Deanna Kimberly Burrell's Blog: The Red Cup Adventures, page 5
August 6, 2017
Black Harvest Film Festival 2017 Highlights
From August 5 through 31, the Gene Siskel Film Center presents the 23rd Annual Black Harvest Film Festival, a vibrant month-long celebration of independent films that tell the stories and explore the images, heritage, and history of the worldwide black experience. The festival offers audiences in-depth post-film discussions with filmmakers, directors, writers, production personnel, and cast members. I've listed my top picks from the festival below. For the full schedule, click here to visit the Black Harvest Film Festival website. I hope to see you at the movies.
Saturday, August 5 - Opening Night -7:30 p.m. A Black Harvest Feast - Co-hosts Felicia Middlebrooks and Christian Farr from NBC 5 Chicago. Che "Rhymefest" Smith and Donnie Smith will be awarded the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership - SOLD OUT
Sunday, August 6 - TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORY OF BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - 5:30 p.m. Producer Cyndee Readdean will be present and radio legend Richard Steele will be moderating. Margaret Caples, Exec. Dir. of Community Film Workshop will be honored; she is also co-founder of Diverse Voices in Docs at Kartemquin Films. Gordon Quinn, Artistic Dir., Kartemquin Films, will give her the award.
Monday, August 7 - TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORY OF BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - 8:00 p.m. - Producer Cyndee Readdean will be present and entrepreneur/producer Raymond Lambert (Morehouse graduate) will be moderating. Patty Greene from Southwest Airlines will be doing the introduction as they are a sponsor of the festival.
Wednesday, August 9 - Monthly HBO sponsored Movie Club screening - For August, it is Shorts Program: WOMEN OF COLOR - 6:00 p.m. Filmmakers will be present. Bonnie DeShong, DuSable Museum, and radio legend, will moderate. Post-screening discussion will take place at Rosebud Prime, 1 S. Dearborn.
Friday and Saturday, August 11 & 12 - WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME - 8:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - This Whitney Houston documentary will premiere at Black Harvest before it airs on Showtime. Dance party featuring DJ I.N.C. after Friday's screening.
Saturday, August 12 - LET IT FALL: LOS ANGELES 1982-1992 -8:00 p.m. Director, Academy Award winner John Ridley will be present. Felicia Middlebrooks, the voice of CBS WBBM radio, will lead the discussion. (She is a new board member of the Gene Siskel Film Center).
Sunday, August 13 at 5:15 p.m. and Wednesday, August 16 at 8:30 p.m. - Shorts Program: MADE IN CHICAGO I - local filmmakers highlighted including a short called A LOVE LETTER TO THE ANCESTORS FROM CHICAGO by Ytasha L. Womack and FEAR by Chan C. Smith.
Friday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 19 at 8:30 p.m. - Shorts Program: Love African American Style - six shorts look at the beautiful, daring, and terrifying things we do for love including a short called 90 Days by Chicago's Own Nathan Hale Williams.
Saturday, August 19 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. New for 2017 - Black Harvest Marketplace - Black-owned businesses will be selling their wares. Confirmed participants include Love Cork Screw, K-FLEYE, Brooks Permissions, aplumb, AHF Body Chemistry, Dana Todd Pope, KaZoom Publishing, NUM YUMMIES, and now Voted Most Creative. Looking for a few more. $50 per vendor space.
Saturday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m. - Free Admission - Annual panel - Action! The Real Deal About Filmmaking
Saturday, August 19 at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 20 at 5:15 p.m. - 90 MINUTES OF THE FEVER - Actor Glenn Plummer will be present for both screenings. There will be a complimentary reception with food from BJ's Market & Bakery on Sunday.
Sunday, August 20 at 3:00 p.m. FAST BREAK: THE LEGENDARY JOHN MCCLENDON - ABC 7 sports anchor Jim Rose will moderate the discussion with Assoc. Producer Milton Katz.
Friday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 at 8:30 p.m. - DIVA DIARIES - Director/actress Tangi Miller will be present for both screenings. Deanna Burrell will moderate on Friday and Art "Chat Daddy" Sims will moderate on Saturday.
Friday, August 25 at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 at 6:00 p.m. - ON THE SLY: THE SEARCH FOR THE FAMILY STONE - Director Michael Rubenstone will be present for both screenings. Post-screening dance party featuring DJ I.N.C. after Friday's screening. Richard Steele will lead the discussion on Saturday.
Saturday, August 26 at 1:00 p.m. Master Class with Disney legend Floyd Norman - http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/floydnorman
Saturday, August 26 at 3:15 p.m. FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE - Disney legend Floyd Norman will be present.
Sunday, August 27 at 1:00 p.m. - Free Admission - The Realities of Screenwriting
Sunday, August 27 at 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, August 29 at 8:15 p.m. Shorts Program: MADE IN CHICAGO II - local filmmakers highlighted including Shahari Moore, Lonnie Edwards, David Weathersby, among others.
Thursday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. - Closing Night - 20th anniversary screening of love jones - Writer/director Theodore Witcher will be appearing. Post-screening reception courtesy of tesori trattoria & bar, Love Cork Screw, and MillerCoors. SOLD OUT
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
Saturday, August 5 - Opening Night -7:30 p.m. A Black Harvest Feast - Co-hosts Felicia Middlebrooks and Christian Farr from NBC 5 Chicago. Che "Rhymefest" Smith and Donnie Smith will be awarded the Deloris Jordan Award for Excellence in Community Leadership - SOLD OUT
Sunday, August 6 - TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORY OF BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - 5:30 p.m. Producer Cyndee Readdean will be present and radio legend Richard Steele will be moderating. Margaret Caples, Exec. Dir. of Community Film Workshop will be honored; she is also co-founder of Diverse Voices in Docs at Kartemquin Films. Gordon Quinn, Artistic Dir., Kartemquin Films, will give her the award.
Monday, August 7 - TELL THEM WE ARE RISING: THE STORY OF BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES - 8:00 p.m. - Producer Cyndee Readdean will be present and entrepreneur/producer Raymond Lambert (Morehouse graduate) will be moderating. Patty Greene from Southwest Airlines will be doing the introduction as they are a sponsor of the festival.
Wednesday, August 9 - Monthly HBO sponsored Movie Club screening - For August, it is Shorts Program: WOMEN OF COLOR - 6:00 p.m. Filmmakers will be present. Bonnie DeShong, DuSable Museum, and radio legend, will moderate. Post-screening discussion will take place at Rosebud Prime, 1 S. Dearborn.
Friday and Saturday, August 11 & 12 - WHITNEY: CAN I BE ME - 8:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. - This Whitney Houston documentary will premiere at Black Harvest before it airs on Showtime. Dance party featuring DJ I.N.C. after Friday's screening.
Saturday, August 12 - LET IT FALL: LOS ANGELES 1982-1992 -8:00 p.m. Director, Academy Award winner John Ridley will be present. Felicia Middlebrooks, the voice of CBS WBBM radio, will lead the discussion. (She is a new board member of the Gene Siskel Film Center).
Sunday, August 13 at 5:15 p.m. and Wednesday, August 16 at 8:30 p.m. - Shorts Program: MADE IN CHICAGO I - local filmmakers highlighted including a short called A LOVE LETTER TO THE ANCESTORS FROM CHICAGO by Ytasha L. Womack and FEAR by Chan C. Smith.
Friday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 19 at 8:30 p.m. - Shorts Program: Love African American Style - six shorts look at the beautiful, daring, and terrifying things we do for love including a short called 90 Days by Chicago's Own Nathan Hale Williams.
Saturday, August 19 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. New for 2017 - Black Harvest Marketplace - Black-owned businesses will be selling their wares. Confirmed participants include Love Cork Screw, K-FLEYE, Brooks Permissions, aplumb, AHF Body Chemistry, Dana Todd Pope, KaZoom Publishing, NUM YUMMIES, and now Voted Most Creative. Looking for a few more. $50 per vendor space.
Saturday, August 19 at 3:00 p.m. - Free Admission - Annual panel - Action! The Real Deal About Filmmaking
Saturday, August 19 at 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, August 20 at 5:15 p.m. - 90 MINUTES OF THE FEVER - Actor Glenn Plummer will be present for both screenings. There will be a complimentary reception with food from BJ's Market & Bakery on Sunday.
Sunday, August 20 at 3:00 p.m. FAST BREAK: THE LEGENDARY JOHN MCCLENDON - ABC 7 sports anchor Jim Rose will moderate the discussion with Assoc. Producer Milton Katz.
Friday, August 25 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 at 8:30 p.m. - DIVA DIARIES - Director/actress Tangi Miller will be present for both screenings. Deanna Burrell will moderate on Friday and Art "Chat Daddy" Sims will moderate on Saturday.
Friday, August 25 at 8:30 p.m. and Saturday, August 26 at 6:00 p.m. - ON THE SLY: THE SEARCH FOR THE FAMILY STONE - Director Michael Rubenstone will be present for both screenings. Post-screening dance party featuring DJ I.N.C. after Friday's screening. Richard Steele will lead the discussion on Saturday.
Saturday, August 26 at 1:00 p.m. Master Class with Disney legend Floyd Norman - http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/floydnorman
Saturday, August 26 at 3:15 p.m. FLOYD NORMAN: AN ANIMATED LIFE - Disney legend Floyd Norman will be present.
Sunday, August 27 at 1:00 p.m. - Free Admission - The Realities of Screenwriting
Sunday, August 27 at 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday, August 29 at 8:15 p.m. Shorts Program: MADE IN CHICAGO II - local filmmakers highlighted including Shahari Moore, Lonnie Edwards, David Weathersby, among others.
Thursday, August 31 at 6:30 p.m. - Closing Night - 20th anniversary screening of love jones - Writer/director Theodore Witcher will be appearing. Post-screening reception courtesy of tesori trattoria & bar, Love Cork Screw, and MillerCoors. SOLD OUT
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
August 3, 2017
Back to School Tips from Dr. Ansel T. Johnson…Eye Doctor Extraordinaire
Dr. Ansel Johnson has been featured numerous times in Black Enterprise Magazine’s list of top Black Doctors in the United States. Once, he was the only optometrist (eye doctor) in this elite group. Dr. Johnson has practiced for 27 years in the historic Blue Island community and has the 2nd oldest African-American eye care practice in the Chicagoland area.
I caught up with Dr. Johnson to get some tips for parents who are in the throws of Back to School time. Here are some nuggets of wisdom from Dr. Johnson:
-An eye exam may not already be on the list of back to school to-do’s, but it needs to be. One in four children has vision problems, but only half of parents with children under the age of 12 have taken their children to an eye care professional. What’s the use of buying your child new clothes, sharp kicks, and bright school supplies, if he/she can’t see any of it? Eye exams ensure that children are seeing and feeling their best. Diagnosing and correcting a vision problem can drastically improve your child’s academic and extra-curriculum performance.
-Children need a full eye exam every year, which is different from the vision screening they receive in school. The screening students receive in school usually only tests for vision acuity. A full comprehensive exam also tests for diseases, color differential, and making sure the eyes are working together properly. Things like a lazy eye or farsightedness are often missed during school screenings. Childrens’ bodies are rapidly growing and changing which includes their eyes. Dr. Johnson begins treating patients as young as 2-years old and recommends that children come for a full eye exam once a year.
-The increasing use of technology at home and at school is taking a toll on the eye health and vision of your children. Children are using digital devices for much longer periods of time than ever before. Staring a digital screen decreases how often your child blinks which is why incidents of dry eye are up considerably. Seasonal allergies can further decrease the amount of tears your child’s eyes produce. Also, the blue wave lengths of light that are omitted from digital devices can disrupt natural sleep cycles. Dr. Johnson recommends parents use preservative free artificial tears and allergy drops to correct dry eye, consider treated blue-tech or transitions lens to decrease blue light exposure, make sure your children are taking breaks when using devices, and turn off all devices at least two hours before bed time.
-Tell your eye doctor if your child is a student athlete. Regular street glasses are not impact resistant. Dr. Johnson recommends impact resistant lens or daily disposable contact lenses for student athletes. These two alternatives are more durable and offer more protection. Also, concussions can happen at any time and visual changes are a common result from a brain injury. Its critical to have a comprehensive eye exam test performed BEFORE your child has an accident. The data collected from this eye exam provides an important vision base line, which can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of a concussion. As we learn more about the importance of protecting our student athletes from brain injuries, Dr. Johnson strongly encourages all student athletes to get this pre test.
Dr. Ansel T. Johnson is an optometrist and clinical director at Vision Salon Eye Care Associates. He provides high quality, high-tech comprehensive vision and medical eye care services for children, adults and seniors in a state-of-the-art facility in Blue Island, Illinois. Make an appointment today at www.visionsalon.com or call 708-385-0013.
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
I caught up with Dr. Johnson to get some tips for parents who are in the throws of Back to School time. Here are some nuggets of wisdom from Dr. Johnson:
-An eye exam may not already be on the list of back to school to-do’s, but it needs to be. One in four children has vision problems, but only half of parents with children under the age of 12 have taken their children to an eye care professional. What’s the use of buying your child new clothes, sharp kicks, and bright school supplies, if he/she can’t see any of it? Eye exams ensure that children are seeing and feeling their best. Diagnosing and correcting a vision problem can drastically improve your child’s academic and extra-curriculum performance.
-Children need a full eye exam every year, which is different from the vision screening they receive in school. The screening students receive in school usually only tests for vision acuity. A full comprehensive exam also tests for diseases, color differential, and making sure the eyes are working together properly. Things like a lazy eye or farsightedness are often missed during school screenings. Childrens’ bodies are rapidly growing and changing which includes their eyes. Dr. Johnson begins treating patients as young as 2-years old and recommends that children come for a full eye exam once a year.
