Consciousness Magazine

6 th Annual Chicago Westside Music Festival Written by Hector De La Rosa Only three festivals bring the perfect end to Chicago summer events: North Coast Music Festival, the African Festival of the Arts, to the recent 6 th Annual Chicago Westside Music Festival (WSMF) whose mission is to shine light on the positive contributions, culture, and people of Chicago’s West Side.    Besides food trucks that serve the best in cuisine, there were school supply and backpack giveaways to the youth. The most integral of the festival became the entertainment provided by the deejays and host Leon Rogers, where he kept the audience in laughter in between performances. The most memorable festival performances are not only Chicago local talent like Kilika Tabron, Dej Monae, Matt B., and Marcus Mack but headliners Lil Mo’, Vivian Green, and Dru Hill that bequeathed their entire soul unto the stage and microphone. If you grew up listening to 1990s and mid-2000s music, this article is...

Two Of Hollywood’s Brightest Stars Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher Were Savvy Yet Independent Written by Eric Plaut Not so long ago in our own Milky Way galaxy, two women made an everlasting impact on Hollywood and the world.   They were a mother and her daughter.   Both were savvy and independent.   Like the rest of us, they triumphed over adversity and heartache throughout their lives.   As a result, they won admiration for more than their roles in film and television. Debbie (nee Mary Frances) Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher made an everlasting impact.   Even if it is a story that Hollywood could never truly capture, Home Box Office (HBO) released a documentary about their relationship earlier this year.   Titled Bright Lights , Debbie’s son and Carrie’s brother Todd Fisher helped produce this special.   (As of this writing, I have yet not been able to see the program that debuted on January 7.) “THE WORLD’S OLDEST GIRL SCOU...

Live Long and Prosper Written by Eric Plaut Creative people tend to be stereotyped quite a lot.   They may act in numerous plays or on the screen, draw or paint a variety of subjects or enhance and enrich themselves on a musical scale.   Yet due to a character they portray on stage or on screen, many of them endure being pigeonholed for that one peculiar role.   Actors, especially those known for an iconic role or two, wind up being stuck in a conundrum.   In that case, the performer tends to have two choices: either shun or embrace the character that made him or her a household name.   Just ask anyone who has portrayed a superhero (or villain).   It also applies to films like Star Wars and Star Trek .   If any of the major cast from the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz were still around, their takes on the legendary characters they portrayed varied from being embraced to extreme hatred.   For instance, Ray Bolger enjoyed his role as the...

Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong: Vision and Plan for the City of Kankakee , Illinois Interviewed and written by Aaron Robinson (Editor) and Tocarra Eldridge Photos: David Volden On May 1 st , 2017, hundreds of people filled the City Hall Chamber in Kankakee , IL to witness Chasity Wells-Armstrong, the first African-American Mayor to get sworn into office. During this historical moment, happiness and excitement illuminated the room as the new Mayor took her seat to begin her new role. Prior to Mayor Chasity Wells-Armstrong’s oath, she has served as Alderwoman in the 5 th Ward of Kankakee, worked for Kankakee School District #111 and as the Deputy District Director for Democratic Congressmen, Bill Foster, etc. She holds a seat on numerous boards where she strongly impacts the community. Her background includes her earning an Associate’s Degree at Kankakee Community College , and a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree from Governors State University in social work. She is...