Category: Chicago Stories
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The Quiet Momentum: A Legacy Refuses to Rest
The Quiet Momentum: From the Last Pillar Standing to the Next Century: Why Hirsch’s Story Continues The narrative arc of Hirsch Metropolitan High School is one forged in the foundational American tension between architectural promise and systemic failure. When the original Capstone investigation, “Hirsch: The Last Pillar Standing,” concluded, it left readers with a profound question:…
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Your Voice: No Kings, Just Stories
Your Voice: No Kings, Just Stories https://youtu.be/tGUo2_OK1js?si=vIeGHjitv2oe9kQ1 In today’s world, we hear a lot about freedom — freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of thought. And yet, when we look around, it often feels like that freedom is more fragile than we were taught to believe. From the skyscrapers of Chicago to the streets…
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A Divine Disruption: How a Brother’s Music is Healing a City’s Trauma
A Divine Disruption: How a Brother’s Music is Healing a City’s TraumaBy Christopher Tru Hood Zeke Locke – https://livefreeillinois.org/ On the eve of Independence Day, inside the historic sanctuary of APC Morgan Park on Chicago’s South Side, the room felt like a pressure valve opening. The SOVA Gospel Mass Choir—an international ensemble from Geneva—rose in a…
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Celebrating Black Legacy: The Enduring Significance of the Bud Billiken Parade
Celebrating Black Legacy: The Enduring Significance of the Bud Billiken Parade By Christopher Hood CHICAGO (Aug. 17, 2025) For nearly a century, Chicago’s South Side has claimed the second Saturday in August as its own holiday. The Bud Billiken Parade, now in its 96th year, marched again this weekend down King Drive with all the…
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Lamar Creation: A Portrait of Passion and Perseverance
Lamar Creation: Building Legacy One Beat at a Time On the North Side of Chicago, tucked between the echoes of elevated trains and the soul of the city, you’ll find Creation Sound Studios — the home and heartbeat of Lamar Creation. He’s not just another artist trying to “make it.” He’s a visionary, an engineer,…
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“Still Standing: After a Stroke Nearly Killed Him, This Chicago Father Found Strength in the Fight for His Life”
“Still Standing: After a Stroke Nearly Killed Him, This Chicago Father Found Strength in the Fight for His Life” By Christopher “Tru” Hood South Side Chicago | Special Report “There’s always green on the other side. There’s always more.” — Jonathan Overton. A sudden rush of pressure, a collapse, and the realization that his body…
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Faith, Footsteps & Follow-Through: The Cherry-Hood Pipeline and Chicago’s Fight for Tomorrow
Faith, Footsteps & Follow-Through: The Cherry-Hood Pipeline and Chicago’s Fight for Tomorrow By Christopher “Tru” Hood Full Sail University – New Media Journalism 🔗 Original Story: Faith, Family, and Film – How One Studio Is Rewriting the Story of Chicago’s Youth 🔗 Companion Story: From the Bronx to the Block – David Cherry’s Chicago Legacy…
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From the Bronx to the Block: David Cherry’s Chicago Legacy and the Power of Performance
These moments built legacy. From singing to rapping to dancing, Chicago’s youth showed they were more than statistics—they were stars.
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Papa Was a Free Man: Fatherhood, Freedom, and the Fight for Recognition on Juneteenth
By Christopher Tru Hood Chicago, IL — The sun beats harder on Father’s Day weekends when Juneteenth is near. The air feels heavier—not just from the heat rising off the streets of Chicago but from the weight of memory, history, and unspoken truths. For Black fathers like me, these two holidays—though separate on the calendar—collide…
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Being Chosen to Strive: A Reflection on Purpose, Passion, and Persistence
Being Chosen to Strive: A Reflection on Purpose, Passion, and Persistence By Christopher Tru Hood Some people are hired. Others are called. I’ve come to realize—I’m the latter. Called to serve. Called to create. Called to lead. Called to build. Last week, someone asked me if I could run a photography workshop. I said, without…