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

GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES, I AM BRANDIS FREEMAN AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING PART OF YOUR WEEKEND WITH US.

ON THE SHOW TONIGHT, MOTHER'S TEAMING UP TO FIND THEIR MISSING CHILDREN YEARS AFTER THEY HAVE DISAPPEARED.

THE WOMAN IN CHARGE OF THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST ANNOUNCES HER DEPARTURE.

DR. HELENE GAYLE LOOKS BACK AT HER FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.

>>> TRAN 24 THE LATEST CHICAGO EPISODES TRACING THE HISTORY OF GOSPEL MUSIC.

>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO WE WERE SO WE KNOW WHO TO BECOME.

>> EXPLORING THE BLACK VICTORIAN ERA.

>>> FIRST OFF TONIGHT GROUP OF MOTHERS ARE SPENDING THIS MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND SPREADING AWARENESS ABOUT THEIR DAUGHTERS WHO HAVE GONE MISSING.

IN 2021 FIVE 3000 021 FIVE 3000 PEOPLE WERE REPORTED MISSING ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL CRIME INFORMATION CENTER.NEARLY 90,000 WERE BLACK WOMEN & GIRLS.

DESPITE MAKING UP SEVEN PERCENT OF THE US POPULATION, BLACK WOMEN & GIRLS OR 17 PERCENT OF MISSING PIECES LAST YEAR MANY CASES HAVE ON COLD LEAVING EMILY'S SEARCHING FOR ANSWERS YEARS AFTER THEIR LOVED ONES HAVE DISAPPEARED.

JOINING US NOW ARE LA SHANN WALKER GRANDMOTHER OF KING LAW AND DIAMOND BYNUM WHO HAVE BOTH MISSING FOR 17 YEARS.

KAREN PHILLIPS MOTHER OF KIERRA COLES WHO'S BEEN MISSING FOR 14 YEARS ORETHA MILLER MOTHER OF CHEREATHA MORRISON WHO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR YEARS AND FALLON GORDON THE LEADER OF THE ORGANIZATION TRAN 21.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US.

I'M SURE THIS IS A DIFFICULT WEEKEND FOR ALL OF YOU.

13, YOUR DAUGHTER KIERRA COLES A POSTAL WORKER LAST SEEN IN 2018 IN THE CHATHAM NEIGHBORHOOD SHE WAS 26 YEARS OLD AND THREE MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT KIERRA COLES?

>> SHE WAS VERY OUTGOING AND AMBITIOUS.

SHE LOVED HARD.

SHE HAD HER LIFE ON TRACK DOING EVERYTHING SHE WANTED TO DO IN LIFE.

SHE HAD A DREAM JOB SHE HAD JUST GOTTEN A NEW APARTMENT AND WAS EXPECTING HER FIRST CHILD.

IT WAS DEVASTATING.

RIGHT WHEN SHE GOT EVERYTHING TOGETHER THIS HAPPENED.

>> WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT COULD LEAD TO ANSWERS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HER YOU MET.

>> I AM GOING TO KEEP GOING TRYING TO DO WHATEVER I CAN, GET HELP FROM WHOEVER I CAN GET HELP FROM AND I'M GOING TO KEEP HOLDING AS MANY PRESS CONFERENCES AS I HAVE TO SO HOPEFULLY THEY GET TIRED OF SEEING MY FACE AND GIVE US ANSWERS THAT WE CAN GO FORWARD WITH TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO KIERRA COLES.

>> LA SHANN WALKER YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER DIAMOND BYNUM AND KING WALKER WERE LAST SEEN AT A RELATIVES HOME IN GARY, INDIANA WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT DIAMOND AND KING'S DISAPPEARANCE?

>> THEY SAID THEY WENT MISSING IN JULY OF 2015 AND THEY WERE WITH THE STEPMOTHER AND DIAMONDS FATHER.

