IJC Newsletter - Black History Month Edition

February 15, 2021 | Issue 3

Message From the President

IJC BLACK HISTORY MONTH DISPLAY

By Judge Freddrenna M. Lyle

This past year, each of us has been forced to modify, if not cancel, time-honored traditions and programs due to COVID-19. Regrettably, the IJC Black History Month Photo Display, as we have known it, will not be presented this year.

COVID-19 restrictions prevent visitors from leisurely browsing through the photos of our membership on the Dearborn Street side of the building. Nevertheless, our history and membership are deserving of display, recognition, and honor, as we continue to make Black History every day that we don our robes. Therefore, as alluded to earlier, we are modifying, not canceling, our Black History Month photo display this year.

With this Newsletter, we are unveiling a digital version of the photo display that will appear on our website. Our curator, Tony Smith, has scanned each of the photographs that in past years hung in the Daley Center annually. In addition to the photos of our members, from our inception to the present, there will be video footage from our archives as well.

For further information, please contact us at: info@illinoisjudicialcouncil.org.

Judge Freddrenna M. Lyle

Black History Month

Virtual Exhibit

“Epiphany” (An Original Poem)

By Judge Kimberly D. Lewis

Hark, haven’t you heard?

This is a cautionary tale shared thru the written word

And while this may be a bitter pill…to swallow

Only time will reveal if the appeal Of the People has fallen upon deaf ears

As many folk believe it has for so many years

The laws are ever changing, rearrangin’…

So…Humankind

Can no longer tolerate strange fruit a’hangin’

Legally, Philosophically, Conceptually, Emotionally…or in Real Time

The dissonant and inharmonious cacophony of injustice and contradiction

Must be replaced with the melodic euphony of true ideals with purpose and conviction

For our children… and for the promise of a better life

And not a future world wrought with heartache and strife

Can’t you see?

Respectfully, it is our destiny, responsibility…

OUR obligation to save our nation

Better still, there is a real need for us to take heed and the lead as well

To be that beacon of light…

Socially, globally, for a fair Democracy

And not for the insidious domination of an oligarchy or an aristocracy

The Statue of Liberty stands tall…

So, it would also stand…to reason that it was erected to watch over EVERY man, woman and child… right?

World liberation of an equitable proration without consternation…

It is a continuous fight

But how many more souls must fall

Before we can make sense of it all?

The Scales of Justice are supposed to be blind…

But WE must not turn a blind eye

Yes, it is a fact…

That trying to do what is right is a perpetual balancing act, Jack

Recent happenings are a reckoning that…

As a society, we are bound to repeat the mistakes of our past

Until the WORLD is aghast…

With the blood and the tears already shed

Sometimes it is hard to look ahead

But we have no choice

WE must continue to have a voice…

Until there is truly Equality and Justice for ALL!

A LOOK BACK IN TIME

YOUR PATCH IS NOT BIG ENOUGH

Rev Jesse Jackson Patch Speech 1988 Democratic Convention

First Black Woman Appointed Judge in the 11^th Judicial Circuit

By Judge Freddrenna M. Lyle

McLean County Public Defender Carla Barnes has recently been appointed to the bench in the 11^th Judicial Circuit. Having led the Public Defender’s Office for six years, Barnes will be the first African American female jurist in the 11^th Circuit’s history. The Illinois Judicial Council (IJC) congratulates Judge Barnes on her historic appointment and welcomes her to the judiciary.

Congratulations to all the newly elected and appointed judges as well! Being new is challenging enough. Being new and unique has to be far more challenging. The IJC, which has a majority African American membership, stands ready to assist you in meeting the challenges that lie ahead.

We are inviting Judge Barnes and other judges, who sit outside of the County of Cook, to join us at our March 2021 meeting. IJC members are encouraged to invite judges throughout the State of Illinois to join us in March of 2021. At this meeting, we hope to be able to equate names with faces.

I am attaching a link to a great article by Edith Brady-Lunny & Dana Vollmer, at WGLT.org 89.1 FM NPR from Illinois State University, about Judge Barnes’s appointment. The article also contains an interesting discussion of judicial diversity and a short audio clip on the topic.

