METRO – The Columbia Chronicle

South Loop yarn bomber strikes again, bringing joy and beauty for Pride month

June 29, 2020

Around the South Loop, crocheted purple pansies grow from a knitted plant bed, while mini cacti rest in the desert and a crocheted snail and gnome sit on a knitted log, waiting to be noticed by passers...

Surviving on the streets: Chicago supports panhandler population during pandemic

June 29, 2020

Editor's Note: This story was reported over the past three months. On the corner of Wabash Avenue and Washington Street downtown, Arthur Epps III sat on a cardboard box with a sign that read "anything help...

Obama promotes Pride, peaceful protests at virtual Stonewall Day

June 26, 2020

Just ahead of the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, former President Barack Obama said progress does not happen on its own, but only when people stand up, speak out and demand change. Obama addre...

Protesters demand school board remove cops from CPS, but they will stay put for now

June 26, 2020

Shouts of “no justice, no peace, defund the police” echoed between buildings downtown as hundreds of activists, teachers, students, health care workers and Chicago residents marched demanding s...

WBEZ-FM 91.5 and Vocalo 91.1 hosted a virtual event “Voices of the Movement: Black Activism and Organizing for Change” with a panel of black activists to discuss the historical fight for racial equity.

‘Voices of the Movement’: Black activists discuss power in organizing

June 24, 2020

After viewers enjoyed a few minutes of Childish Gambino’s song "This is America"—which highlights the unjust killing and violence against Black Americans—viewers and panelists virtually held a m...

One Million Man March celebrates Juneteenth with marching band and singing

June 21, 2020

Celebratory music from a marching band playing "When the Saints Go Marching In" could be heard from blocks away while close to a thousand protesters with vibrant signs for the "One Million Man March" ...

What to know when protesting; experts weigh in on the momentum of the movement

June 19, 2020

In 2018, the Illinois Chapter of the Black Panther Party celebrated its 50th anniversary, and⁠ the revolutionary socialist political organization had its own Bill of Rights, where No. 7 on their 10 p...

During a June 10 press conference, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said more than 300,000 people in Chicago did not receive a federal stimulus check, many of whom were undocumented, from mixed-status families or dependent adults.

Chicago Resiliency Fund to provide $1,000 to those who didn’t receive a federal stimulus check

June 18, 2020

Like many college students, junior journalism major Kaya Lane did not receive federal coronavirus relief funding. Lane said she believed she was eligible for the $1,200 federal stimulus check but never recei...

Supreme Court ruling protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination; advocates say fight for equal rights is not over

June 18, 2020

Following an unprecedented Supreme Court decision, LGBTQ employees are now federally protected from discrimination in the workplace, serving as an important step toward equal rights. On Monday, June 15,...

Drag March for Change addresses intersectionality of race, sexuality, gender

June 17, 2020

Led by local Chicago drag queens and kings, thousands marched across Boystown in full drag with glamorous makeup, voluminous wigs and sky-high platform heels—but it was not part of the neighborhood's...

Protesters take precautions on the streets during a global pandemic

While hundreds and thousands of people gather for protests in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement, safety precautions are essential to prevent contracting or spreading the coronavirus.

By Ryan Rosenberger, Staff Reporter

June 16, 2020

When social activist and University of Illinois student Fionna Ek attended a rally in Champaign-Urbana to protest the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, she could not s...

Central Camera, 230 S. Wabash Ave., remains boarded up until owner Don Flesch has the means to rebuild. As of Friday, June 12 Flesch raised $200,095 of a $250,095 goal through GoFundMe.

Columbia community shares memories after fire destroys beloved Loop camera shop

June 12, 2020

Before its destruction, more than 1,000 film and digital cameras lined the walls of Central Camera, offering mere elbow space to walk through. Lenses, filters and tripods could be seen on shelves at...