ABC7/WLS-TV CHICAGO EYEWITNESS NEWS SPOTLIGHTS BLACK-OWNED BUSINESSES WITH WEEK-LONG SERIES, HOSTED BY ANCHOR TERRELL BROWN

Jayme Nicholas, ABC7
Published: July 12, 2020

ABC7, Chicago’s No. 1 station for news, presents “Black Owned,” a week-long series of live interviews spotlighting greater Chicago’s Black-owned businesses. The special will air during the newscast on ABC7, July 13 – 17 (11:00 a.m. CDT). ABC7 anchor Terrell Brown will interview and highlight various Black business owners whose businesses include a theater, dental group, syrup company, clothing designer and a winemaker.

“It’s critical to provide a platform that sheds a light on the plight of Black-owned businesses in Chicago,” said Jennifer Graves, vice president of News, ABC7. “While there are success stories that are heartwarming and will inspire you, it’s important to acknowledge these amazing business owners’ resilience as they faced challenges to obtain racial equity and now the added stressor of a pandemic.”

“Black Owned” series include the following Greater Chicago businesses:

Monday, July 13: Uptown - Black Ensemble Theater, Founder and CEO Jackie Taylor started the performing arts center in 1976, eradicating racism through arts.
Tuesday, July 14: Woodlawn - Ogbonna Bowden, dentist, has offered hundreds of hours of free dental care to children and families in urgent need during the pandemic.
Wednesday, July 15: South Holland - Michele’s Syrup’sfounder Michele Hoskins has owned her business for 35 years. Her family secret syrup recipe was created by her great, great, great grandmother, a former slave named America Washington, who created the recipe in the 1800s. While Hoskins experienced numerous challenges and had zero mentors, her determination led to her products being found in more than 8,000 stores nationwide.
Thursday, July 16: Merrillville, Indiana: - RockaBlock Design, Founder Rockland Page was near losing his custom-design t-shirt business during the pandemic. He makes and designs “inspiring shirts for inspiring people.” He’s looking to continue growing his business.
Friday, July 17:South Shore - Love Cork Screw's CEO and Founder Chrishon Lampley has more than 20 years in the marketing and sales industry. Her passion for wine, encouraged her to take a leap of faith and become a vintner, creating her own wine brand and launching it in 2013. Although it has been an uphill battle, she has expanded her wines to more than 50 locations throughout Illinois, including a wine-scented candle brand available in select Target locations.

About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago

ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago’s only local weekday entertainment talk show, “Windy City LIVE,” as well as its highest-rated New Year’s Eve special. ABC7’s award-winning programs such as “Heart and Soul,” “The Ñ Beat” and “Asian Influences” showcase the city’s diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed. ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.

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Keywords: ABC Channel 7, black businesses, Business highlight