hamburger
Chicago tribune josephine lee oped

Josephine Lee: In an age of anxiety and division, the arts are not an ‘extra,’ they’re a lifeline

Chicago Tribune | February 10, 2026

Arts programs bring people together around share goals that require contact, cooperation and trust. The nearly 4,000 young people involved in Uniting Voices hail from every Chicago ZIP code. They sing in 36 languages across genres, from classical to gospel to hip hop. With each piece, they step into someone else's history, culture or story. Through repeated contact, and through challenge, failure, support and success, they learn how to work across difference with respect.

Continue