Chicago, our AllySHIFT™ home base, is loud and proud. It always has been and continues to be. A few examples that I consider near and dear to my heart:
Our documentary BEYOND THEIR YEARS: THE INCREDIBLE LEGACIES
OF HERB CARNEGIE AND BUCK O’NEIL was selected as a finalist for the
2024 ESSENCE FILM FESTIVAL, during the 30th ESSENCE Festival of
Culture in New Orleans. We Won the Social Impact Award!!! The
documentary shares the remarkable and iconic lives of two unforgettable
legendary sports figures who transformed their worlds by their actions and their allies. Buck O’Neil’s story is also a Chicago story. His baseball career in the Negro Leagues as well as Major League Baseball have deep Chicago roots with the Chicago White Sox that include the championship seasons of the East-West All-Star Games and Hall of Famer Minnie Miñoso. The Chicago Cubs have historic pipelines that include Ernie Banks and Buck O’Neil, both Hall of Famers from the Negro Leagues. Buck would also become MLB’s first Black Coach. Check out the trailer….
Next, I had the wonderful opportunity to see 44: THE OBAMA MUSICAL. Former President Barack Obama was a Chicago community organizer and eventually the U.S. Senator serving Illinois before he was POTUS. As we know now and forever, his election changed history! 44 - The unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL is about his journey and ours. The story is extraordinary, phenomenally entertaining and very much, “Chicago”. When you can go see it!
And finally, the 2024 Democratic National Convention. The DNC has made Chicago the center of the universe. What will happen here in Chicago, will change us all. The opportunity to elect Vice President Kamala Harris for President and her running mate Governor Tim Walz for Vice President is perfectly timed, “for such a time as this”. There is nothing shy about Chi-Town, it is loud and more proud than ever. Here and now is a time for all of us, no matter where we are, to keep the faith, don’t loosen your faith and don’t lose your faith.
--WL
Outstanding summary….