MIGHTY REAL: A People’s Salon
When
Jun 25, 2025
6:00pm–9:00pm
Cost
Free. Registration is required.
Illinois Humanities presents the third event in its 2025 public conversation series, A People’s Salon, which centers on the theme MIGHTY REAL.
"You be you no matter what. I’m going to be me." -Sylvester, Queen of Disco
What brings you joy? Expressing your true self – through style, art, action, or thought – is a gift to the world, as is experiencing the uniqueness of others. During this month of Juneteenth and Pride, our special guests for this salon invite us to celebrate resilience, liberation, and one another.
Join us for an evening of engaging presentations, interesting conversation, great food provided by the culinary genius at TXA TXA Club, and community.
The Presenters and Performers
AnnMarie Brown
AnnMarie Brown is a radical, restorative justice practitioner and a fashion designer. AnnMarie creates fashion that is inspired by her cultural upbringing and the stories she has connected with through her work with Black and Brown youth through restorative justice practices.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Multidisciplinary Engineering with a focus on Apparel Design, AnnMarie began a freelancing career creating custom apparel pieces for different clients.
Since 2017 she has worked at Circles & Ciphers and currently serves as the Co-Executive Director. In 2020 AnnMarie co-curated a community fashion show funded by Illinois Humanities called “Protest in Fashion” that highlighted the evolution of fashion in social justice.
In 2023 she created her own fashion brand called Rafasi. Inspired by her Jamaican and American heritage, Rafasi embraces the ambivalence of life and curates pieces that mirror the multifaceted experiences of the people they are made for.
Photo shot on film by Han Teverbaugh.
Dorothy Burge
Dorothy Burge is one of the strongest voices in Chicago for police accountability and reparations for survivors of police torture. She amplifies the voices of survivors of police torture and activists in the movement.
Dorothy was instrumental in designing curriculum for Chicago Public Schools to expose students to the problem of police violence.
As part of a collective leadership model, Dorothy and others successfully advocated for the grandchildren of torture survivors to be recipients of free tuition at Chicago community colleges in addition to meticulously working out the forms of redress in the reparations package.
Follow Dorothy Burge on Instagram.
Edvetté Jones
Activist EdVetté W. Jones, is a professional photographer, writer, and producer. They are currently a regular contributor to Sixty Inches From Center as a photographer and writer.
They also worked as a teaching artist in 2019 with the Envisioning Justice initiative (Illinois Humanities) and as a teaching artist and youth advocate/mentor with Circles and Ciphers. The same year, EdVetté co-curated “Protest in Fashion,” a community fashion show showcasing the progression of fashion in social justice.
EdVetté helped to draft and pass the ECPS ordinance, for a civilian police oversight committee (ECPS Passes Chicago City Council. What's it mean?) into which they were recently elected (2023) as a district council member.
Explore EdVetté’s work at Shot By EdVetté - Photography, Headshots, Chicago, Photography.
Follow @edvette: Instagram | Website
Photo shot on film by Han Teverbaugh.
Roy Kinsey
Roy Kinsey is a Chicago-born rapper, librarian, and founder of the Rapbrary—a groundbreaking library and bookstore dedicated to preserving hip-hop as a literary art form and protecting banned and challenged books.
Roy's work sits at the intersection of music, literacy, and social justice, using storytelling as a tool for liberation.
Roy’s albums, including the critically acclaimed Blackie, Kinsey: A Memoir and Dandelions: Gods Don’t Cry, weave his narrative as a Black queer artist with ancestral legacy, healing, and resistance. He has performed and presented nationally and internationally, and is currently expanding Rapbrary into a publishing and cultural production house for the next generation of radical storytellers.
Follow @roy_kinsey: Instagram | SoundCloud
Rapbrary is where the rhythm of rap meets the power of the page. Rapbrary exists to:
- 📚 Preserve Cultural History: We celebrate the artistry and storytelling of rap and hip-hop as essential parts of the literary canon.
- 📖 Champion Marginalized Voices: Our collection uplifts books by underrepresented authors and serves as a sanctuary for banned and challenged books.
- 🎤 Foster Creativity: Through workshops, performances, and community programs, we create spaces where art, education, and activism intersect.
More About...
TXA TXA Club
TXA TXA Club is a creative culinary studio based in the Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Their team of artists, chefs, writers, stylists, and food activists is dedicated to making and sharing food through their catering program and monthly supper club that redefines hospitality and the dining scene through community and artistic collaborations.
Revolution Brewing
The change in the U.S. beer scene has undoubtedly been revolutionary. Revolution Brewing has become a leader and innovator in the industry. The evolving tastes of beer drinkers have demanded bigger flavors, more variety, and better beer. That’s exactly what you get at Revolution Brewing. Between its brewery and brewpub, Revolution Brewing produces dozens of different beer styles every year. IPAs, porters, pilsners, Belgian-style ales, pale ales, barrel-aged beers—the list goes on.
Revolution's brewery has been a labor of love. You can see it in everything they do, from the beautiful details of our mahogany bar at the brewpub, to the massive beauty of our eight 800-barrel fermenters at the brewery, to the commitment to quality in each beer that's put in a can or a keg.
Haymarket House
Haymarket House, a community space in the heart of Chicago's Uptown neighborhood and home to Haymarket Books, hosts political, cultural, literary, and community events. They are committed to uplifting the work of writers, artists, thinkers, activists, and educators who are committed to all struggles for a better world.
Venue Parking and Directions
Parking
Haymarket House is located in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. There is limited, free parking in the building’s parking lot accessible via Clarendon Avenue. There is also free street parking nearby.
Parking for a fee is available at nearby Walter Disney Magnet School on Clarendon Avenue and Belle Plaine Avenue about a block away.
Directions
The 146, 151, and 36 buses stop nearby. The CTA Red Line at Sheridan or Wilson is about 7 blocks away.
Get driving directions here.
Accessibility
Haymarket House is equipped with a ramp from the parking lot to the main floor, elevators, and accessible, all-gender restrooms. There are a few steps leading up to the front door of the building.
If you require accommodations to participate in this event fully, please contact Brooklyn Rue at events@ilhumanities.org at least 48 hours before the event.
Vegan and vegetarian options will be available. Please list any food allergies when registering.
A People's Salon
A People’s Salon is a series of four energizing evenings of chef-driven meals, creative performances, and lively discussions about the big ideas and cultural movements of our moment. Each salon is curated around important current issues and features artists, thinkers, and organizers who will present original works that spark connections between our lived experiences, expert opinions, and the futures we want to see.
Register for This Event
Contact
Suite 650, 125 South Clark St.
Chicago, IL 60603
312.422.5580 312.374.6787
600 Troy Road
N4, Room 207
Edwardsville, IL 62025
618.468.5580
Illinois Humanities is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Illinois General Assembly [through the Illinois Arts Council], as well as by contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporations.
Illinois Humanities respects the privacy of its audiences and will at no time sell or distribute personal information to any party not directly affiliated with Illinois Humanities and its programs.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed by speakers, program participants, or audiences do not necessarily reflect those of the NEH, Illinois Humanities, our partnering organizations, or our funders.
© Copyright 2025 Illinois Humanities