A documentary that examines the life and career of poet Ruth Stone will be airing tonight on WILL-TV, and The 21st was joined by the documentary's filmmaker.

The 21st was joined by the two reporters behind the investigation to talk about Illinois' program for children in mental health crises, where it's failing, and what could be done about it.

Hip hop is only 50 years old, but its cultural impact in Illinois and America at large is unquestionable. To discuss the history of the genre, we were joined by a professor of History and African American Studies.

As Illinois' minimum wage continues its slow rise to $15, many questions still linger about the state of the minimum wage here.

Today on The 21st, we were spent the whole hour with Will Leitch, a writer who was born, raised, and educated here in central Illinois before making it big in the world of sports journalism in New York City as the creator of Deadspin.

In late 2022, the first town in Illinois to be legally founded by a formerly enslaved person became a national park. The 21st was joined by a professor descended from the town's founder and the director of research at the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum.

To talk about the area's history, connection to the civil rights movement and legacy, The 21st was joined by the assistant superintendent of the park and a regional director of the National Parks Conservation Association.

In her book, former newspaper editor Margaret Sullivan says the rise of Donald Trump’s brand of politics ought to change the way reporters do their jobs.

The 21st was joined by the author of a book exploring the myth of the model minority and the students who take extreme measures to cope, as well as a clinical social worker and a student who shared her own experiences with the pressure often placed on Asian American students.

Today we recognized Tuskegee Airmen Commemoration Day and celebrated the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps through a discussion of their history and legacy with the head of African American Studies at the University of Illinois and a current service member.