Chicago Speaks August 30th 2026

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
V103 presents Chicago Speaks with your host, Daryl Denard. This
program is designed to address issues that affect you. Your
opinions matter. Toll free at 833-591-V103. The views and opinions
expressed are not necessarily those of the station, its management, sponsors,
or iHeartMedia, Inc.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
Hello and welcome to Chicago Speaks, your communications conduit for
speaking to the issues impacting our community. I'm your host,
Daryl Denard. It is Sunday, August 30th, 2026. Mostly sunny
and warm today, with scattered showers high in the mid-80s
and currently at 73 degrees. As we're nearing the end
of summer, we're offering a topic potpourri this morning. We'll

(00:40):
begin with the important subject of suicide prevention. From there,
we'll learn about the Chicago Community Lending Fund. Next, we'll
get details on PLCCA's Bridging the Gap Festival. And we'll
take your calls on the top news stories of the
week from the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington campaign.
to the growing controversy between Stephen A. Smith and many

(01:01):
of the nation's top Black journalists. And we'll close out
our discussions learning about early childhood resources available for children
in the South Suburbs. So as is the case every
Sunday morning, there is a lot to speak to, and
we begin with important information on saving a life. September
is National Suicide Prevention Month, and joining me this morning

(01:22):
to discuss how emotional and mental health plays a role
in promoting wellness while preventing tragedy, is Kiana Satine. She
is an emotional literary consultant, life coach, and author of
the book Healing Out Loud, Reclaim Your Voice, Power, and Purpose. Kiana,
a pleasure to have you join us this morning. How
are you doing?

Speaker 3 (01:43):
I'm good. Thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (01:45):
It is important because you reached out to me because
suicide is a very sensitive subject to talk about. And
suicide prevention is something that is very personal for you.
Why so?

Speaker 4 (01:58):
It is.

Speaker 5 (01:58):
I am a suicide survivor, and I'm on a mission
now to impact and inspire as many lives as possible.
God used me to survive it, so I have to
help somebody else realize that suicide is not the end
of the story.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
Describe the issue of functionality in dealing with emotional and
mental crises like attempting suicide.

Speaker 5 (02:19):
One of the things we don't often talk about when
it comes to mental health is the emotional impact. And
what I discovered since my attempt in the path of
recovery is that I was disconnected from my emotions. I
didn't have the language to understand my emotions and how
much my emotions.

Speaker 3 (02:36):
Was dictating the choices I made, dictating my.

Speaker 5 (02:39):
Mental health, my relationships, my work, the overall feeling of
how I felt about myself as a woman and as
a person.

Speaker 2 (02:47):
It's interesting because Language, both spoken and felt, is important.
What do you mean when you say that you were
still listening, showing up and pretending that everything was fine,
but yet you were suffering in silence?

Speaker 3 (03:02):
I was functioning, working in human resources. I was a wife,
a mother, a friend. And to everybody on the outside,
I looked okay. I looked like this.

Speaker 5 (03:11):
I was smiling, makeup on, hair done. But behind closed doors,
I was struggling. Even in front of people, I was
suffering in silence. I could put on a smile, but inside,
it was killing me. I would go into my office
and just cry. I would go home, self-medicate just to
get myself to go to sleep, and wake up in
the morning struggling to get out of bed.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
And when did it reach its breaking point?

Speaker 5 (03:34):
The breaking point for me came in 2019 when I
decided I could no longer do it.

Speaker 3 (03:39):
The pain really is what was speaking.

Speaker 5 (03:42):
And when you're in pain, the only thing you can
think about is I just want it to end. And
my breaking point was actually my breakthrough because I did
not succeed. But the path to healing started in that
hospital room when I.

Speaker 3 (03:53):
Decided that I couldn't hide it anymore.

Speaker 5 (03:56):
That suicide attempt and ending up in the hospital was
the first time that everybody around me could see just
how much I was suffering in silence.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
So what prompted you to write the book Healing Out Loud,
Reclaim Your Voice, Power and Purpose?

Speaker 5 (04:10):
That was a spiritual message from God that said, it
is time for you to share your story, speak your truth.
And when I decided to write the book back in 2023,
I had no idea the impact that it would have.
I didn't even know the title at the time, but
I knew that somebody was suffering and struggling with the
same things I went through.

Speaker 3 (04:29):
So what could I do to help them? Because I
didn't see anybody.

Speaker 5 (04:32):
Talking about suicide when I was going through my experiences
in 2019.

Speaker 2 (04:36):
Describe what readers will get from the book.

Speaker 5 (04:40):
So I'm the mirror. Healing Out Loud, Reclaim Your Voice,
Power and Purpose is the mirror. You see my story,
but there are questions for my readers to start to unpack.
Because one thing you are going to go through is
an emotional path in my book, the highs and the
lows of recovery, of just being a human being. So
I need my readers to start to unpack that so
that they can see their own mental and emotional health

(05:02):
and start to become more emotionally intelligent, emotionally literate, emotionally accountable.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
Speak about resources necessary, not only for having the courage
to say that I'm not okay, but also to seek help.

Speaker 3 (05:18):
I have several resources in my book. I have a
988 resources.

Speaker 5 (05:22):
I have other partners, organizations that you could partner with
like NAMI, AFSP, the 741741 crisis line. I am also
an emotional literacy coach and consultant. People can work with me,
but there are several resources. And bottom line, I need
people to know that they are not alone in their
struggle and there is help and hope on the other side.

Speaker 2 (05:44):
You created a program called Heal Fast. emotional safety framework.
Describe what that's all about.

Speaker 5 (05:52):
This is a tool that I created to help people
that are struggling in that emotional crisis. When it's 12
o'clock at midnight and you're the only person awake and
the voices in your head are telling you, I can't
take this anymore. My emotions are screaming. How do I
get myself out of this emotional chaos so I can
get myself to the next safe path, the next safe step?

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Because when I was suffering, I didn't know I could
go anywhere.

Speaker 5 (06:18):
Reach out to the hospital or go into an emergency
room and tell them I'm not okay.

Speaker 3 (06:23):
I didn't know where to go. So I sat in it.

Speaker 5 (06:26):
And if I had the tool to say, this is
your emotion speaking, this is not the truth. This is
just the story. Get out of this so that you
can get yourself help. That's what HealFast is about. Being
accountable for your emotional health.

Speaker 2 (06:38):
Why do you think there is such a reticence about
seeking mental and emotional help when we are in terms
of black folks are going through a crisis?

Speaker 5 (06:49):
The stigma, the stigma, the judgment, the embarrassment. And we
as black people feel like I have to do it
all alone.

Speaker 3 (06:58):
I have to be the strong one.

Speaker 5 (06:59):
We always have this strong person mentality, but being strong
does not mean asking for help and needing support.

Speaker 3 (07:06):
It's weakness. Strong people need support too. People need people.

Speaker 2 (07:10):
What are some of the hallmarks or markers that we
need to look for when we think that somebody may
not be as tight or as well as what they appear?

Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, we have to start with having the conversations.

Speaker 5 (07:25):
We cannot be afraid of going up to someone that
we care about and asking them, are you okay? I
notice you don't seem the same. You're not reacting the same.
You've been distant. Is there anything that I can do.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
To support you?

Speaker 5 (07:37):
It starts with just letting people know that they are
supported and they are seen.

Speaker 2 (07:42):
How do we go about this without alienating them? Because
Many times people will know, hey, something isn't right. They're over-medicating.
They're just not themselves. But yet their response is, I'm okay.
But how do we intervene without hopefully not exacerbating the situation?

Speaker 3 (08:00):
We can only do so much.

Speaker 5 (08:01):
If an individual says they're okay, all you can say is,
all right, well, if you need me, I'm here to
support you and know that if there's anything you need,
I'm always going to be a resource. It's up to
the individual to decide to take the support, but you
can only lead the horse to water.

Speaker 3 (08:16):
You can't make them drink. So it's both. It's reciprocal.
I can help you, but I have to be willing
to accept the help.

Speaker 2 (08:23):
Speak specifically about what we can do to create a
better sense of mental and emotional health in our lives?

Speaker 5 (08:32):
Start by being aware of your body, your mind, your emotion,
and your mood. From the moment I wake up in
the morning, I check in with myself. How am I feeling?
How am I doing?

Speaker 3 (08:41):
What is going to be my energy for this day?

Speaker 5 (08:44):
I can't control what's going on outside of me, but
I can control what's going on inside.

Speaker 3 (08:49):
So start with just being aware and checking in with yourself.

Speaker 2 (08:51):
And what do you feel is your life's mission right now,
aside from heal fast and writing a book and being
a coach as well as advocate for suicide prevention.

Speaker 5 (09:05):
My work right now is creating safe spaces for people
to actually be able to say, I'm not okay.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Creating safe spaces for people to heal out loud.

Speaker 5 (09:13):
I'm taking a healing out loud experience tour across the
nation to create this place where men and women can
come together and.

Speaker 3 (09:20):
Realize we are all in this together. There's strength and
healing as a collective.

Speaker 2 (09:25):
And Kiana, how can we find out more information about
this great work that you're doing as well as your
book and Heal Fast?

Speaker 5 (09:32):
You can find out more about me and my work
on my website at IamKianaChateen.com.

Speaker 3 (09:38):
I also have a YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, all of the things.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
And what is your final message of encouragement for people
who are listening right now?

