AustinTalks (http://austintalks.org/category/opinion/)
Austin minister Ira Acree, senior pastor of Greater St. John Bible Church, will be joining other faith leaders Wednesday to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Here’s his message to West Side residents, especially those who aren’t sure they want to be vaccinated when it’s their turn.
“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.
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.
Rev. Ira Acree and David Cherry, co-chair and president of the Leaders Network, say everyone must work together to reform and reimagine policing in our communities.
“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.
Rep. La Shawn Ford reflects on the significance of June 19th now being recognized as a state holiday in Illinois.
Valerie F. Leonard, founder of Nonprofit Utopia, warns residents of predominantly Black neighborhoods their rights will be diminished under approved legislative maps awaiting Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s signature.
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.
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.
The Leaders Network says “we must remain vigilant for justice” until Chauvin, the former Minnesota police officer convicted Tuesday of killing George Floyd, is sentenced. David Cherry, Rev. Ira Acree, Rev. Cy Fields and Rev. Marshall Hatch say it won’t be until June whether we know if there has been true justice in this case.
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.