-The increasing use of technology at home and at school is taking a toll on the eye health and vision of your children. Children are using digital devices for much longer periods of time than ever before. Staring a digital screen decreases how often your child blinks which is why incidents of dry eye are up considerably. Seasonal allergies can further decrease the amount of tears your child’s eyes produce. Also, the blue wave lengths of light that are omitted from digital devices can disrupt natural sleep cycles. Dr. Johnson recommends parents use preservative free artificial tears and allergy drops to correct dry eye, consider treated blue-tech or transitions lens to decrease blue light exposure, make sure your children are taking breaks when using devices, and turn off all devices at least two hours before bed time.
-Tell your eye doctor if your child is a student athlete. Regular street glasses are not impact resistant. Dr. Johnson recommends impact resistant lens or daily disposable contact lenses for student athletes. These two alternatives are more durable and offer more protection. Also, concussions can happen at any time and visual changes are a common result from a brain injury. Its critical to have a comprehensive eye exam test performed BEFORE your child has an accident. The data collected from this eye exam provides an important vision base line, which can be used in the diagnosis and treatment of a concussion. As we learn more about the importance of protecting our student athletes from brain injuries, Dr. Johnson strongly encourages all student athletes to get this pre test.
Dr. Ansel T. Johnson is an optometrist and clinical director at Vision Salon Eye Care Associates. He provides high quality, high-tech comprehensive vision and medical eye care services for children, adults and seniors in a state-of-the-art facility in Blue Island, Illinois. Make an appointment today at www.visionsalon.com or call 708-385-0013.
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
July 11, 2017
Someone You Should Know: Dr. Jerisa Berry
Dr. Jerisa ER knows all too well how heartbreaking it is to be told pregnancy may not be possible. In order to help women, she launched a web app, Secure Your Fertility. The app is a convenient tool for monitoring reproductive health.
As one of the nation’s acclaimed doctors, board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jerisa Berry a.k.a “Dr. Jerisa ER” is also a nationally recognized speaker, media consultant, and author. She is on staff at several emergency facilities in South Florida and is co-owner of a medical clinic, Vital Care Medical Center, Inc with her husband. Dr. Jerisa is founder of SecureYourFertility.com, where she helps single ladies and career-minded women take control of their fertility. Because experience and medicine both are the best teachers for women seeking to optimize and work through the various fertility options, Dr. Jerisa is a subject matter expert in ovarian preservation, assisted fertilization, and surrogacy, helping to decrease the pressures and stressors associated with the process.
As one of the nation’s acclaimed doctors, board-certified in Emergency Medicine, Dr. Jerisa Berry a.k.a “Dr. Jerisa ER” is also a nationally recognized speaker, media consultant, and author. She is on staff at several emergency facilities in South Florida and is co-owner of a medical clinic, Vital Care Medical Center, Inc with her husband. Dr. Jerisa is founder of SecureYourFertility.com, where she helps single ladies and career-minded women take control of their fertility. Because experience and medicine both are the best teachers for women seeking to optimize and work through the various fertility options, Dr. Jerisa is a subject matter expert in ovarian preservation, assisted fertilization, and surrogacy, helping to decrease the pressures and stressors associated with the process.
When she is not saving lives in the ER, she shares her expertise in real-world health strategies as a sought-after media expert regarding acute, emergent and chronic health conditions. Her mission is simple: Make ER visits less stressful and more productive by increasing public awareness. As a relatable woman and ER doctor, women feel secure with her guidance to understand an optimal time to start a family and lessen the confusion of the fertility processes.
It’s shocking to some women to realize that when they are READY to get pregnant and to become a mom, their body may NOT be. Why is this...really? She explains in simplest manner. When a girl is born, she has the maximum amount of eggs within her ovary at birth, in the 1 to 2 millions. As she ages, it declines and even before she starts her first period, it has drastically declined to much less than half. You do not make NEW eggs. And each of these eggs will not mature to ovulate.
In early 2017, Dr. Jerisa consulted with a 30 year old HEALTHY woman who had an AMH blood level of 0.4, much less than hers was at age 38. This is REAL and AWARENESS is key to understanding what it means. Thankfully, because the woman was trying to get pregnant, she gained knowledge of her AMH after failing to conceive. BUT, what about the 30 year old who is not trying and thus unaware of her ovarian reserve? AMH blood tests give women an idea of their remaining egg reserve.
If your AMH blood level is normal or high, good for you. If it’s very high, this could be an indication for testing for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Dr. Jerisa's mission is to increase awareness for those women who have low levels and won't know WITHOUT TESTING. Having been a patient, who also is a physician, Dr. Jerisa knows fully the value of NOT just treating numbers. She also adds FAITH to her walk. But there has never been a woman that had a LOW LEVEL who didn’t, even through her hurt and devastation, see this knowledge as a wake-up call. A call to change her lifestyle. A call to rid her body of toxins. A call to decrease stress. A call to change eating habits. A call to look into holistic medicine. KNOWING this created a REACTION that caused many women to seek ways to improve their numbers and the QUALITY of their REMAINING EGGS.
Click here to get your AMH Test Now!
Dr. Jerisa graduated from Howard University and earned her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her internship and dual-residency, for both Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine, at Midwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.
July 9, 2017
Black Chicago 2017 Summer Events (July-Sept)
Summer in Chicago offers an array of festivals, concerts, events, parties, and outings in every neighborhood. Here's my list for Summer 2017 hot happenings which showcase the diverse array of ethnicity, heritage, and culture of the city. Grab your red cups and get ready some amazing adventures in SummerTimeChi! #FollowTheRedCup
July 2017
July 8 – 9 (Sat, Sun): Arts & Crafts Festival @ DuSable Museum
July 9 (Sun): Taste of Chicago featuring The O’Jays @ Grant Park
July 10 (Mon): Les Nubians @ City Winery
July 11 (Tue): The Margaret Burroughs Centennial Film Series - Suzanne, Suzanne and Finding Christa @DuSable Museum
July 11 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – El Norte @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 12 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 12 (Wed): The Jay-Z Tribute Finale Concert @ The Promontory
July 13 (Thu): Chante Moore @ The Promontory
July 15 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with the Majestic Gents @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
July 15 (Sat): 112, Jagged Edge, and Raheem DeVaughn @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 15 (Fri): Diana Ross @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond
July 14 (Fri): The Comedy Get Down featuring Cedric ‘The Entertainer’, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley & George Lopez @ United Center
July 15 (Sat): Silver Room Block Party on 53rd Street in Hyde Park
July 15 (Sat): Movies in Washington Park – Madea’s Tough Love @ DuSable Museum
July 16 (Sun): Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar & Farmer’s Market & We Love Soul present The Love Hangover @ The Promontory
July 15-16 (Sat, Sun): Natural Hair Fest @ Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention
July 18 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – La La Land @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 19 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz Series “The First lady of Song-Ella Fitzgerald, Celebrating 100 years” @ DuSable Museum
July 19 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 19 (Wed): South Side Salsa @ The Promontory
July 20 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
July 20 (Thu): TuRae Gordon Comedy Show @ The Promontory
July 22 (Sat): Guy and Blackstreet @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 23 (Sun): The Ultimate Happy Day Party/Art Edition (American Justice Black Man Blues Art Exhibit) @ Private South Loop Location 2-6pm, email UltimateHappyHourGroup@gmail.com for details
July 21 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
July 21 (Fri): Colors Presents: R&B Only @ House of Blues
July 22 (Sat): “Jordan Wear” Caribbean Dancehall party @ The Promontory
July 22 (Sat): The Art of Rap Tour featuring DMX, Rakim, EPMD, KRS-One, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Crucial Conflict @ The Chicago Theatre
July 22 (Fri): V103 Summer Block Party featuring Jill Scot, BBD, Nelly & Kelly Rowland @ Northerly Island
July 22-30 (Sat-Sun): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
July 23 (Sun) Spring Tune-Up Block Party with DJ Erick Sermon of EPMD @ 54th and Lake Park Ave
July 24-25 (Mon-Tue): Gza @ City Winery
July 24-25 (Mon-Tue): J. Cole 4 Your Eyez Only @ United Center
July 25 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Network @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 25 (Tue): Christopher Williams @ The Promontory
July 26 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 26 (Wed): Earth, Wind & Fire @ United Center
July 27 (Thu): Kendrick Lamar The Damn. Tour @ United Center
July 28 (Fri): Bring It! Live with Miss D & her Dancing Dolls @ The Chicago Theatre
July 28 (Fri): The Firm Presents: Summer Chi Nighs with DJ Vince Adams @ The Promontory
July 29 (Sat): JavanPalooza @ Beaubien Woods
July 29 (Sat): Bantu Fest @ Midway Planisance
July 29 (Sat): Jeffrey Osborne and Freddie Jackson @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 29 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Austin Town Hall Park (5610 W. Lake St.)
July 30 (Fri): Rahsaan Patterson @ City Winery
July 30 (Fri): Mary J. Blige @ The Chicago Theatre
August 2017
Aug 3-31 (Sat-Thu): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
Aug 1 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Bend it Like Beckham @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 2 (Wed): Summer Breeze Finale @ The Promontory
Aug 4-5 (Fri-Sat) Rachelle Ferrell @ City Winery
Aug 4 (Fri): Isley Brothers @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond
Aug 5 (Sat): The Master of Funk (Bar-Kays, Confunksun, and Dazz Band) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 8 (Tue): Jake Clemons (of the E Street Band) @ City Winery
Aug 8 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Ghost and The Shining (Full Moon Double Feature) @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 11 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 10 (Fri): Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 11 (Sat): War and Average White Band @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 11-13 (Fri-Sun): Tower of Power @ City Winery
Aug 12 (Sat): Bud Billiken Parade on King Drive
Aug 12 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 13 (Sun): Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar & Farmer’s Market @ The Promontory
Aug 13 (Sun): Leslie Odom Jr. @ Ravinia
Aug 15 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Hidden Figures @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 16 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz Series “A Jazzy Jam at the Du: Here’s to you Dr. Margaret Burroughs” @ DuSable Museum
Aug 16 (Wed): South Side Salsa @ The Promontory
Aug 16 (Wed): Miki Howard @ City Winery
Aug 16-19 (Wed-Sat): Bruno Mars 24k Magic Tour @ United Center
Aug 17 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
Aug 18 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Aug 19 (Sat): Movies in Washington Park – Southside With You @ DuSable Museum
Aug 19 (Sat): Country Club Hills Jazz Fest (Ramsey Lewis, Gerald Albright, and Peter White) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 20 (Sun): Kendrick Lamar The Damn. Tour @ United Center
Aug 19-20 (Sat,Sun) Chicago Air and Water Show @ North Avenue Beach
Aug 19 (Sat): Windy City Carnival @ Midway Plaisance (59th and Woodlawn)
Aug 22 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Five Heartbeats @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 24 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 80th Anniversary Family Daytime Screening @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 25 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Line Dancing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 26 (Sat): Lionel Richie & Mariah Carey All The Hits Tour @ United Center
Aug 26 (Sat): An Evening of Blues & Old School R&B (Bobby Rush, Gerald Albright, and Peter White) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 26 (Sat): Maysa @ City Winery
Aug 29 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Princess Bride @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 31-Sep 3 (Thu-Sun) Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
September 2017
Sept 1-3 (Fri-Sun): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
Sept 1 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 1 (Fri): Gladys Knight & Michael Bolton @ Ravinia
Aug 31-Sep 3 (Thu-Sun) Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
Sept 1-4 (Fri-Mon): African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park
Sept 3 (Sun): Rickey Smiley & Friends: The Comedy Explosion @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 3 (Sun): Living Colour @ City Winery
Sept 4 (Mon): Howard Hewett @ City Winery
Sept 5 (Tue): The Margaret Burroughs Centennial Film Series - Portraits of Nikki Giovanni @DuSable Museum
Sept 5 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Wayne’s World @ Jay Pritizer Pavilion
Sept 7-10 (Thu-Sun): Chris Rock Total Blackout Tour @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 8 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Afrobeat @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 9 (Sat): Alley Fest Chicago/SIB's Breakfast Club's 9 Year Anniversary @ 91st and Prospect
Sept 9-10 (Sat,Sun): The Legendary Stevie Nicks @ Ravinia
Sept 14 (Thu): Ruthie Foster @ City Winery
Sept 15 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Sept 15 (Fri): Motown Legend Smokey Robinson @ Ravinia
Sept 16 (Sat): World’s Largest Steppers Contest @ Tinley Park Convention Center
Sept 16 (Sat): I Love the ‘90s with TLC, Biz Markie, All-4-One @Ravinia
Sept 16 (Sat): 2nd Annual Love in the 90's (Keyshia Cole, Case, Soul For Real, Total and RL) @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 20-21 (Wed-Thu): Avery Sunshine @ City Winery
Sept 21 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
Sept 23-24 (Sat, Sun): Hyde Park Jazz Festival @ various Hyde Park locations
Sept 30 (Sat): Chicago Football Classic 20th Anniversary @ Soldier Field
On-Going Dates
Every Tue 7-8p: Kizomba Class, Afro-Caribbean Connctions & Dance Party @ The Silver Room
Every Wed 6-8p: Beginning Argentine Tango @ The Silver Room
Every Fri-Sun, June 23-Sept 10 Chicago Summerdance @ Grant Park
Every Sat & Thu, July 13-Sept 14 Chicago Summerdance @ Neighborhood Parks
Every Sun @ 10a & 12:30p: House of Blues Gospel Brunch
Every Wed and Sat: Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
July 2017
July 8 – 9 (Sat, Sun): Arts & Crafts Festival @ DuSable Museum
July 9 (Sun): Taste of Chicago featuring The O’Jays @ Grant Park
July 10 (Mon): Les Nubians @ City Winery
July 11 (Tue): The Margaret Burroughs Centennial Film Series - Suzanne, Suzanne and Finding Christa @DuSable Museum
July 11 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – El Norte @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 12 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 12 (Wed): The Jay-Z Tribute Finale Concert @ The Promontory
July 13 (Thu): Chante Moore @ The Promontory
July 15 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with the Majestic Gents @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
July 15 (Sat): 112, Jagged Edge, and Raheem DeVaughn @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 15 (Fri): Diana Ross @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond
July 14 (Fri): The Comedy Get Down featuring Cedric ‘The Entertainer’, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley & George Lopez @ United Center
July 15 (Sat): Silver Room Block Party on 53rd Street in Hyde Park
July 15 (Sat): Movies in Washington Park – Madea’s Tough Love @ DuSable Museum
July 16 (Sun): Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar & Farmer’s Market & We Love Soul present The Love Hangover @ The Promontory
July 15-16 (Sat, Sun): Natural Hair Fest @ Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention
July 18 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – La La Land @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 19 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz Series “The First lady of Song-Ella Fitzgerald, Celebrating 100 years” @ DuSable Museum
July 19 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 19 (Wed): South Side Salsa @ The Promontory
July 20 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
July 20 (Thu): TuRae Gordon Comedy Show @ The Promontory
July 22 (Sat): Guy and Blackstreet @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 23 (Sun): The Ultimate Happy Day Party/Art Edition (American Justice Black Man Blues Art Exhibit) @ Private South Loop Location 2-6pm, email UltimateHappyHourGroup@gmail.com for details
July 21 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
July 21 (Fri): Colors Presents: R&B Only @ House of Blues
July 22 (Sat): “Jordan Wear” Caribbean Dancehall party @ The Promontory
July 22 (Sat): The Art of Rap Tour featuring DMX, Rakim, EPMD, KRS-One, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Crucial Conflict @ The Chicago Theatre
July 22 (Fri): V103 Summer Block Party featuring Jill Scot, BBD, Nelly & Kelly Rowland @ Northerly Island
July 22-30 (Sat-Sun): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
July 23 (Sun) Spring Tune-Up Block Party with DJ Erick Sermon of EPMD @ 54th and Lake Park Ave
July 24-25 (Mon-Tue): Gza @ City Winery
July 24-25 (Mon-Tue): J. Cole 4 Your Eyez Only @ United Center
July 25 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Network @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
July 25 (Tue): Christopher Williams @ The Promontory
July 26 (Wed): Summer Breeze by Eve @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 26 (Wed): Earth, Wind & Fire @ United Center
July 27 (Thu): Kendrick Lamar The Damn. Tour @ United Center
July 28 (Fri): Bring It! Live with Miss D & her Dancing Dolls @ The Chicago Theatre
July 28 (Fri): The Firm Presents: Summer Chi Nighs with DJ Vince Adams @ The Promontory
July 29 (Sat): JavanPalooza @ Beaubien Woods
July 29 (Sat): Bantu Fest @ Midway Planisance
July 29 (Sat): Jeffrey Osborne and Freddie Jackson @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 29 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Austin Town Hall Park (5610 W. Lake St.)