Speaker 5 (09:47):
I would say my final message for anybody that is
needing some encouragement, you are worthy and you are valuable.

Speaker 3 (09:54):
And keep going because this world needs your light.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
You have purpose. And we want to thank you for it.
writing this book, Healing Out Loud, Reclaim Your Voice, Power
and Purpose. That is Kiana Chateen. She is an emotional
literary consultant and she's doing an extraordinary work. We're so
glad that you're still here and that you're an advocate.
And I guess you also would agree with me here. Kiana,

(10:18):
that if anybody feels as though they're at a breaking
point right now, the easiest thing to do is call
the lifeline at 988.

Speaker 6 (10:26):
Yes.

Speaker 3 (10:27):
Yes, absolutely. 988-741-741. But there are resources. You are not
alone in your silence.

Speaker 2 (10:35):
Thank you so much for joining us this morning, Kiana.

Speaker 3 (10:38):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (10:40):
Coming up next, celebrating 35 years of the Chicago Community
Lending Fund and learning about back-to-school resources with PLCCA's Bridging
the Gap Festival. Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (10:52):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at 833-591-V103. Now, back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 2 (11:13):
Welcome back. It's Sunday, August 30th, and you're listening to
Chicago Speaks. For 35 years, CCLF has provided access to
capital for community organizations, developers, and businesses that may not
fit the traditional lending model. Helping turn projects into reality

(11:35):
for businesses and individuals that may struggle to secure financing
is its role in helping to strengthen Chicago neighborhoods. Joining
us this morning to discuss the 35th anniversary of community investment,
are Juan Calixto, who is the Executive Vice President of

(11:55):
External Relations for the Chicago Community Loan Fund, as well
as Lucretia Park. She is the Chief Risk Officer and
Vice President of Portfolio Management for CCLF. Pleasure to welcome
the both of you to the program. I guess I
want to begin first with you, Juan, in terms of
external relations there. Talk about the origins of the Chicago

(12:16):
Community Loan Fund.

Speaker 4 (12:18):
Sure.

Speaker 7 (12:19):
And Daryl, thank you so much for having us on
your show this morning. Chicago Community Loan Fund is a
community fund that provides financing for real estate development projects.
And our origins were started when people in the black
and brown neighborhoods would go and have a dream and
want to buy a home and want to start a business.

(12:42):
And they would be turned down simply because of the
zip code or the color of their skin.

Speaker 2 (12:47):
And so redlining.

Speaker 4 (12:49):
Exactly. So because of all.

Speaker 7 (12:51):
The marches that happened during redlining and the Community Reinvestment Act,
groups started to create loan funds. The Chicago Community Loan
Fund was one of those that started in 1991 that said,
you can come to us. We're you know, we will
say yes to your dreams.

Speaker 2 (13:09):
And you started with very humble beginnings here. I'm talking
about an initial investment of only $ 200, 000. Of course, things
were cheaper back then than they are now.

Speaker 4 (13:19):
Absolutely.

Speaker 7 (13:20):
So we were giving small loans back then. People were
just looking like, can we get $ 5, 000? Can we get $ 10, 000?
And through that initial investment, more and more people started saying, hey,
we like your concept. We know what you're doing in
the community. You're making an impact. And we got more

(13:40):
and more investors. Till today, we're already at $ 216 million
in assets.

Speaker 2 (13:48):
What are people able to receive that they don't receive
from a traditional bank, Lucretia?

Speaker 3 (13:55):
Oh, my goodness.

Speaker 8 (13:55):
So for starters, we're willing to listen to your dream
and believe in your dream and walk with you alongside you.

Speaker 3 (14:01):
Right.

Speaker 8 (14:02):
We offer technical assistance. Maybe there you're lacking in understanding
how to get your project across the field. We will
work with you to walk through the processing, the permitting
process as well. We'll walk with you to go through
your construction budget to make sure that we have walked
that project to understand what's needed. to get it up
and running and stabilized so that you can get that

(14:23):
certificate of occupancy and you can move into.

Speaker 9 (14:26):
That property, right? And turn it from vacant to now thriving.

Speaker 8 (14:30):
So we are one of those banks that we're just
not lending and we're just not saying, yes, we're there
to help you, your dream become a reality.

Speaker 2 (14:40):
And I think that's the operative word here is that
in a very real sense, you're a bank. But so
many times when we consider purchasing a piece of real estate,
whether for commercial or residential means, we don't think of
going to a place like a community loan fund.

Speaker 3 (14:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (14:57):
And I think that that's where we're trying to get
our message across.

Speaker 8 (15:00):
Because as you just spoke, Daryl, that a number of
people don't understand or know about a community loan fund.
You know, they don't know that a community loan fund
provides lending just as a bank does. The only difference
is we don't have deposit accounts or your checking and
savings accounts.

Speaker 3 (15:14):
We don't do that.

Speaker 8 (15:15):
We simply provide loans for community projects in the neighborhoods
that we serve. We also provide patient capital. So we're
unlike a bank where if you hit a stump in
the road and your project is delayed and therefore you're
not able to make the benchmarks that, you know, that
they set at the onset and they call your loan.

Speaker 9 (15:35):
We're not willing to do that.

Speaker 8 (15:36):
We're saying, wait, let's think about this. What is what's
the stumbling block that you've encountered? Let's work through this.
Let's help you get to the finish line. Because if
you win, we win. You know, it makes us no difference.
It doesn't help us if we don't help you get
across the finish line.

Speaker 2 (15:51):
Juan, what do you consider to be the barriers, whether
from a marketing perspective or from a lack of participation
from those in need of unique services that you offer?

Speaker 7 (16:03):
The barriers right now are cost, construction costs. So, you know,
inflation is So people will come and say, you know,
I want to start a daycare. I want to open
up a school. I want to get some property and
put some current commercial businesses in there. And then they're
all excited and then they find out, oh, wait a minute.

(16:25):
What I initially thought the cost would be, the contractor
gave me the real numbers and it's double what I thought.
And so that seems to slow them down and it
takes longer. So they thought they can do this in
six months. It may take two or three years now
because of cost.

Speaker 2 (16:44):
Lucretia, you have an anniversary theme for your 35th year,
and it's called the Power of Community Investment. What do
you mean by that?

Speaker 8 (16:53):
So it's just what we've been talking about earlier, bringing
capital to markets that have been underfunded, under-resourced, and banks
have turned away. And through our partnership with these developers
in these communities, We want to turn those communities around
and see them thriving as they were many, many years ago,
even before any of our times, right? So we want

(17:14):
to help those communities come back to a thriving place
where we see, you know, you can live, work, and
walk in your community where you live. The dollars that
you make can be spent in your community, helping that
community become stabilized once again as it previously was.

Speaker 2 (17:30):
CCLF has done an extraordinary job at helping to stabilize
communities around I'm talking about you closed on nearly 700 loans,
providing some $ 423 million in financing. And you also have
been able to help create jobs, more than 8,000 jobs.

(17:51):
And as I said, just stabilize, help revitalize community. Talk
about some of the success stories that our listeners probably
frequent now, but don't even know that they are a
product of CCLF.

Speaker 8 (18:04):
I'll start and then I'll let Juan start as well.
So I'll just talk about the Culver's in the Pullman community.
That is a thriving business that's up and operational that
brought jobs to that community. The first Culver's in the
Pullman community area. We're so very proud of that. We
helped finance that as well. Of course, it takes more
than just the dollars that CCLF provided, but we did

(18:26):
help in financing that project.

Speaker 7 (18:28):
I'll just mention a very popular Stony Arts Bank in
South Shore. We had the famous Theaster Gates, well renowned.
He had a vision and said, I want to build
this cultural center. And he went through his tradition.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
I didn't know that that was done with CCLF funds.
You know, I thought University of Chicago playing a major
role there, of course, but I didn't know it was CCLF.

Speaker 7 (18:50):
He came to us and said, I've been to two
or three banks and they all turned me down because
there are six feet of water in this facility. You know,
can you listen to me? And we did. And that
is a thriving cultural center in the South Side right now.
And it's also changing the area because he's getting other

(19:10):
properties around there and doing other projects. And, you know,
he's bringing that hope. That's what we say, making things thrive.
He's definitely somebody doing that for sure.

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Encourage somebody here. Speak specifically about their dream and if
that dream meets the mission of CCLF.

Speaker 8 (19:30):
I would say to a developer who lives in the
neighborhoods that we serve and you see an abandoned house
that's next door to you and you know that if
you took ownership of that, you could turn that around
and lease it, renovate it and lease it out, right?
To build up that community so it's no longer blighted.
I would say, come and talk to us.

Speaker 9 (19:51):
We're here.

Speaker 8 (19:52):
We're at 29 East Madison Street, Suite 1700 in Chicago,
Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 p.m. Our phone number
is 312-252-0440. We're here to listen to you. We're here
to help you put your idea on paper. to help
you put your packet together so that you can apply

(20:12):
for a loan. We're here to help you get those
permits because you're going to need those to get that
property renovated and stabilized and get that certificate of occupancy
so that you can lease it out. That property does
not have to sit vacant and abandoned when you know
that you have an idea that you could turn that
property around. This is what we do, and we're here
to help you.

Speaker 2 (20:32):
And if somebody's thinking of more of a residential impact,
what should they think about, Juan?

Speaker 7 (20:37):
They should also think about the Chicago Community Loan Fund
because we definitely support lots of housing, whether it's supportive housing,
whether it's housing cooperatives, whether it's a land trust. So
all different models of housing will be right there to support.

