Category Archives: Section

History Matters: A Look Back at the Champaign County Labor Movement of the 1920s

Posted on 11/18/2016 by Stephanie Seawell

For the past two years, newspaper headlines across Illinois have carried grim reports of budget impasse and inadequate funding for core state services and institutions, including for our flagship University in Urbana-Champaign. Unfortunately, such dire reports are nothing new. “University’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics | Comments Off

Hip-Hop and the Black Radical Tradition in CU

Posted on 11/18/2016 by Sunny Ture

i must confess that waltzes do not move me. i have no sympathy for symphonies i guess i hummed the Blues too early, and spent too many midnights out wailing in the rain. Assata Shakur – Culture The tradition of … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Arts, Youth | Comments Off

“Anti-Refugeeism without Refugees” in Eastern Europe

Posted on 11/18/2016 by Richard Esbenshade

Analysts of post-World War II, post-Holocaust Eastern Europe coined the term “Anti-Semitism without Jews” to characterize the uncanny persistence of prejudice in countries mostly cleansed of any actual Jewish presence. The category of “Jew” took on a symbolic character, incorporating … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Politics, Refugees | Comments Off

What Makes Jimmy Run?

Posted on 11/18/2016 by David Prochaska

The News-Gazette has a long history of extreme right-wing editorial columnists. In the 1940s and 1950s it was Eddie Jaquin. From the late 1980s until his downfall in the late 1990s it was John Hirschfeld, who was also the paper’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Media, News-Gazette | Comments Off

“Labor Hour” Now on WRFU, the Radio Station of the UCIMC

Posted on 11/18/2016 by David Johnson

After 21 years at radio station WEFT, the World Labor Hour radio program has moved its weekly 2-hour program to radio station WRFU (104.5 FM/wrfu.net) in the IMC/downtown Urbana Post Office building. The World Labor Hour radio program (originally called … Continue reading →

Posted in Labor/Economics, Media | Comments Off

Demands for a Transformed University

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Public i

On September 9, 2016, a “Rally for a Transformed University” was held at the alma mater on UIUC campus. It corresponded with the release of a list of demands. Led by Black Students For Revolution, the coalition of student organizations … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Labor/Economics, LGBTQA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Voices of Color, Women | Comments Off

The Eugene McCarthy, George McGovern, and Bernie Sanders Campaigns

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Al Kagan

Bio-box: While a student, Al Kagan worked on the Eugene McCarthy campaign for president in New Hampshire, Indiana, Rhode Island, and Washington, DC., and experienced the 1968 Democratic Convention. He also did a bit of work on the Bernie Sanders … Continue reading →

Posted in National, Politics | Comments Off

Resolution Opposing The Dakota Access Pipeline

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Paul Mueth

Resolution Opposing The Dakota Access Pipeline WHEREAS, the proposed Dakota Access Pipeline would carry as many as 570,000 barrels of fracked crude oil per day for over 1,000 miles from the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota to Illinois, passing … Continue reading →

Posted in Environment, Indigenous, Land | Comments Off

Champaign County Facing Million Dollar Lawsuit for Jail Death

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Brian Dolinar

On August 8, 2016, attorney Shayla Maatuka sent a letter to Champaign County Board Chair Pattsi Petrie requesting a million dollar settlement for the wrongful death of Toya Frazier, who died in the Champaign County jail. The letter is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Rights, Politics | Comments Off

Is WEFT a Sinking Ship

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Sandra Ahten

Is WEFT a Sinking Ship? By: Sandra Ahten Bio: Sandra Ahten is an artist and activist as well as a business owner and grandmother. Her primary community work is primarily around both prison issues and independent media. Disclaimer: Although I … Continue reading →

Posted in Media | Comments Off

Taking Applications for “Open Scene,” IMC’s Youth Media Project

Posted on 10/16/2016 by Public i

The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center (UCIMC) and the City of Urbana are happy to launch Open Scene, a project to reimagine downtown Urbana through arts-based dialogues led by youth. Open Scene will be anchored at the UCIMC, a media and … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, IMC, Latino/a, LGBTQA, Transgenders, Uncategorized, Women, Youth | Comments Off

Why Traditional School is a Dangerous Place for Black Boys

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Lori Patterson

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 | Comments Off

Myths of Unity

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Ricardo Pierre-Louis

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 | Comments Off

CU Schools Need to Work Harder to Involve African American Parents

Posted on 09/02/2016 by Deloris Henry

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 | Comments Off

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