Spotlight: Jamila Woods Headlines Stomping Grounds' 2026 Open Stage Showcase at the Cook County JTDC
- Elgin Smith
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
On July 15, 2026, Stomping Grounds Literary Arts Initiative proudly hosted our annual Open Stage Showcase at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, a celebration of the creativity, resilience, and artistic growth of the young people participating in our programs.
This year's featured artist was acclaimed Chicago poet and Grammy-nominated musician Jamila Woods, who joined us with her incredible band for an unforgettable afternoon of music, storytelling, and community. Through songs centered on love, healing, and resistance, Jamila created a welcoming atmosphere that offered a meaningful shift in the daily environment of the facility.
Nearly 30 young people attended alongside JTDC staff, parents, community partners, and supporters. We were honored to welcome guests from organizations including Illinois Humanities, Injustice Watch, the Poetry Foundation, the Reva & David Logan Foundation, Beautiful Cat Gallery, and Haibayo Café, along with many longtime friends of Stomping Grounds who continue to invest in our mission. We were especially grateful to welcome Charles Preston, Maggie Sivit, and Kelly Garcia of Injustice Watch; Tony Pizarro of Illinois Humanities; Sabrina Boggs and Sloane Fuller of the Reva & David Logan Foundation; Noa Fields and Jacob Romm of the Poetry Foundation; and Senyah Haynes representing Stomping Grounds. Their presence helped create a powerful community of support around our young people's creativity.
Although our setup time was shorter than expected, volunteers, teaching artists, and community partners came together to transform the chapel into a gallery celebrating youth creativity. The walls featured original visual artwork and poetry created by students throughout the year, while original music produced by participants over the past two years filled the room.
One of the afternoon's highlights was recognizing Autumn D., whose debut album, Pretty Pain, was celebrated during the showcase. Autumn became the first young woman in fifteen years of SGLAI programming to complete a full-length album while participating in our music production program. Although she had recently transitioned from the facility and could not attend, the audience listened to one of her songs as we celebrated this remarkable achievement.
We were also excited to debut Stomping Grounds' first official promotional video, introducing guests and students alike to the vision and impact of our organization.
The showcase opened with a moving spoken word performance by our newest teaching artist, Johnetta "Awthentik" Anderson, who shared her own creative journey and reflected on her work with the Wings unit. When the open mic began, the youth chose not to perform live, and we honored that choice. At Stomping Grounds, we believe that consent is essential to creative expression.
While no one was pressured to take the stage, the young people were powerfully represented through the music, poetry, and artwork they had already created. At the request of the youth, Executive Director Elgin Bokari T. Smith shared a spoken word performance to close the open mic before introducing Jamila Woods.
Jamila and her band closed the afternoon with a powerful performance that deeply resonated with the young people. During a reflection following the event, several youth shared how much they appreciated her voice, stage presence, and authenticity. One student said her style reminded him of Erykah Badu, while another shared that her music was something he could imagine listening to long after leaving the event. Staff also shared overwhelmingly positive feedback, noting how much the young people enjoyed the afternoon.
The youth reflection also offered valuable insight for future programming. One young person explained that he had considered performing during the open mic but ultimately decided to wait because he wanted his first public performance to leave a lasting impression. He also shared that if he had known more about the artists, advocates, and community leaders in the room beforehand, he might have felt more confident taking the stage. Moments like these continue to shape how Stomping Grounds designs future Open Stages, ensuring that every event is informed by the voices of the young people themselves.
Reflecting on the day,
Jamila shared:
"Thank you so much for having us, Elgin! I really appreciated the opportunity and I hope the young people got something from it. I really admire the work you're doing and I'm excited to hopefully do more things together there in the future!"
Reflecting on the afternoon, Stomping Grounds community member Senyah Haynes shared:
"Open Stage inside the detention center was full of heart and effort. It brought top-notch performances, and that's important because these young people are constantly being told by society that they're not valuable because they messed up. Yet there was a room full of people who came to have community with them, and performers who brought their A game, and these young people had a front row seat. That's a value statement. That matters."
The impact of the afternoon was also recognized by our partners at the Reva & David Logan Foundation, who attended the showcase and Sloane Fuller later wrote:
"Thank you so much for inviting our team to such a special event. It was genuinely moving to see and hear the works the young people have created... The video you premiered was fantastic and we'd be honored to help it reach a wider audience."
Moments like these remind us why this work matters.
This event would not have been possible without the generosity and collaboration of so many people. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Jamila Woods and her band, Justin Canavan, Darryl Abernathy, and Erik Hunter for sharing their extraordinary talent with our community.
Thank you to Jefferson Mok of Haibayo Café for beautifully documenting the day through photography, and to every volunteer who helped install artwork, serve food, welcome guests, and create such a warm and supportive environment.
We are especially grateful to Ms. Tynetta Towner-Brown, William Stewart, and Laurel Leslie of the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center for their partnership and unwavering support in making this showcase possible.
Finally, thank you to every student who trusted us with their music, poetry, artwork, and stories. Your creativity continues to remind us that every voice matters.
We look forward to celebrating with our community again next year.
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