Chicago Public Square

Filmmaker Steve James’s work—including the Oscar-nominated Hoop Dreams and Abacus—has won him critical acclaim galore and goodwill in the town where he lives, Oak Park.But when he set out to create his 10-part documentary series America to Me—about Oak Park, its historic commitment to integration and its high school’s challenges in living up to a reputation for inclusiveness—he had his doubts.Hear all about that—and catch up with two of the students spotlighted by this celebrated Starz series—in a Chicago Public Square Podcast. Listen here or on Amazon’s Alexa-powered speakers*, iTunes, Spotify (new!) or your favorite podcast player. (Photo: Wednesday Journal / Alexa Rogals.)If you enjoy this, check out other podcasts in the series.And if you’re new to these parts, please sign up for the free daily Square news update here.* Even if you don’t have an Alexa smart speaker, you can turn iOS and Android phones into Alexa devices for free—a low-impact way to experiment with the technology.