VOICES IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY FIFTH THIRD BANK AND BY THE SUPPORT OF THESE DONORS.

>> AT THE THIRD WE BELIEVE WHEN DIVERSE VOICES ARE HEARD COMMUNITIES ARE MADE STRONGER.

LIVES MADE BETTER AND THE FUTURE HOLDS GREATER PROMISE FOR ALL AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT BLACK VOICES.

TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

TOGETHER WE CAN DRIVE CHANGE.

>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT BLACK VOICES.

I'M BRANDIS FRIEDMAN.

THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR WEEKEND WITH US.

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT A FEUD BETWEEN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE TEACHERS UNION LEADS TO A DISTRICT WIDE SHUTDOWN.

WE HEAR FROM PARENTS ABOUT HOW THE STANDOFF IS IMPACTING THEIR CHILDREN.

THE LIFE PLAYING OUT IN A NEW SERIES.

THE LAST LIVING WITNESS JOINS US ALONG WITH A CHICAGO AUTHOR WHO CO-WROTE THE BOOK THAT INSPIRED THE DRAMA WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT.

>> THE EXHIBITION IS AN INTERSPEX OF CHICAGO.

>> HOW AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS ENDED UP IN A BUSY DOWNTOWN BUILDING.

FIRST OFF, CPS AND THE CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION HAVE BEEN BATTLING ALL WEEK OVER WHETHER IT'S SAFE TO HAVE KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM AS COVID CASES RISE.

THE DISPUTE HAS LED TO CLASSES CANCELED FOR THREE DAYS AS TEACHERS REFUSE TO WORK IN PERSON AND THE DISTRICT REFUSES TO GO REMOTE.

SINCE 36% OF THE STUDENTS ARE BLACK AND 47% ARE LATINO IT IS MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE SHUTDOWN AND THE PANDEMIC.

JOIING US WITH MORE ARE COFOUNDER OF BLACK COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVE, A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS DEDICATED TO ADDRESSING ISSUES IMPACTING BLACK FAMILIES AND JOSEPH WILLIAMS, THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL AT BEASLEY ACADEMIC CENTER.

KALAVITA MITCHELL, A CPS PARENT.

THANKS TO YOU.

IT'S BEEN A CHALLENGING WEEK FOR CPS PARENTS.

I WANT TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DECISION OR POSITION TO GO REMOTE TO TRANSITION TO REMOTE LEARNING FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AMID THE SURGE.

DO YOU THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE PROPOSAL?

NATASHA DUNN, I'LL START WITH YOU PLEASE.

>> NO.

THERE'S LAYERS TO THIS.

I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN CRITICAL STATE IN TERMS OF HOW THE PANDEMIC IS ROLLING OUT.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE AFRAID, BUT WHERE THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT ON A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL BASIS.

NOT ALL SCHOOLS HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THEIR MITIGATION STRATEGIES.

THEIR SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL WHERE I FEEL SAFE FOR HER GOING INTO SCHOOL.

THE FACT WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING IS SINCE AUGUST SINCE SHE'S BEEN GOING TO SCHOOL, IN THE BEGINNING I WAS A LITTLE NERVOUS BUT FROM AUGUST UNTIL TWO WEEKS LATER I ALMOST FORGOT WE WERE IN A PANDEMIC.

THAT'S HOW COMFORTABLE I WAS.

THE PROBLEM I HAVE IS THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A COMPLETE AND TOTAL SHUTDOWN OF THE SYSTEM AND THAT'S NOT FAIR TO EVERY PARENT AND EVERY STUDENT IN CHICAGO.

>> YOU'RE SAYING MORE OF A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL DECISION?

>> YEAH.

>> JOSEPH WILLIAMS, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE POSITION?

>> YOU KNOW WHAT, I'LL BE HONEST.

I THINK THAT WHAT CTU HAS DONE I AGREE WITH IT 100%.

I THINK WE'RE IN A PANDEMIC.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS RISE.

WHY TAKE THE RISK.

WHY NOT TAKE A TWO WEEK TIME FRAME.

