ATLANTA — Bulls great Michael Jordan and Nike’s Jordan Brand are giving $1 million to Morehouse College in Atlanta to boost journalism and sports-related studies.
The gift announced Friday will help enrich its journalism and sports program that was originally launched with a donation from director and actor Spike Lee. The school, in a news release, said the donation will help fund scholarships, technology and educational programming for students in those fields.
“Morehouse is grateful to Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand for an investment in the education of talented men of color who will ensure there is equity, balance, and truth in the way sports stories are framed and the way the Black experience is contextualized within American history,” said Monique Dozier, vice president for institutional advancement at Morehouse.
The donation is part of a larger philanthropic donation by Jordan and Jordan Brand called the Black Community Commitment, which has directed donations to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ida B. Wells Society, among other organizations.
“Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today,” Jordan said. “We want to help people understand the truth of our past and help tell the stories that will shape our future.”
The program, which has focused on the lack of Black leadership in sports journalism and athletics, has produced more than 80 graduates who now work in media and sports.
Lee, a 1979 Morehouse graduate, said there would be a “rich legacy of storytellers who will be supported by these programs.”
“Many people are influenced to think a certain way about Black folks based on what they see on television and in Hollywood. We’ve got to tell our story,” he said.
It’s May 28. I’m running my air conditioner (very slowly) to try to get the humidity down in my apartment, but it’s barely on. I stuck my head out of the front door earlier, and a sweatshirt and jeans just were not enough. When I go out soon, early in the afternoon, I’m going to wear my winter coat.
It’s the kind of spring when my mother always said “Don’t put your winter clothes away until Race Day!” To my Indianapolis-born mother, that was the name of the day the Indianapolis 500 was run — the day before Memorial Day. The Race (I could hear the capital letters) took up a big chunk of Sunday, after church. It was the fastest we left church all year, the better to get news of The Race on the radio.
When I was growing up, we could enjoy each race twice — on the radio, live, and recorded for TV in the evening. So there were many Sunday afternoons when I had my radio on in my room and much of the contents of my closet on my bed. It was time to put the winter clothes away and break out the summer ones, with the sounds of The Race on the radio. The TV coverage at night was for confirmation and updates of what happened, and occasional stories from Mom and Dad about sights or names that came up.
Not putting winter clothes away didn’t necessarily last until every Race Day, but it would come close. Sometimes we’d think summer had arrived early, but then we’d have to break out the wintry clothes after all. Mom managed to turn that into something between anticipation and memory by saying “Don’t put your winter clothes away until The Race!”
So on Sunday, I’ll be singing along with the national anthem and “Back Home Again in Indiana.” I’ll be missing both of my parents and enjoying memories of trips to the time trials, when we found bagpipe bands under the bleachers (drowned out by the race cars!) and explored everything from garages to a museum.
And even though a lot of them didn’t see much use this winter, I’ll be putting away my winter clothes. Some things I just keep obeying.
I moved to Chicago from the south suburbs in 1986. I have diverse interests, but I love writing about what I’m interested in. Whether it’s a personal interest or part of my career, the correct words to get the idea across are important to me. I love words and languages — French and Scottish words enrich my American English. My career has included years as a journalist and years working in museums, and the two phases were united by telling stories. I’m serious about words and stories. So here I am, ready to tell stories about words and their languages.
Linda Conti has spent 35 years traveling the racing world from Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, where she spent a year working as the first female mechanic hired by the Skip Barber Pro Series, to Japan, Australia, England France and Portugal, etc., with Formula 1 teams, not to mention NASCAR, and the IndyCar Series. This includes becoming the first female team manager in the Indianapolis 500 history in 1999 for a team she co-owned with husband David. Yet, nothing can compare with her trip to the Brickyard this year where she is set to act as the spotter for driver Simona de Silvestro as part of the “all-female” Paretta Autosports team.
