News
Help Chicago heal
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The suicide of Illinois State Police Trooper Gerald Mason is a tragedy for his family, his co-workers and for all of us, writes state Rep. La Shawn Ford. How can we make sense of this? How can we prevent suicide?
News
National Recovery Month is personal and universal
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State Rep. La Shawn Ford reminds us that every family has someone who has struggled with addiction and substance use disorder. “We are in this together.” Meeting someone where they are at means bridging the gap between your own expectations and where the other person is coming from.
News
Chicago needs to focus on Black lives
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“What does a focus on Black Lives look like? First, we have to VALUE Black Lives. We have to be honest about the history of Black Lives in our country and in our city. Stories have to be told about the past and the present,” says state Rep. La Shawn Ford.
Opinion
Chicago needs to focus on Black lives
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What does a focus on Black lives look like? asks state Rep. La Shawn Ford.
“First, we have to VALUE Black lives. We have to be honest about the history of Black lives in our country and in our city. Stories have to be told about the past and the present, Ford says.
Community
Violence and mental health
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“We need mental health support to match the police deployment on the South and West sides of Chicago,” writes state lawmaker La Shawn Ford. He believes in the public health approach to violence, which sees violence as preventable not inevitable.
history
The significance of Juneteenth
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Rep. La Shawn Ford reflects on the significance of June 19th now being recognized as a state holiday in Illinois.
addiction
Encouraging Good Samaritans
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A new state law protects a person who provides emergency medical assistance to someone who’s experiencing an overdose. A Good Samaritan in these cases cannot be arrested, charged or prosecuted for drug violations. State Rep. La Shawn Ford lauds the new law, noting more Good Samaritans are needed to give naloxone, the medication used to reverse an overdose.
Derek Chauvin
Verdict in Minnesota just the first step in ensuring justice for all, state lawmaker says
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Rep. La Shawn Ford says there’s so much more that needs to be done to address systemic and racist failures of policing in the United States.
Opinion
Improving education in Illinois
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Legislation signed into law last week by Gov. J.B. Pritzker expands already required Black history coursework to include pre-enslavement of Black people, why Black people came to be enslaved and the American Civil Rights renaissance. The new law – a key part of the Illinois Black Caucus’ legislative agenda – also increases the percentage of grant funds prioritized for Black males and incorporates consideration of financial need in awarding grants, among other improvements to higher education.
health
9 things to know about the vaccine
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State Rep. La Shawn Ford shares this information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the COVID-19 vaccines are given to healthcare personnel and nursing home residents. Essential workers and those 75 years and older will be able to get the shots next.