July 30 (Fri): Rahsaan Patterson @ City Winery
July 30 (Fri): Mary J. Blige @ The Chicago Theatre
August 2017
Aug 3-31 (Sat-Thu): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
Aug 1 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Bend it Like Beckham @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 2 (Wed): Summer Breeze Finale @ The Promontory
Aug 4-5 (Fri-Sat) Rachelle Ferrell @ City Winery
Aug 4 (Fri): Isley Brothers @ Horseshoe Casino Hammond
Aug 5 (Sat): The Master of Funk (Bar-Kays, Confunksun, and Dazz Band) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 8 (Tue): Jake Clemons (of the E Street Band) @ City Winery
Aug 8 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Ghost and The Shining (Full Moon Double Feature) @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 11 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 10 (Fri): Los Lobos and Los Lonely Boys @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 11 (Sat): War and Average White Band @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 11-13 (Fri-Sun): Tower of Power @ City Winery
Aug 12 (Sat): Bud Billiken Parade on King Drive
Aug 12 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 13 (Sun): Hyde Park Handmade Artisan Bazaar & Farmer’s Market @ The Promontory
Aug 13 (Sun): Leslie Odom Jr. @ Ravinia
Aug 15 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Hidden Figures @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 16 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz Series “A Jazzy Jam at the Du: Here’s to you Dr. Margaret Burroughs” @ DuSable Museum
Aug 16 (Wed): South Side Salsa @ The Promontory
Aug 16 (Wed): Miki Howard @ City Winery
Aug 16-19 (Wed-Sat): Bruno Mars 24k Magic Tour @ United Center
Aug 17 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
Aug 18 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Aug 19 (Sat): Movies in Washington Park – Southside With You @ DuSable Museum
Aug 19 (Sat): Country Club Hills Jazz Fest (Ramsey Lewis, Gerald Albright, and Peter White) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 20 (Sun): Kendrick Lamar The Damn. Tour @ United Center
Aug 19-20 (Sat,Sun) Chicago Air and Water Show @ North Avenue Beach
Aug 19 (Sat): Windy City Carnival @ Midway Plaisance (59th and Woodlawn)
Aug 22 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Five Heartbeats @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 24 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 80th Anniversary Family Daytime Screening @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 25 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Line Dancing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 26 (Sat): Lionel Richie & Mariah Carey All The Hits Tour @ United Center
Aug 26 (Sat): An Evening of Blues & Old School R&B (Bobby Rush, Gerald Albright, and Peter White) @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 26 (Sat): Maysa @ City Winery
Aug 29 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Princess Bride @ Jay Pritzker Pavilion
Aug 31-Sep 3 (Thu-Sun) Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
September 2017
Sept 1-3 (Fri-Sun): Last Dancer Standing (More Than Hip-Hop) @ Black Ensemble Theater
Sept 1 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 1 (Fri): Gladys Knight & Michael Bolton @ Ravinia
Aug 31-Sep 3 (Thu-Sun) Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
Sept 1-4 (Fri-Mon): African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park
Sept 3 (Sun): Rickey Smiley & Friends: The Comedy Explosion @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 3 (Sun): Living Colour @ City Winery
Sept 4 (Mon): Howard Hewett @ City Winery
Sept 5 (Tue): The Margaret Burroughs Centennial Film Series - Portraits of Nikki Giovanni @DuSable Museum
Sept 5 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Wayne’s World @ Jay Pritizer Pavilion
Sept 7-10 (Thu-Sun): Chris Rock Total Blackout Tour @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 8 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Afrobeat @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 9 (Sat): Alley Fest Chicago/SIB's Breakfast Club's 9 Year Anniversary @ 91st and Prospect
Sept 9-10 (Sat,Sun): The Legendary Stevie Nicks @ Ravinia
Sept 14 (Thu): Ruthie Foster @ City Winery
Sept 15 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Sept 15 (Fri): Motown Legend Smokey Robinson @ Ravinia
Sept 16 (Sat): World’s Largest Steppers Contest @ Tinley Park Convention Center
Sept 16 (Sat): I Love the ‘90s with TLC, Biz Markie, All-4-One @Ravinia
Sept 16 (Sat): 2nd Annual Love in the 90's (Keyshia Cole, Case, Soul For Real, Total and RL) @ The Chicago Theatre
Sept 20-21 (Wed-Thu): Avery Sunshine @ City Winery
Sept 21 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room
Sept 23-24 (Sat, Sun): Hyde Park Jazz Festival @ various Hyde Park locations
Sept 30 (Sat): Chicago Football Classic 20th Anniversary @ Soldier Field
On-Going Dates
Every Tue 7-8p: Kizomba Class, Afro-Caribbean Connctions & Dance Party @ The Silver Room
Every Wed 6-8p: Beginning Argentine Tango @ The Silver Room
Every Fri-Sun, June 23-Sept 10 Chicago Summerdance @ Grant Park
Every Sat & Thu, July 13-Sept 14 Chicago Summerdance @ Neighborhood Parks
Every Sun @ 10a & 12:30p: House of Blues Gospel Brunch
Every Wed and Sat: Summer Fireworks @ Navy Pier
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
April 4, 2017
Democrats, don't filibuster Gorsuch. Let's Strategize and Negotiate.
Democrats, don't filibuster Neil Gorsuch. For a conservative Republican pick, he is one I'm okay with. He seems reasonable and not self-serving. Instead, Strategize and Negotiate. It's clear you don't know these words or how they work so let me explain.
Your guy (Democrats) goes to their guy (Republicans) and says "We will approve Gorsuch if you all agree in writing and announce to the American public that the next open seat goes to Merrick Garland. We all know you stole that seat and you owe it to our past president, the American people, and the concept of fair democracy to give it back. This is an opportunity for you to correct your past wrong, save us the work of having to negotiate when the next seat comes up (I bet Ruth Bader Ginsburg would happily retire if we offered her this opportunity), and show the world we aren't a bunch of petulant children who can't work together. This is a win-win.
Now let's figure out a win-win for creating free, universal health care like every other modern country, fair women's health care coverage, paid maternity/paternity leave, better work practices, mental health treatment, proper veteran assistance, fair distribution of wealth, putting checks on corporate greed, monopolies, wealth disparity, inflation, social security, immigration, economic development for underserved/poor/innercity/rural communities, underserved/underfunded public education systems, free college, climate control, fixing our crumbling construction/infrastructure and most importantly this Russia foolishness.
We can't void the election. We got played by Russia. We've done it numerous times in other countries. They took the play from our book. Game recognizes Game. We were so arrogant we didn't imagine someone would eventually play us. This is 9/11 all over again. All the signs were there. Half of the government lacked the imagination, intelligence and/or balls to combat it (looking at you Hillary).
The other half purposefully ignored it because it helped their guy which is actually an act of treason to allow another country to interfere in our election (looking at you Trump, Ryan, Pence, McConnell, insert numerous dumb, rich white boys in power ruining our country with their racism).
Back to Russia...We have dumbed down our people so much with our terrible education system that they are too stupid to ask the right questions or spot fake news. And we have let the greedy white boys really believe that they earned all that wealth and white privilege by their own two hands and they have no responsibility to spread it around even though their ancestors accumulated it by committing the most heinous and disgusting acts against humanity.
At least we have good company in our stupidity (looking at you Brexit...pass the privilege tea). Plus, Russia infiltration has rightfully and fortunately shaken the faith of the American people and eroded the already tenuous bit of trust they had in us, their elected officials. We have sucked for so long. So how about we start new today and make it better.
Here's another win-win idea...Let's agree to remove Pence. We all know he hates women, could easily be the Grand Wizard of Indiana's vibrant KKK community, and used his personal email when he was conducting business as Governor. Plus he looks creepy as hell...and so does Paul Ryan who also hates women and is probably high ranking in Wisconsin's vibrant KKK community.
They are both rich, dumb, white boy racists and I wouldn't be surprised to learn they tortured numerous animals and picnicked at several lynchings in their youth. White boys kill me when they want to ban all Muslims and label them as terrorists. But they don't mark their well-documented, serial killers brothers as terrorists (looking at numerous, robed white men, Bundy, Dahmer, Wayne Gacy, Roof.
If you wanna know what happened to all those missing Black girls in DC, I would start launch an investigation in the rich, white secret societies.) Let's get rid of them both because they have skated too long on their "All-America" looks and white privilege and couldn't pass a health care bill if they had 8 years to work on it.
Let's make Bernie Speaker, Hillary VP, and keep Trump as Prez. We cheated Bernie so we owe him. And half the country wanted Hillary and half (mostly the racists and undereducated) wanted Trump. But Trump is the President we deserve because America is built on racism and we consistently let the ignorant, racists sacrifice the good of all for their idiot white supremacy.
This is how our democracy works. Every person gets representation and a voice. It would be nice if we educated the racism and ignorance out of them, but since we are snowflakes who don't see color and we let the rich turn the poor whites against all the people of color. (Hey Poor Whites...you are poor because of the rich white people. Lynching Black people and kicking out Mexicans isn't going to put food on your table.
Tell Mitch McConnell to share some of his estimated net worth of between $9.2 million and $36.5 million with you. A bunch of jobs in California and Texas picking grapes for $2 an hour is not going to help you. Calling out Mitch McConnell’s long opposition to increasing the minimum wage will directly put more money in your pockets and food on your table. You keep falling for the okedoke.
Trump is the President we deserve. He is legitimately and completely America born and breed. So until we acknowledge the racism that is woven into America's very being, we will continue to let ignorance ruin us all.
Let's spare ourselves the cost and spectacle of a Flynn/Russia congressional hearing which will just reveal that half of us were bumbling incompetents and half of us were selfish traitors. Let's make Hillary and Trump to work together like our Founding Fathers used to do until that disgusting, slaving, rapist, a-hole Thomas Jefferson changed the rule. I'm so glad I saw Hamilton and was reminded of some of the good rules that we have let some a-holes pervert for their own selfish benefit.
Shoot, we gotta lot to do so let's agree on TWO supreme court appointments and which gives us back a bunch of time, energy, and resources to get to work on all the things on the list above. Seriously, let's walk across the aisle, work together, and really make america great!"
But what do I know?
IF YOU THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO GO, PLEASE HELP THIS BLOG GO VIRAL BY CLICKING THE SHARE BUTTON ABOVE OR BELOW. Also, leave a comment below on what issues you want our government to fix and your win-win ideas to make America great. THANKS!
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign which seeks a full pardon and reparations for former Chicago police officer Howard Morgan who was shot 28 times #28Shots by four white police officers for driving while Black and then convicted of attempted murder even though he never fired his weapon at them. Also, check out my best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
Your guy (Democrats) goes to their guy (Republicans) and says "We will approve Gorsuch if you all agree in writing and announce to the American public that the next open seat goes to Merrick Garland. We all know you stole that seat and you owe it to our past president, the American people, and the concept of fair democracy to give it back. This is an opportunity for you to correct your past wrong, save us the work of having to negotiate when the next seat comes up (I bet Ruth Bader Ginsburg would happily retire if we offered her this opportunity), and show the world we aren't a bunch of petulant children who can't work together. This is a win-win.
