July 2026: Reflecting on America’s 250th birthday, a message from PN Board Member, Sonya Ross and more!
Hey, Narrative Change Community!
A Message From Guest Contributor and PN Board Member, Sonya Ross
Photo provided by Sonya Ross.
The United States of America just threw itself a birthday party. Two hundred and fifty years of independence - the Semiquincentennial, they called it. This nation put on its Sunday best and posed for the portrait.
However, 150 years ago, America walked away from the best story it never finished telling: how a society born in contradiction might actually live up to its own creed. Reconstruction was that story.
The Freedmen's Bureau wrote it in real time. Black men held elected office for the first time ever. Black colleges sprang up from bare ground. Families separated by the auction block searched for each other across state lines. Then abruptly, in 1877 America folded up the tent, looked the other way, and let Jim Crow hold sway over multiple states for nearly another century.
Some folks will tell you Reconstruction is ancient history, too far back to matter now. In fact, the reverse is true. The descendants of the formerly enslaved, and the dedicated Freedmen's Bureau workers who helped them, are the heartbeats of Chicago's communities right now. They show up in the city's block clubs and in the choirs and usher boards in Chicago's churches. They push petitions and register voters. They raise the alarm about what is happening to Chicago's babies or seniors. They are Chicago's story, living and breathing, and their stories deserve to be told with care and respect.
So when Public Narrative invited me to join its board in October 2024, my answer was an immediate yes. Public Narrative empowers all Chicagoans to tell their own stories with skill and precision – as it should be. My 40 years as a journalist taught me that everything any community understands about itself has its roots in whose stories gets told, and how they get told. The people closest to a community's pain and possibilities are best equipped to KNOW its stories.
Now that the United States’ big birthday party is over, the time is right to do right by those stories. Reconstruction taught all of us what happens when true American stories get abandoned and buried. Public Narrative is here to make sure we learn that painful lesson of 150 years ago thoroughly, so future generations – in Chicago and beyond – won't be doomed to relive it.
Sonya Ross
President
Boss Ross Media, LLC
A community roundtable at The Trade Collective, a partner organization in NU's new workforce hub. // Credit: Matthew Eadie
NU launching ‘Hiring Hub’ for local jobs // Evanston Now
Northwestern University announced Wednesday a “cross-community workforce initiative” to assist local employers and residents in finding jobs, called the All Evanston Hiring Hub. The university says the program has been developed with the Ryan Family Foundation and in partnership with the Youth Job Center, Evanston Own It, The Trade Collective, National Louis University and Per Scholas, to “connect residents completing sector- or occupation-based training to employment.”
Read more: NU launching ‘Hiring Hub’ for local jobs
Moving forward with debt sale, Chicago taps Bank of America as facilitator // City Bureau
Here’s what you need to know as Bank of America steps in to help sell off at least $1 billion worth of vehicle debt to a private collector. People whose debt is sold will no longer qualify for city-run debt relief programs.
Read more: Moving forward with debt sale, Chicago taps Bank of America as facilitator
Special Edition: Pride on Full Display at the Obama Presidential Center // E3 Radio
This Queer News special edition episode is created in collaboration with GLAAD. Fresh off the historic grand opening this past Juneteenth, Anna DeShawn takes you through the 19.3 acre Obama Center through her eyes.
Listen and read more: Special Edition: Pride on Full Display at the Obama Presidential Center
Senior Manager of Organizing // HANA Center
Art Director // Noisy Creek for Chicago Reader
RFP: Steelworkers Park Gathering Space - Artists // Field Museum
RFP: Collaborations & Infrastructure 2026 // Press Forward Chicago
July 17 - Aug 21: REVOLUTIONARY: The Exhibition // PIGMENT International
Join PIGMENT International on the 17th from 6-9 p.m. for the exhibition REVOLUTIONARY reframes the narrative of Black American history, emphasizing that revolution is not a singular event but a continuous journey toward freedom, dignity, and self-determination. Vjosa Cafe & Events, 1010 West 35th Street, Suite 102 Chicago, IL 60609.
July 23: NABJ-Chicago’s WNBA All Star Media Mixer //NABJ Chicago
NABJ Chicago welcomes local and national media professionals to mix, mingle, and kick off WNBA All-Star Weekend at Lighthouse Amenity Center. Enjoy local craft beer from Haymarket Brewery, cocktails featuring Uncle Nearest Whiskey, and food provided by Fry the Coop. 6-9 p.m. at 303 W. Wacker Dr., 30th Fl.
July 25: Kartemquin Summer Soirée // Kartemquin Films
Celebrate 60 years of Kartemquin Films where activism, artistry, and community come together. Join fellow filmmakers, storytellers, and democracy defenders for an intimate evening of music, film, drinks, and fireworks! Join Kartemquin in Downtown Chicago at 6:30 p.m.
July 30: Jupiter Magazine Presents: Sonic Cradles Live // Rebuild Foundation
Sonic Cradles Live at Stony Island Arts Bank, presented in collaboration with Rebuild and Yunomi, gathers writers Tarisai Ngangura, Tembe Denton Hurst, and Briana Pickens alongside musicians Immanuel Wilkins, Ivy Sole, BSA Gold, Angel Bat Dawid, and D-Composed for live performances of their contributions to Jupiter Issue 006, published in collaboration with NTS Radio. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., 6760 South Stony Island Ave, Chicago, IL 60649.
