In the summer of 1963, civil rights activists throughout the South risked their lives to end discrimination and segregation in education, housing, employment, and voting.
At President Kennedy’s request, nearly 250 lawyers met at the White House where the President urged them to use their legal training to move the struggle for the protection of civil rights from the streets to the courts. As a result, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its regional affiliates were born. In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. opened the northern front in th
At President Kennedy’s request, nearly 250 lawyers met at the White House where the President urged them to use their legal training to move the struggle for the protection of civil rights from the streets to the courts. As a result, the National Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and its regional affiliates were born. In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. opened the northern front in th
We're honored to have Laura Washington host our virtual gala on Nov 11. Laura has decades of experience reporting on race, politics, and public affairs in Chicago and is powerful voice in Chicago media.
We're honored to have Laura Washington host our virtual gala on Nov 11. Laura has decades of experience reporting on race, politics, and public affairs in Chicago and is powerful voice in Chicago media.
"As restorative justice pioneer Danielle Sered has pointed out, the primary characteristics of prisons — shame, isolation, economic deprivation, and violence — parallel the primary drivers of violence itself: shame, isolation, economic deprivation, and violence. The kind of policing that our leaders want more of, that happens in Black and brown neighborhoods in Chicago and around the country, has that same effect.
We are investing billions of dollars in “solutions” to violence that are instead “criminogenic,” that actually cause violence." #Chicago #FundCommunitiesNotPolice
We’ve heard this story before. More police are not the answer.
"Communities of color have the right to elect candidates of our choice, who represent, and are held accountable to our interests," Ami Gandhi, senior counsel of Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights said during testimony Monday.
"The state of Indiana must do better to protect voting rights of people of color." #Indiana #Redistricting #VotingRights #RacialEquity
Racial equality activists say they have concerns about the way the redistricting maps were drawn, as lawmakers prepare for a final vote on Friday.
When hundreds of millions of tax dollars collected from taxpayers disproportionately benefit majority-white neighborhoods to the detriment of Black and Latinx neighborhoods, that's called a broken TIF system. #TIF #RaicalEquity #Chicago
The growing share of city property taxes sent to tax increment finance districts has fueled a perennial argument over whether the districts actually spur redevelopment and eradicate blight or serve to exacerbate growing inequality in Chicago.
"In 2019, Illinois became the 11th state in the U.S. to legalize adult-use cannabis. However, for Black and brown folks, the barriers to entry still haven’t let up." #CannabisEquity #CannabisCBA #Illinois
It’s been more than two years since Illinois legalized adult-use cannabis, and Black Chicagoans are still experiencing barriers to entry.
The Obama Presidential Center can serve community members -- or it can force them to leave.
The City needs to hold to its affordable housing promises in Woodlawn and extend protections into South Shore so that working class Black residents can stay in their homes.
#ObamaCBA #EquitableDevelopment #Chicago
Activists from South Shore believe the presidential center will bring with it investment and higher home prices and rents that longtime residents will not be able to afford.
The Affordable Requirements Ordinance (ARO) has the potential to help make Chicago a more integrated and affordable city - but it needs a few fixes.
Read our public comments with Chicago Housing Initiative, ONE Northside, Access Living, and Shriver Center on Poverty Law submitted yesterday to the City of Chicago’s Department of Housing. #AffordableHousing #Chicago #RacialEquity
While the April 2021 updated ordinance strengthened several key parts of the ARO, there’s still a lot of work to be done to ensure that Chicagoans of color have access to these affordable units.
Today, the Indiana Senate held a final public redistricting hearing, giving community members only a couple days to analyze and comment on district maps that will determine communities' resources and voting power for the next 10 years.
But as our Senior Counsel Ami Gandhi testified, the data shows multiple examples where communities of color have been “cracked,” diluting voters' power in a way that risks violating the Voting Rights Act. #INLegis #Redistricting #VotingRights
Our preliminary analysis suggests that there are multiple examples where communities of color have been “cracked,” breaking our communities apart into multiple House or Senate districts. The Indiana legislature must redraw such districts to keep communities of color together, or they risk violat...
Today, the Indiana Senate held a final public redistricting hearing, giving community members only a couple days to analyze and comment on district maps that will determine communities' resources and voting power for the next 10 years.