Simona de Silvestro, Indy driver
While there is no guarantee that their No. 16 Chevy will be able to make it from 33rd starting position on the grid to zooming under the flag first ( let alone make it into the top 10 finishers), Paretta Autosports has already made history by becoming the first female-owned team with a female race car driver and predominately female crew to qualify for the Indy 500 since it began 105-years ago. Still, the thought of being there this year has caused Conti to “get chills.”
“We’ve had women throughout in different sectors. But to see a whole team that’s focused on women forward, giving women the opportunity in every single part of the team, I think this is groundbreaking.”
Linda Conti is the most experienced woman on the team. She worked her first Indy 500 in 1997 and became the first woman to manage a team two years later in 1999.
Linda’s dream of being “on the fast track,” began when she was just 13. At the time her father, flat-track motorcycle racer Nick Pultorak, promised her that he would buy her a Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback for her 16th birthday if she would first learn to rebuild its engine.
Following high-school graduation, in 1982, Linda not only enrolled in Wayne state University to study finance, she also enrolled in the Automotive Technology program at HFC (then Henry Ford Community College).
“I was the only woman in the class. The men saw me as sort of a curiosity” reminisced. When they saw how skilled I was with the tools, we were equals. I learned a lot there.”
Linda Conti and Mario Andretti
That training then led her to an internship at GM, where she worked on experimental engines, before becoming a professional racing mechanic and a long relationship with Penske. She is presently one of three spotters for Team Penske (which is providing technical support for Paretta).
Although she will not be part of the Paretta pit crew for the big race May 30, Conti will be found perched high above Turn 3 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where she will act as the “eyes in the sky” for deSilvestro, feeding her vital information via two-way radio and keeping her alert of what is going on on the track during the race including traffic conditions to keep them safe.
Building esteem for women (and men) through passion for the sports car. Brought to you by a certifiable car nut by night and weekends, who happens to be a veteran psychotherapist by day.
This was supposed to be a slightly sad, mostly wistful season for the Cubs. Instead, two months in, it has turned into a surprise party.
Public discussions about whether to break up the core that won the 2016 World Series have gladly given way to the thrill of a fun, unexpectedly competitive team.
Grim debates about which popular player should be traded have taken a back seat to the entertainment value of Javy Baez’ ability to lure opponents into looking really, really stupid.
I’d like to compare all of it to funeral plans being ditched for a miracle-cure celebration, but that would be a bit much. How about a prison sentence being commuted? Still too much? You’re no fun.
Entering Friday afternoon’s game against the Reds, the Cubs were 27-22, a half-game behind the first-place Cardinals in the National League Central. They had won nine of their previous 11 games, jumping from fourth place to second in that stretch.
It can’t be stressed enough that we’re only 30% through the schedule, but who saw this 30% coming? Not your faithful scribe.
With the franchise’s never-ending money grabs and its eternal mewling about a lack of resources to pay big salaries as the backdrop, 2021 looked to be a season of dark, unmoving clouds over Wrigley Field. That’s why what’s happening now is so cool. The one thing that we’re all here for — baseball — is going well. It might not be the exact plot to “Major League,” but the people who play and coach the game sure are sticking it to the highers-up who seem to be hell-bent on turning the page.
I don’t want to get into a debate over which direction the Cubs should go, over who is right and who is wrong. The World Series title was a long time ago. Players are getting older. All of it is true. But it’s also true that, to repeat, the Cubs are a half-game out of first place. Maybe put a hold on the What Can We Get For Kris Bryant talk.
When Baez made Pirates first baseman Will Craig look silly Thursday, it was a glorious reminder that, man, these are fun times for these Cubs. Baez’ two-out grounder to third looked like a sure end to the third inning. But when Craig took the slightly off-target throw, Baez stopped on the base path before reaching first. Rather than STEP ON THE BAG FOR THE THIRD OUT, Craig chased Baez back toward home plate, like a cat pursuing a piece of cheese on a string. Seeing Willson Contreras racing for home from second, Craig threw the ball to the catcher. Contreras beat the tag. More hilarity ensued when a throwing error to first allowed Baez to get to second. The Cubs’ dugout looked like an overserved comedy-club audience.
