Darcel Rockett

With the Chicago skyline in the background, a person runs through Lincoln Park in Chicago, which saw unseasonably warm weather on Dec. 9, 2020.

Real estate predictions for 2021: Eviction crisis on the horizon while suburban shift and ‘Zoom rooms’ trend for homebuyers

December 28, 2020 at 5:00 a.m.

The year that is 2020 can't be in our collective rearview mirror soon enough. Despite the pandemic's tumultuous curveballs, there was still some happy news in the world of Chicago-area...

Chicagoan of the Year instrumentalist Nnamdi Ogbonnaya at home in his studio Thursday, Dec. 10, 2020, in Chicago. Ogbonnaya stands out in the Chicago music scene for, even during a pandemic, being unrelentingly prolific, with four releases from April to November of 2020. The topics range from psychedelic pop to social justice.

Amanda Williams gave us tastes and glimpses of ‘Blackness,’ artistic proof that the culture is not monolithic. If you don’t know, now you know.

December 24, 2020 at 9:02 a.m.

How much do you think about color? The hues that exist around you? Some may affect your mood? While other shades carry with it a historical meaning and begs for...

The Rev. John Zayas, right, of Grace and Peace Church in Chicago, and other volunteers load a truck at a food drive at the church on Dec. 18, 2020. Zayas and other leaders working to inoculate communities of color are often battling an entrenched mistrust of science and medicine.

Clergy, doctors and activists take on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and access in Black and Latino communities: ‘Don’t underestimate the fear’

January 4, 2021 at 5:20 p.m.

The Rev. John Zayas says his congregants at Grace and Peace Church in the North Austin neighborhood have been peppering him with questions about the new COVID-19 vaccine, some expressing...

Sip of Hope Community Coffee founder/CEO Jonny Boucher at his Logan Square cafe Dec. 14, 2020.

Damon Wayans Jr. and Mayim Bialik producing TV show about Logan Square’s Sip of Hope coffee bar and its mission of suicide prevention

December 18, 2020 at 10:12 a.m.

Two years after opening, the mission of Sip of Hope coffee bar in Logan Square has caught the eye of some Hollywood players — Damon Wayans Jr. and Mayim Bialik,...

Young attendees dance with Skip & Scoot instructor Luci Grause during a kids fitness class in Chicago on Nov. 20, 2020.

Cooped up inside, Chicago renters and condo owners find new ways to come together, such as houseplant pop-ups and virtual baking classes

December 14, 2020 at 5:21 p.m.

Staying home and avoiding large indoor gatherings has been a vital way to combat COVID-19, and the holidays have been no exception. But some are finding new ways to gather...

Dr. Brandi Jackson, left, and her twin sister, Dr. Brittani James, in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 11, 2020.

Doctors to answer reader questions about COVID-19 vaccinations Dec. 14 and 16 on Facebook Live

December 16, 2020 at 12:37 p.m.

Hospitals around the world are getting ready to begin their own COVID-19 vaccination campaigns at the same time Illinois health officials announced more than 9,000 new confirmed and probable cases...

Ali Schram hands a meal to Arnold Fleming at an emergency shelter in Calumet City on Nov. 25, 2020.

Chicago’s homeless and area service providers prepare for 1st full pandemic winter: ‘What we have right now is this really unique opportunity’

December 11, 2020 at 12:17 p.m.

The last time we talked with StreetWise vendor Keith Hardiman, 59, it was mid-May. Then, he talked about how hard it had been since the start of the pandemic in...

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