Dozens lined up outside the Art Institute of Chicago in June to visit The Obama Portraits, featuring Kehinde Wiley’s painting of former President Barack Obama and Amy Sherald’s portrayal of former First Lady Michelle Obama. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

The Art Institute firing its volunteer docents in favor of paid guides leads to charges of anti-white bias.

Harvey E. Clark was a CTA bus driver and World War II vet. In July 1951, he moved his family’s belongings into an apartment at 6139 W. 19th Street in Cicero. Before they could reside there, however, his would-be neighbors went berserk, rampaging through the building while the Cicero police stood by, doing nothing. Thousands of rioters smashed windows and dragged the Clarks’ furniture into the street. The governor had to call out the Illinois National Guard.

Clark was Black, needless to say. I am white, but nevertheless can still convey the story of how Cicero greeted the family that would have been the suburb’s first Black residents.

At least I hope so; it’s in my next book. That hope is open to debate, however. In our current fraught racial moment, who is saying something can count as much as what is being said. Maybe more. The Art Institute of Chicago, like many old guard cultural institutions, is trying to be less lily white, and the museum’s eye fell on its staff of volunteer docents, who were fired en masse Sept. 3. Not for what they were telling visitors; but for who was doing the telling.

“As a civic institution, we acknowledge our responsibility to rebuild the volunteer educator program in a way that allows community members of all income levels to participate, responds to issues of class and income equity, and does not require financial flexibility to participate,” is how Veronica Stein, the Woman’s Board executive director of Learning and Public Engagement, put it in an email delivering the bad news. “Rather than refresh our current program, systems and processes, we feel that now is the time to rebuild our program from the ground up.”

Fox News expressed it far more succinctly: “Chicago museum fires all of its mostly White female, financially well-off docents for lack of diversity.”

I think that’s why I initially ignored the story. Nobody cries like a bully, and while the Red Staters try to blind America to its racist past, labeling honest assessment of history as “critical race theory” and banning it by law, they seek cover by cherry-picking tales of cancel culture overreach, mostly from academia, to pretend that they are victims. Why amplify that?

Plus, on one level I’m sympathetic to the Art Institute. What was the museum supposed to do? Call the docents in, one by one, offer them herbal tea and a hand to hold? Distribute Rembrandt etchings as goodbye gifts? Sometimes you have to rip off the bandage. Maybe Chicago high school students being shepherded through the galleries will be less closed to what they’re seeing if they aren’t chaperoned by Aunt Bea and the Mayberry Ladies Art Appreciation Society.

That’s harsh, I know, and you have permission to feed it back to me when I am frog-marched out the door. Maybe ignoring the docent defenestration is a kind of Martin Niemoller timidity: “Then they came for the museum docents, and I did not speak out, because I am not a museum docent…”

The tragedy of racism is that it seems to give permission to ignore the dignity and worth of individuals you are dealing with. That doesn’t apply to only one race. If you punch me in the face because I’m white, that’s the same sin were I to punch you in the face because you’re Black. Neither my not-on-my-block animosity, nor your citing 250 years of slavery, are valid justifications for cruelty. Just empty excuses.

(C) Bisa Butler/Photo by Margaret Fox
The recent exhibit of quilts by artist Bisa Butler reflect the Art Institute of Chicago’s attempt to appeal to a more diverse audience.

The day before Stein wrote her letter, the Art Institute (yes, I contacted them; they asked for specific questions which I posed and, who knows, may even address someday) closed its Bisa Butler show, an exquisite exhibit of bold, colorful quilts celebrating Black individuality. The crowd when I visited was young, diverse and appreciative, and it struck me at the time that this might be the way out of the white bread corner the Art Institute has painted itself into. By offering engaging fare that a broader section of the city actually wants to see.

Sad that it is followed immediately by this stumble, due to carelessness more than anything else. Restoring an ancient Greek urn takes time and focus; so does repairing an old museum. If one thing is truer now than ever, you cannot compartmentalize. Today’s private email is tomorrow’s meme. Giving the backhand to the upper-crust white ladies of a certain age who give tours in September sends a shudder through the upper-crust white ladies of a certain age who write checks in October. One assumes the second group is still welcome at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
One of the lions outside the Art Institute of Chicago in the Loop.Read More

As former Tribune sportswriter Robert Logan once wrote, “Chicago, it has been said, just isn’t a basketball town.” (This was before Michael Jordan, of course.)Read More

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Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton has a team-high three interceptions this season. | Gary McCullough/AP

“It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest college football rivalry in the country,” Fighting Irish safety Kyle Hamilton said. “They’re going to bring their ‘A’ game and we are too.”