EVERYONE IS COMING OFF OF A BREAK RIGHT NOW.

WHY NOT TAKE THAT TIME TO GET ALL OF THE RESOURCES YOU NEED FOR SCHOOLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

WHY NOT TAKE THE TIME TO GIVE FAMILIES THE OPPORTUNITY IF THEY CONTRACTED COVID OR GOING THROUGH THINGS THEMSELVES TO GET IT TOGETHER.

I HONESTLY BELIEVE IT'S JUST THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND IT GIVES TIME TO PREPARE AND TO DO THINGS THE RIGHT WAY.

I'M IN COMPLETE AGREEANCE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING.

DO I BELIEVE OUR CHILDREN DESERVE TO BE IN SCHOOL, ABSOLUTELY, BUT I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL AND BE SAFE AS TEACHERS NEED TO BE SAFE AS WELL.

>> I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH CTU'S POSITION.

I DO BELIEVE THAT STUDENTS DEFINITELY SHOULD BE IN SCHOOL WHETHER IT SHOULD BE SAFE.

I ALSO AGREE WITH NATASHA THAT IT COULD BE SCHOOL BY SCHOOL BASIS BUT IT WOULD HAVE TO BE DETERMINED WHETHER THE SCHOOLS HAVE THE MITIGATIONS AND UNFORTUNATELY WHAT WE HAVE SEEN WITH CPS IS THAT A LARGER AMOUNT OF SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE THOSE PROPER LITIGATIONS AND WE'RE SEEING THE SPREAD OF THE OMICRON.

IT IS DECIMATING STAFF AND STUDENTS IN TERMS OF THE SICKNESS AND THE TIME THAT THEY'RE OUT AND THE TIME IT'S SPREADING.

>> AND BRIEFLY BEFORE WE MOVE ON.

WE HAVE HEARD CPS CEO PEDRO MARTINEZ MAKE THE CASE THAT SOME SCHOOLS THAT HAVE THE TEACHES TO REOPEN AND SOME HEARING FROM THE PRINCIPALS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEIR CHILDREN CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL.

YES OR NO, HAVE ANY OF YOU HEARD FROM YOUR PRINCIPALS?

>> YES.

>> YES.

>> HAVE YOUR PRINCIPALS SAID YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE ABLE TO COME TO SCHOOL.

>> NO.

>> NO.

>> NO.

>> AS PARENTS WHAT HAS THIS WEEK BEEN LIKE FOR THE THREE OF YOU HAVING TO JUGGLE, FIGURING OUT WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CHILDREN WHILE WORKING AND A LOT OF PARENTS COMPLAINED ABOUT THE WORD WHETHER OR NOT SCHOOLS WILL BE OPENED OR CLOSED COMING TO THEM LATE, ANNOUNCED LATE.

NATASHA, WHAT'S IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU?

>> IT'S FRUSTRATING.

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT PHYSICAL HEALTH.

THIS IS ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND ACADEMIC STABILITY OF OUR CHILDREN AND FUTURE.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS SITUATION FROM A TOTALITY STANDPOINT AND NOT JUST FROM A MINISCULE STANDPOINT AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY MINISCULE BECAUSE THIS PANDEMIC IS A SERIOUS THING BUT IT'S ALSO SERIOUS THAT WHAT WE NOTICED IN THE LAST TIME THAT WE WERE ONLINE WAS THAT IT WAS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE.

OUR STUDENTS WERE HAVING ISSUES WITH LOGGING IN, INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.

WE HAD PARENTS WHO WERE NOT EQUIPPED OR UNDERSTOOD HOW TO REALLY WORK WITH THE GOOGLE CLASSROOM.

WE HAD REPORTS OF TEACHERS LOGGING OUT EARLY.

WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO HAVE FELT ISOLATED BECAUSE THEY WERE IN REMOTE LEARNING.

WE ALSO HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN SUICIDES.

AN INCREASE IN SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN PARTICIPATING IN CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR.