But as our Senior Counsel Ami Gandhi testified, the data shows multiple examples where communities of color have been “cracked,” diluting voters' power in a way that risks violating the Voting Rights Act. #INLegis #Redistricting #VotingRights
Our preliminary analysis suggests that there are multiple examples where communities of color have been “cracked,” breaking our communities apart into multiple House or Senate districts. The Indiana legislature must redraw such districts to keep communities of color together, or they risk violat...
We're so excited to celebrate the spirit of community and Chicago on November 11th! A big thank you to everyone who has already purchased their tickets and to everyone who has joined our host committee.
Purchase your tickets NOW! https://www.clccrul.org/until-victory-is-won
We're so excited to celebrate the spirit of community and Chicago on November 11th! A big thank you to everyone who has already purchased their tickets and to everyone who has joined our host committee.
Purchase your tickets NOW! https://www.clccrul.org/until-victory-is-won
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Ron Miller, a legal giant who helped found Chicago Lawyers' Committee in 1969 and then continued championing our organization for many years as chair and member of our board of directors.
He leaves a legacy of civil rights battles won and friendships built that will not soon be forgotten. #LegalLegends #CivilRights #Chicago
To have lunch with attorney Ron Miller was to experience, through his stories, anecdotes and attitude, a life well and enthusiastically lived.
We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of our civil rights team, Equal Justice Works Fellow Ameil Kenkare!
As a former charter school teacher, Ameil has first-hand experience watching bright students of color get pushed out of school for minor behavioral issues. Ameil plans to represent students facing school push-out & advocate for dismantling disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact Black & Brown students.
Many thanks to AbbVie and Kirkland & Ellis LLP for sponsoring Ameil's work with us! #LegalFellows #EducationEquity #CivilRights
We are thrilled to welcome the newest member of our civil rights team, Equal Justice Works Fellow Ameil Kenkare!
As a former charter school teacher, Ameil has first-hand experience watching bright students of color get pushed out of school for minor behavioral issues. Ameil plans to represent students facing school push-out & advocate for dismantling disciplinary practices that disproportionately impact Black & Brown students.
Many thanks to AbbVie and Kirkland & Ellis LLP for sponsoring Ameil's work with us! #LegalFellows #EducationEquity #CivilRights
Veggin' out with our NextGen Leadership Council!
We spent Saturday volunteering at El Paseo community garden in Pilsen, removing weeds, painting platforms, and laying down fresh mulch to prepare for next year’s growing season. So proud to partner with community organizations like Advocates for Urban Agriculture and El Paseo Community Garden that are planting the seeds for healthy and thriving neighborhoods.
If you are interested in joining the NextGen Council, please email Jasmine Nammari at [email protected]! #NextGenCouncil #ChicagoCivilRights #YoungLeaders
Every year, more than 200,000 people in the US are estimated to be victims of hate crimes. From last year's shootings in Kenosha to this year's killings in Atlanta, we've been reminded time and again of the deadly urgency of dismantling white nationalism and protecting our democracy.
Check out this virtual town hall to learn more and share your ideas to eradicate hate from Illinois. #StopHateCrimes #EndWhiteSupremacy #Illinois
The Illinois Commission on Discrimination & Hate Crimes invites the general public to attend its first statewide virtual town hall event to learn about the Commission, its members and goals. We also want to hear from you. Do you have an idea to help eradicate hate from our state? Join us to be heard!
Register at bit.ly/cdhc-il to attend.
The rapid development of warehouse and distribution centers throughout Chicagoland is taking a particular toll on the health and safety of communities of color.
We're keeping an eye on Homewood, where plans to redevelop the Calumet Country Club are facing organized resistance. #EquitableDevelopment #ChicagoSuburbs
Plans for the redevelopment of a 130-acre golf course property, detached some five months ago from Homewood, are not clear after a proposal for a distribution center were rejected.
Racial equity requires that communities of color historically harmed by environmental injustice be prioritized on the road to decarbonization - and that's exactly what the the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act does.
We're proud to see this bill signed into law! Thank you to the advocates, the lawmakers, and the movement that made this happen.
#FossilFreeIL #RacialEquity #twill
Since 2007, more than 150,000 water shutoff notices have been issued in Chicago, mostly in Black and Latinx neighborhoods, with nearly 40% concentrated in five of the poorest zip codes on the South and West Sides.
