Common’s Common Ground Foundation and Kanye West’s Donda’s House have come together with Chicago’s Urban League to provide 20,000 jobs for Chicago’s youth. The two natives to Chicago’s Southside are responding to a recent study that states that 92% of all black males are unemployed.

“Obviously, one of the biggest reasons our kids are going through what they’re going through is because of poverty,” Common said. “I was doing an event in the neighborhood and there were some kids from Englewood and I said, ‘Man, what do y’all really need? What’s gonna stop this?’ And they were like, ‘We need money. Man, if we could work.’ They want a chance.”

A yearly festival will also come from the collaboration as a means of fundraising for the jobs and other programs. Looking to pull from Chicago’s recent surge in local talent, the festival will take place Sept. 20-21 behind the Museum of Science and Industry on 6300 S. Hayes Drive.

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