by Rev. Karen Mooney, Executive Co-Director - Unitarian Universalist Advocacy Network of IL

On Friday, July 2, 2021, Superintendent David Brown appeared at Chicago’s City Council to answer questions regarding the Chicago Police Department’s strategy to address gun violence over the Fourth of July weekend. During his remarks, the Superintendent repeatedly fell back on the same false narratives about pretrial justice reforms that the police and City have been using for the last several years.

Over the last several months, Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown and Mayor Lori Lightfoot have repeatedly tried to blame pretrial justice reforms for the city’s gun violence without being able to back up their claims with anything more than fear.

Your voice is needed! Grassroots organizing and public policy advocacy requires consistent work by individuals, especially those from communities most impacted by systemic racism and structural inequality.

The campaign to end permanent punishments on people with criminal records in Illinois

Community Renewal Society pledges to continue working against all forms of voter suppression, supporting advocacy groups, community organizations and our private sector partners to strengthen voting rights, as well as push for passage of voting rights legislation on Capitol Hill.

Chicago has experienced an unprecedented amount of violence in recent months. As we enter into the Fourth of July weekend, the violence continues, and calls for immediate action have been heard throughout the City. To get to the root of the violence, however, we must change our approach to public safety.

In this new America, we not only acknowledge the harm done by slavery, but we also invest in the lives and communities of Black folks who continue to reel from hundreds of years of economic devastation caused by slavery, Jim Crow, red-lining, the war on drugs and the prison industrial complex.

The coalition behind the Empowering Communities for Public Safety ordinance, which is expected to be filed as a substitute to the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability ordinance (SO2019-4132), including aldermen and labor leaders, criticized Lightfoot’s proposal during a news conference Thursday and said they expect a vote on police oversight in June.

Community Renewal Society’s LGBTQIA+ Issue Team conceived of Tapestry, which lifts up LGBTQIA+ siblings’ stories through videos from themselves and allies.

The Nakba is still going and Palestinians are threatened by genocide. Community Renewal Society engaged in sacred dialogue with community leaders to discuss solidarity, bridge building, organizing, ethics of love and honoring the full humanity of all where everyone can flourish. The following interviews were led by CRS Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Waltrina Middleton.

This poem was inspired by the author’s visit to historic state of Palestine, illegally occupied by Israel. It was presented as a part of a peace forum at The Carter Center in Atlanta, GA.

The Latino Caucus of the Chicago City Council has voted to endorse the civilian police oversight ordinance backed by the Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) and the coalition for a Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC).

The City of Chicago’s Aldermanic Black Caucus (CABC) voted to officially support the Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS) ordinance…

We write this letter on behalf of the Coalition to request that the City immediately share with the Coalition the current draft Chicago Police Department (CPD) foot pursuit policy…

The undersigned grassroots and advocacy organizations stand in solidarity with the Palestinian residents of occupied East Jerusalem

Seventeen years ago, my son Seneca was shot six times by Chicago Police after being chased on foot. The police officers even fired upon and injured an innocent bystander after chasing Seneca into an occupied building.

CRS along with the GAPA Coalition remember those mothers and families at-large mourning the loss of their children due to police brutality and the threats to human life due to racialized violence via police force.

During my sabbatical, I’ve been afforded the blessing of having some great hikes and seeing some great sights: Crestone, CO, Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Royal Gorge, Rio Grande Gorge, and much more. As I have made my way around, somewhat planned, somewhat letting the Spirit (and my whims) guide me, I have found some real gems.

The verdict is in. Read statements from our Board of Directors regarding the Derek Chauvin verdict.