City So Real: Chicago’s Summer of Protest

Following the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak in the United States and the death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police, American cities experienced waves of civil unrest this summer. Here in Chicago, Lori Lightfoot had just become the city’s first Black female mayor when she was forced to face her constituents’ outrage at systemic racism and injustice rooted deep within the community. Chicagoans’ trust in city authority wavered as some protests sparked nights of violence and looting. Director Steve James chronicles the complexities of Chicago politics in the 5-part documentary series City So Real, as he follows candidates and voters through the run-up to the 2019 mayoral election and caps it all with a 90-minute finale on the city’s attempt to grapple with racial inequality on several fronts. City So Real is a Kartemquin production and presented by National Geographic Documentary Films and Participant.

All event registrants will receive a screener of “You Gotta Make It or You Gotta Take It,” the fifth and final episode of City So Real, to view on their own time. For our event, we welcome a panel of three distinguished guests to discuss the film and the ways in which the events of summer 2020 have changed Chicago politics:

Steve James - film producer (Hoop Dreams, Abacus: Small Enough to Jail, The Interrupters) and documentary director of City So Real

Amara Enyia - public policy strategist and former Chicago mayoral candidate

This conversation will be moderated by Tahman Bradley, WGN News anchor and political reporter.

If you have any questions about accessibility, please contact Christine Hurley.

UChicago students, faculty, staff, and alumni will receive information on how to access the webinar 60 minutes before the program begins. All other attendees will be directed to our Facebook livestream.