>> thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

Black voices, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

The challenges in building generational wealth for Chicago's black community's efforts to address it.

>> This moment represents a major milestone in the growth and transformation of Chicago State Athletics.

>> And Chicago State University names its first ever football coach.

Now we just need to team.

He joins us to talk about building a program from the ground up.

And now to some of today's top stories.

The number of homicides in Chicago is continuing to trend downward.

According to recent data from the police department, CPD says in May, there were 36 homicides.

That is the fewest in since 2011.

It's also down.

38% compared to last May and down 50% from May 2023. in the first 5 months of the year, there been 152 homicides that's down 28% over this time.

Last year.

Cpd also says shootings violent crime as well as property crime.

Motor vehicle, theft and burglaries are all also down month over month or year over year.

The data comes as federal prosecutors announced they're expanding of violence prevention initiative in Chicago.

The nationwide program called Project Safe Neighborhoods has operated in 7 neighborhoods on the city's south and West Sides.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District announces today the initiative will now include parts of downtown encompassing shopping corridors, beaches, landmarks, as well as all CTA train lines in the city.

According to the feds enforcement in those areas will focus on the investigation and prosecution of offenses, including illegal firearm possession, drug trafficking robberies, carjackings, and other violent crimes.

Homeowners facing the loss of their homes during the Cook County Tax sale may have a reprieve.

Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas says she plans to postpone the annual tax sale by 7 months if and when Governor JB Pritzker signs a bill passed by the General Assembly that allows her to do so.

That legislation also pauses charging additional interest on delinquent tax bills that would have been in the sale.

Pappas says she plans to use the time to collaborate with housing advocates on property tax, foreclosure reform.

In the wake of the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision.

They're called into question the way property tax collection enforcement has been conducted in Illinois and many other states.

Workers in Chicago may notice a bump in their paychecks starting next month.

City officials are reminding workers that beginning July first, Chicago's minimum wage will increase to 16 16 hour for tipped workers like restaurant servers and bartenders.

The minimum wage will go up to 12 SEP $12.62 an hour.

That rate will increase 8% per year until it reaches Chicago's standard minimum wage.

In July 2028.

Up next, building wealth in Chicago's black communities.

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

>> A local organization is sounding the alarm on the widening racial wealth gap in Chicago.

The Chicago Urban League's new report, the state of Black Chicago draws on research from the new school in New York.

The report found that in 2024 the median net worth for black Chicago area household was $0 compared to $210,000 for white households.

The group is now rolling out a plan of action to help black communities build wealth.

Joining us to discuss that report are ComEd a Coleman chief operating officer at the Chicago Urban League.

Rendell, Solomon, a financial literacy advocate and founder of estate planning platform inherent and on Zoom, Dumond drummer director of strategy at the new school's Institute on Race Power and Political Economy.

Thanks to all of you for joining us.

You hear that number 0 compared to $210,000.

That is really jarring.

Come out you have done this report in the past, though.

But this one is slightly different in that.

It goes beyond presenting these inequities and provide solutions policy recommendations.

What do you think needs to be done to address these disparities?

Thank you so much brands for having us.

>> So to your point, we have done these state of Black Chicago reports for a number of years.

We've also looked at the reports that other organizations like the new school have done.

And what we've seen consistently is that the numbers don't really change it so that it's time to stop talking just about.

>> The disparities and really focus on solutions.

And the main key that we see there is that these solutions have to systemic and collaborative, but also we're taking latter approach.

So if you actually look at the full, full report, the title of it is latter path to wealth building.

So recognizing that different individuals are in different places.

So some people need to really just improve their relationship with money and how they think about it.

You know, it so often because of all the systemic barriers, we have a mindset when it comes to money.

Right?

And we don't necessarily have the best relationship with So thinking about financial literacy for our communities and for individuals, for families as a whole.

But then also for people who might, you know, say have a good job in the making decent money.

They don't always know like how to actually grow that money.

And some really thinking about how to increase home ownership, which is one of the key path to wealth building as well as thinking about investments starting our own businesses and really having not leaving that on the individual to do.

But thinking about how can institutions organizations collaborate on solutions a broad spectrum, read some of them are more.

So a broad spectrum of solutions.

Demar drummer lot of this research.

Of course, it's based on a report from the new school last year on black wealth.

>> What do we know about these inequities and how they present in neighborhoods?

>> Yes, so that that well, for many by family, as we know in Chicago $0.

number 0 doesn't even begin to tell the whole dramatically.

A white households headed by the individual who has been incarcerated some point as a higher will position that a black household led by somebody who went to college home ownership.

A white household doesn't own their home, has a higher well positioned in a black Chicago household who owns their home and just a single headed, a head of household in Chicago who is white has a higher well position.

Median.