We are fighting for 'Water for All', an ordinance that would provide access to affordable water for EVERY household and permanently ban water shutoffs. #WaterForAllChi #RacialEquity
Developed by community groups and co-sponsored by 14 City Council members, the Water for All ordinance would make sure every Chicago household can access safe and affordable water.
“Without more, these contract provisions will continue to hurt those who are the victims of police misconduct, primarily Black and Latinx Chicagoans,” said Aneel Chablani, chief counsel at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights.
You can read our summary analysis of the FOP contract here: https://bit.ly/3zbirGG #PoliceAccountability #RacialEquity
A police union contract years in the making heads to city council Tuesday. We talk with alderpeople about that and other city business.
A message from the #WaterForAll Coalition:
On Monday evening, the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board published a baffling critique of the Water for All Ordinance, making a series of blundering false claims with no attempt to show their work. We are frustrated and disturbed that the Sun-Times could write and publish this without even a cursory fact-check, leaving us to explain the basics for readers.
The Water for All Ordinance, a proposal developed by our organizations and introduced by Ald. Daniel La Spata, would make sure every Chicago household can access safe and affordable water, prohibit the privatization of Chicago’s water system, and permanently end the City’s practice of shutting off the water of people who can’t afford to pay and taking away their homes. The editorial’s basic and dumbfounding argument is that the Water for All ordinance costs too much, and that providing free water to Chicago’s lowest income families will result in the Water Department becoming “an underfunded financial albatross.” Strangely, the writers fail to mention that the Water for All Ordinance is completely cost-neutral. The Water-for-All ordinance pays for discounted rates with increased water fees for commercial and industrial users. These users--currently paying the same rates as residents despite their disproportionate usage and impact on our already deteriorating water systems-- would start paying their fair share of the water utility so that households are able to afford and pay their water bills. By definition, a cost-neutral program is intentionally designed to stay out of the red.
In any case, the idea that we can keep our water infrastructure healthy by charging low-income people fees they can’t afford is frankly laughable. The editorial loosely cites “some nations” that have banned water shutoffs as examples where people who can afford to pay for water choose not to. In reality, many countries including France and the UK have banned water shutoffs as a human rights violation, and yet they are still perfectly capable of providing safe drinking water. In the UK, which outlawed shutoffs in response to privatized providers, water revenue collection rates averaged 97 percent nearly two decades after the ban. New York City, Albany, and a majority of the public water systems in Wisconsin also do not disconnect service for nonpayment in a given year. The argument presented in the Sun-Times at best is a misrepresentation of the facts, at worst leans into the shameful and racist "freeloader" tropes of our past.
Here’s the truth: Water rates in Chicago, which have skyrocketed to almost three times what they were a decade ago, have not cured our crumbling infrastructure or led to equitable investment. Neither has the method of filing tax foreclosures to collect water bills, a cruel practice that the City has outsourced to private law firms but would be banned in our ordinance. More than anything, these failing water policies have left Chicagoans with mountains of debt and mounting anxiety, especially Black and Brown communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
“Water is a human right,” reads the editorial, “But a city can’t shortchange its waterworks.” While both of these statements are true, let’s be very clear: Either water is a human right, or water is a privilege. And well-funded and equitable infrastructure and progressive water rates for the poor can exist in the same city. As Chicago residents and advocates, we are grateful that the fourteen City Council members who co-sponsored Water for All agree that water is a human right, and not a prize to be won by those with money and privilege. The Chicago Sun-Times should be embarrassed to have published an error-riddled piece that flops on that fundamental point.
A message from the #WaterForAll Coalition:
On Monday evening, the Chicago Sun-Times editorial board published a baffling critique of the Water for All Ordinance, making a series of blundering false claims with no attempt to show their work. We are frustrated and disturbed that the Sun-Times could write and publish this without even a cursory fact-check, leaving us to explain the basics for readers.
