Courtesy Photo:Ashlee Willis, Founder and CEO of Michigan Premier Events and Ms. Lansing 2026 – Candidate for Ms. Michigan Corporate America, has spent the past decade bringing organizations, leaders, and communities together through meaningful, professionally curated events across Michigan. For Ashlee Willis, leadership begins with connection. As the Founder and CEO of Michigan Premier Events, Willis has spent the last decade helping organizations across Michigan bring their

Courtesy Photo: Lucianna Solis, Community Relations and Faith-Based Initiatives Manager for City of Lansing Mayor Andy Schor Some leaders arrive in their roles through career paths. Others arrive through lived experience. For Lucianna Solis, service has always been rooted in something deeply personal. Today, Solis serves as the Mayor’s Community Relations and Faith-Based Initiatives Manager for the City of Lansing, a role she officially stepped into in 2021. But her commitmen

EP14 - Pop That! Occasionally the viral game show “Pop The Balloon” shows up in my feed. I’ll admit… it’s entertaining. But at the same time I can’t help but wonder: Who on earth would willingly subject themselves to humiliation just to be seen? Clearly… thousands. As the father of four beautiful daughters, these things hit differently. As they get older and conversations about dating start to happen, the discussions around character, respect, and social media become more imp

Courtesy photo:Dr. Tareva Watts, CEO, Founder, and Clinical Director of Inspired Faith Counseling and Consultation in Lansing, Michigan. A clinical therapist, author, and mental health advocate committed to building healed generations through faith-centered wellness and emotional healing. Some women build platforms. Some build brands. And some build people. Dr. Tareva Watts is doing the sacred work of building healed generations. As CEO, Founder, and Clinical Director of Insp

Courtesy Photo:Dr. Melody Angel, physician, entrepreneur, and founder of Full Well, whose second act reflects resilience, healing, and visionary leadership In 2012, Dr. Melody Angel lost her husband to suicide. She lost a 45-unit real estate portfolio. She faced bankruptcy in the aftermath of the housing collapse. Her daughter was seven years old. Many people survive seasons like that. Few decide to rise from them with intention. Dr. Melody Angel did not just rebuild. She too

Courtesy Photo: Sharon D. Rogers For more than four decades, Sharon D. Rogers has dedicated her life to strengthening children, families, and the very foundation of community. Her professional journey began in Kentucky, where she studied Home Economics with a specialization in Child Development at Murray State University . After graduating, she relocated to Lansing, Michigan, and began what would become a lifelong commitment to early childhood education and family engagement.

Courtesy Photo-Choose Lansing recognized 532 active CTAs and honored Cheryl Ward, CTA and owner of Time To Travel, as the CTA Star of the Year. LANSING, MICH. – March 3, 2025 – Choose Lansing ® held its annual meeting March 3 at the Crowne Plaza Lansing, sharing an update on the region’s tourism industry, local visitor economic impact and upcoming initiatives. The event highlighted a record year for hotel room nights, recognized the CTA Star of the Year and previewed prioriti

Courtesy Photo- Rae-Kel Moore, Owner and Funder of Sister Tah' Sister Some movements start with funding. Some movements start with a strategy. And then some movements start at a picnic table in the park, with tired mothers who simply needed space to breathe. In 2018, at Francis Park in Lansing, Rae-Kel Moore, known to many as “Lady Kellz,” did not set out to launch a movement. She was living her life as a single mother of four, balancing work, home, and the quiet weight that

Photo Credit:The Chronicle Media Group-Representing the next generation of community storytellers, Liam Carter dives into hands-on learning at Impression 5. LANSING, Mich. — Creativity was in full force February 28 and March 1 as families gathered at Impression 5 Science Center for LEGO®Palooza 2026, the museum’s annual family-focused fundraiser. Presented by Impression 5 and supported by the MSUFCU Desk Drawer Foundation and T-Fiber, the two-day event transformed the Science

Photo Credit-The Chronicle Media Group-Generations aligned. My son Liam Carter is standing among men who model confidence, discipline, and care. This is what community mentorship looks like in action. Last weekend at the Lansing Mall, something shifted in the atmosphere. It wasn’t just a workshop. It wasn’t just photo ops in front of a branded backdrop. It was a room full of men choosing to rewrite narratives. Young men showed up for the 2026 Suited 4 Success Etiquette Worksh

