Grammy-nominee Maysa talks about her 3-decade career as she prepares to perform for Illinois Soul's second year celebration on February 7, 2026.

On February 10, 1966, three years after the March on Washington, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Sixty-two years ago, a quarter of a million people gathered for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. On today’s show, we take a look at the life and legacy of a central organizer of the march, Bayard Rustin. Rustin was an openly gay civil rights leader and a trusted advisor to labor leader A. Phillip Randolph and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

For the past year and a half, we've spent a lot of time in prisons.. probing educational opportunities and interactions. Plus, a new central Illinois group helping formerly incarcerated people get a fresh start.

Cheryl Whitlow Thompson shares her career from earning degrees at the University of Illinois to working at the News Gazette to award-winning journalism at The Washington Post and now, NPR.

This episode of “Dialogue” features Republican Senate Candidate Don Tracy who is a candidate for the Illinois Senate race in 2026 on the 21st Show.

This episode of “Dialogue” features a round-up of stories from candidates for the Illinois Senate race in 2026 who spoke on the 21st Show of the issues they aim to tackle if they get elected.

From the tone and tenor of Black holiday music, what brings the spirit more than sounds that bring a community together? 

 

From collard greens to mac and cheese, and even sweet potatoes, the flavors and traditions behind Black holiday meals are passed down through generations. But could we be losing recipes?

 

 

On the Dialogue show, we revisit a conversation about the New Kings movement with civil rights lawyer Gloria J. Browne-Marshall and give a farewell to our inaugural host and producer Kennedy Vincent.