Illinois news

• Behind the Curtain: Claudia Jordan and Flex Alexander Bring Laughs, Love, and Real Talk to ‘Games Women Play’ in Chicago

  10-05-2025 16:15
  
  Flex Alexander, Claudia Jordan and Carl Payne (Photo Provided).
  The Chicago Defender recently sat down for a behind-the-scenes chat with Flex Alexander (One on One) and Claudia Jordan (Real Housewives of Atlanta), cast members of the hilarious stage play Games Women Play, directed by TV icon Carl Payne (Martin, House of Payne). Other castmates include Jill Marie Jones (Girlfriends), Demetria McKinney (House of Payne), Chico Bean (Wild ‘N Out), and Brian J. White (Stomp the Yard).
  The title
  
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• Pope Leo XIV’s Black, Creole Roots Revealed

  10-05-2025 14:00
  
  Photo: Getty Images
  The new pope reportedly has ties to Black and Creole communities in Louisiana.
  On Thursday (May 8), Robert Francis Prevost was named Pope Leo XIV and the new leader of the Catholic Church.
  Pope Leo XIV, who made history as the first American-born pope, was born in Chicago and identifies as white, but comes from a family with ties directly to the Black American South, according to genealogists per the New York Times.
  Jari C. Honora, a genealogist with the Historic New Orleans
  
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• Help Yvonne Huntley, Legendary Pianist and Educator, Find a Kidney Donor to Continue Her Legacy

  10-05-2025 14:00
  
  Yvonne W. Huntley (Photo Provided)
  Government officials, medical professionals, civic and community leaders are gathering themselves to advocate for a woman of distinction, selflessness, and a music legend in a kickoff of a nationwide public relations campaign. Yvonne W. Huntley, considered by many as one of the nation’s top pianists, is now in the fight of her life as she seeks a kidney that will allow her to continue her remarkable life of providing beautiful music. Her current kidneys a
  
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