By Chelsea Wooton Courtesy Photo-For 30 years, across 41 states and more than 1,000 venues, Dr. Khalid el-Hakim refused to wait for history to be told correctly. He put it on wheels and brought it directly to us through the Black History 101 Mobile Museum. Lansing, admission is free, but the truth you’ll encounter is priceless. Dr. Khalid el-Hakim didn’t wait for history to be told correctly. He put it on wheels and brought it to us. Lansing, admission is free. The truth is p

Courtesy Photo-Oluwaseun “Sean” Sipeolu, Founder of Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge, is building more than a restaurant in Downtown Lansing — he is creating a cultural home rooted in connection, ownership, and legacy. Some businesses sell products. Others create experiences. Oluwaseun “Sean” Sipeolu did not open Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge to simply serve food. He opened it to serve culture. Founded in 2025 in the heart of Downtown Lansing, Jollof Afro-Caribbean Lounge is more

Photo credit: Blair Stapp, 1967: Huey P. Newton, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, photographed in 1967, seated in a wicker chair holding a rifle and spear. The image became one of the most recognizable photographs of the Black Power movement, often symbolizing armed self-defense, though the Party’s community service programs were equally central to its mission. This image became iconic.  It  also became incomplete. Newton co-founded the Black Panther Party in Oakland, C

For four decades, The Chronicle News has amplified voices, honored culture, and preserved the stories that shape our community. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, we invite you to celebrate this milestone at the Michigan Room at Lansing Community College. The 40th Anniversary Legacy Gala will be an unforgettable experience featuring a locally owned business showcase, a vibrant mix and mingle reception, live music and entertainment, a dinner experience, and keynote remarks from Judge

A Living Tribute to Those Who Help Build Greater Lansing Courtesy Photo-Lansing Community College Changemakers Center LANSING, Mich. — History does not sit quietly on shelves. It moves. It breathes. It gathers in rooms where people come together to honor those who made the way possible. That spirit filled the Downtown Campus of Lansing Community College as leaders, families, students, and community partners gathered for the ribbon cutting and inaugural induction ceremony of t

LANSING, Mich., February 6, 2026 — Music and movement will meet center stage as the Lansing Community College Jazz Band returns for its third annual collaboration with Happendance Professional Company. The concert, Sometimes Happy, Sometimes Blue, promises two evenings of rhythm, soul, and storytelling through sound and motion. Under the direction of LCC music faculty member Jon Gewirtz, the 20-plus-member jazz band will perform timeless standards that have shaped generations

Photo by Chronicle Media Group-Rhonda Stokes, Master Stylist and educator, is the founder of Rhonda’s Reflections. Licensed since age 18, she combines decades of salon expertise with hands-on apprenticeship training, preparing the next generation of stylists for State Board certification and sustainable careers in beauty. When it comes to transformation, Rhonda Stokes does more than style hair, she builds confidence strand by strand. A licensed cosmetologist since the age of

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when heartbreak gets a headset and a book deal — look no further than Logan Taylor. The author of In My Eyes: Searching for Self-Worth didn’t just turn her story into pages… she turned it into momentum. Logan’s journey isn’t about finding perfection it’s about finding truth. From navigating the messy, sacred terrain of self worth to standing tall as an indie author with something real to say, she’s proof that vulnerability is strength dres

LANSING, Mich.  — Middle- and high school-aged students are invited to explore potential college majors with hands-on activities during the free Big STEAM event at Lansing Community College (LCC). The event will take place Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on LCC’s Downtown Campus. Designed for students in grades 7–12, Big STEAM offers hands-on activities that introduce participants to programs in science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics (STEAM

Courtesy Photo-Chronicle News Publisher Yanice Y. Carter February asks us to look closer. Not just at who we love, but at how we love. Not just about Black history, but about who is making it right now. Not just in relationships, but in the standards, boundaries, and healing we bring into them. This issue is a mirror. In it, you’ll see legacy, not as something locked in the past, but alive in our barbershops, our businesses, our homes, and our everyday choices. You’ll see lov