Category Archives: Section

October Surprise: Harold “Killer” Koh to Lecture at UI Law School in Election Week

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Midge O'Brien

Harold Hongju Koh, Hillary Clinton’s former legal advisor at the State Department has been invited as an ‘endowed speaker’ at the U.I. College of Law, twelve days prior to the November election. Koh, currently a Yale Law School professor and … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, International, Justice | Comments Off

Activists Among Us: Claire Szoke

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Julie Laut

By Julie Laut Claire Szoke is an activist among us who has worked tirelessly on behalf of social justice issues for over forty years. She is currently the co-chair of Central Illinois Jobs With Justice, part-time director at the Channing-Murray … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, International, Refugees, Women | Comments Off

We Don’t Need a New Jail, We Need Abolition

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Kadeem Fuller

Speaking to the Champaign County Board on Tuesday, August 9th, local Black organizer/activist, Kadeem Fuller made a much needed case for the abolition of jails, prisons, and white supremacy. The following is a transcript of his speech. Tonight I sit … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Voices of Color | Comments Off

IMC Helps Pass Prison Phone Justice Bill in Illinois

Posted on 08/24/2016 by Brian Dolinar

State Representative Carol Ammons and Wandjell Harvey-Robinson attended the signing of HB6200 on August 22, 2016. The bill will cut in half the cost of phone calls from Illinois prisons. Thank you to Rep. Ammons and Wandjell for fighting for … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Prisoners, UC-IMC | Comments Off

Orlando Shooter Was A Product of US Hyper-Masculinity

Posted on 07/14/2016 by Tariq Khan

Like so many others, I’ve been at a loss trying to make sense of the heinous act of anti-queer mass murder in Orlando. The following are some of my scattered thoughts on the topic, some of which I originally posted … Continue reading →

Posted in International, LGBTQA, National, Politics | Comments Off

News-Gazette: Always Right

Posted on 07/13/2016 by David Prochaska

The News-Gazette has always been Right — right-wing Republican, and in its smug self-righteousness, right. The paper presents itself as “respectable Republican,” as representing the values of “proper,” polite society. It abhors what is impolitic, impolite. That the News-Gazette is … Continue reading →

Posted in Free Speech, Indigenous, Labor/Economics, News, News-Gazette | Comments Off

Rio 2016: Beautiful Games at Huge Cost

Posted on 07/13/2016 by Neil Parthun

From August 5 to August 21, Rio will be the home of some of the most beautifully intense displays of athletics during the 2016 Summer Olympics. While fans will rightfully be enjoying the amazing displays, we should also pay attention … Continue reading →

Posted in Brazil, Environment, Healthcare, International, Land, Olympics | Comments Off

UCIMC Is Hiring For 2 Positions

Posted on 07/09/2016 by Michelle Jett

The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC) is seeking a full time Program Director to coordinate and develop programs, coordinate volunteers, outreach and fundraising for the organization and a part time Program Coordinator to serve as the IMC liaison to the City of Urbana … Continue reading →

Posted in IMC, UC-IMC, Uncategorized | Comments Off

In Memory, Honor, and Love of Gene Vanderport

Posted on 06/27/2016 by Belden Fields

It is difficult to write about an untimely death of someone whom one has known for almost half a century. Gene was my student, my comrade, and my friend since the late 1960s. Only a couple of years after my … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Justice, Labor/Economics, socialism | Comments Off

NTFC Local #6546: Work Actions Lead to a Settled Contract

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Shawn Gilmore

For the last nineteen months, NTFC Local #6546, the union that represents about 500 non-tenure-track faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, fought for our first contract. When we started bargaining, in October 2014, we heard from our colleagues … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Comments Off

The Reality of the Worker: May Day Speech

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Augustus Wood

by Gus Wood May Day speech inspired by the activism and speech/words of the legendary Lucy Parsons Brothers and sisters, the objective is clear today: We need workers to unite. Workers! Unite! Brothers and sisters, we have reached the point … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Comments Off

May Day Rally on Quad

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Public i

“This is what solidarity looks like.” May Day rally on the U of I Quad.

Posted in African Americans, Human Rights, International, Israel/Palestine, Labor/Economics | Comments Off

The Myron Scruggs Case and the Champaign Police Department

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Belden Fields

by Belden Fields An Ugly Image From the Past In the late 1960s, I joined the newly created chapter of the Champaign County ACLU and became the chair of its investigations committee. I received a call from a woman member … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Justice, Policing | Comments Off

From the Arab Spring to the Syrian Civil War: Looking Again at the Modern Middle East

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Janice Jayes

It’s tempting to put the Arab Spring and the Syrian Civil War in separate boxes, but like other forms of compartmentalization, that only hides but doesn’t resolve the underlying problems. The dynamics that helped the Syrian War erupt into one … Continue reading →

Posted in Arab Spring, International, Politics, Syria | Comments Off

African Liberation, Socialism, and Ghana Today

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Al Kagan

What do most Americans know or think they know about Africa? A number of stereotypes come to mind. African countries are unsafe and unhealthy, always at war, unstable, and poor. People are uneducated and lazy, and live in rural villages … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Ghana, International, Politics | Comments Off

Black Lives Matter C-U Summer Activities

Posted on 05/27/2016 by Public i

Social justice collective, Black Lives Matter, the Champaign-Urbana chapter, has been gaining further traction within their outreach. From demonstrations and panel meetings, to youth involvement and local radio shows, Black Lives Matter’s efforts continue to make striving progress throughout the … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Human Rights, Justice | Comments Off

IMC Gallery: Art Under Pressure

Posted on 05/15/2016 by Travis Hocutt

The IMC Gallery is excited to announce Art Under Pressure featuring works from student artists from Centennial High School: Nellie Haug Amy Janson Brenda Gonzalez Salinas Avalon Ruby Adriana Ortiz Carolyn Cai Hannah Schriefer Pascale Grant Veronica Miller Opening Reception: … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, IMC | Comments Off

City and IMC Announce $50,000 grant for creative placemaking from the NEA

Posted on 05/10/2016 by Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center

Downtown Urbana is about to become a lot more creative – thanks to the vision of local youth, the City of Urbana, the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (IMC), and the National Endowment of the Arts. The NEA has announced awards … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, UC-IMC, Voices of Color, Youth | Comments Off

Students Rally for Coal Divestment

Posted on 04/25/2016 by Richard Esbenshade

On April 4, the student group UIUC Beyond Coal rallied on the Quad to push the Academic Senate to pass a resolution urging the University divest $5.1 million held in the coal industry through stock index funds, in order to slow … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Politics | Comments Off

Reframing Refugees: Looking Beyond Borders in Champaign-Urbana

Posted on 04/25/2016 by Alexandra van Doren

The St. Louis Perhaps you have heard of the Voyage of the St. Louis. On May 13th, 1939, a ship with 937 passengers aboard, predominantly Jewish, set sail from Hamburg en route to Havana. Among the 937 men, women, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Immigration, International | Comments Off