Category Archives: Section

Anti-Austerity Protesters in Ecuador Win Some Concessions, But Unlikely to Prevent Further Unrest or Repression

Posted on 11/02/2019 by Mark Weisbrot

The government of Ecuador reached an agreement on October 13 with leaders of the protests that had rocked the country for the previous two weeks. The deal, which included the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador (CONAIE), is a retreat … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, International, International | Comments Off

Bolton is Out! But Imperialist Aggression Against Iran is Still In

Posted on 11/02/2019 by Nick Goodell

On September 10, National Security Advisor John Bolton was fired from his post at the White House. With one of the staunchest advocates for US imperialism now out of the Trump administration, some were optimistic that the warmongering and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Foreign Policy, Imperialism, International, Middle East, Politics | Comments Off

Opposition to the Proposed ICE Dwight Detention Center Continues.

Posted on 06/13/2019 by Janice Jayes

Efforts to halt the construction of a 1200-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Dwight, Illinois continue at both the state and local level. The proposed facility would be built and operated by the Virginia-based, for-profit prison company … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Human Rights, incarceration, Refugees | Comments Off

Need for System Change

Posted on 06/13/2019 by Karen Aram

The time is long past due for American citizens to realize that our political and economic systems are untenable. Trump is awful, no question there. And for those who continue to support the Democratic candidates as the lesser evil—fine, that’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Elections, Foreign Policy, Immigration, Imperialism, Politics | Comments Off

Welcome to the IMC

Posted on 05/08/2019 by Karen Medina

Come in. I am writing to invite you deeper into the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center. I lead a lot of tours of the IMC. Some of you know more of the history than I do. The IMC has been around, … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, UC-IMC | Comments Off

Securitization in the Heartland: For-Profit Immigration Detention

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Janice Jayes

Dwight, IL, Population 4200. On March 11 the Dwight Village Board voted to move forward with the construction of a privately owned $20 million ICE detention facility on the edge of the town, which is 75 miles north of Champaign-Urbana. … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, incarceration | Comments Off

Vietnam Today: Did Anyone “Win” the Vietnam War?

Posted on 04/12/2019 by Al Kagan

Going to college during the Vietnam War transformed my life. Because of my sheltered upbringing, I was rudely awakened. I learned the meaning of imperialism, and with that the lack of justice at home in a class- and race-based hierarchical … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Vietnam War | Comments Off

For a World Without Borders

Posted on 03/12/2019 by Tariq Khan

Speech by Tariq Khan at the UIUC Ayuda Rally at Anniversary Plaza, November 29, 2018. UIUC Ayuda was a student group/campaign to raise awareness about and material support for the Central American caravans made up of people seeking asylum. I … Continue reading →

Posted in Alt-Right, bigotry, Immigration, Indigenous, Land, Refugees, University of Illinois | Comments Off

Illiberal America: A Report Card

Posted on 03/12/2019 by David Prochaska

I never thought I would live to see the U.S. turn into the illiberal, authoritarian, populist, white-nationalist country it has already increasingly become in early 2019. Illiberalism Turns Liberal Democracy on its Head “Liberal democracy” is characterized in theory by … Continue reading →

Posted in bigotry, Democracy, Elections, Justice, labor, Media, Politics, Trump | Comments Off

Local Sheriff Cooperating with ICE

Posted on 12/12/2018 by Brian Dolinar

On the day Manuel went to have his electronic monitor cut off, he was feeling “uneasy” about being picked up by agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). It only took minutes for the sheriff’s deputy at the county jail … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, incarceration | Comments Off

Brexit, Regrexit, Lexit: Is Socialism in One (European) Country Possible?

Posted on 12/12/2018 by Richard Esbenshade

On November 25, Great Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May returned from Brussels with approval from the other 27 European Union (EU) member states for a deal on Brexit, the British commitment to exit the EU pursuant to the results of … Continue reading →

Posted in Eastern Europe, European Union, International, International, socialism | Comments Off

A New Option to Finance A Clean Energy Future for Everyone

Posted on 12/11/2018 by Robert E. McGrath

While renewable energy technologies have made tremendous strides in recent decades, financing and investment options for those who want to go green have remained scarce. The Clean Energy Credit Union (CECU), chartered by the American Solar Energy Association in 2017, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Environment, Environment, solar energy | Comments Off

After Four Months in Detention, 8 Year-Old Girl Reunited With Family in C-U

Posted on 11/14/2018 by Brian Dolinar

This eight-year-old girl (on the right in the photo) traveled 4,000 miles and spent four months in detention to get a hug from her mother. They were reunited last week at Willard Airport in Champaign. The news reports about children … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, Refugees | Comments Off

1968 – Not Really So Long Ago or Far Away

Posted on 11/14/2018 by Janice Jayes

“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

What to Watch for Dinner Tonight: Trump Through the Looking Glass

Posted on 11/14/2018 by Audrey Wells

Who does Trump see when he looks in the mirror? Like many of us over the proverbial hill, he likely does not acknowledge his elderly self; he sees his younger self, glamorized through the pronounced image he cultivated over decades … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, film, Trump | Comments Off

Artist Spotlight on Charlotte Prieu

Posted on 11/14/2018 by Public i

Tell me a little about yourself and your past creative work. I am a French native and a PhD student in French Linguistics at the University of Illinois. I am very passionate about social justice, especially regarding anti-racism and intersectional … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts, Justice, Police | Comments Off

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