In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons

When people move, it’s not just people, and a suitcase full of clothes, and a few pictures. Their culture comes with them, including their music. Chicago Blues — electrified and raw — didn’t come from thin air. It came from musicians who were part of the Great Migration. A new work by NPR’s Cheryl Corley and musician Lucy Smith chronicles the history and showcases the sounds of the players who made their way north, laying the foundation for the music that still lives today.

Last week American swimmer Simone Manuel became the first African-American woman to win an individual Olympic medal when she took gold in the women’s 100-meter freestyle. After the race, she said: “This medal is not just for me. It’s for a whole bunch of people who came before me,” and then mentioned the names of other African-American Olympic athletes. Her story and her comments put the long history of racial segregation of swimming in the United States right in front of Americans where they couldn’t ignore it: On live broadcast television. Morning Shift talks to historian Isabel Wilkerson about swimming and racial discrimination from segregated public pools to pools being drained because black celebrities swam in them to acid being thrown into the water. Wilkerson is author of The Warmth of Other Suns, a history of the Great Migration.

Another Olympic games, another round of body-shaming and sexism from onlookers and sometimes even the commentators. American gymnast Gabby Douglas had her hair, body and patriotism questioned by people on social media. Those same armchair critics made fun of Mexican gymnast Alexa Moreno, calling her “fat.” She’s 99 pounds, by the way. The list goes on.  One person who knows what that feels like all too well is former Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East. After winning a gold medal and three silvers in the 2008 Beijing games, Shawn came home to compete on Dancing with the Stars, and an onslaught of criticism over her body quickly followed.  Now, she’s teamed up with Dove for #MyBeautyMySay, a campaign aimed at calling out sexist sports reporting. Morning Shift talks with Johnson East about the campaign, her career, and her own experiences with body shaming.

Every Wednesday, the Morning AMp talk show on our sister station Vocalo hosts what it calls the Council of Feminist Thought. It’s an opportunity to take on the many, many issues that affect women of all ages and races.  Media coverage of women, body image, equality in the workplace and sexual violence are some of the issues co-hosts Jesse Menendez and Jill Hopkins talk about with their guests.  This week, Vocalo is putting the segment in front of a live audience with a public event at Union Park. We talk to Jill Hopkins about Feminist Friday Night Out and why the Council on Feminist Thought is still needed.

In the latest installment in our series What’s That Building? Dennis Rodkin of Crain’s Chicago Business talks about the many contributions German-American architect Mies Van Der Rohe made to Chicago’s skyline, its neighborhoods and the Illinois Institute of Technology campus. 

Every Wednesday afternoon, Morning Shift Host Tony Sarabia joins our colleagues at Worldview to talk about something that’s near and dear to his heart: Music from around the globe. The segment is called Global Notes.  This week, in honor of the Olympics in Rio, Tony talked with Jerome McDonnell about Brazilian music. Most people are familiar with Brazil’s two biggest musical exports, Samba and Bossa Nova. Tony, of course, wanted to dig a bit deeper, and broke out some very modern tracks. Morning Shift presents a section of that interview for your listening pleasure.

Illinois led the nation when it passed a law in 2010 mandating the submission and testing of all sexual assault evidence. Last week, the governor signed into law new rules that expand on that landmark legislation, making it easier for victims to come forward and ensure law enforcement is better trained and more efficient when dealing with victims and evidence. We talk about these important changes with Polly Poskin, the Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

A new report breaks down which public universities across the country are the best bang for the buck and which are overrated. The report from the non-partisan research group Third Way takes a look at factors like net price, completion rate and how many graduates end up repaying their loans to determine which schools offer the best education and chance to get ahead. Schools in Illinois performed all over the map, including one, Northeastern Illinois University, which ended up on the Top Offenders List. Morning Shift talks to report co-author Tammi Hiler, senior policy adviser for education at Third Way about the her findings.

The Centers for Disease Control reports that teens made up one in five new HIV cases in 2014. These rates continue to rise which is sparking some advocates to look to how we’re educating young people about risks. Northwestern University’s Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing is going to where young people are to inform them-technology. Dr. Brian Mustanski is Director at the Institute and he details how they plan to better inform the group that is so at risk.

Reclaimed Soul host Ayana Contreras brings us rare cuts from the mid-tempo soul genre.