First Friday Club of Chicago podcast

Beyond the Loop: Reinvesting in Chicago's Hidden Gems and Forgotten Neighborhoods Despite making up the majority of Chicago's landmass, the South and West sides for decades have suffered from severe disinvestment. But is there change afoot? Lee Bey, from the Sun-Times will highlight the wealth of historic architecture, parks, and streetscapes on the South and West sides, and plans to finally bring reinvestment to these communities. More ... Lee Bey is the author of the well-received book "Southern Exposure: The Overlooked Architecture of Chicago's South Side" and was the Emmy-nominated host of the WTTW special "Building Blocks: The Architecture of Chicago's South Side." Bey returned to the Sun-Times as an editorial writer in 2019. He previously held several positions in organizations involved in planning, development and architecture, and was also deputy chief of staff for architecture and urban planning in the administration of Mayor Richard M. Daley. Bey is now working on a book about architecture on the West Side. He lives in an 1893 rowhouse in Chicago's historic Pullman community.

In a world increasingly marked by division and discord, Jesuit priest Father Gregory Boyle offers a transformative vision of community and compassion. Over the past thirty years, Fr. Boyle has transformed tens of thousands of lives through his work as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest gang-intervention program in the world. The program runs on two unwavering principles: We are all inherently good (no exceptions) and we belong to each other (no exceptions). Fr. Boyle believes that these two ideas allow all of us to cultivate a new way of seeing the world. Rather than the tribalism that excludes and punishes, this new narrative proposes a village that cherishes. With Homeboy Industries as a backdrop, this talk will explore the power of love to transform the disunity that currently keeps us from each other. More ... Father Gregory Boyle, a Jesuit priest, is the founder of Homeboy Industries in Los Angeles, the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Founded in 1988, Homeboy Industries employs and trains former gang members in a range of social enterprises, as well as provides critical services to thousands of individuals who walk through its doors every year seeking a better life. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Fr. Boyle served as pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights from 1986 to 1992. At that time, Dolores Mission was the poorest Catholic parish in Los Angeles that also had the highest concentration of gang activity in the city. Fr. Boyle witnessed the devastating impact of gang violence on his community during the so-called "decade of death" that began in the late 1980s and peaked at 1,000 gang-related killings in 1992. In the face of law enforcement tactics and criminal justice policies of suppression and mass incarceration as the means to end gang violence, he along with parish and community members adopted what was a radical approach at the time: treat gang members as human beings. This commitment led to the founding of Homeboy Industries in 1988.

There is no denying the feeling you get when you enter a house of worship: a sense of mystery, peace, awe, and delight. Whether majestic or modest, sacred spaces are carefully designed to transport us to a spiritual place for quiet mediation as well as bold contemplation about the meaning of life. In this talk, WTTW program host Geoffrey Baer looks at the architecture and history of some of Chicagoland's most inspiring churches, synagogues, mosques, Buddhist and Hindu temples, and other spiritual sites. From humble storefronts to buildings designed by world-famous architects. He'll show how sacred spaces shaped communities and decode the dazzling stained glass, iconography and other beautiful elements that adorn these marvelous places.

Nancy Hughes Moyer may not have the connections like Cardinal Gregory who presented on October 3rd. Instead, she has connections of a different kind. Nancy is in the trenches every day, in real time ... working to make connections for vets and others who need help here in Chicago and throughout Illinois. The daily decisions and challenges are constant but so too are Nancy's rooted values in her faith.

Sr. Helen Prejean got into her ministry against the death penalty almost by accident in her early forties, with a decision to write to a prisoner on death row. She credits "Sneaky Jesus" for this idea, which changed her life. Her 1993 book, Dead Man Walking, made into a movie, brought her onto the national stage. Today Sister Prejean is still the most prominent voice against the death penalty in the U.S. She urged Popes John Paul II and Francis to change church teaching to oppose capital punishment in any circumstance, which finally happened in 2018. This doesn't mean, however, that the battle is winding down. The governor of Prejean's home state Louisianna, has ended a 15-year pause on executions. The new administration in Washington has pledged to ramp up the death penalty. Because more than 60 pharmaceutical companies refuse to supply drugs for use in executions, states are turning to firing squads, electrocution, and use of nitrogen gas to suffocate prisoners. Race still plays a huge role in who is sentenced to death. So there's plenty of work to be done. "Have to do it," says Sr. Helen Prejean. "Can't not do it."

