State Rep. Carol Ammons, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons plead not guilty to federal charges
State Rep. Carol Ammons and her husband, Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, are facing counts of wire fraud and obstruction of justice.
Tag: racism
Racial covenants limited housing options for Black residents in Champaign; a local group aims to repair that harm
Racial covenants restricted almost 800 pieces of land in Champaign County from being owned by anyone who wasn’t white. The Champaign-Urbana Reparations Coalition is starting to advocate for reparations for this for African Americans in the area.
217 Today: Wars can give rise to disease outbreaks. This poses potential risk to public health in the U.S. too
November 29, 2023 Today’s headlines: Gun owners in Illinois have just a month left to register their semi-automatic firearms and high-capacity magazines that are restricted under a new state law. But relatively few gun owners have complied thus far. The state is adding 48 small businesses to the “Illinois Made” program. State public health officials
After Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action, University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign plans to use socioeconomics, geography instead of race in admissions
“We’ve had a holistic review process that considers all sorts of factors and that [race] has been one of them,” said U of I spokesperson Robin Kaler. That will not be true next year, she said.
Illinois now requires K-12 students to learn Native American history. What has to be in the lessons, and who is checking?
The law requires teachers to cover contemporary Native American history and urban communities like Chicago.
U of I Black facilities workers push for protection from racial discrimination
URBANA — Black facilities workers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are trying to end racial harassment on the job – through a class action lawsuit. Friedman & Houlding lawyer Shilpa Narayan is representing the Black facilities workers in the case. She says that after three years of reviewing internal university documents, she’s found a
Organizers In Champaign County Prepare For Juneteenth
CHAMPAIGN – Organizers throughout Champaign County say Juneteenth is about history, but also about bringing attention to systemic issues that the African American community still faces. Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, is also now an official state holiday, after Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation on Wednesday. Rantoul resident Debbra Sweat was having coffee with
Because of COVID-19: AAPI Community Sees Rise In Violence
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. have reported an increase in their experiences of racism, hostility and outright violence. A recent study from California State University found anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And
How Anti-Asian Hate Is Affecting Central Illinois’ Asian American Communities
URBANA – Anti-Asian hate appears to have worsened during the pandemic. A recent study from California State University finds anti-Asian hate crimes reported to police in major U.S. cities rose 150% last year — even as overall hate crimes dropped 7%. And an analysis released this month by the group Stop AAPI Hate found nearly
Champaign Neighborhood Shaken By Racist Flyers Left In Driveways
CHAMPAIGN – On the morning of January 16, Melanie Keil discovered a rock in the driveway of her home. Attached was a note with several websites under the title “No White Guilt.” Keil, who is white and married to a Black man, believes her mostly-Black Champaign neighborhood was targeted. “I do think this was a
In Atlanta, A Carving That Honors The Confederacy Is ‘Too Big To Ignore’
ATLANTA – A walk along the trails at Stone Mountain Park near Atlanta, Georgia can be peaceful. The sweeping views from the top of the mountain can be breathtaking, and a visit to a new dinosaur exhibit there can be educational. But looming over all of this natural beauty is a nearly 100 foot tall
Kansas Citians Reflect On Removing ‘Segregationist’ Nichols’ Name From Plaza He Built
KANSAS CITY, MO – Nearly 100 years after J.C. (Jesse Clyde) Nichols built Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza — an outdoor shopping center modeled after Spanish architecture — his name has been stripped from one of its streets and an iconic fountain. The debate to remove his name has long simmered, but the pressure mounted
The ‘Friendliest Small Town In America’ Can’t Agree On Removing Robert E. Lee Monument
MURRAY, KY – The sun was setting on the courthouse square in the rural college town of Murray, Kentucky, after another sweltering July day. The town bills itself as the “friendliest small town in America,” but recent controversy around the removal of a Confederate monument have complicated that image. The city of Murray had unanimously
How To Talk To Kids About Race And Racism, And The Risks Of Staying Silent
With police brutality in the news, parents may be wondering how to talk to their children about racism and White supremacy. These conversations are familiar to Black families, but University of Illinois Professors Shardé Smith and Helen Neville say all families should be having them. Illinois Newsroom education reporter Lee Gaines recently spoke with Smith,
Peaceful Protest In Champaign Draws Huge Crowd
CHAMPAIGN – Thousands gathered in the streets of downtown Champaign on Saturday afternoon for a peaceful march in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The march, which was organized by local nonprofit Paign To Peace, drew people from across the county. Protesters gathered in Hessel Park around noon to meet and make signs, and