A canceled marathon, DePaul student stopped from entering the country
And another new book for you to read
Hi friends,
It’s your newsletter squad — Grace, Cam and Associate Editor Elly — back with more news and updates on the state of this great city of Chicago.
Today, we’ll be recapping another Chicago protest, international students’ continued battle with the new ICE directive and another great educational resource.
Let’s get into it!
What’s happening in Chicago?
Editor’s Note: This story contains descriptions of police violence and torture.
This morning, organizers from Black Lives Matter Chicago, Chicago Torture Justice Center and Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression met in front of State Attorney Kim Foxx’s office to demand the release of police torture victims.
Protestors hold signs that spell out “Kim Foxx.” Grace Del Vecchio, 14 East.
Protestors were joined by band-led chants followed by testimonies of domestic police torture survivors and family members, including a voice memo fromf victim Stanley Howard, who has been incarcerated for over 35 years.
While community organizers have advocated for survivor reparations for decades, landmark 2015 legislation — called the Reparations Ordinance — provided the first formal compensation from the city of Chicago to survivors of domestic police torture.
Black Lives Matter Chicago organizer Ariel Atkins addresses the crowd. Grace Del Vecchio, 14 East.
According to the Chicago Torture Justice Center’s website, CPD officials like Ex-Commander Jon Burge abused more than 120 prisoners, most of whom were Black men, since the early 1970s.
In Howard’s message — played on a phone held up to a microphone for the protest’s attendees — he said, “I was handcuffed to a wall, suffocated, beaten and kicked for hours…the city of Chicago knew for years.”
Other speakers at the rally included survivors Mark Clements, Kilroy Watkins and brothers Reginald Henderson and Sean Tyler.
During chants led by protest organizers, attendees called for Foxx to “keep her promise,” referencing her campaign promises to reform the criminal justice system.
Shortly after, Foxx released a statement via Twitter pledging to fight for racial justice, although she made no mention of releasing torture victims specifically.
In COVID-19 related news, organizers of the 43rd Chicago Marathon announced that the race, which was set for Oct. 11, has officially been canceled due to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases.
Also today, the Lightfoot administration announced the closure of a West Loop bar along with other establishments after they failed to comply with COVID-19 re-opening measures.
As of today, the state has announced 883 new known COVID-19 cases and six additional deaths. This brings the total confirmed cases in Illinois to 154,699 and deaths to 7,193.
Other Headlines In Chicago
In a press conference earlier today, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that only 55 percent of Chicagoans have completed the 2020 Census, stating that a lack of Census data could lead to the city missing out on funding, from Block Club Chicago’s Kelly Bauer. To boost engagement with the Census, Lightfoot has recruited the help of the South Side’s famed Dreadhead Cowboy, who will ride around the ten communities that have the lowest levels of Census completion.
Since 2010, the Chicago Police Department has impounded nearly a quarter of a million vehicles citywide; now, aldermen are rethinking the lucrative program that saddles Chicagoans with debt, from WBEZ’s Elliott Ramos.
The Environmental Protection Agency is considering removing hundreds of East Chicago homes from the National Superfund site list, deeming the Indiana region to be unpolluted, from WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya.
The Museum of Contemporary Art and the Field Museum are opening to the public on July 24, with attendance capped at 625 people and 25 percent of capacity, respectively, from TimeOut Chicago’s Zach Long.
Have questions about voting by mail in Illinois? Brooke Fowler at the Chicago Tribune has answers.
What’s happening at DePaul?
Breaking news today at DePaul: a DePaul student from South Korea was barred from reentering the country in San Francisco on July 8. This occurred after ICE announced its new directive on July 6, which bars international students who have only online classes from entering the country.
Along with barring students from entering the country, the directive also puts international students at risk of deportation by restricting visa renewal.
In response to the new directive, DePaul’s spokesperson Carol Hughes released a statement denouncing the directive and voicing the university’s support for its international students.
The university’s support continued today in an announcement which stated that DePaul had joined Northwestern, the University of Chicago and other universities across the country in signing an amicus brief, which is a document filed by “friends of the court” — that is, by bodies who are not directly involved with litigation.
The brief, which was created by Harvard and MIT and released on July 8, was filed against the U.S. Homeland Security and ICE.
In a statement from the university, DePaul spokesperson Carol Hughes stated, “DePaul University is fully engaged in developing multiple in-person and online teaching modalities for students, in order to allow maximum flexibility in an uncertain and constantly changing landscape. International students have the same needs, fears and concerns of all other students when considering how to continue their education in the fall and should be allowed the same flexibility, with their health and safety as primary concerns.”
This is a developing story.
If you don’t want to read the news, here’s the headlines to know.
In California news: Governor Gavin Newsom announced today that indoor restaurants, movie theatres, bars and other activities will be closed statewide, an escalation from the countywide mandate last week, from CNBC’s Noah Higgins-Dunn. L.A. and San Diego schools will also be entirely online in the fall, in an attempt to curb crowding indoors, from NBC’s Daniel Arkin.
Over the weekend, Florida recorded the highest number of cases in one day since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: 15,300 new cases, which is the highest since New York’s record of 12,274 in April, according to Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, Rick Rojas and Sheri Fink at the New York Times.
International students across the globe were faced with grim news last Wednesday: that if their U.S. college or university was fully online in the fall, or if they were enrolled in a fully online courseload, they wouldn’t be able to return to the United States. In a recent series of court documents, student testimonials expanded on their situations, from Reuters’ Ted Hesson.
President Donald Trump continues to undercut the work of public health officials within his own administration, from Politico’s Quint Forgey. In a series of tweets and retweets on Monday, President Trump broadcasted a controversial message from former game show host Chuck Woolery that has critics reeling:
The COVID-19 pandemic is just going to get “worse and worse,” according to the World Health Organization’s Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, earlier today. This comes as regions across the world are reporting more cases – nearly 13 million total since the start of the pandemic, from The Hill’s Reid Wilson.
A report from the United Nations concludes that the pandemic could push nearly 132 million people into hunger, from NPR’s Austin Horn. It is unclear how quickly these numbers will subside as the pandemic continues.
Your Educational Resource of the Week
Each week we will be using this section to highlight a different educational resource on race. It may come in the form of literature, film, art or anything that Black scholars and activists are centering at this time.
This week’s educational resource is The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein.
In his book, Rothstein takes a deep dive into the history of segregation in America and racist housing laws that continue to impact Black and Brown communities today.
Before or after you finish the book, be sure to check out Rothstein’s chat with Chicago artist and activist Tonika Johnson. In her Instagram Live, Johnson interviews Rothstein about his book and his work regarding race and segregation. “Our work overlaps, aligns, talks to and inspires each other,” Johnson said in an Instagram post.
You can find this book online or in person at a branch of the Chicago Public Library or at Semicolon Bookstore and Gallery, an independent Black-owned bookstore in Chicago.
Mental Health Resources
This document is a resource for Black people experiencing racial trauma. This master list includes specific resources as well as protesting tips and donation links.
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups
Text SHARE to 741741 for free 24/7 crisis counseling by Crisis Text Line
Contact Illinois’ Call4Calm mental health resources. Residents can text TALK for English or HABLAR for Spanish to 552-020 and the state will put them in touch with a counselor
Call 833-626-4244 for the NAMI Chicago Helpline or 833-TURN-123 for the Bright Star Community Outreach to speak to a mental health counselor
If it’s late at night: text HELLO to 741741. Crisis Text Line is a 24-hour hotline that serves anyone, in any type of crisis
And the Trans Lifeline’s Peer Support Hotline is a resource operated by transgender and nonbinary staffers for the trans community: 877-565-8860.
Where to Access Food in Chicago
This spreadsheet highlights businesses and locations providing food. There are also links to donate to these organizations.
Check out the Greater Chicago Food Depository for food banks or donate.
Here’s a list of places to access food in Chicago today.
Free Resources for Non-Black Allies
The NPR podcast “Code Switch” tackles a diverse array of topics centered around racial identities and racism in America.
Vanity Fair released a list of anti-racism movies that are streaming for free right now.
The Oregon-based Basic Rights Education Fund has released an anti-racism toolkit geared towards LGBTQ+ organizations.
Reading guide of texts about race. All PDFs are free.
Here’s a guide to protest safely during the pandemic
Here’s the ACLU’s Right to Protest guide for Illinois
Can’t protest but want to help? Use this social media toolkit by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)
If you think someone you know has been arrested – call the Chicago Community bail fund at 773-309-1198 to locate them (you need to know their birthdate and full legal name)
Where you can donate
The Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Chicago Torture Justice Center, as well as:
Brave Space Alliance: https://www.bravespacealliance.org/donate
Supports trans and gender non-conforming people of color
Marsha P. Johnson Institute: https://marshap.org/about-mpji/
Supports Black trans individuals
The Okra Project: https://www.theokraproject.com/
Supports the mental health of Black trans individuals
Autistic People of Color Fund: https://autismandrace.com/autistic-people-of-color-fund/
Supports autistic people of color
Circles and Ciphers: http://www.circlesandciphers.org
An art-based restorative justice organization
Provides resources to underserved communities
Chicago Torture Justice Center: http://chicagotorturejustice.org
Supports survivors of police torture
A community-based organization representing Chicago’s South Side and South suburbs
E.a.t.: https://www.eatchicago.org
Supports the Black workforce
Liberation Library: https://www.liberationlib.com
Provides books to imprisoned youth
Market box: https://experimentalstation.org/m
Provides fresh produce to low income households
Thank you again for your continued readership. Stay cool, sanitized and masked and have an excellent week.
Your friends,
Grace, Cam and Elly