Now let's figure out a win-win for creating free, universal health care like every other modern country, fair women's health care coverage, paid maternity/paternity leave, better work practices, mental health treatment, proper veteran assistance, fair distribution of wealth, putting checks on corporate greed, monopolies, wealth disparity, inflation, social security, immigration, economic development for underserved/poor/innercity/rural communities, underserved/underfunded public education systems, free college, climate control, fixing our crumbling construction/infrastructure and most importantly this Russia foolishness.
We can't void the election. We got played by Russia. We've done it numerous times in other countries. They took the play from our book. Game recognizes Game. We were so arrogant we didn't imagine someone would eventually play us. This is 9/11 all over again. All the signs were there. Half of the government lacked the imagination, intelligence and/or balls to combat it (looking at you Hillary).
The other half purposefully ignored it because it helped their guy which is actually an act of treason to allow another country to interfere in our election (looking at you Trump, Ryan, Pence, McConnell, insert numerous dumb, rich white boys in power ruining our country with their racism).
Back to Russia...We have dumbed down our people so much with our terrible education system that they are too stupid to ask the right questions or spot fake news. And we have let the greedy white boys really believe that they earned all that wealth and white privilege by their own two hands and they have no responsibility to spread it around even though their ancestors accumulated it by committing the most heinous and disgusting acts against humanity.
At least we have good company in our stupidity (looking at you Brexit...pass the privilege tea). Plus, Russia infiltration has rightfully and fortunately shaken the faith of the American people and eroded the already tenuous bit of trust they had in us, their elected officials. We have sucked for so long. So how about we start new today and make it better.
Here's another win-win idea...Let's agree to remove Pence. We all know he hates women, could easily be the Grand Wizard of Indiana's vibrant KKK community, and used his personal email when he was conducting business as Governor. Plus he looks creepy as hell...and so does Paul Ryan who also hates women and is probably high ranking in Wisconsin's vibrant KKK community.
They are both rich, dumb, white boy racists and I wouldn't be surprised to learn they tortured numerous animals and picnicked at several lynchings in their youth. White boys kill me when they want to ban all Muslims and label them as terrorists. But they don't mark their well-documented, serial killers brothers as terrorists (looking at numerous, robed white men, Bundy, Dahmer, Wayne Gacy, Roof.
If you wanna know what happened to all those missing Black girls in DC, I would start launch an investigation in the rich, white secret societies.) Let's get rid of them both because they have skated too long on their "All-America" looks and white privilege and couldn't pass a health care bill if they had 8 years to work on it.
Let's make Bernie Speaker, Hillary VP, and keep Trump as Prez. We cheated Bernie so we owe him. And half the country wanted Hillary and half (mostly the racists and undereducated) wanted Trump. But Trump is the President we deserve because America is built on racism and we consistently let the ignorant, racists sacrifice the good of all for their idiot white supremacy.
This is how our democracy works. Every person gets representation and a voice. It would be nice if we educated the racism and ignorance out of them, but since we are snowflakes who don't see color and we let the rich turn the poor whites against all the people of color. (Hey Poor Whites...you are poor because of the rich white people. Lynching Black people and kicking out Mexicans isn't going to put food on your table.
Tell Mitch McConnell to share some of his estimated net worth of between $9.2 million and $36.5 million with you. A bunch of jobs in California and Texas picking grapes for $2 an hour is not going to help you. Calling out Mitch McConnell’s long opposition to increasing the minimum wage will directly put more money in your pockets and food on your table. You keep falling for the okedoke.
Trump is the President we deserve. He is legitimately and completely America born and breed. So until we acknowledge the racism that is woven into America's very being, we will continue to let ignorance ruin us all.
Let's spare ourselves the cost and spectacle of a Flynn/Russia congressional hearing which will just reveal that half of us were bumbling incompetents and half of us were selfish traitors. Let's make Hillary and Trump to work together like our Founding Fathers used to do until that disgusting, slaving, rapist, a-hole Thomas Jefferson changed the rule. I'm so glad I saw Hamilton and was reminded of some of the good rules that we have let some a-holes pervert for their own selfish benefit.
Shoot, we gotta lot to do so let's agree on TWO supreme court appointments and which gives us back a bunch of time, energy, and resources to get to work on all the things on the list above. Seriously, let's walk across the aisle, work together, and really make america great!"
But what do I know?
IF YOU THINK THIS IS THE WAY TO GO, PLEASE HELP THIS BLOG GO VIRAL BY CLICKING THE SHARE BUTTON ABOVE OR BELOW. Also, leave a comment below on what issues you want our government to fix and your win-win ideas to make America great. THANKS!
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign which seeks a full pardon and reparations for former Chicago police officer Howard Morgan who was shot 28 times #28Shots by four white police officers for driving while Black and then convicted of attempted murder even though he never fired his weapon at them. Also, check out my best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
April 1, 2017
Kurt Summers for Mayor 2019 #ByeRahm
It's been a long time since I've posted in my blog. I needed to take some time to decompress from all the violence, corruption, and stupidity in Chicago. But I'm back and I'm ready to finish what I started...my top 3 incompotent Chicago leaders hit list.
Here is an excerpt from the open letter I posted to Rahm Emanuel last year: "You are not my mayor. I really can't decide if you are even worse than the Daleys. You have failed us and I promise you this is your last term. When I saw Anita Alvarez spew her hatred and lies when Howard Morgan's sentence was commuted by former governor Pat Quinn, I knew she hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of her malfeasance. #ByeAnita When I saw former Superintendent Garry McCarthy speak against Howard Morgan at his pardon hearing, I knew Garry McCarthy hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of his clueless self-righteousness. #ByeMcCarthy And with your silence in these last weeks, I now know you hate Black people too. Two down, One to go. #ByeRahm #BlackLivesMatter #WeWontBeIgnored #GetToSteppin"
People keep telling me that Rahm is a shoo-in to win his re-election bid in 2019. Since his mayoral legacy right now only includes bike lanes (which I actually like now), illegal red light cameras, and the suppressed video of Laquan McDonald being assassinated by the Chicago Police Department #16Shots, he is feenin' to stay in office another term so he can be the presiding mayor when the Obama's open their presidential library in Jackson Park. Well, I say HELL NO. HE MUST GO. I know it can be done. Chicago, we already forced him into an unprecedented run-off race in 2015 because he couldn't get the majority vote. But we, the people, couldn't finish the job in the special election. Well, I've got a plan for next time, the man to get it done, and plenty of time to coordinate a spectacular campaign. There are chinks in Rahm's armor. We must ban together, coordinate our attack, and run him the hell out of city hall. YES, WE CAN! I have the answer...the future...the panacea...and his name is KURT SUMMERS.
Kurt Summers is currently our city treasurer and he's considering throwing his hat in the ring for the 2018 governor's race in Springfield. He doesn't know it, but I have other plans for him. Kurt Summers is the mayor we need in 2019. Please google him and learn as much as you can about this phenomenal Chicagoan, legacy political serviceman, and fellow Whitney Young alum. Don't take my word for it and don't fall for FAKE NEWS. Do your own research! KURT SUMMERS has a fundraising event on April 23rd to start generating excitement for his gubernatorial bid. Please buy a ticket, show him you are with him, but tell Kurt you want Summers in Chicago for 2019...Not Springfield. Taking down Rahm will require the energy and funding from the people (WE, THE PEOPLE) who really want change. This is how we make it happen. Kurt Summers for Chicago Mayor 2019 on the Harold Washington Party ticket. Let's do it for Harold and say #ByeRahm!
Click the link and get your ticket NOW: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/summers17
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign which seeks a full pardon and reparations for former Chicago police officer Howard Morgan who was shot 28 times #28Shots by four white police officers for driving while Black and then convicted of attempted murder even though he never fired his weapon at them. Also, check out my best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
Here is an excerpt from the open letter I posted to Rahm Emanuel last year: "You are not my mayor. I really can't decide if you are even worse than the Daleys. You have failed us and I promise you this is your last term. When I saw Anita Alvarez spew her hatred and lies when Howard Morgan's sentence was commuted by former governor Pat Quinn, I knew she hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of her malfeasance. #ByeAnita When I saw former Superintendent Garry McCarthy speak against Howard Morgan at his pardon hearing, I knew Garry McCarthy hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of his clueless self-righteousness. #ByeMcCarthy And with your silence in these last weeks, I now know you hate Black people too. Two down, One to go. #ByeRahm #BlackLivesMatter #WeWontBeIgnored #GetToSteppin"
People keep telling me that Rahm is a shoo-in to win his re-election bid in 2019. Since his mayoral legacy right now only includes bike lanes (which I actually like now), illegal red light cameras, and the suppressed video of Laquan McDonald being assassinated by the Chicago Police Department #16Shots, he is feenin' to stay in office another term so he can be the presiding mayor when the Obama's open their presidential library in Jackson Park. Well, I say HELL NO. HE MUST GO. I know it can be done. Chicago, we already forced him into an unprecedented run-off race in 2015 because he couldn't get the majority vote. But we, the people, couldn't finish the job in the special election. Well, I've got a plan for next time, the man to get it done, and plenty of time to coordinate a spectacular campaign. There are chinks in Rahm's armor. We must ban together, coordinate our attack, and run him the hell out of city hall. YES, WE CAN! I have the answer...the future...the panacea...and his name is KURT SUMMERS.
Kurt Summers is currently our city treasurer and he's considering throwing his hat in the ring for the 2018 governor's race in Springfield. He doesn't know it, but I have other plans for him. Kurt Summers is the mayor we need in 2019. Please google him and learn as much as you can about this phenomenal Chicagoan, legacy political serviceman, and fellow Whitney Young alum. Don't take my word for it and don't fall for FAKE NEWS. Do your own research! KURT SUMMERS has a fundraising event on April 23rd to start generating excitement for his gubernatorial bid. Please buy a ticket, show him you are with him, but tell Kurt you want Summers in Chicago for 2019...Not Springfield. Taking down Rahm will require the energy and funding from the people (WE, THE PEOPLE) who really want change. This is how we make it happen. Kurt Summers for Chicago Mayor 2019 on the Harold Washington Party ticket. Let's do it for Harold and say #ByeRahm!
Click the link and get your ticket NOW: https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/summers17
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign which seeks a full pardon and reparations for former Chicago police officer Howard Morgan who was shot 28 times #28Shots by four white police officers for driving while Black and then convicted of attempted murder even though he never fired his weapon at them. Also, check out my best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
July 13, 2016
Where is Rahm Emanuel and What is He Doing?
I'm putting out an APB on my mayor, Rahm Emanuel...you know the guy. Slender, tailored suits, short finger, sweaty lip, salt pepper hair, Northwestern diction peppered with pithy curse words. I swear I haven't heard a peep out of him in the past couple of weeks. Is he still crying in the bathroom over losing the Lucas Museum? Is he riding a Divvy bike to the museum campus to meet up with his processor and strategize on how to Meigs field McCormick Place and maybe bring Luke and his father back? Is he cursing out his corporation council for not finding a loophole in the lease for the office space that houses Friends of the Park?
Well he certainly isn't telling us how he can take all the money he raised for the Lucas Museum and use it to educate our children, fix CPS, and pay our teachers. He isn't telling us how he finally understands that racism, the blue wall of silence, the FOP, and the current state attorney are the root causes for many of the injustices plaguing Chicago's Black and Brown communities. He certainty hasn't expressed his belief that #BlackLivesMatter. Hell, he hasn't even commented on his newest, returning resident Dwayne Wade.
MAYOR EMANUEL...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You certainly aren't leading this city. I've heard more ideas on leading this city from the new police Superintendent than I've heard from you. I posted an open letter to you in December with some great suggestions on how you could save yourself and your legacy if being a great mayor for all of Chicago's residents was your goal. You haven't accomplished any of my suggestions especially issuing a pardon to Howard Morgan and restoring his Chicago Police Department pension and health benefits. You and the FOP let Burge the torturer keep his pension and benefits, but you won't lift a finger to help Howard Morgan after 4 white police officers shot him in the back 22 times. It's clear that you are only concerned about the elite business community, downtown, the north side, raising property taxes, and Uber.
You are not my mayor. I really can't decide if are even worse than the Daleys. You have failed us and I promise you this is your last term. When I saw Anita Alvarez spew her hatred and lies when Howard Morgan's sentence was commuted by former governor Pat Quinn, I knew she hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of her malfeasance. #ByeAnita When I saw former Superintendent Garry McCarthy speak against Howard Morgan at his pardon hearing, I knew Garry McCarthy hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of his clueless self-righteousness. #ByeMcCarthy And with your silence in these last weeks, I now know you hate Black people too. Two down, One to go. #ByeRahm #BlackLivesMatter #WeWontBeIgnored #GetToSteppin
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign and the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
Well he certainly isn't telling us how he can take all the money he raised for the Lucas Museum and use it to educate our children, fix CPS, and pay our teachers. He isn't telling us how he finally understands that racism, the blue wall of silence, the FOP, and the current state attorney are the root causes for many of the injustices plaguing Chicago's Black and Brown communities. He certainty hasn't expressed his belief that #BlackLivesMatter. Hell, he hasn't even commented on his newest, returning resident Dwayne Wade.
MAYOR EMANUEL...WHAT ARE YOU DOING? You certainly aren't leading this city. I've heard more ideas on leading this city from the new police Superintendent than I've heard from you. I posted an open letter to you in December with some great suggestions on how you could save yourself and your legacy if being a great mayor for all of Chicago's residents was your goal. You haven't accomplished any of my suggestions especially issuing a pardon to Howard Morgan and restoring his Chicago Police Department pension and health benefits. You and the FOP let Burge the torturer keep his pension and benefits, but you won't lift a finger to help Howard Morgan after 4 white police officers shot him in the back 22 times. It's clear that you are only concerned about the elite business community, downtown, the north side, raising property taxes, and Uber.
