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Category Archives: Section
How The Issue of Representation Impacts Central Illinois
The issue of unequal representation of cultures has plagued the nation since its birth, often resulting in the perversion of people’s natural rights. In central Illinois, it extends that perversion through aggressive discrimination. Although minorities have seen more representation on … Continue reading
372 total views
Posted in African Americans, African Americans, bigotry, Media, Racism, Section, Violence, Voices
Tagged African American, discrimination, media stereotypes, racism, violence
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Music Curio: Improvisers Exchange Sheds Sonic Shreds
Improvisers Exchange exudes experimental sounds at the Rose Bowl Tavern every first Monday of the month from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Organized and directed by Jason Finkelman, Improvisers Exchange is a fluctuating eclectic ensemble of musicians, all of whom share … Continue reading
230 total views
Posted in Arts, Local Arts, Music, Section
Tagged improvisation, local arts, Music
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The Assault on the Pretrial Fairness Act
Last month, News-Gazette columnist Jim Dey headlined “hysteria” over the provisions of the 2021 Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act (PFA), which will go into effect in January, including the end to cash bail. Predictably, but illogically, Dey located the hysteria on the side … Continue reading
674 total views
Posted in IL, incarceration, Justice, Politics
Tagged bail reform, Illinois justice, incarceration
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Take Action to Keep Champaign County from Losing Another Nursing Home!
Champaign County residents are about to lose another nursing home. But we can stop this from happening, if we work together! The Rothners, who are the current owners of the former Champaign County Nursing Home, which they bought in 2018, … Continue reading
246 total views
Posted in Champaign County, health care, Healthcare, Nursing Home, seniors, the elderly
Tagged Champaign County, for-profit health care, health care, nursing home, seniors
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The Inflation Reduction Act: Historic Climate Legislation with a Lifeline to Fossil Fuels
With the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August, many environmental advocates and others concerned about rapidly rising global temperatures breathed a collective sigh of relief. The US finally is taking historic action to address the climate crisis. … Continue reading
Posted in Climate Activism, Climate crisis, Environment, Environment
Tagged carbon capture, climate crisis, environment, Inflation Reduction Act
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Drag Shows in Champaign-Urbana: Interview with Amy Myers
“Drag is an art. It is a culture.” As a cis, straight woman, I did not fully understand the cultural importance of drag shows until 2019, when I was managing a community center that has a wonderful zine collection and … Continue reading
236 total views
Posted in Arts, LGBTQ, Local Arts, Women
Tagged drag shows, LGBTQ+, local culture
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In Guatemala, Ethnic Cleansing Moves from the Village to the Courtroom
If you want to see what ethnic cleansing looks like in the 21st century, take a trip to Guatemala. Don’t just stay at the charming eco-lodge by the lake under the volcanoes, however, because you might fly home with a … Continue reading
302 total views
Posted in Farmworkers, Indigenous, International, International, Land, Latin America
Tagged genocide, Guatemala, human rights, peasant evictions, violence
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Two Academic Freedom Cases at the U of I Revisited
Late last year, the University of Illinois Press published Dangerous Ideas on Campus by Matthew Ehrlich. It is an excellent book on two professors at the U of I, one of whom was fired, while the other was not. The … Continue reading
916 total views
Posted in Academic freedom, Censorship, Free Speech, Public Universities, University of Illinois, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tagged academic freedom, free speech, University of Illinois history
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The Move toward Socialism in the United States
People on the Left are understandably preoccupied with the growing strength of fascism, white supremacist and antisemitic rhetoric and violence, and the growth of extreme right-wing groups. There is no doubt that these developments represent an obstacle to badly needed … Continue reading
239 total views
Posted in Labor, Politics, Politics, socialism
Tagged labor history, politics, socialism, US history
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Links
The Public i is partnering with the Education Justice Project (EJP) to share writing completed by incarcerated students at the Danville Correctional Center. The EJP is a comprehensive college-in-prison program based at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Through its educational … Continue reading
176 total views
Posted in Arts, incarceration, Prison Arts, Prisoners
Tagged incarceration, Prison arts
