Bust photographic portrait of Muhammad Ali in 1967. Photo by Ira Rosenberg, Library of Congress, Public Domain I recently had the privilege to watch Ken Burns' four-episode documentary on Muhammad Ali. It was an exceptional accounting of the Champ by chronicling his life from the beginning of his boxing career as a young man to … Continue reading Why Muhammad Ali Is The Greatest Of All Time By Mark Hollis

Fall is arriving, and we are nearing the end of the first quarter of the school year. When your child’s report card arrives, remember grades may be lower than usual. This is to be expected since we have just recently returned to a more typical school day. Grades are just data! Use the data to … Continue reading Fall: Goals and a Good Book By Dr. Latasha Schraeder

I feared catching Covid. When it first hit home, I was behind walls. Yes, I was incarcerated. Our unit had a few inmates that were getting ill. They locked us down. We got sack lunches. I had underlying conditions; asthma and hypertension with a high BMI (Body Mass Intensity). I escaped that only to come home … Continue reading Covid: Take it Seriously By Erica Miller

Someone recently asked me if scientists would be able to prevent death in humans?  I thought about it for a moment and remembered articles I had read on this subject some years ago.  One article contained new breakthroughs with T-Cells, Gene reconfiguration, and species crossing.  Endless possibilities could be experimented on.  The very interesting article … Continue reading CARTER AT LARGE – Do you want to live forever? By Lorraine B. Carter

We did it! Eight consecutive Saturdays of touring areas within the 1st District. It was a collaboration that God made possible with our gracious partners Zion Baptist Church, Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ, Friendship House, The Potters House, Grace Baptist Church, Heaven’s View, St. Paul Baptist Church, Cornerstone Gospel, New Beginnings and Liberty Baptist. Residents … Continue reading Elected Officials Complete 1st District Neighborhood Tours By Denise Jackson, 1st District Peoria City Council

Meet Ashley Barber, owner of Trace of Fashion. a women’s clothing boutique that specializes in trendy styles for women and select plus size pieces. Established in 2013, Ashley began as a “pop-up” boutique vendor at various vendor events. She reports always having a knack for fashion. Without any prior retail experience, she took a leap … Continue reading Trace Of Fashion By Meicka J.

Do you ever sit at your kitchen table, trying to organize all the miscellaneous bits of information you’ve managed to gather about your family tree? Have you ever hit a “brick wall” in your research, not sure where to turn to fill in more pieces of the puzzle? Or maybe you’re someone who’s always wanted … Continue reading Internationally Known Speaker to Present “Tracing the African American Family Tree” to Peoria Audience By Elizabeth Klise, Peoria County Genealogical Society