Speaker 4 (20:53):
You as well.

Speaker 2 (20:54):
Lucretia gave us wonderful information in terms of where you're located.
as well as the telephone number. What is the website?

Speaker 7 (21:02):
The website is the place to start for sure. It
gives you all the information and our inquiry form, www.cclfchicago.org.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
Well, we definitely appreciate the tremendous work that you do.
Juan Calisto, as well as Lucretia Parks, continue to do
this yeoman's job of providing opportunity and stabilizing our Chicago communities.

Speaker 3 (21:26):
Thank you so much, Daryl.

Speaker 2 (21:28):
This year, Chicagoland lost a true community hero and advocate
with the death of Bishop Claude Porter, founder of the
Proviso Leiden Council for Community Action, or PLCCA. Steering PLCCA
into the future is his daughter Claudette Harrell. She is
the organization's new president and CEO. Claudette, welcome to the program.

Speaker 10 (21:51):
Thank you. I'm so glad to be here. It's a
privilege and an honor. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (21:55):
PLCCA is a valuable resource for residents of the West
Side and Western suburbs. I know that you didn't want
to assume this role as quickly as you did. How
are you and your family doing with the loss of
heroic father?

Speaker 10 (22:09):
It's a major loss for the family.

Speaker 11 (22:12):
And we are hanging in there because we are God
fearing people. And we have that faith that we believe
in that my father taught me so well.

Speaker 10 (22:21):
And growing up in the church.

Speaker 11 (22:22):
And I'm so proud of him because when I think
about what he was able to accomplish through God, and
he'll tell you, if he was here, he would say,
but for God, it was how he was able to
do it. He ran this organization from 1968 all the
way to the time.

Speaker 10 (22:37):
He died, the day that he died at 88 years old,
about to be 89.

Speaker 11 (22:40):
You know, it was a job well done because of
the faith that he had and belief and what God
wanted him to do in helping mankind.

Speaker 2 (22:49):
And if you're a resident of the west side of Chicago,
as well as the western suburbs there, you know what
PLCCA does. But for the people who don't know about
this extraordinary history that was started back in 1968, explain
to our audience just the services and the kind of
footprint that you have.

Speaker 11 (23:09):
So PLCCA, first off, stands for Proviso Leiden, or you
may say Leiden, Council for Community Action. And that word
action in the name was very important to Bishop Porter
as he founded this, as you stated, in 1968. He
was a reverend at the time at Proviso Missionary Baptist Church,
just a couple blocks away. And he felt his true

(23:31):
calling was to take God out of the four walls
of the church and into the community. After you shout
on Sunday, what do you do for the rest of
the week? And he felt it was to be of
service and help people to become stable and have sustainability
in their life, and services that may get rid of

(23:51):
some of the barriers that maybe they're being faced with.

Speaker 10 (23:54):
So he started with $ 38, 000.

Speaker 11 (23:56):
For employment and training. So that set the foundation. And
when you think about it, fast forward, we still are
in that situation where employment is the major thing that's
needed for the society today. And so upon that $ 38, 000
employment training, he continued to build and saying, okay, we
still need wraparound services to eliminate housing, transportation, child care.

(24:20):
So he added a children and family services division, which
at that time was serving about 600 children due to
cuts and.

Speaker 10 (24:27):
Things that happened. Now we're at about 150.

Speaker 11 (24:31):
But we do that every single day for the community,
for preschool for all, EHS, Early Head Start, Child Care Partnership, Prevention.

Speaker 10 (24:39):
Initiative, you name it, under child care.

Speaker 11 (24:42):
And then we have the private child care named after
his daughter, his late daughter, Deborah Ann Porter. So he
wanted to make sure that he did that and put
something in the memory of his daughter that cared so
much about children.

Speaker 10 (24:54):
We also look at, all right, what else?

Speaker 4 (24:56):
Teens.

Speaker 11 (24:57):
When Bishop Porter first moved from Memphis to Chicago, he
organized a baseball team.

Speaker 10 (25:03):
With the young people right away.

Speaker 11 (25:05):
Before he even started PLCCA, he knew that that he
needed to wrap his arms around the youth of the community.
And so once he had PLCCA, he created the Youth
Empowerment Center. And within that Youth Empowerment Center, we have
kids and clubs where we actually take kids out to
the golf course, work at PGA, learn life skills, and
learn that some deals are done on the golf course

(25:26):
when they get older. And we also have, we're in
the Illinois State Board of Education after-school programming. So in
the middle schools, we're in the high schools with case management,
dealing with truancy, as well. And so that's all, and
just bringing the youth together. And so that's what the
Youth Empowerment Center. And then we have supportive services. So

(25:47):
you look at supportive services, what are those? Low-income home
energy assistance program. That's one of our largest programs because
unfortunately people need utility assistance. And so PLCCA is here
to help them with that as well. And affordable housing.
Bishop Porter built 23 homes in Maywood. He built a
Maywood senior housing back in 1985 with 72 units. So

(26:11):
he was very embedded in knowing and realizing that one
of the barriers is housing.

Speaker 10 (26:16):
We also own.

Speaker 11 (26:16):
About four affordable housing complexes here throughout the Maywood area
as well within our affordable housing division. So with supportive services,
we included a Pearson VUE testing center. We're a certified
testing center. People come from all over. And then WIC,
which is CETA WIC, Women, Infants, and Children. It used
to report to me back in the 90s. So now

(26:38):
we do have CETA WIC still here at the headquarters
of PLCCA, and they do a fantastic job. We have,
as I stated before, employment and training, behavioral health services.
What's the number one crisis in this society where there
are two opioids and there is mental health?

Speaker 10 (26:54):
PLCCA covers both.

Speaker 11 (26:56):
Behavioral health services, we have that here, as well as
medication-assisted recovery that Bishop Porter started in 1971 for the MAR.
So again, as you can see, we're just trying to
make sure anything that someone needs, that we have that
wraparound service to take a holistic approach to service. Now,

(27:17):
where we can't do it, because Bishop Porter also taught me,
no man is an island. That means we have collaborations,
we're part of coalitions from the west side to the
south side. We're involved in so many areas where we're
working with other organizations that have the expertise in certain
areas that we may not have, so that we're all
supporting and keeping in mind at the bottom of it,

(27:39):
the end of it, is the end user, which is
that community member that needs the help, whether it's coming
from HSI or coming from PLCCA.

Speaker 2 (27:46):
And the wonderful thing that he did an extraordinary work
in is in the area of AIDS and people impacted
by AIDS, where many organizations, particularly religious organizations, pretty much
didn't do as much as they could have.

Speaker 6 (28:01):
Right.

Speaker 11 (28:02):
One of the things that I'm so proud that I
was able to be a part of as an executive producer,
Bishop Porter. Well, actually, Bonnie Deshawn got a grant from
the Illinois Department of Public Health for fifty thousand dollars.
And at that time in 2008, it was an epidemic
running through the Maywood area for AIDS and HIV. So
Bishop Porter decided we're going to do a documentary, a film,

(28:24):
a short film.

Speaker 10 (28:26):
And we did with our teen reach program at the time.

Speaker 11 (28:29):
And not only did we do the film, but realizing
the importance of them becoming ambassadors, the young people, and
being trained on HIV and AIDS and what is that
all about so they can have peer-to-peer conversations. So we
did about 100 of those individuals, young people. We shot
it at Proviso East High School and at Bishop Porter's Church.
It's called The Burning Truth. It's still out on YouTube.

(28:51):
And that film actually won for the best teen film
for the Hollywood Black Film Festival.

Speaker 10 (28:58):
In 2008.

Speaker 2 (28:59):
And one thing that proves that the legacy is in
good hands is that you have an upcoming event on
September 12th in Maywood called the Bridging the Gap Parade
and Community Resource Fair. Tell me about it.

Speaker 10 (29:12):
Yes, Bridging the Gap.

Speaker 11 (29:14):
And the history behind that is that Bishop Porter, because
we're in all the schools, and many, many years ago,
and Bishop had us, he came.

Speaker 10 (29:22):
Up with this idea, Bridging the Gap and Community Resource.

Speaker 9 (29:25):
What is that?

Speaker 12 (29:26):
Bringing unity, bringing the the school districts, bringing the faith-based leaders,
bringing the politicians, bringing the community members, all of us
coming to the resources, coming together and to bridge that gap.

Speaker 10 (29:39):
And it didn't exist. It still exists.

Speaker 11 (29:41):
And so it's very, very important. All of them, the
mayors are involved in this. And so we are doing bridging.
He called me in three years ago and said, Claudette,
I need to.

Speaker 10 (29:51):
Do this again.

Speaker 11 (29:52):
And I honestly said, well, Bishop, I don't even remember
how to do that anymore. That was years ago. He said,
figure it out. Thank God for Google, because I was
able to Google and spit out all of this of
what I should do to plan a wonderful parade and
resource fair. And then I devised a committee of all
those individuals that I just named, those different people. And
we are, this is our third year, but our first

(30:13):
year without Bishop Porter. So we have added a special
tribute to the memory of Bishop Porter and And that's
going to take place after the parade when we get
to Proviso East High School around 12, 12, 15. And
it'll be led off by the Illinois Speaker of the House,
Chris Welch, and Congressman Danny Davis, LaShawn Forrest, Senator Lifeord,

(30:36):
and so many others. And then we get into the
resource part, the Kids Zone, the Youth Village. It's so
exciting what we've been able to put together. Amazon is
presenting this for us for the third year. And we
have so many other sponsors that are involved in it.

