Chicago Students Learn the Art of Mariachi
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By Katie Watkins At some Chicago public schools, students are learning the art of mariachi music. Officially founded in 2013, the Chicago Mariachi Project offers in-school and after school mariachi classes at several elementary, middle and high schools in the city. Students from across the Chicago area can also audition to be a part of […]
Taking the Plunge to Support Special Olympics
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By Katie Watkins Thousands of Chicagoans jumped into Lake Michigan on Sunday morning for the 17th annual Polar Plunge, bearing the almost-freezing water to raise money for Special Olympics Chicago. The Polar Plunge kicked off at North Avenue beach about 10 a.m. with a small ceremony. Bagpipers from the Shannon Rovers Irish Pipe Band marched […]
Immigrant dinner series celebrates the food of different cultures
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By Katie Watkins Lakeview restaurant Southport and Irving launched a new Unity in Diversity dinner series that features the traditional dishes of different ethnicities. Each month, a guest will be invited to share their favorite family recipes. Chef Berta Navarro kicked off the first dinner on February 23, cooking her grandmother’s recipes from Jalisco, Mexico. […]
Sanctuary restaurants provide ‘a place at the table for everyone’
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By Katie Watkins Over the past several months, small yellow signs have been popping up in the windows of cafes, bars and restaurants across Chicago. Their red and black lettering carries a powerful message: “Sanctuary restaurant, a place at the table for everyone.” The signs are part of the national Sanctuary Restaurant movement, which seeks […]
Supporters inspired by Obama’s call to action
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By Katie Watkins and Ritu Prasad Joyce Brown still vividly remembers celebrating with the crowd in Grant Park when America elected its first black President. “It was surreal. It was like a fairytale,” said Brown, 68, reminiscing as she watched McCormick Place empty slowly after President Barack Obama’s farewell address Tuesday night. Brown, a South […]