Belden speaking at a Peoples’ Alliance for Central America (PACA) dinner, 1991
When I hear the word solidarity, the first person I think of is the late Professor Belden Fields; may his spirit rest in power. On the 25th anniversary of the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center, we honor our dear friend Belden, board member and cofounder of and fundraiser for our IMC. He was cofounder of the Public i, the longest-running independent newspaper in our community, and backbone of its editorial collective, continuing to show up for its meetings until the end of his days. We worked most closely together as members of Champaign-Urbana Citizens for Peace and Justice (CUCPJ), a Black-led multiracial grassroots group that met at the IMC and organized for racial justice from 2004 to 2017.
Belden was a public intellectual and fierce advocate for the people who, in the words of artist and now Urbana City Councilmember Chris Evans, “came out of the ivory tower and marched with us freedom fighters in the mud.” Belden showed up for justice time and time again: at city council, the courthouse, county board, unity marches, and protests. He was an advocate, thought leader, lover of fine wine and good conversation, and dear colleague and mentor; we still mourn his passing.
Here are just a few stories of what Belden’s solidarity looked like:
Belden was a proud socialist who organized with mirth, wit, and joy. He melded idealism with pragmatism as he advocated for social change in a political system captured more each year by corporate influence. Belden worked on my campaign for Urbana City Council in 2001. At some point the mayor of Urbana scowled dismissively at Belden, “well you are just a socialist!” He grinned from ear to ear at the compliment and said, “Yes, I am a socialist.”
Belden did not suffer bullies. When our IMC colleague Sascha Meinrath, a graduate student at the time, faced retaliation for raising the issue of the impact of the police on the racial climate in the schools, Belden stood up to defend his academic freedom.
Belden organized against police misconduct, showing up with the credentials of professor emeritus of political science to argue for the socially just high ground. He helped raise funds for and secure a civil rights attorney, Bob Kirchner, to defend Brian Chesley, a 17-year-old who was assaulted in 2007 by Champaign police officers as he was walking his 8-year-old friend home from basketball. Young Chesley ended up in the hospital and was charged with resisting an officer. At his trial, 14 eyewitnesses testified in his defense, but an all-white jury found him guilty. Belden then worked with Aaron Ammons and many others on a reform of the jury system—to ensure for all citizens their constitutional right to a jury of their peers.
Myron Scruggs, an African American military veteran and traveling dialysis technician, was beaten by rogue Champaign Officer Matt Rush in 2012. Scruggs testified to Belden and other CUCPJ members that Rush muscled into his hotel room and beat him, breaking his orbital socket and nearly blinding him, then accused him of assault. Belden met with the new Champaign Mayor Don Gerard and councilmember Tom Bruno to demand the city not cooperate with the felony charges against Mr. Scruggs, which went unheeded; but after years of organizing Rush was finally fired.
Belden insisted on a change to the police contract to require officers to live in town, in the communities they police. We won the lesser concession of a bonus for officers living in town. He also worked tirelessly with Durl Kruse to track and advocate against racial profiling in police stops—starting as early as 2004—leading to Mayor Prussing ordering an end to consent searches at the time (they have since been reinstated, with some of the highest racial disparities ever).
After Urbana police brutalized a young African American woman in 2020, Belden showed up numerous times to Urbana City Council to ask the key question: why did the Urbana officer initiate physical contact with a woman simply protesting with her voice? He was one of hundreds of residents who pressured Urbana to embrace alternative police responses.
Belden has supported a longtime project of mine and my coauthor Elizabeth Adams to teach and publish a guidebook for social change: Remaking Democracy: How We Make the Worlds We Want (forthcoming from Common Notions Press in spring, 2026). Belden was the very first person to sign up for our webinar in 2020, participating in that lively series of discussions about democracy amidst the pandemic and creeping fascism of Trump 1.0. In his final years, Belden hosted me in his home to discuss the book chapter on CUCPJ, handing me a copy filled with comments and marks to help tighten the prose.
Belden protesting the proposed County Jail expansion in 2012
I will always fondly remember Belden’s rosy-faced smile as he chanted “This is what democracy looks like!” while we marched from downtown to the Champaign County jail to oppose its expansion. He loved a good protest as much as a good party.
Belden’s passing is bittersweet at a time of great challenge in the project to realize a fully inclusive multiracial democracy in America. May his work in solidarity inspire us all.
Danielle Chynoweth is cofounder of the Independent Media Center, currently working to end local homelessness as the elected Cunningham Township Supervisor. She is coauthor of the forthcoming book Remaking Democracy: How We Make the Worlds We Want.
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