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — There will be no Heisman Trophy favorites on the field and no national championships on the line when Southern California and No. 13 Notre Dame meet for the 92nd time Saturday night (6:30 p.m., NBC-5).

Ignore the records and any scenarios. The struggling Trojans (3-3) are playing for interim head coach Donte Williams, who replaced Clay Helton earlier this season, while Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish (5-1) have questions on both sides of the line of scrimmage.

It’s still USC and Notre Dame, who watched their storied rivalry get shelved last year amid the pandemic — the first time the two hadn’t met on the gridiron since 1943-45 due to World War II. Absence hasn’t made any hearts grow fonder for players at both programs, which are coming off bye weeks.

“It’s Notre Dame — it’s our biggest rivalry,” USC junior quarterback Kedon Slovis said after the Trojans spent their off week trying to right themselves following a 42-26 home loss to Utah.

Notre Dame junior safety Kyle Hamilton, whose team has rested up following its come-from-behind 32-29 victory at Virginia Tech, feels the same way about the series that began in 1926.

“It’s one of the biggest, if not the biggest college football rivalry in the country,” Hamilton said. “They’re going to bring their ‘A’ game and we are too.”

That’s something both fan bases would love to see.

USC has not won in South Bend since 2011, but the Trojans are 2-0 on the road this season. Williams said the bye week provided “a major reset” to the program getting used to its stand-in coach.

“They have an idea now who I am, and I have an idea who they are as a head coach,” he said. “It was a chance to unwind and see what we did wrong or right.”

One player doing it right all season is 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior wide receiver Drake London, who already has 64 receptions for 832 yards and five touchdowns from Slovis and freshman Jaxson Dart. He will be a challenge for the Irish secondary.

Notre Dame needed its break, too, with four of its victories being decided in the fourth quarter or in overtime.

“There were a lot of things we needed to get better on,” Kelly said.

JUMP BALL

Hamilton, who has a team-high three of Notre Dame’s 10 interceptions, will likely see a lot of London and USC’s air attack, which is 11th nationally at 318.3 yards per game.

“He’s really athletic, he can high-point balls, he’s a good route-runner,” Hamilton said of London. “He doesn’t really have any weaknesses — they love getting the ball to him. Our game plan is definitely centered around him.”

QB QUESTIONS

Slovis has completed 64% of his passes for 1,519 yards and nine TDs. But he could split time with Dart, who relieved an injured Slovis at Washington State and threw for 391 yards and four TDs in a 45-14 victory.

“Kedon has been really sharp. The ball is jumping out of his hand. He’s doing a lot of good things,” offensive coordinator Graham Harrell said. “We’ll put whoever out there that gives us the best chance to move the ball.”

For his part, Kelly plans to start quarterback Jack Coan but continue to give time to freshman Tyler Buchner.

Coan (61.7% passing for 1,208 yards and 10 TDs) has started every game but been relieved in the last five, mostly by the more mobile Buchner (191 yards and two TDs passing; 167 yards and one TD rushing). A rebuilding offensive line has surrendered 24 sacks.

“Jack continues to be the guy that we feel like gives us the best chance to win,” Kelly said after Coan engineered two late drives for the last 11 points against Virginia Tech. “We’ll continue to get Tyler more playing time.”

VERY HOT SEAT

Kelly has coached against four different USC coaches, going 7-3. He was 2-1 against Lane Kiffin, 1-0 vs. interim coach Ed Orgeron, 0-1 against Steve Sarkisian and 4-1 against Helton. Williams now becomes the fifth USC coach Kelly has faced.

“USC is going through a coaching change, we understand that,” Kelly said. “But this team plays extremely well against Notre Dame. It’s a rivalry game and they played very well on the road because they can get away from the distractions that they’re dealing with on a day-to-day basis.”