Inanity and insanity. The good kind.
The Cubs’ bats have warmed up after a slow start. The team’s earned-run average in May is 2.73, second-best in the big leagues. The bullpen has been outstanding.
Who knew?
So far, the storyline of a franchise in serious decline looks very, very fragile. Maybe that storyline will rise up again next week or the week after. Enjoy this for however long it lasts, for however far the Cubs go.
Who knows?
I received an email from a reader complaining that the baseball coverage in Friday’s Sun-Times weighed heavily in favor of the Cubs over the White Sox. I found it amusing. The Sox have received the lion’s share of attention for most of this season. They’re a good, young team dealing with an old-school manager, and vice-versa. It’s a sports section’s dream. Now the Cubs are budging their way into the picture, and some Sox fans have resorted to their age-old grievance about the North Siders receiving most-favored-nation status.
Can we be happy with two good teams in town? Everybody together: Of course not!
Off the field, the Cubs are doing their ritual filching of wallets. The franchise is telling fans that it might spend more money on the roster if they start showing up in large numbers at Wrigley. The people with the big dough telling the peasants they need to spend whatever is jangling around in their pockets — now that’s rich.
On the field, the team’s Big Three — Baez, Bryant and Anthony Rizzo — is still here, but the guessing game continues. Who will be here next year? Who will be here after this year’s trade deadline?
I don’t care right now. Hope I don’t have to care about it at the end of July, either.
NEW YORK — After experimenting with different types of music, Juanes returns to his roots with “Origen,” a covers album in which he pays tribute to the most influential artists in his life and career, from Joe Arroyo and Bruce Springsteen to Bob Marley and Juan Luis Guerra.
Through 12 songs including Carlos Gardel’s “Volver,” Joaquin Sabina’s “Y Nos Dieron Las Diez” and Bob Marley’s “Could You Be Loved,” the Colombian rock star travels to his childhood and adolescence in “Origen,” his 10th studio album.
“I think it was something that my soul was asking for,” Juanes said in a recent video interview from Miami. “After experimenting with different types of music, at this point in my career and at my age I realized that returning to that origin was very necessary.”
The album encompasses styles as diverse as tango, merengue, heavy metal, folk, reggae, vallenato, pop and, of course, rock. It includes the singles “El Amor Despues Del Amor” by Fito Paez, in a rock and gospel version, and Springsteen’s classic “Dancing In The Dark” as a slower folk and in Spanish.
This image released by Universal Music Latin Entertainment shows “Origen,” the latest release by Juanes.Universal Music Latin Entertainment via AP
Released on Friday by Universal Music Latin, “Origen” is accompanied by a documentary on Amazon Prime, produced by Jose Tillan and directed by Kacho Lopez, in which Juanes explains why he chose each of the songs. He also talks to Guerra, Sabina and Paez about their songs, and channels iconic performances from the ’60s through the ’80s including the first Beatles appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”
The two-time Grammy and 23-time Latin Grammy winner told the AP about the influence of Kraken — a rock band from his native Medellin — on his decision to be a musician and laid out how he plans to make music from now on.
Answers have been edited from brevity and clarity.
Q.The album includes 12 songs. Were any left that you would have liked to include?
A. So many! I made a giant playlist of songs that had connected with me in my life, but we chose these 12 for many powerful reasons. These are the ones that had more impact on the memory of my youth, my adolescence, my childhood. It was an incredible exercise to put on another song sort of like a dress, as if I were an actor.
Q.And you don’t only wear it metaphorically. In the documentary, you channel the Beatles and other artists, transforming yourself with wigs and make up and outfits. What was that like?
A. We had a lot of fun doing this documentary. We wanted to have that visual element and also we took a risk by doing this, because we said, “What if we are like the Beatles in ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’, when they came to the United States, but singing ‘Volver’ by Gardel, or Juan Gabriel?” It was so fun just to experience that kind of acting.