TO ME IT'S NEGLIGENT FOR CTU AND CPS TO THINK THAT IT'S OKAY TO UNILATERALLY SHUT DOWN EVERY SCHOOL IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO FOR EVERY CHILD.

THAT IS -- >> YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PROBLEMS WITH REMOTE LEARNING.

I WANT TO KEEP GOING HERE BECAUSE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT REMOTE LEARNING DURING THE FIRST YEAR, IT DID LEAD TO LEARNING LOSS.

ONE OF THE ARGUMENTS TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN IS THAT KIDS WILL FALL BEHIND MORE.

HERE'S A BIT OF MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT TALKING ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

>> I NEED YOU TO REPORT ABOUT THE FACT THAT 100,000 CHILDREN WERE DISCONNECTED AND DISENGAGED WHEN WE WERE FULLY REMOTE.

100,000, MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN AND POOR KIDS.

WHO WEREN'T LEARNING.

>> WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON REMOTE LEARNING AND HOW IT'S IMPACTED YOUR STUDENTS' PROGRESS?

>> I DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

MY CHILDREN PERFORMED VERY WELL.

YOU KNOW, IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE SCHOOL, THE SETUP, THEIR PREPARATION AND HOW THINGS ARE GOING.

BUT TO LISTEN TO LORI, IT'S JUST KIND OF ANNOYING GIVEN THAT HER CHILD IS IN SCHOOL IN A PRIVATE SCHOOL SETTING AND IS IN REMOTE AND THE DIFFERENCE WOULD BE IS THAT CPU IS ONLY ASKING FOR A TEMPORARY PAUSE UNTIL THE NUMBERS GO DOWN AND THEN WE CAN ZOOM BUT THE PROBLEM CTS HAS NOT LEARNED HOW TO PIVOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ESPECIALLY SCHOOLS IN THE SUBURBAN DISTRICTS ABLE TO PIVOT AND DO REMOTE LEARNING AND DO IT WELL BECAUSE I SEEN IT FIRSTHAND.

I HAVE ONE IN CPS AND ONE IN OUTSIDE PLACEMENT AND CPS NEEDS TO STEP UP TO THAT LEVEL.

>> ANOTHER ISSUE, I WANTED TO GET IN ON THIS.

MEMBERS SAY THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE IN THE CLASSROOM BUT THE MAYOR AND HER TEAM, CDPH HEALTH COMMISSIONER, THEY HAVE ALL SAID OVER AND OVER THAT SCHOOLS ARE THE SAFEST PLACE FOR STUDENTS.

JOSEPH, DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE DISTRICT HAS TAKEN ENOUGH SAFETY MEASURES?

>> YEAH.

I'M GOING TO BE BRIEF.

I WANT TO SAY THAT CPS IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST DISTRICTS.

FOR THEM TO NOT HAVE A PLAN A, A PLAN B AND TO -- I WATCHED DR. ATWATER EXPLAIN HOW RESOURCES ARE SCARCE.

HOW DO YOU MAKE A DECISION WHEN YOU'RE SAYING RESOURCES ARE SCARCE AND SHE STATED THAT NURSES NOW WILL DEAL WITH CONTACT TRACING AND TESTING CHILDREN.

WHY HASN'T THIS ALREADY BEEN IN PLAN ALREADY?

SO FOR ME, EVEN TO BACKTRACK TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION, AS A PARENT, I'M FRUSTRATED BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT PARENT VOICES AREN'T AT THE TABLE.

WE SHOULD BE AT THE FRONT END OF THIS.

THEY SHOULD TRY TO SEE WHAT ARE THESE PARENTS GOING THROUGH AS THEY TRY TO GO DAY BY DAY WITH THIS SITUATION AND IT NEEDS TO BE OPTIONS.

PARENTS SHOULD HAVE AN OPTION TO GO REMOTE OR IN-PERSON.

DON'T GIVE EVERYBODY A ONE BUCKET.

>> WE ARE OUT OF TIME.

THIS IS VERY COMPLICATED AS ALL THREE OF YOU I'M SURE YOU'RE AWARE OF BECAUSE YOU'RE LIVING IT EVERY DAY.

