Since 1995, this magazine has honored Chicagoans who are doing extraordinary things—the Chicagoans of the Year.
On the following pages, you’ll meet a bluesman who is keeping a Chicago musical tradition alive and a breast cancer survivor who is leading a powerful crusade. You’ll be inspired, too, by a brave immigration activist, a pair of education pioneers, and an artist with a unique vision for rallying communities torn apart by violence.
On December 3, Chicago’s editors will recognize these six individuals with a luncheon at the Peninsula, sponsored in part by Carson Pirie Scott—proof that, yes, good deeds do get noticed.
Photography: Jeff Sciortino