>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

Black voices.

I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

>> Dissent matters in this moment.

>> Mayor Johnson says the city is ready for large, Anti-Trump anti ICE protest expected this weekend.

The historic Rainbow Push Coalition is putting out a call to action with new leadership.

And the challenges facing many black fathers and efforts to support them.

>> Now to some today's top stories, city officials say they are ready for large-scale protests in Chicago on Saturday.

Organizers are planning to protest President Donald Trump and his efforts to use federal agents to carry out mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

>> I am calling on all of Chicago to resist.

And this moment.

Because particular vulnerable group is being targeted today, another group will be next.

>> Thousands of protesters demonstrated in yesterday calling for ICE agents to leave Chicago officials say some CTA buses and police cars were vandalized and 17 people were arrested.

The nationwide protests come as Marines and more National Guard troops are set to arrive in Los Angeles today.

Despite the objections of California's governor, the so-called No Kings rally and March is taking place at Dealey Plaza on Saturday at noon it comes on the same day as President Trump holds a military parade in DC for his birthday.

Illinois is now seeing the most out of state patients seeking abortion care in the country.

It comes 3 years after the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision that overturned Roe versus Wade.

Planned Parenthood of Illinois says its number of abortion patients is up.

47% overall and 25% of abortion patients are traveling from almost every other state.

But the group says threats to Medicaid coverage mean the agency would have to make difficult decisions about closing health centers or increasing service costs since 40% of their patients rely on Medicaid to pay for treatment, including birth control cancer screenings and more.

Additionally, the Chicago abortion fund says it has become the largest and most relied upon independent abortion fund in the country distributing over 15 million dollars in abortion and wraparound support funding.

Chicago Transit authority officials say they're hoping for the best, but planning for the worst for 2026. after state lawmakers left Springfield without tackling Chicago area, Transit's 770 million dollar budget gap for next year.

The regional Transportation Authority is expected to ask CTA, Metra and pace to look at multiple scenarios for budget and service next year.

Speaking at today's CTA Board meeting acting president nor Ali Irsan expressed cautious optimism.

But lawmakers understand the gravity of the situation but warned of the potential for, quote, severe and sobering choices ahead.

Separately, directors approved a partnership with the Cook County Health to install Narcan vending machines.

5 stations in communities with high overdose rates.

And in case there was any doubt it is officially official.

is a White Sox fan.

He represented his hometown team in a public appearance at the Vatican today rocking a Sox hat.

Y'all.

Pope Leo was elected the first American pope last month and grew up in the south suburb of Dolton.

Maybe you can put in a word with the big guy, turn things around for the Sox who are currently sitting last in the division.

Up next, how a local organization is mobilizing against the Trump administration's actions.

>> Chicago tonight, black voices he's made possible in part by the support of these donors.

>> The rainbow Push Coalition is calling for advocates to come together and push back against federal efforts they say are targeting civil rights and freedoms ahead of their annual conference this weekend.

The group is planning a target protest before.

Joining up at the No Kings nationwide rally this weekend.

Joining us with more on the future of the organization is Rainbow PUSH is executive director.

You said Jackson, you, sir.

Thanks for joining us.

>> Good evening.

Thank you for having me today.

>> So it's a big week for rainbow push.

Obviously, you've got the conference.

You've got a couple of rallies.

What is the message you want to get out?

>> You know, every year since 1971, the Rainbow Push Coalition has held annual conference in this year's.

No different this year is different.

Only in a sense that we have never seen times like these the great temple of legislation that created a more equal society for us in a shirt in tremendous production.

Poverty, Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act in the public accommodations.

Bill are all under threat in 1959.

To take you back for a moment.

1959 African-Americans were 55% living below the poverty line, the great society legislation work by 1973.

We were at 11% of the popular line and now with 30%.

So by rolling back the great efforts of civil rights legislation, we know what the lead-up isn't.

It is poor health and less less opportunity for education and it cost us our lives.

And so we're Gavin June.

12th year in Chicago with a luncheon starting off tomorrow with Reverend Jamal Bryant, Reverend Al Sharpton leading the charge to give policy.

The current to us that the Republicans that the evangelicals that elected Donald Trump did not the Republican Party to give them policy.

They gave the policy to the Republican Party and said here's what we want.

And they found the guy to effect their legislation.

Now we're sitting back in my opinion, waiting for Democrats to give policy.

