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Harris Livingston of Oak Park does a backflip on Lake Street during The Love March with GoodKids Mad City in the Austin neighborhood on Saturday, July 25, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
CHICAGO — Chicago and the world struggled with loss, unrest and division this year. But the team at Block Club looked through our thousands of stories from this year and also saw moments of inspiration, unity and hope.
We’ve rounded up dozens of photos that highlight all that happened this year in Chicago.
Take a virtual tour across the city to see what our reporters witnessed in neighborhoods this year.
Inside Dispensary33 in Andersonville on the morning the legalization of recreational weed went into effect in Illinois on Jan. 1, 2020. Credit: Bob Chiarito/Block Club Chicago
Little Village Environmental Justice Organization and residents hold a candle light vigil for Reynaldo “Rey” Grimaldo near the old Crawford Coal Plant Jan. 30 in Little Village. Credit: Mauricio Peña/ Block Club Chicago
Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich leaves O’Hare Airport on Feb. 19 after being released from federal prison. Credit: Colin Boyle/ Block Club Chicago
A family strolled around Chinatown, where businesses have been negatively impacted by fears of the novel coronavirus. Credit: Pat Nabong/Block Club Chicago
Family and friends of Kenny Paterimos, who was fatally stabbed outside Richard’s Bar, protested outside the River West Bar Tuesday, March 3. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot at a press conference announcing a statewide stay-in-place order Friday, March 20. Credit: Colin Boyle/ Block Club ChicagoPatrons ride an Forest Park-bound CTA Blue Line train in Chicago as fears of COVID-19 rise on Friday, March 20. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
A Chicago Police car drives into Lincoln Park to clear out pedestrians and cyclists in the late afternoon on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Members of the Illinois Air National Guard assemble medical equipment at the McCormick Place Convention Center in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago, Ill., March 31, 2020. U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Jay Grabiec
Jenni Spinner and Rebecca Kell (bottom), the two masterminds behind the Chicago Singalong, poke their heads out of their apartment in the Rogers Park neighborhood as they sang “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi with neighbors on Saturday, March 21, 2020 in Chicago. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Dust flies up in the air at the Crawford Coal Plant at 3501 S. Pulaski Rd. moments after its smoke stack is imploded on Saturday, April 11, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club ChicagoLittle Village streets were covered in dust following demolition of a smokestack at the site early Saturday morning.
Pieces of burnt and bent metal lay on the ground as fire crews were called to General Iron Industries in the 1900 north block of Clifton Avenue Monday after a “major explosion,” Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) said on May 18, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Patricia Baute stands at a bus stop at Milwaukee and Fullerton avenues next to where her daughter, Alexa Baute, was shot and killed outside of a 7-Eleven in Logan Square April 7. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Protesters demand an end to Illinois’ stay-at-home order outside the James R. Thompson Center on May 1, 2020. Credit: Lenny Gilmore/Block Club Chicago
Nurses in support of the state’s stay at home order stage a counter demonstration to protesters at the James R. Thompson Center on May 1, 2020. Credit: Lenny Gilmore/Block Club Chicago
Esme’ Lagard holds a sign with her father, Derek Wallace, on May 30, 2020, as protests occurred downtown Chicago for the second day and night in a row following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis earlier this week.
A Chicago Police officer uses a baton to strike protesters as officers guard Trump Tower in River North on May 30, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Chicago Police officers guard Trump Tower in River North on May 30, 2020 as protests in downtown Chicago continued after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club ChicagoGino Laurent of the Roseland neighborhood holds a sign on May 30, 2020 as protests occurred downtown Chicago for the second day and night in a row following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Bridges in the Loop are lifted on May 30, 2020 as protests occurred downtown Chicago for the second day and night in a row following George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
The inside of a 7-Eleven at State and Hubbard in River North after looting struck Chicago overnight on Monday, August 10, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Cavell Ball and Gerrell Tucker of Englewood help board up the windows of a looted beauty supplies shop in Auburn Gresham on June 1, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Over 30,000 protesters gather during the #ActivateChi Chicago March of Justice in Union Park on Saturday, June 6, 2020, later marching to the vacant grounds that formerly housed the Cabrini-Green homes. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Rhymefest speaks to the crowd on June 7, 2020, at My Block, My Hood, My City’s Peace March in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. Credit: Justin Laurence/ Block Club Chicago / maxwell
A Chicago Police officer from the 18th District is seen flipping off his middle fingers at protesters standing in Armitage Avenue after a protester was seen making the same gesture moments prior in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood on June 4, 2020. The interaction took place during a protest demanding that Chicago Public Schools divest from the police department. Credit: Colin Boyle/ Block Club Chicago
