IC-SS Weekly News: December 11, 2023
Stay Strong – Messages from Leaders
We make a difference — and it shows. At the recent holiday gathering for local chapters of the Indivisible Chicago Alliance, we heard from these leaders in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan: Rep. Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Ben Wikler (WisDems), and Michigan State Rep. Joey Andrews. Watch them here.
Each leader told us how important our work has been for their success and for progressive causes. Watch them speak.
Thanks again to Teri Watkins, Steve Kagan, Sophia Watson, Sarah Lincoln, Kathleen Atlass, and Esther Peters for representing Indivisible Chicago-South Side at this event. Let’s stay strong together for the critical work ahead in 2024.
Get Active
2024 is right around the corner. Whether you have a lot of time or a little, you can help protect our democracy and prevent autocracy. Some options:
- Get involved with Indivisible Chicago-South Side – find events and actions in our weekly newsletter (this!) and follow us on Facebook
- Indivisible Chicago-South Side is a chapter of the Indivisible Chicago Alliance (ICA). Learn more at the Indivisible Chicago Alliance website & sign up for ICA Daily Actions (M-F each week) and other alerts
- Follow national Indivisible at the Indivisible website
- Follow Swing Left at the Swing Left website
- Follow Sister District at the Sister District website
Dark Money Behind Attacks on Trans Rights
From Indivisible Evanston and Indivisible Naperville: Indivisible Evanston and Indivisible Naperville present a webinar on trans rights, gender affirming care, and the dark money influences behind the attacks on the trans and LGBTQ+ community.
On Tuesday, January 9th, at 7:00 pm, join the Zoom webinar Trans Rights, Gender Affirming Care and Dark Money, presented by Indivisible Evanston and Indivisible Naperville. Register here.
Speakers will include Dane Menkin, Nurse Practitioner and Director of LGBTQ Services; Naiymah Sanchez, Trans Rights Advocate and Educator – ACLU of Pennsylvania; Aisha Davis, Senior Policy Counsel, ACLU Illinois. Register!
Panel on Migrant Crisis: Dec. 18
From Indivisible Illinois: Join Indivisible Illinois Monday, December 18th at 6:30pm on Zoom for a discussion panel on the Migrant Crisis: Causes, Challenges, and Solutions. By understanding the causes, challenges, and potential solutions, we hope to foster empathy, cooperation, and informed decision-making in addressing this global issue.
The panelists are Rep. Delia Ramirez – U.S. Congresswoman, IL03; Fred Tsao – Senior Policy Counsel, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant Refugee Rights; and Dr. Janice Jayes – Professor of History specializing in Human Movement in a World of Nation-States, Illinois State University.
To attend the Migrant Crisis: Causes, Challenges, and Solutions webinar on Zoom, Mon Dec. 18th, 6:30 pm, register here.
ICA – Call for a Ceasefire 2023
The citywide Indivisible Chicago Alliance shares this statement and action:
We urge our members of Congress to support an immediate ceasefire, to ensure humanitarian aid to residents of Gaza, to continue to demand the release of all hostages, and to block US military aid to Israel that would cause additional civilian deaths in Gaza.
Please join us by contacting your Representative and Senators Duckworth & Durbin with these same demands. Call them daily—it makes a difference!
- Senator Duckworth | DC: 202-224-2854 | Chicago 312-886-3506 | Email Sen. Duckworth or call another office
- SenatorDurbin | DC: 202-224-2152 | Chicago 312-353-4952 | Email Sen. Durbin or call another office
- Find your representative.
Organizations and Opportunities
Indivisible Chicago-South Side shares information and actions from other organizations on issues important in our country, state, city, and communities.
Police Accountability Meetings: Dec 14
THURSDAY: If you live in the 2nd police district, attend the 2nd District Council meeting this Thursday, December 14th, 6:30-8:00 pm (doors open at 6:00), at Church of the Good Shepherd, 5700 S Prairie Ave. You can also attend by Zoom – register here.
Sign up to receive the 2nd District Council newsletter.
Don’t know which police district you live in/which District Council represents you? Find your police district here and then find your District Council information here.
This Friday: Join STOP’s Celebration
From Southside Together Organizing for Power (STOP): Earlier in November, the City Council passed a 2024 city budget that re-opens two free public mental-health centers and expands police-free mental-health first response. After campaigning for over a decade, this is a milestone victory, and it is real progress on both of the core demands of Treatment Not Trauma. Celebrate together this Friday!
Join STOP for a Treatment Not Trauma victory celebration and holiday party: this Friday, December 15th, 7:00-11:00 pm at 6100 S. Blackstone.
Read more about Treatment Not Trauma in South Side Weekly’s story: City Council Moves Forward on Treatment Not Trauma
Canvass or Phonebank to Support Bring Chicago Home
From Bring Chicago Home: It’s time to Bring Chicago Home! This weekend, come along to knock doors for Bring Chicago Home or phone voters from your home. We’ll be talking with our neighbors about the Bring Chicago Home referendum and why it’s important we VOTE YES to more housing in the upcoming March primary.
ACT:
- CANVASS. This Saturday, December 16th, 11:00 am-1:00 pm, meet at Parkside Academy, 6938 S. East End Ave. Along with Not Me We, come knock doors in the area to inform voters about Bring Chicago Home. Sign up here.
- PHONE. This Sunday, December 17th, 4:00-7:00 pm, phone voters from your home in a phonebank hosted by Grassroots Collaborative. Sign up here.
LEARN: What is Bring Chicago Home? With over 68,000 people homeless in Chicago, the Bring Chicago Home coalition aims to create a dedicated revenue stream for the city to address homelessness by funding more permanent housing and supportive services.
The proposal would be funded by changing the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), a one-time tax on properties when they are sold, to a progressive structure. So properties sold for under $1 million–roughly 96% of real estate sales in Chicago–would receive a tax cut, while properties sold for over $1 million would see a slight increase to the transfer tax.
In order to enact this policy, Chicago voters need to VOTE YES on the referendum that will be on the March 19 primary ballot.
Give to the RonnieMan Holiday Toy Drive
The ninth annual RonnieMan Holiday Toy Drive is underway. The toy drive is organized by founder Dorothy Holmes, whose son Ronald “RonnieMan” Johnson III was killed by a police officer in 2014. Get the full story in this Block Club Chicago story.
Ways to give to the RonnieMan Toy Drive:
- Drop off unwrapped new toys or gift cards for young teens at Chicago Torture Justice Center, 6337 S. Woodlawn or other locations.
- Donate to the RonnieMan Toy Drive’s GoFundMe.
- Buy items from the drive’s Amazon wish list.
- Get more info in the Block Club Chicago story.