But it's the people who have the power and we must give them policy.

So Tamara Luncheon is about.

Policies that we want to protect our society and our systems so that grandchildren have a better lives that lives and what we have.

>> And Yusuf, I know you all you all have a number of like big names that we all know as far as faith leaders in the community and other civic organizers.

And you've got a reverent Al Sharpton.

But locally, you've got, you know, Marshall Hatch a notice most the 3rd, but another in addition to the luncheon, something else that you all are planning is the rally tomorrow at a Chicago target location.

White Target.

>> Right after we finished our lunch higher 3.60, tomorrow we plan to head down in buses numbers on the subway and on the bus on the CTA bus to get to target of one South State Street Chacon on State Street and Madison Avenue.

Why?

Because target made commitments to that they broke.

Target has left at one level broken hearted.

I them capitulate so quickly to the demands of the administration.

They could finesse this issue better.

We love target so much.

We nicknamed them Tara J.

They make commitments us.

After the George Floyd killing that they have just broken, seem to target has decided they what foot traffic.

But they don't want to see to the board.

They don't want to to the table.

And so we on balance relationship with target.

And so we'd intent to protest there tomorrow peacefully.

We will block anybody from shopping if they want to go into talk of that, they will pass our picket line.

We will right because the moral high ground of ticketing is nonviolence.

So we will protest not violence.

An shoes dollars and other places until we can get Tension.

They must understand that we are lost part of the marketplace and we want to coal co equal relationship with them, not just consumers but business to business business consumer as well as business to supply.

>> No part of your conference this week on the as we mentioned, also participation in the new king's rallies that are happening across the country and of course, in downtown Chicago this Saturday.

How should people who are opposed to what is happening under this administration make their voices heard?

You know, on Monday when the rallies, the marches, the protests are over.

What next?

>> First things you must you must participate in this democracy.

We live in a participatory democracy.

You can't hold back on the on the on the strength of your fear and disappointment and frustration.

Donald Trump is in office today because we're frustrated.

We are afraid and we're fed up.

We will be called in activity.

The Democrats now, we have we could have beaten them at the polls.

Patty Vogt in the numbers that population.

We didn't.

now we're dealing with on Monday morning.

You must continue to fight.

You can't get higher.

This is going to be a long ways.

He's not been in forget he's office less than 200 days.

He's got about 1300 days left to go so pace yourself, steel yourself considered continue to learn and think about how we got here.

Wire in this position and you have to vote the midterms because the midterm elections are not that far away.

We can turn the ship around within the next few months.

>> How are you also use of how are you rain Bo push engaging with people in the community.

Chicago residents to take action locally as well.

>> You know, the Rainbow Push Coalition's mission has not changed.

Reverend Jesse Jackson comes to work every day.

He's still the president of organization.

I surf a fully of his chief operating officer and honored to be Potter to under his tutelage as we continue to move this organization forward.

Our mission hasn't changed.

A mission is to gain protect and defend civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields.

That means we can't be silent.

When education policy affects how we are educating, how we educate our children.

We can't be silent.

The wealth gap being African-Americans representing 1, 6, of the rest of the wealth of white households and Hispanic families representing one quarter of the wealth white households.

If we close those gaps, recommend that that question out of 6% increase in GDP.

So investing in Donald Trump was on a month ago was the Middle East.

Holly, a trillion-dollar investment in certain countries.

I would love for fraction of that.

Money would come from the south side of Chicago.

Welcome to South Memphis would come to Cleveland Com to Florida.

We have opportunities here to invest and we can show that we're ready to compete against the world.

If you invest in us.

>> How do you plan on also working with, you know, newer, younger generations of activists, many of whom pushing for progressive forms of change.

And and, you know, obviously at the time in 71 Rainbow push was one of the only ones doing the work that you all do.

Now, there are a lot of a lot of voices in the choir.

>> Yeah, you know, that is actually the Supreme Challenge.

A lot of the things we did, what groundbreaking, we must return to a groundbreaking energy again.

We've got to be first to market, but there are a lot of new opportunities out here for partnership their lot of interesting young people doing some fantastic work.

Our objective to partner with them.

Learn from them.

We can learn together some of the so the traditional tactics we have is from the new tools they use.

I think the partnership is right.

>> What would you say is your with your vision for the organization that again, but your father created all those years ago in 1971.

>> You know, my father had a vision and he wanted to be of service.