Q. You also show in the documentary the reactions of some creators of the original songs to your covers. What was Bruce Springsteen’s response to your Spanish version of “Dancing in the Dark?”
A. He loved the song. We sent the song to his management months ago before we shot the documentary and he loved it. He said, “OK, this is good for me, you guys can release that.” And for me that was huge, you know? We got his OK and that was really important. Not just from him, but from all the other artists.
Q.You sing “Could You Be Loved” in English. Why translate “Dancing in the Dark?”
A. You know, when I went to Bruce Springsteen’s song and I saw the lyrics, I found the song very powerful in a way that is very human and very vulnerable, and I think at that point — that was during COVID — I just wanted for all Spanish speaking people to understand it. And we take the song like to a mid-tempo, it’s more like a folk kind of vibe, but with the lyrics is Spanish it sounds so powerful. I just love it.
Q. You played quite with the rhythms of the songs. Guerra’s “La Bilirrubina” is no longer only a merengue, for instance.
A. Part of the initial idea was not to stay close to the original because competing against those versions would be impossible. So what we did was getting away as much as we could, while respecting the melody and the tempo of the song and the tonality of most of the songs. I co-produced this album with Sebastian Krys and our work together was very special. It was like when we were in school and the teacher said “free drawing,” that you could do whatever you wanted, and that creative freedom was very cool — being able to go for the bachata, the reggae, bringing elements of Colombian percussion, the guitar’s rock, the drums. And the way we recorded the album was very organic, there is nothing programmed here, these are people playing. I really needed that too.
Q.You talk in the documentary about the band Kraken and what a great influence it had on you. What memories do you have of that time?
A. Well, with Kraken, I was in high school and I remember Hugo Restrepo going to school and it was as if a hero came to school because he was Kraken’s guitarist. And at that time there was no rock music playing on commercial radio, it was something impossible. Kraken was one of those first outstanding bands. It was the first rock concert I went to and to see how this character and the band itself impacted me — when I saw them I said: “Wait! I want to be up there! I want to do that for life. It transformed me so much, that I remember that concert like it was yesterday.
Q.Now that you’ve gone back to your origins, where do you see yourself moving forward?
A. I’m definitely gonna keep going in the same direction, close to this sound, you know, organic and rock oriented, and also bring elements from folk music like percussion, all the percussion from the Pacific and the Atlantic and the Caribbean, I really love that kind of thing. I wanna play with musicians. I wanna feel the drum behind me and the bass guitar and the guitar and the keyboards, and I wanna feel that on the stage and also on the recording studio, because I’ve been experimenting with different types of music and actually I work by myself with a computer most of the time, but I wanna record again with musicians. I really love that and I missed that a lot.
After a South Deering man set his wife on fire, the badly burned woman jumped into the shower and ran to a nearby Chicago Fire station for help, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.
Luevenia Gardner’s skin had melted over her fingernails and the plastic in her hair extensions had fused her skin, a CFD member noticed after he let Gardner inside the Engine 81 firehouse on April 16, Assistant State’s Attorney James Murphy said.
She suffered second and third-degree burns to more than 70% of her body, Murphy said.
Gardner allegedly told firefighters that she knew her husband, Henry Taylor, would try to kill her and that she “should have left him a long time ago,” Murphy said. She also asked the firefighters if she was going to die.
She did a little more than a month later on May 21 at the University of Chicago Medical Center where she had underwent skin graft surgery.
Taylor, 31, was ordered held without bail Friday for Gardner’s murder.
Judge Susana Ortiz called Taylor’s alleged actions “brutal and heinous.”
Taylor allegedly admitted he sprayed Gardner with lighter fluid and then flicked a lighter at her.
Gardner took her burning clothes off and jumped into the shower to put out the flames before running two blocks and pounding on the door of the firehouse at 10458 S. Hoxie Ave., Murphy said.
Hours after setting his wife on fire, Taylor called Gardner’s family and told them what he had done, Murphy said.
