Category Archives: Section

Whither the Refugees, W(h)ither Europe?

Posted on 10/08/2015 by Richard Esbenshade

Since I arrived in Hungary in early summer, the media, and everyday conversations, were filled with the refugee crisis. From the dangerous boat crossings from Libya to Europe’s Mediterranean island outposts such as Lampedusa, Italy, the main flow had shifted … Continue reading →

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Money and Otherness

Posted on 10/08/2015 by Raha Behnam

I was an immigrant child growing up in Vancouver. I spent a lot of time walking alone, to and from school, through the forested neighborhoods and along the suburban roads. Every day a new experience floating in my mind. Here … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, Women | Comments Off on Money and Otherness

Purpose Workshop at the IMC

Posted on 10/08/2015 by Public i

Are you tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Or maybe you “have it all” on the surface but deep down you’re just plain exasperated and fatigued. Lack is an illusion & you cannot step into a fulfilling life of purpose … Continue reading →

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Culture, Liberation, and #BlackLivesMatter

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Amira Davis

During the early 70s, Amilcar Cabral wrote extensively on the theme of liberation and the collective persona of subjugated people expressed as culture. His libratory praxis offered a context to dialectically engage notions of freedom and strategies for its attainment. … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Education, Women | Comments Off on Culture, Liberation, and #BlackLivesMatter

This Black Life Matters

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Teresa Barnes

Michael Brown was killed a year ago. They used to say, “It’s been a long, hot summer” but it’s been another long, hot, horror-filled year in the US; every single day another Michael Brown. This is someone I know. In … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Justice, Policing | Comments Off on This Black Life Matters

Thank You, Mr. Walton

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Chris Evans

On June 23rd, longtime homeless man Bill Walton passed away at age 69. He spent many of his last days on the steps on the Independent Media Center. Upon thinking of the passing of Bill this week, one of Bill’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Homelessness, UC-IMC | Comments Off on Thank You, Mr. Walton

Police Lying

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Belden Fields

Do Police Lie? The answer is that some police officers do indeed lie. The major conditions under which police lie are three: to frame a suspect, to protect themselves or fellow officers from detection or punishment of misdeed, and to … Continue reading →

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First Class Justice vs. “the Cattle Call”

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Public i

By a Courtwatcher Courtwatch is a group of citizens who volunteer to attend criminal proceedings by request of the defendant or a family member of a jailed defendant. We are there as witnesses to criminal justice in Champaign County, to … Continue reading →

Posted in African Americans, Community Forum, Justice, Policing | Comments Off on First Class Justice vs. “the Cattle Call”

Work Day: Lament for Darius Graves

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Public i

The below poem was written by Ryan Collins for the project Lament for the Dead (http://www.lamentforthedead.org/), an online community poetry project which marks the death of every person killed by police this summer, and every police officer who loses life … Continue reading →

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IMC Gallery

Posted on 09/03/2015 by Public i

The IMC Gallery this summer collaborated with the Arts of Life to present a group show curated by artist Tim Stone, of the Chicago Studio. The Arts of Life is a studio based community for adults with developmental disabilities. This … Continue reading →

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Oct. 9-11: UCIMC 15th Anniversary

Posted on 08/21/2015 by Public i

Reunion, Celebration, & Conversation Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 9-11 at the Independent Media Center 15 years ago a handful of people gathered in a living room, collectivized their media equipment and started to tell untold stories. In 2005, we bought the post … Continue reading →

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New Mural by CU’s Own Langston Allston in Downtown Urbana

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Public i
Posted in Arts | Comments Off on New Mural by CU’s Own Langston Allston in Downtown Urbana

Islam and the Inmate: Mislabeled “Menaces”

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Public i

By Anatta Oknokwo “Allahu Akbar!” Mack Trimble, Jr. enthusiastically calls his fellow inmates to prayer.  Soon the chapel of Jackson State Prison will hum with the melodic recitation of the Holy Qur’an as the community of Muslim males prostrate before … Continue reading →

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The Greek Crisis: Beginning of the End for European Unity?

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Richard Esbenshade

Protesters burn an EU flag during an anti-austerity demonstration in Thessaloniki, Greece. Practically since the moment of its victory in the January 25 elections, Greece’s Syriza party has been locked in a struggle with the “troika,” the triumvirate of the … Continue reading →

Posted in International, Politics, Politics | Comments Off on The Greek Crisis: Beginning of the End for European Unity?

“I’m Not Anti-Union”: Governor ALEC and the Hostile Takeover of Illinois (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Ricky Baldwin

  (Ricky Baldwin is a Senior Field Organizer for  SEIU 73, activist with Jobs With Justice, and occasional contributor to Labor Notes, Z Magazine, and Dollars and Sense.) Part One described multimillionaire Gov. Rauner’s stealth attack on the poor and … Continue reading →

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We Are Being Watched, So Let Us Watch Back

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Audrey Wells

I saw a dog riding a skateboard. Rather, I saw a video of a dog riding a skateboard. What’s the big difference? A few weeks ago I saw a mesmerizing movie, Monkey Kingdom, about Macaques in Sri Lanka. Shot as … Continue reading →

Posted in Arts, Politics | Comments Off on We Are Being Watched, So Let Us Watch Back

What Happened New Year’s Night? Black Youth Shot Twice In Back By University Police

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Brian Dolinar

On New Year’s night, a Black Lives Matter protest broke out in Savoy after two University of Illinois police officers fired bullets into a carload of African American youth, wounding two people, with one of them shot twice in the … Continue reading →

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Women on Top: Celebrate Women Behind the Camera

Posted on 07/08/2015 by Belden Fields

The Art Theater Co-op is proud to present a summer-long series celebrating women feature film directors. Bringing together an eclectic mix of films representing the breadth and depth of women’s filmmaking, WOMEN ON TOP: CELEBRATING WOMEN BEHIND THE CAMERA is … Continue reading →

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“Not Anti-Union”: Shaking Up Springfield, Shaking Down the State

Posted on 05/07/2015 by Ricky Baldwin

“I’m probably .01 percent.” – Bruce Rauner, asked if he is part of the wealthiest 1% Chicago equity “salesman” Bruce Rauner succeeded in his first ever election last November with 50.3 percent of the vote, spending nearly $36 per voter … Continue reading →

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Public historians, this is your moment!

Posted on 05/07/2015 by Teresa Barnes

In the past few weeks, statues of male historic figures in public places in South Africa have been splashed with poo and paint of all hues. It has become a veritable underground movement. Cecil Rhodes’ statue has been removed from … Continue reading →

Posted in International | Comments Off on Public historians, this is your moment!