ABC 7 Chicago celebrates Black History Month with news, small stories and “Our Chicago: Spirit and Perseverance”

ABC 7 CHICAGO celebrates Black History Month with little stories, a range of news and a half-hour special “OUR CHICAGO: SPIRIT AND Perseverance.”

Hosted by ABC 7 Cheryl Burton and Hosea Sanders, “OUR CHICAGO: SPIRIT AND TENSE” It showcases the unique stories and cultural contributions of Black Chicagoans. The half-hour program will be broadcast on Saturday, February 25th at 18:00 and the next day Sunday, February 26th at 23:00 with an encore presentation and will also be broadcast live only. abc7chicago.com and ABC 7’s Connected TV Apps on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV and Roku.

Burton and Sanders Host the special event from the historic Liberty Baptist Church located at 49th Street and Martin Luther King Drive. Liberty Baptist Church, built in 1956, was named after Dr. It served as the home base for Martin Luther King Jr. They will launch the show highlighting the historical influence of Black churches in Chicago.

Englewood resident, guitarist and engineer Edward Vaughn, “Rockstar EV”; Tammy Anderson, the inspiring dancing crossover; bakery and candy factory entrepreneur Stephanie Hart; writer and lawyer Leanne Stuckey; Loyola University’s AfroDescent Dance Team and her husband, Dr. Reflecting her extraordinary love story with Robert Jordan, is the caretaker Jeannette Jordan.

“OUR CHICAGO: SPIRIT AND Perseverance” It highlights individuals and groups in the Black Chicago community with unique stories and community contributions, including:

Chicago Freedom Movement: In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. and his wife, Coretta, Dr. He moved to Chicago, where King launched the Chicago Freedom Movement, the historic open housing campaign, the first major protest movement in the North. The campaign had a huge impact on Chicago – it brought Jesse Jackson to the city where he launched Operation Bread Basket. He also brought other notable personalities to the city, such as Reverend Al Sampson, who was a long-time minister on the South End. The special revisits this historic campaign with Reverend Sampson, King biographer Jonathan Eig, and others.

Life is sweet: Stephanie Hart, one of Chicago’s most prominent minority businesswomen and co-owner of the beloved South Side bakery Brown Sugar, runs the confectionery business in Chicago. She bought the cupid Candies factory, brought it back to life, and now she aims to expand her Life is Sweet candies to a larger market. Hart is helping the neighborhood by renovating the factory, creating new jobs and giving people a chance to earn a living wage. Hart is one of the only black-owned sugar producers in the country.

Chicago’s “Notebook” Love Story – In Sickness and Health: Pastor Jeannette Jordan and her husband, Dr. Robert Jordan has been married for over 50 years and they have five children. Robert, a retired pediatrician, became Rush Hospital’s first Black pediatrician chief in 1979. A few years ago, Robert was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Now, his wife, Jeannette, has dedicated her life to taking care of him.

Mielle Organic: Chicago founders Monique and Melvin Rodriguez founded Merrillville, Indiana-based hair and skincare company Mielle Organics in their basement. Now valued at $100 million, they follow in the footsteps of major Black-owned hair care companies from the past, such as Johnson Products and Soft Sheen (owned by Edward and Bettiann Gardner).

Loyola AfroDescent Dance Team: AfroDescent is the first and only African dance team at Loyola University Chicago to express themselves through African ancestral movements and a variety of styles from the African diaspora. As a diverse team, they strive to highlight the joyful and artistic expression of African Dance and showcase them to the Loyola community.

Faith Leaders Bring Credit Union to Austin Neighborhood: Faith leaders at Great True Vine Baptist Church in Austin are joining forces with a local investment banker to open a credit union at a neighborhood community center later this year in hopes of bringing financial stability to the people of Austin.

ABC7 Eyewitness News will feature many engaging stories for Black History Month under “Building a Better Chicago”, including:

–Anchor Rob Elgas He takes a trip to Funky Town, the first Black-owned brewery in Chicago.

–Reporter Leah Hope Reports on the local mom behind Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream. His ice cream will be on display at the Ice Cream Museum from February.

–Anchor Samantha Chatman It explores diversity in dispensaries by investigating the number of applicants to a Black cannabis dispensary compared to the number of approved applicants holding a dispensary license.

–Race and Culture Correspondent Will Jones highlights a local entrepreneur who spreads positive messages through clothing.

–ReporterJohn Garcia researches The Bears Organization to uncover the progress of diversity in their programs.

–Traffic Server Roz Varon He travels back in time by visiting an exhibit called “The Negro Motorist Green Book”.