True Social Justice & Racial Equity Is Hard Work
I woke up this morning to two stories dominating my news feed. First, the sudden death of the beloved Black congressman and justice fighter from Baltimore, Elijah Cummings. Second, enthusiastic support for the Chicago Teachers Union strike. I saw the face of their campaign, Stacy Davis Gates, fiercely handling the […]
As a racial scholar and advocate, with an interest in White liberal northern racism, I’ve been closely following the racial equity “vision statement” conversation with Oak Park Village Board. First it’s amazing that there is this much struggle over A VISION STATEMENT! It’s just words! There is literally nothing actually […]
Racism in America, and, racism in Oak Park is nothing new. But calling out the racism of White liberals, unapologetically and blatantly, is a newer trend. For better or worse, most White conservatives own and are unapologetic with their racism. As an anti-racism advocate, my writing creed is, “call racism, […]
The moment has arrived! You got your CPS results. Before you do anything else, take a deep breath. Remember, GoCPS is largely a lottery system and the results in the letter you received this week have little to nothing to do with the academic potential of your child. These […]
TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY! TOMORROW IS ELECTION DAY AND CHICAGO WILL HAVE ITS FIRST BLACK WOMAN MAYOR!!! #BLACKGIRLMAGIC But the question is: will it be Toni Preckwinkle or Lori Lightfoot? To be transparent, I am #TeamToni. However, these predictions are based on my political knowledge, not my political opinions. Also, […]
By ShaRhonda Knott Dawson I love my community. I live in an incredibly diverse cluster of suburbs in West Suburban Cook County (Chicago.) By far, the most popular suburb of my local suburban cluster is Oak Park. It is a beautiful village, full of stunning architectural homes by famed architect, […]
In Chicago, we don’t have political parties; everyone is a Democrat. However, we do have Chicago political tribes. I will give a detailed overview of our political tribes, we don’t have political parties; there are not enough Republicans in the city to even really discuss them. Chicago political parties Chicago is […]
It is cold as Ann Coulter’s heart in Chicago. Which means, many homeless people, will be utilizing public spaces, to keep warm. The most vulnerable homeless population is that of double diagnosis: substance abuse and mental illness. These are the folks who are unable to stay in a shelter, housing, […]
As the Black mother of two Black girls, I am always acutely aware of how Black girls are harmed in this society. However, there are some moments in America, when it is amplified that me and my girls, are truly at the bottom of the totem pole of those deemed […]
by ShaRhonda Knott-Dawson Are you planning to use GoCPS to apply for your child’s elementary school for next year? Well, buckle up, because it’s not easy. The process of choosing schools, applying, and enrolling your child in the Chicago Public Schools is daunting for even the most seasoned of parents. As […]