The Water for All Ordinance, a proposal developed by our organizations and introduced by Ald. Daniel La Spata, would make sure every Chicago household can access safe and affordable water, prohibit the privatization of Chicago’s water system, and permanently end the City’s practice of shutting off the water of people who can’t afford to pay and taking away their homes. The editorial’s basic and dumbfounding argument is that the Water for All ordinance costs too much, and that providing free water to Chicago’s lowest income families will result in the Water Department becoming “an underfunded financial albatross.” Strangely, the writers fail to mention that the Water for All Ordinance is completely cost-neutral. The Water-for-All ordinance pays for discounted rates with increased water fees for commercial and industrial users. These users--currently paying the same rates as residents despite their disproportionate usage and impact on our already deteriorating water systems-- would start paying their fair share of the water utility so that households are able to afford and pay their water bills. By definition, a cost-neutral program is intentionally designed to stay out of the red.
In any case, the idea that we can keep our water infrastructure healthy by charging low-income people fees they can’t afford is frankly laughable. The editorial loosely cites “some nations” that have banned water shutoffs as examples where people who can afford to pay for water choose not to. In reality, many countries including France and the UK have banned water shutoffs as a human rights violation, and yet they are still perfectly capable of providing safe drinking water. In the UK, which outlawed shutoffs in response to privatized providers, water revenue collection rates averaged 97 percent nearly two decades after the ban. New York City, Albany, and a majority of the public water systems in Wisconsin also do not disconnect service for nonpayment in a given year. The argument presented in the Sun-Times at best is a misrepresentation of the facts, at worst leans into the shameful and racist "freeloader" tropes of our past.
Here’s the truth: Water rates in Chicago, which have skyrocketed to almost three times what they were a decade ago, have not cured our crumbling infrastructure or led to equitable investment. Neither has the method of filing tax foreclosures to collect water bills, a cruel practice that the City has outsourced to private law firms but would be banned in our ordinance. More than anything, these failing water policies have left Chicagoans with mountains of debt and mounting anxiety, especially Black and Brown communities hit hardest by the pandemic.
“Water is a human right,” reads the editorial, “But a city can’t shortchange its waterworks.” While both of these statements are true, let’s be very clear: Either water is a human right, or water is a privilege. And well-funded and equitable infrastructure and progressive water rates for the poor can exist in the same city. As Chicago residents and advocates, we are grateful that the fourteen City Council members who co-sponsored Water for All agree that water is a human right, and not a prize to be won by those with money and privilege. The Chicago Sun-Times should be embarrassed to have published an error-riddled piece that flops on that fundamental point.
100 N La Salle St
Chicago, IL
60602
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Send a message to Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights:
Our poll workers are essential - they allow for voters to have access to safe, in-person voting. Sign up today at www.powerthepolls.org and help ensure that every voter in your community is counted. #PowerThePolls #ProtectTheVote #COVID19
Hideout High School: Redistricting
And we are back in the Q&A session of our cohosted event, “Rolling out Cannabis in Chicago”!
BlackRoots Alliance, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, People United for Racial Equity in Cannabis Legalization, and ourselves have joined together to talk about how cannabis is rolling out in Chicago.
BlackRoots Alliance, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, People United for Racial Equity in Cannabis Legalization, and ourselves have joined together to talk about how cannabis is rolling out in Chicago.
And we are back with our discussion of urban agriculture and zoning with Advocates for Urban Agriculture!
We are here with Advocates for Urban Agriculture talking about Urban Agriculture and Zoning!
Watch our Young Leaders’ Network event, Crucial Conversations: Chicago’s Fight for Education Equity, live from The Bronzeville Incubator. Speakers include: Elizabeth Todd-Breland, Assistant Professor of History at the University of Illinois at Chicago; Elisabeth Greer, parent of students at National Teachers Academy CPS and chair of NTA’s local school council; Rosie Simpson, longtime Chicago activist from the Englewood neighborhood who joined the 1963 boycott of Chicago Public Schools to challenge what she coined as the “Willis Wagons”; and moderator Candace Moore, member of YLN and a former attorney at Chicago Lawyers' Committee who was recently named as the city's first Chief Equity Officer. #YoungLeadersNetwork #CrucialConversations
Today, Chicago Lawyers’ Committee joins Grassroots Collaborative, IL Raise Your Hand, and National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law to announce our motion filed for an injunction to freeze the creation of the TIF for Lincoln Yards. #TIFreform
Tomorrow is #ElectionDay in #Chicago, and we'll have over 100 volunteers watching the polls and answering the phone at 866-OUR-VOTE. Call us if you have problems with long lines, machine breakdowns, improper requests for ID, intimidation or electioneering, registration hurdles, or language or accessibility issues.
