woman sitting in a chair
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Danville school district says superintendent will return to on-site work following alleged racist threats

Members of the Danville District 118 School Board say they’ve reached an agreement with Superintendent Alicia Geddis to have her return to working in person. Geddis has been working remotely amid claims that she faced threats from white supremacists.

New virtual reality training aims to help doctors be more aware of their biases
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New virtual reality training aims to help doctors be more aware of their biases

Implicit bias in health care settings can contribute to inequitable treatment — and worsen health disparities. A newly developed virtual reality training series aims to help obstetricians better recognize, understand and address implicit bias toward Black mothers. 

Black male voters
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Voice of the Voter: Black men in Champaign County address angst surrounding presidential election

  Both presidential campaigns are making their closing arguments in the final days leading up to the election. Conversation online about Black men not willing to vote has spiraled after former President Barack Obama pushed them to cast a ballot. Like many residents in Champaign County, McKinley Phillips told Pierce he and his family are…

After Biden’s apology for Indian boarding schools, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Illinois urges support for language revitalization

After Biden’s apology for Indian boarding schools, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Illinois urges support for language revitalization

DEKALB — Joseph Rupnick’s mother was a toddler when federal agents took her away from her parents and sent her to a Catholic boarding school out of state.  After that, she never spoke her first language again.  “She didn’t speak much about it. Most of what we were told was that the nuns weren’t very…

Two musicians pose with instruments.
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Zakir Hussain pays tribute to late friend and musician

URBANA – Zakir Hussain is one of the most prominent percussionists in the world. Following in his father’s footsteps with the tabla, a pair of hand drums from India, Hussain has performed with other world-renowned musicians, including his father, Ustad Allah Rakha, John McLaughlin of Shakti, and Mickey Hart of the Grateful Dead. This year…

Chicago dance group teaches U of I community new steps to improve mental health
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Chicago dance group teaches U of I community new steps to improve mental health

URBANA – A group has Champaign-Urbana residents dancing away with new moves by teaching them a beloved Chicago tradition.  The Era Footwork Collective came to Champaign-Urbana on September 7 to teach people how to do “footwork” at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. The organization’s mantra is “Footwork Saves Lives”. Sterling “Steelo” Lofton is…

‘A beautiful light’: Illinois congressional lawmakers honor memory of 6-year-old Palestinian American boy killed in hate crime

‘A beautiful light’: Illinois congressional lawmakers honor memory of 6-year-old Palestinian American boy killed in hate crime

WASHINGTON – Several congressional lawmakers from Illinois are celebrating a resolution that was passed by the Senate to honor the memory of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Plainfield boy who was stabbed to death in a hate crime last year. Al-Fayoume and his mother Hanan Shaheen were targeted by their landlord, Joseph Czuba for their Palestinian…

Dick Durbin
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‘This type of rhetoric can have deadly consequences’: Durbin warns about speech that could incite violence during Senate hearing on hate crimes

  WASHINGTON – Senator Dick Durbin participated in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing earlier this week focused on combating the rise of hate crimes in the U.S. The hearing examined threats facing marginalized communities and how the federal government can better protect the civil rights and safety of all including Jewish, Arab, and Muslim Americans. …

Students fills a sidewalk leading to the University of Illinois Quad in Urbana-Champaign on August 26, 2024.
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Percentage of underrepresented freshmen slightly up at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign despite end of affirmative action

URBANA — The University of Illinois published its 10-day enrollment numbers Wednesday. It’s a first look at how much of an impact the end of affirmative action has on diversity at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.  “We tried to do a number of things in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to improve…

Sonya Massey body camera
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Massey Commission plans first listening session

The newly formed Massey Commission will host its first listening session this month. The commission, which includes officials and members of the public, was created in response to the killing of Sonya Massey this summer. The first session will be to understand the public’s hopes and concerns before finalizing the final mission and goals. Massey…

Principal of Urbana’s new multilingual school: ‘It’s really refreshing’
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Principal of Urbana’s new multilingual school: ‘It’s really refreshing’

URBANA – About 16 % of the 300,000 English learners in Illinois are taking public school classes to become bilingual in both their first language and English.  Few of those schools are fully multilingual. One is in Champaign and after years of debate, Yankee Ridge Multilingual Elementary School opened in Urbana earlier this month. IPM…