Daywatch: Repairing homes as a form of public art

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Segregation. Redlining. Land sale contracts, where real estate speculators in the 1950s and ‘60s sold homes to Black families on rent-to-own contracts for double — or more — what the property was worth. Artist Tonika Lewis Johnson has been highlighting these decadeslong injustices against the Black community in projects such as “The Folded Map” and “Inequity for Sale.”

Now, Lewis Johnson is working on “unBlocked Englewood,” an effort in the 6500 block of South Aberdeen Street in Englewood to showcase the transformative power that emerges when a community unites to heal and uplift.

Partnering with the Chicago Bungalow Association, Lewis Johnson is working with residents along that one block to beautify and revitalize 22 vacant lots and 24 residential buildings, and aiding about 75 residents in the process.

Read more on the project from the Tribune’s Darcel Rockett.

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The award “aims to honor and celebrate exceptional fans who inspire others through their passion for football,” according to a news release from the Bears. “Each NFL club has the opportunity to nominate a local fan to potentially become the ultimate 2023 NFL Fan of the Year during Super Bowl week.” This is the fourth year for the award.

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