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How to approach the world’s problems with ‘micro activism’ Dec 13, 2023

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When there are so many things going wrong in the world, figuring out where and how to contribute can be overwhelming and paralyzing.

Author Omkari Williams suggests thinking small.

“I care about a lot of things, but I don’t care about everything,” Williams said on The Rundown. “But that’s perfect, because I don't need everything to be my thing. I need people to care about things that are not important to me so we can fix all the things.”

Williams is the author of “Micro Activism: How You Can Make a Difference in the World without a Bullhorn.” She talked with host Erin Allen about how to find the small, manageable ways you can do the good work, why the notion of “go big or go home” is a great way to maintain the status quo, and why engaging respectfully with people you disagree with is its own form of activism.

Morning News: December 13, 2023 Dec 13, 2023

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Chicago’s City Council today is taking up whether to allow police officers to challenge their most serious discipline cases behind closed doors. A new headquarters and $10 million for a Chicago innovation center focused on clean energy research. Former Chicago Alderman Danny Solis told a federal jury yesterday he secretly recorded his old colleague for the feds in order to “save” himself.

Afternoon News: Tuesday December 12, 2023 Dec 12, 2023

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Former alderperson Danny Solis took the witness stand today in Ed Burke's federal corruption trial. The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary report on last month's crash of a CTA Yellow Line into a piece of snow removal equipment. A proposal to bring rail service between Chicago and downstate Peoria has taken another step forward.

‘Rest in peace, Berlin’ Dec 12, 2023

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Berlin nightclub in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood closed permanently in November after four decades in business, amid stalled negotiations between the bar’s owners and its unionizing employees. In asking some of the people who worked there, danced there and made memories there, it’s obvious that Berlin was more than just a bar.

“It felt like a secret almost,” said All The Way Kay, who DJed at Berlin for over 15 years. “It felt like something that you wanted to hold very, very close to you because spaces like that really don't exist.”

We talked with Kay, queer historian Owen Keehnen, DJ Greg Haus and several listeners who called to tell us what Berlin meant to them and what they hope for the future.

Morning News: December 12, 2023 Dec 12, 2023

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Chicago City Council members have advanced an $8.75 million settlement in a police shooting case. People being released from the Cook County jail will be able to get a key resource on their way out the door - a free state ID. Federal prosecutors have all but rested their case against former Chicago Alderman Ed Burke.

Afternoon News: Monday December 11, 2023 Dec 11, 2023

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The man allegedly responsible for the mass shooting in north suburban Highland Park in 2022 will defend himself in his upcoming trial. Chicago officials say there are no immediate plans to build a migrant encampment on a vacant lot in Morgan Park. Illinois State Police increasingly use “clear and present danger” reports to prevent people who may be a threat from having or getting firearms.

At Sullivan High School ‘everybody is a refugee in some way’ Dec 11, 2023

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Elly Fishman has reported several stories related to Chicago’s migrant crisis. Recently, she went looking for a project that brought hope and joy into the conversation. She immediately thought of Sullivan High School. Fishman is a freelance writer and the author of “Refugee High: Coming of Age in America,” which chronicles the 2017-18 school year at Sullivan, a high school in Rogers Park. It’s a unique environment, largely because its student body represents more than 40 countries. “What brings everybody together is that everybody is a refugee in some way,” says Josh Zepeda, an English Language Learning social worker at Sullivan. “Everybody is fleeing something, whether it's the violence in their countries to violence in their communities.” This fall, Zepeda helped three Venezuelan students start a band for the school’s annual Latinx Heritage assembly. In this episode, host Erin Allen talks to Fishman and Zepeda about how Sullivan is welcoming migrant students.

Morning News: December 11, 2023 Dec 11, 2023

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A Chicago cop with a controversial history in the line of duty is running to become a Cook County judge. Rural schools in Illinois will get a larger voice in state decisions starting next year through the Rural Education Advisory Council. An Illinois Congressman is seeking to revive the legacy of America’s first Black sports hero.

Afternoon News: Friday December 8, 2023 Dec 08, 2023

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A new report shows Black and Latino borrowers in the Chicago region continue to receive higher-cost, government-backed mortgage loans more often than other groups. Rural schools in Illinois will get a larger voice next year in state decisions. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is expanding next year.

How to ‘Be A Part Of The Light’ this season on Chicago’s King Drive Dec 08, 2023

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Jahmal Cole asked a question to the crowd of volunteers assembled in a church parking lot in the Chatham neighborhood on a recent Saturday. “How come there ain't no holiday lights on the South Side of Chicago?” he said into the microphone. “I've seen it in Edgewater. I've seen it in Greek Town. How come there ain't no holiday lights on the South Side of Chicago?” Cole is the founder of the community organization My Block My Hood My City. For six years, they’ve decorated homes on Martin Luther King Drive with holiday lights, ornaments, inflatable Santas and other decorations. In this episode, we join the event – which is called “Be A Part Of The Light” – for the day, asking homeowners and volunteers why they decided to participate, and Cole why he thinks the simple act of putting up holiday lights can transform a community. “What we're doing today is not just about putting up lights,” Cole said. “It’s about bringing light to an area that really needs it.”

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