
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Good mental health is the ability to adapt to changes and stress. Whatever school looks like, parents can help keep kids’ social-emotional development on track in these four areas.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
What’s next for the Army Corps’ lakefront dump?
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A U.S. Army Corps plan to expand a toxic dump on Lake Michigan’s shoreline in South Chicago is getting increased attention because it rejected community concerns over the project and dismisses alternatives promoted by environmental groups.
Perspectives
Millions of America’s working poor may lose out on key anti-poverty tax credit because of the pandemic
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The earned income tax credit lifts around 6 million of the working poor out of poverty every year, but with the economy hammered by COVID-19, many might not get the benefit they need.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
South Side’s maternal health desert poses added risks for Black women during pandemic
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The planned closing of Mercy Hospital underscores the dramatic loss of maternity services in Chicago over the past year — reflecting the failure of local government agencies to adequately fund critical services in vulnerable communities, advocates say.
Perspectives
Urban planning as a tool of white supremacy – the other lesson from Minneapolis
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Despite its progressive image, Minneapolis is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. That is by design not accident, argues an urban planning scholar.
Perspectives
Landlord-leaning eviction courts are about to make the coronavirus housing crisis a lot worse
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Millions of Americans may be at risk of losing their homes in coming months as eviction moratoriums expire and courts resume a process that heavily favors landlords.
Perspectives: The Powers That Be
Social justice movement should focus on passing Fair Tax Amendment this November
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The latest Springfield scandal shouldn’t stop the drive for a graduated income tax to fund programs that promote equity and opportunity as Illinois contends with unprecedented crises and growing income inequality.
Perspectives
Chicago’s closed schools should be redesigned for safe post-pandemic learning in Black neighborhoods
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School buildings notoriously shuttered by Chicago Public Schools in 2013 could now be used to facilitate classroom social distancing, especially in communities hardest hit by COVID-19.