I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME FOR US TONIGHT.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IN A MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK, LONG TIME ILLINOIS CONGRESSMAN BOBBY RUSH ANNOUNCED HE WILL NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM.

RUSH IS LEAVING CONGRESS AFTER SERVING NEARLY 30 YEARS.

BEFORE BECOMING A LAWMAKER HE WAS A CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND HELPED FIND THE ILLINOIS BLACK PANTHER PARTY.

WE ASKED WHAT HE WOULD LIKE HIS LEGACY TO BE.

>> TO SERVE THE PEOPLE BODY AND SOUL.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CURRENTLY LIVE BY, SERVING THE PEOPLE BODY AND SOUL.

SERVING IN MY LOVE LANGUAGE.

>> CONTINUING TO SERVE.

RUSH SAYS HE WILL CONTINUE PUSHING FOR JUSTICE AND EQUALITY OUTSIDE CONGRESS AS A PREACHER, ACTIVIST AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER.

UP NEXT, A NEW TV SERIES INSPIRED BY CIVIL RIGHTS ICON.

♪ >> THOUGH MANY KNOW THE NAME EMMET HILL.

IT WAS HIS MOTHER WHO MADE SURE THAT WE WOULD.

AFTER THE ABDUCTION AND LYNCHING OF HER SON IN 1955 SHE BECAME A TEACHER AND CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND NOW HER LIFE IS THE FOCUS OF A NEW LIMITED SERIES.

HERE'S A CLIP FROM ABC'S WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT.

>> ONE ROUND TRIP TICKET TO MISSISSIPPI.

>> THANK YOU.

>> NEXT.

>> BOB, GET DOWN HERE!

>> THELMA, WHAT NOW?

>> YOU DIDN'T KISS ME GOODBYE.

>> YOU GOT TO LET ME GO.

>> WAIT.

WHAT IS THIS FOR?

>> I NEED TO KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS WHEN I'M ON VACATION, DO I?

BYE.

>> I LOVE YOU BO.

YOU BE GOOD NOW.

DON'T FORGET TO WRITE.

>> AND JOINING US ARE REVEREND WHEELER PARKER, EMMA TEAL'S COUSIN WHO WAS IN THE HOME THE NIGHT TEAL WAS KIDNAPPED AND KILLED AND NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR BENSON WHO CO-WROTE A BOOK THAT HELPED INSPIRE THE SERIES.

BOTH HAVE SERVED AS CONSULTANTS FOR THE SERIES AND I THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

REVEREND PARKER THIS WAS DIFFICULT TO WATCH EVEN FOR ME.

AS THE LAST LIVING WITNESS TO TEAL'S DEATH WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO SEE THE STORY TOLD ON THE SCREEN?

REVEREND ARE YOU THERE?

>> YES.

>> WHAT WAS IT LIKE FOR YOU TO SEE THIS STORY BEING TOLD ON THE SCREEN?

>> WOW.

IT IMPACTS MAJOR TEARS AGAIN.

I ASKED TO EXCUSE -- I DIDN'T KNOW SHE WAS GOING TO SHOW ME CRYING BUT IT WAS OKAY.

IT BROUGHT BACK A LOT OF MEMORIES 66 YEARS AGO AND I CAN'T FORGET HOW MISSISSIPPI WAS AND WHAT I SEE IS WHERE WE CAME FROM AND HOW MUCH WE HAVE TO DO.

SO MUCH WAS THE WAY THINGS REALLY HAPPENED.

I'VE BEEN ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS, A LOT OF PHONE CALLS.

OF COURSE, SOME OF IT I WAS NOT PRIVY TO OR LIKE CHALLENGING HIM TO SEE -- THAT NEVER HAPPENED.

>> OBVIOUSLY, SOME DRAMA OUT OF IT OR SOME DRAMATIZATION?

>> YEAH, YEAH.

>> AS HOLLYWOOD GOES.

>> YEAH.

THAT'S HOLLYWOOD.

BUT ANYWAY, I WAS SURPRISED THAT IT WAS ACTIVE AS IT WAS.

