Chantel Simpson

This school is training American kids for K-pop stardom
By Chantel Simpson
K-pop, short for Korean pop, is rapidly taking over U.S. pop charts — and the hearts of millions of its fans. BTS, a seven-member boy band from South Korea, was the first K-pop group to land a No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 charts in May with Love…
These black women tattooists are traveling the country to show off their skills
By Chantel Simpson
For the past three summers, the women of Ladies of Ink — a group of black women tattooists — have traveled the country, stopping in major cities and building a diverse clientele that respects their work. The group was birthed from a social media…
How Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son is using cryptocurrency to honor his dad’s legacy
By Chantel Simpson
Hip-hop artists have always been vanguard of not just music, but fashion, art and technology. So it’s no surprise that some in hip-hop are jumping into the novel world of cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies have become a cultural phenomenon since…
21 Savage wants to help kids save money, one bank account at a time
By Chantel Simpson
Rapper 21 Savage has gained a bit of mainstream success over the last year. His debut album, Issa Album, peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 in 2017, and he just won a MTV Video Music Award for song of the year with Post Malone. Savage, born Shayaa…
‘Talk Hole’ is a comedy show where queer and female comedians shine
By Chantel Simpson
The world of comedy is still very much straight, white and male. But Talk Hole, a New York City-based comedy duo, aims to shake things up. Hosts Eric Schwartau and Steven Phillips-Horst curate shows that showcase queer and female talent. You can…
Meet the Radical Visibility Collective, a group uplifting queer people with disabilities
By Chantel Simpson
Fashion doesn’t have the best track record for inclusivity. But the Radical Visibility Collective hopes to be an agent of change in its queer community. The Chicago-based group, which was founded by Sky Cubacub, is composed of two interdisciplinary…
How Fat Girls Dance is dismantling stigmas toward fat bodies
By Chantel Simpson
Fat Girls Dance is a global group of fat women who are challenging people’s perceptions of what they can do through dance. The group started after a simple challenge: In August 2016, co-founder Cathleen Meredith asked plus-size women in her…
The Era is using dance to save Chicago’s black youth from violence
By Chantel Simpson
Footwork is a type of dance and music genre that grew out of the African-American community in Chicago. The Era Footwork Crew is one of the city’s most well-known dance crews. The group has toured the world, collaborated with Chance the Rapper and…
You don’t have be to an activist to resist
By Chantel Simpson
Throughout 2017, events in American politics have inspired many to pick up a sign and protest for the first time. Still, for some considering activism, the task of pushing for change both large and small can be daunting. But Grammy Award-winning…
What it’s like to live with chronic pain
By Chantel Simpson
This past summer was projected to be one of the worst tick seasons on record. And with a higher tick population, the chance of contracting Lyme disease also rises. Lyme disease is transmitted through a bite from a tick infected with the bacterium…