Then a two-parent family that is black.

so this is structural this doesn't come only from financial literacy concerns, but a function of lawn policy that produces and reproduces these wealth gaps generation after generation.

And so the set of solutions that we propose in our report upon which Urban League report is based goes into the realm of public policy so we can get ahead of this.

So we're not always playing whack a ball in the back in and trying to clean up a crisis as it unfolded.

>> And we talked a lot about, you know, financial literacy and, you know, educating ourselves and our families do you have taught kids about stocks in financial planning?

How do you get black people educated on finances starting at young age?

Absolutely.

It is truly a cultural issue.

And thank you so much for having I read the report.

>> Last night at 04:00AM with my baby girl.

Savannah Morning in Aurora morning of may be of an a 3 year-old my legacy came into the room.

want to lay in bed with daddy.

But the the challenge when you're talking about educating youth about this topic, we all know how important it is.

And one of the things I think it is critical is that we meet people where they are.

We meet young people where they are so we can't simultaneously say we want to educate and teach kids and criminalize them at the same time and mass regardless of some bad behaviors.

And so that's why when I created one stock one future to give away stock to kids, I said, you know what?

They have enough school all week.

They're overwhelmed with activities at times.

Let me not create one more thing that they have to go to all go to them.

That's one and to let me not require them to get straight A's in school.

So what happens is only the the bright kids were doing well, get reward.

So my idea was just get every kid, some stock, if we can, and then use that as a catalyst for the education you mentioned, it's cultural.

Is this something that black families don't talk about enough?

And is that because historically we don't have to talk about.

>> It's definitely a historical issue around having that conversation.

We talked mentioned inherit an estate planning, a sort of that last step, pun intended of one's financial journey.

Also a conversation that we don't have so from adults down the youth, there's a trepidation, some anxiety around having these critical conversations, sometimes even a simple as embarrassment.

It's hard to talk about it when perhaps you realize you've not done as well as you could have given the opportunities that you may have.

And so there is a fear of having the conversation.

I'm hoping we can break that stigma by approaching the conversation differently.

>> Let's talk about wealth, white wealth as something for you all to focus on.

And also clarify for us what wealth is right, because when you hear $0 doesn't mean everybody's Brooke, right, right?

It does not mean So when we think about we decided to look at it in 2 ways.

So one financial, well, the things that we always think about, you know, like.

>> You know what, you're you're the actual assets are that you have.

But we also are looking at holistic.

Well, because we know that it actually has a keen relationship to financial.

Well, so whether or not people are healthy.

So we're talking about health equity, the level of education that people attain that allows them to, you know, get a good job, start a business, be smart about money and those things.

So we're looking at that.

But you asked why?

Well, really, we start with wealth in this report.

And I think even in our work increasingly is because, well, this really foundational to opportunity.

And that's what we see over and over again as a divider.

So we in our past reports that we talked about earlier stated back Chicago report.

We have looked at all the communities and neighborhoods in Chicago and their 27 at a predominantly black.

And those are repeatedly the 27 where you see the biggest gaps.

The biggest disparities and so much of that is about whether or not people have access to.

>> Demond this report.

You know, it's coming at a time.

Of course, both of these reports are at a time when the federal government is cutting many programs that a lot of black families depend on to survive Medicaid Headstart among others.

How do those federal decisions impact those disparities, economic disparities on a local level.

>> Again, yes, I think, you know, good.

What produce is this crisis of this wealth gap, these public policy?

So what we're seeing in America is what has been done to black people's from the beginning of this country is now being done to a broader swath of this entire country.

And so, you know, of financial literacy is important.

However, it is not going to be right here.

Have the same conversation if that intervention that is being proposed by rundown Coleman, A is not also backed by public policy.

Chicago beat a solution set.

That means the scale scope and death and persistence of this crisis.

We can't just single out black people is not being, you know, with the right mindset on this.

The crisis has created by public policy as though it's going to be public policy that helps solve the crisis in one of those solutions that we're seeing take place in the country across the country, particularly in states where innovation can still happen is baby bonds were talking about the state government seeding children born in poverty with an account that can be managed by the state until that child reaches the age of majority by which they can then invest in what college education they can buy stocks, they can start a business that could put a down payment on a house that have that material floor publish.

They can build their adult livelihood.

Right now.

Today we have 2 billion dollars being directed to children born into poverty in the states that have already implemented bond program.

So the question I have for Chicago, Illinois, is what are we going to get all that entre because we have 12 billion dollars in proposed baby bonds that we're seeing all across the country in Illinois.

Chicago's not relate to that game.

Let's give these kids something to manage financial literacy.

>> Another definite recommendation, their baby bonds.

On the flip side of that, obviously we've we've heard about the talk of the baby bonus rate for families who have more children, which is another conversation.

Rondo as an estate planner.

