AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/category/news/page/29/)
Akua Njeri and Fred Hampton Jr., the fiance and son of Black Panther Party leader Fred Hampton Sr., attended a pre-release screening of “Judas and the Black Messiah” last week held at Kehrein Center for the Arts.
But the demand for shots is much greater than the supply, said hospital CEO and President George Miller Jr. Loretto is partnering with community groups on the weekends, in addition to giving shots during the week at the hospital.
Graduate students at the University of Illinois at Chicago came up with a road map for Austin-based Gone Again Travel to survive the pandemic. Founder and CEO Crystal Dyer is hopeful about the future of her 22-year-old business.
Sixty percent of the $1 million will go to street repairs and resurfacing in the ward. The rest of the projects to be funded – and listed here in order of popularity – are: street safety upgrades, community gardens, a fitness course at the Austin Town Hall, bike lanes, a mural in Columbus Park and public art at Sayre Language Academy. Nearly 400 residents voted this time around.
The Walmart Supercenter in Austin is offering COVID-19 vaccines, but some are concerned the mostly African American community isn’t taking advantage. City data shows 2,742 people in the 60639 ZIP code, where the Walmart is located, have received their first dose. At 3.1% of the ZIP code’s population, it’s among the lowest vaccination rates in the city.
The Feb. 4th episode of The TRiiBE’s TV show “We Real Chicago will feature special guest Fred Hampton Jr., the son of the 21-year-old chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party who was killed by Chicago police officers in December 1969. The Block Club Chicago’s Pascal Sabino is marking Hampton’s death 52 years ago this week by asking readers to share what they learned about Hampton in school. Who are your favorite unsung heroes of the West Side?
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the 15th Police District’s faith-based leaders group, Richard Wiser acknowledged that detectives have at times been insensitive in dealing with the families of murder victims. Wiser, commander of the Area Four Detective Division, which includes Austin, pledged the department would do better and asked West Siders for recommendations on how police can do better.
Chicago has moved to phase 1B of vaccine distribution, which includes people 65 and over and many essential workers. While some people are jumping at the chance to get the two shots, concern remains over misinformation about the COVID-19 vaccine, especially among African Americans. The Westside Health Authority’s Good Neighbor Campaign held a meeting last week aimed at debunking misinformation and encouraging Austin residents to get vaccinated as soon as they can.
Carl McCargo led a discussion earlier this month on reparations at the Third Unitarian Church of Chicago. He talked about the tragic legacy chattel slavery left behind, but he’s hopeful the U.S. can heal the inter-generational trauma caused by centuries of an oppressive system.
Join CARA’s running crew in Austin on Thursdays at 5 p.m. at LaFollette Park track, 1333 N. Laramie. Details and free sign-up can be found at www.cararuns.org/arc.