Illustration by Oscar Guittierez A poem by Robert Boyd The beauty of the place where I was born, Bordering a sea of blue, Punctuated with fields of green. People, loyal beyond belief—and proud Of their city, of the amazing teams, Cubs in baby blue, Sox in black and white, Bulls bloody red, Bears navy like night, Blackhawks’ colors like an African flag. A city of sights nowhere else to be seen: The mag mile, the silver bean, so reflective, Like a star in daylight, Chicago’s

A retrospective on voices that shaped the culture Illustration by Jason Gorham This story was originally published in BlackBoard's Winter '25/Spring '26 issue. Learn more about our print issues here. As I sit in Northwestern Prison Education Program’s “dayroom,” watching the 2026 Grammy awards, Lauryn Hill comes to the stage. At the sight of the singer with her signature locks, my memory floats back in time. The year is 1997, and I’m in my bedroom. Getting ready for school, I