Monthly Archives: May 2008

Upon the recommendation of Assistant State’s Attorney Rob Scales, Judge John R. Kennedy agreed to a sentence of 100 hours community service for Brian Chesley. Chesley was convicted by an all-white jury of obstructing and resisting a peace officer. On … Continue reading →

PAULO FREIRE, THE WORLD-RENOWNED Brazilian educator, would have turned 86 years old this May. And although much has transpired since Freire wrote his seminal text, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, what seems to have remained constant, or deepened, are the structures … Continue reading →

The hard truth of the matter is that the regime of monopolyfinance capital is designed to benefit a tiny group of oligopolists who dominate both production and finance. A relatively small number of individuals and corporations control huge pools of … Continue reading →

AS THE ECONOMY SHIFTS INTO REVERSE gear and the Congress and President work out the details of a proposed fiscal stimulus, some are asking whether it will be enough to keep the economy out of a recession. The answer is … Continue reading →

AMID ALL THE REBOLU (as we often say in Puerto Rico) about the upcoming democratic primary on the island, the issue of poverty seems eclipsed. In the flurry of exchanges by those who often begin by stating their cultural credentials, … Continue reading →

IN A SCHOOL AUDITORIUM FILLED with mostly Latino and African American and some white students, parents, and teachers, Andersen elementary school parents asked, “What does phasing out feel like? What research has been done on the effects on children and … Continue reading →

Marching so proud throughout his life Many remember how he stood— He was a foe of tears and strife. Always standing for what was good! He stood up tall, he stood up proud, Marching with me Brothers along— He knew … Continue reading →

AS ONE OF THE ORGANIZERS for the campaign to get a Women’s Center on the UIUC campus, I’ve had a unique opportunity to see the lives that such a center can touch. I’ve also had an opportunity to visit Women’s … Continue reading →

”I’ve heard that’s a dangerous area.” ”Have fun in Rantucky. That place is so ghetto.” THAT’S WHAT I HEAR whenever I tell a person that I teach in Rantoul, Illinois. These statements are almost always braced with a “How do … Continue reading →

There were three referendum questions that citizens intended to propose be placed on the November ballot. Despite there being no legal requirement that such proposals be submitted in advance, a meeting packed with Democratic Party stalwarts defeated all three in … Continue reading →

The federal poverty line has traditionally been used to measure whether families have incomes high enough to enable them to meet basic needs. Yet most researchers now agree that a “poverty line” income is not sufficient to support most working … Continue reading →

HEARTLAND ALLIANCE, AN ANTIPOVERTY GROUP based in Chicago, has just released its report on poverty in Illinois and in individual counties. The statewide reporting is based upon 2006 data. The picture is not very pretty. Overall, poverty increased in Illinois … Continue reading →

ON CAPITOL HILL, Senate Republicans have blocked a bill that would have overturned a Supreme Court ruling limiting pay discrimination lawsuits. The Senate fell four votes short of considering the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, named for a female employee … Continue reading →

This summer, from July 14 to August 8, there will be a construction-training program giving priority to minority and female youth. This is part of a larger attempt to attract more youth to the building trades unions and job sites. … Continue reading →