Her photos of friends embodied a movement

Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶

And happy Monday.

We've got a busy news week ahead, with preparations for the Democratic National Convention and Lollapalooza's Thursday kickoff among the many major events we're tracking.

But in today's newsletter, we're taking a slight detour to the Chicago Cultural Center, where a local photojournalist's work covering the city's LGBTQ+ movements is uniting those who made history and those who are building on it.

Plus, we've got reporting on the soon-to-open Damen Green Line station, the city's love affair with piping plovers and more community news you need to know below. ???? 

Thanks for spending part of your afternoon with us. 

⏱️: A 7-minute read

— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)

TODAY’S TOP STORY

Pilsen photographer shows two generations of LGBTQ+ community their history — and weaves them into it

Reporting by Violet Miller

Unintentional artifacts: Diana Solís, a photojournalist and artist from Pilsen, was always taking pictures of her friends, whether they were lying in bed or marching in Chicago and Mexico City for LGBTQ+ rights. "I didn’t think I was immortalizing things at the time," Solís, 68, told the Sun-Times.

Now showing: Several pictures by Solís have been hanging on the walls of the Chicago Cultural Center since the spring. They're part of the exhibit "Images on Which to Build," which collects snapshots from the LGBTQ+ liberation movement from the 1970s to 1990s. It runs until Sunday.

Bridge for generations: On Friday, Solís led fellow alumni of the LGBTQ+ Intergenerational Dialogue Project on a tour of the exhibit, bringing them face to face with the history that older members lived and launched younger members into the present. The dialogue project aims to connect young people in the LGBTQ+ community to their elders and preserve their shared history.

Unison: Solís said the exhibition and the intergenerational tour gave her and the group the "sense that we need to be together." It stood as a reminder of what can be accomplished by uniting the many streams within the LGBTQ+ community.

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WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?

• How piping plovers changed Illinois: Montrose Beach has become a living education center for the endangered piping plover, five years after the birds began nesting again in Illinois and gained a fan base far beyond the shores of Lake Michigan.
   
• Little Village shooting details emerge: A father and his 3-month-old son were shot Saturday afternoon in Little Village, according to police. They were attempting to leave a parking lot when two men opened fire into the family’s vehicle. More than 20 shell casings were found, police said.
   
• New Green Line L stop: The Damen station, an $80 million project years in the making, officially opens Aug. 5 at Lake Street and Damen Avenue.
   
• CNN, Politico to host DNC pop-up: One hot ticket at the Democratic presidential convention next month will be the CNN-Politico Grill, a pop-up Chicago food and beverage–themed restaurant and production center now under construction near the United Center.
  
• 2.5 stars for ‘Lord of the Rings’ musical: Theater may have been born of ritual, but you don’t really want it to feel this distant, as if it’s going through the motions — even if those motions are occasionally grand, writes Steven Oxman for the Sun-Times.

SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS ????️

Grab a bite at Irazú

This week's Sun-Times staff suggestion comes from general assignment reporter Sophie Sherry, who recommends stopping by Irazú Costa Rican Restaurant in Bucktown for your next meal. 

Community staple: "Irazú is an incredible family-owned Costa Rican restaurant in Bucktown that my family and I have been going to for longer than I can remember," Sophie tells me.

What to order:  "My go-to order is a pepitos sandwich, yuca fries and a shake," she says, "but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu."

Now serving alcohol: Open since 1990, Irazú has long been a reliable BYOB spot. But the restaurant marked a new chapter in February, when it began offering cocktails, wine and Costa Rican beer. 

????Irazú Costa Rican Restaurant, 1865 N. Milwaukee Ave.

BRIGHT ONE ✨

Expert craftsmanship takes center stage at Bantu Fest, ‘the people’s fest’

Reporting by Erica Thompson

At Bantu Fest, you won’t make it far down the aisle of vendors before something unique catches your eye.

There are puzzles featuring beautiful Orisha, or Yoruba deities; Egyptian amber perfume in bejeweled bottles and even earrings made from banana fibers.

The latter was handcrafted by Joseph Konya, 70, who has been coming to the event for several years.

"I do very well when I do Bantu," Konya, a native of Kenya who lives on the South Side, told the Sun-Times. "People here are friendly. Chicago is a place where you can sell your art, jewelry and clothing. They receive people very warmly."

That spirit of acceptance and unity among diverse cultures was felt at the fest, which kicked off Saturday and ran through Sunday on Midway Plaisance near 60th Street and Ellis Avenue. Featuring food, bands and activities, the event is a celebration of more than 30 countries in Africa and beyond. 

"We’re the people’s fest," said Babacar Ba, who co-founded the event in 2015 after hosting regular "Africa nights” at the KLEO Community Family Life Center. “Wherever you come from, you can find a piece of you here at the festival."

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

What's something only Chicagoans do that should be an Olympic sport?

Email us (please include your first and last name). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!

Thanks for reading the Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. 
Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Written by: Matt Moore
Editor: Esther Bergdahl
Copy editor: Angie Myers