You are not my mayor. I really can't decide if are even worse than the Daleys. You have failed us and I promise you this is your last term. When I saw Anita Alvarez spew her hatred and lies when Howard Morgan's sentence was commuted by former governor Pat Quinn, I knew she hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of her malfeasance. #ByeAnita When I saw former Superintendent Garry McCarthy speak against Howard Morgan at his pardon hearing, I knew Garry McCarthy hates Black people and I would dedicate all my energy to ridding the city of his clueless self-righteousness. #ByeMcCarthy And with your silence in these last weeks, I now know you hate Black people too. Two down, One to go. #ByeRahm #BlackLivesMatter #WeWontBeIgnored #GetToSteppin
Deanna Burrell is the Marketing Director for the Free Howard Morgan campaign and the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
July 9, 2016
Was Private Micah Xavier Johnson, the Dallas sniper, suffering from PTSD?
Private Micah Xavier Johnson was a product of the United States Military
Private first class Micah Xavier Johnson was a 25-year old U.S. soldier who did a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan during his six years of service in the Army Reserve. He was a carpenter and masonry specialist. Private first class Micah Xavier Johnson was awarded numerous medals including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Service Ribbon and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, among other standard awards for service. He was “other than honorably discharged” from the army after he received a sexual harassment accusation.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson was a proud Black man with no criminal history
Upon returning home, he lived with his mother in the quiet Dallas suburb of Mesquite. He had no criminal record. The cover photo of his facebook page is the Pan-African flag. He liked pages connected to the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, the founder of the Nation of Islam. He posted a photo with of himself with Professor Griff, a rapper and member of the prolific group Public Enemy. I read one article that kept shorting his middle name so they could inappropriately refer to the decorated soldier as Micah X. Johnson. The article also stated that Private Johnson had on Facebook which included The New Black Panther Party, Black Riders Liberation Party, and the Nation of Islam. None of those groups are Hate Groups. These organizations promote Black love and empowerment and Private Johnson’s affiliations with these group show that he was a proud Black man who loved Black people. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his affiliation. I will again note that Private Johnson had no criminal record.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson was angry, troubled, and probably suffering from PTSD
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said, “The suspect said he was upset with white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” Brown also said, “He expressed anger for Black Lives Matter. None of that makes sense, none of that is a legitimate reason to do harm to anyone...”
What could possibly make a quiet man from the suburbs of Dallas decide to arm himself with military weapons and assassinate fellow officers of the law? First, let’s strip away race. Let’s take white officers and Black Lives Matter out of the equation. Let’s focus on what could possibly allow a United States soldier to snuff out the lives of fellow American citizens. The only answer I can come up with is mental illness. Chief Brown said, “none of that makes sense.” None of that should make sense to a logical and sane person. But Private Johnson was not a sane person. He was a trained soldier probably suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and a mental breakdown caused by the stress of serving in war and then aggravated by the stress caused by the barrage of images of police brutality against his Black brothers.
In 2012, the Department of Veteran Affairs quietly released a report on PTSD showing that since 9/11, nearly 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans treated at V.A. hospitals and clinics have been diagnosed with PTSD. The report, which revealed that 247,243 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, was buried on the V.A.’s website without any press releases, fanfare or publicity. And the number of African-American and Hispanic soldiers suffering from PTSD would more than likely be higher that the 30% since these groups suffer more trauma than white soldiers.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson needed help and the government he served failed him
So many times when our veterans return home, the U.S. government neglects and fails them. Our soldiers can’t find jobs or housing and can’t get medical or psychology/mental health treatment. They are not properly integrated back into society. A lot of veterans are broken, hurt and angry. That anger needs to be diagnosed and treated. Private Johnson was angry. His anger was probably a factor in his alleged sexual harassment case. And even though he was “other than honorably discharged”, he still needed to be properly integrated back into society. But he wasn’t.
He was discharged from the army and left to fend for himself. He was left to stew in his anger and his PTSD. It’s a dangerous thing to let a man who is skilled in combat and armed to a teeth stew in anger. The United States Government failed Private Micah Xavier Johnson just as they have and continue to failed numerous other veterans. Congressman, senators and presidents love to go the war and will allocate billions to military defense, but they strike down bills for veterans’ benefits. In February 2014, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a comprehensive bill to extend health care benefits to hundreds of thousands more veterans each year, provide family planning aid to war-injured vets and make caregiver support available to families from all U.S. wars. Government is quick to deploy troops, but deaf to the needs of the soldiers once they return home.
This is not a race issue. This is a mental health issue. This is what happens when we turn our backs on the men and women who we send to protect our democracy. When will we properly protect and serve our veterans?
Sources:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/21/nearly-30-of-vets-treated-by-v-a-have-ptsd.html
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/reintegration/overview-mental-health-effects.asp
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/27/veterans-legislation-bernie-sanders-senate/5859217/
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/27/senate-fails-to-pass-veteran-benefits-bill.html
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
Private first class Micah Xavier Johnson was a 25-year old U.S. soldier who did a six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan during his six years of service in the Army Reserve. He was a carpenter and masonry specialist. Private first class Micah Xavier Johnson was awarded numerous medals including the Afghanistan Campaign Medal with campaign star, an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Service Ribbon and an Armed Forces Reserve Medal with “M” Device, among other standard awards for service. He was “other than honorably discharged” from the army after he received a sexual harassment accusation.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson was a proud Black man with no criminal history
Upon returning home, he lived with his mother in the quiet Dallas suburb of Mesquite. He had no criminal record. The cover photo of his facebook page is the Pan-African flag. He liked pages connected to the Honorable Elijah Mohammed, the founder of the Nation of Islam. He posted a photo with of himself with Professor Griff, a rapper and member of the prolific group Public Enemy. I read one article that kept shorting his middle name so they could inappropriately refer to the decorated soldier as Micah X. Johnson. The article also stated that Private Johnson had on Facebook which included The New Black Panther Party, Black Riders Liberation Party, and the Nation of Islam. None of those groups are Hate Groups. These organizations promote Black love and empowerment and Private Johnson’s affiliations with these group show that he was a proud Black man who loved Black people. There is absolutely nothing wrong with his affiliation. I will again note that Private Johnson had no criminal record.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson was angry, troubled, and probably suffering from PTSD
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said, “The suspect said he was upset with white people and wanted to kill white people, especially white officers.” Brown also said, “He expressed anger for Black Lives Matter. None of that makes sense, none of that is a legitimate reason to do harm to anyone...”
What could possibly make a quiet man from the suburbs of Dallas decide to arm himself with military weapons and assassinate fellow officers of the law? First, let’s strip away race. Let’s take white officers and Black Lives Matter out of the equation. Let’s focus on what could possibly allow a United States soldier to snuff out the lives of fellow American citizens. The only answer I can come up with is mental illness. Chief Brown said, “none of that makes sense.” None of that should make sense to a logical and sane person. But Private Johnson was not a sane person. He was a trained soldier probably suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and a mental breakdown caused by the stress of serving in war and then aggravated by the stress caused by the barrage of images of police brutality against his Black brothers.
In 2012, the Department of Veteran Affairs quietly released a report on PTSD showing that since 9/11, nearly 30% of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans treated at V.A. hospitals and clinics have been diagnosed with PTSD. The report, which revealed that 247,243 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, was buried on the V.A.’s website without any press releases, fanfare or publicity. And the number of African-American and Hispanic soldiers suffering from PTSD would more than likely be higher that the 30% since these groups suffer more trauma than white soldiers.
Private Micah Xavier Johnson needed help and the government he served failed him
So many times when our veterans return home, the U.S. government neglects and fails them. Our soldiers can’t find jobs or housing and can’t get medical or psychology/mental health treatment. They are not properly integrated back into society. A lot of veterans are broken, hurt and angry. That anger needs to be diagnosed and treated. Private Johnson was angry. His anger was probably a factor in his alleged sexual harassment case. And even though he was “other than honorably discharged”, he still needed to be properly integrated back into society. But he wasn’t.
He was discharged from the army and left to fend for himself. He was left to stew in his anger and his PTSD. It’s a dangerous thing to let a man who is skilled in combat and armed to a teeth stew in anger. The United States Government failed Private Micah Xavier Johnson just as they have and continue to failed numerous other veterans. Congressman, senators and presidents love to go the war and will allocate billions to military defense, but they strike down bills for veterans’ benefits. In February 2014, the U.S. Senate failed to pass a comprehensive bill to extend health care benefits to hundreds of thousands more veterans each year, provide family planning aid to war-injured vets and make caregiver support available to families from all U.S. wars. Government is quick to deploy troops, but deaf to the needs of the soldiers once they return home.
This is not a race issue. This is a mental health issue. This is what happens when we turn our backs on the men and women who we send to protect our democracy. When will we properly protect and serve our veterans?
Sources:
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/21/nearly-30-of-vets-treated-by-v-a-have-ptsd.html
http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/reintegration/overview-mental-health-effects.asp
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/27/veterans-legislation-bernie-sanders-senate/5859217/
http://www.military.com/daily-news/2014/02/27/senate-fails-to-pass-veteran-benefits-bill.html
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
June 23, 2016
Black Chicago 2016 Summer Events (June-Sept)
Summer in Chicago offers an array of festivals, concerts, events, parties, and outings in every neighborhood. Here's my list for Summer 2016 hot happenings which showcase the diverse array of ethnicity, heritage, and culture of my city. Grab your red cups and get ready for more amazing adventures in SummerTimeChi! #FollowTheRedCup
June 2016
June 15 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “Swingin it with Count Basie & Duke Ellington” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
June 16 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
June 17 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
June 18 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Creed @ 740 E. 56th Place
June 21 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
June 22 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Corey Wilkes & Black Slang @ Seven Ten Lanes
June 23 (Thu): Patti LaBelle with The Commodores @ Ravinia
June 24 (Fri): Bob Dylan with Mavis Staples @ Ravinia
June 24 (Fri): An Evening of Smooth Jazz Starring Boney James and Roy Ayers @ the Horseshoe Casino
June 24-25 (Fri, Sat): Martin Lawrence LIVE @ The Chicago Theatre
June 25 (Sat): DuSable Museum A Night of 100 Stars Gala @ 740 E. 56th Place
June 25 (Sat): Celebrating Black Music in the Park @ Washington Park
June 25 (Sat): Sassy Thrifter’s “Fleek Market” @ 3232 S. King Drive
June 25 (Sat): Hashtag LunchBag Chicago @ The Promontory
June 25 (Sat): The Investments Brunch by Conversation Magazine
June 25 (Sat): James Brown Dace Party @ House of Blues
June 25 (Sat): Monica and Joe @ Country Club Hills Theater
June 25-26 (Sat, Sun): Chicago Food Truck Fest @McCormick Place South Loop (2200 S. Indiana Ave.)
June 26 (Sun): Assata’s Daughter’s BBQ celebrating #BlackGirlMagic @ The Promontory Point
June 26 (Sun): Chicago Pride Parade @ Montrose Avenue and Broadway
June 26 (Sun): Lalah Hathaway @ City Winery
June 28 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Soul Food
June 28 (Tue): Celebrating Jay Z ‘s Reasonable Doubt 20th Anniversary @ The Promontory
June 29 (Wed): House Club Tour Pub Crawl @ various locations
June 29 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Jazz Night @53rd and Harper Court
June 29 (Wed): Robert Cornelius & Friends present the music of Prince @ City Winery
June 29 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Phil Seed & Joyce Jackson Hurley @ Seven Ten Lanes
June 29 (Wed): Chosen Few DJ’s Hot Lunch Mix @ Daley Plaza
June 30 (Thu): The Wailers @ City Winery
June 30 (Thu): Soul Healing Relationships @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
June 30 (Thu): Damon Williams Comedy @ The Quarry (2423 E. 75th Street)
July 2016
July 1-4 (Fri-Mon): African/Caribbean International Festival of Life @ Union Park (1501 W. Randolph)
July 1 (Fri): Funkadesi (International/world music group) @ City Winery
July 1 (Fri): LoveSexy Prince Tribute Party @ The Promontory
July 1-4 (Fri-Mon) Naperville Ribfest
July 1 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 2 (Sat): Talib Kweli with DJ Jamal Smallz @ City Winery
July 2 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin Under the Stars @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 2-3 (Sat, Sun): Chosen Few Picnic Weekend @ Jackson Park (63rd & Hayes Drive)
July 4 (Mon): Forth of July Fireworks @ Navy Pier
July 5 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – A League of Their Own
July 6 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Simone Green, Jocelyn Winston & Carya Holmes @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 6-10 (Wed-Sun): Taste of Chicago featuring The Roots on 7/6 and The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald and Ernie Isley on 7/10 @ Grant Park
July 7 (Thu): Free Women of Color Fest @ Victory Gardens Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Avenue)
July 8 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Hustle and Western Swing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 8-9 (Fri, Sat): Soul Yoga Fest @ Fuller Park Field House (331 W. 45th St)
July 9 (Sat): Summer Series Brunch featuring J Vizzion @ Flavor (17575 Kedzie Ave in HazelCrest)
July 9 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with Herb Kent @ Douglas Park (1401 S. Sacramento Dr.)
July 9 (Sat): Annual Sickle Cell Walk/Jog/Bike-a-Thon @ 39st & Lake Shore Drive
July 9 (Sat): Tony Toni Tone and Dru Hill @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 9 – 10 (Sat, Sun): DuSable Museum Arts & Crafts Festival @ 740 E. 56th Place
July 10 (Sun): Nikki Giovanni and Morris Gearring Celebrate the Music and Lyrics of Oscar Brown, Jr. @ The Promontory
July 10-11 (Sun, Mon): Macy Gray @ City Winery
July 11 (Mon): Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Sweet Honey in the Rock @ Ravinia
July 12 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Thelma & Louise
July 13 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Candice Marie @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 14 (Sat): Monique Spence Sex Talk 2 @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
July 14 (Thu): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with the Majestic Gents @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
July 14 (Thu): The Experience with Will Downing @ DuSable Museum
July 14 & 15 (Thu, Fri): Aaron Neville Duo @ City Winery
July 15 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
July 15 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Baskeda and West African Dance @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 15 (Fri): V103 Summer Block Party featuring Erykah Badu, Jazmine Sullivan, SWV & more @ Northerly Island
July 15-17 (Fri-Sun) Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park
July 16 (Sat): Sib’s Summer Takeover @ Vice District
July 16 (Sat): Silver Room Sound System Block Party on 53rd Street
July 16 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Imagine That @ 740 E. 56th Place
July 16 (Sat): Will Downing & Peabo Bryson @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 16-17 (Sat, Sun): Natural Hair Fest @ Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention (520 S. Michigan Ave.)
