Sinhá: community and Brazilian cuisine on Chicago’s West Side

The community dinner at Sinhá (pronounced Seen-yah’, which means “lady of the house”) may be happening in Chicago, but rest assured the delectable cuisine will be 100% Brazilian. As noted on their website, “The food preparation is totally authentic and so is the chef.” That chef is Jorgina Pereira – born, raised, and educated in…

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Presenter Q&A with Adiel Suarez-Murias: nurture the forces heading us in the right direction

What kind of language do you use to talk about civic engagement? Perhaps you, like many working in this corner of changework, use terms like activism, justice, and democratic participation. Have you considered how words like those may resonate with some audiences but not others?  Adiel Suarez-Murias, communications and marketing director at Philanthropy for Active…

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Understanding the language of democracy

These days, words like activism, equity, justice, and democracy are commonplace in our field, describing both the values and substance of our work. But what do these words mean to everyday Americans? Earlier this year, Philanthropy for Active Civic Engagement (PACE) released the findings of its Civic Language Perceptions Project, a nationally representative survey and…

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Chicago Lawn: supporting the Muslim community in South Side and beyond

We hope you’ve had a chance to check out the lineup for Chicago Inside & Out – a dozen thoughtfully designed experiences, all guided by dynamic community leaders across Chicago. These immersive tours are a cornerstone of the Upswell experience, which is all about going deep locally to uncover enriching and surprising insights that apply…

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Presenter Q&A with Christina Krasov and Robert Albright: it’s all about collaboration

In the workshop, “How to Create Resilient Systems Change,” Robert Albright, director of programs at FSG – Collective Impact Forum, will join Thrive Chicago Chief Strategy Officer Christina Krasov for a primer on Thrive’s collaboration to accelerate innovation for Chicago’s youth. We caught up with Robert and Christina to learn more about both of them,…

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Beyond binary: lessons learned from Latinx communities

Emilia Chico and Steven Rosado recently led focus groups in two of Chicago’s predominantly Latinx neighborhoods as the Upswell Accelerator sought to hear from community stakeholders in creating a racial equity framework. After giving them a week or so to collect their thoughts, we asked the two moderators to reflect, in their own words, on…

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Easing race and ethnicity discussions through living room conversations

Let’s be honest. Talking about race and ethnicity can be uncomfortable. But would it be less uncomfortable in an environment where you feel more at ease, like say, your living room? That’s the premise of Living Room Conversations, a conversational model designed to revitalize civil discourse through conversation. As a follow-up to a session during…

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What does a “slash” have to do with racial equity?

When filling out demographic information on a registration form, have you ever stopped to consider the line that’s often labeled “Race/Ethnicity”? That slash may seem like a small thing, but at a recent focus group in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, it is an obvious source of consternation and confusion. “There’s ambiguity around the definition…

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