Tag: NAACP

A Dialogue with the Vice Chair of the NAACP National Board of Directors 

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s (NAACP) Image Awards celebrate Black excellence across film, television, music and more. From the story of Black women’s sacrifice in “Six Triple Eight,” starring Kerry Washington, to Pharrell Williams uncovering his family’s past on “Finding Your Roots,” and Sherri Shepherd making her mark in daytime television, this

Champaign And Urbana Police Struggle To Diversify

Despite pledges over the years to diversify the police department, both the Champaign and Urbana police staff have remained overwhelmingly white. In 2014, the police staff in Champaign was 88% white and Urbana’s police staff was 84% white, CU-CitizenAccess reported at that time. Almost seven years later, those numbers are virtually unchanged.  In Champaign, 99 out of

Outside Review: Aleyah Lewis Arrest Followed Urbana Police Policy

URBANA – The Urbana City Council will hear a  presentation Tuesday night on a report from an outside firm which concludes the police officers who arrested Aleyah Lewis followed the Urbana Police Department’s use of force policy. But the study by the firm Hillard Heintze suggested possible revisions to the policy and how the department

Consulting Firm Launches Review Of Aleyah Lewis Arrest

A consulting firm whose founders include former Chicago police chief Terry Hillard is beginning an investigation into the the Urbana police arrest of Aleyah Lewis. Mayor Diane Marlin says she has signed a contract with security risk management firm Hillard Heintze to investigate both the April 10th arrest, and Urbana police operations and policies relevant

Police Reform Issues Loom Large Before Urbana City Council

URBANA — A set of shared goals and standards for police and communities of color was approved by the Urbana City Council Monday night. Council members also heard a new proposal for shifting response to mental health emergencies away from the police, and on Tuesday, made last-minute reductions to police spending in the new city

Champaign Unit 4 Officials Propose Swapping Elementary School Campuses

To solve a host of problems the district faces, Champaign Unit 4 Schools officials recently proposed swapping two elementary school campuses. At a Unit 4 Board of Education meeting Monday night, the district’s superintendent, Susan Zola, suggested moving the International Prep Academy (IPA), a kindergarten through fifth grade bilingual program with majority Hispanic enrollment located on West