It’s Friday evening, and young folks are trickling into a Mitchell Street building to play chess. Tables are set up with chessboards, where one attendee is eyeing his strategy to capture a rook. More kids are hanging out in an adjoining recording studio, creating a song. A graffiti style mural with a pawn and a king surrounded by musical notes covers one wall.

This is Hip Hop Chess Club , an all-ages event every Friday from 5-8 p.m. that combines the genre’s irresistible rhythms with the intricate game. It’s hosted by Your Move MKE (1670 S. 11th St.), a nonprofit dedicated to mitigating youth poverty in Milwaukee’s South Side.

The club is Your Move’s flagship program and dates back to sessions held at barbershops in 2018. They wanted to “build a place to bring young people together a

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