written in the water

On Chicago's South Side, a new river trail guides the way through nearly two centuries of Black history.

- ARIONNE NETTLES

Bonus content for select readers in ILLINOIS / INDIANA / MICHIGAN / MINNESOTA / WISCONSIN

I'M A CERTIFIED CITY GIRL. I have never paddled in any water before. But here I am, miles from downtown Chicago, in a canoe on the Little Calumet River, floating through the city's South Side. I find myself instantly connected to all that's happening around me: the strong swish of our paddles propelling us forward, the warmth of the bright sun on my face, the humming mills and factories lining the river that help keep Chicago running.