Why Chicago matters to the Soul Train story-and why the awards’ return is significant. Some cultural moments feel bigger than an event. The return of the Soul Train Awards to Chicago is one of them. Chicago has long been one of the most influential cities in Black music and culture. From soul and gospel to house, R&B and hip-hop, the city has helped shape the sound, style and movement of generations. That makes Chicago a fitting homecoming for Soul Train. Long before Soul Tra

On September 11, 2001, Keithroy Marcellus Maynard was one of the firefighters who ran toward the World Trade Center. But before he became one of the names remembered from that day, he was a son, a husband, a father and a young Black man building a life around service. Born in Montserrat, Maynard moved to New York as a teenager. His father, Captain Reynold White, was an FDNY firefighter and member of the Vulcan Society, an organization dedicated to advancing Black firefighters

CHICAGO - Leadership doesn’t always look the same. It can mean improving a neighborhood, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs, strengthening health systems, protecting the environment, or helping people have a greater voice in their communities. For 155 people around the world, that work will now include the Obama Foundation. The Foundation has introduced its 2026–2027 class of Obama Leaders, bringing together changemakers from 64 countries and territories across Africa,