National

Black Public Media’s Peabody Award-winning series AfroPoP: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange marks a major milestone this fall with its 100th film presentation, Paradox: Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police. The documentary serves as the finale of Season 18 and explores 150 years of policing, political power, and reform in Minneapolis. Directed by 20-time regional Emmy Award winner Daniel Pierce Bergin and produced by Minnesota PBS, Paradox premieres Monday, November 9, on

The women behind ‘Other Paths To God’, a National New Play Network rolling premiere coming to Chicago (left to right): Myesha-Tiara (Perceptions Theatre), Kelundra Smith (Atlanta-based playwright, write r), and India Nicole Burton (Coalescence Theatre Project, producer) Perceptions Theatre and Coalescence Theatre Project are joining forces to bring Other Paths to God, a new play by award-winning playwright Kelundra Smith, to Chicago audiences as part of a National New Play Ne

Photo by: Brandon Grate LEPR Agency A former corporate executive and Washington, D.C. native is helping children build positive spending and budgeting habits with a new book series this National Financial Planning Month. The CleverCents book series is part of an interactive learning platform for children that will later include a mobile game focused on financial literacy. The three books follow curious Lia Brightwood from age 7 to 8 as she navigates real-world situations and

Clairol is celebrating 95 years in the hair color industry with the launch of She Does, a short documentary film featuring four longtime customers who share their personal stories, beauty rituals, and connections to the iconic hair color brand. The anniversary campaign revisits Clairol’s groundbreaking question, “Does she… or doesn’t she?” first introduced in 1956, when coloring hair was often considered a private matter. Nearly seven decades later, the brand is transforming

The art historian, poet, and novelist close-reads images, moving and still, canonical and lesser known, that have shaped her evolving identity as an American “Mulatta” lesbian born at the end of the Civil Rights Movement in this singular blend of life-writing and cultural studies. The daughter of the WASP mother who raised her and a Black father she has never known, J. Vanessa Lyon delivers a candid memoir across thirteen uniquely structured chapters in conversation with endu

Left to right Ashley Tarver and Kiara Poole Chicago is taking center stage in the search for love as OWN’s hit dating series Ready to Love heads to the Windy City for the first time. Season 12 premiered Friday, October 2, 2026, introducing 20 successful Black singles in their 30s and 40s who are ready to explore new connections and find meaningful, lasting relationships. Hosted by comedian and relationship expert Thomas “Nephew Tommy” Miles, Ready to Love: Chicago brings toge

Hosted by The Widow (Alexis Allotta), the self-proclaimed “Wittiest Witch of the Midwest,” and her sarcastic undead husband Charlie (Adam Michaels) Created by Chicago-area filmmakers Meredith Tummillo and Tony Wash and filmed locally, the YouTube series blends horror trivia, comedy, character hosts, and a Universal theme park vacation sweepstakes A new horror-comedy trivia game show created and filmed in the Chicago area is giving genre fans a weekly reason to test their kno

Playwright Crystal Roman brings conversations about Black and Latina identity, colorism, cultural history, and representation to the stage. Identity, culture, and belonging are at the center of Black Latina: A Play, a nationally touring production by playwright Crystal Roman that explores the experiences of Black Latina women and the complexities of navigating race, ethnicity, and womanhood in America. Returning to Chicago for a three-day run in partnership with Urban Theater

Lazy Dog Restaurants, known for its made-from- scratch food and drink using seasonally inspired ingredients, is leaning into comfort-food season with a new seasonal menu filled with familiar favorites, bold flavors and a few unexpected twists. Beginning October 7, guests can discover a lineup of new dishes, a new handcrafted TV Dinner, three new seasonal cocktails and two new non-alcoholic beverages, including a shareable cocktail for the whole crew to enjoy. “Fall is all abo

NEW YORK – Sept. 3, 2026 – BET today announced the return of SOUL TRAIN AWARDS, presented by Spotify and Toyota, airing Friday, Nov. 27 at 8:00 PM, ET/PT on BET and simulcast on CBS for the first time ever, along with BET HER, VH1, MTV2 and LOGO. Taped in the city where Don Cornelius launched the original “Soul Train” more than 50 years ago, the show will celebrate the artists, music and enduring legacy of “Soul Train” through a dynamic night of performances and special momen

Broadway Company of Operation Mincemeat. Photo by Matt Crockett OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL will play Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre (18 W. Monroe St.) for a limited two-week engagement, September 29 – October 11, on its North American leg of its World Tour. In OPERATION MINCEMEAT: A NEW MUSICAL, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stole

Becky Robison is a writer and certified death doula living in Louisville, Kentucky. After her parents died, she created My Parents Are Dead: What Now?—a website documenting her journey through the legal, financial, and bureaucratic aftermath in order to help others do the same.