July 16 (Sat): Taste of WVON featuring Morris Day & The Time @ Lorraine Dixon Park (87th and Ingleside)
July 17 (Sun): ETA 45th Year Celebration @ 7558 S. South Chicago Ave.
July 19 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Moonstruck & Silence of the Lambs (Full Moon Double Feature)
July 20 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “The Baritones of Jazz” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
July 20 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Soulgroove @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 20 (Wed): Festival of the Lakes featuring a free Boyz II Men concert in Hammond, IN
July 21 (Thurs): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
July 22 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Swing and Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 23 (Sat): Brian Culbertson and Tower of Power @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 23 (Sat): Festival of the Lakes featuring a free Ludacris concert in Hammond, IN
July 24 (Sun): Chicago SummerDance presents Bollywood @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 25 (Mon): Booker T, A Stax Review, Journey Thru the Blues @ City Winery
July 26 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Kartemquin Films 50th Anniversary
July 27 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Marqueal Jordan @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 27 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Latin Music Night @53rd and Harper Court
July 27 (Wed): Diana Ross @ Ravinia Festival
July 26 & 27 (Tue, Wed): Drake & Future Summer Sixteen Tour @ United Center
July 28-31 (Thu-Sun): Lollapalooza @ Grant Park
July 29 (Fri): Summer of Peace Block Party @ Renaissance Park (1230 W. 79th Street)
July 30 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Austin Town Hall Park (5610 W. Lake St.)
July 30 (Sat): Keith Sweat & Silk @ Country Club Hills Theater
August 2016
Aug 2 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – West Side Story
Aug 3 (Wed): Summer Breeze Finale @ The Promontory
Aug 3 (Wed): Bettye Lavette @ City Winery
Aug 4-5 (Thu, Fri) Kindred the Family Soul @ The Promontory
Aug 5 (Fri): Jill Scott @ the Horseshoe Casino
Aug 5 (Fri): Beyonce vs Rihanna Tribute Party @ Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave)
Aug 5 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 5-Sep 1 (Fri-Thu) Black Harvest Film Festival @ Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State Street)
Aug 6 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Swing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 9 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Grease
Aug 11 (Thu): Marsha Ambrosius @ The Promontory
Aug 12 (Fri): Michael Henderson @ The Promontory
Aug 13 (Sat): Bud Billiken Parade on King Drive
Aug 13 (Sat): Reggae Fest Chicago @ Addams / Medill Park (1301 W. 14th St)
Aug 13 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 13 (Sat): Patti Austin & Lalah Hathaway @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 16 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Finding Nemo
Aug 17 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “The Vibe is on with Milt Jackson, Roy Ayers & Lionel Hampton” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
Aug 18 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
Aug 18 (Thu): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
Aug 18-21 (Thu-Sun): Taylor Street Festa Italiana @ Taylor Street and Ashland
Aug 19 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Aug 20 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Lee Daniels’ The Butler @ 740 E. 56th Place
Aug 20 (Sat): Vivian Green @ City Winery
Aug 20 (Sat): West Side Music Festival featuring Kelly Price, Slick Rick & MC Lyte @ Douglas Park
Aug 20 (Sat): Windy City Carnival @ Midway Plaisance (59th and Woodlawn)
Aug 20 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents A Purple Party: Tribute to Prince @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 20 (Sat): Ohio Players and SOS Band @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 20-21 (Sat, Sun) The 58th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show
Aug 22-23 (Mon, Tue): Sex in the Summer Series @ Black Ensemble Theater
Aug 23 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Purple Rain
Aug 25-27 (Thu, Fri, Sat): Eric Roberson @ City Winery
Aug 26-28 (Fri-Sun): Taste of Greektown @ 400 S. Halsted
Aug 27 (Sat): Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour @ United Center
August 27 (Sat): African Caribbean Music Boat Party @ River City Marina
Aug 27 (Sat): The Technology Brunch by Conversation Magazine
Aug 27 (Sat): Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun & Nick Colionne @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 28 (Sun): Seal @ Ravinia
Aug 28 (Sun): Chrisette Michele @ House of Blues
Aug 30 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Audience members will vote on their favorite Chicago film to be shown
Aug 31 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Afro-Beat Night @53rd and Harper Court
September 2016
Sept 1 (Thu): Lauryn Hill @ Ravinia
Sept 1-4 (Thu-Sun): Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
Sep 2 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 3 (Sat): George Benson @ the Horseshoe Casino
Sept 2-5 (Fri-Mon): African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park
Sept 15 (Thurs): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
Sept 16 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Sept 24-25 (Sat, Sun): Hyde Park Jazz Festival
On-Going Dates
May 21-Aug 28: Invisible Man – Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison in Harlem @ The Art Institute
June 4-July 10: The Marvin Gaye Story @ Black Ensemble Theater
June 7 - Sept 27 (Every Tue): MCA Tuesday on the Terrace @ Museum of Contemporary Art
June 22-Sept 1 (Every Wed): Jazzin at the Shedd Aquarium
July 30-Sept 4: The Jackie Wilson Story @ Black Ensemble Theater
June 27-Aug 5: Swish Dreams Sports & Educational Foundation Summer Camp
Every Sun at 10 am & 12:30 p.m.: House of Blues Gospel Brunch
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
June 2016
June 15 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “Swingin it with Count Basie & Duke Ellington” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
June 16 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
June 17 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
June 18 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Creed @ 740 E. 56th Place
June 21 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
June 22 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Corey Wilkes & Black Slang @ Seven Ten Lanes
June 23 (Thu): Patti LaBelle with The Commodores @ Ravinia
June 24 (Fri): Bob Dylan with Mavis Staples @ Ravinia
June 24 (Fri): An Evening of Smooth Jazz Starring Boney James and Roy Ayers @ the Horseshoe Casino
June 24-25 (Fri, Sat): Martin Lawrence LIVE @ The Chicago Theatre
June 25 (Sat): DuSable Museum A Night of 100 Stars Gala @ 740 E. 56th Place
June 25 (Sat): Celebrating Black Music in the Park @ Washington Park
June 25 (Sat): Sassy Thrifter’s “Fleek Market” @ 3232 S. King Drive
June 25 (Sat): Hashtag LunchBag Chicago @ The Promontory
June 25 (Sat): The Investments Brunch by Conversation Magazine
June 25 (Sat): James Brown Dace Party @ House of Blues
June 25 (Sat): Monica and Joe @ Country Club Hills Theater
June 25-26 (Sat, Sun): Chicago Food Truck Fest @McCormick Place South Loop (2200 S. Indiana Ave.)
June 26 (Sun): Assata’s Daughter’s BBQ celebrating #BlackGirlMagic @ The Promontory Point
June 26 (Sun): Chicago Pride Parade @ Montrose Avenue and Broadway
June 26 (Sun): Lalah Hathaway @ City Winery
June 28 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Soul Food
June 28 (Tue): Celebrating Jay Z ‘s Reasonable Doubt 20th Anniversary @ The Promontory
June 29 (Wed): House Club Tour Pub Crawl @ various locations
June 29 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Jazz Night @53rd and Harper Court
June 29 (Wed): Robert Cornelius & Friends present the music of Prince @ City Winery
June 29 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Phil Seed & Joyce Jackson Hurley @ Seven Ten Lanes
June 29 (Wed): Chosen Few DJ’s Hot Lunch Mix @ Daley Plaza
June 30 (Thu): The Wailers @ City Winery
June 30 (Thu): Soul Healing Relationships @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
June 30 (Thu): Damon Williams Comedy @ The Quarry (2423 E. 75th Street)
July 2016
July 1-4 (Fri-Mon): African/Caribbean International Festival of Life @ Union Park (1501 W. Randolph)
July 1 (Fri): Funkadesi (International/world music group) @ City Winery
July 1 (Fri): LoveSexy Prince Tribute Party @ The Promontory
July 1-4 (Fri-Mon) Naperville Ribfest
July 1 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 2 (Sat): Talib Kweli with DJ Jamal Smallz @ City Winery
July 2 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin Under the Stars @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 2-3 (Sat, Sun): Chosen Few Picnic Weekend @ Jackson Park (63rd & Hayes Drive)
July 4 (Mon): Forth of July Fireworks @ Navy Pier
July 5 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – A League of Their Own
July 6 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Simone Green, Jocelyn Winston & Carya Holmes @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 6-10 (Wed-Sun): Taste of Chicago featuring The Roots on 7/6 and The Isley Brothers featuring Ronald and Ernie Isley on 7/10 @ Grant Park
July 7 (Thu): Free Women of Color Fest @ Victory Gardens Biograph Theater (2433 N. Lincoln Avenue)
July 8 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Hustle and Western Swing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 8-9 (Fri, Sat): Soul Yoga Fest @ Fuller Park Field House (331 W. 45th St)
July 9 (Sat): Summer Series Brunch featuring J Vizzion @ Flavor (17575 Kedzie Ave in HazelCrest)
July 9 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with Herb Kent @ Douglas Park (1401 S. Sacramento Dr.)
July 9 (Sat): Annual Sickle Cell Walk/Jog/Bike-a-Thon @ 39st & Lake Shore Drive
July 9 (Sat): Tony Toni Tone and Dru Hill @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 9 – 10 (Sat, Sun): DuSable Museum Arts & Crafts Festival @ 740 E. 56th Place
July 10 (Sun): Nikki Giovanni and Morris Gearring Celebrate the Music and Lyrics of Oscar Brown, Jr. @ The Promontory
July 10-11 (Sun, Mon): Macy Gray @ City Winery
July 11 (Mon): Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Sweet Honey in the Rock @ Ravinia
July 12 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Thelma & Louise
July 13 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Candice Marie @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 14 (Sat): Monique Spence Sex Talk 2 @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
July 14 (Thu): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ with the Majestic Gents @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
July 14 (Thu): The Experience with Will Downing @ DuSable Museum
July 14 & 15 (Thu, Fri): Aaron Neville Duo @ City Winery
July 15 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
July 15 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Baskeda and West African Dance @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 15 (Fri): V103 Summer Block Party featuring Erykah Badu, Jazmine Sullivan, SWV & more @ Northerly Island
July 15-17 (Fri-Sun) Pitchfork Music Festival @ Union Park
July 16 (Sat): Sib’s Summer Takeover @ Vice District
July 16 (Sat): Silver Room Sound System Block Party on 53rd Street
July 16 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Imagine That @ 740 E. 56th Place
July 16 (Sat): Will Downing & Peabo Bryson @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 16-17 (Sat, Sun): Natural Hair Fest @ Congress Plaza Hotel & Convention (520 S. Michigan Ave.)
July 16 (Sat): Taste of WVON featuring Morris Day & The Time @ Lorraine Dixon Park (87th and Ingleside)
July 17 (Sun): ETA 45th Year Celebration @ 7558 S. South Chicago Ave.
July 19 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Moonstruck & Silence of the Lambs (Full Moon Double Feature)
July 20 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “The Baritones of Jazz” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
July 20 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Soulgroove @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 20 (Wed): Festival of the Lakes featuring a free Boyz II Men concert in Hammond, IN
July 21 (Thurs): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
July 22 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents Swing and Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 23 (Sat): Brian Culbertson and Tower of Power @ Country Club Hills Theater
July 23 (Sat): Festival of the Lakes featuring a free Ludacris concert in Hammond, IN
July 24 (Sun): Chicago SummerDance presents Bollywood @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
July 25 (Mon): Booker T, A Stax Review, Journey Thru the Blues @ City Winery
July 26 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Kartemquin Films 50th Anniversary
July 27 (Wed): Summer Breeze featuring Marqueal Jordan @ Seven Ten Lanes
July 27 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Latin Music Night @53rd and Harper Court
July 27 (Wed): Diana Ross @ Ravinia Festival
July 26 & 27 (Tue, Wed): Drake & Future Summer Sixteen Tour @ United Center
July 28-31 (Thu-Sun): Lollapalooza @ Grant Park
July 29 (Fri): Summer of Peace Block Party @ Renaissance Park (1230 W. 79th Street)
July 30 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Austin Town Hall Park (5610 W. Lake St.)
July 30 (Sat): Keith Sweat & Silk @ Country Club Hills Theater
August 2016
Aug 2 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – West Side Story
Aug 3 (Wed): Summer Breeze Finale @ The Promontory
Aug 3 (Wed): Bettye Lavette @ City Winery
Aug 4-5 (Thu, Fri) Kindred the Family Soul @ The Promontory
Aug 5 (Fri): Jill Scott @ the Horseshoe Casino
Aug 5 (Fri): Beyonce vs Rihanna Tribute Party @ Subterranean (2011 W. North Ave)
Aug 5 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 5-Sep 1 (Fri-Thu) Black Harvest Film Festival @ Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State Street)
Aug 6 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Swing @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 9 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Grease
Aug 11 (Thu): Marsha Ambrosius @ The Promontory
Aug 12 (Fri): Michael Henderson @ The Promontory
Aug 13 (Sat): Bud Billiken Parade on King Drive
Aug 13 (Sat): Reggae Fest Chicago @ Addams / Medill Park (1301 W. 14th St)
Aug 13 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 13 (Sat): Patti Austin & Lalah Hathaway @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 16 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Finding Nemo
Aug 17 (Wed): Sounds of History Jazz “The Vibe is on with Milt Jackson, Roy Ayers & Lionel Hampton” @ DuSable Museum (740 E. 56th Place)
Aug 18 (Thu): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
Aug 18 (Thu): Chicago SummerDance presents Steppin’ @ Washington Park Refectory (5531 S. Russell Dr.)
