Evanston Rules

In Season Three's 1st episode, we (LAURICE and RON) are switching seats with one of our good friends and favorite guests from Season One, Judge LARRY AXELROOD.

Larry asks us some questions about how we got to where we are today and where we see Evanston Rules going and growing. And we answer with our typical no holds barred style.

Listen to understand.

In this episode, we talk with RODNEY WILLIAMS, a native Evanstonian
who has risen through the ranks of corporate America in marketing at Moët Hennessy, Jackson Family Wines and Mondavi Wines to name a few, while always standing up for what is right. Rodney pays it forward and moves the needle toward a level playing field. Join us as we talk to him about living with integrity, the importance of staying connected to your roots and showing up every day and living as an unapologetically and righteous black man, doing the right thing.

Overview of "Echoes of Evanston: The Soul of Community Hospital"

“Echoes of Evanston: The Soul of Community Hospital” is a multi-part creative collaboration that explores the often overlooked history of the Evanston Sanitarium, later known as Community Hospital. This institution served the Black community on Chicago's North Shore from 1914 to 1980.

Through this series, Evanston Rules shares the untold stories of pioneering Black physicians, healthcare teams, and patients who faced healthcare challenges during racial segregation. In-depth interviews were conducted with community members who experienced Community Hospital firsthand.

This “Echoes of Evanston” project is supported by Healing Illinois, a racial healing initiative of the Illinois Department of Human Services and the Field Foundation of Illinois. Evanston Rules partnered with Northlight Theatre to bring these conversations to life. Northlight Theatre Artistic Fellow Tor Campbell transformed material from these interviews into an evening of dramatic readings, presented at Northlight Theatre for an invited audience.

Episode Featuring Carlis Sutton

In our first episode, we feature Carlis Sutton, a living encyclopedia of Evanston's Black history. Carlis recounts the vibrant and thriving community that existed before integration. He shares his extensive knowledge about historical institutions like Community Hospital, which played a crucial role in serving the Black community when other hospitals refused them care.

Carlis not only shares his own history but also the stories of those who came before him, providing rich insights into why the Fifth Ward has become less recognizable over the years. A member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Carlis is a lifelong Evanstonian who attended Foster Elementary School, Haven Middle School, and Evanston Township High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff), a master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and a J.D. from Texas Southern University. He has taught in the Chicago Public Schools system and taught Sunday School at Second Baptist Church of Evanston, where he was ordained as a deacon in 1972.

His storytelling offers a profound understanding of the changes and challenges faced by the community. Discover the special history of Evanston in this episode and those that follow, as we delve deep into the unique and vibrant lives that shaped it.

This episode features GAIL HUTCHISON, a native Evanstonian and a powerful yoga and meditation instructor. Gail gives us some insight into the benefits of self care for all people, but, in particular, black people. Gail states “We can’t pour from an empty cup”, a phrase that should encourage everyone support themselves and work on healing. As a black woman, Gail shares her valuable input about race, who gets opportunities, being honest and acknowledging and learning the past so that we can move forward.

In this episode, we talk with GREG KLAIBER, a native Evanstonian who has paid it forward in terms of the equity and diversity that we at ER so cherish. Listen as we talk growing up in Evanston, friends, family, sports, mentors and a life of giving back.