Soleil Foucher of Bronzeville holds her hands in the air at the Kids Non-Violent Protest Against Racism in the Oakland neighborhood on Saturday, June 13, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Patrons pose for a photo in Old Crow Smokehouse on Clark Street in the Wrigleyville neighborhood on June 27, 2020 during the first weekend of Illinois in Phase Four of reopening amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
People gather in lines to get into Moe’s Cantina and walk on Clark Street Saturday in Wrigleyville. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Lucinda Rogers (in white) dances with Andrew Holmes on her 100th birthday in front of her longtime West Woodlawn home in June 2020. Credit: Maxwell Evans/Block Club Chicago
Thousands of protesters marched through the North Side on June 29, 2020 to demand justice for Black and transgender people. Credit: Jake Wittich/Block Club Chicago
Artist Zac Lowing sits on the embattled front yard of a wealthy family in Lakeview, who planted hedges on Park District land, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. | Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Contractors with Beverly Environmental LLC remove the hedges a wealthy Lakeview homeowner planted on public land in the 3000 block of North Lake Shore Drive West in the Lakeview neighborhood on Thursday, July 2, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Activists march north on King Drive during the GoodKids MadCity Love March to Combat Gun Violence in Woodlawn on July 11, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
A police officer carries rope away after police and protesters clash near a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park during a protest in support of Black and Indigenous people on July 17, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club ChicagoChicago police guard a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park, after demonstrators spray painted it and tried to pull it down during a protest in support of Black and Indigenous people on July 17, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club ChicagoA pile of bicycles sits on Columbus Drive after police and protesters clash near a statue of Christopher Columbus in Grant Park during a protest in support of Black and Indigenous people on July 17, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Crews remove the Christopher Columbus statue from its pedestal in Grant Park in the wee morning hours on July 24, 2020, in Chicago. This occurred just a week after violent clashes between police officers and protesters broke out at the statue. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Adam Hollingsworth takes his hat back from his son A’kil while his son Aking (in blue) looks on. Children “tired of seeing all these kids dying out here” marched down 63rd Street on July 31, 2020, chanting “kids lives matter” and performing dance routines. Credit: Maxwell Evans/Block Club Chicago
Harris Livingston of Oak Park does a backflip on Lake Street during The Love March with GoodKids Mad City in the Austin neighborhood on Saturday, July 25, 2020. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Balloons are released to honor Caleb Reed Aug. 4, 2020 in front of Mather High School, 5835 N. Lincoln Ave. Credit: Alex V. Hernandez/Block Club Chicago
A chalk portrait of Marsha P. Johnson. Portraits of trans people lost to violence have been added to Andersonville’s Black Trans Lives Matter mural. Credit: Joe Ward/Block Club Chicago
Monette Mclin, 50, from the Rogers Park neighborhood held up a sign with Breonna Taylor’s name to show solidarity and support. My Block My Hood My City organized the Daley Plaza rally, bringing together hundreds to mourn the 26-year-old EMT shot by police in Louisville and to help support organizations led by and serving Black women and girls. Credit: Hillary Flores/Block Club Chicago
Teacher Jennifer Pagan (left) and student Aryn Peterson at Douglass Park. Students made history by pushing city officials to rename Douglas Park. They shared the lessons they learned with Block Club Chicago — and gave advice to other young organizers. Credit: Pascal Sabino/Block Club Chicago
Isabel Hernandez stands at her Pilsen home, which she recently decorated for Día de los Muertos. The holiday celebrates the lives of loved ones who have died. Credit: Mauricio Peña/Block Club Chicago
Justice Collins stands in the middle of his damaged store after a driver crashed into the building Dec. 3. Credit: Jamie Nesbitt Golden/Block Club Chicago
Doctor Marina Del Rios from UI Health receives Chicago’s first COVID-19 vaccination from Dr. Nikhila Juvvadi on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020, at Loretto Hospital, a 122-bed medical facility in the Austin neighborhood. (Jose M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune/pool)
Aniyah Lee, 3, of North Lawndale, rides her new bicycle and helmet at the Light Up Lawndale event outside Stone Temple Baptist Church on Saturday, Dec. 19 in the North Lawndale neighborhood. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
Melissa Garcia of Joliet, Ill. wraps holiday gifts as New Life Centers of Chicagoland hosts a holiday food distribution event with the Greater Chicago Food Depository in the Little Village neighborhood on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club ChicagoA resident with a cart full of food exits the line as New Life Centers of Chicagoland hosts a holiday food distribution event with the Greater Chicago Food Depository in the Little Village neighborhood on Tuesday, Dec. 22. Credit: Colin Boyle/Block Club Chicago
