“STATE: A Team, a Triumph, a Transformation”

Panel discussion centered around Medill Lecturer Melissa Isaacson’s new book with fellow teammate Connie Erickson Brown and Amy Eshleman, First Lady of the City of Chicago who was a member of the first-ever Illinois girls’ basketball state champion team. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot will give the introduction. The book celebrates when the 1979 Niles West girls’ basketball team defeated East St. Louis and star athlete Jackie Joyner to win the state title, as well as the relationships among team members. Discussion will include current women’s rights in the American sports landscape.