Englewood Archives - Rolling Out

Not too long ago, Quilen Blackwell, founder of Chicago Eco House, was tutoring at a high school in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. He encountered the challenges of inner-city poverty and how it affects young people who live in that community. In 2014, the Madison, Wisconsin, native who now calls Englewood home, began organizing local residents and…

AT&T’s Believe Chicago initiative premiered the documentary, “Beacons of Hope: Stories of Strength from Chicago” to a packed house on Monday, Feb. 18, 2019, at Kennedy-King Community College in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood. Filmed by AT&T’s Audience Network, “Beacons of Hope” is a documentary that focuses on the work community activists are doing to help address the…

The 24th annual Black Harvest Film Festival (BHFF) swings into high gear at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The month-long celebration, which began Aug. 4 and runs through Aug. 30, features the experiences of African Americans and the African diaspora as interpreted by independent filmmakers from around the U.S. and abroad. One local film that…

When photographer Tonika Johnson was in high school, she traveled from her South Side neighborhood of Englewood to the North Side in Chicago daily. In her travels, she noticed that streets on the North Side were strikingly different than streets with the same names on the South Side where she lived. Johnson’s new exhibit, “Folded Map”, is…

Kaylyn Nicole had dreams of becoming a lawyer since the age of 2. She grew up and excelled in school and sports. Her beauty and perseverance landed her a modeling contract with Mario Tricoci. She would make any parent proud. At the age of 20, her life was taken senselessly. She became a victim of…

T-shirt designer Edward Ark has been producing his unique brand of tee shirts in his brick-and-mortar location in Calumet City for the past three years. It’s a significant hallmark since prior to a physical location, the former gangbanger turned to making graphic tees, which he sold out of his car. Tell us about your business. I…

Chicago has been synonymous with violence and shootings consistently for years now. Mentions of the city from outsiders and natives alike paint a murderous picture of Chicago where everyone is ducking bullets and fighting to stay alive. In fact, President Donald Trump addressed this year’s 228 shootings in Chicago in a tweet where he threatened…

The Englewood community on the South Side of Chicago has gone from food desert to an oasis. Englewood Square was unveiled on the South Side on 63rd and Halsted. The presence of a Whole Foods and Starbucks in the Englewood Square shopping complex is an example of community building and providing work. This $20 million…

The most amazing thing about the Chicago hip-hop scene is found in its diversity. The talent is just as defined as the neighborhoods. Drunken Monkeee represents one of the most notorious neighborhoods in Chicago. His skill embodies his passion and his desire to make the world better. Along with being an amazing artist, he is…

If you spend anytime in Chicago these days you will notice an artistic renaissance happening. The music and visual landscape of the city is growing consistently every year. World-renowned artists cut their teeth in this city and flourish around the world. Rolling out had the opportunity to speak with one of these individuals, Englewood’s very own…

BIG IL’s bio reads: “In a place popularized by high crime rates and cultural misconceptions, Alex Thompson stands out using his love and passion for his city to drive his musical journey. Born and raised in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, Thompson, known as BIG IL, noticed his passion for the arts at an early age. BIG IL…

Lupe Fiasco’s charitable organization M.U.R.A.L. (Magnifying Urban Realities and Affecting Lives) recently held its second annual IFTAR dinner and think-tank event in Chicago. The event featured a discussion of the organization’s “Food Justice” program, which hopes to improve the healthy food choices in impoverished neighborhoods and teach community members about healthy eating and diet-related health issues…

Culture is a living and breathing thing. Art, music and entertainment provide inspiration to the masses even in the smallest doses. Love is expressed through culture. Our life stories are told through culture. Culture exists even in the most trying of times. Revolutions are sparked by culture. When we discuss culture, it is important to…

Fans of the fashions featured in the historic Ebony Fashion Fair Show will have one last opportunity to own some of their favorite pieces from the collection as it will soon be placed on the auction block. The legendary institution will hold the third and final installment of its three-part auction series via Leslie Hindman Auctioneers…

Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood has long been noted as one of the most notorious food deserts in any major metropolitan city, but one local businessman is looking to change that. Former nightclub owner Howard Bailey says opening his newest endeavor, Dream Café and Grille, in the heart of Englewood will bring a much-needed alternative to some of the food choices…

Both aspiring and professional film industry aficionados recently descended up on Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood for the 4th annual Englewood International Film Festival. The four day event featured networking, interactive workshops, and screenings of films from across the country and abroad from places as far away as France. “It’s amazing how it just keeps growing and…

Chicago’s baby-faced girls with hood tales.

Are these youths gun-wielding monsters because they want to be? Or are they desperate and out of options?

They think, ‘(He) shot Jennifer’s (mother, brother and nephew) and I’m going to get him.’”

“We finally made it,” Derrick Rose 23, told his mother.