Spring is back! If you’re looking for more ways to get outside, Chicagoans around the city are organizing community walking events — particularly for women to walk outside with other women. In the Loop hears from The Walking Hour founder Pamiya Opoku and Hot Girl Walk founder Mia Lind for more.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
At the turn of the 20th century, Black photographers were starting to make a name for themselves. Photographers like William E. Woodard, James Van Der Zee and Miles Webb were opening and running their own studios.
In African American art history, the Harlem Renaissance in New York is often celebrated. But Chicago played a role in that as well. Photographs of Black life circulated in local and international publications at the time, and the photographers behind those images focused on the community, intentionally.
“The photographers know of each other and are in some ways competing, yet they're also really supportive of each other's work,” said Amy Mooney, art history professor at Columbia College Chicago.
In our last episode, we explored the first art galleries in Chicago. Many of those “established” spaces were owned by white people who exhibited works by white artists. But that didn’t mean skilled and prolific artists of color were scarce. Today, Mooney tells us more about the early Black photographers who opened up their studios to everyone.
From ancient artifacts to historic landmarks, pieces of history across the Gulf region are at risk due to armed conflict. On today’s In the Loop, we’ll hear from experts working to protect treasures in active conflict zones and talk about why it’s important to preserve cultural heritage.
At the table: archeologists Prof. Gil J. Stein, University of Chicago; Prof. Morag Kersel, DePaul University; and Patty Gerstenblith, emerita professor of law at DePaul University.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
What was Chicago's first art gallery? Curious City investigates. Nowadays, it’s easy to see and experience art all over Chicago. But where did it all begin, and who was allowed to show their art?
Bees and butterflies get all the buzz when it comes to pollination, but what about the underdogs? Think flies and moths, which are essential to pollination in the Midwest.
In the Loop kicks off the blooming season by checking in with entomologist Allen Lawrance of the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, to find out how we can use our backyards to protect and support pollinators.
Plus, WBEZ kids weigh in with their questions about bees, hummingbirds, and other insects.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
A debate is raging in Chicago’s City Council over how much businesses should pay tipped workers, with a majority of alders moving to freeze the increase in tipped minimum wage. It’s an action Mayor Brandon Johnson says he will veto. In the Loop hears from Illinois Restaurant Association Sam Toia and One Fair Wage organizer Molly Pachay about their thoughts on ending subminimum wage.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
City Council votes to end a phaseout of the sub-minimum wage and raise the tax on downtown hotels, making it the highest hotel tax in the nation. And federal prosecutors say a local cyber security expert turned out to actually be a cyber criminal. Plus takeaways and surprises from Tuesday’s primary election.
In the Loop breaks down those stories and more in our Weekly News Recap with Julie Bosman, Chicago bureau chief for the New York Times, Fox 32 political correspondent Paris Schutz and senior public safety editor for WBEZ and the Chicago Sun-Times, Tom Schuba.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
In honor of Women’s History Month, In the Loop talks about the life and legacy of Chicago’s Vernita Gray.
From when she first learned about the gay liberation movement at Woodstock in the ’60s to her death in 2014, Gray was a pioneer for gay and lesbian rights in Chicago. She and her partner were also the first same-sex couple to legally marry in Illinois.
In the Loop learns more about Vernita Gray’s instrumental work in Chicago from Jennifer Brier, distinguished professor of Gender and Women’s Studies and History at UIC.
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
After months of campaigning – and millions and millions of dollars spent from outside interests like AIPAC and cryptocurrency – several hotly-contested races for the U.S. Senate, governor and the U.S. House came to a close on Illinois’ Primary Day.
We’ll dig into everything you need to know with a panel of political experts: who won, who came up short, and how the results could shape up the general midterm election in the fall.
Our panel to help us break it all down: WBEZ’s Clare Lane, Mariah Woelfel and Mawa Iqbal; Jaime Dominguez, professor at Northwestern University; Connie Mixon, professor of political science at Elmhurst University; and Jim Durkin, former Minority Leader, Illinois House of Representatives.
We’ll also hear from candidates themselves, including:
Daniel Biss, mayor of Evanston, Democratic nominee for Illinois’ 9th Congressional District
Don Tracy, Illinois Senate Republican nominee
Darren Bailey, Illinois Governor Republican nominee
Juliana Stratton, Lt. Governor of Illinois, and Senate Democratic nominee
For a full archive of In the Loop interviews, head over to wbez.org/intheloop.
The mayor of Chicago declared martial law after the Great Fire in 1871. The military occupation ended days later, after the death of a civilian. We look back at that history and get the help of legal experts to answer these questions: Was Operation Midway Blitz — the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement campaign in Chicago — an example of martial law? What is martial law, anyway?
