City Cast Chicago

Happy Pride month! Host Jacoby Cochran is looking back at some key stories from the week with Chicago Reader co-publisher Tracy Baim and Block Club Chicago reporter Jake Wittich, who covers Lakeview, Lincoln park, and Old Town. They discuss Chicago’s new AIDS Garden, a Pride march at a North Center elementary school, and the Reader’s Pride Issue. Tracy and Jake also make it clear while Pride is a month of celebration, we must continue to protect, uplift, and advocate for LGBTQ+ stories and lives all year round.

Catch Jacoby Wednesday evening at the Golden Dagger for Write Club Chicago. He’ll be facing off against Shermann “Dilla” Thomas debating Parks vs. Beaches. Jacoby is Team Parks. Which are you? Let us know at (773) 780-0246.

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For six months, Chicago Reader and Injustice Watch have been investigating allegations of sexism, inappropriate behavior, and bias by Judge Raul Vega, the formerly highest ranking judge in the domestic violence division at Cook County Circuit Court. Now, under a growing trail of complaints, Vega is retiring. Not only will formal inquiries into his behavior end, but the judge will be allowed to keep his $14,000 a month pension. Chicago Reader reporter Kelly Garcia led the investigation and breaks down that story and more news of the week. We're also joined by Chicago Reader’s social justice reporter Adam Rhodes. They discuss the early release of Jason Van Dyke, the former Chicago police officer who murdered Laquan McDonald in 2014, and Kelly shares her birthday love for Saba’s new album, “Few Good Things.”

Guests:

Kelly Garcia—Reporter, Chicago Reader

Adam Rhodes—Reporter, Chicago Reader

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Chicago City Council gave the Bally’s Casino its official stamp of approval, but will they do the same with a plan to bring NASCAR to Chicago? Plus, bigger fines for blocking bike lanes, and check if your Starbucks is open this morning. Several stores in the area are planning to strike starting Friday. And of course we’ve good news like a WWE show, a South Side art exhibit, and some holiday traditions to celebrate.

What’s your New Year’s resolution? Leave us a voicemail at (773) 780-0246.

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Ten years ago, Vivonell Brown was a teacher at Woodson Elementary in Bronzeville, on track to become a principal, when he lost his job. And he wasn’t the only one: More than a hundred Black educators were laid off or fired from schools CPS deemed to be underperforming. Brown and two other teachers filed a discrimination lawsuit in 2012, which finally reached a settlement in December.

Lack of representation is still a problem in Chicago schools, especially for Black male educators. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Brown and middle school teacher Kirby Birgans about their experiences as students and teachers, and the importance of representation at the front of the classroom. Kirby is a member of the Black Male Educators Alliance of Illinois, which aims to recruit and retain Black male teachers.

You can find out more on the settlement here.

Here's the full statement from CPS:

“Chicago Public Schools aims to provide a welcoming, equitable and safe teaching and learning environment for staff and students. On Wednesday, the Chicago Board of Education will vote on a settlement between the Chicago Teachers Union, Local 1, and CPS relating to layoffs that disparately impacted African American teachers and paraprofessionals resulting from the turnaround policies around certain CPS schools in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The agreement concludes nearly 10 years of litigation and will result in the creation and distribution of a settlement fund to benefit those staff members affected by the turnarounds. Resolving this matter is in CPS students’ best interest and will allow the District to move forward with its continued focus on providing a high quality education that is grounded in equity for students in every city neighborhood. As a District, we will continue efforts to recruit and retain a diverse faculty that reflects our student population."

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For the first time since 2008, StreetWise recently raised its prices. The weekly magazine will now cost $3, but you can still buy it from any of Streetwise’s ubiquitous vendors across Chicago. These vendors are fixtures in our communities, and some of them have been doing this going on three decades. Though the early part of the pandemic forced vendors off the street, more people are returning to their commutes, which means seeing their favorite vendors. We hear from a few of them, and lead producer Carrie Shepherd talks with Executive Director Julie Youngquist about the origins of StreetWise and how it works to help people in need.

Check out StreetWise’s podcast “Where I Stay.”

Some Good News: Catch us at The Silver Room on Thursday for a live podcast taping. Starting at 11 a.m., we’ll be previewing the Silver Room Block Party and talking the week’s news with Block Club’s Jamie Nesbitt Golden and author Mikki Kendall.

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