READ ARTICLE HERE

IJC PERSONALIZED LOGO MERCHANDISE

JUDICIAL EDUCATION

JUDICIAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING

THE SWEAT CORNER of the FITNESS & WELLNESS COMMITTEE

Judge William H. Hooks

and

Judge Steven G. Watkins

In the April 2016 issue of Business Insider, a quick, fun read entitled "How 19 Highly Successful People Stay in Shape", should motivate our judges to begin thinking about developing our own fitness habits after reading about the exercise regimens of celebrities. These tips are shared by 19 public and private sector household names, such as our very fit, former President Barack Obama, as well as Senator Corey Booker. The gems given to us by these two men were particularly insightful. If a president, leader of the world, found time to stay fit with his basketball workouts and his three-mile runs, what excuse do we have?

Similarly, Senator Booker shows how easy it is to master Soul Cycle. Several of these 19 overachievers explained how yoga was their favorite way to get in their workout. Check out businessinsider.com/exercise-routines-of-highly-sucessful-people-2016-4. Also, see other healthy habits practiced by successful people, found at yurielkaim.com/10-habits-of-sucessful-people/. A common theme in both of these articles, and found in most fitness articles and blogs, is to get moving early in the morning before we get lost in the everyday routines of our very busy lives.

STRENGTH TRAINING:

To get in shape, you must choose some type of strength training to combine with your cardio training. Resistance training is a type of strength training that you must incorporate into your workout schedule. A good article, that explains resistance training, can be found in womenshealthmag.com/fitness/35141213/what-is-resistance-training. This form of fitness training is quite diverse, because it includes equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells, or resistance bands, as well as bodyweight exercises. Pilates and yoga also fall under the category of resistance training.

CARDIO TRAINING:

Our first IJC run event for 2021 will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2021 at 9 a.m., in Jackson Park. Parking will be at 1606 East Hayes Drive (Hayes and Cornell parking lot), Chicago, Illinois. This is a free Chicago Area Runners Association (CARA) event to be co-sponsored with the Chicago Park District. The run will be a timed 5K (3.1 miles ) event with a one-mile option. This is a "Chicago Go-Run" event. The only equipment you will need is guts, a pair of winter running footwear and workout clothing designed for cold weather. Registration will be open on Monday, Feb. 15, 2021 at 7 a.m. Judges will receive an updated medical exam and should register as soon as registration opens. This event is limited to the first 50 people to register due to COVID-19 regulations. It would be great if we could have a showing of at least 10 IJC members out there! See www.cararuns.org for further details. Let's get moving!!!

FITNESS CIRCUIT FOR YOUR HOME:

Don't feel safe going to the gym, ...no worries. Make your house or your chambers your workout space. A rich article from Self Magazine, written by B. Lieberman, C.P.T. and Alex Tucker, gives you no less than 53 bodyweight exercises to choose from in picking a circuit of well rounded go-to exercises, to make or keep you fit, while staying safe. See self.com/gallery/bodyweight-exercises-you-can-do-at-home.

NUTRITION:

For a comprehensive one-stop-shop for the most recent info/tips on nutrition, consider a visit to NutritionFacts.org. Once there, you can register for a vaccine and find answers to your vaccination questions.

COVID-19 CORNER

For the latest info on COVID-19 within Cook County, and to register for the latest vaccine, go to Cookcountypublichealth.org/communicable-diseases/covid-19/covid-vacine/.

As of February 6, 2021, Walgreens and CVS had not started the actual administration of COVID-19 vaccines, but this status could change overnight. Major local hospitals are also close to receiving their share of the COVID-19 vaccinal doses. When this occurs, some hospitals will have nurses to call patients who have been part of their patient databases to arrange vaccination appointments. Northwestern Memorial Hospital, for example, is standing by to activate it's notification process if you are in their system. Hence, please make sure that the hospital of your choice has your most current contact information (email and cell number) so that when they start to receive the vaccines, you will be notified, prepared and ready to roll.

Walmart, however, is already very much in the here and now! Go to www.walmart.com/covid-vacine to arrange your appointment. Use their website to make your appointment. You can also call Walmart, at 1-800-803-8537, if you have an hour or so to invest. We recommend the website route. When you get through to Walmart, there is currently one location that has been so under-used by the surrounding community that others from distant communities are booking appointments with ease. Currently, one prime location to consider is the Walmart Pharmacy located at 10900 South Doty, right near the 111th Street exit of the Bishop Ford Expressway. This info could change as time elapses. Please seriously consider increasing your odds of being protected by getting the vaccine.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in our IJC SWEAT CORNER submissions are not the opinions of the Illinois Judicial Council. These are simply informational submissions that the reader may consider discussing with their own healthcare provider before acting on any suggestions.