THE STEPMOM SAID SHE LAID HIM DOWN IN THE MORNING SO SHE FED HIM BREAKFAST AND LED HIM DOWN FOR A NAP AND WHEN SHE WOKE UP THEY WERE BOTH GONE AND WE HAVEN'T SEEN THEM SINCE THEN.

ASK WHAT DO YOU THINK COULD HAVE HAPPENED?

>> WELL, I KNOW SHE IS KNOWN TO WANDER BECAUSE SHE HAS A DISEASE WHICH CAUSES HER TO EAT AND NOT KNOW WHEN SHE IS.

SHE WILL USUALLY WALK OUT AND GO LOOK OR A STORE WHERE SHE CAN GET JUNK FOOD AND SHE WILL PROBABLY FIND A STORE BUT SHE PROBABLY COULDN'T FIND HER WAY BACK HOME SO SHE PROBABLY GOT OST MAY BE HER AND KING SHE TOOK KING WITH HER AND THEY COULDN'T FIND THEIR WAY AND NEITHER ONE OF THEM COULD TALK WELL PICKING WAS TWO YEARS OLD AT THE TIME AND ONLY THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT DIAMOND SAYS SO IF A STRANGER SAW THEM ON THE STREET THEY PROBABLY COULDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE SAID EVEN IF THEY ASKED FOR HELP.

>> RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT AN IMAGE OF WHAT KING WOULD POSSIBLY LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW.

LA SHANN WALKER WHAT IS THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE GARY POLICE?

>> SO FAR THEY SAID THEY ARE STILL GOING ON TIPS.

THEY GOT A FEW TIPS RECENTLY BUT NOTHING PLANNED OUT FOR ANY OF THEM.

>> ORETHA MILLER YOUR SISTER CHEREATHA MORRISON WAS LAST SEEN FIBBER 26, 2021.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HER.

ASK MY SISTER IS A 38-YEAR-OLD MOTHER OF TWO CHILDREN HER SON IS 21 AND HER DAUGHTER NOW IS SIX YEARS OLD.

MY SISTER WAS FOUR MONTHS PREGNANT AT THE TIME OF HER DISAPPEARANCE.

SHE DROPPED MY NIECE OFF AT WILL AND NEVER CAME BACK TO GET HER AND WE HAVEN'T SINCE THAT DAY AND NOT LIKE MY SISTER TO DROP MY NIECE OFF AND DISAPPEAR.

A PART OF ME STILL HOPES AND PRAYS THAT SHE IS OUT THERE AND THERE IS A PART OF ME THAT THINKS HE'S NOT.

I AM OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND ASKING EVERYONE IF THEY KNOW ANY INFORMATION ON MY SISTER TO PLEASE CONTACT THE POLICE.

I DON'T KNOW IF MY SISTER WAS GOING THROUGH SOME TYPE OF DEPRESSION.

SHE WAS VERY AMBITIOUS, VERY OUTGOING.

I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WAS JUST GOING THROUGH SOMETHING OR IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HER AND I JUST WANT CLOSURE ON THIS FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.

>> THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAVE LAUNCHED A WEEKLY VIDEO SERIES TO HIGHLIGHT COLD CASES.

THE SUPERINTENDENT DAVID BROWN SPOKE ABOUT IT THIS WEEK.

>> WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING OLDER CASES THAT HAVE DEADENED AND NO LEAD WITH THE HOPE OF GENERATING NEW TIPS AND LEADS.

WE REALLY DON'T CARE HOW LONG IT TAKES.

OUR VICTIMS DESERVE JUSTICE AND THEIR FAMILIES DESERVE CLOSURE.

>> FALLON GORDON WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS EFFORT?

>> I THINK IT IS A VERY SMALL STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

I THINK THAT THERE IS A LOT MORE THAT CAN BE DONE TOWARDS THESE CASES THAN THE VIDEO.

HOWEVER, IT IS THE SMALL STEP IN A THE RIGHT DIRECTION.

>> WHAT MORE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE DONE?

YOU SAID THIS IS A SMALL STEP.

