Did you know the Third Pan American Games were held in Chicago?

When it comes to sports, the City of Chicago is known for producing and housing some of the most iconic athletes. But did you know that it is home to the third Pan America Games? The Pan American Games, founded in 1932, is an international multisport competition that came to the forefront as a result of representatives of Latin American delegations proposing a regional Games for the Americas, at the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. Due to World War II, the first official games were postponed until Feb. 23, 1951, in which Bueno Aires hosted the inaugural Pan American Games.

Fast forward to 1959, the Pan American Sports Organization decided to bring the games to United Stated for the first time in Pan American Games history. After Cleveland, Ohio backed out of the bid to host the Games, Chicago put in a bid and was successful. Not only did the City of Chicago make history as the first American city to host the Games, but this event also shed light on the rich culture the Windy City has. The games went from August 27 to September 7, hosting 2,200 athletes and 25 countries competing in 166 events over the course of 18 sports.

At the time most Chicago residents were more interested in attending a White Sox game, but for the first time the United States were in a position to send an Olympic-caliber team to the Pan American Games, making it exciting for spectators and sports enthusiast in the Midwest. With some of the greatest competitors to date, including tennis legend Althea Gibson, sprinting track star Wilma Rudolph, and future NBA Hall of Famers Jerry West and Oscar Robertson, this was a sight to see. The world’s greatest boxer Muhammed Ali was expected to participate in these games, but at seventeen years old he lost  to Amos Johnson in the trials, who went on to win gold.

All in all, Chicago will forever go down in history as the first American city to host the Pan American Games, changing the landscape of the games for American sports fans.

10 Illinois colleges named among the nation’s top schools

• Princeton Review

Did you know that Illinois has some of the best colleges and universities in the country? The academic realm in Illinois continues to thrive, as 10 Illinois colleges have been named among the nation’s top schools by the Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition.” Illinois is producing some of the world’s biggest and brightest professionals and will continue to do so for years to come thanks, in part, to the number of top colleges across the state.

The colleges that made the list include Bradley University (Peoria), DePaul University (Chicago), Illinois Institute of Technology (Chicago), Knox College (Galesburg), Lake Forest College (Lake Forest), Loyola University Chicago (Chicago), Northwestern University (Evanston), University of Chicago (Chicago), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Champaign), and Wheaton College (Wheaton).

As a part of the 31^st annual list, the above mentioned colleges were picked based on student surveys that required students to rate their professors, administrators, school services, and other aspects of life at their colleges, while also reporting on their college experience. Over 160,000 student surveys were conducted to accumulate the list of 338 colleges.  

Check out Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition” here  to read more about the top colleges in Illinois.

Illinois Manufacturing Industry is worth over a half trillion dollars

A study conducted by the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina found the Illinois manufacturing industry brings in over $580 billion a year and supplies 30% of jobs in Illinois. The Quad Cities feel the impact of the manufacturing industry the most with it producing $6 billion in revenue. Manufacturing jobs make up 19% of the economy in Rock Island and Henry County, and makes up 28% of the economy in Mercer County.

The manufacturing industry is the largest industry in Illinois in terms of Gross Domestic Product, as it supplies over 1.7 million jobs statewide and produces $150 billion in labor income each year. Statewide, the manufacturing industry supports 30% of jobs in Illinois. Regionally, the manufacturing industry supplies 13,050 jobs in Rock Island County, and 16,484 jobs in the Illinois Quad Cities and surrounding areas. 

“An important takeaway from this study is the sheer size of manufacturing’s economic presence in Illinois,” said research economist Joseph C. Von Nessen. “Every job created by a manufacturer spurs additional hiring and spending across multiple industries in the state.” 

Emmett Till’s impact on the world is still relevant 60 years later

Arguably the most influential, and prolific racially motivated murder in American history is that of 14-year-old Chicago native Emmett Till. On Aug. 28, 1955, Till was brutally kidnapped, tortured and murdered  to death in Money, Mississippi for allegedly harassing and whistling at a white woman by the name of Carolyn Bryant while visiting family on vacation. Several relatives of Bryant’s including her husband Roy Bryant and her brother-in-law J.W. Milam snatched Till away from his family’s home leading to events that would garner the Civil Rights Movement international attention. His mother Mamie Till-Mobley, fought diligently to ensure that the world knew what was done to her son, shocking the entire nation by having an open casket funeral. Till’s body was so badly beaten and mangled that is was hardily recognizable, shedding light on the rising racial injustice blacks faced in the south. Her heroic efforts forced America to confront racial brutality head on.

Over 60 years later, Till’s death is still generating national attention. In June 2022, the official arrest warrant for Carolyn Bryant was found in a Leflore County basement regarding her involvement with Till’s death. Ultimately the grand jury decided not to prosecute her, shining more light on how this tragedy rocked the entire nation and continues to years later. But Till’s legacy is not remembered in vein thanks to his hometown of Chicago.

Chicago is making sure Emmett and Mamie Till’s legacy is preserved and memorialized by restoring their home as a part of African American history. In July 2022, the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund announced that the house will receive a share of $3 million in grants being distributed to 33 sites and organizations nationwide that have impacted African American culture. This coincides with the Senate passing a bill to award Congressional Gold Medals posthumously to both Emmett & Mamie Till-Mobley earlier this year.

With the 67^th anniversary of his death occurring Aug. 28, we honor and celebrate the life and legacy of Emmett Louis Till.