Located on the South Side of Chicago, the Bronzeville neighborhood—one of United Way of Metro Chicago’s Neighborhood Networks—is historically known as the “Black Metropolis,” a hub of Black business and culture.
Despite its great cultural and economic contributions to Chicago, Bronzeville is still recovering from decades of disinvestment. To address the existing inequities, a local non-profit is making long-term plans to revitalize the community through its workforce. To spur lasting change, Bright Star Community Outreach invests in Bronzeville’s future — its youth.
A study from Voices for Illinois Children found that 20 percent of Illinois workers are employed in minimum wage jobs, which currently pay $8.25 an hour. For many Illinoisans, that makes supporting a family arduous, if not impossible. But all hope isn’t lost.