>> ABC PICKED UP THE RIGHTS OF THE BOOK THAT YOU CO-WROTE, THE STORY OF A HATE CRIME THAT CHANGED AMERICA.

TELL US ABOUT THAT COLLABORATION IF YOU WOULD AND HOW THE BOOK SHAPED THE SERIES.

>> YEAH.

WELL, THANKS FOR THE QUESTION.

I HAVE TO ECHO WHAT REVEREND PARKER HAS SAID, IT WAS REALLY MOVING TO SEE THE SCENES ON THE SCREEN THAT TRACKED WHAT WE HAD TALKED ABOUT SO MANY MONTHS DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS AS WE WERE PUTTING THE BOOK TOGETHER.

BUT IT WAS REALLY GRATIFYING TO SEE HER STORY TAKEN TO THE SCREEN BECAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAD ENVISIONED TOGETHER WHEN WE SAT DOWN IN 2002.

WE WORKED TOGETHER FOR THE LAST SIX MONTHS OF HER LIFE TO MAKE SURE HER STORY WOULD BE PRESERVED IN BOOK FORM.

SHE WAS A TEACHER FOR 26 YEARS IN THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND RECOGNIZED THE VALUE OF THE BOOK.

SO SHE WAS DETERMINED TO HAVE THE BOOK DONE AND FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO COMPLETE THAT AFTER HER DEATH.

THE OTHER PART WAS TO SHARE THAT STORY WITH THE WIDEST POSSIBLE AUDIENCE AND IT WOULD BE GRATIFYING TO HER TO KNOW THIS WAS DONE.

TO SEE THE SCENES COME TO LIFE WAS MOVING AND I HAVE TO ECHO REVEREND PARKER IN BEING BROUGHT TO TEARS.

IT IS QUITE PAINFUL TO SEE PARTICULARLY AFTER SPENDING SO MANY HOURS AND DAYS AND MONTHS TALKING TO HER AND HEARING HER TELL THE STORIES.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

REVEREND PARKER, YOU SERVED AS A CONSULTANT.

WHAT WAS ABOUT HER THAT YOU WANTED TO BE SURE WAS REFLECTED IN THE SERIES?

>> I THINK WHAT WE KEEP SEEING IS THAT IN SPITE OF WHAT HAPPENED TO HER, SHE WAS NOT A BITTER PERSON.

THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES.

IN THE WAY SHE WENT ABOUT HER LIFE AND TRYING TO SERVE HUMANITY.

WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT, THEY GOT THE RIGHT PERSON.

I MEAN, SHE DID A BANG-UP JOB BUT SHE HAD BEEN PREPARING FOR THIS.

IT'S LIKE HAVING AN OPPORTUNITY -- WHAT THEY SAY DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY UNPREPARED.

BUT SHE WAS PREPARED, SHE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.

SHE WAS LIKE A GOD SEND AND EVERYTHING.

SHE HAS A STEP UP.

I KNEW THE OTHER MIMI.

MIMI HAD TO STEP UP.

SHE PULLED THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND SHE DID, SHE WAS ABLE TO DO THAT.

SHE HAD ME WELL TRAINED.

>> SHE WAS READY.

>> READY FOR ANYTHING.

YEAH.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOR LIFE, SHE WAS PREPARED FOR LIFE.

>> CHRIS, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT MOST PEOPLE KNOW THE STORY, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH ABOUT HOW INFLUENTIAL SHE REALLY WAS IN THIS AND ABC HAS RELEASED A SERIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DRAMA SERIES BRINGING THIS TO A WIDER AUDIENCE.

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS STORY RESONATES SO MUCH TODAY?

>> WELL, ONE, WE NEVER SAW JUSTICE IN THIS CASE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD SEE JUSTICE BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT EXPLAINED TO US AS THEY BRIEFED US ON THE CLOSING ON THE INVESTIGATION, THERE'S NO WAY TO SEE JUSTICE IN SUCH A GRIZZLY MURDER.

WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN ACCOUNTABILITY BUT JUSTICE AS SOMEONE EXPRESSED TO US WOULD HAVE MEANT EMMET COMING HOME ALIVE.

SO THERE IS THAT.

IN THE SENSE OF INJUSTICE GRATES AGAINST OUR CONSCIOUSNESS.

THAT'S PART ONE.

PART TWO, THIS DEPICTION OF THE BOOK AND WHAT WE TRIED TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE BOOK WAS TO HUMANIZE AND TO HUMANIZE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN MOTHER AND SON AND AS REVEREND PARKER WOULD TELL YOU, IT WAS MORE LIKE BROTHER AND SISTER BECAUSE OF THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD.

I THINK WE SEE EMMET A FULLY DEVELOPED PERSON FALL IN LOVE WITH HIM AND I THINK THAT IS CAPTURED BY THE TV RENDERING OF THIS AS WE DID WITH THE BOOK AS WELL.

>> AND BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, WE ALSO KNOW THAT YOU AND REVEREND PARKER AND THE FAMILY ARE DOING A LOT OF WORK TO CONTINUE THIS STORY AND TO FIND WAYS -- OTHER WAYS TO COMMEMORATE THE FAMILY LEGACY.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE PLANS PLEASE.

>> YEAH.

WE HAVE FORMED THE MOBLEY INSTITUTE WHICH IS ENGAGED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AMONG YOUTH.

AND AMONG THE PROJECTS WE'RE DEALING WITH IS DEVELOPMENT OF A NATIONAL CURRICULUM BUILT ON THE STORY INTRODUCED IN HIGH SCHOOLS THROUGH FACING HISTORIES AND OURSELVES AND THE WINTER INSTITUTE IN MISSISSIPPI.

WE'RE LOOKING AT ESTABLISHING A NATIONAL MONUMENT AND SOME OTHER EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES.

I SHOULD SAY THAT REVEREND PARKER AND I ARE WORKING ON A BOOK ON THE INVESTIGATION AND WE'RE BUILDING ON THE STORY AND TALKING ABOUT THE CONTEXT FOR IT.

BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST A CASE OF SOME WHITE SUPREMACIST WHO CAME IN AND BRUTALIZED THIS KID AND MURDERED HIM.

IT'S ABOUT A STRUCTURE IN OUR SOCIETY THAT PERMITTED THAT SORT OF THING.

>> I THINK WE'RE WITNESSING SOME OF IT TODAY.

IT'S BEEN AN HONOR TO TALK TO YOU BOTH AND LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE ABOUT THE PROJECTS.

THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

GOD BLESS YOU.

>> WOMEN OF THE MOVEMENT IS A SIXTH EPISODE SERIES AIRING IN THREE PARTS, THE FIRST TWO AIRED THIS PAST THURSDAY WITH THE FOLLOWING AIRING JANUARY 13th AND THE 20th.

UP NEXT, AN ART SHOW IN AN UNEXPECTED SPACE.

STAY WITH US.

♪ >>> A UNIQUE COLLABORATION BRINGING BLACK ART TO A POPULAR CHICAGO BUILDING.

A FIRST OF ITS KIND EXHIBIT AT PRUDENTIAL PLAZA DOWNTOWN.

>> THE EXHIBITION AT ONE, TWO, PRU COVERS EVERYTHING FROM JAZZ TO BLUES TO ENERGY AND LANDSCAPES DEPICTING THE GREAT VIBRATION.

IT'S EVERYTHING CHICAGO HAS TO OFFER.

>> WALK INTO ONE, TWO, PRU AND STEP IN AND THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE IS ART.

IT'S NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE ART IN DOWNTOWN LOBBIES BUT MOST OF THE PIECES HERE ARE FROM A BLACK OWNED ART GALLERY IN BROWNSVILLE.

>> IT'S ABOUT INCLUSION AND THEY INVITED US OUT AND WE WORK WITH KEITH DOUGLAS AND A HOST OF OTHERS THAT HELPED US UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE A PART OF A CORPORATE ENTITY AND SO HERE WE ARE EXHIBITING OUR WORK ALLOWING OUR ARTISTS TO HAVE EXPOSURE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE.