Speaker 10 (30:52):
So we have our.

Speaker 11 (30:53):
Media sponsor, Telemundo, NBC5, WVON. We have UnitedHealthcare, Central Credit Union, U.S. Bank,
SEIU Local 1, Associated Bank, Proviso Community Bank, Wintrust, just
to name a few of them. So we're really, without
that support, we would not be able to put together
this incredible kid zone that we're going to have and

(31:15):
this incredible youth village. that we're going to have for
the young people and they get free haircuts. You name
what should be there, it's going to be there. And
then entertainment as well.

Speaker 2 (31:25):
And that is going to take place the morning of
September 12th in Maywood at Proviso East High School. That
is the Bridging the Gap Parade and Community Resource Fair.
And Claudette, very quickly, where can people find all of
this information that we talked about this morning?

Speaker 11 (31:41):
So we have an actual site for this event. It's
at www.plccabsnbridgingtsngsngapsnparade.org.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
And that is Claudette Harrell. She is the CEO and
president of the Proviso Leiden Foundation. Council for Community Action,
or PLCCA. Thank you so much for joining us this morning.

Speaker 10 (32:06):
Thank you again for the opportunity.

Speaker 11 (32:08):
I'm so amazed at the great work that you continue
to do and awareness you create for all of us.

Speaker 10 (32:13):
So thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (32:15):
Coming up next, we'll take your calls on the top
news stories of the week from a commemoration of Martin
Luther King Jr. 's I Have a Dream speech in
Washington to the growing controversy between the nation's top black
journalism organization and one of the country's most visible sports journalists,
Stephen A.

Speaker 4 (32:32):
Smith.

Speaker 2 (32:33):
Call us now with your thoughts and comments at 833-591-V103.
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (32:41):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at 833-591-V103. V103 presents Chicago Speaks
with your host, Daryl Denard. This program is designed to
address issues that affect you. Your opinions matter, toll free
at 833-591-V103. The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily

(33:06):
those of the station, its management, sponsors, or iHeartMedia, Inc.

Speaker 2 (33:11):
And welcome back. We are live. It is 6.50 and
it is that time of the morning for you to
pick up the phone and join the conversation as we
speak on the stories that are impacting our community in
our Reporters' Roundtable. Call us now at 833-591-V103. Joining us
this morning to discuss the top news stories of the
week are John Fountain, journalist, author, and professor. Jamie Nesbitt Golden,

(33:34):
Bronzeville reporter for Block Club Chicago, and Brandon Pope, journalist
and president of the Chicago chapter of the National Association
of Black Journalists. I'm going to begin first with you, John,
in terms of, first of all, welcome all of you
to the program. But tell me in terms of what
are the top three stories that we need to pay
attention to that have happened over the past week?

Speaker 6 (33:57):
Thank you, Brother Darrell, and good morning to the panelists
and also to all of your listeners. I would say
I would start with endless war if I were giving
this a headline. The war between the United States and
Iran continues, but it seems to be currently at a
stalemate with the Strait of Hormuz, where 20 percent of
the world's oil reportedly passes through, still mostly shut down. Now,

(34:22):
we're six months into the war with Iran. We've got
higher gas prices, I know, from yesterday, where I had
to put premium in my car, and it was $ 6
a gallon. Exhaustion or depletion of resources, including advanced munitions
and defense interceptors for our military, and reportedly the exhaustion

(34:43):
of U.S. servicemen who have been deployed, at least on
the U.S. Abraham Lincoln, for far too long.

Speaker 4 (34:49):
Again, we're six months into the war.

Speaker 6 (34:50):
The president said it would last four to six weeks,
and there appears to be no end in sight. The
other story for me is a personal one, and I
call it, the headline would be Justice for Jelani. This
week marks the four-year anniversary of the case of Jelani Day,
the 25-year-old Illinois State University graduate student whose body was

(35:11):
found floating in the Illinois River in September 2021 in Peru, Illinois,
which is a former sundown town. I covered Jelani's story
while a freelance columnist for Chicago Sometimes and occasionally have
written about the story since then. Jelani was last seen
alive on August 24th. The car was found August 26th

(35:34):
of 2021. The body was discovered September 4th. The authorities
say he drowned, but the evidence that I uncovered in
the case, based on the autopsy results, found that The
young man's eyes had been gouged out, his genitals had
been flayed, and there were other gory details that would
suggest otherwise. In fact, it would suggest to me as

(35:56):
a black man in America that this sounded a whole
lot like a lynching and sounded a whole.

Speaker 4 (36:01):
Lot in some ways.

Speaker 6 (36:03):
Like the Nolan Wells case in Mississippi that we're seeing
the repeat of, and black bodies still coming up dead
and hanging.

Speaker 4 (36:11):
From trees, and black folk don't hang themselves.

Speaker 6 (36:14):
And if Jelani had drowned in the river, if they
say he went swimming in the Illinois River, I looked
at the Illinois River, and there's no way that young
black man jumped in those murky waters that were miles
away from his campus.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
At Bloomington Normal. And if he did.

Speaker 6 (36:31):
Jelani Day was an excellent swimmer. So all they write.
And we need to have a federal investigation into what
the police did and find out what happened to Jelani.
I believe Jelani was murdered. And lastly, I will say,
are you ready for some football? College football season.

Speaker 4 (36:51):
Kicks off Saturday.

Speaker 2 (36:53):
You got it at Chicago State.

Speaker 4 (36:55):
Yes, sir.

Speaker 6 (36:56):
And of great note, the inaugural season of football at
Chicago State University, the Cougars launched their Division I play
in their first ever season, unfortunately and however. The Cougars
ran into a team called the Roosevelt Lakers.

Speaker 4 (37:10):
You know, I'm a little biased.

Speaker 6 (37:12):
That's where I teach, who gave them the business. We
won 44-28. All the best to Chicago State, but I
got to say.

Speaker 4 (37:19):
Go Lakers.

Speaker 2 (37:21):
Sounds good. Jamie, of course, given your expertise in terms
of local coverage in Bronzeville, I want to just preference
my remarks here by saying that there was some disturbing
violence that happened in Bronzeville and then extended over into
Washington Park overnight. So while it looked as though we
really are, and it is, we're wrapping around this violence thing.

(37:45):
It reared its ugly head this morning. But go ahead.
Top three.

Speaker 13 (37:50):
I'm sorry. This is the first time I'm learning about
it because I typically turn my TV off over the weekend.

Speaker 2 (38:00):
Ten people shot in Washington Park. One of them fatally.
And then another shot last night in Bronzeville. And I
think two or three people shot another one fatally.

Speaker 6 (38:13):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (38:14):
Oh, well, no. Well, thank you for letting me know,
and I'm pretty sure I'll be covering that soon. But
my top three, sort of to piggyback off of John,
the consequences of the fake war that we are currently in,
the gas prices are unusually high. The national average reached $ 4. 06

(38:35):
a gallon, which is like the highest average on record,
and about $ 1 more than a year earlier. And Americans
have collectively already paid $ 56. 4 billion extra for gasoline over
the last six months, and that's about $ 4. 77 per household.
And that matters beyond the gas because the higher energy

(38:56):
costs can, you know, feed into broader inflation. And the
prices will stay high even if, you know, diplomacy fails. So.
That's one. And then I think the second one for
me would be the anniversary of the 63rd. Well, the
63rd anniversary of the March on Washington, which voting rights

(39:21):
is a central issue. Of course, we've seen the eradication
of the VRA Act over the last few years.

Speaker 2 (39:28):
And it's my remark. here By saying that there was
Some disturbing violence that happened In Bronzeville and then extended
Over into Washington Park Overnight so While it looked as
though we really are And it is, we're wrapping around
This violence thing It reared its ugly head this morning
But go ahead Top three.

Speaker 13 (39:50):
I'm sorry. This is the first time I'm learning about
it because I typically turn my TV off over the weekend.

Speaker 2 (40:01):
Ten people shot in Washington Park. One of them fatally.
And then another shot last night in Bronzeville. And I
think two or three people shot another one fatally.

Speaker 6 (40:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (40:15):
Oh, well, no. Well, thank you for letting me know,
and I'm pretty sure I'll be covering that soon. But
my top three, sort of to piggyback off of John,
the consequences of the fake war that we are currently in,
gas prices are unusually high. The national average.

Speaker 14 (40:35):
Reached $ 4.

Speaker 13 (40:35):
06 a gallon, which is like the highest average on record,
and about a dollar more than a year earlier. And
Americans have collectively already paid $ 56. 4 billion extra for gasoline
over the last six months, and that's about $ 4. 77 per household.
And that matters beyond the gas because the higher energy

(40:57):
costs can, you know, feed into broader inflation. And the
prices will stay high even if, you know, diplomacy fails. So.
That's one. And then I think the second one for
me would be the anniversary of the 63rd. Well, the
63rd anniversary of the March on Washington, which voting rights

(41:22):
is a central issue. Of course, we've seen the eradication
of the VRA Act over the last few years. And
According to the organizers, they see this as a continuation,
not a remembrance of the 1963 movement. Thousands of folks
convened on the nation's capital on Friday. But a lot

(41:45):
of folks didn't get a chance to make it. I
had the unfortunate responsibility of covering a story about a
group of young men from the I Am Gentleman Foundation
who were all scheduled to go to To participate, they
were invited by the Northwestern Indiana chapter of the National

(42:05):
Action Network to take part. And were 90 minutes from
leaving when they were told that their charter buses had
been canceled. And not only for them, but for several
other groups.

