WBEZ News

In an 1857 speech, orator Frederick Douglass affirmed the yearning for liberty and justice, and warned of the fight needed to achieve both. Host: Melba Lara Producer: Steve Bynum

DACA recipients living in the Chicago area say DACA has changed their lives. They are celebrating this victory, but they vow to continue fighting for full citizenship. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Maria Ines Zamudio

The holiday commemorates the date, June 19th 1865, when Union soldiers told enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and they were free. Host: Mary Dixon Guest: Dr. Kim Dulaney

Illinois U.S. Senator Dick Durbin is a major advocate for DACA, and he spoke on the floor of the Senate this morning. Host: Melba Lara, Mary Dixon

Some say observing Juneteenth is a way for employers to signal that they are serious about racial equity, but the work shouldn’t stop there. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Odette Yousef

Calls for police reform or defunding and disbanding departments have grown louder recently in Gary, Indiana as part of protests against racist police practices. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Michael Puente

About 20 protesters shut down a JP Morgan Chase branch on Chicago’s South Side over lending patterns exposed by WBEZ and City Bureau Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Linda Lutton

ComEd’s payments to Jenner & Block spiked as federal prosecutors investigated the company’s ties to Illinois politicians. Host: Melba Lara, Lisa Labuz Reporter: Tony Arnold

The Illinois Supreme Court may issue an order that could potentially undermine attempts to identify problematic cops. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Patrick Smith

Block club members and residents in black neighborhoods may not trust the police, but they work with them because of public safety concerns. Host: Lisa Labuz Reporter: Natalie Moore

Rafael Galarza was a shy boy when he started out at school, speaking little English. Now this star student is graduating as valedictorian, in the middle of a changing Chicago neighborhood. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Sarah Karp

“I'm not afraid to make my voice heard” — 2020 grads share their take on graduating amid a pandemic and protests, and how they’ve changed. Host: Lisa Labuz Producer: Kate Grossman

A WBEZ investigation reveals the long list of applicants that Illinois Democratic Party boss Mike Madigan urged Governor J.B. Pritzker to employ after taking on the office. Host: Greta Johnsen, Lisa Labuz Reporter: Dan Mihalopoulos

Kevin had a really hard time last school year with bullying. We hear from him, and the music teacher who helped him through it, Matthew Jones-McCann. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

City of Chicago officials respond to reporting showing banks lend extremely unequal amounts to the city’s white, black and Latino neighborhoods. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Linda Lutton

DeMario Tribbet, a local college graduate, explains what his boss and mentor Patricia Guy means to him. Host: Mary Dixon Producer: Kate McGee

When Fenton High School senior Malien Tingpalpong joined the speech team, she didn't know she'd find a lifelong friend in Melissa Feinberg. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Susie An

Miguel Blancarte, Jr. is a resident of Chicago's Little Village neighborhood. In the middle of the pandemic, he decided to make a big career change in service of his community. Host: Melba Lara Producer: Lynnea Domienik

After reopening amid protests, Chicago health officials are watching for a surge in COVID-19 cases. Here's how they're preparing. Host: Melba Lara, Lisa Labuz Reporter: Kristen Schorsch

College graduate who are the first in their family to earn a degree share the triumph and heartache of graduating online amid protests and a pandemic. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Kate McGee

Hundreds of activists rallied in Humboldt Park Saturday to protest systemic police abuse, but also to call for unity between blacks and Latinos across Chicago. Host: Mary Dixon Reporter: Adriana Cardona Maguigad

For a neighborhood that has tried to overcome a history of racial violence, Bridgeport's so-called "vigilantes" get support and some pushback. Host: Reporter: Claudia Morrell

The former CEO of Chicago’s last locally-and black-owned bank, Norman Williams, recounts how it helped African Americans build wealth and community. Host: Melba Lara Producer: Ashish Valentine, Linda Lutton

Earlier this year the Holloway sisters visited the StoryCorps booth at the Chicago Cultural Center to talk about why they are each other’s best friend and biggest fan. Producer: Bill Healy

Five years ago, Kwame Raoul helped pass police reform legislation. But he had to drop the policy he says would’ve been the most impactful — and now he wants it back. Host: Melba Lara Reporter: Tony Arnold