Category: Youth & Resilience
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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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Every Button Tells a Story: Hirsch Students Show Their Pride
Every Button Tells a Story: Hirsch Students Show Their Pride At Hirsch Metropolitan High School on Chicago’s Southeast Side, something bold happened this week—something small in scale but massive in meaning. For the first time in school history, students and staff came together to celebrate Pride Month with a button-making event. No parade, no speeches—just…
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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…