Speaker 2 (42:17):
And it wasn't just for Illinois and Indiana, but it
was other states as.

Speaker 6 (42:21):
Well, I guess.

Speaker 13 (42:23):
You know, people from other groups from other states were
also scheduled to participate. depart from buses in northwestern Indiana
on Thursday afternoon, and they were also told that their
buses had been canceled. So, the head of the organization
made it very clear that the kids had been preparing

(42:49):
for this for weeks, having conversations about the Civil Rights Movement.
You know, the community, you know, had, you know, spent
an incredible amount of time, you know, preparing them as well.
And it's really disappointing because, again, they're about to, you know,
take part of history.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
They studied for weeks the importance of what transpired 63
years ago.

Speaker 13 (43:13):
So it'll be really interesting to see what sort of
comes out in the next few days or weeks about
the breakdown in communication and, you know, what exactly happened
as far as they know. The national chapter said that
there was some sort of breakdown with permits, or there
was a permit issue with getting them into the city,
but they're still not clear on what happened exactly. So

(43:35):
that is something to look out for. And I would
say my last story would be the ongoing issues with
how the immigration system issues are affecting higher education. Uh,
recently I did a story on, um, how Illinois tech, uh,

(43:57):
laid off at least 163 professors, um, recent, like about
sometime last month. Um, and how that is impacting how
that could impact. Um, and when I spoke with folks who,
you know, what, uh, you know, the professors who've been
affected by the firings and with community leaders, um, They

(44:20):
all worry about how, again, this gaping, all these firings
will affect not just housing, but restaurateurs and other business
owners in the area. And also, this is sort of a.
Sort of a snapshot of how, you know, like immigration,

(44:41):
how draconian immigration laws are impacting higher. And we're seeing
this across the board, across the country. So again, as
this persists, it'll be really interesting to see how things
sort of shake out. But yeah, no, those would be
my three.

Speaker 2 (44:56):
And they're very good three. Brandon, same question for you,
my friend. Top three.

Speaker 16 (45:05):
All right.

Speaker 4 (45:05):
Well, good morning, everybody.

Speaker 14 (45:06):
Hope you're doing good. I think one of the big
stories is the time limit restrictions that have been imposed
on teenagers by a court order in a case with Meta,
which owns Facebook and Instagram. We all know that social
media has a big impact on young people, especially teenagers.

Speaker 2 (45:27):
Great selection there.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
Yeah, Meta is being.

Speaker 14 (45:30):
Enforced to have daily time limits imposed. night and school controls,
platform expansion, have safety protections, and also some content guardrails.
Many people saying it's about time, but this is a
step that many people thought wasn't even possible to regulate
a social media company in this way. And so it

(45:50):
could mean some big things for other social media companies
and maybe finally them getting treated like big tobacco was
treated when it came to cigarettes. So that's one thing
I thought was really I'm eye-popping another person.

Speaker 4 (46:05):
I got a young niece.

Speaker 14 (46:07):
I worry very much about stuff like that.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
Very much so, and especially for parents and caregivers of children.
But the other incredible thing is that I would like
to know what is going to happen with the nearly
$ 800 million that Illinois is expected to receive as a
result of this nearly $ 18 billion judgment.

Speaker 4 (46:30):
Great question.

Speaker 14 (46:31):
And so that gets to my second story because CPS
is going back to school, but there is a financial
cliff that is still looming. Lots of students returning Monday,
but the district's budget assumes $ 150 million in additional state
funding that has not been approved yet. You look at

(46:51):
situations like the meta thing, that's some money coming in.
Could that fill in some holes maybe that Springfield typically
was not able to provide? So that's another thing I'm
looking at is just like the CPS drama going on
there with the budget. Another part that I'm looking at
for a third thing is some new data was brought

(47:13):
out about Operation Midway Blitz. and what was actually accomplished
through it from Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ. It found that
during the 68 most intense days of that federal immigration operation,
more than 3,800 people were detained, but only 8 in
10 of them had no prior criminal conviction. 8 in 10,

(47:35):
no criminal convictions. So it just kind of paints a
clearer picture of how draconian the Trump immigration enforcement was
and how this idea of capturing the worst of the
worst really was a farce when it came to the
local enforcement actions.

Speaker 2 (47:55):
Well, I would say when you looked at some of
those pictures, not only here in Illinois, most prominent in
my memory are that of right along the lakefront or
the river, Chicago River, near one of the bridges. I
believe it was the State Street Bridge. where immigration officials

(48:15):
tried to grab this guy that was on a bike,
a delivery, pedal delivery bike. And you had about six
or seven immigration agents chasing this guy. And some miraculous way,
he was able to just get out of their hands,
even though they were trying to grab him. And he's
pedaling away. And then the other one was from California,

(48:38):
where it saw a The picture is in terms of
an elderly, well, middle-aged woman that was picking fruit in
a strawberry field, I believe it was, and trying to
escape immigration officials. The reality is, is that particularly in
Texas and Arizona, the numbers are the highest ever with

(48:59):
regard to deportations. My only question there is, according to
your original intent with regard to immigration... You said that
you were going after these criminals that were committing heinous acts,
and the numbers just do not speak.

Speaker 4 (49:20):
To that.

Speaker 2 (49:21):
They show that just everyday people with hardly any criminal
record are the ones that are being impacted. The other
top story that I wanted to add into the mix,
and I wanted to get your response before we go
to break here, is that of this ongoing tariff war
that we're having with our closest ally in the world.

(49:43):
And that is Canada. This thing is getting very, very disturbing. Yesterday,
I was at Costco. And even though I had just bought,
you know, that 20 or 30 roll of toilet tissue,
I went out and bought more. Because one of the
things that Canada is going to do, because of these attacks,

(50:04):
Canada said that it is going to impose a 50%
or 30, I believe it was anywhere from 30 to
50% tariff on paper products that come into the United States.
Toilet paper is already expensive. Do you know what that's
going to be like in terms of paying twice the

(50:24):
amount for something that everybody needs? And so I just
wonder where we're going from that and picking up on
what John talked about, as well as Jamie, in terms
of the skyrocketing, uh, cost for fuel. Now, and it
seems to be a move of obfuscation, the president said
he is going to tap the oil reserves and Venezuela

(50:49):
to help bring down the prices. And in addition to
that tariff, we also have him saying that he's going
to allow the dumping of beef products from other countries
to come into the United States. So what does that
do to American beef farmers? I just, you know, am

(51:10):
somewhat at wit's end with that. But one story that
I really want to talk on here, and John, I
wanted to get your perspective on this, is that in
terms of here we are celebrating this past week, the
63rd anniversary of the March on Washington Day. But there
was something I would love to see the numbers here

(51:32):
in terms of what was the voting percentage during the
civil rights movement, as opposed to what is the voting
percentage in terms of the last two elections and anticipated
voting percentage with regard to black folks in this upcoming
midterm election.

Speaker 6 (51:51):
Darrell, that is so interesting and profound. You know, when
I think about marching, and believe me, you know, in 1963,
I was three years old. In 1968, I watched the
fires on the West Side as the West Side was
engulfed in flames after the assassination of Dr.

Speaker 4 (52:10):
King.

Speaker 6 (52:10):
I have marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge on anniversary dates.
I have marched with local folks in Chicago to end
gun violence and various things. And so marching has its place.
But my question is, why aren't we marching to the
polls to vote and to take advantage of this great

(52:37):
privilege and right and opportunity.

Speaker 4 (52:40):
For which our ancestors served?

Speaker 6 (52:43):
Led and died for us to have an opportunity for.
And so we see the current administration turning back the,
you know, turning back the clock. And we are living
in a time where we are essentially facing the same
kinds of racial hostilities that our ancestors faced. And so,

(53:05):
you know, it's important to commemorate these anniversaries and to
remember the marches, to remember what was done. But it
is also important for us to find new strategies to
deal with, you know, the opposition that we are facing.
You know, I was at the Million Man March, like
so many other black men in this country. And the

(53:29):
Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan said something very profound.

Speaker 4 (53:34):
Before we departed ways that day.

Speaker 6 (53:38):
And he said, you know, essentially, you know, this is
a great day and, you know, we've done a great
thing in coming to Washington, D.C., but he challenged us
as black men to go back home to our communities,
to go back home to our corners and to make
a difference where we live. And so we need to
march to parent-teach conferences. We need to march to our

(53:58):
neighborhoods and help raise our sons and And there are
so many things that we need to do. The last
thing I'll say is the Calvary ain't coming to help us.

Speaker 4 (54:10):
Usually in those movies.

Speaker 2 (54:11):
And we need to march to the polls.

Speaker 4 (54:14):
That's right. March to the polls. And so we've got that.
March to the polls. Yes.

Speaker 2 (54:21):
And get rid, get rid of this apathy in terms
of thinking that your vote doesn't count. Because your vote counts.
I don't care what side of the political aisle you're on.
The reality is, is that you have this powerful right
to vote.

Speaker 4 (54:38):
That's right.

Speaker 2 (54:38):
That people have bled and died for. It is your
innate responsibility to exercise that right. Because in exercising it,
you can at least feel assured that you did what
you did, what you're supposed to do constitutionally, but also...
it can affect change and really represent the true majority.

