For immediate release
Chicago, IL - January 22, 2025
CHICAGO – January 22, 2025 – On February 3, Chicago PBS station WTTW and community nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City present THE STATE OF OUR CITY: A WTTW NEWS TOWN HALL moderated by Chicago Tonight anchor Brandis Friedman, the Alexandra and John Nichols Chief Correspondent, with a live studio audience of Chicago residents who will ask questions of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and other thought leaders and community stakeholders. The town hall will stream live for 90 minutes (5:30-7:00 pm CT) on wttw.com and on WTTW’s Facebook and YouTube channels. The first 30 minutes (5:30-6:00 pm) will be broadcast on WTTW (ch 11.1). The town hall will also be available for on-demand viewing after the event on wttw.com, YouTube, Facebook, and the PBS app.
At a critical time for our city and the country, WTTW and My, Block, My Hood, My City will come together to host this 90-minute live community town hall event to address the questions and challenges of concerned residents across Chicago. The discussion will include Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson; My Block, My Hood, My City Founder and CEO Jahmal Cole; Great Cities Institute Director Teresa Córdova; Northwestern University professor and crime study expert Andrew Papachristos; Collins Academy High School Principal LaKenya Sanders-Sharpe; and Collins Academy student Damarion Spann.
Through this partnership, WTTW and My Block, My Hood, My City will explore the issues on the minds of local residents, the values that bind us together, and ideas for solutions to the critical issues facing communities across Chicago and other major American cities.
“This town hall event will give local residents the opportunity to ask pressing questions of public officials and community leaders,” said Chicago Tonight Executive Producer and WTTW News Director Jay Smith. “As a public media newsroom, WTTW News has a responsibility to serve the public in real time with trusted and in-depth news and a forum for civil discourse around resident-driven issues and solutions.”
“My Block, My Hood, My City’s goal has always been to take care of people, no matter what, and that starts by listening to the needs and concerns of the residents of this city,” added Jahmal Cole, Founder and CEO of the community-based nonprofit. “We can’t think of a better way to connect with the people than by partnering with WTTW to assemble this panel and address the hard-hitting issues of the day.”
WTTW NEWS is a nonprofit, public media newsroom serving the Chicago region with trusted, independent, ground-up community reporting and outlets for deeper engagement and discourse on regional issues of consequence and concern. Read and watch WTTW News coverage at wttw.com/news.
CHICAGO TONIGHT, WTTW’s flagship nightly live news program, is an essential source for trusted, local, independent news that connects the people and communities in our region. We inform and engage our audience by providing clarity and context around complex issues, serving as a resource for information about the Chicago/Midwest region and engaging communities through in-depth original reporting. Watch Chicago Tonight Monday-Friday at 5:30 and 10:00 pm.
WTTW is the PBS member station in Chicago, committed to creating and presenting unique media content across distinct television and digital channels – WTTW, WTTW Prime, WTTW Create, WTTW World, WTTW PBS Kids 24/7, wttw.com, and the PBS/WTTW video app. Recognized for award-winning journalism and local productions – such as Chicago Stories, Chicago Tonight, Firsthand, The Most Beautiful Places in Chicago, and Chicago By ‘L’ – WTTW presents the very best in public affairs, arts and culture, nature and science, history and documentary, and children’s public media content. Connect with WTTW on Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube.
My Block My Hood My City was founded in 2015 by Jahmal Cole – a multi-time Chicago Reader Activist of the Year, Chicago Magazine Chicagoan of the Year, Chicago Defender Men of Excellence Honoree, and the subject of the feature documentary film A Tiny Ripple of Hope. As a dedicated advocate for social justice committed to building a more interconnected world through service and education, Cole and his community nonprofit continue to serve Chicago’s most vulnerable populations through block-level volunteer efforts, grant awards, after-school “Exploration” opportunities, and special initiatives including Downtown Day, Be a Part of the Light, and Save Streetball. Donate, volunteer, and connect with My Block, My Hood, My City on the web, Facebook, and Instagram.
