Monthly Archives: November 2007

National Conference for Prison Book Projects Held in Urbana-Champaign

ON NOVEMBER 3, 2007, a conference in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois brought together 88 participants from 29 different prison book projects across the country. A similar event of this kind has not taken place since a 2002 conference in Philadelphia. Participants shared … Continue reading

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Patch Adams

PATCH ADAMS HAS BLUE HAIR and 45 million people in the United States are without healthcare. While few would disagree that the latter is the more appalling of the two facts most might find the former more shocking. We are … Continue reading

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The October 27 Anti-War Protests In Chicago

AT THE HEART OF THE PROTEST THE AERIAL VIEW had to have been breath-taking: an estimated 10,000 people forming a disorganized rainbow, our muscles pulsing with the weight of PVC pipes and sticks, holding up signs and banners that spoke … Continue reading

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Sen. Frerichs and Rep. Jakobsson Vote to Send Medical Cannabis Users to Jail

MY FRIEND JULIE FALCO lives in Chicago and is an alum of Illinois State University, where she graduated in Communications and played in a band called New Position. She was singing live on stage in Bloomington-Normal when she suddenly found … Continue reading

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A First-Hand Account of the Jena 6 Case by Terry Davis, Investigator for Mychal Bell

The following is a talk given by Terry Davis, investigator with the legal defense team for Mychal Bell, one of the members of the Jena 6 on trial in Louisiana. Davis was in Jena for three weeks and was present … Continue reading

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Vernon Bellecourt: A Life of Struggle for Indian Rights

“Our detractors always say, ‘We are honoring you,’ It’s not an honor. In whose honor? We have to ask. Beginning with the pilgrims at Plymouth Rock, about 16 million of us were wiped out, including whole villages in Washington, where … Continue reading

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Open Letter To Chancellor Richard Herman

Dear Chancellor Herman: I just finish reading the media advisory notice that states: “As administrators planned this year’s Homecoming parade, they created a policy that they interpreted was in keeping with the retirement directive. In reviewing that policy, Chancellor Richard … Continue reading

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A Native Blogger in Pursuit of Social Justice

AS A PROFESSOR, IT IS IMPORTANT that I publish my research in academic and professional journals that will lead to tenure, but as a Native parent and former schoolteacher, I know that those journals are not readily available to people … Continue reading

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Land Of The Chief & Home Of Modern Blackface Minstrelsy

U OF I GRADUATE SAMSON RAPHAELSON is enjoying a nice little comeback, a quarter of a century after his death. Members of the marching band might recognize the name. A song that he co-authored in the 1920s has recently turned … Continue reading

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University of Illinois’ First Indian

MEDICAL PHYSICIAN, CHEMIST, CLASS PRESIDENT, writer, independent media publisher, activist, caricaturist, and Indian are but a few of the roles and identities held by the University of Illinois’ first Native American graduate of the Class of 1884. Carlos Montezuma, Yavapai … Continue reading

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Giant Slayers? SEIU Takes on the University

WITH STRIKES REACHING THE VANISHING POINT in the United States, a fascinating David and Goliath drama is unfolding on the University of Illinois campus, with little fanfare or media attention. THE CONTENDERS In the far corner, wearing the orange and … Continue reading

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Champaign Landlords Now Permitted To Discriminate Against Section 8 Voucher Holders

ON OCTOBER 9, 2007, Champaign officials turned back the clock on efforts to protect the city’s most vulnerable citizens from discrimination in housing. By a 6-3 vote, the City Council amended Champaign’s Human Rights Ordinance, thereby allowing landlords to refuse … Continue reading

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UN Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples Rings Hollow at UIUC

IN SEPTEMBER OF 2007, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted a landmark declaration in support of the rights of an estimated 370 million indigenous peoples in some 70 countries worldwide, prohibiting State discrimination against them in both practice … Continue reading

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