INJURY UPDATE

Notre Dame expects to have sophomore tight end Michael Mayer (32 receptions, 360 yards, 3 TDs) available after he sat out Virginia Tech game with an adductor strain. … RB Chris Tyree (turf toe) and DT Jacob Lacey (ankle) have been limited in practice. … Ishmael Sopsher, a 6-foot-4, 330-pound sophomore nose tackle who transferred from Alabama, is expected to make his USC debut after offseason compartment leg syndrome surgery.

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Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file

As the vaccine mandate stand-off continues, the police union’s City Council allies are flexing their legislative muscle.

A Cook County judge on Thursday harangued the city and police union over the “sensationalization” of their vaccine mandate battle.

Judge Moshe Jacobius’ voice began to rise shortly after an attorney for the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 expressed his sense of frustration with the legal proceedings.

“You speak of frustration, I think there’s enough frustration to go around,” Jacobius said during the virtual hearing.

“Without commenting on anything specific, there’s been some comments about lowering the volume and lowering the flames and working in commonality for the people of the city of Chicago, both sides, and I think these parties should take that to heart,” he said.

“I’m not here to lecture or give sermons, that’s not my role, but when you see what’s going on and you see the sensationalization of this, people need to really consider, everybody that’s involved here is in public service,” he said.

“I think if people have goodwill and they approach it from consideration and a humanistic point of view, rather than a litigious [one] … then everyone’s going to be better off.”

Police union attorney Joel D’Alba assured Jacobius that both sides were in discussions away from courtrooms to try to hash out differences.

Jacobius’ mini tirade was an aside to the main order of business in his courtroom.

He granted a motion by attorneys for the city to have a single judge handle the two pending cases related to the vaccine mandate.

One case filed by the city seeks to extend a 10-day ban on police union President John Catanzara’s use of social media to discourage his members from reporting their vaccine status to the city and place similar restrictions to other union leaders. The next hearing in that case is scheduled for Monday, the same day the current 10-day ban — in the form of a temporary restraining order — is set to expire.

A separate lawsuit filed by the police union seeks a court-ordered suspension of the city’s vaccination policy pending further bargaining and arbitration.

Under Jacobius’ order, both cases will now be handled by Cook County Circuit Judge Cecilia Horan.

The order comes a day after Horan denied a request from the police union that she recuse herself.

Attorneys for the union had questioned her impartiality because the firm she was a partner at prior to becoming a judge, Hinshaw & Culbertson, created a report about police reform for the city’s Police Accountability Task Force that contributed to the creation of a federal consent decree the Police Department is still currently under.

Horan said the firm had more than 400 attorneys and she did not know about the report at all and had nothing to do with it while she was a partner at the firm. Horan further said she doesn’t know Mayor Lori Lightfoot and has never represented any of the parties involved in the case.

As the vaccine stand-off drags on, the police union’s City Council allies are flexing their legislative muscle.

Alderpersons Silvana Tabares (23rd) and Anthony Napolitano (41st) plan to introduce an ordinance at Monday’s City Council meeting that retroactively requires City Council approval of “all policies, rules and regulations governing discipline” of city employees.

“Notwithstanding any other provision of the city code to the contrary and subject to the terms of any applicable collective bargaining agreement approved by City Council, any new policy rule or regulation that provides for placing city employees on non-disciplinary, no-pay status requires City Council approval,” the ordinance states.

Lightfoot’s mandate that city employees report their vaccination status on the city’s data portal took effect Oct 8. The ordinance “shall be retroactive” to Oct. 1.

Also on Monday, indicted Ald. Edward Burke (14th) plans to introduce an ordinance that would require the continuation of health care benefits for the dependents of city employees for the duration of the dispute.

“Many of these beneficiaries are being treated for life-threatening diseases, mental health illnesses and are receiving hospital and in-patient treatment which will be at risk. The City Council has enacted no resolution or ordinance to permit this to occur. Humanitarian interests demand the continued care and treatment of these current dependents,” the resolution states.

“No provision of the municipal code authorizes the Mayor of Chicago to take this Draconian action. And furthermore, no action of the municipal code requires city employees to submit the information” on their vaccine status.

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Bruce Iglauer, founder and head of the independent blues record label Alligator Records. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Alligator Records founder celebrates his label’s legacy with all-star blues revue this weekend.