I think on a micro level, everyone at Rainbow PUSH Coalition loss to be of service to the community who want to leave the best in the world.

A better place what we God has been so great to us.

We we put on our jackets, but we have enough a stuffed over to help other people put on their jackets.

So our objective, mainly to be of service now to do that, we have to change legislation.

So they were able to affect if go to work every day and tax policies such you can see the dollars in your pocket, well, then you've got a problem.

Our work is not paying off.

If you try develop system of wealth in this country, but 70% of your children are born and single parent households.

You don't have the structure to develop wealth.

So we have a lot of work to do from a family perspective as well as from a legislative perspective and the Rainbow Coalition is ready to take on both.

>> Lastly, all, but a lot of people probably want to know.

You've mentioned your dad still come to work.

How is he in about 15 seconds?

>> Thank you for asking.

The Reverend has a significant case of Parkinson's.

That is what has made it very difficult for him to walk into his body.

But his mind works just fine everyday communicates and he's run.

Well, we thank you for your prayers and for working with him side by side for all these years could never did this alone.

He always ended in partnership.

>> Alright, send them our best use of Jackson Rainbow Push Coalition.

Thank you so much for joining us.

>> Thank you so much.

And God bless you.

And we're back with more right after We'll get back to our program in just 2 minutes with a conversation about the challenges facing many black fathers and efforts to support But first, we're asking for your help.

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Chicago tonight returns in a moment.

Fatherhood in the black community can be complicated topic.

Black men face higher rates of incarceration and unemployment than most other demographic groups.

And therefore reports show they're more likely to be locked out of economic opportunities that exclusion can play strains on families.

But as we approach this Father's Day, research shows new ways to support black fathers and therefore entire communities.

Joining us to discuss more, our Richard Wallace, founder and director of Equity and Transformation, a nonprofit that advocates for equity for black workers and Arthur Andersen, whose on the Board of Trustees and Bright Point a child and Family Service organization.

Thank you to you both for joining us So Richard, want to start with you, please, because you Co authored a study called breaking the chains reclaiming wealth, power and dignity for black showcasing stories of black men, including some who are formerly incarcerated from Chicago's a south and west side.

So I want to talk about some of your findings.

First.

Slavery, Jim Crow era, segregation, mass incarceration and structural policies have consistently blocked Blackmon from wealth building Illinois had a black male labor force participation participation rate of just 53.1% in 2021.

That is compared to 20 63.5% nationally own black men 20 to 24 years old in Chicago, joblessness reached 52.0 55 55.2% in 2021.

What are some of the reasons that you all found that black men are more likely to be unemployed, locked out of these wealth wealth, building opportunities.

>> Yes, our again, you know, that report came out in 2021.

And I found that, you know, I think through our research we're going we'll discover things that I feel like our community is already known is that there are a ton of areas.

One is that there's 1300 collateral consequences related to incarceration.

So our folks are really box on the labor for the moment.

They stepped on.

And so they're forced into this kind of cyclical informal economy where they have higher rates of engagement or law enforcement and then they return to jails and prisons and then they come back out again, right?

And so we're dealing with a crisis of opportunity.

And the city of Chicago and this our this report, I'm grateful that we are able to shine a light on it and provide some data that ultimately will move in our elected officials to create some solutions.

Yeah, we've done.

You mention those collateral consequences after incarceration and with criminal records.

We've done a great deal of reporting on that here at Chicago tonight, permanent punishment.

>> Arthur, you are a single father.

You know, the stigma of not being allowed are welcome to necessarily into parenting spaces sometimes.

Yes.

Would mind sharing a little bit of your experience about single parenthood?

>> about peer group from by point current guidance and we teach each other how to be better.

Fathers.

We come in with open inclusive.

So we.

Don't feel shame tonight.

OSHA's out and we want to be included in same thing to mothers want to be included.

And we want to be that schools we want to be going to shelters or I had my first time.

They have a shelter for us.

I feel like I had to pick between given my sent to DCF and we go into a shelter because shelters tend to only make room for mothers with children, but not a single fathers have children by single men.

So it was hard, but we've managed to get the win by point which time by the fathers helped.

>> What are what are some of the common threads that you hear from your fellow members of that peer group?

What are some of the concerns they have been in the places they need help?

>> But we need help Be help with just getting to know our kids and being able to know them without just a financial.

>> Punt.

We want to be able to take kids out and in so doing he said they days.