Aug 18-21 (Thu-Sun): Taylor Street Festa Italiana @ Taylor Street and Ashland
Aug 19 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Aug 20 (Sat): DuSable Museum Movies in the Park – Lee Daniels’ The Butler @ 740 E. 56th Place
Aug 20 (Sat): Vivian Green @ City Winery
Aug 20 (Sat): West Side Music Festival featuring Kelly Price, Slick Rick & MC Lyte @ Douglas Park
Aug 20 (Sat): Windy City Carnival @ Midway Plaisance (59th and Woodlawn)
Aug 20 (Sat): Chicago SummerDance presents A Purple Party: Tribute to Prince @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Aug 20 (Sat): Ohio Players and SOS Band @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 20-21 (Sat, Sun) The 58th Annual Chicago Air and Water Show
Aug 22-23 (Mon, Tue): Sex in the Summer Series @ Black Ensemble Theater
Aug 23 (Tue): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Purple Rain
Aug 25-27 (Thu, Fri, Sat): Eric Roberson @ City Winery
Aug 26-28 (Fri-Sun): Taste of Greektown @ 400 S. Halsted
Aug 27 (Sat): Bad Boy Family Reunion Tour @ United Center
August 27 (Sat): African Caribbean Music Boat Party @ River City Marina
Aug 27 (Sat): The Technology Brunch by Conversation Magazine
Aug 27 (Sat): Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun & Nick Colionne @ Country Club Hills Theater
Aug 28 (Sun): Seal @ Ravinia
Aug 28 (Sun): Chrisette Michele @ House of Blues
Aug 30 (Tues): Millennium Park Summer Film Series – Audience members will vote on their favorite Chicago film to be shown
Aug 31 (Wed): Harper Court Music Series, Afro-Beat Night @53rd and Harper Court
September 2016
Sept 1 (Thu): Lauryn Hill @ Ravinia
Sept 1-4 (Thu-Sun): Chicago Jazz Festival @ Millennium Park
Sep 2 (Fri): Chicago SummerDance presents House Music @ the Spirit of Music Garden in Grant Park
Sept 3 (Sat): George Benson @ the Horseshoe Casino
Sept 2-5 (Fri-Mon): African Festival of the Arts @ Washington Park
Sept 15 (Thurs): Grown Folks Stories @ The Silver Room (1506 E. 53rd Street)
Sept 16 (Fri): Bronzeville Summer Nights @ The Greater Bronzeville Area
Sept 24-25 (Sat, Sun): Hyde Park Jazz Festival
On-Going Dates
May 21-Aug 28: Invisible Man – Gordon Parks and Ralph Ellison in Harlem @ The Art Institute
June 4-July 10: The Marvin Gaye Story @ Black Ensemble Theater
June 7 - Sept 27 (Every Tue): MCA Tuesday on the Terrace @ Museum of Contemporary Art
June 22-Sept 1 (Every Wed): Jazzin at the Shedd Aquarium
July 30-Sept 4: The Jackie Wilson Story @ Black Ensemble Theater
June 27-Aug 5: Swish Dreams Sports & Educational Foundation Summer Camp
Every Sun at 10 am & 12:30 p.m.: House of Blues Gospel Brunch
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel, Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City", your summer won't be complete without it. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
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December 9, 2015
An Open Letter to Mayor Rahm Emanuel
Dear Mayor Emanuel,
I applaud your address this morning to the city council. Thank you for publicly apologizing for the police shooting death of Laquan McDonald and for acknowledging the deep seated problems we have in Chicago. I accept your apology and look forward to working together. I would like to arm you with some additional ideas and suggestions to fix our great city:
-FIX THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. In order to do that, you need to stop being a jerk, especially to Black women because we don’t play that. You owe Karen Lewis an apology. If she hadn’t had a health challenge, she would’ve wiped the floor with you in the election. She’s a proud Black woman and the head of a powerful entity…YOUR SCHOOLS! She’s not the help. You need her and you need to work with her efficiently. You need to dig deep, sincerely apologize, get her an thoughtful Kwanzaa gift, and ask her to bury the past so you can forge a partnership to empower our teachers and our students (AKA our future). Our Black children will keep killing each other if we don’t properly educate them and give them opportunities to advance. Stop being a rude jerk who talks down to Ms. Lewis. Give her and the CTU what they need to educate our youth. Drastically cut the salary for the next CPD Superintendent and move that money and even more from CPD and FOP to CPS. We need less cops and more scholars. (Speaking of apologies, you also need to apologize to the First Lady. I can only imagine what you did or said to get banished from the White House, but it’s never too late to say “I apologize.”) You also need to move Forrest Claypool. He should not be the head of CPS. He does not have the right background to run the schools. They need to be run by someone with a background in education. He would be great as the CFO for CPS, but not as the leader.
-FIX THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT. You will need to think, research and hunt long and hard before you hire a new CPD Superintendent. You sicced that racist McCarthy on us. Please don’t do that again and thanks for sending him away. I’m glad you have a task force and have already put in place mechanisms for community feedback. It would be ideal if you promoted someone from within the CPD ranks. Chicago is a particular town. We like our own. I also would like the new head not be racist and I’d love the new superintendent to be a person of color. Actually, a woman would be awesome. Ask Sheriff Tom Dart how his Nneka Jones Tapia is working out as the executive director of the Cook County Jails. I really like Dart. He should be apart of your braintrust.
The racial and gender makeup of the new CPD should mirror the community. Why did the last CPD graduating class only have 2 blacks out of 60? You don’t need a college degree to be a police officer. The task force needs to research the recruiting/new hire requirements and process. The police department should match the racial make up of the city which means 32% Black officers and 28% Brown. Black and Brown neighborhoods, need Black and Brown officers. I didn’t pull the numbers on the racial make up of the CPD now, but that would be fascinating to compare to the city’s racial make up. Also, the CPD needs to be rebranded and reeducated as a peacekeeping force. In Europe, officers don’t carry guns and they have less crime than in America. Ask Idris Elba AKA Luther. I really like the officers on bikes and foot patrols, but they shouldn’t be writing traffic and vehicle violations. One day I saw three police officers walking the neighborhood and it made me feel safe until they starting writing a ticket for a car without a city sticker. This city’s desperate need for cash has turned the police force into a revenue source. That’s no good. Police should not be responsible for revenue generation. It’s disgusting that the office that handles tickets is called the Department of Revenue. Police should focus exclusively on safety. Police writing tickets with huge fines makes people hate to see police officers in their neighborhood and that’s not the relationship we want to foster. We want the community to see the officers as peacekeepers. We need less policing and ticket writing and more protecting and peace. Take notes from the University of Chicago who have “peace keepers” on the corners at night to discourage any funny business. When people are visible and watching, crime is less likely to occur which is also another reason you need to get rid of the CPD black opps site on Homan Avenue. That is a disgraceful violation of first amendment rights and a human rights nightmare. It needs to be shut down.
-FIX THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE. I’m all for unions. My daddy is a Teamster and they have provided him excellent council and help throughout his career. The CPD need a union, but not the way the FOP is operating. They are acting like the new KKK whose primary job is to cover-up police misconduct. I understand they have a contract with the city. Well, it’s not working. Everything they say is a lie and every issue they adamantly rally against is usually an offspring of something corrupt and racist the CPD perpetrated.
-FIX THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Chicago needs you to do what you do best which is creating corporate partnerships and driving economic opportunity. The thing I love the most about you is you’re a money-making, networking, deal-closer just like me. Let me say what you haven’t, can’t and won’t say. Former Mayor Daley and his cronies raped the city coffers and segregated and oppressed the Black and Brown people. You inherited a mess. Most of this crap is Daley’s fault so I feel for you. But President Obama put you here to clean up his city and I’m going to help however I can because I’m #TeamBarack 100%. Chicago need a fiscally sound mayor who knows how to bring in corporate dollars and negotiate sound business deals. You never would have given away our parking meters for 70 years for peanuts. Bill Clinton said it best, “It’s the economy, stupid” and I think you are losing sight of that. In your address this morning, you said “we need to work on three fronts: justice, culture and community”. You forgot the most important and the one you are the best at: THE ECONOMY. We have so much crime because we don’t have jobs on the south and west side. Chicago has the highest sales tax, property taxes, city stickers, parking meters fees, parking lot fees (my Dad paid $49 to park at the Bear’s game…that’s ridiculous), convention center fees and on top of the city is relentless in doling out red light tickets, speed camera tickets, booting cars, towing fees/storage, and on and on. It’s too much. It’s too stressful driving and living here. I don’t event want to own a car anymore. I understand the city needs money, but pimping the residents is not the way. You are essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul. In collecting more taxes, fees and fines for the city, you’re shrinking the disposable income that should be spent in our stores, restaurants and local businesses that then will circulate in our neighborhoods and drive the local economy. IT’S THE ECONOMY. Most citizens only have a finite income. The city is siphoning off too much for city revenues and not leaving enough for local business. We need less taxes, tickets and fine. The tourists are great for new revenue generation, but we need even more.
-FAST TRACK THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. The city and the state are broke. Governor Rauner wants to default on our loans which is a smart and strategic idea, but I have an even better one. We cannot keep asking the people to bail the city and state out. Now that the truth has been revealed, the wrongful death and wrongful incarceration lawsuits are going to keep coming. Cost of living keeps going up. We need major infrastructure improvements for our road, bridges and transportation. We need more money and we can’t keep asking the people for it. We are breaking the people’s backs. We need to infuse an enormous and new revenue stream. Hmmm, I wonder where we could find one? Oh wait, marijuana! Just look at Colorado. They are giving their residents money back and crime hasn’t increased. In fact, crime will probably go down in Chicago when you legalize drugs. And the best part is you and your wine bestie can work on it together. And while you’re working on that, can you also work on a complete overhaul of the Illinois Prison Review Board and System. Let all the Black and Brown people in jail for having a dime bag out.
-FIX CHICAGO’S LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. Since the highest office in America is restricted by term limits, then your office should be also. It would be a great gesture if you proposed mayoral term limits and enacted them. We also want an elected school board as was overwhelming voted for in the non-binding referendum. And why do we have non-binding referendum? Seriously! The people spoke loud and clear on what they wanted, but Mayor Daley and his crooks structured the city laws and elections so it doesn’t matter what the people say. Well since he’s finally out of office (Thanks President Obama and Mayor Emanuel), can the people have their voice and power back? We need a task force to review, update and change the voting process and the city of Chicago Rules and Regulations. Cliff Kelley from WVON was on the committee that rewrote the Illinois Constitution and he would be a great person to spearhead this project. (I actually got this suggestion from him. Thanks Cliff.) Cliff also said that the City Council should have their own attorney. Patton Corporation Council should not be the lawyer for the city and for the alderman. We need a separation of the executive and legislative branches which might have helped when the two branches allegedly decided not to watch the Laquan McDonald videotape.
-FIX THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES. You know how you open the coffers and pour ungodly amounts of dollars into downtown and the north side. It’s completely ridiculous that Millennium Park Grill doesn’t pay for water! Well, we need you to do that on the south and west sides. We need jobs, contracts, TIFS, corporate partnerships, and economic development. I don’t need another MetroPCS, Baba’s Lemonade or Dunkin Donuts. I don’t want fast food. I want fine dining. I want to walk to Starbucks, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Mariano’s. We need technology centers. You have plenty of empty school buildings that can be converted into tech centers. Get Uber to sponsor it. We can have Uber tech centers on the south and west sides teaching our kids to code and how to use technology to create economic development. We also need to create some centers dedicated to empowering former prisons and preparing them for re-entry into society. Not half way houses, but empowerment centers. We also need an empowerment center for people who were wrongly convicted of crimes. They need special consoling, attention, and financial planning if they received a large settlement. TIF money needs to be distributed and used by area. Stop letting crooked officials steal TIF dollars assigned to Black and Brown area and move the money to projects downtown. And when a TIF is designated in an area, people from the area need to be hired to work on that project. Black and Brown communities need jobs. When you close our schools, you are also depleting our jobs. When you don’t hire us for the police and fire department, you are depleting our jobs. When you don’t propose construction projects in our neighborhoods and hire us to work on them, you are depleting our jobs and ultimately our economic viability. We desperately need more jobs in our areas, more money for circulation and economic growth. Stop focusing on the tourist and folks downtown and focus on your Black and Brown brothers and sisters. We need you!
I usually charge for my consulting expertise, but I’m going to give you all these great ideas for free. But it wouldn’t be the Chicago way if I didn’t at least ask for a couple of things in return. So here’s my list of what I’d personally like: an honorary street for Fred Hampton and Former Officer Howard Morgan. Also for Former Officer Howard Morgan a full pardon, restitution of all benefits, and generous settlement. Repeal the ban on mini bottles of liquor (you know the size you get on an airplane…and thanks for already bringing back Happy Hour). Repeal the ban on spray paint (I can get a gun easier than I can get spray paint. My arts and crafts people will thank you.) And you might as well repeal the ban on fireworks. You’ve been here for a few 4th of Julys. Does anybody think the ban on fireworks is effective? Plus repealing these bans will bring in three new revenue streams. Not enough to save us, but every little bit helps until you get marijuana legalized. That is truly our saving grace. Oh, and put my book Single Girl Summer in the One Book, One Chicago program. Thanks!