>> I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE WORK BEING DONE.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE EFFORT PUT BEHIND THESE WOMEN AND THESE GIRLS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE PLATFORM AND SPEAKING FOR THESE WOMEN AND GIRLS BE GIVEN TO THE FAMILIES.

WE WANT TO SEE THE WORK BEING DONE.

>> LADIES, WE ALL KNOW IT IS MOTHER'S DAY WEEKEND AND KAREN, YOU ARE HOPING TO DRAW SOME ATTENTION TO YOUR DAUGHTERS CASES ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTHER'S DAY.

HOW IS THIS WEEKEND DIFFERENT FOR YOU COMPARED TO ANY OTHER MOTHERS OR COMPARED TO WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER WENT MISSING?

>> WELL, IT IS KIND OF HARD BECAUSE I WANTED TO EXPERIENCE MOTHER'S DAY WITH HER, TO BECAUSE THIS IS HER FIRST CHILD.

THIS IS A BIG PART OF ME MISSING WHEN MOTHER'S DAY COMES AROUND BECAUSE SHE'S NOT HERE AND I KNOW HOW SHE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITH HER CHILD.

NOT ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH HER IS VERY EMOTIONAL.

>> I AM SURE.

LA SHANN WALKER YOU AND YOUR FAMILY HAVE BEEN SEARCHING OR DIAMOND AND KING FOR SIX YEARS NOW HOW HAS THIS AFFECTED YOUR FAMILY?

>> IT HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS.

I CAN NEVER FIND THE WORDS BUT IT BREAKS OUR HEART.

IT'S BREAKING THE FAMILY APART BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW.

WE DON'T HAVE ANSWERS.

KING'S MOTHER, ARIANNA WALKER IS VERY TRAUMATIZED BY THE SITUATION BECAUSE THAT WAS HER FIRST AND ONLY CHILD AND IT IS TRAUMATIZING TO ME AS WELL BECAUSE I KNOW MY DAUGHTER WAS SPECIAL-NEEDS AND JUST TO THINK THAT SHE IS OUT THERE POSSIBLY BEING HARMED BY SOMEONE, IT'S VERY TRAUMATIZING KNOWING THAT SHE CAN'T DEFEND HERSELF OR KNOWING THAT SHE CAN'T TAKE TAKE CARE OF HERSELF, LET ALONE, KING.

I NEVER COULD FIND THE PARTICULAR WORDS TO EXPLAIN HOW I FEEL.

IT IS JUST HEARTBREAKING.

>> I AM SURE.

ORETHA MILLER, SAME QUESTION TO YOU HOW IS IT AFFECTED YOUR FAMILY?

>> IT AFFECTED MY FAMILY A LOT.

WE ARE STUDY LOSING FAMILY MEMBERS AND TO LOOK INTO MY NIECE AND NEPHEWS FACE AND SEE THE HURT AND THE PAIN THAT TEARS ME UP.

YOU KNOW, ME AND MY SISTERS BIOLOGICAL MOM IS NO LONGER HERE AND MY SISTER THERE'S JUST US AND IT'S BEEN VERY HARD FOR ME TO GO ON WITH MOTHER'S DAY AS SHE IS NOT HERE.

NOT JUST MOTHER'S DAY, ANY DAY NOT KNOWING IF SHE'S OKAY.

>> IT'S A HEAVY BURDEN.

I'M GOING TO ASK FALLON GORDON MORE QUESTION BEFORE WE RUN OUT OF TIME.

POLICE OFFICER AND THE MEDIA IS SCRUTINIZED A LOT.

THERE WAS THE GABBY PETITO CASE LAST YEAR THAT BROUGHT THESE ISSUES UP.

DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE POLICE AND MEDIA HAVE DONE A BETTER JOB SINCE THAT RECOGNITION?

>> NUMBER I DON'T.

WE HEARD ABOUT GABBY PETITO ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY EVERY DAY.

WE KNEW A LOT ABOUT THAT CASE AND WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF LADIES WITH FAMILY MEMBERS MISSING.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION PUT OUT THERE ABOUT THEM.