So we want to make days count, too.

We want to be in the schools in the classrooms.

If you can't have a happy, we want to be able to be there to share with and encourage him what they should take how does do that?

So we want to be included on inclusive and in the meetings, we can talk about anything without fear of being ridiculed or being felt less off.

>> And to be clear, you've got 3 kids at home and several who flew the coop.

I have to at home here at home and now one in college and one in grade school.

Okay.

Okay.

Got you, Richard.

Your report.

You offer some policy solutions as well about redistributing wealth to black men in closing the racial wealth gap some of your recommendations include reparations, baby bonds for black children.

>> Shared equity housing models and guaranteed income for system impacted black men, your organization, you actually began the first guaranteed income program for formerly incarcerated individuals.

I think we talked about that here on this very program.

How's that been working?

How did that work out?

Their work?

Phenomenally?

I'm >> I mean, I think it broke so many As it relates to our folks.

Our folks were acquired for jobs on a regular basis.

Our folks, I mean, we're able find work for folks who don't know.

The name of the pilot is called the Chicago Future Funds a guaranteed income pilot.

We believe in the framework of targeted universalism.

So essentially universal goals for everybody.

But you need targeted interventions for different segments, right?

Like what's necessary in Austin may look different than what's necessary in Englewood and so on and so forth.

A witness or in Lincoln Park may be different than what areas started in West Garfield Park.

And so we chose use a targeted intervention and provide direct cash payments to formally incarcerating system impacted.

People we saw was increases and psychological wellness of people felt better just by the idea of of getting a direct cash payments and people acknowledging circumstances.

In addition, 90% of our participants walked part-time or full-time during the program.

So the idea that if you give people direct cash will decrease there, engagement with the labor force was untrue.

Actually, people had the resources to go out and employment is really hard to get a job.

If you have a following the call, people back on.

If you don't have an income, chances are you may not have a phone, right.

So things like that.

And people also pay down debt.

Homelessness decreased by from 35% to 24%.

And only 3 people out of the 100 participants had any engagement law enforcement.

The national average state average is about 40% as a really, really SSRIs division.

And our folks, only 3 people at any engagement level, you know, let alone incarceration with lot for.

So you've got the data that makes a compelling case, right?

But it's been a time like this.

It might be a tough political sell to convince people.

>> The people who are formerly incarcerated should you know, based, you know, guaranteed basic income You know, that is that is may be covered by the taxpayers right later in this instance.

That is not the case.

But how do make that of the So, you know, are at the awesome opportunity to participate and that the passage of the bill called HB 1438.

Was a recreational Cannabis Tax Act.

It was the first cannabis legalization policy to incorporate preparations for the war on drugs.

I was there at the bill signing.

>> That policy were able to win.

25 1% of the cannabis tax revenue for purpose who need them forever.

That money is distributed through art through a program called are free.

Our free provided direct cash to nonprofit organizations serving Democrat, spent with right, organizations that are serving our for communities.

Our for communities were communities that were devastated by the war on drugs.

Right.

so what we're saying very clearly is that, you know, nonprofits are important.

We can go a step further, provide direct cash payments to those communities.

All that money looks like about 55 million dollars or more annually.

And so that money can be distributed in the form direct cash payments to the residents and those disproportionately impacted areas were saying clearly is that form in cars with people should be eligible to Yes, yeah, DART.

We're almost at a time we've got about 30 seconds left, you know, in the peer groups that we're talking about.

How do you make the case to black men?

>> That they can be vulnerable and honest about their feelings and well and this station just like I'm doing, my son graduated place about to turn from >> and if we we can make a difference.

So we teach each other how to be better us.

plans for Father's Day.

>> nobody knows yet.

Okay.

The that kids are at home cooking up something brilliant.

And right now, gentlemen.

All right.

That is where we'll have to leave it.

My thanks to Richard Wallace and Arthur Andersen.

Thanks to you both.

Happy Father's Thank you.

And that is our show for this Wednesday night.

Join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10.

>> Finally tonight, legendary musician, singer, songwriter and innovator Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys has died.

He was 82 years old.

We leave you this evening with Wilson singing the classic Fun, Fun Fun as part of a 2015 W t Tw Sound Stage Special Brian Wilson and Friends.

>> Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, Black voices.

I'm Brandis Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> it In the Closedcaption is made possible by Clifford and Clifford Chicago, personal injury and wrongful death.

>> That supports educational