AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/tag/aaabna/)
Stop by Jamaican Grill, at 5241 W. Chicago Ave., from 12 to 8 p.m. for its grand opening. Between 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. there will be black economic empowerment rally (B.E.E.R.) in the heart of the Soul City Corridor.
At least 4,000 people gathered in Austin Saturday to enjoy music, food and family fun along the Soul City Corridor along Chicago Avenue.
Some West Side residents want Juneteenth to be more than just another day off from work; they want it to be a day of action.
West Side residents received updates Friday on the status of the Laramie State Bank building development and new businesses opening along the Soul City Corridor, which stretches from Austin Boulevard to Cicero Avenue on Chicago Avenue.
About 50 Austin residents came out last weekend to clean up several blocks for Wecycle’s first annual spring cleaning rally. Wecycle CEO David Fleming said Saturday’s cleanup went great, but there’s still work to do. “We’re going to get this place nice. We’re going to go green. And we’re going to get it beautiful,” said Fleming, an Austin native.
At this week’s meeting of the West Side Men’s Network, Loretto President and CEO George Miller pledged the hospital will work to rebuild trust after several instances of COVID-19 doses being improperly vaccinated. Also at this week’s meeting, Austin businessman Malcolm Crawford said new restaurants are coming to the neighborhood.
Austin native Marseil Jackson plans to open an art gallery, wellness lounge and recording studio along a stretch of Chicago Avenue being developed as the Soul City Corridor. He’s purchased a vacant building in the 5800 block of Chicago Avenue to house Soul City Studios, which after renovations he aims to open early next year.
The donadtion – the largest corporate gift in United Way of Metro Chicago’s history – will be used to help implement Austin’s quality of life plan and to support social service infrastructure and development in the city’s most-populated community area. The investment was announced last week at an event hosted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot and attended by several local elected officials.
“This was a growth year for us,” said Malcolm Crawford, race organizer and executive director of the Austin African American Business Networking Association. “We’re looking for bigger and better next year. We got a lot of good experience this year, so we are looking forward to next year.”
Those in attendance at this month’s meeting of the Austin African American Business Network Association were encouraged to apply for a Retail Thrive Zone business development grant from the city of Chicago.