City Cast Chicago

People outside of Chicago often view the city as dangerous. Sometimes they even call it “The Murder Capital,” even though other cities have higher rates of violence. Natalie Moore says media are part of the problem. The WBEZ reporter and author of “The South Side” has spent her career pushing back on the idea that covering the South and West sides is all bad news all the time. She and host Jacoby Cochran talk about how media can better cover Chicago’s neighborhoods and violence in the city.Guest: Natalie Moore, Author/Reporter, WBEZ (@natalieymoore)Help us make the show better by taking our listener survey! When you tell us your thoughts, you can sign up to be entered for a $100 Visa gift card: https://chicago.citycast.fm/survey/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Today we're sharing an episode from the podcast "It's All Good" from our friends at Block Club Chicago. Each week, host Jon Hansen talks to the people who make their neighborhoods great.This week: The Folded Map Project. Creator Tonika Lewis Johnson and sociologist Maria Krysan interviewed 30 people about how they first confronted — and eventually combatted — harmful narratives about Chicago’s South and West sides. The join Jon Hansen to talk about what they've learned.

We’re breaking down the week’s news with Jon Hansen, host of Block Club Chicago’s “It’s All Good” podcast. He and host Jacoby Cochran talk about why City Council infighting could actually be a good sign, Jon’s discovery of a Black-owned LGBTQ+ bar in South Shore, how Jacoby is over the fireworks already, and the long-awaited unveiling of the Ida B. Wells monument in Bronzeville.Guest: Jon Hansen, Host, "It's All Good" (@JonHansenTV)You can help us make the podcast better by taking our audience survey. Share your thoughts about the show and be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card! https://chicago.citycast.fm/survey/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Every year, The Broken Arrow Riding Club hosts a rodeo at the South Shore Cultural Center Park. Yes, right there next to a golf course, beach and landmark event space where the Obamas hosted their wedding reception. The club has been around for more than 30 years with a mission to bring horseback riding and rodeos to all ethnic backgrounds and physical abilities in Chicago. As a native Chicagoan, host Jacoby Cochran had never even heard of the rodeo so he went to check out Black cowboys and talk to the man who started it all. Help us make the show better by taking our guest survey. By participating, you'll be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card! https://chicago.citycast.fm/survey/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Before he became the host of The Late Show, or The Colbert Report, and before The Daily Show, Stephen Colbert honed his craft in Chicago. Colbert went from Northwestern University’s theater department to The Second City, where he is now joining the board of directors. Colbert tells host Jacoby Cochran about his early days with the historic theater, his lasting impressions of the city, and how he went from being afraid of going shirtless on stage to performing a duet with his pants. Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

After seeing how impactful the pandemic was for their young kids, two Chicago moms decided that a great way for kids to look back at this historical moment was to start a time capsule. They created “Once Upon Our Time Capsule,” a project that collects individual time capsules from kids across the city. We talk to Stacey Gillett and Stephanie Hodges about why they thought it was important that children memorialize this year, and what this could mean for the kids opening the capsules five years from now. Guests: Stacey Gillett, Co-creator, Once Upon Our Time Capsule (@staceywgillett)Stephanie Hodges, Co-creator, Once Upon Our Time CapsuleFind out how to make your own time capsule: https://www.ourtimecapsule.org/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Along the lakefront at Oakwood Beach lies a mermaid carved from limestone. She’s been watching over Lake Michigan since 1986, but for some Chicagoans her origin story, or even her existence, was a mystery. Host Jacoby Cochran got to visit the mermaid for the very first time with one of its creators, Roman Villarreal. They talk about how the sculpture actually came to be and who the inspiration was. Oh, also about how this mermaid will likely live in Chicago for another 300 years. Guests:Paul Dailing: WriterRomán Villarreal: ArtistAtlas Obscura: The Secret MermaidFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

Host Jacoby Cochran breaks down what happened in Chicago this week with The Triibe co-founder and editor-in-chief Tiffany Walden. They talk about the debate over renaming Lake Shore Drive after Jean Baptiste DuSable, rent relief for Chicagoans, and a potential plan to improve the intersection at 79th Street, Stony Island Avenue, and South Chicago Avenue. They also make a discovery about a popular steppin’ track and share their strong opinions about lions in the Lincoln Park Zoo. Guest: Tiffany Walden, Co-founder/Editor-in-Chief, The Triibe (@Waldens_Block)Find the 2021 Triibe Guide: https://reshapethenarrative.com/Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When Collaboraction opened its doors 25 years ago, they had no idea just how much their theater would change throughout the years. Having worked with around 3,000 artists on more than 60 productions, the Chicago-based theater was determined to continue its work of creating inclusive productions that inspire social change during the pandemic. Putting together virtual productions and discussions, the theater sparked much-needed discussions about race during the height of the BLM protests last summer. We look back at the theater’s history and on how much it has evolved with Collaboraction’s Anthony Moseley and Dr. Marcus Robinson.Guests: Anthony Moseley, Artistic Director, Collaboraction (@AnthonyMoseley)Dr. Marcus Robinson, Executive Director, Collaboraction (@4MarcusRobinson)Find out how to attend Collaboraction's 25th-anniversary party tonight:https://www.collaboraction.org/moonset-sunrise-eventFollow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm

When Chicago attorney Joanne Molinaro went vegan in 2016, she worried that she wouldn’t be able to eat her favorite Korean dishes that she grew up with. It’s why she started the “Korean Vegan” blog. She initially focused on her recipes, but over time felt like she needed to connect cooking with personal stories about her family, heartbreak, and other ups-and-downs from her life. These stories have resonated on TikTok, where Molinaro has more than 2 million followers. Molinaro explains what shifted for her and tells host Jacoby Cochran about her favorite Korean dishes and vegan spots in Chicago.Guest: Joanne Molinaro— Attorney, food blogger, and author (TikTok: @thekoreanvegan) Follow us on Twitter: @CityCastChicagoSign up for our newsletter: chicago.citycast.fm