Weekend Edition: ComEd’s Icebox Derby / Westside Music Festival / Soul Train Documentary

Building Generational Leaders POWER TO THE PEOPLE ComEd’s Second Annual Icebox Derby Race Day On Saturday, August 15, at The Field Museum of Natura Like Tweet Pin +1 in Subscribe Building Generational Leaders CLICK FOR DETAILS (Paid AD) Amandla Stenberg POWER TO THE PEOPLEComEd’s Second Annual Icebox Derby Race Day On Saturday, August 15, at The Field Museum of Natural History (East Parking Lot), 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive (Chicago) six teams of teenage women from across the Chicago area will compete in the official ComEd Icebox Derby Race Day, the final event of a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education program spearheaded by local electric utility, ComEd. Teams will race electric cars they built from recycled refrigerators, around a pop-up track at The Field Museum of Natural History. Winners will receive scholarship money toward continued education in science, technology, engineering and math. The program starts at 12 noon and concludes at 4pm with award ceremony at 3 pm. The event is open to the public and will feature engaging activities for those watching the action. To help encourage and inspire some of Chicago's brightest young women to pursue careers in STEM, ComEd has partnered with the Chicago Urban League, Operation PUSH, Girls4Science, and the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana on this initiative. In addition to teaching participants skills related to the task at hand, the program has also provided the participants with STEM mentors from local universities and ComEd to support and educate participants on career options they may not have previously considered. Anne Pramaggiore Celebrity host Amandla Stenberg will join ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore on-site to provide a play-by-play as the race action unfolds. Teams will compete in two race heats with STEM-themed challenges between laps. There will be five challenges in total; each one is hands-on and espouses a different aspect of the girls’ STEM knowledge. The race will test not only the girls’ speed and craftsmanship, but also their analytical skills and ability to work together to achieve a common goal. To relive all the ComEd Icebox Derby action to date, or for more information on this year’s participants, program or official Race Day, please visit www.theiceboxderby.com. ComEd’s Icebox Derby is a multi-week challenge designed to empower young women to explore opportunities in science, technology, engineering and math through a challenging, hands-on competition, where contestants work in teams to engineer race cars from old refrigerators. By leveraging ComEd’s Refrigerator & Freezer Recycling Rewards Program aimed at driving energy efficiency, the ComEd Icebox Derby supports the company’s commitment to creating sustainable and innovative solutions for the region. For more details, contact ComEd Media Line at 312-394-3500. CLICK FOR DETAILS (Paid AD) THE TRUTH SALUTES...Black Harvest Film Festival to Screen Soul Train 45th Anniversary Documentary SOUL TRAIN: THE HIPPEST TRIP IN AMERICA returns to the Gene Siskel Film Center on Saturday, August 15, at 1:00 pm when the top-rated VH-1 documentary will be shown on the big screen as part of this year’s 21st Annual Black Harvest Film Festival. This screening celebrates the 45th anniversary of the legendary dance-party show that made TV history. Prior to the screening from noon to 1:00 pm will be a live DJ to get moviegoers into the mood. Following the screening from approximately 2:05 pm to 4:00 pm will be a Dance Party presented in partnership with The Soul Train Impact and Sound of Authority in the alley north of the Film Center. Attendees are encouraged to wear their 70s best. DJs spinning are First Lady and Hugh H. First Lady (Khris Raye) is a pioneer DJ, radio/TV personality and a Billboard award winning radio music and program director. As one of the original house music female DJs, who started mixing in the fall of 1980, First Lady has helped lay the foundation for ladies that control the house music dance floors today. Hugo H., aka “The Music Maker” is an award-winning DJ, producer, and remixer who can be heard every Saturday night at 10 pm central/11pm eastern mixing it up on Jamie Foxx’s Foxxhole Radio on Sirius/WM 96. The 21st Annual Black Harvest Film Festival is Chicago’s largest- and longest- running Black film festival and the Gene Siskel Film Center’s most vibrant annual showcase featuring provocative films that tell stories, spark lively discussions, and address issues relating to the experiences from the African diaspora. From August 8 through September 3, 2015, Black Harvest features Chicago premieres, filmmaker appearances, panel discussions, and special events. Presented will be over 50 features, documentaries, and shorts, including a number connected to Chicago, affirming the city's role as a vital center for independent filmmaking. To see film line-ups, visit www.siskelfilmcenter.org/blackharvest. For additional information, call Karen Durham, Associate Director of Public Relations and Marketing, Gene Siskel Film Center of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago at 312-846-2074 or kdurham@saic.edu. TBTNEWS HEADLINEAnnual Chicago Westside Music Festival On Saturday, August 15th, the 4th Annual Chicago Westside Music Festival (CWSMF) will take place at Douglas Park. Soul 106.3's Kenya Simone returns to host the admission-free festival designed to bring the city and residents of the Westside together for a day of food, fun, and entertainment. "We are very excited to present Bell Biv DeVoe for this year's Chicago Westside Music Festival," says Producer, Michelle Geddes of M Group Worldwide, Inc. "They are iconic artists and they have been on the top of our 'must have' list since we started the festival." Also taking the stage is R&B singer Case, known for his smash hit Touch Me, Please Me. In addition to bringing top national talent to the Westside community, a key function of the festival is to provide an opportunity for local artists to share the stage with globally touted artists. "Not only am I excited about this year's lineup, but I am also very excited that I have the opportunity to play an integral role in providing quality and free entertainment to an area that is often overlooked," says Executive Director, Natashee Scott of the Westside Cultural Foundation. The full day of activities includes something for everyone. Starting at 12pm, 24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott, Jr. kicks the day off with his 1st Back To School Festival in partnership with the Chicago Park District and Acts of Love. Followed by raffles, line dancing, stepping all leading up to a full line up of live musical performances. For more information, please visit www.chicagowestsidemusicfestival.com. For media inquiries, contact Jada Russell, High Style Marketing & PR at 312-375-4136 or jadarussell@gmail.com. The online media partner is TBTNews.