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.

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.