Syria and Central America test the magic line between refugees and immigrants
By Aryn Braun and Meggie Morris By 2015, millions of Middle Eastern and Central American people had fled violence in their home countries only to have their progress blocked by nations sworn to help them. International immigration processing systems that have traditionally provided a path to safety are now crumbling as thousands of families leave […]
“Wall” trumps policy in Republican race
By Aryn Braun and Meggie Morris Despite frequent jokes about Donald Trump’s proposed wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, immigration lawyers and experts warn political rhetoric has perilously consumed the national debate surrounding border control, immigration and national security. “The border, in my mind, has turned into a political campaign commercial,” said Edward Alden, a senior […]
Protests plague Anita Alvarez’s campaign
By Aryn Braun and Meggie Morris At a community forum on gender-based violence in Chicago on Wednesday, Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez was hounded on all fronts, on stage by competitor Donna More, and in the audience by protesters confronting her at all three of her campaign appearances this week. The event started smoothly […]
Pop-up library celebrates black women
By Meggie Morris Earlier this month, Scheherazade Tillet watched an older, African-American man take the stage at Breathing Room, a recurring event that inspires proactive conversation about transformative justice through art and performance. Holding Michelle Alexander’s book “The New Jim Crow,” the man admitted to the audience he had only just finished it, before inviting […]
Activists debate over black-only space
By Meggie Morris Two weeks after Buzzfeed leaked emails from a University of Chicago fraternity, revealing four years of racist and misogynistic sentiment, students, faculty and local organizers gathered last week to discuss the complexities of racism and activism. As social justice movements gain momentum and exposure nation-wide, activists remain concerned about the balance between […]
Recruiting minorities is not the solution to police reform, say community groups
By Meggie Morris Community-based organizations demanding police reform say recruiting more minorities to better reflect Chicago’s demographics is not enough to improve police-community relations. The recruitment campaign, which is to end this week, will be ineffective unless the city first addresses the policing system as a whole, the groups say. “It certainly is a prerequisite […]
Prominent Chicago resident runs for President of Sierra Leone and is charged with bigamy
By Bian Elkhatib and Meggie Morris Almost 5,000 miles away from his home in Chicago, Sierra Leonean Alie Kabba awaits trial in Freetown. He is charged with bigamy, but his supporters say the contrived charge is because he is running for President of his homeland. Since arriving in the U.S. from Sierra Leone in 1991, Kabba […]
