Keep the Faith Baby - Opening Monologue

Keep the Faith Baby is a civic history podcast about Chicago, anchored in the leadership, memory, and community practice of Black Chicago. This opening monologue is your introduction to the show, why it exists, and what it is asking of you as a listener. Host Mark E. Payne, Executive Director of Public Allies Chicago and a lifelong South Sider, named the podcast after words his mother Elnada Payne spoke to him and after a phrase that has carried Black civic life in city politics for generations. Each episode will bring you a conversation with someone who has shaped Chicago, from elected officials and nonprofit leaders to organizers, artists, and neighbors who built something that lasted. Start here. Then go to Episode 1.