La Mujer Guerrera: One woman’s struggle to overcome sexual assault
By Isabella Szabolcs She spent the night before praying she would have the strength to tell her story and that God would never leave her side. She even wrote on her Facebook wall asking her friends for support and love. Despite her anxiety, she sits determined and ready to be interviewed under her alias Alicia […]
VIDEO: Reshaping lives through dance
By Isabella Szabolcs Girls from Chicago’s toughest neighborhoods now have a refuge thanks to the dance program Recycled Barre. Having faced similar struggles in low-income communities, Benito Juarez public school teachers Dianne Martinez and Barbara San-Roman started the dance program so that their students could take affordable and accessible dance classes. Most dance classes in […]
VIDEO: Mending lives by mending furniture
By Isabella Szabolcs Young women from Chicago’s South Side can find a safe space through a non-profit called Teena’s Legacy. Jamika Smith founded the organization to teach women how to repair their lives by repairing furniture. The summer re-upholstery program helps Englewood women, ages 17-21, through a path of self-discovery and economic self-sufficiency. Like torn, […]
VIDEO: Undocumented college students push for state aid
By Isabella Szabolcs Undocumented college students from Chicago public universities want an amendment to legislation that would make them eligible for state financial aid. The students rallied in downtown Chicago in the Federal Plaza where they shared how the bill, if passed, would impact their lives. If House Bill 3528 is approved, Illinois will join […]
VIDEO: Demonstrators push for the decriminalization of marijuana
By Isabella Szabolcs Chicago demonstrators gathered to protest what they call a discrepancy in Illinois marijuana laws at Saturday’s Global Cannabis March. Medical marijuana is now legal for dozens of conditions in Illinois. On May 4, the Illinois Medical Cannabis Board recommended the use of medical marijuana to treat 11 new medical ailments. Cook County […]
VIDEO: Coming Out of the Shadows
By Isabella Szabolcs UIC’S undocumented students say President Obama’s executive actions on deportation relief for DACA and DAPA recipients are not enough. They come out of the shadows to reveal their stories and the barriers to their education.