On the home front: Habitat for Humanity confronts Chicago's housing crisis Chicago's severe housing deficit is undermining our city's vitality. Join us as Jennifer Parks shares the history of Habitat and how the impact of current projects in three Chicago neighborhoods are playing a small but critical role in righting this wrong.

Lester Munson - The Menace of Sports Gambling

Two of Chicago's most prominent journalists take us through the resulats of the election and what it means for our democracy.

A confident, reassuring presence during Gov. Pritzker's daily covid briefings, Dr. Ngozi Ezike in 2022 left the Illinois Department of Public Health to lead Sinai Chicago. And, while steering this major, 105-year-old Chicago healthcare institution, she's keeping her eye on the broader picture. "Understanding health care is more than what happens with doctors and nurses," she says. "We have to see the related other pieces: having insurance, having a safe space to exercise, having a grocery store nearby so you can buy healthy food. We're in the minority among developed nations in how we don't see health care as a right. Instead there are haves and have nots." Located on Chicago's West Side, Sinai Hospital offers a case in point: 70% of its patients are on Medicaid. West Siders' life expectancy is 16 years shorter than that of folks who live just a few miles away in the Loop. Ezike insists that this status quo is simply not acceptable. "More people need to be thinking about this," she says. "Our words and our actions really have to match." As a healthcare leader who has dedicated her career to serving disadvantaged communities and fighting health care disparities, Ezike will point to the bigger picture of how we can work together to ensure decent healthcare for all Chicagoans. Raised in Los Angeles and a mother of four, Dr. Ezike credits her husband, Dr. Emeka Ezike and her faith in a higher power for helping her deal with the stress from her jobs, especially during the pandemic. A graduate of Harvard, Dr. Ezike worked for 15 years for Cook County Health, addressing the needs of the residents of Cook County. She also served as medical director of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center and of Austin Health Center on the West Side.

"The Sacredness of Storytelling" Through the power of stories that speak to the heart, Otis Moss III tackles the theme of democracy—and what we can do in this moment, when we fear that ours is coming apart at the seams. "Appropriate storytelling leads to appropriate action," he says. "If you don't have the right story, you repeat the last chapter over and over again--you never get to a new one." This father of two calls us to consider our responsibility for the future: "Every generation has a call it must accept, to lay a brick in the cathedral that we're attempting to build for our children's children." A believer in the sacredness of history, Moss will tell stories of people who, despite having fewer resources than many of us, made an incredible difference in our world.

Join us to hear how the Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul traces his commitment to social justice back to his Haitian immigrant parents and his childhood on Chicago's South Side

Arts in Chicago: Remaining Relevant Barbara Gaines, founder and recently retired Artistic Director of Chicago Shakespeare Theater, has been instrumental in bringing outstanding stage productions to Chicago for 37 years. Beginning in 1986, with an inaugural performance on a pub's roof top in Lincoln Park, Barbara's creativity, intelligence and hard work provided the catalyst needed to showcase Chicago Shakespeare's talented organization which in turn, brought high praise and recognition from the Chicago arts community and the global stage as well. Rick Kogan, Born and raised in Chicago, a Tribune columnist, author, WGN radio show host, and past contributor to Chicago Daily News and the Sun-Times, Mr. Kogan is often referred to as one of the great voices of Chicago radio and the last in a great tradition of classic newspaper men. He's one of the true chroniclers of our city. Together, Barbara Gaines and Rick Kogan will join ranks on stage at the Union League Club to discuss highlights and challenges facing the Chicago arts community along with a grab bag of other topics. And as old friends go, the two of them share a few "inside" Chicago stories never to be found in the Tribune or heard on the radio.

Sports in our changing culture: Why we still lavish faith, hope, and love on America's second religion Certain questions in sports have more serious ramifications than the ever-popular "How 'bout dem Bears?" Consider the meteoric rise of sports gambling, or the now acknowledged risk of severe brain injuries in football. Not to mention the middle class being priced out of most tickets—and now out of watching games on TV as well. Join Mike Mulligan, co-host of the Mully and Haugh show on WSCR 670-AM, as he takes a swing at top issues in sports today, including how sports interact with our faith and our values. More on Mr. Mulligan … Mr. Mulligan is a native Chicagoan who grew up on the South Side and graduated from Loyola University. Before switching to radio, Mike spent 27 years with the Chicago Sun times as an award winning journalist. Mike is a huge White Sox fan and he and his wife, Christina, have three children.