(55:00):
And so that is something that, you know, we just
can compel everybody here from iHeartRadio, no matter how you
choose to vote, we just encourage you to vote. Coming
up on the other side of the break, we're going
to talk about this brewing controversy between ESPN's largest star,

(55:21):
Stephen A. Smith, and many of the nation's black journalists.
I know that you're listening and following it on social media.
Give us a call right now at 833-591-V103. We'll be
right back talking about Stephen A. and NABJ. Please stay
with us.

Speaker 1 (55:40):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at 833-591-V103. Now, back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 2 (56:01):
And welcome back. Time check for you right now. It
is 720 and 73 degrees. The adage says beware about
airing your dirty laundry. During the recent National Convention of
the National Association of Black Journalists, a national firestorm was
created when NABJ decided to give its thumbs down award
to sports commentator Stephen A. Smith. NABJ President Aaron Hayes

(56:24):
said Smith was receiving the award because he, quote, had
established a reoccurring pattern of disparaging commentary directed at prominent
Black women across politics, sports, and media. Such commentary reinforces
harmful narratives, undermines fair and respectful representation of Black women
in public discourse, and stands in direct conflict with NABJ's

(56:49):
longstanding commitment to accurate, responsible, and and inclusive portrayals of
Black communities, end quote. Smith responded back on social media,
vowing that he would strike back, saying, quote, this is
the epitome of Christmas arriving early. The NABJ wants to
call folks out?

Speaker 4 (57:08):
Fine.

Speaker 2 (57:09):
You had your turn. Now mine is coming. And make
no mistake, I'm coming, end quote. Brandon, you are the
president of the local chapter of NABJ. First of all,
describe to us what it was like in the audience
when the Thumbs Down Award was given, and where do
we currently stand with this very public feud?

Speaker 14 (57:33):
Well, yeah, I'll start with this. I used to be
on the committee that helped decide this award. It's an
award that's been given out for many, many years from NABJ.
And so, you know, NABJ is about accountability. That's a
key function of it. I did not actually flew out
right before the awards ceremony, so I wasn't in the

(57:54):
room for that. But I know many people that were.
And the reaction from much of the membership was, yeah,
it's deserved. And, you know, a lot of comments have
been made about how, well, Stephen A. Smith done so
much for black journalists and black people. And that can
be true, but also what can be true is that
he's also made a lot of harmful comments and had

(58:16):
a really odd and offensive tone when it comes to
talking about black women. And so two things can be true,
and just like any family, yeah, we're going to give
you the props for the things you do, but that
doesn't mean we're not going to hold you accountable when
you do wrong. And so I think NABJ did what
they always do. They spoke out against a trend that

(58:39):
they have seen that's been alarming.

Speaker 4 (58:40):
Stephen A.

Speaker 14 (58:42):
Has to have some self-awareness here because this can't be
the first time he's ever heard this. And so at
this point, you know, he's still on podcast, his own
podcast network, you know, crying foul, you know, it doesn't
seem like he's going to have any reflection when it
comes to it.

Speaker 4 (58:59):
And maybe he should. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
Jamie, in terms of you being a recipient of an
Excellence Award from NABJ and your thoughts as a Black
woman and a black woman journalist.

Speaker 13 (59:14):
So I will say that when he went after Joanne
Reed for criticizing him over his remarks about Renee Good's
murder– And all the while saying that the murder of
this woman in Minnesota was justified.

Speaker 14 (59:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 13 (59:35):
I think there's something wrong there. And yes, every time
I do, like I'm not a sports ball person, but
every time I see Stephen A. 's commentary, you know,
and when he's talking about a black woman, it's usually
very disparaging, very slick. And, you know, he ordered the smoke.
He got what he got. And I don't see a

(59:57):
problem with that. I don't see him taking any accountability
for his actions. I think, you know, we are at
the point in our career where we believe we're infallible.
And he believes that he is the smartest guy in
the room. And you're not going to be able to
reason with a guy who believes he's the smartest in
the room. I think maybe Jay was completely, you know,

(01:00:19):
correct in calling him out. And sometimes, you know, like,
how can.

Speaker 2 (01:00:25):
I put this?

Speaker 13 (01:00:26):
Would they say not all skinfolk are kinfolk? Like, I
don't think maybe that's not the case anymore. Maybe Stephen A.
doesn't see himself as part of the community anymore. Maybe
he sees himself as above it. And maybe this is
why we're acting like a toddler anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:00:42):
John, you, like myself, have been in this journalism game
for a long time. Was this the right thing to do?
And is the response necessary?

Speaker 6 (01:00:52):
Let me answer your question with two words.

Speaker 4 (01:00:55):
Hell no. I think.

Speaker 6 (01:01:00):
When you said at the break, it was many of
the nation's black journalists. The nation's black journalists didn't vote
to give Stephen A.

Speaker 4 (01:01:07):
That award.

Speaker 6 (01:01:09):
Neither did NABJ's sports task force. That board did. And
I think there's a slippery slope that we have to
be very careful of here. And it's called the adherence
to the First Amendment. I read somewhere that I may
not agree with what you say, but I will defend
to the death your right to say it. And if

(01:01:30):
we're going to live in a democracy and if we
are going to be practitioners of the fourth estate, then
we don't have to agree with people on the other
side of the aisle. And we have a responsibility as journalists.
I've been a journalist for 40 years. We have a
responsibility to question even folk who look like us, whether

(01:01:51):
they are black men or black women.

Speaker 4 (01:01:54):
That is our task.

Speaker 6 (01:01:55):
We are tasked with asking the tough questions. So I
don't agree with everything that Stephen A.

Speaker 4 (01:02:03):
Says.

Speaker 6 (01:02:04):
But, you know, recently, over this past week, the journalist,
black female, Karen Atia from The Washington Post, she won
her lawsuit and the Post was ordered to rehire her.
And she spoke out against Charlie Kirk when he was

(01:02:24):
killed and said something that, you know, the folks on
the other side of the aisle didn't necessarily agree with.
But that is protected speech, however she says it. We
don't have a right constitutionally to walk into a crowded
theater and to yell fire when there.

Speaker 14 (01:02:41):
Is no fire.

Speaker 6 (01:02:42):
But we have a responsibility, freedom of speech, freedom of
the press, under the Constitution, the First Amendment. And so
we've got to be very careful. If NABJ raises the
Washington Post columnist and she has a right to say
what she says, Stephen A.

Speaker 3 (01:02:58):
Has.

Speaker 4 (01:02:58):
And let me just say this.

Speaker 6 (01:03:00):
I've been in these newsrooms, mainstream newsrooms, and part of
what we fight against is a culture in our newsrooms
that do not understand our stories and that, to some degree,
try to quash our voices. But there are also issues
when we start writing about issues. sensitive cultural issues. And

(01:03:25):
so I've come up against some sisters in the newsroom,
I won't call their names, who accuse me of the
same thing that they accuse Stephen A.

Speaker 3 (01:03:35):
Of.

Speaker 6 (01:03:36):
When I have black daughters and black sisters and a
black mother and a black aunt, and Stephen A. should
not have to defend himself in terms of his love
for black people. We don't all have to agree that
And we need to look at the substance of.

Speaker 4 (01:03:51):
What he says.

Speaker 6 (01:03:52):
And he said, I love black women. There are no
black women, no women on this earth who are greater
than black women. He shouldn't have to do that. He
is tasked as a journalist to say what he sees,
to stand by his convictions and to ask questions. And
NABJ did not thumbs down Donald Trump. And what he

(01:04:15):
has said about black women in our presence, including defecating
on the NABJ conference in Chicago, attacking black journalists consistently.
What's wrong with NABJ? Cat got the tongue? Why didn't
they thumbs down Donald Trump?

Speaker 5 (01:04:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:04:37):
Well, I want to go to the phone lines. We're
going to hear first from Chris calling from Oak Park. And, Chris,
you are on Chicago Speaks. Your comment to question, Chris.

Speaker 4 (01:04:47):
Good morning, everyone. Go ahead, Chris.

Speaker 14 (01:04:49):
Good morning.

Speaker 17 (01:04:51):
B-103 community.

Speaker 4 (01:04:53):
I'll say this. Stephen A.

Speaker 17 (01:04:55):
Smith, you know, has had a rise in his profession.
But what gets me is he has not been a
fair arbiter in called balls and strikes. Trump took a
hit on him a couple of weeks ago and said
he was an idiot. He didn't clap back. Also, he

(01:05:16):
lost me when he said blacks should vote for Republicans
and then give any input would be the benefit. And
it seems like he just puts his foot in everything.
And I don't think he's a fair arbiter of facts.
And like I said, lately, he's been like, you know,
and he always goes on like Fox and Fox never

(01:05:37):
gives a fair representation of the black community. So he'll
run on Hannity. He'll run on the right wing shows. And,
you know, it's like a wonder boy. It just seems
like he's not a fair arbiter. And yes, he got
the big contract and stuff like that, but all money
isn't good money.

Speaker 2 (01:06:00):
Okay. Well, I appreciate that. Also, Murray, call back. As
soon as you call back, I'll be able to put
you on the line there. We're going to hear from
Alfred right now. And Alfred, I understand that you have.
How are you doing? Raise up your window. Good, man.
Raise up your window for me. OK, good, because it
was kind of noisy.

Speaker 9 (01:06:17):
Here comes the.

Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
Question, my friend.

Speaker 4 (01:06:20):
Yeah, on Stephen A.

Speaker 15 (01:06:22):
Smith, I think it's more politics. Because the caller right
there said about the Republican stuff. And like the gentleman spoke,
he told the truth. They didn't go after Donald Trump
when he was sitting on that stage. No, when you're black,
and when it comes to a female black woman, that's

(01:06:46):
who's calling me out. It ain't really the black man,
it's the black female, because she votes 95% Democrat. And
they stuck on that Democrat. And since Stephen A. Smith
got in this political... Political? Oh, it's all political. And
about this gas, with this $ 65 billion that Trump, that

(01:07:07):
he announced the other day, yesterday, gas prices are going
to go down because they're going to bring in their
winter brand of fuel. You got to wait till Monday.
The stock market is going to tell you what would
be the effect of the gas that's coming in.

Speaker 4 (01:07:25):
Yeah. I hear you.

Speaker 2 (01:07:27):
Well, I appreciate those. Yeah, I got you, Alfred. Thanks.
But I want to first get Jamie to comment in
terms of being a black woman and a black woman
journalist there. Where do we go from here with regard
to this whole controversy that has arisen around Stephen A.

Speaker 16 (01:07:44):
So there's a term called misogynoir, which sort of describes
the particular misogyny that black women face.

Speaker 13 (01:07:56):
And Stephen A. has been a purveyor of that. He
has trafficked in misogynoir for a good part of his career.
It's okay to admit that because we've seen what he's said.
We've heard what he's said, particularly about Jasmine Crockett, again,
about Joy Reid, about Michelle Obama, about Kamala Harris. We've
heard the words come out of his mouth. At no

(01:08:17):
point does he ever walk it back. He stands on business,
and that's cool. But we need to at least call
a spade a spade. And where do we go from here?
I don't know. I honestly don't know. Because if this is,
you know, the backlash that we're receiving for, again, calling
him out, and it's not even a hard call out.
It's a, hey, guy, you've been saying these things. Maybe

(01:08:40):
you should, you know, sort of fall back, you know,
reassess what's coming out of your mouth and not, you know,
be a jerk. And instead, we're being told that we're wrong.

Speaker 14 (01:08:53):
So I don't know if.

Speaker 13 (01:08:54):
There is a way to get past it because people
don't want to deal with the realities of it um
and his words do uh do impact us in a
way that i i can't really fully articulate but i
i just i feel for you know the women that
have been in his orbit i i feel for the

(01:09:14):
women who are you know who you know but you know,
like land on this radar because it's not going to change.
He's not going to change who he is. And I
don't think there is a way of getting past it.

Speaker 4 (01:09:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:09:28):
Brandon, this puts us between a rock and a difficult place.
Do you see this subsiding within the next few days
or weeks for that matter?

Speaker 14 (01:09:40):
Yeah, I actually don't think it's going to have much impact.
impact or fallout for much longer. It's really Stephen A.
Smith giving it oxygen with his podcast group. You know,
John is right to point out that this is an
NABJ board decision, and that board changes every election year.
It wasn't decided on by the voting body. And so

(01:10:02):
I expect Stephen A. Smith will still contribute to NABJ,
still be at NABJ, still support NABJ and support black journalists. And, yeah, look,
families fight.

Speaker 4 (01:10:11):
It happens.

Speaker 14 (01:10:12):
Ultimately, when you have.

Speaker 4 (01:10:13):
A large platform like Stephen A.

Speaker 14 (01:10:15):
Smith does, that comes with responsibility. All of us that
have platforms have a responsibility in how we talk about people,
how we treat people. When you make a career of
denigrating and criticizing, then you can't be– acting like this
when you get criticized. That's what you signed up for. And,

(01:10:37):
you know, I have mad respect for Stephen A. Smith
and what he's done in the industry and the doors
he's opened. But also, I think you've got to have
some self-awareness and look in the mirror. I don't think
it's a political thing. NABJ is a nonpartisan organization. And
I don't think the Donald Trump thing in 2024 is
correlates or translates, because that's a different situation altogether, dealing

(01:10:59):
with a nonprofit that invites both candidates to speak at
a convention every election year. It just so happens the
Republican extended for the first time since George H.W.

Speaker 4 (01:11:09):
Bush.

Speaker 14 (01:11:09):
So, you know, and Kamala Harris didn't. That's on Kamala Harris, right?
So at the end of the day, this is a
situation that I think is going to subside very soon.
They said they're still going to participate. And NABJ is
still going to call out what they feel they need to.
This new president, Erin Haines, has been very proactive in
how she wants to kind of rebalance the scales of

(01:11:30):
how NABJ operates. We'll have to see if it's a success.
But ultimately, that is a board decision and not the organization.
I'll tell you what, I didn't have a vote.

Speaker 4 (01:11:42):
We'll see what happens.

Speaker 2 (01:11:43):
Okay, pilot. Okay, Pontius Pilate. My hands are clean. I
got you. Hey, John, what is this? I got you, man. John,
what is this fascination and unfortunately attraction that we have

(01:12:03):
with bellicose behavior? There used to be a time when
civility was the norm, you know, to my esteemed gentleman
on the other side or my esteemed gentle lady on
the other side. You know, I saw all of that
just absolutely disintegrate. over the last 20 or 30 years,
particularly I'm reminded when I believe it was an Ohio

(01:12:27):
senator that broke all protocols that had preceded that when
Barack Obama was delivering either his first State of the
Union address and he just stood up and yelled, you lie!
And that was a lie for him to say you lie!

(01:12:49):
And so now it's, you know, it's the norm. I
never heard people, I don't use profanity, but I never
heard people use profanity in public office.

Speaker 3 (01:12:59):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:12:59):
You know why?

Speaker 2 (01:13:00):
Well, at a speech, you know, all of this bellicose behavior,
we seem to reward as opposed to disdain.

Speaker 6 (01:13:08):
I think there is a great need for civility and
for calmer heads to prevail. I think the adults in
the room have left. To a large degree, whether it
is on Capitol Hill or whether it is in boardrooms
or even at some ETA meetings where I've heard not
only just language, but seeing people essentially lose it all

(01:13:31):
and go ballistic.

Speaker 4 (01:13:33):
I'm reminded, as you were talking.

Speaker 6 (01:13:35):
About when John McCain was campaigning, God.

Speaker 4 (01:13:40):
Rest his soul.

Speaker 3 (01:13:40):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (01:13:41):
And a woman, she stood up and said, he's a Muslim.
Not that there's anything wrong with being Muslim.

Speaker 2 (01:13:48):
And he stopped it in its tracks.

Speaker 4 (01:13:52):
He stopped it in his track and said, no, ma'am. No, ma'am.
He's a good man. He's a fine. He happens to
be a Christian.

Speaker 2 (01:13:59):
I think she also said he's a Muslim and equated
it with terrorism or something like that. Or, you know, he's,
you know, aligning themselves with terrorists. And he said, no, no, no, no.
You know, he's not a Muslim, but he's an honorable American,
you know.

Speaker 6 (01:14:14):
And I think had that been Trump, he would have said, yes,
he's a Muslim. And the crowd would have roared and
so on. So I think there is a great need
for civility. I think there has been certainly a moral
decay in our society that is evident in the words
of that great philosopher, can't we all just get along?

Speaker 2 (01:14:36):
Yeah, Rodney King. Very quickly, we're going to... I said that.
We're going to hear from Eduardo calling from Tampa, Florida. Eduardo,
thanks for listening, my friend. We have a short time.
I wanted to squeeze you in. You commented a question
this morning.

Speaker 18 (01:14:53):
Yeah, I wanted to comment. This is not nothing new,
but we had the unfortunate death of a trucker who
stopped at a Thorne gas station in Bryant Park and
was shot. Some people... In a Hyundai, obviously, we're going
to rob this station. I believe they even took his
gun because he had a holster.

Speaker 4 (01:15:12):
Wow.

Speaker 18 (01:15:13):
But I also saw a fight in Georgia at a
high school game. And I want to ask your panel,
we're coming up on Labor Day. The school started. Where
do you see the direction of young people going into
the fall? Obviously, we're going to be coming up to midterms.
And traditionally, young people do not vote. But it looks

(01:15:34):
like they like to fight in football stadiums. We know that.

Speaker 2 (01:15:39):
Well, hold that because I want to get 10-second responses
from everybody because, like I said, this morning we awoke
to news of 10 people being shot in Washington Park.
And we've been kind of fortunate because these headlines are
more startling because we've been missing them. You know, it's
been relatively calm in the streets of Chicago. We'll begin

(01:16:00):
first with Jamie in terms of is there concern or
need for concern as we head into the Labor Day
weekend and the start of the school year?

Speaker 13 (01:16:10):
Historically, there has been concern. Usually, we've seen shootings sort
of spike up around major holidays and Labor Day is different.
But I will say that I think the, again, having
spoken with folks who work in violence prevention areas, they
will be on the ground sort of making sure.

Speaker 2 (01:16:33):
In full force.

Speaker 14 (01:16:35):
Yes.

Speaker 13 (01:16:36):
And again, like it takes everybody being involved. So I'll
leave it there.

