Family and friends honored Mama Gloria Allen, on what would have been her 77th birthday, at the Center on Halsted, where Allen, a Black transgender woman, ran a charm school to teach youth life skills and to be proud of who they are. Allen died in June.
Art and Pep spotlights the life and love of Chicago civil rights leaders Thu. April 1, 2021 9:20 AM by Ross Forman photo credit // artandpep.org ART AND PEP is the love story behind the long battle to love – and live – freely, says director Mercedes Kane Art Johnston was doing a two-year theatre program at Northwestern University when some guys in the theatre department told him that about bars in Chicago “for people like us.” Johnston soon thereafter walked into a gay bar in 1973 named Shari’s, where a bartender that night was named Pepe.
“Pep came home with me and has never left,” Johnston said with a smile.