To talk about the area's history, connection to the civil rights movement and legacy, The 21st was joined by the assistant superintendent of the park and a regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association.

In late 2022, the first town in Illinois to be legally founded by a formerly enslaved person became a national park. The 21st was joined by a professor descended from the town's founder and the director of research at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

Hip-hop is just a few decades old, but its cultural impact in Illinois and America at large is unquestionable.

Before Roe v. Wade recognized a constitutional right to abortion, Illinois women still found ways to end their pregnancies.

Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg joined The 21st to discuss some memorable moments of the windy city's history, his writing process, and more.