How do you go about starting that that difficult conversation with family members about the state and well planning what he say it right up.

It has forefront.

I think first thing first and foremost recognize that it is a sensitive.

>> And at times scary topic and that that conversation is going to be different.

If you're talking to someone maybe later in age, middle age or even a young person about the importance of doing it.

So first and foremost, having that sensitivity around the conversation, I think number 2 is framing the conversation and focusing on what that person wants.

What is that person want?

Focus more on here are the things that you've accumulated a home.

Your bank account, a pair of Jordans.

What do you want to happen with it when you're no longer able to manage it yourself and you just might have to continue having a conversation that the 3rd thing is recognize that it's going to take some consistency.

This is not a one-time sit down conversation.

That's going to be resistance.

There's going to be fear and anxiety that we talked about earlier.

And if you are an advocate and really want to focus on that for yourself and your family being persistent about having that conversation regularly.

>> Come at a how is the Urban planning to work towards progress on the recommendations that you've made here and, you know, fully addressing these inequities.

So absolutely.

So there are practical recommendations.

And so those are the some of the things that we actually already do and some level in our work and that other organizations are doing.

And we are really trying to, I would say Turbo charged that by partnering and collaborating more with other organizations that are trying to do something similar.

>> So one partnership that we announced on the day of the report was really around our home ownership and how to increase that one of the issues here in Chicago is not necessarily only that, you know, black people don't have access to homeownership, but part of the reason is not about financing or in calm but about actual availability of housing.

And so we have started a partnership with it.

Realty and connects, which does modular homes and really looking at a way to get people who come pre qualify, who are eligible for home to be able to buy a home to actually get them in a house.

And I think you've also start another partnership around credit and learning in credit academy, but really around that education and folks are going to have to go to our website to learn more probe worked We've given you the last word coming out coma, our Web site of his shot you will do to work.

There it is.

And we're going to give thanks to come at a coma on drummer and Rundle.

Solomon, thanks to all 3 of you for joining us.

Appreciate it.

>> Thank you, Brent.

Up next, a preview of what's to come for Chicago State University's new football team with its first ever head coach.

Chicago State University hired its first ever head football coach Bobby Roam.

The second coach, Rome is tasked with building the school's new division, one football program from the ground up.

And while they don't have a stadium equipment or players just yet, they do have determination.

Here to tell us about the game plan are the Scot president up Chicago State University and body room.

The second the school's new football coach.

Welcome to Chicago tonight.

But boy says thanks to both for joining us.

Thank you so much for having U.S. Coach I want to start with you.

You've got a lot to you've got to build CS use Division, one football program from the ground up.

What are your top priorities?

Well, I think number one, it starts with foundation and founders bus starts.

>> And the community starts from South Side.

Chicago also stocks, the Congo state as We are we want to be attention about we fundraise and we want to fast.

They coach within the community and we want to bring very solid football program to the South side.

Chicago.

That's what Chicago states been doing for many years.

And we just want to continue that tradition on the South side.

>> President's got a what was it about coach Rome that made you all know this is the man for us is the one first of all is it's a natural expansion of what we've been doing in terms of our community working.

I work with our students and building a strong culture.

And when we met him, we looked at his background.

His tenacity, his engagement with students and knew that he was the one for sure that state would bring a football program to CSU.

First of all, we are division one sports program.

As you mentioned, then we have 16 sports teams already in place Chicago State.

We just entered at first into first year in our new conference in Northeast Conference.

But when you look at football and what football does in terms of bringing man man to a campus, also bringing excitement to a neighborhood.

It's a natural expansion of not only our economic development plan, but also our enrollment.

enrollment planned and our plan for better engagement, increase engagement with our students on campus.

He said wouldn't when you look at what Chicago State University just to bring them to campus.

You enrollment yet enrollment.

How what?

How is give me give you the balance right now.

We have.

68% female and what we've also seen in our community is a declining interest African-American males.

Generally higher education and tracks meant as we can tell from even the interest in the program.

So we do believe that football that will not only attract more smail students to higher education but also enhance our campus coach.

How do you plan on recruiting your players?

>> Well, first and foremost, we want to start in the community of the South side, Chicago.

What do we want to expand throughout Chicago?

We want the very best that's first and foremost.

We want to find the best student athletes that's available.

Looking for young men to Some discipline goes to show us beauty and met with little bit of grit as well.

We're going to go out to head to community were going at the local high schools will also go to recruit across the state and we're going to make a priority to recoup right here in the state and ready on the south side of Chicago.

>> I would imagine having the football program at CSU would also sort of provide an opportunity to some players.

You know, some young players might be overlooked by some of the bigger programs for sure, for sure world.

That's the goal of Chicago State has always been known for giving.

>> And overlook students opportunity.

this is the op.

