Author: Zeki Salah

On March 28, the LUV Institute arranged for 60 middle and high school students to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas, to learn about the Little Rock Nine, the group of nine Black students who enrolled at the formerly all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1957.

By: Zeki Salah, Communications Associate A global grassroots robotics initiative, One Team Two Continents, brought thirteen South African students to Chicago in March to participate in a FIRST robotics competition. The project was a joint collaboration between 2019 Chicago Peace Fellow Jackie Moore and 2018 Global Fellow Dieudonne Anumbosi Allo. Funding from the Chicago Peace… Continue reading Teaching the Importance of Pluralism and Social Inclusion through Robotics

By Gresë Sermaxhaj, Communications Associate 2021 Chicago Peace Fellow, Dr. Dorothy Towns-Thompson and her daughter, Antonette Parker, a teacher, recently co-authored three books on Black history and handwriting for children of all ages. Dr. Thompson has over three decades of experience as an educator, alcohol, and drug prevention professional, administrator, and ordained minister and has used the… Continue reading A Reflection on Black History through Handwriting: An Interview with Dr. Dorothy Thompson

By: Zeki Salah, Communications Associate The Black Star Project recently partnered with BDM Sports & Education Project to send Chicago students to Salt Lake City to learn about careers in sports at the NBA All-Star Weekend from February 17-19. This trip marked the third year that the Black Star Project has sent young people to… Continue reading Black Star Project Showcases Careers in Sports at the NBA All-Star Weekend

By: Zeki Salah, Communications Associate On Saturday, February 11th, 400 self-care boxes were distributed to 400 girls across the neighborhoods of Bronzeville, Englewood, North Lawndale, and Austin areas. The boxes were distributed by Ladies of Virtue as part of their 3rd annual celebration of LOV Day. LOV Day was sponsored by the Chicago Peace Fellows… Continue reading LOV Day 2023 Instills Purpose, Passion, and Perseverance

By: Michael Henderson, Director, Mutual Aid Collaborative Generation NOW was conceived by Messiah Equiano, a 2021 Chicago Peace Fellow, and aims to provide opportunities for young people to work on a teen talk show that addresses everyday issues that teenagers face. The program pays teenagers to produce, direct, and act in the show and provides… Continue reading Generation Now 2.0: A Mutual Aid Collaborative Talk Show for Teens Produced by Teens

By Michael Henderson, Director, Mutual Aid Collaborative Juliet Jones, a 2021 Chicago Peace Fellow Alumni and the Co-Founder and Director of  The Original Sixty Fourth Street Drummers, Inc. “wanted to bring children back to play” due to the set back and effects COVID-19 had on kids during the holidays. She thought holding a toy drive… Continue reading A December To Remember: Mutual Aid Collaborative Organizes a Toy Drive

By Zeki Salah, Facilitator, Mutual Aid Collaborative The first annual Sukkah Design Festival was held on October 9-16, showcasing North Lawndale’s Jewish history and providing social services to the community. Reshorna Fitzpatrick, 2019 Chicago Peace Fellow and Executive Pastor of the Stone Temple Baptist Church, was a member of the organizing committee, which included community-based organizations and… Continue reading Chicago’s First Annual Sukkah Design Fest Brings Together Social Justice and Design

By Zeki Salah, Facilitator, Mutual Aid Collaborative On Tuesday, August 23rd, the Chicago Peace Fellows Mutual Aid Collaborative met with Dr. Andrew Papachristos, Director of the Northwestern Neighborhood & Network Initiative. The meeting was part of the Mutual Aid Collaborative Civic Partners Series, which aims to create connections between individuals and organizations that work to build peace… Continue reading Mutual Aid Collaborative Discusses How Violence Spreads with Dr. Andrew Papachristos

By: Yusuph Masanja, Co-Facilitator, Global Alumni Network On January 18th the South Side Jazz Coalition (SSJC) hosted a Zoom meeting to discuss the inequalities in Jazz music in Chicago. The following conversations transpired during the meeting: the absence of live performance venues on the South and West sides, segregation of the sides of the city,… Continue reading Creating Harmony Through Music