Mayoral Forum on Civil Rights, 1/28
Looking for an opportunity to help #voters this election? Volunteer with Election Protection, the nation’s largest non-partisan voter protection coalition, and we'll train you to monitor and respond to problems as they arise at the polls in a targeted location in #Illinois. Sign up at https://electionprotection.wetheaction.org If you have questions about voting or trouble at the polls Nov. 6, just call: ➡️ 866-OUR-VOTE (English) ➡️ 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish) ➡️ 888-API-VOTE (Asian & Pacific Islander languages) ➡️ 844-YALLA-US (Arabic)
Last night, we screened this short film about the communities and activists working with us to secure racial and economic equity in Chicago and Illinois in 2018. While it's only a small piece of a large movement, we are so grateful for R.A.G.E - Resident Association of Greater Englewood, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, Logan Square Neighborhood Association, BIG: Blacks in Green, Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, and Alliance of the Southeast - ASE for your participation and your partnership. Video produced by the talented Chris Hoerdemann @PRIME. #BringJusticeHome
If you are a rising third-year #lawstudent or a recent graduate who expects to complete a clerkship next summer, you may be a perfect fit for our post-grad legal #fellowship! We are looking for strong candidates to sponsor for Skadden, Equal Justice Works, and other post-graduate fellowships to begin August or September of 2019. Please send in proposals related to #HateCrime, #Housing, or #EducationEquity. If you need help formulating a project proposal, no problem! We’re here to help. To apply, just submit your resume, an academic transcript, a brief writing sample, and a cover letter specifying your area of interest to Julie Justicz, [email protected], no later than August 21, 2018. Find more information here: https://www.clccrul.org/career-opportunities-and-more/ #CivilRights
Join us for a panel starting in 2 minutes with journalist Natalie Moore, housing expert Allison Bethel, and poet H Melt: Fifty Years Later, Now What? #OurChicago #FairHousing50
Dr. Dan Koonce speaking on alternative settings and the need for restorative justice. #SB100ConveningIL #transformschools
Have you voted yet? If you have questions about voting or problems at the polls, call 866-OUR-VOTE toll-free for live assistance from lawyers at Election Protection, the nation’s largest nonpartisan voter protection group. #ElectionProtectionIL #ProtectOurVote
Hey Illinois - Election Day is Tuesday! Are you prepared to vote? #ElectionProtection has your back at 866-OUR-VOTE. #ProtectOurVote #ILElection
"In a district that overwhelmingly under-serves low income black students, why close this over-performing level 1+ school? These children are exceeding all their standards and expectations, and they should be able to continue to do so." -Education Equity Project Staff Attorney Jessica Schneider testifies at last night's CPS hearing on the National Teachers Academy (NTA) school plan, alongside Staff Attorney Candace Moore, Niketa Brar of Chicago United for Equity, Kate Gladson of LAF, and many more fighting for #EducationEquity in Chicago. #WeAreNTA
Thank you Village Leadership Academy for hosting us at Mr. Wadie's 7th & 8th grade class! Together we learned about source of income discrimination, institutional racism, and housing segregation in Chicago. #FairHousing #RacialEquity
At a time of rising hate crimes in Illinois and renewed attacks on the right to vote, our Hate Crime and Voting Rights projects are working to combat violence and protect the voice of every voter.
Look who's got the moves! CLC Executive Director Jay Readey dancing with Estelle at last night's kick off event for the Lawyers' Committee 50th Anniversary celebrations!
Chicago Business Affairs & Consumer Protectio
City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., Rm 805Chicago Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin
121 N. LaSalle Street | Room 106Mayor's Office for People with Disabilities (
121 N La Salle St, Rm 905City of Chicago Department of Planning & Deve
121 N La Salle St Rm 1000This is your day for a Miracle broadcast
P.O box 1439Cook County Commission on Social Innovation
118 N. Clark, RM 567 c/o 7th DistrictCook County Commission on Women's Issues
118 N. Clark St.
Northeastern Illinois University Department o
5500 N Saint Louis Ave
Barriers Against Repeated Cruelty-BARC Chicag
PO BOX 597392
Chatham Enrichment Center - CEC
8221 S State St
United Cerebral Palsy Association of Greater
547 W Jackson Blvd, Ste 225
University of Chicago Army ROTC
5707 S Woodlawn Ave