East St. Louis

A quarter of all state tax revenue from recreational marijuana is supposed to help address long-standing issues in underserved communities.

Belleville News-Democrat reporter DeAsia Paige delves into East St. Louis’ rich musical heritage and discusses her inaugural four-part series for the paper, titled “ESTL Voices.”

Tax dollars from cannabis sales in Illinois are now starting to flow to East St. Louis in the form of a grant bolstering programs to help students.

"It’s so many families out there that are suffering, and we’re not getting any closure,” one community member said.

“Our motto is to be available and take the clinic to the people,” said a program manager at the East Side Health District in East St. Louis.

Residents from central and southwestern Illinois expressed concerns about how legislative maps will be redrawn this year.

The Black Woodstock Festival is this weekend and will feature 54 Black-owned businesses.

The We Live Here team balances deep dives into systemic issues with inspiring stories about people working to make a difference in their own communities. So when a listener reached out and introduced us to the work of Jeffrey “JD” Dixon, an activist organizing cleanups and coalitions in East St. Louis, a predominantly Black city in Illinois, we knew that we’d have to drive across the river to share his story. In this episode, we’ll learn about JD’s demand for legislative reform, hear from a political science professor about the legacy of industrial suburbs, and talk to a reporter about how JD is one of many Black residents in the Metro East area of Illinois who are pushing back against environmental racism.

“I don’t want to create more disparity. We have already seen how horribly this virus has treated Black and brown communities,” Dr. Ngozi Ezike said Thursday at a virtual discussion hosted by Macedonia Baptist Church.

Alex Fennoy plans to bring a bank to East St. Louis.