Category Archives: Human Rights

Safe Haven Tent Community Goes to Court

Posted on 08/04/2009 by Brian Dolinar

A CROWD OF APPROXIMATELY 20 people showed up in city court on July 28, 2009 to watch the proceedings in a case against Jesse Masengale, a member of the Safe Haven Tent Community. After a group of homeless men and … Continue reading →

Posted in Homelessness, Human Rights | Leave a comment

Tasers, the Upside and the Downside

Posted on 08/04/2009 by Ellen Baranowski

CURRENTLY, 14,200 OUT OF 17,876 state and local law enforcement agencies in the U.S. possess tasers (2009 figures). In Champaign County, the Sheriff’s Department has them for use anywhere in the county and in the two jails. The cities of … Continue reading →

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Foreclosures Lead to Homelessness for Many

Posted on 06/02/2009 by National Low Income Housing Coalition

WASHINGTON—June 26, nearly 80% of homeless service and advocacy agencies report that at least some of their clients became homeless as a result of a foreclosure, and one in five estimate that more than 40% of their clients became homeless … Continue reading →

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Democracy and Israeli’s Other Citizens

Posted on 05/02/2009 by Niloofar Shambayati

MAY 15 IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE establishment of the state of Israel which is celebrated every year with pride and jubilance. The Palestinians in Israel, however, have very little to celebrate. Although most of them are citizens, they have … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, International | Leave a comment

Native American Healthcare Lagging Behind the Rest

Posted on 04/02/2009 by Rebecca Franz

THE EXPECTED LIFE SPAN OF THE NATIVE AMERICANS is nearly five years less than for the general population of the United States and stands around 72. In 1972-1974, infant and maternal mortality rates were, respectively, 25% and 82% higher than … Continue reading →

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The History and Significance of Women’s Achievements In Sports

Posted on 03/02/2009 by Neil Parthun

WHEN DISCUSSING THE HISTORY of the women’s movement and its achievements, people often forget the contributions of sports and women athletes to the social and political emancipation of women. Sport was and remains a way for women to achieve positive … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Women | Leave a comment

The Terrorist Assault on the People of Gaza

Posted on 02/02/2009 by Belden Fields

Terrorism is the deliberate violent targeting of civilians for political and/or military ends. Those who use terrorism always try to make it seem legitimate. Hamas sends rockets into southern Israel because Israel has taken former Arab land and homes and … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, International | Leave a comment

Youth Making History at Home

Posted on 02/02/2009 by Karen Simms

”Our youth are not failing the system; the system is failing our youth. Ironically, the very youth who are being treated the worst are the young people who are going to lead us out of this nightmare.”—Rachel Jackson The Peer … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Youth | Leave a comment

WAMPANOAGS FOUR CENTURIES OF STRUGGLE FOR TRIBAL RECOGNITION

Posted on 11/01/2008 by Public i

The Wampanoag were the Native American tribe encountered by the early colonists when they arrived to the shores of Wampanoag lands. The tribal nation, however, was not to receive federal recognition until last year. The struggle for tribal recognition faced … Continue reading →

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Unfinished Business: Will Not Talking about Race Undermine Racism?

Posted on 11/01/2008 by David Roediger

When Obama’s primary campaign seemed to be heading for victory in early March 2008, he came under sharp attack from conservatives in the media and from the Hillary Clinton campaign for his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright, the former pastor … Continue reading →

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Code Pink

Posted on 10/01/2008 by Antonia Darder

CODEPINK IS BRINGING THOUSANDS of women together to struggle for peace, even if it requires civil disobedience. The organization is working around the clock, to educate the public about the costs of war and its affect on the world and … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Women | Leave a comment

Restoring Champaign’s Safety Net for the Poor

Posted on 10/01/2008 by Randall Cotton

WOULD YOU VOTE FOR a tax increase if you didn’t know what it was for? If you live in Champaign, this is exactly what you’ll be faced with on Election Day unless you read on. You may regret voting “No” … Continue reading →

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Tamms CMAX Super-Maximum Security Prison

Posted on 06/01/2008 by Neil Parthun

Imagine being in solitary isolation twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Imagine no telephone calls. Imagine limited visits with loved ones. Imagine the few visits that are allowed to take place happening with no physical contact. Imagine the … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Prisoners | Leave a comment

UPTV and the Chief Controversies

Posted on 06/01/2008 by Belden Fields

The glaring similarities between the controversy surrounding the broadcast of the anti-Semitic videos on Urbana Public Television and the characterization of a Native American during athletic events and in the Homecoming Parade at the U of I are that: (1) … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Indigenous, Media | Leave a comment

Aramark™ Makes Horrible Lunches, and Kids Do Something About It

Posted on 05/01/2008 by dezyp

I go to Leal Elementary School in Urbana, and our school lunches suck. Most of the kids in my class think the school lunches are unhealthy, and should not be served at our school, or any other elementary school. For … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, Food, Human Rights, Youth | Leave a comment

Crisis at the Champaign County Nursing Home

Posted on 05/01/2008 by Joe Futrelle

THE CHAMPAIGN COUNTY NURSING HOME needs ten more nurses. According to nursing home administrator Andrew Buffenbarger, that’s what it would it would take to meet the home’s need for 30 nurses without resorting to high-priced, high-turnover contract nurses. Along with … Continue reading →

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The Labor of Black Women

Posted on 05/01/2008 by Amira Davis

IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA, Black women have labored harder within its borders than any other group. Black women have constituted the most disposal segment of the American labor force, working in the least desirable, least paid positions. Not only … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Human Rights, Labor/Economics, Women | Leave a comment

Jails, Hospitals, Hip-Hop

Posted on 04/01/2008 by Cassidy Browning

The one-person show, Jails, Hospitals, and Hip-Hop (JH3) by Danny Hoch was presented at spaces across the UIUC campus. Each performance was followed by a discussion with director, Alex Berg-Jacobson, Assistant Director, Keri Carpenter, and actor, Chris Silcox. One night … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Healthcare, Human Rights, Prisoners | Leave a comment

You Can’t Jail the Spirit: US Political Prisoners and POWs

Posted on 04/01/2008 by Public i

COMPILED BY THE PRISON ACTIVIST RESOURCE CENTER. For other Political Prisoner/POW-related resources, go to our political prisoner page. The list is alphabetical. And as of February 2005, there are so many names that we have split off onto separate pages … Continue reading →

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National Conference for Prison Book Projects Held in Urbana-Champaign

Posted on 11/26/2007 by Books to Prisoners

ON NOVEMBER 3, 2007, a conference in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois brought together 88 participants from 29 different prison book projects across the country. A similar event of this kind has not taken place since a 2002 conference in Philadelphia. Participants shared … Continue reading →

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