Speaker 2 (01:16:43):
Well, our esteemed NABJ Award of Excellence. was a vacuum
this morning, so we don't have any more time to
hear from John or Brandon. In terms of the 10-second
quick response there. I want to thank John Fountain, Jamie Nesbitt-Golden,

(01:17:04):
and Brandon Pope. Believe me, I hold in such high
esteem your contributions as purveyors of the force of the state.
Coming up on the other side of the break, we're
going to talk about these phenomenal stories education, early childhood
education resources that are available in the Southland, otherwise known
as the South Suburbs. You are listening to Chicago Speaks.

(01:17:25):
Please stay with us.

Speaker 1 (01:17:27):
Chicago Speaks with Daryl Denard. You can voice your opinion
right now, toll free at 833-591-V103. Now, back to Chicago
Speaks with Daryl Denard. Share what's on your mind, toll
free at 833-591-V103.

Speaker 2 (01:17:46):
Since 1969, children, their families, and educators have a valuable resource, advocate,
in the form of Illinois Action for Children. Joining us
this morning to discuss their services and mission is Clarissa Hurley-Davis.
She is the Vice President of Early Learning. Clarissa, welcome
to the program.

Speaker 9 (01:18:05):
Thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:18:07):
It is a pleasure to have you. You guys have
been around for quite some time, and I am astonished
at your footprint and the variety of services that you
offer online. Talk to me about your beginnings and the
services also.

Speaker 19 (01:18:19):
Yeah, so Illinois Action for Children is a leading nonprofit
in the early childhood field. Our mission is to uplift
children and all who care for them. One of the
ways we do this is by connecting families with affordable, high-quality.

Speaker 9 (01:18:34):
Child care options.

Speaker 19 (01:18:36):
We are the largest child care resource and referral agency
in Illinois.

Speaker 9 (01:18:41):
So we help parents.

Speaker 19 (01:18:42):
We connect parents with child care, affordable child care in
the community.

Speaker 2 (01:18:46):
And that community is relatively wide, of course, when we're
speaking about Illinois, but we're talking today about the major
focus being the Southlands or the South Suburbs. Yes.

Speaker 19 (01:18:59):
In the South Suburbs, we have, we operate four early
learning centers in the Southland, and that is in Chicago Heights,
Ford Heights, Dalton.

Speaker 9 (01:19:09):
And South Highland.

Speaker 19 (01:19:11):
And we provide education and care for children, resources for
their families, for prenatal through children becoming eligible for kindergarten.
We prepare children to enter kindergarten ready to learn.

Speaker 2 (01:19:27):
Speak specifically about some of these programs that you offer.

Speaker 19 (01:19:31):
Our programs are funded through state early childhood block grant
programs in partnership with the new Illinois Department of Early Childhood.
We also have Head Start and Early Head Start services.
And so with these grants, we're able to provide these
services for families for free.

Speaker 9 (01:19:48):
And we use a research-based curriculum.

Speaker 19 (01:19:51):
Our teachers are degree teachers and have certifications.

Speaker 9 (01:19:56):
We also have a home visiting program.

Speaker 19 (01:19:59):
And this program is really special because we work with
pregnant parents and we provide them support and resources during
their pregnancy. And after their pregnancy, we still go to
their home, do home visits and help them to provide
them with resources as they help their child grow and develop.

Speaker 2 (01:20:19):
You mentioned the operative word here in terms of free,
but are there any baseline requirements that are needed to
qualify for these extensive programs?

Speaker 9 (01:20:28):
So our programs are available to families.

Speaker 19 (01:20:32):
You do not have to qualify for the Child Care
Assistance Program, which people know as CCAP. You do not
have to qualify for that. There are a number of
ways that parents will qualify based on their child's age,
on the income. We support children with special needs. There's
a wide variety of qualifications that would allow parents to

(01:20:54):
qualify for these free services.

Speaker 2 (01:20:56):
We're talking primarily here about parents, but also caregivers. What
about foster parents here?

Speaker 19 (01:21:02):
Oh, we encourage foster parents to bring their children, to
bring children in our programs. We serve foster children and
we provide the same services. We work with the entire family.
We provide comprehensive services. So whether you're a parent or guardian,
a foster parent, our services are comprehensive and we work

(01:21:24):
with the whole family.

Speaker 2 (01:21:26):
The thing that I'm really intrigued about is that of
the beneficial impact of these early learning centers. Talk about
what's available in the Southland there.

Speaker 15 (01:21:37):
Yes.

Speaker 19 (01:21:37):
So we have in our programs, we are we know
that we set the foundation for learning for young children.
And part of that is social emotional development. We have
a focus on that as well as our research based
curriculum that also focuses on the educational aspect. And so
we we work in partnership with parents so that learning

(01:22:01):
happens within our school environment.

Speaker 9 (01:22:03):
It's classrooms and in the home.

Speaker 19 (01:22:06):
And we, in our partnership with families, help us to
work with parents. We have trainings. We have parent advocacy.
We know parents are children's first teachers. And so we
support caregivers, parents, guardians in building.

Speaker 9 (01:22:23):
Their confidence as their child's first teacher.

Speaker 2 (01:22:26):
With the program in terms of early learning that we're
talking about this morning, What are the age demographics here?

Speaker 4 (01:22:33):
Yes.

Speaker 19 (01:22:34):
So we are prenatal through five years of age. And
five years, once they become five and eligible for kindergarten,
they're no longer.

Speaker 9 (01:22:43):
Eligible for our program. But up until that time. Yes, prenatal.
That's our home visiting program. Those are important years.

Speaker 2 (01:22:50):
And I want this, as you being an educator as
well as social worker, describe just the benefit for parents
that are reticent about enrolling their kids in these worthwhile programs? Right. Yes.

Speaker 19 (01:23:06):
Our programs are a safe environment for children to be in.
We're nurturing our teachers. We look forward to having children
come in. We welcome parents. Again, as I stated, we
want a partnership with parents. We create the partnerships that
help Children succeed both.

Speaker 9 (01:23:25):
Inside and outside of the classroom.

Speaker 19 (01:23:28):
And so sometimes parents are reluctant, you know, to leave
their little ones. But we have an open door policy.
Parents are welcome to even come in and volunteer in
the classroom. We actually encourage that. And we have parent
meetings and a parent policy council where parents actually help
in decision making about our programming.

Speaker 9 (01:23:50):
And we teach them to be advocates for their children.

Speaker 2 (01:23:53):
And once again, we're talking about these wonderful services that
are offered for the development of our children. Because one
thing we're finding right now that if a kid is
enrolled in an early or so-called Head Start program, their
chances of achieving academically as well as socially are greatly enhanced.

Speaker 6 (01:24:17):
Yes, that is correct.

Speaker 9 (01:24:19):
That is correct.

Speaker 19 (01:24:20):
And that's why we focus on preparing children to enter
kindergarten ready to learn. And we know that over the years,
like even over the years, we've had like 78% of
our children entering kindergarten with high social emotional development and
also being ready to learn.

Speaker 2 (01:24:40):
And it's so important because with that comes confidence for
these kids. And when a kid is confident and feel
as though they are able to compete and achieve with
the best of them, nothing but good happens for that
child in the future. What is the best way for
people to find out more information about IAFC and the

(01:25:04):
tremendous work that you're doing, not only in the pre-K space,
but also in terms of a child throughout their move
to adulthood?

Speaker 4 (01:25:12):
Yes.

Speaker 19 (01:25:12):
So you can visit our website at actforchildren.org, and there
you'll find a link to all of our early learning
programs right on the homepage. You'll also see our other
services that are offered at Illinois Action for Children as
well when you go to actforchildren.org. We are currently enrolling
families and children into our early learning programs in the

(01:25:35):
Southland area. We strive to make this enrollment as easy
and accessible as possible so families can focus on what
matters most, which is their child's growth and development.

Speaker 2 (01:25:47):
And we really want to let parents know that just
because in some cases the school year may have started
for your children that are in kindergarten through 12th grade,
that doesn't mean that you're not available or that they
can't enroll their child, their younger child, in these programs,
particularly in the programs that exist in the Southland.

Speaker 9 (01:26:09):
Absolutely.

Speaker 19 (01:26:10):
We are enrolling now, and we also enroll throughout the
program year.

Speaker 9 (01:26:14):
Right now is our big enrollment push. It's the beginning
of the year.

Speaker 19 (01:26:18):
All the school-age children are going back to school, so
we know that parents want to get their little ones
in school as well. So we are having a big
enrollment push now in the Southland area. And again, just
visit our website at actforchildren.org, or you can even call 708-365-1500.

Speaker 9 (01:26:39):
To enroll in our programs as well.

Speaker 2 (01:26:41):
And give that number one more time, Clarissa.

Speaker 9 (01:26:44):
That is 708-365-1500.

Speaker 2 (01:26:46):
And it is a pleasure to talk to you this morning,
and we wish nothing but overwhelming success for all of
the kids that participate in this wonderful program. And that
is Clarissa Hurley-Davis, Vice President of Early Learning for Illinois
Action for Children. Thank you.

Speaker 14 (01:27:06):
You're welcome.

Speaker 2 (01:27:07):
Well, that wraps up this edition of Chicago Speaks. As always,
I want to thank my guests, but most importantly, you,
the listeners and callers into this program. If you desire
news on a 24-7 basis, it's always available with our
sister station with the Black Information Network at AM 640.
Right now, get ready to get your praise on. With
Sonia Blakey, I'm Daryl Denar. We'll see you back here
next Sunday beginning at 6 a.m. for another edition of

(01:27:31):
Chicago Speaks. Please be sure to take care of yourself.