The Shades of the City podcast focuses on telling the stories of the people. From the south and west sides to the suburbs, this podcast will highlight the stories of those changemakers, educators, and historians who are fighting for change, providing resources for their communities and preserving the history of their beloved home, Chicago. 

In our first episode, Lauren sits down with viral Tik Tok Chicago historian Shermann "Dilla" Thomas in his Auburn Gresham home to talk about his love for Chicago history and how he is educating the next generation. Coming up next on Shades of the City Lauren speaks with two former editors of the iconic Ebony and JET magazines about the history of Johnson Publishing Company and how influential it was on the current landscape of Black media. 

Lauren Brown is a native of the south suburbs of Chicago. She graduated from the University of Missouri where she studied Journalism and Social Justice. Previously, she worked as the co-host and producer for the We Live Here podcast based out of St. Louis Public Radio and PRX. In 2020 she won a National Edward R Murrow award for her work with American Public Media on the Black at Mizzou: Confronting Race on Campus Documentary. In late 2021 she became the newest podcast and multimedia producer for WBBM Newsradio in Chicago and she is excited about bringing diverse stories to the city she knows and loves. 

Laurence Holmes was joined by Danny Parkins and Matt Spiegel for transition, where they discussed how Parkins is working from home because of the NCAA Tournament games.

Laurence Holmes previewed the Bulls-Suns game Friday night and discussed what Chicago needs to do to find success in its upcoming schedule.

In the final hour, Laurence Holmes took calls from listeners regarding how they're feeling about the Cubs' direction. Do they support the team's moves this offseason?

Laurence Holmes opened his show by welcoming on Score reporter Chris Emma to react to the breaking news that the Bears won't sign defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi due to a failed physical.