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Category Archives: Community Forum
FAIR TAX NEEDED in ILLINOIS NOW!
by Germaine Light Germaine Light is a retired high school biology teacher, Illinois Education Association-Retired member and activist, and member of the Responsible Budget Coalition, who lives in the woods on the Vermilion River in Vermilion County. The state income … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Economy, Illinois taxes
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Why Traditional School is a Dangerous Place for Black Boys
My son is an A student in his junior year of college and a budding composer and performer with shining confidence. However, that was not always the case. In the 5th grade he came home and said, “Mom, the teacher … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Education, Women
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Myths of Unity
An increasingly polarized climate has resulted in this beautiful revolution we call Black Lives Matter we are experiencing today. As both an observer and victim of this increasingly militarized society I’m proud to see us finally unite. However, I’m afraid. … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Policing, Voices of Color
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CU Schools Need to Work Harder to Involve African American Parents
During the month of August, thousands of children will head back to schools in Champaign Unit 4 and Urbana 116 school districts. Many African American families and students are probably anxious about the new school year because of issues they … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Education, Uncategorized, Voices of Color
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Youth Poetry
MY CURLY HAIR by Amina Alamin My curly hair can do anything it can be in big braids and in little braids and curled in to ringlets and many more things. Some people don’t like my hair and some people … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Arts, Community Forum, Education, Policing, Youth
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The Struggle for Tuition-Free Education
By Mary Grace Hebert A breathtaking piece by Black Students for Revolution in the January 2016 Public i called for tuition to be eliminated because it perpetuates an unjust system. Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has called for free college; similarly, Republicans … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Labor/Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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The Racial Justice Task Force Bursts Onto the Scene
The Champaign County Racial Justice Task Force met for the first time on Thursday, February 11 at the Brookens Administrative Center. The task force consists of 21 members, just one person shy of the number of Champaign County Board members. … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Policing
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Where is My Radical Gender Equality?
In my youth I had a sense that my generation was perfectly poised to make a leap toward gender equity. A child of the 1970s, I admired the strength of my grandmothers’ generation, which had negotiated the Depression and World … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Women
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Children With Incarcerated Parents Played Key Role in Phone Justice Victory!
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted recently to cap the rates of phone calls from prisons and jails after years of profiteering by telecommunications companies that have made millions off of those incarcerated and their families. In her comments before … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Human Rights, IMC, National, News, Policing, Politics, Prisoners, UC-IMC, Voices of Color
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History Matters: Compromising How We Teach Slavery
If you checked your Facebook feed early in October, there is a good chance you saw a news story about a textbook controversy in Texas. In case you missed it, here is what happened. A ninth grader opened his World … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Uncategorized
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Culture, Liberation, and #BlackLivesMatter
During the early 70s, Amilcar Cabral wrote extensively on the theme of liberation and the collective persona of subjugated people expressed as culture. His libratory praxis offered a context to dialectically engage notions of freedom and strategies for its attainment. … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Education, Women
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First Class Justice vs. “the Cattle Call”
By a Courtwatcher Courtwatch is a group of citizens who volunteer to attend criminal proceedings by request of the defendant or a family member of a jailed defendant. We are there as witnesses to criminal justice in Champaign County, to … Continue reading
Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Justice, Policing
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Work Day: Lament for Darius Graves
The below poem was written by Ryan Collins for the project Lament for the Dead (http://www.lamentforthedead.org/), an online community poetry project which marks the death of every person killed by police this summer, and every police officer who loses life … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Policing
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Courtwatch Report: Sitting in Jail vs. Bailing out
By Courtwatchers In court we support, observe and learn. In the community, we share collected wisdom. Courtwatch is a group of volunteers who sit in on cases at the Champaign County Courthouse to learn how “justice” really works. Regardless of … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum
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Build Programs Not Jails: Community Mobilizes Against $32 Million Jail
The Champaign County Board is entertaining the idea of spending $32 million on new jail construction. Jail architects, Kimme & Associates, were hired by the county for $150,000 to report on the current jails and propose the construction of a … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum
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Rep. Carol Ammons Holds Community Advisory Panels
Newly elected State Representative of the 103rd House District Carol Ammons, is reaching out to Champaign-Urbana community members to bring their passion and expertise to her Community Advisory Panels. Each panel is responsible for following the bills moving through corresponding … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum
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The Anatomy of Gray: A Reflection on Willie Craft, Sr.’s Case
Note: On October 9, 2013, Willie Craft, Sr. suffered a diabetic crash while driving and killed Mimi Liu and injured Spandana Matravadi. Both women were students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. On July 9, 2014, Craft was charged … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum
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The Profound Strength of an Unclenched Fist
Each generation sees masculinity in a new light. At twenty-four, my thoughts reflect those of my grandfather in his twenties, seventy years ago. As the United States anticipated involvement in World War II, a generation of men was drafter into … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum
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What is a nüz/böx?
What is a nüz/böx? First, it’s spelled with an X, a Z, two ümlaüts and a slash/. Even the name calls your attention. The pronunciation of nüz/böx is intentionally ambiguous. How do you pronounce it? Pronunciation, like many aspects of … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Education, News, Uncategorized
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Summer Classes at Common Ground’s Flatlander Classroom
Visit Urban Bees! Led by Maggie Wachter $10 owners/$15 non-owners Saturday, July 27th, 1-3pm Min 4/Max 12 Local beekeeper Maggie Wachter will take you on a thrilling journey in her teaching apiary located just a few blocks from the Common … Continue reading
Posted in Community Forum, Education, Environment, Food, Uncategorized
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