The Record Track

Thank you for highlighting the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations. Record stores are more than retail—they’re gathering spaces where culture, history, and community stay alive through music. We’re grateful to be included among neighbors doing this work and encourage everyone to keep showing up, digging in, and supporting local well beyond February.

February is Black History Month and there’s no shortage of opportunities to support Black-owned businesses and organizations in the city. Here's our list of record stores and Douglass Park neighbors you can support this month and every month afterward.

Doing Good Is Worth Doing Well.

On , we had the honor of working with socially driven students from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business who dedicated their time and talent to supporting The Record Track.

These students analyzed financials, revealed economic insights, and helped strengthen our path toward long-term sustainability. Thank you to Megan Cistulli, Shivam Jindal, Filipp Andrianov, William Sandy, and Dami Olonilua for your thoughtful and impactful work.

We are deeply grateful to Terrence Johnson, Laura Garcia Escarzaga, and Christopher Schneider of Greenwood Archer Capital, along with the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, for bringing us together.

This experience reinforced what stands for—service, leadership, and community impact.

We’re proud to recognize Olivia Oostema, a senior business student at Trinity Christian College, for her outstanding consulting work with The Record Track.

Through the Trinity Christian College × Greenwood Archer Capital student consulting program, Olivia prepared a comprehensive consulting project that included financial models designed to support investment funding and provide meaningful projections for management decision-making.

Our sincere thanks to:
• Professor Sundeep Vira
• Trinity Christian College
• Laura Garcia Escarzaga and the team at Greenwood Archer Capital

This partnership reflects the power of education, mentorship, and community-based entrepreneurship.

Ms. South Chicago Grinch might just return for a second visit at this year’s South Chicago Christmas Tree Lighting! 🎄💚

Join us for an afternoon of festive joy:
📅 Sunday, December 7, 2025
🕒 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
📍 9300 S. Commercial Ave., Chicago, IL

Hosted by Renaissance South Chicago
Event page: https://www.facebook.com/sweethomesouthchicago

Special thanks to Vanessa Bly Photography () for capturing this wonderful portrait of Connie Anderson—Co-Founder of The Record Track—bringing the holiday spirit to life!

We are thrilled to spotlight Ebony Adams, Intern – Community & Creative Operations at The Record Track!

Ebony has spent the last few months gaining hands-on experience across business operations, event production, and community engagement while deepening her understanding of how the arts connect to the real world. She has strengthened her professional skills, updated her LinkedIn, learned strategies for social media growth, and built new confidence as she explores creative industry pathways.

From Clifton Muhammad & Connie Anderson, Co-Founders:
“We’ve been working with Ebony on her 10-year career vision. It’s truly an honor to work with such a dedicated young lady, and we’re excited to see what she’ll accomplish next.”

🎤 **We’re honored to be the Keynote Speaker for the 12th Annual South Side Pitch!**

Join us as some of South Side Chicago’s most creative and promising entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to a panel of prestigious judges and a live audience — all competing for **over $36,000 in cash prizes!**

⚡ This year’s event **will not be live streamed**, so don’t miss your chance to be part of this inspiring evening.
**This Revolution Will Not Be Televised — it’ll be LIVE!**

📍 **RSVP Here:**
https://ij.org/ij-clinic-on-entrepreneurship/south-side-pitch/event-page/

South Side Pitch - Event Page Save Your Seat for the 12th Annual South Side Pitch! Every year, small businesses across the South Side of Chicago participate in South Side Pitch, […]

South Side energy is unstoppable—and The Record Track is part of it!

We proudly pitched at South Side Pitch where small businesses shared their powerful stories and bold visions.

Our community deserves more spaces to connect, grow, and thrive. That means more businesses, third places, and creative hubs.

🎥 Check out our journey:
https://youtu.be/LiaSPa_4T4c?si=ZwVe_qT3c7Bt02Jc

💡 Entrepreneurs, apply by August 4, 2025:
https://ij.org/ij-clinic-on-entrepreneurship/south-side-pitch/

A Story from The Record Track's Triple Win - Apply to South Side Pitch! Learn about Clifton Muhammed and Connie Anderson of The Record Track's inspiring journey to winning three awards and the impact of competing in the 2022 Sout...

We had a great time representing The Record Track at the Making Vinyl conference in Memphis, TN!

Our panel explored how record stores evolved into community centers, with amazing voices including:
🎙️ Michael Palm ()
🎙️ Eric Friedl of Goner Records ()
🎙️ John Miller of Shangri-La Records ()
🎙️ Ryan Mitrovich (.alliance) shared powerful insights on Gen Z’s passion for vinyl.

Thanks to Jaffee for curating such an inspiring experience.

📍 | 💿 | 🎧

We had the pleasure of witnessing incredible performances by community artists at the Open House.

From live music to spoken word, it was a true celebration of creativity rooted in the South East Side. These artists remind us that our neighborhoods are full of voice, vision, and vibrancy. 🎤

Here are two snapshots from an inspiring day!

🌎 Happy Earth Day! 🌱

We joined and for a community clean-up and planting event around Hyde Park Academy High School. In celebration of spring — and school spirit — we planted flowers that will soon burst into blue and white blooms, representing Hyde Park Academy’s colors.

Thank you to everyone who rolled up their sleeves to make the South East Side a little greener and a lot more beautiful!

This weekend, we came together with neighbors, alumni, and longtime community advocates to volunteer our time and ideas in creating a Quality-of-Life Plan for the neighborhood. This roadmap isn’t just a document — it’s a call to action for all of us to roll up our sleeves and shape the future we deserve.

Gratitude to Vanessa Bly Photography () for capturing these inspiring moments of collaboration and community power. Take a look and see how we’re laying the foundation for a brighter, more equitable community.

We volunteered to plant trees in our neighborhood. exists to create access to nature for all.