Rahm, for the most part, I’ve been on your side. I don’t like when you are a mean, rude bully so please stop that. I agree that man shouldn’t have put your Cuba vacation plans on blast. That was whack and deserving of a side eye, but some people you demean don’t deserve it like Karen Lewis. My grandmother always said, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”. Stop alienating people you have to work with because you don’t like them or because they won’t do what you tell them to. You have to get better at peaceful negotiations and creating win-win solutions. You have to work with Karen Lewis so get better at it. Though you lost many points in my book for that, I love Safe Passage, the longer school day, free community college for any CPS student with a 3.0 GPA, Englewood Whole Foods, the future 95th CTA station, Put the Guns Down, Divvy bikes, ride sharing airport pick ups, and all the corporate engagement. I even like some Red Light cameras because to be honest running red lights was a serious and scary problem in Chicago.
I like you and I love my city. I’m tired of everyone blaming you for everything. To be honest, the responsibility lies with all of us. Daley, his administration and any elected officials who served under his reign are largely at fault. The alderman, officials, clergy and such who have been active in Chicago longer than you have been mayor need to have a seat. They didn’t stand up to Daley and now they want to jump bad with you. Please stop. Rahm got rid of Daley and for that you have my eternal gratitude. But we the people are also to blame. We didn’t stand up to Daley. We didn’t vote him out. We didn’t organize for change. And we need to accept our collective blame in this mess. We failed ourselves, our democracy and the legacy of Chicago’s greatest mayor Harold Washington. I will be silence and complacent no longer. I am the answer. I am the work that needs to be done. I am the voice. I am the boots on the ground. I am Chicago and I am here Mayor Emanuel to help you make Chicago the greatest city in the world. Just let me know what you need me to do! #TeamObama #TeamRahm #TeamChicago #LetsGetToWork
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City" during one Chicago summer, Single Girl Summer let's you have summer all year round. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
If you enjoyed this blog, type your email address in the box, click the "create subscription" button, and sign-up for my blog alerts. The list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. Thanks!
I applaud your address this morning to the city council. Thank you for publicly apologizing for the police shooting death of Laquan McDonald and for acknowledging the deep seated problems we have in Chicago. I accept your apology and look forward to working together. I would like to arm you with some additional ideas and suggestions to fix our great city:
-FIX THE CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS. In order to do that, you need to stop being a jerk, especially to Black women because we don’t play that. You owe Karen Lewis an apology. If she hadn’t had a health challenge, she would’ve wiped the floor with you in the election. She’s a proud Black woman and the head of a powerful entity…YOUR SCHOOLS! She’s not the help. You need her and you need to work with her efficiently. You need to dig deep, sincerely apologize, get her an thoughtful Kwanzaa gift, and ask her to bury the past so you can forge a partnership to empower our teachers and our students (AKA our future). Our Black children will keep killing each other if we don’t properly educate them and give them opportunities to advance. Stop being a rude jerk who talks down to Ms. Lewis. Give her and the CTU what they need to educate our youth. Drastically cut the salary for the next CPD Superintendent and move that money and even more from CPD and FOP to CPS. We need less cops and more scholars. (Speaking of apologies, you also need to apologize to the First Lady. I can only imagine what you did or said to get banished from the White House, but it’s never too late to say “I apologize.”) You also need to move Forrest Claypool. He should not be the head of CPS. He does not have the right background to run the schools. They need to be run by someone with a background in education. He would be great as the CFO for CPS, but not as the leader.
-FIX THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT. You will need to think, research and hunt long and hard before you hire a new CPD Superintendent. You sicced that racist McCarthy on us. Please don’t do that again and thanks for sending him away. I’m glad you have a task force and have already put in place mechanisms for community feedback. It would be ideal if you promoted someone from within the CPD ranks. Chicago is a particular town. We like our own. I also would like the new head not be racist and I’d love the new superintendent to be a person of color. Actually, a woman would be awesome. Ask Sheriff Tom Dart how his Nneka Jones Tapia is working out as the executive director of the Cook County Jails. I really like Dart. He should be apart of your braintrust.
The racial and gender makeup of the new CPD should mirror the community. Why did the last CPD graduating class only have 2 blacks out of 60? You don’t need a college degree to be a police officer. The task force needs to research the recruiting/new hire requirements and process. The police department should match the racial make up of the city which means 32% Black officers and 28% Brown. Black and Brown neighborhoods, need Black and Brown officers. I didn’t pull the numbers on the racial make up of the CPD now, but that would be fascinating to compare to the city’s racial make up. Also, the CPD needs to be rebranded and reeducated as a peacekeeping force. In Europe, officers don’t carry guns and they have less crime than in America. Ask Idris Elba AKA Luther. I really like the officers on bikes and foot patrols, but they shouldn’t be writing traffic and vehicle violations. One day I saw three police officers walking the neighborhood and it made me feel safe until they starting writing a ticket for a car without a city sticker. This city’s desperate need for cash has turned the police force into a revenue source. That’s no good. Police should not be responsible for revenue generation. It’s disgusting that the office that handles tickets is called the Department of Revenue. Police should focus exclusively on safety. Police writing tickets with huge fines makes people hate to see police officers in their neighborhood and that’s not the relationship we want to foster. We want the community to see the officers as peacekeepers. We need less policing and ticket writing and more protecting and peace. Take notes from the University of Chicago who have “peace keepers” on the corners at night to discourage any funny business. When people are visible and watching, crime is less likely to occur which is also another reason you need to get rid of the CPD black opps site on Homan Avenue. That is a disgraceful violation of first amendment rights and a human rights nightmare. It needs to be shut down.
-FIX THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE. I’m all for unions. My daddy is a Teamster and they have provided him excellent council and help throughout his career. The CPD need a union, but not the way the FOP is operating. They are acting like the new KKK whose primary job is to cover-up police misconduct. I understand they have a contract with the city. Well, it’s not working. Everything they say is a lie and every issue they adamantly rally against is usually an offspring of something corrupt and racist the CPD perpetrated.
-FIX THE LOCAL ECONOMY. Chicago needs you to do what you do best which is creating corporate partnerships and driving economic opportunity. The thing I love the most about you is you’re a money-making, networking, deal-closer just like me. Let me say what you haven’t, can’t and won’t say. Former Mayor Daley and his cronies raped the city coffers and segregated and oppressed the Black and Brown people. You inherited a mess. Most of this crap is Daley’s fault so I feel for you. But President Obama put you here to clean up his city and I’m going to help however I can because I’m #TeamBarack 100%. Chicago need a fiscally sound mayor who knows how to bring in corporate dollars and negotiate sound business deals. You never would have given away our parking meters for 70 years for peanuts. Bill Clinton said it best, “It’s the economy, stupid” and I think you are losing sight of that. In your address this morning, you said “we need to work on three fronts: justice, culture and community”. You forgot the most important and the one you are the best at: THE ECONOMY. We have so much crime because we don’t have jobs on the south and west side. Chicago has the highest sales tax, property taxes, city stickers, parking meters fees, parking lot fees (my Dad paid $49 to park at the Bear’s game…that’s ridiculous), convention center fees and on top of the city is relentless in doling out red light tickets, speed camera tickets, booting cars, towing fees/storage, and on and on. It’s too much. It’s too stressful driving and living here. I don’t event want to own a car anymore. I understand the city needs money, but pimping the residents is not the way. You are essentially robbing Peter to pay Paul. In collecting more taxes, fees and fines for the city, you’re shrinking the disposable income that should be spent in our stores, restaurants and local businesses that then will circulate in our neighborhoods and drive the local economy. IT’S THE ECONOMY. Most citizens only have a finite income. The city is siphoning off too much for city revenues and not leaving enough for local business. We need less taxes, tickets and fine. The tourists are great for new revenue generation, but we need even more.
-FAST TRACK THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. The city and the state are broke. Governor Rauner wants to default on our loans which is a smart and strategic idea, but I have an even better one. We cannot keep asking the people to bail the city and state out. Now that the truth has been revealed, the wrongful death and wrongful incarceration lawsuits are going to keep coming. Cost of living keeps going up. We need major infrastructure improvements for our road, bridges and transportation. We need more money and we can’t keep asking the people for it. We are breaking the people’s backs. We need to infuse an enormous and new revenue stream. Hmmm, I wonder where we could find one? Oh wait, marijuana! Just look at Colorado. They are giving their residents money back and crime hasn’t increased. In fact, crime will probably go down in Chicago when you legalize drugs. And the best part is you and your wine bestie can work on it together. And while you’re working on that, can you also work on a complete overhaul of the Illinois Prison Review Board and System. Let all the Black and Brown people in jail for having a dime bag out.
-FIX CHICAGO’S LEGISLATIVE PROCESS. Since the highest office in America is restricted by term limits, then your office should be also. It would be a great gesture if you proposed mayoral term limits and enacted them. We also want an elected school board as was overwhelming voted for in the non-binding referendum. And why do we have non-binding referendum? Seriously! The people spoke loud and clear on what they wanted, but Mayor Daley and his crooks structured the city laws and elections so it doesn’t matter what the people say. Well since he’s finally out of office (Thanks President Obama and Mayor Emanuel), can the people have their voice and power back? We need a task force to review, update and change the voting process and the city of Chicago Rules and Regulations. Cliff Kelley from WVON was on the committee that rewrote the Illinois Constitution and he would be a great person to spearhead this project. (I actually got this suggestion from him. Thanks Cliff.) Cliff also said that the City Council should have their own attorney. Patton Corporation Council should not be the lawyer for the city and for the alderman. We need a separation of the executive and legislative branches which might have helped when the two branches allegedly decided not to watch the Laquan McDonald videotape.
-FIX THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDES. You know how you open the coffers and pour ungodly amounts of dollars into downtown and the north side. It’s completely ridiculous that Millennium Park Grill doesn’t pay for water! Well, we need you to do that on the south and west sides. We need jobs, contracts, TIFS, corporate partnerships, and economic development. I don’t need another MetroPCS, Baba’s Lemonade or Dunkin Donuts. I don’t want fast food. I want fine dining. I want to walk to Starbucks, Bed Bath and Beyond, and Mariano’s. We need technology centers. You have plenty of empty school buildings that can be converted into tech centers. Get Uber to sponsor it. We can have Uber tech centers on the south and west sides teaching our kids to code and how to use technology to create economic development. We also need to create some centers dedicated to empowering former prisons and preparing them for re-entry into society. Not half way houses, but empowerment centers. We also need an empowerment center for people who were wrongly convicted of crimes. They need special consoling, attention, and financial planning if they received a large settlement. TIF money needs to be distributed and used by area. Stop letting crooked officials steal TIF dollars assigned to Black and Brown area and move the money to projects downtown. And when a TIF is designated in an area, people from the area need to be hired to work on that project. Black and Brown communities need jobs. When you close our schools, you are also depleting our jobs. When you don’t hire us for the police and fire department, you are depleting our jobs. When you don’t propose construction projects in our neighborhoods and hire us to work on them, you are depleting our jobs and ultimately our economic viability. We desperately need more jobs in our areas, more money for circulation and economic growth. Stop focusing on the tourist and folks downtown and focus on your Black and Brown brothers and sisters. We need you!
I usually charge for my consulting expertise, but I’m going to give you all these great ideas for free. But it wouldn’t be the Chicago way if I didn’t at least ask for a couple of things in return. So here’s my list of what I’d personally like: an honorary street for Fred Hampton and Former Officer Howard Morgan. Also for Former Officer Howard Morgan a full pardon, restitution of all benefits, and generous settlement. Repeal the ban on mini bottles of liquor (you know the size you get on an airplane…and thanks for already bringing back Happy Hour). Repeal the ban on spray paint (I can get a gun easier than I can get spray paint. My arts and crafts people will thank you.) And you might as well repeal the ban on fireworks. You’ve been here for a few 4th of Julys. Does anybody think the ban on fireworks is effective? Plus repealing these bans will bring in three new revenue streams. Not enough to save us, but every little bit helps until you get marijuana legalized. That is truly our saving grace. Oh, and put my book Single Girl Summer in the One Book, One Chicago program. Thanks!
Rahm, for the most part, I’ve been on your side. I don’t like when you are a mean, rude bully so please stop that. I agree that man shouldn’t have put your Cuba vacation plans on blast. That was whack and deserving of a side eye, but some people you demean don’t deserve it like Karen Lewis. My grandmother always said, “you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”. Stop alienating people you have to work with because you don’t like them or because they won’t do what you tell them to. You have to get better at peaceful negotiations and creating win-win solutions. You have to work with Karen Lewis so get better at it. Though you lost many points in my book for that, I love Safe Passage, the longer school day, free community college for any CPS student with a 3.0 GPA, Englewood Whole Foods, the future 95th CTA station, Put the Guns Down, Divvy bikes, ride sharing airport pick ups, and all the corporate engagement. I even like some Red Light cameras because to be honest running red lights was a serious and scary problem in Chicago.
I like you and I love my city. I’m tired of everyone blaming you for everything. To be honest, the responsibility lies with all of us. Daley, his administration and any elected officials who served under his reign are largely at fault. The alderman, officials, clergy and such who have been active in Chicago longer than you have been mayor need to have a seat. They didn’t stand up to Daley and now they want to jump bad with you. Please stop. Rahm got rid of Daley and for that you have my eternal gratitude. But we the people are also to blame. We didn’t stand up to Daley. We didn’t vote him out. We didn’t organize for change. And we need to accept our collective blame in this mess. We failed ourselves, our democracy and the legacy of Chicago’s greatest mayor Harold Washington. I will be silence and complacent no longer. I am the answer. I am the work that needs to be done. I am the voice. I am the boots on the ground. I am Chicago and I am here Mayor Emanuel to help you make Chicago the greatest city in the world. Just let me know what you need me to do! #TeamObama #TeamRahm #TeamChicago #LetsGetToWork
Deanna Burrell is the author of the best-selling novel Single Girl Summer. Described as "Waiting to Exhale" meets "Sex and the City" during one Chicago summer, Single Girl Summer let's you have summer all year round. Click here to download Single Girl Summer now!
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The Red Cup Adventures
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