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Have you ever been told "Don't Go to Chicago's South Side?" Join Tonika Johnson and Maria Krysan, co-authors of Don't Go, for a thought-provoking, interactive evening. The authors--a Black artist and a White academic--who met through their shared passion for anti-segregation work will unpack this advice, and the damage it does, through the stories of everyday Chicagoans featured in their book. Pick up your own copy of the book on site and have it signed by the authors. 📍Timeline of event: 5:30 PM Door Opens 6 - 7:30 PM Book Talk 7:30 - 8 PM Book Signing Tonika Lewis Johnson is a nationally recognized social justice artist and photographer from Chicago’s South Side Englewood neighborhood. Her work exposes how segregation shapes the city’s communities and narratives. She created the Folded Map Project, connecting “map twins” on the same street but in racially and economically divided neighborhoods, and founded UnBlocked Englewood, restoring a single block through housing and public art. A 2025 Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics and a 2024 Gordon Parks Foundation Fellow, her honors include Chicago Magazine’s 2017 Chicagoan of the Year, the 2025 American Red Cross Social Justice Impact Hero Award, and recognition in Architect Magazine’s “Game Changers” issue. She co-founded the Englewood Arts Collective and serves on Chicago’s Reparations Task Force. Maria Krysan, LAS Distinguished Professor of Sociology at UIC, studies segregation and racial attitudes. Her award-winning Cycle of Segregation (2017) reframed understanding of racial residential segregation and inspired collaborations with Johnson, including their co-authored book, Don’t Go: Stories of Segregation and How to Disrupt. She publishes widely, is frequently cited in major media, and engages policymakers, advocates, and communities nationwide.