The Chicago Defender Charities is a 501c3 Non-Profit organization that focuses on Arts, Education, Health.

We connect the community to opportunities dedicated to performing arts, education, health, wellness, business training and entrepreneurial development. We strive to unite, empower and improve the quality of life in order to enrich families and individuals in our communities.

HISTORY

The Bud Billiken® Parade is more than a procession of bands and floats marching down King Drive, it’s a commemoration of our past and a celebration of our future. Every summer since 1929, “The Bud” has united African-Americans throughout the city of Chicago in music, dance, food, and laughter. It’s one of the only spaces where we can openly and emphatically praise the historic roots that plant us into the South Side of Chicago.