IT SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION.

IN THE MEDIA AND LOCAL MEDIA IT'S JUST NOT.

>> WILL HAVE TO LEAVE IT THERE MY CONDOLENCES TO ALL OF YOU.

KAREN PHILLIPS, LA SHANN WALKER, ORETHA MILLER AND FALLON GORDON THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THESE MISSING PERSON CASES PLEASE CONTACT THE POLICE.WE HAVE MORE ON THAT ON WTTW.com/NEWS.

MORE CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES RIGHT AFTER THIS.

THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO LEAD THE CHICAGO TRUST IS STEPPING DOWN TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF SUMMONS COLLEGE.

SHE LED THE TRUST FOR FIVE YEARS LEADING THE LARGEST FOUNDATION WHICH AWARDS MILLIONS OF GRANT TO LOCAL NONPROFITS EVERY YEAR AND DR. HELENE GAYLE JOINS US NOW.

CONGRATS ON THIS NEXT IN YOUR NEXT POSITION.

WHY NOW?HOW DID YOU MAKE THIS DECISION TO LEAVE?

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH BRANDIS.

I HAVE SAID SO MANY TIMES THIS IS PROBABLY MY HARDEST CAREER DECISION EVER.

I CAME TO THE CHICAGO COMMUNITY TRUST WITH THE EXPECTATION THAT IT WAS THE LAST FULL-TIME JOB I WOULD EVER DO.

IT HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY GRATIFYING EXPERIENCE TO BE IN CHICAGO AND BE AT THE COMMUNITY TRUST.

WHEN I WAS THERE WHETHER I WOULD CONSIDER LEADING THIS ICONIC INSTITUTION, IT WAS HARD NOT TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.

FOR ME, AT THE END OF A VERY LONG CAREER TO BE ABLE TO FEEL LIKE I CAN GIVE BACK TO THE NEXT GENERATION AND SECULARLY THE NEXT GENERATION OF BLACK WOMEN WHO ARE CHANGEMAKERS AND LEADERS AND REALLY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD, IT WAS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY AT A TIME WHERE THERE IS GREATER APPRECIATION FOR THE ROLE OF HBC YOU, HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES MORE THAN EVER BEFORE IN A WORLD THAT NEEDS DIVERSE VOICES AT THE TABLE.

I FELT LIKE IT WAS OPPORTUNITY.

TIMING IS NEVER RIGHT ON THESE NAMES.

IT JUST FELT LIKE - >> YOU TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY WHEN IT COMES.

>> YES IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AT THE TIME.

>> UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP CHICAGO TRUST MOVED TO CLOSE THE WEALTH GAP IN CHICAGO.

THE 2020 DATA SAID THE MEDIAN HOUSE WAS $74,000 FOR WHITES COMPARED TO $41,000 FOR BLACKS AND JUST UNDER $60,000 FOR LATINOS.

I MAKE INCOME EQUALITY A PRIORITY?

ANY QUALITY I SHOULD SAY.

WE MADE WEALTH INEQUALITY OUR RORTY BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE FIRST OF ALL IT IS THE RIGHT AND THE FAIR THING TO DO.

COMMUNITIES AND HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IT IS JUST WRONG.

PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN IN THE WAY THAT EVERYONE WANTS TO GIVE TO THEIR CHILDREN AND TO HAVE A BRIGHTER CHURCH.

WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IN A REGION THAT IS TWO THIRDS BACK AND BROWN THE REGION CAN'T MOVE FORWARD UNLESS HE REALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE MAKE SURE THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN LEFT OUT OF ECONOMIC HAVE OPPORTUNITIES HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED.

IT'S GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO THOSE HOUSEHOLDS AND INDIVIDUALS BUT IT'S ALSO GOING TO MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR THE WHOLE REGION.

>> ART OF YOUR TENURE TOOK PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC WHICH EXPOSED AND HIGHLIGHTED A LOT OF ASSISTING INEQUALITIES IN HEALTHCARE.

