From Afro Sheen to Theaster Gates and from Soul Train to Chance the Rapper, Black Chicago draws sustenance from a culture rooted in self-determination, aspiration, and hustle. In Energy Never Dies, Ayana Contreras embarks on a journey to share the implausible success stories and breathtaking achievements of Black Chicago's artists and entrepreneurs. Past and present generations speak with one another, maintaining a vital connection to a beautiful narrative of Black triumph and empowerment that still inspires creativity and pride. Contreras weaves a hidden history from these true stories and the magic released by undervalued cultural artifacts. As she does, the idea that the improbable is always possible emerges as an indestructible Afro-Optimism that binds a people together.

Passionate and enlightening, Energy Never Dies uses the power of storytelling to show how optimism and courage fuel the dreams of Black Chicago.

| Cover Title Copyright Contents Preface: The Verge of Spring: Optimism in Black Chicago i. On Stony Island Avenue: Boulevard of Black Culture ii. Sort of a Dream: The Southern Sensibility and Flow of Chicago's West Side iii. Found: Grooves Ghostly White iv. Stax Fax: Black Christmas Begat a Black Love Procession v. All This Talk about Freedom: Art, Soul and the Blackstone Rangers vi. It's a Tom Tom, Part 1: Tamales, Barbecue, and 45s vii. It's a Tom Tom, Part 2: Iron Sharpening Iron viii. Visions of Soul: Afro Sheen, Soul Train, and Black Chicago's Close-Up ix. Brand-New You: Makeover, Mind Over x. The Coiling Feedback Loop of Time Notes Index Back cover |"Best 184-page love letter to Chicago." —Chicago Reader
"This is a beautiful and hopeful ode to Black Chicago: its music, dance, creativity, innovation, hustle, history, connections, generations and more." —Ms. Magazine
"Contreras's Chicago is a place where the dreams of the driven come true. Her world, elaborately described with poetic language, is not only a nice place to visit but one where those of us who envision a brighter and better Chicago must take up residency if we want our visions to become manifest." —Chicago Magazine
|Ayana Contreras is a radio host/producer at Chicago Public Media, a founder/blogger at darkjive.com, and a columnist and reviewer at DownBeat Magazine.