Taylor turned himself in on Wednesday and repeated his alleged admissions during a videotaped interview. He told police that “he wasn’t even that close to her and she went up in flames,” Murphy said.
Autopsy results are pending at the medical examiner’s office.
Taylor ran a business with his wife, an assistant public defender told Ortiz.
Two downstate men charged in January’s U.S. Capitol breach “feel extreme remorse” about their role in the riot that interrupted the Electoral College vote count and led to what might be the largest criminal probe in U.S. history, their attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times.
“If they could do it all over again, they would not have gone,” attorney Baku Patel said earlier this week of his clients. “It wasn’t what they thought it was going to be.”
Patel entered a not guilty plea on the pair’s behalf during their first virtual hearing Friday before a judge in Washington D.C. The move is routine early in a criminal case, and Patel insists his clients have been cooperative and have “nothing to hide.”
Wangler and Harrison are at least the seventh and eighth Illinoisans charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol riot, which has led to criminal charges against hundreds of people around the country. Documents allege Wangler can be seen in an 11-second video standing in the Capitol Crypt, pumping his right fist in the air and chanting, “U.S.A.”
“If walking around and singing some patriotic songs is a crime, then I guess I am guilty,” Wangler allegedly told someone later.
An FBI agent also viewed surveillance footage from the Capitol, spotting Wangler with Harrison, who later told authorities he wore a New England Patriots jacket that day because of its patriotic colors. Videos allegedly showed Wangler and Harrison entering and exiting the Capitol, but an agent wrote that “none of the videos I reviewed depict Wangler or Harrison damaging property or participating in other violent acts.”
Federal authorities say this image depicts Bruce J. Harrison inside the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.U.S. District Court records
The men spoke to the FBI in Urbana April 15, court records show.
Patel said the men went to Washington D.C. to see a speech by then-President Donald Trump and also hoped that “a little history was going to be made.” He said, “They did not go under any circumstances to disrupt” the government, though. He also said the men were “following the herd” when they entered the Capitol and spent about 10 minutes there.
The men told the FBI they entered through “wide-open doors” where they saw people freely going in, including “what appeared to be family groups,” according to court records. But Harrison acknowledged he could see windows had been broken and glass had been scattered on the ground, authorities said.
Wangler’s Facebook account is identified in the criminal complaint filed against the two men. The profile was no longer available Friday. But several posts viewed previously by the Sun-Times made reference to an obscure Star Wars character named Quinlan Vos, who made appearances in “The Phantom Menace” as well as in “The Clone Wars,” according to the Star Wars website.
The character bears a resemblance to Wangler, based on photographs on the Facebook page.
When asked about the posts, Patel said Wangler once worked for Disney as a model and called it a “paid gig.” Disney representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the connection Friday.
Spring is turning, restrictions are being lifted, and Chicago’s most sought after summer attractions are opening up. People far and wide travel to the Windy City to check out iconic spots like Lincoln Park Zoo, Grant Park, The Willis Tower, and Navy Pier; and each represents a different unique part of the city. And standing within walking distance of these attractions are some of Chicago’s best restaurants for brunch, drinks, or full meals.
So, as the warm weather approaches and with museums, parks, zoo’s and more reopening, we wanted to ensure you had Chicago’s latest and greatest brunch offerings on your radar that are in close proximity to the city’s best attractions and lively neighborhoods. We’ll update this list with more and more deals as they come through, but look no further if you want the very best meal to add to your already enjoyable Chicago day trip.
Located down the street from Lincoln Park and Lincoln Park Zoo, Gemini has recently launched their brunch program and bottomless brunch offerings. For $25, guests can indulge in bottomless brunch staples such as Mimosas, Bellinis, Pauly G’s Bloody Mary, margarita’s, variety of wines, beer and more! New brunch items including hot, fresh, cinnamon rolls, Croissant Breakfast Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, variety of salads, and more.
