#NoCopAcademy documentary, Mayor Brandon Johnson sworn in, and CBP One app crashes for migrants
Plus, DePaul Mission and Ministry addresses history
Welcome back to ‘In the Loop’! It’s your newsletter team — Kate, Citlali, Anna, Eiman, Cary, Lauren, Monique, Bridget and Grace — back again with a Monday night newsletter.
Tonight, we’re looking at the #NoCopAcademy campaign ahead of 14 East’s documentary screening and discussion on the movement next week. Mayor Brandon Johnson was sworn in earlier today as Chicago’s 57th mayor, promising to make room for migrants in Chicago looking for shelter. At the southern border, the CBP One app used for immigration appointments is not accessible for many migrants.
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The documentary screening and discussion will be on Wednesday, May 24. RSVP here and keep reading to learn about the campaign.
What is the #NoCopAcademy campaign?
By Citlali Perez
Whether or not you’ve heard of the #NoCopAcademy campaign, you may be familiar with local and nationwide demands to defund the police. Although this demand gained traction during the 2020 protests following the murder of George Floyd, it has been part of local ongoing efforts in Chicago to reallocate funds into intentionally divested and over-policed communities on the South and West sides.
The #NoCopAcademy campaign began in September 2017 in response to former mayor Rahm Emanuel’s announcement to construct a then-proposed $95 million police and fire training academy in West Garfield Park. Although this was happening on the West Side, it struck a cord for many who had seen and experienced the violence of having their schools and mental health clinics closed.
As the chant goes, “No Cop Academy, $95 million for community,” the organizers demanded that the city drop the proposal and instead invest in other services such as schools and mental health care for the sake of public safety. The campaign was led by Black and Brown youth from the West and South sides and supported by experienced organizers.
As a high school student, I got involved in this campaign through the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council along with other youth from the Southwest Side. I met people from other parts of the city I wouldn’t have met otherwise and learned about some of the issues their communities faced and how they intersect. I had witnessed four schools close in Englewood and was already questioning the way the city invested in certain communities. #NoCopACademy was my first exposure to an abolitionist campaign and a stepping stone to understanding how Chicago’s city council works.
The campaign took control of its narrative through rallies, art parties, train takeovers and social media posts. As it gained more recognition, #NoCopAcademy became a talking point for mayoral and aldermanic candidates in the 2019 municipal election.
On March 13, 2019, city council passed a 38-8 vote approving the proposal to construct the $95 million training academy, marking the end of the #NoCopAcademy campaign. On January 23, 2023, the city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the now $128 million training facility.
Despite losing its main demand, #NoCopAcademy changed the way that public safety is talked about in the city. Mayor Brandon Johnson ran a campaign on police reform. Johnson’s public safety platform was based on investing in social services as a way to get to the root cause of the issue of violence in many neighborhoods. He supports the Treatment Not Trauma campaign which calls for redirecting funds into mental health services and is led by some former #NoCopAcademy organizers.
As we look to the future and engage in current conversations around public safety it’s helpful to look back to this campaign. In Atlanta, organizers are pushing to stop the construction of a $90 million training facility for police in the Weelaunee Forest. They have looked to the efforts of #NoCopAcademy organizers as an example as they work to #StopCopCity.
If you'd like to learn more, 14 East is hosting a public newsroom showing the #NoCopAcademy documentary produced by SoapBox Productions and Organizing next Wednesday, May 24 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 14 E. Jackson Blvd, LL102. Hear from the producers of the documentary and former organizers of the campaign (including myself). The panel will be moderated by our community events coordinator, Monique Petty-Ashmeade, and co-moderated by DePaul alumnus and former 14 East editor-in-chief Grace Del Vecchio. RSVP through this link.
DePaul News
By Anna Retzlaff
Vice president of Mission and Ministry addresses DePaul’s history of institutional racism and Vincentian slaveholding
“In the context of our Vincentian history, we are now firmly confronting such an absurdity in our complicity in causing, instead of reducing, people’s suffering,” Fr. Guillermo Campuzano, Vice President of Mission and Ministry wrote on Monday. Vincentians, members of a community founded by St. Vincent DePaul, hold a history of slaveholding. Additionally, the university has admitted to perpetuating systemic racism. The university has plans to rename two spaces on campus this week to honor a woman enslaved by a Vincentian bishop. For more details, read the full blog here.
Career Center Job Search Lab
To help prepare students to connect with employers, DePaul’s Career Center has set up a weekly Job Search Lab as a resource this quarter. The next session is this Thursday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Arts & Letters Hall, Room 110. Visit the Career Center’s web page to learn more.
DePaul’s student cybersecurity team earns third place in national competition
The Security Daemons, DePaul’s student cybersecurity team placed third in a competition against 177 other teams, marking 2023 the fourth year in a row DePaul has made it to nationals. Visit here for more information on the team.
DePaul alum selected for Cannes Film Festival residence
Don Josephus Raphael Eblahan, a graduate of DePaul and Sundance Film Festival prizewinner, is one of six young filmmakers chosen for Residence of the Festival de Cannes. This program supports its residents in writing screenplays. Read more about those selected on the Festival de Cannes website.
Chicago Headlines
By Eiman Navaid
New Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, is sworn in — Brandon Johnson was sworn in as the new mayor of Chicago on Monday afternoon at the University of Illinois at Chicago’s Credit Union 1 Arena. Johnson’s initiatives include hiking real estate transfer tax to fund anti-homelessness initiatives, and to make room for migrants who are looking to settle in Chicago. “Our best and brighter days are ahead of us,” Johnson said. Alice Yin and Gregory Pratt of the Chicago Tribune have the details.
