Artists track 100 years of Chicago police violence to fight against it
Xiaozhang(Shaw) Wan Medill Reports Artworks about 100 years of Chicago police violence are on exhibition “to help people better understand what led to present circumstances,” according to the exhibition brochure. The exhibition, “Do Not Resist: 100 Years of Chicago Police Violence,” is open through varying February dates, with different works on display at the Hairpin Arts Center, […]
Chicago Pastor Bruce Ray called to a ‘disruptive’ mission
Yingxu Jane Hao The Rev. Bruce Ray never planned to become a pastor. Son of a Kentucky pastor in a small town in northwestern Illinois, Ray longed to become a writer. So he went to the University of Iowa to study English with an emphasis in creative writing and a minor in social work. Though his life […]
One UIC Student’s Fight for Justice in Palestine
Jasmine M. Ellis The Israeli-Palestinian conflict not only impacts people abroad but also in Chicago. The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) student Manar Daghash spoke on her experiences as a Palestinian American. [vimeo 163894309 w=474]
#WHERESTHEJUSTICE: Muslim students talk about social justice from an Islamic perspective
By Jasmine M. Ellis Students at Loyola University Chicago are learning more about the Muslim community through Islam Appreciation Week. Hosted by the Muslim Student Association, the organization is focusing on social justice from an Islamic perspective. Using #WHERESTHEJUSTICE students are contributing to the conversation by sharing what social justice issues matter most to them. […]
From Vietnam to Old Town: Café owner shares her story
By Carlos D. Williamson and Ya Zhou Video by Vishakha Darbha Vung Nguyen has been a survivor her entire life. Even when she was forced to move from her home country to a refugee camp as a girl, she remained optimistic. After her family moved to the United States, Nguyen hoped her situation would […]
Loom Chicago knits friendships in a refuge from grief and fear
By Jenny Lee Heaps of fabrics and colorful quilts surround a small group of women who are engrossed in discussion – a discussion so fervent that it could last for days. Some wear hijabs while others have indigo dyed silk scarves draped around their necks. The women bring different cultural backgrounds and distinct ideas and […]
Growing Opportunities for Ex-Convicts in Urban Agriculture
By Anna Boisseau Antonio Henry only recently learned he likes lunchbox peppers. “They’re so sweet, you can just eat them straight,” he said of the multi-colored vegetables that he learned to grow last summer at a local urban farm. Henry is a former member of Windy City Harvest Corps, a 14-week program through the Chicago […]
Peter Liang Protest in Chicago: Fighting for Future Generations
By Xuanyan Ouyang Parents who took their kids to the protest march for Peter Liang in Chicago said it was not just for Liang, but also for the equal rights of the future generations of Asian-Americans. Over a thousand people marched in downtown Chicago as a part of the “biggest-ever Asian-American” protest in the U.S. […]
Painter Fran Joy Brings Black Artists Together for ‘Justice for Peace’ exhibit
By Carlos D. Williamson For Fran Joy, art is another way to challenge people’s perspectives on race, gender and inequality. And the 65-year-old painter had yet another opportunity to display her unique artwork when she curated the “Justice for Peace” exhibition from Jan. 31 until the end of February. One of the objectives was to […]
Rebel Rouser: High school activist speaks up for better education
By Morgan Gilbard Nidalis Burgos stood her ground when police threatened to arrest her during a school closings protest in 2013. A teacher told Burgos, who was only 15 at the time, that the incident would cost her a future. “My eighth-grade teacher came into the classroom and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, if […]
