In the Loop

An Oscar-nominated animated short looks at the relationships between a young black girl, her hair, and her dad. Two of the people behind the film talk about the deep personal and cultural meanings of the film.

Dan Petrella from the Chicago Tribune, David Greising of the Better Government Association, and WBEZ’s Dave McKinney talk about the governor’s State of the State address, a retooling of the Chicago Police Department and more in our Friday News Roundup with host Jenn White. 

Four South Side hospitals are merging, in hopes of bringing more new and comprehensive health care options closer to the people who need them most. We speak with two of the CEO’s involved to learn about their plans to diminish the glaring health disparities between the north and south sides of the city.

In case you missed it, or want to take a closer listen, here's Gov. Pritzker's State of the State speech, given at noon today in Springfield

Access to justice can only happen if individuals and groups have access to legal expertise and resources. Marginalized communities both in urban and rural areas often are without this access to legal aid. Governor Pritzker allocated $10 million of this year’s state budget to help fund organizations that provide legal aid, and we talk to 2 women that’ll help allocate those funds.

A recent report showed a quarter of undergraduate women at 30 universities across the country have been sexually assaulted. This week, two groups at Northwestern University hosted MeToo founder Tarana Burke on campus.We talk to some of the leaders of those groups about their efforts to raise awareness and create programs designed to eradicate the problem.

Tracie Hall talks about her plans and goals as she becomes the first African American woman to lead the American Library Association. The ALA the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to the advancement of libraries and their important role as holders and disseminators of knowledge.

Monica Eng and Louisa Chu, co-hosts of the Chewing Podcast, talk about the history of Chinese food in Chicago, and Monica softens her stance on Americanized Chinese food.

Illinois state politics gurus Amanda Vinicky (WTTW) and Tony Arnold (WBEZ) bring us the latest news out of Springfield in our Friday News Roundup

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, we hear from the folks behind Truth Racial Healing, and Transformation Greater Chicago. They’ve planned events across the area to help people better understand each other, and to help individuals heal from racial trauma.