>> STERLING BAY TEAMED UP TO CREATE THIS ONE OF A KIND FREE ART EXHIBIT TO SHOWCASE BLACK ARTISTS AND BRING THEIR WORK TO AN AUDIENCE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED OTHERWISE.

>> THIS TIME LAST YEAR WE WERE AT A CRITICAL INTERSECTION WITH THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AS WELL AS A RECKONING AROUND RACE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

AND SO WE WERE REALLY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW COULD WE UTILIZE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO FROM A MOMENT AND TO CREATE A MOVEMENT OF CHANGE.

>> THE EXHIBIT TITLED AFRICAN CHICAGO FEATURES 20 MIXED MEDIA PIECES ALL RELATED TO CHICAGO.

IT OPENED IN MAY AND A NEW COLLECTION OF PIECES JUST WENT UP IN NOVEMBER.

>> WE WERE VERY INTENTIONAL AND VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE COULD IMMERSE AND INVITE THE TENANTS IN OUR BUILDING AS WELL AS THE MOVEMENT OF CHICAGOANS AND TOURISTS ACROSS THE SPACE TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE THE ARTFORM, TO HAVE THEIR INTEREST PIQUED BY IT AND HOPEFULLY TO BE MOTIVATED TO OPEN UP THEIR CHECK BOOKS AND TO PURCHASE.

>> WE HAVE SOLD FIVE PIECES AND 25% OF OUR EXHIBIT SOLD FIVE OUT OF 20, WE WERE ABLE TO THEN EXPOSE OUR ARTISTS TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT NORMALLY GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THE ARTWORK.

>> STERLING BAY AND GALLERY HOPE TO BUILD ON THE EXPOSURE FOR BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES AND NEIGHBORHOODS.

>> WE NOTICED MORE TOURISM COMING THROUGH BROWNSVILLE LOOKING AT THE GALLERY AND THEY ARE PROBABLY SEEING IT HERE FIRST AND BEING ABLE TO COME TO THE GALLERY.

>> FOR STERLING BAY THE COLLABORATION IS THE FIRST OF MANY.

>> THIS IS A SIGNATURE INITIATIVE FOR US AS WELL.

WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS WILL BE THE IMPETUS TO A SERIES OF COLLABORATIONS SUCH AS THIS.

NOT ONLY WITHIN OUR OWN PORTFOLIO OF PROPERTIES BUT WE WANT TO SET THE BAR ACROSS THE INDUSTRY AS WE THINK AND WE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY.

I ALWAYS SAY MEANINGFUL, MEASURABLE DIVERSITY HAS TO BE MAKING THE WORD, NOT ONLY A NOUN BUT A VERB.

THERE HAS TO BE ACTION BEHIND IT.

>> THEY ALSO HOPE THE EXHIBIT CAN BE A REMINDER OF THE POWER OF ART AND THE IMPACTS IT COULD HAVE.

>> IT'S REALLY OUR MOTTO, SEE ART, LOVE ART, BUY ART, LIVE WITH ORIGINAL ART AND OUR ARTISTS OF THE AFRICAN MULTICULTURAL ARTISTS ARE ABLE TO HELP US IN A WAY THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT DURING THIS TIME OF COVID.

>> THE EXHIBIT WILL RUN UNTIL MAY 22nd AND WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXHIBIT ON OUR WEBSITE.

THAT IS OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEKEND.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE WTTW.COM/NEWS FOR UPDATES INCLUDING THE LATEST ON CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND IF YOU'RE WATCHING US ON SATURDAY NIGHT, KNOW THAT YOU CAN ALSO CATCH BLACK VOICES AND LATINO VOICES ON SUNDAY'S AT 10:00 P.M. JOIN ME NEXT WEEK AT 7:00 ON CHICAGO TONIGHT.

FOR ALL OF US HERE AT BLACK VOICES I'M BRANDIS FRIEDMAN.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING PART OF YOUR WEEKEND WITH US.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

>>> CLOSED CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY CLIFFORD LAW