New Documentary Celebrates Black Librarianship
In late June, the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Wilmington Public Library screened an early version of the documentary, Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians. The producer, Rodney Freeman, is making the film to raise awareness about the important role that Black librarians have played throughout history to fight literary censorship, book bans, and workplace discrimination. Freeman is in the process of finalizing the film and will begin submitting it to film festivals next year.
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Chicago companies create jobs for women in India
CBS Chicago Feature Story: In the heart of one of Chicago’s coolest neighborhoods, Theresa VanderMeer of Work+Shelter and Bergen Anderson of Lilla Barn are spearheading one of the coolest partnerships in the world to promote earth-friendly and ethically-made clothing and other sewn goods. Part of what makes this partnership so exciting: It includes creating jobs and helping to change the lives of women in need in India.
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Maine business owners weigh in on Senate Tax Bill
Sen. Collins has been a champion of strong energy efficiency policies throughout her career. Local energy efficiency and home performance business owners wrote an op-ed for the Bangor Daily News calling on her to maintain her leadership on this issue and help protect the 25C Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit in the Senate tax bill. A growing number of U.S. homeowners — particularly in Maine — are claiming the credit to help cover the cost of home efficiency improvements and reduce their energy bills. In 2023, 3% of Maine homeowners claimed the credit, the highest percentage in the country, likely in response to the state’s rapidly increasing electricity costs.
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Restoring Rooftop Solar in CA
On Wednesday, June 4th, the California Supreme Court will hold a hearing on whether to reinstate a stronger version of the state's rooftop solar energy policy after it was weakened by the California PUC in 2022. In the San Francisco Chronicle, Jessica Guadalupe Tovar, executive director of the Local Clean Energy Alliance, encourages the court to rule in favor of the reinstatement, saying that the stronger policy will do more to prevent wildfires, address climate change, and reduce household energy costs.
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Mother’s Day: Chocolate Flower Pots & Exotic Dark Chocolates By Chocolat Uzma
Chocolate Flower Pots, Exotic Dark Chocolates, Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries: Uzma Sharif of Chocolat Uzma shows off her special Mother's Day offerings on Driving It Home with Patti Vasquez!
Located in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood, Chocolat Uzma was named one of the country's best chocolate shops by USA Today last year. Go check it out if you haven't yet!
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Earth Month: We Love People & Planet
The Solutions Project’s “We Love People & Planet” campaign, supported by A-list actors, nonprofits, businesses, and foundations, is a reminder that the wide-scale and continually growing effort to protect and advance climate solutions will always live on.
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Chicago elementary school students receive world-class education
This June, twenty students from It Takes A Village Leadership Academy on Chicago’s South Side will travel to Kenya to see and experience the country’s culture firsthand and engage in a wide range of community service projects. ITAV’s World Scholars Program is just one of the ways the school provides its students with a world-class education. Chicago Crusader, the longest-running African American newspaper in the city, recently published an in-depth feature piece on the school’s unique and powerful programming.
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Earth Day: Chicago Salon Goes Carbon Neutral
For Earth Day, FOX32 Chicago profiled Salon Edda, a leader in the green salon movement. The salon is carbon neutral & recycles 95% of its beauty waste — including hair clippings, aluminum foils, and hair color tubes – that are then turned into earth-friendly products like recycling bins, clean energy, and insulation. Check out Green Circle Salons to find a green salon near you!
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Tax Day Story: Claiming the 25C Home Efficiency Tax Credit
If you're a homeowner, this is a "must read" Tax Day story. CNBC explains why a growing number of homeowners are claiming the 25C tax credit to save money on their home efficiency projects, such as installing fiberglass insulation.
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Mentoring Chicago’s Black & Brown youth
"These two ladies are truly community leaders and builders who are investing in Chicago neighborhoods." - Bridging Chicago shines a spotlight on Kelly Fair of Polished Pebbles and Cecilia Cuff of The Nascent Group/Bronzeville Winery, who are working together prepare young Black and Brown girls for professional success.
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Chicago-area athletes launch fintech project to revitalize communities
Walter Mendenhall IV (former NFL), Jarryd Loyd (former professional basketball) and Jewell Loyd (Las Vegas Aces, NBA) have partnered to bring Help With My Loan to Chicago, with the goal of using this highly-efficient, AI-powered financial platform to revitalize communities and create jobs for Black men and women as residential and commercial loan officers. Greg Palmer of Finovate has the story!
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Pairing workforce development with food security
Dion Dawson, founder and executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream, is one of the country's foremost experts on how to design workforce development strategies that simultaneously alleviate poverty and food insecurity in under-resourced communities. He shared his insights with the Chicago Crusader, the longest-running African-American newspaper in the city. Check out his guest column here.
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Blavity Q&A: Exploring the History of Black Literacy & Librarianship
An essential read for Black History Month: Blavity explores the Civil Rights history of Black literacy and librarianship with UNC librarian and documentary producer Rodney Freeman. Stay tuned for Rodney's upcoming documentary, "Are You a Librarian? The Untold Story of Black Librarians," which will be released in Philadelphia this June.
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Bronzeville Winery Hosts Mommy & Me Etiquette Lunch
In February, Bronzeville Winery, one of Chicago's most popular restaurants, and Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program hosted a "Mommy & Me Etiquette Lunch" to help prepare young girls for professional success. On FOX32 Chicago, etiquette coach Rica Cuff shared some of the skills the girls would learn.
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Celebrating Black Librarianship
On WVON/The Talk of Chicago, former IL State Rep. Ken Dunkin spoke with librarian and documentary producer Rodney Freeman about why we should celebrate Black librarianship in America. Check out the fun and important Black History Month interview here.
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TODAY Show: New soul food restaurant rewrites Chicago history
On Craig Melvin's first day as co-anchor of NBC's TODAY, he aired a story about NAFSI 1916, the first Black-owned restaurant to open in what used to be a whites-only country club.
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MLK Day Op-Ed: Protecting Libraries as Guardians of Our True History
On MLK Day, UNC Librarian Rodney Freeman writes that the current rise in book bans and threats against librarians is in direct conflict with our society’s commitment to honoring the life and legacy of MLK and other Civil Rights leaders.
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Op-Ed: Food as Medicine Programs Should Be A National Priority
To kick off the New Year, Dion’s Chicago Dream Founder Dion Dawson publishedan op-ed in Newsweek about why Food is Medicine should be a national priority. Food is Medicine programs are a proven way to provide food security, improve health outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs for our country’s most vulnerable populations. Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-IL) is a key leader on this issue. In November, she introduced the FOOD as Health Act, which would direct $20 million in grants to Food is Medicine programs. In addition to endorsing this legislation, Dion recently joined the advisory council of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University.
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Mark Ruffalo & Gloria Walton on The Solutions Theory
What do we do now to effectively address the climate crisis? In The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Solutions Project’s Mark Ruffalo, aka The Hulk, and Gloria Walton, an award-winning climate leader, urge their fellow philanthropists to recognize the need to invest in community-led climate solutions. This is no longer just a theory. It’s the proven reality reflected in new data and powerful examples of equitable, grassroots-powered climate action across the country.
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Forbes Exclusive: Expanding Earth Day Access To Energy Users In Every Home And Building
IMPEL is a woman-led, DOE-funded tech-to-market program accelerating equitable access to next-generation building decarbonization technologies for schools, homes, and commercial buildings. For Earth Day, Forbes published an exclusive on the program's remarkable success over the past five years. IMPEL innovators – over half of whom identify as women, non-binary, and/or people have color – have raised $90 million in funding, created 180 jobs, and won 167 awards, grants, and prizes.
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