On Tuesday, the Workers Center for Racial Justice (WCRJ) hosted the 2018 Forum for Safety and Liberation in collaboration with the Center for Racial and Gender Equity (CRGE) and Black PAC.
On Tuesday, the Workers Center for Racial Justice (WCRJ) hosted the 2018 Forum for Safety and Liberation in collaboration with the Center for Racial and Gender Equity (CRGE) and Black PAC. We were joined by nearly one hundred local residents for a public dialogue on how communities can build safe and free neighborhoods by dismantling anti-Black systems of police occupation and mass incarceration, and investing in initiatives that promote equity and liberation for people of color. During the forum, grassroots leaders shared community-level perspectives on key issues related to racialized disparities in public safety, and called upon prominent local figures, including State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Chicago Police Commander Boyd, as well as mayoral candidates Lori Lightfoot and Troy LaRaviere, to support a community defined platform for Black safety and liberation.
Through storytelling, members of WCRJ and our comrades at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) described the devastating impacts that decades of racially targeted law enforcement and detention practices have had on communities of color. Speaking truth to power, grassroots leadership articulated a new vision of community safety rooted in racial equity, justice and political power.
In response to community concerns, State’s Attorney Kim Foxx outlined a set of initiatives her office will implement in order to promote fairness within the law enforcement system, including bail reform, data transparency, restorative justice, and prosecutorial diversion programs. Mayoral candidates voiced their commitments to equitable investment in public schools, affordable housing, and living wage jobs for all Chicagoans.
In the coming weeks, as we continue our fight for safe and free neighborhoods, WCRJ will deepen its engagement with community members for input and leadership. Through base building, political education and legislative advocacy, WCRJ will be on frontlines in the struggle for safety and liberation. Please contact us if you would like to learn more about how you can get involved in our campaigns.