Zedd and Zara Larsson among Pride in the Park headliners— Zedd and Zara Larsson, along with Years and Years and others, are among the list of performers announced for this year’s Pride Month festival on June 23 and 24 in Grant Park. Tickets are now available to purchase online. Kelly Bauer of Block Club Chicago has the details.
Funeral for slain Chicago officer on Wednesday — The funeral for Chicago police officer Aréanah Preston, who was fatally shot on her way home from work on the South Side in early May, will take place on Wednesday at Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side. Preston was shot by a group of four teenagers in front of her home, according to prosecutors. Sophie Sherry of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Groupon in trouble — The Chicago-based company is facing growing economic concern as they terminate their lease at their River North headquarters two years early, with threats that the company could dissolve within a year. Groupon faced a loss of $29 million in just the first quarter, according to their economic reports. Robert Channick of the Chicago Tribune reports.
National Headlines
By Cary Robbins
President Joe Biden’s CBP One App does not work according to migrants — President Joe Biden and his administration launched the app CBP One earlier this year, which is supposed to help people seeking refuge into the U.S. from the Mexico border. The goal of the app is to help people schedule an immigration appointment at any port of entry. Many people, however, are saying that the app does not work. With little internet connection, people have found that the app crashes before they are able to make an appointment, and others arrive at the border with no access to phones or internet service at all. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection said they are trying to make changes to the app; however, people are still complaining that this will prevent many people with no access to smartphones or internet access from seeking refuge. Read more about this from Hilary Beaumont’s article for Al Jazeera.
Florida scientist breaks new record for days living underwater — Dr. Deep Sea, a name that Florida scientist Joe Dituri calls himself, broke the record for the longest time living underwater. For more than 70 days, Dituri has been living underwater in Jules’ Undersea Lodge, which is a glass and steel habitat that sits 30 feet below a lagoon in Key Largo, Florida. The structure is laying on four legs at the bottom of the sea and is filled with compressed air that prevents flooding. Dituri is planning to stay in this fixture for a total of 100 days, until June 9, when he plans to come back to land and get examinations to see what living underwater for 100 days does to a person’s body. Read more about living underwater from an article in CNN, written by Jack Guy.
Palestinians remember Nakba displacement and violence — The year 1948 sparked decades of violence and dispossession for many Palestinians, and a year in which some refer to as Al-Nakba or the catastrophe. This was the start of the creation of the Israeli state that led to the violent expulsion of over 750,000 Palestinians. Over 70 years later, people can still vividly remember fleeing from the violence as children. In an article written by Brian Osgood for Al Jazeera, Palestinians recall memories of the Nakba dispossession.
World leaders discuss nuclear weapons at the G-7 summit — President Joe Biden will arrive in Hiroshima, Japan later this week on the 75th anniversary of the tragic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 by the U.S. The nuclear explosion completely destroyed the city and killed over 100,000 people at the end of World War II. The president will be visiting the city during the G-7 summit, where he and other world leaders will be discussing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the global economy and climate change. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida wants to discuss the danger of nuclear weapons at the summit. Many countries have been increasing their nuclear weapons, and Russia has been threatening to use their weapons on Ukraine. To learn more about the summit and the danger of nuclear weapons, read Scott Detrow’s article in NPR.
Hey, Check This Out!
With Featured Columnist Lauren Sheperd
Hello everyone and welcome back! It is mid-May now, which I’m hoping makes the warm weather stick. In order to manifest this – or at least pretend it’s summer – I’ve been listening to my spring and summer playlist. It has also been keeping me going during the last few weeks of the quarter. Here are my top five summer songs:
1. “Grapejuice” by Harry Styles: Since Styles released his third solo album “Harry’s House” last year, I’ve been non-stop listening to at least some of the songs on the album. “Grapejuice” is one of the less well-known songs on the album, and makes me want to go to Trader Joe’s and get flowers, which I almost always do. It’s slower than the rest of the songs on this list, but is relaxing, fun and keeps me going while I run my errands.
2. “Chiquitita” by ABBA: ABBA is one of my favorite bands of all time, and I’ve been going through a phase with them. Of all of the ABBA songs I regularly listen to, “Chiquitita” is the one that reminds me most of summer. I don’t know if it’s the vibe of the song or that it became a TikTok trend showing off warm scenery last year, but it is one of my go-tos.
3. “Doses & Mimosas” by Cherub: The next song is one of the most highly-regarded summer songs of our generation, “Doses & Mimosas.” While Cherub can be considered a one-hit wonder, their 2014 song has been a staple among high school and college students since it came out. The reason I love this song is simply because it makes me happy. It reminds me of going to the beach, hanging out with my friends outside and driving around back home.
4. “Cruel Summer” by Taylor Swift: Swift’s “Lover” album is another one that I always think of as the weather starts to get warmer. Swift’s current tour taking over my social media has also amplified this trend for me this year. Of all the songs on “Lover,” “Cruel Summer” screams warm weather the most, and not just because of the title. “Cruel Summer” is upbeat and fun, and includes one of Swift’s famous bridges.
5. “Tongue Tied” by GROUPLOVE: Finally, I had to go with a nostalgic classic. “Tongue Tied” has been on my summer playlist ever since I started making summer playlists in 2019. Not only is it a fun and upbeat song, but it always makes me think of good times.
Hopefully, you all can use these songs (and others) to keep yourself going through the last few weeks of the quarter!
Resources
Need resources regarding cooling centers, rental assistance, abortion access, COVID-19 testing and vaccines or mental health? Check out our complete list here.
That’s it for today! See you next Monday.
The 14 East Newsletter Team