PROJECT NIA NEWS
March 3,  2015
Fundraising for our new Young Leaders for Justice   p rogram! 

Do you...
  • Use one of our free curriculum resources?
  • Attend free trainings/workshops or visited one of our exhibitions?
  • Use our research reports about juvenile arrests, detention, and incarceration?
  • Geek out to our zines and other publications?
  • Benefit from our advocacy and organizing? 
If you answered yes to any of these questions, we are glad that this is the case. We operate on a shoestring budget with a staff of one and countless wonderful volunteers. We do a lot with limited resources.

We have committed (along with the Chicago Freedom School) to offering a new training program for young people who are interested in learning more about criminalization-
Young Leaders for Justice. 


First program meeting on 2/14/15

And now we need your help. Donate to the Young Leaders for Justice Program to help us provide trainings and opportunities for youth! 





You can also purchase a print or a magnet of Ida. B. Wells for the fundraiser. 


In peace,

Mariame Kaba
Director, Project NIA
In This Issue
3/28 WORKSHOP: Understanding the IL Juvenile Justice System 


 

Join us for the FREE workshop"Understanding the Illinois Juvenile Justice System: the Basics" in partnership with the Try Youth As Youth exhibition!
 
 
 


This introductory workshop will provide basic information about the points of contact for youth with the juvenile justice system as well as information about rights that young people have in the system.

 
The workshop is youth-friendly! It is appropriate for community members, parents, educators, young people, and organizers who have minimal knowledge about the juvenile justice system.
 

DATE
Saturday, March 28
 
TIME
1:30 to 4:30 pm
 
LOCATION
David Weinberg Photography, 300 West Superior Street, Suite 203

 At the end of the workshop, participants will: 

  • Know the points of contact for youth in the juvenile justice system
     
  • Better understand some of the issues that young people in conflict with the law experience
     
  • Learn about the rights that youth have in the system
     
  • Be able to identify some of the existing resources that can support young people in conflict with the law in Chicago
Registration is required! Sign up to register for this workshop.
UPDATE: Fight for the Reparation Ordinance 



On Valentine's Day, 
over 250 people attended a Rally for Reparations: A People's Hearing in support of the Reparations Ordinance for Chicago police torture survivors at the Chicago Temple, kitty corner from Chicago's City Hall. 

The rally was co-hosted by us, Amnesty International, and We Charge Genocide. We called on Chicago's mayoral and aldermanic candidates to show some love for the Chicago Police Torture survivors and have a heart by supporting the reparations ordinance. 

Those in attendance heard from Chicago Police torture survivors Darrell Cannon, Mark Clements and Anthony Holmes, chief aldermanic sponsors Joe Moreno and Howard Brookins Jr., mayoral candidate William Doc Walls, and several advocates, activists, and experts regarding the need for the ordinance. 
 


 
As Mariame Kaba, founder and executive director of Project NIA, noted in 


"It was fitting that we gathered on Valentine's Day. After all, the struggle for justice for Burge torture survivors is a love story."  

 
The rally was held a day after notorious former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge was released from house arrest after serving less than four years for his convictions for perjury and obstruction of justice for denying he and others engaged in acts of torture at police headquarters in the 70s' and 80s'. It was duly noted that Burge now has the opportunity to begin his life anew with the benefit of his police pension funded by Chicago taxpayers, while scores of the Chicago Police torture survivors continue to suffer from the psychological effects of the torture they endured without any compensation, assistance or legal course.
 


 

After the rally, 120 people braved the bone chilling cold and gusty Chicago weather to create a  living memorial  for the Chicago Police torture survivors by  holding up a flag bearing the name and date of torture  for all of the 118 known Burge torture survivors.


To check out more photos and media from the rally, check out photographer Sarah Rhee's photo album on FacebookCBS local, and Gapers Block.


 
How can I help?
 

 
We just voted in the mayoral and aldermanic election here in Chicago.  Three mayoral candidates and 28 aldermanic candidates came out and publicly supported the ordinance. The list will continue to be updated for the April 7 runoff. Check out who they are.


 
Support this campaign for justice and contact Mayor Emanuel today! 

Phone: #312-744-3300

Twitter: @RahmEmanuel, #RahmRepNow

 
Demand his full support and an immediate hearing on the Reparations Ordinance. With your support we know we can get the Reparations Ordinance passed!  


 

There are many other ways to get involved.

 
Want more info on the ordinance or the Chicago police torture cases? Click here

Youth/Police Conference April 24-25th

 

Project Nia is co-sponsoring the Youth/Police Conference held at the University of Chicago Law School on Friday, April 24, 2015 and Saturday, April 25, 2015.

 

In response to the tragic events in Ferguson, New York, and Cleveland, the conference aims to deepen the discourse about issues arising from interactions between African-American youth and police in urban America. It will lift up the voices and experiences of African-American inner-city youth through six panels.
 

 

Each panel will begin with a short video, multimedia piece, or performance prepared for the conference in collaboration with the high school students involved in the project. A moderated public conversation among three to four panelists will explore questions and issues raised by the introductory material. There will be significant interplay with the audience. 
 

Unlike the traditional academic conference, we are not asking speakers to present a formal talk or paper. Our conversations will be the essence of the event. We see the individual panels as part of a continuing conversation and will orchestrate them so that each builds on what comes before.

 

Check out the conference schedule! 

Upcoming Events

Stay in the know about PIC events throughout Chicago hosted by us and our allies.

 
Check out the FULL LIST here! 

 


 

We hope to see you at some of these events! 

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR WORK:
We are doing a lot with a little. You can contribute to our work by writing us a check to:

Project NIA/CFS
c/o HACC
1527 West Morse Ave.
Chicago, IL 60626

You can also contribute directly to our grassroots fundraiser for Young Leaders for Justice HERE.