Originally published by The 19th “The witch is a fierce rejection of society’s expectations.” That’s one way author Bri Luna describes the archetype of the witch in her first book, “Blood Sex Magic: Everyday Magic for the Modern Mystic.” Known for her groundbreaking 10-year-old website The Hoodwitch — featuring astrology, tarot, rituals, crystals and mystics […]
Posted inFeatured
Interview: Jessica Sele on the Appeal of ‘Weird Vibes’ Ahead of Her Debut Album’s Nov. 3 Release
On her debut full-length comedy album, Weird Vibes, which will be released on Nov. 3 via Blonde Medicine, LA comedian Jessica Sele jokes that if a cafe displays a sign stating, “Good vibes only,” she’s not going inside. She has what her yoga instructor mom calls, “Rock energy” or what is more commonly known as […]
Posted inFeatured
Photos: Celebrating the Legacies of Ms. Lauryn Hill & the Fugees at the United Center
Near the end of her set at the United Center on Oct. 28, Ms. Lauryn Hill told Chicago fans that she was inspired by “soul music,” “movements of protest,” and “love songs” when creating her masterpiece 1998 album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. “I wanted to make music that allowed us to be vulnerable on […]
Posted inArts & Culture
7 Supernatural (or Just Super) Things to See, Hear & Do
It’s scary how many eerie activities Chicago has to offer during the Halloween season. For starters, the Auditorium Theatre’s National Landmark Backstage Tours has special Ghost Tours through Nov. 22. Designed by esteemed architects Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler, the 134-year-old building boasts ghosts that whistle in the stage door alley and appear in some […]
Posted inRebelliousness
Kate Moore Talks About ‘The Woman They Could Not Silence’
Elizabeth Packard’s triumphant true story can be heard in “The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear” by Kate Moore. The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author will discuss her book at the McAninch Arts Center […]
Posted inReproductive Justice
A conversation with Jeanine Valrie Logan, the woman behind the Chicago South Side Birth Center
Born from a dream to fill a void of birthing options for Black mothers, Jeanine Valrie Logan has spent years focused on building Chicago South Side Birth Center. The center is an answer to the lack of healthcare options for folks who live on this side of town, which has been labeled a birthing desert […]
Posted inRebelliousness
Witch-O-Rama Market Fosters Community for Witchy Vendors & Drag Artists
Witch-O-Rama Market is a monthly market series joining vendors and shoppers from across the state. This isn’t your mother’s farmer’s market, though; this is a gathering for all things spiritual, esoteric, witchy – a celebration of brujas in their many forms. Walking a lap around the market, you’ll see everything from crystals to candles to […]
Posted inFeatured
Music Serves as a Beacon of Hope During SZA’s SOS Tour Stop in Chicago
SZA feels deeply. Lucky for fans, she possesses an uncanny ability to capture every love, every hurt, and every emotion in between with music that destroys cookie cutter norms, cuts through the bullshit, and connects to universal human experiences with her very personal storytelling. During her Oct. 10 show at the United Center – the […]
Posted inReproductive Justice
Mothers of Color Can’t See if Providers Have a History of Mistreatment. Why Not?
When Selam Solomon Caldwell and her husband learned she was pregnant last year, the stakes for finding the right OB-GYN felt high. Caldwell, a Black woman, had heard stories from family and friends of maternity care providers who ignored their requests or pressured them into cesarean sections without clear medical justification. As a relative newcomer […]
Posted inSexual Health
The State of Sexual Health: Spotlight on Sex Education
The knowledge we gain in our youth becomes the building blocks to how we understand ourselves and the world around us. Sex education, as The American Academy of Pediatrics states, impacts overall social-emotional health with evidence supporting that comprehensive sex ed results in adolescents having a reduced rate of sexual activity, reduced frequency of unprotected […]