On May 13 the Evanston Public Library sponsored the first of two forums about “The Legacy of School Segregation” in Evanston. Morris “Dino” Robinson, the Founder and Executive Director of Shorefront Legacy Center, and Mary Barr, author of “Friends Disappear,” were the featured speakers. Evanston youth organizers representing the group Talking Whiteness moderated the forum. Heather […]
Category: Social Justice
Posted inCity News
NAACP Evanston Branch ‘Votercade’ Part of National John Lewis Voting Rights Action Day
The Evanston/North Shore NAACP hosted a John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Votercade and community engagement celebration from 1 to 3 p.m. on May 8. Voting rights advocates in more than 150 cities across the country simultaneously took to the streets in voter motorcades, or “votercades” to raise awareness and create energy around protecting the right […]
Posted inCity News
Biss’s First Act As Mayor Involves Reimagining Public Safety
Just hours before he was sworn in on May 10 as Evanston’s mayor, Daniel Biss announced the appointment of a Reimagining Public Safety Committee. The Mayor will chair the committee, which is composed of the following members: Sarah Bogan, Evanston Fight for Black Lives; Betty Bogg, Connections for the Homeless; Bobby Burns, Fifth Ward Council […]
Posted inSocial Justice
National John Lewis Voting Rights ‘Votercade’ in Evanston Set for May 8
Local Groups Host Massive 130+ Cities Mobilization Via Votercades To Defeat Voter Suppression Efforts and Promote Democratic Reforms At 1 p.m. on May 8 community leaders will begin staging a local John Lewis Good Trouble Votercade at the Evanston Civic Center, 2100 Ridge Ave., joining some 130 or more “John Lewis ‘Good Trouble’ Awareness” Votercades […]
Posted inArt & Life
YWCA Stand Against Racism
The annual YWCA Stand Against Racism provides the opportunity for communities across the United States to find an issue or cause that inspires them to take a #StandAgainstRacism and to unite their voices to educate, advocate, and promote racial justice. It is inarguable that structural racism plays a large role in determining the conditions in […]
Posted inCity News
Families Receive First Payments From Evanston Equitable Recovery Fund
Fund provides $3,000 to Black families with an ancestral connection to Evanston More than two dozen families selected to receive $3,000 through the Evanston Equitable Recovery Fund have received their first of 10 $300 monthly payments. The fund was created by the national nonprofit Family Independence Initiative (FII), which has invested in families and communities across the […]
Posted inArt & Life
Artist Cécile Trentini Creates ‘Sand Tattoo’ for Evanston Made’s Art for the Earth
An outdoor art installation titled “Red-Zone Earth” by Evanston artist Cécile Trentini decorated Lee Street beach on April 22 in honor of Earth Day. The piece, 24 feet in diameter, resembled a globe with deep grooves cutting through it. Non-toxic red sand ran through the grooves, bringing vibrancy to the work but also serving as […]
Posted inSchools
Young Voices of Evanston From Pope John XXIII School
Pope John XXIII School added a new feature to its observance of Black History Month. Teacher Meaghan Heaton created a contest open to all middle school students (6th, 7th, and 8th grades), which is optional. She writes that she saw the contest as a way to further the school’s “ongoing effort toward racial equity and […]
Posted inArt & Life
Gathering Marks a Sliver of Justice Done
About 100 people stood in the cold evening sun on April 21 to mark a sliver of justice in the prior day’s conviction of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin in the killing of George Floyd. Reverend Dr. Michael Nabors, pastor of Second Baptist Church, convened the gathering, which he named “One Battle Won in […]
Posted inCity News
‘Justice’ is Key in National, Local Reaction to Chauvin Guilty Verdict
Much of Evanston was watching or listening when, at 4 p.m. on April 20, a jury convicted now-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020. The case took on international meaning as a symbol of injustice at the […]