Many African Americans consider Africa to be the Motherland — the land from which our ancestors were stolen, forever separated from their families, culture, language and religion. They were forced into bondage predominantly in the American South, where generations toiled under horrific conditions for almost 250 years with no pay. Most of us don’t know, and probably never will know, the exact African country or tribe we’re from. Most of us, without doing extensive and purposeful research, know little about our African foreparents’ lives. And many of us don’t even know much about the dista ..read more

Hard and soft, dark and atmospheric, hopeful and full of despair, the new EP Skin – from L.A.-based rocker Devon Thompson – is a study in beautiful contradictions. The five track release, which dropped via Exquisite Feline in late-March, doesn’t shy away from heavy themes or gothic imagery, instead it embraces the dark elegance that can be found in the coldest, blackest of nights. All the while Thompson illuminates the power of modern alternative music as she carries the rock torch for a new generation. When explaining who will enjoy Skin the most, Thompson said via Zoom that “fans of alterna ..read more

Judging by his performance at the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner on cable television, Colin Jost better keep his day job at NBC’s Saturday Night Live since his wit was as sharp as a butterknife.  With generic observations and stale jokes, the comedian/writer’s 23-minute monologue was made duller by long pauses. Had Jost said, “pause for laughter,” his labored delivery could have been amusing considering President Biden’s recent gaff. In fact, President Obama actually prophesied this joke at the annual dinner back in 2009. Unfortunately, this year’s headliner lacked the cutting r ..read more

Released April 2, 2024, 19: The Musical, a new full-cast audiobook, is an adaptation of the 2019 stage production of the same name, with book and lyrics by Jennifer Schwed and Doug Bradshaw, and music composed and arranged by Charlie Barnett. The show provides a detailed backstory of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote. The women’s suffrage movement in the United States of America is one of those historical events that’s been flattened into a handful of names and locations and dates. We know there was a parade, some picketing – wasn’t somebody beat up ..read more

Originally published by The 19th Advocates for the LGBTQ+ community and sexual violence survivors are largely applauding the Department of Education’s newly released federal regulations to protect the rights of these groups in schools, though they also expressed reservations about the lack of clear protections for transgender athletes.  Unveiled on Friday, the final rule under Title IX includes provisions that strengthen the rights of sexual violence survivors during investigations and of LGBTQ+ individuals to experience school in a way that aligns with their gender identity. Title IX is ..read more

Friedberg, the London-based four-piece known for beautifully blending post punk guitars with synth-pop dreaminess, performed at Thalia Hall in Chicago on April 21 as part of their tour supporting German indie rockers Giant Rooks. Though the band – comprised of Anna Friedberg (vocals, guitar, percussion), Emily Linden (guitar), Cheryl Pinero (bass), and Daniel Brandt filling in for Laura Williams (drums) – weren’t the headliners, the crowd got swept away in the excitement of their sound. After stepping on stage to rumbling bass tones that prepared the crowd for the visceral experience that was ..read more

Women have been central to Illinois’ push for legal weed since the very beginning — the bill to legalize recreational cannabis was sponsored by State Sens. Heather Steans (D-Chicago) and Toi Hutchinson (D-Olympia Fields) and as state Reps. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) and Jehan Gordon-Booth (D-Peoria). Since then, the state has been making strides to make the cannabis industry itself more equitable, including opportunities for women, LGBTQ+ folks, non-men and people of color to grow, sell products and own dispensaries. From 2020 to 2023, the number of women-owned cannabis companies has gro ..read more

Forget the stereotypes about art aficionados. Chicagoans need not don an eye monocle or beret to appreciate current and upcoming exhibitions since the following shows are geared to various ages with vast interests. For example, the Chicago History Museum invites visitors to travel back 131 years when the city’s famed “L” car took guests to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in L Car No. 1 First Look (through June 30). The exhibit offers artifacts from the exposition, period music and information on headliners at the fair. More than 200 pieces of rare jewelry from the late Renaissance to th ..read more

Just the Tip is a sex and relationship column hosted by queer non-monogamous kinkster Jera Brown. Here you will find interviews with sexuality researchers and educators as well as smart and compassionate responses to anonymous questions. If you would like to be interviewed or have a sex or love question you’d like Jera to answer, email justthequestions@gmail.com or DM Jera on Instagram or Twitter @thejerabrown. The idea of quiet quitting went viral following a 2022 TikTok video from engineer Zaid Khan who defined it as “quitting the idea of going above and beyond at work.” It spawn ..read more

Léa Seydoux’s résumé reads like a Who’s Who in the film industry. After appearing in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood (2010), she scored roles in arthouse faves such as Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris (2011); Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) and The French Dispatch (2021); David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future (2022) and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two (2024); with franchise hits Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011) and No Time to Die (2021) in between. Still, the French actress is hardly a household name in the States. Theoretically, the 2024 release of Bertrand Bonello’s T ..read more