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Donald Trump v. Shamar Betts
I, Shamar Betts, incited a riot through a Facebook post encouraging my people to join alongside the rest of the world in an attempt to express our feelings on the tragic death of George Floyd in May of 2020. Although … Continue reading
315 total views
Posted in African American, African Americans, BLM, Court System, incarceration, January 6 insurrection, Justice, Prisoners, Racism, Trump, Voices of Color, Youth
Tagged African American, BLM, incarceration, Justice, Trump
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A Time of Monsters: The New Nadir and the Crisis of the Black Worker
We currently reside in what Italian Marxist Antonio Gramsci called “A Time of Monsters.” Exacerbated by the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic, the Black working classes continue to struggle under what Black Studies scholar Sundiata Cha-Jua has dubbed “the New Nadir.” For … Continue reading
264 total views
Posted in African Americans, African Americans, Economy, labor, Labor/Economics, Politics
Tagged Black workers, economic inequality, economic racism, new nadir, underemployment
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Juneteenth Freedom Day
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19 that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with … Continue reading
299 total views
Posted in African American history, African Americans, African Americans, Racism, Remembering, Voices of Color
Tagged African American traditions, holidays, Juneteenth, Memory, Slavery
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Champaign Can End its Housing Discrimination
As previously reported in the Public i, housing discrimination in Champaign is a chronic issue. Following on the “tough on crime era,” since 1994 Champaign has allowed landlords to reject tenant lease applications based on their conviction record—in excess of … Continue reading
529 total views
Posted in Champaign County, Housing, Politics, Politics, racial segregation in Champaign/Urbana
Tagged Champaign City Council, community activism, housing discrimination
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West Virginia v. EPA: SCOTUS Decision Not Necessarily a Blow to Climate Action
Supreme Court rulings, once announced, sometimes take on curious lives. Understood in one way when released, they can, as precedent, shape the law in other, unexpected ways. The Supreme Court’s opinion in West Virginia v. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), … Continue reading
229 total views
Posted in Climate crisis, Environment, Environment, Supreme Court
Tagged climate crisis, EPA, federal government, Supreme Court
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The Future of Actual Malice
Justice Clarence Thomas poked the media industry this past June when he dissented from the Supreme Court decision not to hear an appeal of a libel case. The plaintiff, Coral Ridge Ministries, had sought a review of a lower-court decision … Continue reading
266 total views
Posted in Free Speech, Media, Supreme Court
Tagged libel, media, Supreme Court
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Juneteenth 2022 at Randolph Street Garden
Seitu Ken Jones, a multidisciplinary artist who believes in the power of public art to link the past and present, spent 2020–21 as a visiting artist at the UIUC Center for Advanced Study. He returned this past June to work … Continue reading
Posted in African American, African American history, African Americans, Community, Local Arts, Voices of Color, Youth
Tagged African American history, Juneteenth, local community, youth
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The Public i: Countering Hegemonic Mass Media Narratives
I have always wondered how the Public i, which operates under one of the few Independent Media Centers (IMCs) that still exist in the United States—the UCIMC—has been sustainable for two decades despite the growing dissolutions of Indymedia centers worldwide. … Continue reading
435 total views
Posted in Community, Corporate media, IMC, Media, UCIMC
Tagged alternative media, corporate media, Indymedia, Public i, UCIMC
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A Win for the Whole Community: New Funds Will Improve Immigrant Access to Mental Health Services in Champaign County
All who work with newly arrived individuals and families in the Champaign-Urbana community are aware of the challenges in trying to connect immigrants with mental health support. Teachers, school counselors, public health workers, legal aid societies, and others who are … Continue reading
397 total views
Posted in health, Immigrants, Immigration, Mental Health, Public Health, Section
Tagged community health care, Immigrants, mental health
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The Anti-Democratic Movement Against Public Schools
“The path to saving the nation is very simple—it’s going to go through the school boards.” – Steve Bannon The workingmen’s parties of the nineteenth century pushed hard, very hard for public schools and were key to their creation. Yes, … Continue reading
377 total views
Posted in Censorship, Democracy, Education, Education, Section
Tagged censorship, charter schools, democracy, education, privatization, public schools
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