I'M SURE IT WAS A BENEFIT THAT THE TRUST HAD PUBLIC HEALTH PHYSICIAN AT THE HEAD.

HOW DID YOUR CAREER AS A DOCTOR HELP YOU THROUGH THE PANDEMIC?

>> I FELT THAT IN MANY WAYS I WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME.

NOT ONLY DID WE FOCUS ON THE ISSUES OF ECONOMICS BUT ALSO ON HEALTH AND EQUITY.

THE TWO GO HAND-IN-HAND.

PART OF THE REASON THAT WE PUT THE FOCUS ON WEALTH INEQUALITY IS THAT WE KNOW IT IS SO CONNECTED TO OTHER THINGS.

IT IS CONNECTED TO HEALTH INEQUALITY AND THE LIFE EXPECTANCY HERE IN CHICAGO IS THE LARGEST IN THE NATION.

IT HAS LED TO THE ISSUE OF VIOLENCE WHICH IS IMPORTANT.

BACK OF ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION BASED ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LIVE IN.

BEING HERE AND GOING THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND BEING ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

BOTH THROUGH OUR RELIEF EFFORTS AND NOW RECOVERY EFFORT THAT WE ARE INVOLVED IN THE ISSUE, WE RISE TOGETHER.

I FEEL LIKE HERE AS A PUBLIC HEALTH PERSON WHO IS ALSO FOCUSED ON ECONOMIC ISSUES WAS REALLY THE RIGHT MATCH AT THE RIGHT TIME.

>> IT ALL WORKED OUT.

WHEN YOU FIRST JOINED THE CHICAGO TRUST YOU TOLD PHIL PONCE THAT YOU ARE EXCITED TO JOIN THE TRUST.

HERE'S A LOOK BACK.

>> WILL YOU BE TAKING THE TRUST IN A NEW DIRECTION OR IS IT MORE OF A CONTINUUM?

>> I THINK ANY NEW LEADER RINGS WITH THEM FRESH IDEAS.

I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO BUILD ON THIS 102 YEAR HISTORY OF A VERY SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATION.

I WANT TO LISTEN AND LEARN FIRST AND BUT OF COURSE HOPEFULLY CONTINUE TO EVOLVE THE ORGANIZATION AS I BRING SOME OF MY OWN EXPERIENCES TO IT.

>> I HAVE JUST A FEW SECONDS LEFT DR. HELENE GAYLE, DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED YOUR GOAL AND IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL YOU LEFT UNDONE?

>> THERE'S ALWAYS MORE TO BE DONE.

WE ACCOMPLISHED A LOT.

WE GREW OUR ASSET AS MANAGEMENT SIGNIFICANTLY FROM $3 BILLION TO NOW OVER 4.8 WILLIAM DOLLARS.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY GENEROUS.

WE HAVE DEVELOPED A NEW STRATEGY I THINK IT HAS WROUGHT OTHERS ALONG AND WE HAVE DEVELOPED STRONG PARTNERSHIPS.

WE HAVE DEVELOPED A BIG FOCUS ON POLICY AND ADVOCACY AND POLICY CHANGE TO GO ALONG WITH OUR PROGRAMMATIC AND GRANT EFFORTS BECAUSE WE BELIEVE POLICY CHANGE IS ALSO GOING TO BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.

WE HAVE BUILT AN INCREDIBLE STAFF THAT WILL LIVE ON AND CONTINUE THE MISSION THAT WE STARTED TOGETHER.

>> A LOT TO TAKE WITH YOU A LOT OF EXPERIENCE TO TAKE WITH YOU TO ATLANTA.

CONGRATS ON YOUR NEXT STEP.

BEST OF LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US DR. HELENE GAYLE.

>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

>> TODAY GOSPEL MUSIC IS A STAPLE IN BLACK CHURCHES BUT WHEN IT WAS INTRODUCED IN THE 1930S IT WAS ALWAYS EXCEPTED.

THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF GOSPEL MUSIC IN CHICAGO IS THE SUBJECT OF DW CHICAGO STORIES.IT FOLLOWS THOMAS DORSEY AS HE COMES TO CHICAGO DURING THE GREAT MIGRATION AND BRINGS GOSPEL TO THE CITY BLUES.

>> GOSPEL OPENS THE DOOR TO A NEW MUSIC THAT IS CONNECTED TO THE SOUTH AND IS EKING ABOUT THE NEW EXPERIENCE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN THE NORTH.

DORSEY PINNED DOZENS OF RELIGIOUS VIEWS TO SONGS AND HE CALLED IT GOSPEL BLUES.

HE TRIED TO BRING THE OLD LANDMARK CHURCHES AROUND TO HIS WAY OF INKING.

>> WHEN HE BRINGS THIS MUSIC THAT WE KNOW AS POSSIBLE, THERE ARE MINISTERS WHO HAVE A.

THEY ARE SET THAT THE MUSIC SOUNDS SO MUCH LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING ON SATURDAY NIGHT WE COULD MAKE A JOKE OF HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE ON SATURDAY NIGHT?

>> DORSEY CAME UP WITH AN AGGRESSIVE NEW PLAN TO SELLING HIS SONGS.

DORSEY AND A SELECT GROUP OF SINGERS WOULD TRAVEL FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH DEMONSTRATING GOSPEL BLUES.

ONCE HOOKED THEY WOULD SELL THE PASTORS SHEET MUSIC AT A DIME A SONG.

>> THE BIRTH OF GOSPEL TRACES THE STORY OF THOMAS DORSEY AND HOW HIS MUSIC SINGERS.

IT ALSO EXPLORES THE ROOTS OF GOSPEL FROM SOUTHERNERS.

TOLD DURING SLAVERY.

>> THE DOCUMENT IS REALLY ABOUT BIRTH OF GOSPEL MUSIC IN CHICAGO IN JESUS THAT TERM LOOSELY.

I THINK CHICAGO IS IN TRICKLE TO THE BIRTH OF GOSPEL MUSIC FOR MANY REASONS.

I HOPE THAT EVERYONE LEARNS MANY THINGS BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF THE STORIES ARE KNOWN.

I HOPE A WIDER AUDIENCE LOOKS AT GOSPEL MUSIC AND UNDERSTANDS THE GOSPEL MUSIC IS MORE THAN JUST PERFORMANCE.

IN TRICKLE TO THE HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE THAT DATES BACK ALL THE WAY TO THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE.

A LOT OF WHAT WE THINK OF AS GOSPEL MUSIC TRADITIONAL GOSPEL MUSIC IN MODERN GOSPEL MUSIC THAT WE HEAR NOW ALL OF THAT REALLY BEGAN IN CHICAGO, RIGHT HERE IN OUR CITY AND I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE THAT.

I THINK THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL THING.

WHAT'S THE BIRTH OF GOSPEL WILL BE ON THE BTW THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF MAY.

YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION ON WTTW.com/CHICAGO STORIES.

>> A NEW SHOW AT THE GOODMAN THEATER IS EXPORTING THE VICTORIAN ERA SPECIFICALLY FOR BLACK AMERICANS.

OUR CORRESPONDENT ANGEL IDOWU INTRODUCES US TO RELENTLESS AND HOW BLACK HISTORY IS STILL AMERICAN HISTORY.

>> INSPIRED BY HER LOVE OF THE HARLAN RENAISSANCE IN THE VICTORIAN ERA, PLAYWRIGHT 933 FELT COMPELLED TO WRITE A STORY FOCUSED ON THAT TIME PERIOD FROM A PERSPECTIVE NOT CURRENTLY SEEN.

X I REALIZE NO ONE TALKS ABOUT LOCKE HISTORIAN AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO, MADAM CJ WALK HER BUT THERE WERE COUNTLESS BEAUTIFUL BLACK FOLKS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD AND IT IS A LOST ERA.

I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER WHO WE WERE TO KNOW WHO WE CAN BECOME.

