City Cast Chicago

Timuel Black died yesterday at the age of 102, and while 102 seems like a lot, his accomplishments could fill multiple lifetimes. Black’s family migrated to Chicago during the first wave of the Great Migration, something he spoke about extensively and even wrote about in his first book. His family’s journey, his upbringing in Chicago, and his encounter with Nazi camps during World War II inspired a life of activism and work that helped the movement towards desegregation and civil rights in Chicago. Host Jacoby Cochran sat down with WBEZ's Natalie Moore to talk about Black’s legacy, the intersection of scholarship and his lived experience, and her personal connection to one of the city’s most prominent Chicagoans. Guest: Natalie Moore — Reporter, WBEZTo learn more about Black's life and legacy, check out his 2019 memoir "Sacred Ground: The Chicago Streets of Timuel Black"Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Facebook’s outage on Oct. 4 was one of the longest in company history. But it wasn’t just memes and Insta stories that users lost for nearly six hours. People around the world rely on the messaging service WhatsApp to talk with family and even to do business. We hear from an international student at the University of Illinois and a woman living in Ecuador who has family in the Chicago area about how the outage affected them. And TechCrunch reporter Amanda Silberling explains what happened, how WhatsApp became so integral to international communication, and what we can learn from the outage.Guests: Amanda Silberling — Reporter, TechCrunchBrooke Stevenson and Tarkan Bolat — WhatsApp usersFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

In 1953, brothers George and Oscar Marienthal opened Mister Kelly’s, a jazz and comedy nightclub on Chicago’s Rush Street. Over the next two decades, the club would help nourish the careers of legends like Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Richard Pryor, Ella Fitzgerald, and more. The documentary “Live at Mister Kelly’s” tells the story of this iconic Chicago club that also broke racial barriers on and off stage. Host Jacoby Cochran talks with Executive Producer David Marienthal about growing up visiting his dad and uncle's club and the impact Mister Kelly's had on Chicago's culture. The documentary is now available on Apple TV, Amazon and other streaming platforms.Guest: David Marienthal—Executive Producer, “Live at Mister Kelly’s”Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

It’s Friday, and while the week has been mostly rain and clouds, there were some important stories we want to look back on. City Cast’s Jacoby Cochran and Simone Alicea are joined by freelance journalist Kelly Garcia to discuss workers walking out of El Milagro in Little Village and dwindling options for affordable housing. The trio also share some moments of joy, including Chicago’s playoff buzz as the Sox and Sky keep their eye on bringing championships back to Chicago!Guest: Kelly Garcia— Freelance journalistFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

TV shows and movies love to set their stories in Chicago, but they don’t always get the city right. Sometimes they lean too hard into stereotypes, like Netflix’s highly anticipated animated show, “Chicago Party Aunt.” Other times, like in the movie “Holidate,” Chicago recedes into the background, making us wonder why it’s set here at all. And still, more shows fail to capture Chicago’s complexity, like the anthology series “Easy.” (Man, Netflix seems to do Chicago dirty a lot.) Other cities (cough, New York) don’t seem to have this problem, so what gives? Vulture’s Rachel Handler talks with host Jacoby Cochran about some of these problematic depictions. Jacoby and lead producer Carrie Shepherd also share which shows they think do a good job.Guest: Rachel Handler—Features writer, VultureLinks:Why Does Netflix Hate Chicago?South SideWork in ProgressChicago Marathon routeFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

If you’ve lived in Illinois for even a short period of time, you’ve heard the name Michael J. Madigan. But you’ve probably just heard the name because he rarely gives interviews. For nearly 40 years, Madigan served as Speaker of the Illinois House, and during that time, practically every piece of legislation passed in Springfield had to get his approval. In 2016, at the Speaker’s request, then-President Barack Obama came to Illinois to campaign for a state representative who was hand-picked by Madigan. And why did Madigan want this new candidate in office? Because she was running against incumbent state Rep. Ken Dunkin, who had voted against Madigan. Dunkin lost. But now Madigan is out as House Speaker and out of the state legislature. A podcast out today from the Better Government Association digs into the rise of Madigan and how the power he built started to weaken. Guest: Justin Kaufmann — Host, “The Madigan Rule”Some good news to get you through: Today is the last day to register for the South Side Pie Challenge. The bake-off starts at 2 p.m. Saturday at Nichols Park.Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

It’s been 150 years and the origin story of the Great Chicago Fire still relies on Catherine O’Leary’s cow kicking over a lantern and setting the city ablaze. While there’s still some mystery around what actually happened that fateful October day, what is clear is that the bias against Irish Catholic immigrants served as a perfect scapegoat for the fire, and it parallels the way some populations are affected more negatively than others in natural disasters. Host Jacoby Cochran spoke with Julius Jones, curator of Chicago History Museum’s new exhibit “City on Fire: Chicago 1871,” about what the city was like in 1871 and who the 100,000 residents who lost their homes were.Guest: Julius Jones — Assistant Curator, Chicago History MuseumFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Ever since the Little Village Discount Mall property was sold last year, vendors and neighbors have been demanding answers about its future. The mall anchors the 26th Street business corridor, which was once dubbed the city’s “Second Magnificent Mile” as the second-highest revenue generator in the city. More than 100 small business owners call the Discount Mall home, and they attract Mexican and Mexican-American visitors from Chicago, the suburbs, and beyond. The property was purchased by a construction company known for developing big box stores. That reputation and a lack of communication has vendors worried about the future of the mall and of the neighborhood. Host Jacoby Cochran talks to a reporter who covered the sale and grew up going to the Discount Mall and the owner of a dress shop in the mall.Guests:Carlos Ballesteros, reporter at Injustice WatchKocoy Malagon, owner of Source Fashion CorpKnow Your Rights Housing virtual eventJacoby's Good News: "Last Week Tonight Masterpiece Gallery with John Oliver" at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in River NorthFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

The Obamas were in town Tuesday to break ground on the Obama Presidential Center in Jackson Park. But not everyone is convinced the campus will be a beacon of hope and change for surrounding South Side communities. Host Jacoby Cochran is joined by Injustice Watch’s Charles Preston and WTTW’s Heather Cherone to discuss lingering concerns facing the Presidential Center. The trio also dive into Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s 2022 budget proposal; and, of course, they leave us with a few moments of joy, including the grand reopening of Semicolon Bookstore and improving Covid numbers. Guests: Charles Preston — Audience Engagement Manager, Injustice WatchHeather Cherone — Political Reporter, WTTWFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When Steven Walsh was growing up in the East Side neighborhood, he saw what unemployment and disinvestment did to the area. Walsh knew his neighborhood as “the hood,” but he never stopped to ask how it got that way. After he returned home after college, he started filming his grandfather while he played guitar, drank beer and watched the History Channel. Walsh's grandfather’s story was the story of so many people. When the steel mills closed down in the '80s, thousands lost jobs, money dried up, and residents did whatever they could to survive. Walsh talks to host Jacoby Cochran about his film, “Southeast: A City Within a City,” which explores the story of his family and other families on the Southeast Side.Guest:Steven Walsh — Filmmaker, Southeast: A City Within a CitySneak Peek of “Southeast: A City Within A City” with Steven Walsh at Chicgo Public LibraryFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm