Hey y’all!
It’s your favorite Monday newsletter team – Francesca, Grace, Justin and Cam – here to talk about what’s going on at DePaul, Chicago and elsewhere in the country. And do you know what’s crazy? It’s mid-August already! Not only does that mean we encourage each and every one of you to soak up these last weeks of Chicago summer, but we also encourage you to fill out this form to give us feedback before school starts. We want to make sure that this newsletter is everything it can and should be for what is shaping up to be an eventful school year (onward, 2020).
With that, let’s get into some news.
What’s happening in Chicago?
Content warning: this story contains graphic descriptions of police violence and brutality, based on eyewitness accounts of the event from Asst. Engagement Editor Grace Del Vecchio.
This week in Chicago brought another intense wave of news.
This weekend’s protests were kicked off by an attempt to take over the Dan Ryan Expressway. The protest was led by Rabbi Michael Ben Yosef and activists from Chicago Activist Coalition For Justice, who are known to lead protests that are not co-organized by Black Lives Matter Chicago, GoodKids MadCity, Black Abolitionist Network and other prominent organizations.
However, the protesters, who were accompanied by a throng of police and military personnel, proved unsuccessful in taking the Dan Ryan and gave up around 2 p.m.. The remaining protesters planned to march to Grant Park, where another protest took place at 4 p.m..
At around 4 p.m., protesters gathered at The Bean in Millennium Park with the following demands: take CPD out of CPS, cancel the ICE Citizens Academy, reallocate funds towards e-learning and community centers, and have all universities cut ties with ICE.
The protesters marched north on Michigan Avenue, culminating at Michigan and Wacker around 5:15 p.m. The Michigan bridge remained raised after the looting that occurred last weekend after the police shooting of 20-year-old Latrell Allen.
At around 5:25 p.m., the first of a long series of violent altercations between police and protesters took place. Police fired pepper spray and tear gas and used batons, bikes and shields, as well as their hands, to beat protesters and force them to the ground, which resulted in injuries.
Around 6:20 p.m., organizers called for protesters to move south in an attempt to move away from advancing CPD officers. However, the police, who were in full riot gear, followed the protesters south and then west further into the heart of the Loop.
Around 7:15 p.m., violence by police began as protesters were beaten and arrested in alleys while others were kettled on street corners.
Police held protesters on street corners and did not allow them to leave. Protesters wrote phone numbers on their arms in case of arrest and worked to get minors and Black and Brown protesters out and to safety. In addition, CTA put out an alert via social media that all trains would be shutting down at 9 p.m.
While (most) protesters were eventually permitted to leave the area, police searched bags and wouldn’t allow anyone to stop moving. When protesters would stop to pour water and neutralizer solutions on their pepper-spray inflicted burns, police told them to keep moving or they would be arrested.
On Saturday night, CPD stated, “To protect the peaceful protesters and their fellow officers, CPD officers began making arrests to restore order and public safety. There were 24 arrests.” The police followed up with video footage released via Twitter the next day. Police Superintendent David Brown stated that he was not aware of the kettling tactics that were used against protesters.
On Sunday morning, youth activists held a press conference outside the Chicago Police Department at 5101 S. Wentworth Ave. Both activists and allies had been outside the building overnight to provide jail support for those who had been arrested by police and were being released.
At the press conference on Sunday, activists shared their stories of what they experienced at the hands of police the night before, which included claims of abuse.
GoodKids MadCity organizer Alycia Moaton, who was arrested the night before alongside fellow GoodKids MadCity organizer Jalen Kobayashi, gave a powerful statement where she expressed the extreme trauma that she experienced both before and after her arrest Saturday night, claiming that police touched her “inappropriately.” She spoke in support of not only defunding CPD but abolishing it altogether.
“Our power is radical, our anger is justified,” said Moaton at the press conference. “It’s past defunding CPD, we’re getting rid of the Chicago Police Department.”
Other Headlines In Chicago
WBEZ’s Esther Yoon-Ji Kang, Natalie Moore and María Inéz Zamudio spoke with the families of 50 people who died from COVID-19 in Chicago within four ZIP codes, including 60649 (South Shore), 60623 (Little Village and North Lawndale), 60611 (Streeterville) and 60610 (Gold Coast). Read the heartwrenching but rich story here.
Local School Councils across the city have been voting on whether to retain police officers, or resource officers, within their schools. Last Friday was the deadline for LSCs, and the majority of schools have voted to retain their officers, according to Chalkbeat Chicago’s Yana Kunichoff.
The YMCA will provide in-person care for CPS students if they are out of class and have parents at work, according to Block Club Chicago’s Siri Chilukuri. The program costs $33 to $52 per day, with financial assistance available for families.
Chicago Police officers have been retiring at “double the average number of retirees each month,” said Michael Lappe, vice president of the police pension fund. Since the start of the year to August, 335 police officers have retired, according to the Sun-Times’ Fran Spielman and Frank Main. This is compared to 475 for all of 2019 and 339 for all of 2018.
The City of Chicago has closed five more restaurants and bars for violating COVID-19 guidelines, according to the Chicago Tribune’s Grace Wong. The establishments were closed for one night. Since June 3, the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection has conducted 1,239 investigations, with 76 citations issued.
What’s happening at DePaul?