This year marks Alligator Records’ golden record as the homegrown Chicago blues label celebrates its incredible 50-year anniversary, having put out its “genuine houserockin’ music” since 1971. The occasion will be feted with the Alligator Records All-Star Blues Revue at Al Larson Prairie Center For The Arts on October 23, a night featuring label stars Nick Moss, Billy Branch and Toronzo Cannon, and putting a spotlight on Alligator’s continued legacy.

“It was so much more exciting than anything I had ever had thought of for a career,” says founder Bruce Iglauer who still runs operations today at Alligator HQ in Rogers Park. When he was just 22-years-old in 1970, Iglauer headed to Chicago on a sojourn to the music mecca like so many of the great blues artists ahead of him. Like them, he was captivated by the sound coming out of the West and South Side clubs and was determined to be part of it all, calling those formative years a “voyage of discovery” when his ears were attuned to those rich guitar sounds and the people making them.

In the 50 years since, Alligator Records has put out 350 titles with a massive roster over the years that has included greats like Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Albert Collins, Shemekia Copeland, Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Marcia Ball, Billy Branch and newcomers like 22-year-old guitar prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. Alligator Records has become the defining exclusive blues label in the country while Iglauer has become a prominent figurehead in the genre.

Iglauer is also one who has helped steer the vision of the Chicago Blues Festival, working from the beginning with former mayor Harold Washington and Lois Weisberg, the city’s first Commissioner of Cultural Affairs. Today it remains the largest and only free event of its kind in the world.

But if you ask Iglauer, he’s not content to just rest on his laurels and look at a career well-honed. There’s still work to be done. “I’m worried about the next 50 years!” he admits, particularly concerned about who’s going to carry the legacy of the blues going forward. “I’ve been so fortunate to help be a bridge between artists and audiences, and I’d love to do this for another 50 years, but just in case I can’t I’m really focused on launching more careers,” admits Iglauer who still actively scouts new talent. “I’m looking all the time, especially at younger artists … artists that are proud to be part of the tradition but making statements for today and tomorrow.”

He points to Buddy Guy protege, 22-year-old Kingfish, who Iglauer hails as “the emerging blues artist of his generation” as well as 36-year-old Selwyn Birchwood who writes songs about current societal issues like police brutality and the effects of addiction. And of course Chicagoan Toronzo Cannon who will be playing the All-Star Blues Revue this weekend. “Toronzo sings about love and loss, but also about life on West Side and dealing with violence. He’s trying to push the envelope of what is blues music,” says Iglauer of his signee.

Cannon, who’s working on his third album for Alligator and will be debuting songs in the upcoming set, says of the label, “They treat their musicians like you are important. I used to have to do it all by myself, trying to get gigs, not even knowing what I was worth. And now I can focus on the music. … [Bruce] is keeping blues out there and alive, and that’s a feat in itself.”

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Crowds gather outside MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn after an officer accidentally discharged his weapon and struck two other officers. | Madeline Kenney/Sun-Times

Police are investigating whether the couple were involved in the South Holland murders of two men, one killed late Oct. 7 and the other early on Oct. 8 just doors from each other.

A couple who led Chicago police on a chase to southwest suburban Lyons, where two officers were wounded, had been driving a car wanted in two murders in another suburb earlier this month.

The officers were shot in the shoulder and in the arm after a third Chicago officer on the scene accidentally fired his gun while struggling with one of the suspects, according to Chicago Police Supt. David Brown.

The injuries were not life-threatening, and the shooting is being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

The chase started around 9:15 p.m. Wednesday when officers spotted a car in the 1200 block of South Lake Shore Drive that was flagged by license plate reader technology as being wanted in connection with two fatal shootings in South Holland, according to Lyons Police Chief Thomas Herion.

A police helicopter was called to follow the car, which stopped at a Citgo gas station in Lyons. There, officers surrounded the car and there was a struggle with a man and a woman inside, Brown said.

While arresting one of the suspects, an officer who had his handgun drawn accidentally fired once, apparently striking the two other officers, Brown said.

One officer was hit in the shoulder and the other was struck in the arm, Brown said. The bullet likely went through one officer and hit the other. Both officers were taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where they were treated for “non-life-threatening injuries,” Brown said.

“They seem to be in decent, good condition. But again, we just got to the hospital, doctor’s still treating [them,]” the superintendent said. “The officer that fired the weapon is not injured but obviously it’s very traumatic to accidentally have this happen.”

