Two U.S. presidents, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Sinatra, and hundreds more have graced the Auditorium Theatre stage. On graduation day, Commencement speaker Anthony Rodriguez joins them with his official send-off to his classmates.   Back in 2010, Anthony started his career with the Chicago Public Schools district as a substitute bus aide. In 2021, armed with […]

For graduation speaker Mohammad Samra, Commencement is the culmination of a long and difficult journey.   He’s spent many late nights churning through homework in his parent’s unfinished basement. He’s worked long hours loading packages for UPS. He’s dealt with loss, self-doubt and the challenges of the pandemic.   And on Graduation Day, we get […]

After a year of worldwide protests and a much-awaited trial, Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the murder of George Floyd. Many Americans felt relief to see some semblance of justice. But in the 24 hours after the verdict was announced, police killed at least six more people (Washington Post).   How can we work […]

Illinois still has a redlining problem. Decades ago, the government labeled Black neighborhoods as “high risk” for home loans. And we’re still feeling the legacy of this policy today. In 2020, WBEZ and City Bureau found that for every dollar that Chicago lenders invested in mostly white neighborhoods, they only invested 12 cents in mostly […]

Illinois school funding was never created equal, but the system remains broken along racial lines today. Last year, African American students at underfunded schools faced an average funding gap of $1,400 more each year than white students at similar schools.   Guest host Tom Philion, dean of the College of Education, sits down with Ralph […]

Public policy touches every part of our daily lives: where our tax dollars go, where we can afford to live, what opportunities our children receive in school. In this episode, Ralph Martire explains how the Center for Budget and Tax Accountability is taking on systemic challenges through policy reform.   Ralph Martire is the Arthur […]