The Dearborn offers one of the best brunches in Chicago’s Loop area. Located in close proximity to Grant Park, Millennium Park, and the museums, The Dearborn is a perfect spot to enjoy brunch before participating in summer activities. Diners can indulge in Cinnamon Roll Monkey Bread, Dutch Apple Pancakes, Buffalo Chicken Sandwich, Roasted Pear Grilled Cheese, and more! The Dearborn’s Tavern Style pizzas are also available during brunch.
The Smith is located in the heart of Chicago’s lively River North neighborhood. Located just a few blocks from Navy Pier, The Smith is the ultimate brunch spot to start your weekend off right. With the purchase of an entree, guests will receive a free brunch cocktail of their choice! Guests can choose from a variety of brunch offerings including Vanilla Bean French Toast, Avocado Toast, Grilled Chicken Sandwich, their signature Mac & Cheese, and more. The Smith also offers an extended patio along Clark Street and also offer a weekend sunset menu.
Festivals are beginning to announce their future plans for 2021. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Improving coronavirus numbers have made more summer events possible. Here’s the latest updates on this year’s changing entertainment landscape.
With coronavirus case numbers and positivity rates on the decline, the summer festival season in Chicago is in much better shape than last year.
The city has given the green light for festivals and “general admission outdoor spectator events” to welcome 15 people for every 1,000 square feet.
The city has debated various ways bolster vaccination rates among young people most likely to attend outdoor music events like Lollapalooza and Riot Fest. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said a proposal to create a coronavirus vaccine passport for Chicago events is “very much a work in progress” but that preferred seating at those events could be one way to urge vaccination.
Some festivals have already announced their return and concerts are starting to be rescheduled.
We’re tracking the status of the city’s festival and major events throughout the area as new cancellations and postponements are announced. Check back for more updates.
May
Navy Pier Fireworks: The Pier is hosting a 10-minute fireworks show every Saturday in May at 9:00 p.m.
Manifest Urban Arts Festival: Columbia College Chicago’s student driven event that showcases graduating student work. May 10-14.
For the Love of Chocolate: Long Grove, demonstrations, classes, presentations, experiences, vendors, chocolatiers, entertainment and so much more. Advanced online registration is required, May 14-16.
Hot Stove Cool Music virtual music festival, benefits the Foundation To Be Named Later, which was co-founded by former Cubs president Theo Epstein. Eddie Vedder headlines. May 18.
Mayfest: Armitage Ave. at Sheffield Ave. in Lincoln Park, May 21 – 23.
Pivot Arts Festival: Reimagining Utopia – A Performance Tour: Live, a multi-arts experience featuring world premieres in theatre, dance, video, music and puppetry. May 21 – June 5.
Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts at Symphony Center, beginning May 27. Tickets will go on sale 10 a.m. May 11, at cso.org. Performances will take place over three consecutive weekends at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 1:30 p.m. Fridays, 7:30 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Pride in the Park, Grant Park, Headlining will be Chaka Khan, the legendary Queen of Funk; Gryffin, the self-taught prodigal producer; and Tiësto, who has been dubbed “the world’s greatest DJ.” June 26- 27.
July
The Ravinia Festival announced it will reopen in July 1 for 64 concerts through Sept. 26 with a slate of outdoor concerts including a six-week residency by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Also slated to appear are: Cynthia Erivo, Kurt Elling, Brian McKnight, Ides of March, Madeleine Peyroux, Midori, Joshua Bell, Pinchas Zukerman, the Chicago Sinfonietta and the Joffrey Ballet.
Grant Park Music Festival, Millennium Park. All concerts are free with reserved seats for all concertgoers and will take place Wednesday, Fridays and Saturdays at 6:30 p.m. Run time will be 90 minutes, without intermission. July 2-Aug. 21.
Summerfest: Milwaukee. The festival will take place over three weekends, Sept. 2-4, 9-11 and 16-18. More than 100 artists are slated to perform including Chance the Rapper, Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Pixies, Rise Against, Wilco, Diplo, and Fitz and the Tantrums.
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