Dozens of officers gathered outside the emergency room entrance at MacNeal Hospital and remained there until the wounded officers were transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

“Lucky, grateful, could’ve been worse,” Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said.

A man and a woman were taken into custody. Herion said a gun and drugs were recovered from the car.

He said police are investigating whether the couple were involved in the South Holland murders of two men, one killed late Oct. 7 and the other early on Oct. 8 just doors from each other.

The officer who discharged the gun will be placed on administrative duties for at least 30 days, though Brown said it “could be longer based on the circumstances as we continue to investigate.”

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The theater has always been an inseparable piece of Chicago’s culture scene. But for many others, the stage is more than mere entertainment. This year, Tellin’ Tales Theater is bringing a powerful piece to the stage, promoting the inclusiveness of individuals with disabilities, as well as at-risk youths.

This virtual production will run from November 12 through November 21. Tickets are now on sale on their website.

Six Stories Up in Defiance — a Video Game Musical

We know you’ve heard of the big titles — Sword Art Online, Ready Player One, and The Good Guy that just came out this year. However, Six Stories Up in Defiance is not just another story riding off the late trend of VRMMO stories. Instead, the production takes a bold and innovative approach to the struggles with identity and self-confidence where the characters must clear through the stages spawned based on their most personal and vulnerable struggles.

In the beginning, six middle school students received the assignment to create a video game stage based on their personal struggles. It all sounded like an ordinary self-discovery assignment until things took a dire turn — one of the students became entrapped in the stage she created!

Set out on a journey to save their classmate, the rest of the team entered the game as well, only to find themselves confronted by the enemies they’ve written about. Now, the kids must face the most powerful enemy — their own fear, doubt, and vulnerability.

Image Credit: Tellin’ Tales Theater

Actors and Playwrights

Featuring original music, innovative sets, and fanciful costumes, the cast produces six, ten-minute long theatre vignettes that are combined to create a full-length show. However, little did we know that our young actors were playwrights as well.

“We have the most amazing group of volunteers – with and without disabilities – that are dedicated to giving these adults and children a safe and encouraging space to write, perform, and empower one another,” said Tekki Lomnicki, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Tellin’ Tales Theatre.

And what helps anyone understand their identity more by writing, sharing, and even performing their own stories? What is more interactive and immersive than literally defeating the monstrous enemy in life that hinders us from self-awareness, self-love, and authentic growth?

Furthermore, the adults at Tellin’ Tales Theater also share their stories, ranging from generational trauma to struggle with personal identities. And voluntary or not, most of us have had more time to spend with ourselves than we ever had in the past year-and-a-half. Then, take into consideration of all the recent happenings — there has hardly ever been a more suitable time to break down the barriers and embrace each other fully.

Image Credit: Tellin’ Tales Theater

Let’s Break Down the Barriers Together

With this year’s total fundraising goal set to $75,000 to $100,000, Tekki and the Tellin’ Tales Theater has set themselves in full-throttle mode to bring changes forward.

“We want to get our own van,” Tekki told us, as transportation is one of the biggest challenges and expenses for the organization as well as the youths participating in the program.

The Theater is also looking for affordable studio spaces and hopes to eventually have its own building. 

Furthermore, volunteering is another way to help support Tellin’ Tales Theater. For more ways to help the theater continue with its mission, check out the support page on their website: https://tellintales.org/support/. 

Bringing Forward Inclusiveness and Acceptance since 1996

Founded in 1996, Tellin’ Tales Theatre was conceived by Tekki Lomnicki, Michael Blackwell, and Nancy Neven Shelton to promote and support a society where people of all abilities are accepted and equal, regardless of perceived ability. The mission of Tellin’ Tales Theatre is to shatter barriers between the disabled and non-disabled worlds through the transformative power of sharing personal narratives.

“What sets Tellin’ Tales apart from other organizations is our overall mission to bring people together to share their stories and raise awareness, understanding, and acceptance,” said Tekki.

To learn more about the theater, the cast, their programming, and how to make a donation, please visit www.tellintales.org

Featured Image Credit: Tellin’ Tales Theater

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The Chicago Bears have to play against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend. It, in all likelihood, is going to be a disaster for them. Brady is playing as good as he ever has and he continues to climb in his 40s. He has his sights on his 8th Super Bowl victory […] Chicago Bears: Tom Brady pokes fun at last week’s debacle – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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