Last Wednesday, the DePaul community woke up to the announcement that the university would once again shift most of its educational offerings online. This comes almost two weeks after the university said that it would be rethinking how it would shift back toward an on-campus presence. With rising numbers of COVID-19 cases in Illinois and campuses like Loyola once again shutting down for student safety, the decision comes after careful consideration. However, the campus won’t be completely deserted. The university says that buildings like the library will be open to students, though students previously approved for campus housing may no longer have access to that option.
Planning to utilize the parts of campus that remain open? Be sure to download the #CampusClear app. Per the university’s official announcement, this app — which allows users to self-screen themselves for coronavirus symptoms and gives them notifications declaring them as “good to go” or “you are not cleared for campus access” — will be required to be shown before entering any DePaul facility.
Once through the door, one of the improvements DePaul has made in its facilities may be one hidden in plain sight: improved ventilation. To lessen the spread of virus particles, the university has improved the HVAC filters in its buildings and improved airflow. While these measures do not stop the spread of COVID-19 completely, they work to minimize its airborne potential to spread.
Stressed about your course load this quarter? Did you know that you already have homework due? As a further measure to combat COVID-19, DePaul has created a 20-minute course on the virus and preventative measures to lessen its spread. It’s available on D2L and must be completed by September 4 for most faculty, staff and students. For those in the College of Law, that deadline is August 21.
Information Services has released a short questionnaire to identify the technology available to students at home. The responses document the types of technology they have on hand in addition to their operating systems. While exact details were not given as to how this data would be used, some educational programs like web blockers only operate on certain devices. Students can fill out the form here.
Have more questions about how DePaul is handling the threat of COVID-19? RSVP by this Thursday for a Virtual Town Hall. University administration will be fielding questions from parents and students regarding its plans and current procedures. Questions may be asked during the town hall or submitted beforehand. The event will take place on August 20 at 5 p.m.
If you don’t want to read the news, here’s the headlines to know.
The United States has 5,436,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with just over 170,000 deaths, according to the New York Times. Cases in the U.S. Virgin Islands, California, North Dakota and Hawai’i are on the rise.
Across the country, people are clamoring to save the United States Postal Service. While mailboxes are locked up and equipment is removed, people across the country have been buying up stamps, calling their representatives in Congress and spreading awareness of the devastating effects that a gutted postal service would yield. NPR’s Christianna Silva outlines the rocky history of political interference and debate surrounding the USPS here.
The Midwest was slammed with a derecho last week, and Iowans have been struggling since the storm tore across the state. Cedar Rapids, Iowa’s second-largest city, saw nearly 1,200 residents become refugees overnight, with 97 percent of power knocked out to homes and businesses in the county, according to the Des Moines Register’s Lee Rood.
Students at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are finding themselves back online for the fall semester after a disastrous first week of courses in person. All classes will be shifted online starting Wednesday, according to the Daily Tar Heel’s Maddie Ellis, after the university’s positivity rate “rose from 2.8 percent to 13.6 percent” in the past week. UNC has also reported 135 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19, but has only four rooms left in dorms set aside to quarantine students.
Last Monday, Shaunna Kirk, a Black woman and former pet care specialist at PetSmart in Springfield, Ill., was fired from her job of three years – for wearing a face mask that read “I Can’t Breathe.” PetSmart has released numerous statements in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, though Kirk was repeatedly stopped from wearing the mask at work and eventually fired for insubordination, according to (DePaul alum and) the State Journal-Register’s Brenden Moore.
The 2020 Democratic National Convention is tonight, with a star-studded political lineup of speakers, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, Michelle Obama, and former (Republican) Gov. John Kasich, according to The Washington Post’s John Wagner and Felicia Sonmez. President Donald Trump has been quoted ahead of the event tonight that the “only way we’re going to lose this election is if the election is rigged.” The event, which is now being held virtually, was originally slated to happen in Milwaukee.
The Washington Post will be livestreaming the event online at 7 p.m CST; speakers begin at 8 p.m.. Most broadcast networks will carry coverage of the event.
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 education resource is Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot by Mikki Kendall. In her book, a series of essays, Kendall analyzes the many ways in which race, class and sexual orientation intersect with gender. Kendall critiques the whitewashing of mainstream feminism and shines a light on the deeply embedded culture of misogynoir that allows women of color to be cut out of the narrative.
"If Hood Feminism is a searing indictment of mainstream feminism, it is also an invitation. . . . [Kendall] offers guidance for how we can all do better." -- NPR.org
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.
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago
This link is a directory of Black therapists in Chicago who provide services for under $75
Here’s 7 virtual mental health resources supporting Black people right now, including Chicago-based community organization Sista Afya’s support groups
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
Brave Space Alliance has a crisis food pantry for Black and trans individuals in need. If you would like to request assistance from Brave Space Alliance, fill out this form.
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.
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.
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
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
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression: https://www.caarpr.org
Supports the push for CPAC, the Civilian Police Accountability Council.
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
Helps bring music education into schools where funding for it has been cut
That’s all for us this week. Remember to fill out our feedback survey, stay healthy and safe, and find us on Twitter or Instagram for more content throughout the week. We’ll see you this Friday for another week of 14 East publishing!
Francesca, Justin, Grace and Cam