Category: Legacy & Motivation
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Hirsch: The Last Pillar Standing
100 Years of Legacy, Loss, and Love in Chicago’s South Side By Christopher Tru Hood Hirsch: The Last Pillar Standing 100 Years of Legacy, Loss, and Love in Chicago’s South Side. A Multimedia Capstone by Christopher “Tru” Hood The clock above Hirsch Metropolitan High School’s main hall has ticked for nearly a century. From…
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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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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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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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Where Light Barely Reaches, But We Still Bloom
Where Light Barely Reaches, But We Still Bloom Englewood, a neighborhood on Chicago’s South Side, is often portrayed through statistics like poverty rates and crime reports, but there is so much more to it than meets the eye. Beneath the headlines lies a vibrant community rich in legacy and resilience, showcasing a determined spirit and…
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From Beats to Belief: How Trap Worship Is Reaching — and Challenging — Chicago’s Youth
From Beats to Belief: How Trap Worship Is Reaching — and Challenging — Chicago’s Youth “Lights. Lens. Legacy in motion.” This behind-the-scenes moment captures recording artist Zeke Locke (center, brown jacket) during a HSH Management and Tru Hood Studio Media Day shoot for his upcoming single, “I’m Walking.” Beside him is Jason and Rich…
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The Ones Who Made It: From the Streets of Chicago to the Cap and Gown
The Ones Who Made It: From the Streets of Chicago to the Cap and Gown By Christopher Tru Hood | Photojournalist, Tru Hood Studio LLC “I didn’t know the bigger picture when I started. I just knew I had to make it.” — Adonte, Class of 2025 A high school diploma in Chicago isn’t just…