This is a page devoted to Black Lives Matters resources I’ve collected. I am a white person in Chicago, so most of the resources will be focused on Chicago initiatives and how we, as white people, can educate ourselves and challenge our own prejudices and racism. This page will be constantly updated as I find new sources, organizations, and initiatives.
Defund the Police
Organized by Interrupting Criminalization, this website is a “A one-stop-shop for organizers and advocates looking for tools, resources, and trainings to divest from policing and build safer communities”
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)
Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression was created in 1973 to fight for Angela Davis’ freedom and continues to fight for the rights of oppressed people. They have been integral to the fight for civil rights and Black liberation for decades and continue to be a powerful voice in Chicago.
They have two main campaigns:
Empowering Communities for Public Safety (ECPS)-The coalitions behind the Civilian Police Accountability Council (CPAC) and Grassroots Alliance for Police Accountability (GAPA) ordinances have united and created an ordinance that combines the best parts of GAPA and CPAC to defund the police and place the community in charge of how to keep people safe. This ordinance was passed by the city council earlier this month. Here are next steps:
- Interim Commission-An interim Commission on Public Safety is being formed and the CPAC and GAPA coalitions are looking for people to apply. Once the city receives enough applications, it will appoint people to the commission
- Referendum-We need the city council to support a referendum ordinance. This ordinance will turn the Comission on Public Safety into a directly-elected, unlike its current iteration where the members are appointed by city hall. Right now this ordinance is with the Rules Committee.
- District Councils-ECPS created 22 district councils within each police district. These councils have the power to make decisions about local public safety and and select nominees for the Commission on Public Safety. We need people to run for these councils in the 2023 elections.
Sign up here to get involved
CFist-CAARPR is campaigning to Free Incarcerated Survivors of Police Torture. Chicago has a history of torturing Black and Latino people into false confessions. We have a police officer, Jon Burge, who is known as the torturer. And we are known for our infamous Homan Square. CAARPR is fighting to get many of these prisoners released.
The Black Abolitionist Network
The organization is a constellation of people & organizations collaborating to dismantle anti-Black and carceral systems and build systems that affirm and nurture Black lives. They are the driving force for the DefundCPD campaign. The Chicago police have a terrible history of terrorizing, torturing, and abusing BIPOC and cause more harm than good. We need a new solution.
DefundCPD just came out with 4 demands for 2021-2022 and they’re asking us to call our alders and mayor and ask them to support these demands. They are as follows:
- Fund community resources, infrastructure, and violence interruption jobs by laying off cops
- Not use COVID relief dollars for the Chicago police department or banks (because at least half of the covid relief money Chicago received last year went to cops, while the city fired teachers, social workers, and other staff members to justify her budget).
- Cancel the Chicago Police Department contract with the ShotSpotter and redirect the money to the Peace Book and Community Restoration Ordinance to effectively address gun violence
- End all closed-door negotiations with the Fraternal Order of Police.
Movement 4 Black Lives
The Movement for Black Lives was created in December 2014 to be a space for Black organizations to come together to debate, share, and organize together to create a shared movement wide strategy. They have an seemingly endless supply of resources and campaigns to help achieve Black Liberation including:
A Guide on how to Encounter with the FBI
And so much more
Chicago Torture Justice Center
The Chicago Torture Justice Center was created to address the traumas of police violence and institutionalized racism. The goal of the center is to end all police violence. They offer trauma-informed resources and trauma-informed support.
Chicago Community Bond Fund
Chicago Community Bond Fund and Coalition to End Money Bond organization around money bond and and prison support. They recently won a huge victory with the passing of Pre-Trial Fairness Act, ending money bond in Illinois. However, the act is sitting on Governor Pritzker’s desk, so we need to call him to sign it.
Good Kids Mad City
Good Kids Mad City is a powerhouse of youth activism. They have been marching, organizing, and fighting to defund the police, end police violence, and gun violence. They’ve been organizing mutual aid and trainings. They are a youth led organization dedicated towards developing youth-led action.
Homeless Black Trans Women Fund
This fund is to help the small community of Black Trans women living on the streets of Atlanta. The purpose is to end homeless for this community and help them find permanent housing.
The Okra Project
The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans people. They also provided mutual aid for COVID-19 and the Nina Pop and Tony McDade Mental Health Recovery Funds for Trans people who need mental assistance.
Trans Women of Color Collective
This collective was created to provide economic opportunities and safe spaces for trans people of color and to engage in healing through restorative justice. They provide community funds, economic empowerment, and community building.
Brave Space Alliance
Brave Space Alliance is the first Black-led, trans-led LGBTQ+ Center located on the South Side of Chicago, dedicated to creating and providing affirming, culturally competent, resources, programming, and services for LGBTQ+ individuals on the South and West sides of the city. They strive to empower, embolden, and educate the LGBTQ+ community through mutual aid, knowledge-sharing, and the creation of community-sourced resources. They provide COVID-19 support, food pantry support, coat drives, and telehealth programs.
Black Lives Matter Chicago
This is the Chicago based branch of the Black Lives Matters movement. They have ten demands such as:
- Close Homan Square
- CPAC Now
- No Cops in School
- Accountability for Police Murder and Torture
- Justice for All Killed by the Police
- Fire Murderous and Abusive Cops
- End Youth Incarceration
- Defund the Police
- Investment in Community Resources
- Release the Imprisoned Jon Burge Torture Survivors
Project NIA
Project NIA supports abolition, ending the arrest, detention, and incarceration of children and young adults by promoting transformative and restorative justice. They are a great of source of information, trainings, and organization actions to achieve abolition.
Show Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Chicago
Stand Up for Racial Justice Chicago organizes people for racial justice through accountability partnerships with Black and Brown-led organizations. They support a number of Chicago based actions such as Defund CPD, CPAC Now, and the recent battle to end pre-trial money bond. They also organize trainings and small group cohorts to help people engage with anti-racist work and learn about organization and showing up for racial justice.
Interesting Articles
Financial Literacy in the Black Community
Author: Rachel ChristianEditor: Lee Williams
This is an important and fascinating article that identifies gaps in the black community’s financial literacy, how their financial education and resources compares to other community’s financial education and resources, and how those gaps can be addressed.
Supporting Black Creators
Podcasts
1619
Code Switch
White Homework
Floodlines
Black History Year
Abolition Science Radio
Intersectionality Matters!
Speakeasy
In the Thick
Black-Owned Bookstores in Chicago:
Semicolon
Frontline Distribution International
Last updated: 2/08/2023
Art of Asymmetrical Warfare 