>> SET IN 1919 STORY EXPLORES AND UNCOVERING OF FAMILY SECRETS, HISTORY AND IDENTITY.

WHEN TWO SISTERS, AND NELL AND JANET ARE FORCED TO RETURN HOME TO FIDEL BILLY PHILADELPHIA TO SETTLE THEIR MOTHER'S ESTATE AFTER HER DEATH.

>> MY GOODNESS JANET, I HAVE PRACTICALLY FALLEN OFF THE STAIRS AND YOU BARELY NOTICE!

>> WHILE FICTIONAL, THE STORY DOES HIGHLIGHT SOME HISTORICAL EVENT.

>> WHAT THEY ARE EXAMINING IN 1990 IS THE UNREST OF RED SUMMER WHICH TOOK PLACE HERE IN CHICAGO THAT WAS CAUSED THROUGH A YOUNG BLACK BOY DRIFTING ON THE WHITE SIDE OF THE LAKE PAIRED WHEN I WROTE THE PLAY I WAS TRYING TO EXAMINE WHAT ARE WE STILL SEEING WE THOUGHT WE HAD CONQUERED THAT WE HAVEN'T?

>> DIRECTOR RON OJ PARSON SAYS WHILE FICTIONAL, "RELENTLESS" IS A REFLECTION OF THE ROLE THAT PEOPLE OF COLOR LAID DURING THIS TIME AS THEIR STORIES HAVE OFTEN BEEN LEFT OUT OF HISTORY.

>> WHITE AND BLACK, ASIAN, EVERYBODY TO LEARN THAT WE WERE A VIABLE FORCE IN THIS COUNTRY IN THE EARLY STAGES AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING ARE STILL PART OF SOCIETY TODAY.

>> ROBERTA BROWN OF HAZEL CREST AGREES NOTING POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE PARALLELS THEN AND NOW.

>> DURING THIS AGE IT'S NOT SOMETHING THINK ABOUT BECAUSE WE AREN'T FREE, WE ARE STILL STRUGGLING.

THE THINGS SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE ONE DAUGHTER, TALKING ABOUT THE FEAR THAT SHE HAS, THE FACT THAT THEY ARE LIVING IN TUMULTUOUS TIMES, 1919 AND HERE WE ARE IN 2022 AND THE ISSUES ARE STILL THE SAME.

>> EVEN THOUGH THE STORY EXPLORES CHALLENGES THIS COUNTRY I NOT HAVE FULLY OVERCOME, TYLA ABERCRUMBIE SAID HER MESSAGE HAS NOT ONLY BEEN WELL RECEIVED BUT UNDERSTOOD.

>> A JAPANESE-AMERICAN CAME TO ME AFTER A PERFORMANCE AND HE SAID HE COULD RELATE TO THE JOURNAL AND THE MOTHER BECAUSE HIS PARENTS WERE IN INTERNMENT CAMPS AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS NOT HE UNDERSTOOD THEIR FEAR IN THE WAY THAT THEY RAISED HIM.

>> I WILL ALWAYS SHINE BRIGHTLY.

>> I WANT TO INSPIRE PEOPLE TO MOVEMENT AND I WANT THEM TO WALK AWAY KNOWING SOMETHING MORE ABOUT WE AS A CULTURE HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO.

ALL OF US.

I ALWAYS SAY DON'T LEAVE THERE IS A THING CALLED BLACK HISTORY, IT'S AMERICAN HISTORY AND AWAIT UNDERSTANDS I'M GIVING YOU PART OF YOUR HISTORY, NOT JUST MY.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT: BLACK VOICES, I AM ANGEL IDOWU.

>> "RELENTLESS" CLOSES AT THE GOODMAN THEATRE THIS WEEKEND.

THAT'S OUR SHOW FOR THIS WEEKEND, OR ALL OF US HERE AT TRAN I AM BRANDIS FREEMAN.

INCORPORATED YOU FOR SHARING PART OF YOURS WITH US.

STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.