Category Archives: Section

Trustee Trip

Posted on 09/10/2018 by Jay Rosenstein

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

An Exciting Change in Children’s Literature Book Awards!

Posted on 09/10/2018 by Debbie Reese

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

A Bad Year Turned Good? Lessons of Setbacks and Victories

Posted on 09/10/2018 by Patricia Simpson

Labor Day has come and gone. It is always a great day for celebrating the history and contributions of American workers and the achievements of the country’s labor unions. In the wake of the holiday, however, an assessment of labor’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics | Comments Off

Artist Spotlight: Mark Enslin

Posted on 09/10/2018 by Samantha Schrage

A column curated by staff of the Urbana Public Arts Program Composer, performer, activist and teacher, Mark Enslin studied music at Webster College and has a doctorate in music composition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. At the University … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts | Comments Off

Facebook and Regulation

Posted on 06/14/2018 by Pete Resnick

Facebook’s recent debacle with Cambridge Analytica may seem like just another one of a long list of security incidents in which the personal data of millions of people is compromised from large web sites. However, most of the reports we … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Privacy, Technology | Comments Off

Janus v. AFSCME Council 31

Posted on 05/04/2018 by Dan Gilbert

By Dan Gilbert Dan Gilbert teaches in the School of Labor and Employment Relations at the University of Illinois. In a matter of weeks the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule in Janus v. American Federation of State, … Continue reading →

Posted in labor, Labor/Economics, Politics | Comments Off

History Matters: Remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Fight for Economic Justice

Posted on 05/04/2018 by Stephanie Fortado

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, Economy, Justice, labor, Voices of Color | Comments Off

GloHeart, A Displaced Lullaby: A Play on Immigration Asks Questions About Language

Posted on 05/04/2018 by Al Schneider

By Al Schneider Al Schneider is a performance maker and theater researcher currently living in Urbana. Information about their work can be found here: alanddog.co.uk. What are they doing here? Dressed in plaid, blue jeans, a ball cap, and boots, … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, labor | Comments Off

IMC Co-founder Danielle Chynoweth Wins McKinley Social Justice Award!

Posted on 05/04/2018 by Public i

By Public i editors Danielle Chynoweth, IMC co-founder and current Cunningham Township Supervisor, won a 2018 Social Justice Award from the McKinley Foundation. She donated the $500 award to the Public i. We extend our deepest gratitude to Danielle for supporting … Continue reading →

Posted in homeless, Immigration, safety net | Comments Off

ICE on Main Street: Undocumented Immigrants Arrested in Urbana

Posted on 05/04/2018 by Brian Dolinar

When Juan showed up for work one morning at Siam Terrace on Main Street in downtown Urbana, two men were waiting for him in the parking lot. They were dressed in plainclothes, but wearing guns on their hips. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration | Comments Off

History Matters: Remembering Two “Dangerous” Labor Union Women

Posted on 03/27/2018 by Stephanie Fortado

Posted in African Americans, Feminism, labor, Labor/Economics, Women, Women | Comments Off

Abused: Working Women Face Widespread Harassment and Violence

Posted on 03/26/2018 by Patricia Simpson

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

Is Chancellor Jones in the ‘Sunken Place’?

Posted on 03/26/2018 by Sunny Ture

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

Women and the Environment

Posted on 03/26/2018 by Jacquelyn Potter

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

FAIR TAX NEEDED in ILLINOIS NOW!

Posted on 02/11/2018 by Germaine Light

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 | Comments Off

Poland: Following in Hungary’s Footsteps

Posted on 02/11/2018 by Richard Esbenshade

Second of two parts. On December 20, the European Commission—the executive arm of the European Union (EU), consisting of one representative from each of the 28 member countries—launched the “nuclear option” of EU politics against Poland: a proposed formal warning … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Poland | Comments Off

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: Nika Lucks

Posted on 02/11/2018 by Rachel Storm

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

The Honduran Crisis: Not Quite Your Father’s Oligarchy…

Posted on 01/24/2018 by Janice Jayes

By Janice Jayes At first glance the political crisis in Honduras seems depressingly familiar: a military coup against a left-leaning President in 2009, continued repression of opposition groups, and now a Presidential election so full of irregularities that demonstrators refuse … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Environment, Honduran Election 2017, Human Rights, International, Land, military | Comments Off

Water as a Human Right

Posted on 12/07/2017 by Jacquelyn Potter

By Jacquelyn Potter Jacquelyn Potter has an MS in Biology and serves on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Prairie Group. Her environmental interests range from water and air quality issues to land and wildlife issues. Water is essential for … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Environment | Comments Off