Why aren’t there any federal Indian reservations in Illinois?
This timeline explains how Native Americans were forced out of Illinois and why — for now — they have no federally recognized land here.
Listen — 25:03
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Curious City
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WBEZ’s Curious City series is an ongoing news experiment at WBEZ, online and on the radio dial around Chicago at 91.5 FM. Our mission is to include the public in editorial decision-making, make journalism more transparent and strengthen multimedia coverage about Chicago, the surrounding region and its people (past or present).
Curious City airs on Thursdays during All Things Considered on WBEZ
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Why are there so many Jamaican jerk restaurants in Chicago?
Chicago’s Jamaican population may be small, but local love for the cuisine is huge.
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Listen — 20:12Alice Hamilton changed workplace safety forever — and you’ve likely never heard of her
Alice Hamilton’s investigations into toxins in Chicago’s factories led to some of the first workplace safety laws in the country.
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Listen — 17:57These family histories help tell the story of Chicago
We met two families that have played a role in Chicago’s abolitionist movement, film scene and religious institutions across more than a century.
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Listen — 29:26Ida B. Wells had a lasting impact on Chicago politics and power
She’s best known for her anti-lynching work in the South, but Wells spent nearly four decades advancing Black community power in Chicago.
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Listen — 19:10Car window tinting laws are complicated. Here’s what you need to know.
Do you want to get your vehicle windows tinted? Here’s how it works, what the laws are and how they’re enforced in Chicago.
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Listen — 23:57When it comes to police accountability, how much power does a Chicago mayor have?
WBEZ’s Patrick Smith explains how police accountability works in Chicago and how much power the mayor has in that process.
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Listen — 23:01Can the Altgeld Gardens Memorial Wall be saved?
Some residents say the wall serves as a “historic monument” to those who lived in the community. It’s in danger of being demolished.
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Listen — 39:20What makes Chicago prime real estate for geese?
You’re not imagining it — the goose population in Chicago has been growing. Here’s what’s being done about it.
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Listen — 14:46The Avalon Regal Theater was once a luxurious movie palace. Today, its future is uncertain.
The theater in South Shore has almost a century of cultural significance. Since 2003, it’s sat mostly empty. What will happen to it?
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Listen — 28:22
