Category Archives: Voices

A Muslim on the Inside

“Praise the Gods, Martin Luther King is dead.” Monroe Haynes was an 18-year-old in Vietnam fighting a war he did not understand, with people he did not know, when he heard his commander proclaim this statement. Just barely an adult, … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Islam, Prisoners | Comments Off on A Muslim on the Inside

1968 – Not Really So Long Ago or Far Away

“I want kids to see that it wasn’t just Martin Luther King making things happen in the 1960s, it was local folks here as well. Just as it is today.” Katie Snyder, Education Program Specialist, Museum of the Grand Prairie … Continue reading

Posted in 1968, African Americans, African Americans, Environment, University of Illinois, Vietnam War, Youth | Comments Off on 1968 – Not Really So Long Ago or Far Away

Trustee Trip

This past spring, two U of I Trustees set out on a secret mission to solve the seemingly endless Chief Illiniwek problem once and for all. And they did it. But I doubt they’re happy with the result. They hoped … Continue reading

Posted in Indigenous, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Comments Off on Trustee Trip

An Exciting Change in Children’s Literature Book Awards!

Back in February of 2018, I was astonished and excited when I learned that the American Library Association’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) was taking a look at the names of its book awards, asking if the award … Continue reading

Posted in children, Indigenous, Literature, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Comments Off on An Exciting Change in Children’s Literature Book Awards!

Trump Pardons Jack Johnson

On May 24, 2018, President Donald Trump officially signed a posthumous pardon for heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson. As a radical and a sports fan, it was a surreal moment on a number of levels. But to explain how, it is … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, bigotry, Sports, Trump | Comments Off on Trump Pardons Jack Johnson

Police Gun Violence: An Epidemic in America

By Salma El-Naggar Salma El-Naggar is a sophomore at Uni High and a member of the student organization team for the local walkout and other social justice even In the light of the recent Florida school shooting, gun violence has … Continue reading

Posted in Gun violence, Police, Students | Comments Off on Police Gun Violence: An Epidemic in America

Student Coalition Protests Gun Violence

By Annemily Hoganson, Anya Kaplan-Hartnett, Victoria Kindratenko and Emma Lowenstein.   Left to right: Annemily Hoganson is a junior at Uni High and an organizer of the CU-March For Our Lives. Anya Kaplan-Hartnett is a sophomore at Uni. Victoria Kindratenko … Continue reading

Posted in Gun violence, Students | Tagged | Comments Off on Student Coalition Protests Gun Violence

History Matters: Remembering Two “Dangerous” Labor Union Women

By Stephanie Fortado Dr. Stephanie Seawell Fortado is a Lecturer at the University of Illinois Labor Education Program, providing workshops and extension programming for unions and the general public on the Champaign-Urbana campus and throughout Illinois. Before joining the University, … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Feminism, labor, Labor/Economics, Women, Women | Comments Off on History Matters: Remembering Two “Dangerous” Labor Union Women

The Alt-Right Comes to Town

by David Prochaska TARIQ KHAN INCIDENT Last November 16, on the one-year anniversary of Donald Trump’s election, Tariq Khan, a 39-year-old Ph.D. student in history, was just finishing speaking at a rally when hecklers, including Joel Valdez, called out, “No … Continue reading

Posted in Alt-Right, bigotry, Free Speech, Indigenous, News-Gazette, University of Illinois | Comments Off on The Alt-Right Comes to Town

Abused: Working Women Face Widespread Harassment and Violence

By Pat Simpson Pat Simpson, Emerita Professor, Loyola University, formerly taught in the Labor Education Program, UIUC. A longtime labor and social justice activist, she is  currently a member of the Chambana Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and of the … Continue reading

Posted in labor, Labor/Economics, Sexual abuse, Women, Women | Comments Off on Abused: Working Women Face Widespread Harassment and Violence

Is Chancellor Jones in the ‘Sunken Place’?

by Kurtis ‘Sunny’ Ture Kurtis ‘Sunny’ Ture is a music producer, organizer, and graduate student at UIUC. As a founding member of Black Students for Revolution and the Speak Truth Collective, Sunny seeks to raise political consciousness, celebrate Black culture, … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, bigotry, Indigenous, Voices of Color | Comments Off on Is Chancellor Jones in the ‘Sunken Place’?

Women and the Environment

By Jacquelyn Potter, Sierra Club Prairie Group About a month ago I had the “great” idea to write an article in honor of Women’s History Month about women in the environmental movement. I soon realized the futility of this. Writing … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Environment, Women, Women | Comments Off on Women and the Environment

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Nika Lucks

A column curated by staff of the Urbana Public Arts Program Nika Lucks is a local photographer originally from the Chicago Southside. Her most recent work, People of Speech: Part I, draws inspiration from parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, Arts | Comments Off on ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Nika Lucks

New Bill Takes Effect Cutting Cost of Calls from Illinois Prisons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 8, 2018 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brian Dolinar, Program Director, Independent Media Center, (217) 621-5827, briandolinar@ucimc.org The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (UCIMC) is proud to announce that as of January 1, 2018, a new state law took … Continue reading

Posted in Justice, Prisoners | Comments Off on New Bill Takes Effect Cutting Cost of Calls from Illinois Prisons

“You’re Still in Jail”: How Electronic Monitoring Is a Shackle on the Movement for Decarceration

(A longer version of this article originally appeared in Truthout.) By James Kilgore Despite the “law and order” vows of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, states and counties continue to take steps to reduce prison and jail populations. In August, Cook … Continue reading

Posted in Justice, Prisoners | Comments Off on “You’re Still in Jail”: How Electronic Monitoring Is a Shackle on the Movement for Decarceration

Stream some Laughs: Four Political Comedies from Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico

Subtitles don’t bite. Turn them on, if you need, and check out a superb satire from Mexican director Luis Estrada, The Perfect Dictatorship (La Dictadura Perfecta, 2014), streaming on Netflix. Prepare to laugh and squirm. In this uncomfortably relevant and … Continue reading

Posted in film, Latino/a, Media | Comments Off on Stream some Laughs: Four Political Comedies from Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico

UI Bans “War Chant”

On February 21, 2007 the University of Illinois got rid of the Chief Illiniwek mascot. On August 24, 2017 they got rid of the “war chant.” The “war chant,” separate from but related to the so-called “3-in-1,” was created during … Continue reading

Posted in Indigenous, News-Gazette, Trump | Comments Off on UI Bans “War Chant”

The YWCA: We Are on a Mission

Since opening on campus in 1884 as a women’s residence hall, the YWCA of the University of Illinois has served as an organization on a mission to promote peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all. We recognize the powerful potential … Continue reading

Posted in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Women, wonen's rights | Comments Off on The YWCA: We Are on a Mission

Interview with Marlon Mitchell from FirstFollowers

.  The local group FirstFollowers is only two years old, but it is already making in impact in our community.  In this interview Marlon Mitchell talks with Carol Inskeep about their mission and the ambitious range of projects the group … Continue reading

Posted in Community, Justice, Prisoners | Comments Off on Interview with Marlon Mitchell from FirstFollowers

The Cops Killed Richie

No matter how much training or technology they get, the cops just can’t stop killing Black people. On a Wednesday morning, November 16, 2016, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Champaign police received a call about a “disorderly” subject, Richard “Richie” Turner, … Continue reading

Posted in African Americans, African Americans, Homelessness, Police, Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Cops Killed Richie