Southside Magnolia tells the resilient story of Victor and Dana Cooksey, black business owners on the South Side of Chicago who was forced to close their restaurant due to the pandemic.
For the past 5 years, Krazy Hog BBQ has been the heartbeat of the Glenwood, IL community, and is known for their "Magnolia Sweet" sauce, a recipe from Dana's grandmother. Like thousands of restaurants across the country, Krazy Hog was forced to shut its doors due to COVID-19. However, as part of the "Reopen for Delivery" initiative theyopened back up on Monday with a new delivery-only restaurant location, in partnership with DoorDash.
World-renowned director Rodney Lucas, who is also a Southside native, has created a new short film to shine a spotlight on Victor and Dana's story.. The film showcases the resilience of the Cooksey family, the spirit of Black entrepreneurship, and the unwavering commitment of the Chicago community to support their own. It also features music from Chance The Rapper, who not only is a Southside native, but loves giving back to the community that raised him.