While mammograms have increasingly become a standard part of health care, many are not aware of the issues related to dense breast tissue. For instance, dense breast tissue makes it harder for doctors to accurately read cancer-screening mammograms and can be associated with increased breast cancer risks.

State Sen. Mattie Hunter is trying to raise awareness through education. She is the chief sponsor of a proposed law that would require doctors to inform individuals if dense breast tissue is found and provide them information about what it means.

State Senator Mattie Hunter saw her efforts pay off when her sponsored legislation promoting youth employment and jobs passed the Senate Tuesday. 

“With Illinois’ dismal current economic climate, college graduates are having difficulty finding gainful employment, much less adolescents just being introduced to the work world,” Hunter said. “This legislation will assist youth employment and help lay a foundation for cleaning up the youth violence and public safety issues devastating our communities.”

In 50 years, Chicago has witnessed a number of things. Martin Luther King Jr. brought the Civil Rights Movement to Chicago in the mid-1960s. In 1968, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago. The Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world upon its completion in 1973. Harold Washington became the first African American mayor in 1983. Barrack Obama not only became the first African American President, but was also elected for a second term.

Through all this one radio station was, and continues to be, the voice for African Americans in Chicago. WVON 1690 AM, the only Black-owned and operated radio station in the city, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

State Senator Mattie Hunter honored a group of students and administrators from Urban Prep Academies at the State Capitol on Wednesday, April 17.
 
For the fourth consecutive year, 100 percent of the Urban Prep Englewood campus’ senior class and the inaugural graduating class from Urban Prep's West campus has been accepted to four-year colleges and universities.
 
“I am impressed with these young men, their drive and commitment to scholarship,” Senator Hunter said. “I was proud to support and acknowledge the gentlemen of Urban Prep when they visited the General Assembly and wish them the best in their futures of continued dedication to academic excellence.”
 
Urban Prep Academies operates a network of all-boys public schools in Chicago, including the country’s first charter high school for boys. Urban Prep’s mission is to provide a high-quality and comprehensive college-preparatory educational experience to young men that results in graduates being prepared for attending and succeeding in college.