Dialogue

A roundup of stories affecting people in Central Illinois and in the case of a Supreme Court ruling about the Voting Rights Act, nationally.

In 1999, film critic and Champaign-Urbana native Roger Ebert and his wife Chaz, started an annual festival in Champaign to highlight overlooked movies. Ebertfest returned to Champaign’s Virginia Theatre for “One Last Dance" on April 17 and 18.

April is Autism month. On this episode, we ask how culture, access to care and community support affect how Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) families navigate autism.

Media Mogul. Humanitarian. Pro Sports Team and Luxury Hotel Brand Owner. All ways to describe Sheila Johnson. In an Illinois Soul exclusive, this powerful University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumna shares her painful but triumphant life journey. And the importance of giving today's teens a voice. 

The workshops take place on April 4, 11, and 25 from 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Click here for registration which is required. The podcasts take place at Illinois Public Media, 300 N. Goodwin Avenue in Urbana.

The workshops will be held April 4, 11 and 25. Registration is required.

As the University of Illinois Men's Basketball team prepares to take on UConn in the Final Four, we talk with the father of Point Guard Kylan Boswell, who partially grew up in Champaign Urbana. Plus, Illini great Deon Thomas puts context to the historic season. 

Democratic Lt. Governor candidate Christian Mitchell discusses his background in politics and what he brings to the table. NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump about his debut novel, "Worse Than A Lie."

Robert Cray, a five-time Grammy Award winning artist, is coming to the Virginia Theatre with The Robert Cray Band on Tuesday, March 31. Cray and the Robert Cray Band are staples in blues, with over five decades of playing and touring across multiple genres.

A new strategic plan to address homelessness in Champaign County, Krannert Art Museum's partnership with Rantoul Township High School, a federal program to preserve Black churches, a one-room schoolhouse that served Black churches, and a new nightclub named after a South African jazz and culture.