This is the perfect opportunity for us to kind it also as a community and give back.

And so, hey, you know, his opportunity right here, see issue.

And, you know, we want to develop young men, you know, holistically, you home as it developing.

We're talking about from the top of the head down to the soles of the feet were very passionate about that.

We know one thing about the issue that we're going to outstanding education.

That's first and foremost.

And we've also put great football as well.

So we're excited about kicking off the 2026.

>> President Scott, you are starting this program.

Of course, when funding for everyone is feeling tight as we just discussed in that last segment, are you concerned about the financial challenges going forward?

I am.

If we watch anything that happened in are we're we're a public university.

Did you watch the action?

It just came out of our own.

>> General Assembly in the challenges are our state is having with its own finances and budget.

But then we transition to Washington, D.C., and we see the budget bill that's come out of the house.

We believe that their challenge is there for higher education and specifically for Chicago State in the last few months, we've lost on 9 million dollars in grants which have taken that income that comes out of our university.

And that's that's opportunity.

That leaves our faculty and our students.

So we are we are we are concerned and also that that budget bill, slashes funding to students.

terms of Pell Grant and at university that sees 89% of its students receiving Pell Grant.

So those there are some concerns about our own, you know, economics.

And I think the state is not only watching those closely, but we are too.

>> You know, we hear the Trump administration taking aim at a lot of the elite universities, Columbia, not Howard, excuse me, Harvard, Northwestern and others.

You say 9 million dollars, though, for CSU.

What does that mean?

Because this is other schools have some deep pockets.

What is it enough that it doesn't hurt?

But what is 9 million for CSU?

hurt.

means that people who are some who are being funded.

>> their jobs through grant lines are now out of a job.

It means that faculty, they're working on hard things like heart health, education, quantum are impacted by the in their in their research and scholarship so that it does hurt.

And we were, you know, we we just received our first Carnegie Classification as research university.

And we are quickly trying to move to our 2 status.

So we're going to have to fill in those gaps when it comes to research and engagement with our students.

>> When you say fill in those gaps, fundraising fundraising, philanthropy, coach, Rome, when you hear all of that, right, and some of those financial concerns going forward, what does that make you think what role do you play making up for that?

>> Well, for over to our football program in General Chicago State, one 0st, the from vault with a very resilient.

We've always been very resilient and challenge is going to come any time to start a new program scratch.

You they're always going to be challenges for us.

We embrace out.

We embrace those challenges and the same time, you know, we're just going to cost for country focus on the things that that we've been doing for years.

And that's providing opportunity for people in the south side of Chicago Hawaii.

Opportunity for me, young men and young women throughout the city of Chicago.

those are the things that we're going focus on so obvious that we, you know, those things happen and far raises is going to be a big part of that, you know, going on community and Gracie myself in the community also went out there.

So listening, you know, that look like, does that mean, you know, attending games from some of the CPS high schools that you might be looking at?

Who's football?

course, of is going to begin to be just a ton of football games is going to.

>> have understand that what they do on a day-to-day basis, you know, showing up to their off-season schedules, sewing you see yourself to the head, football coach is on my no one is community in particular, the football coach my father's to the show man.

So for me to just walk up and a high school when they got recruit young men take the young man from, you know, that's not going to we're going to go out to make English with with the head football coach.

Get understanding that IPO minimal to bring into our situation and have a plan for for so I'm excited about that.

You know what I like?

I said 2026 when we kick off will be in the school.

So recruiting a student athletes here and Chicago where do you anticipate playing home games?

Where would you love to play for like to >> Well, first, well, I would say it I like to play at a place that makes sense for Chicago State University.

You know, he's got to make sense for us first, you know, and first of we want we want the community to be involved.

We want you won't want to create a nice solid sustainable for a long, long time.

So we have not decide site of where we're going to play yet.

But all in all, it's going to make sense for Chicago State and we're going in that direction and we're excited about being abused to pick a venue where the play tell you what, once we kick the ball up and I go matter where we go, play Chicago State show up.

So matters that show up matters that you win.

That is where we'll have to leave in best of luck.

Congratulations, coach Bobby Brown, the second and presidents the Scot of CSU.

Thank you so much for having courts.

Thank you.

>> And that is our show for this Wednesday night.

Check out our website for our Chicago Summer Festival guide from Street vests and our shows to outdoor concerts and cultural celebrations.

We have got you covered.

It is all at W T Tw dot com slash festivals and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10, Illinois State Police has been sharing its gang member data with ICE despite an Illinois law prohibiting data sharing between the agencies.

>> Now for all of us here at Chicago tonight, Black voices, I'm Brandis Friedman, thanks for watching.

Stay healthy and safe.

Have a good night.

>> is made possible why Robert, a cliff and Clifford law offices, a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death from that serves the needs of clients in the