by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Christopher Columbus statue and the Electoral College – both racist legacies of white supremacy
George Floyd’s death set off a global movement for racial justice. In the fervor of this movement, two events should be seen and understood through the frame of white supremacy. The Peoria Park District is evaluating the fate of the…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Anti-Racism
Racism and anti-racism do not come with on-off switches. Anti-racism is a continual learning process. It requires practice. Everyday offers unique opportunities to learn, understand and embody anti-racist thought and practice. Mistakes happen. Nothing along this journey will be perfect,…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Sincere Williams: A rising voice in Peoria’s justice community
Most of America and the world are appalled by the murder of George Floyd who died with his neck under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer while other police officers passively looked on. If you don’t see this…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Overt voter suppression fails in Wisconsin
A perfect storm of voter suppression in the middle of a global pandemic failed in Wisconsin last month. The Democratic governor tried to postpone the election to a later, safer date –– a move many states had already done. The…
We are living in dangerous times for democracy when the press is blamed, pilloried, discredited and barred from public meetings. The national press pool is corralled in at Trump rallies as the crowd chants “Lock them up.” That animosity has…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Capitalism, racism, fast food and the Golden Arches
Are fast food franchises a valuable mechanism for economic growth in African-American communities or a blight that spreads high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and more? Apparently, depending on your perspective, it can be either or it can be both. Fast…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | 2019: A year of hate; 2020: A year redressing hate
Southern Poverty Law Center has tracked a steady rise in hate groups from 892 in 2015 to 917 in 2016 and 1,020 groups in 2018. The numbers for 2019 won’t be released until next month, but news accounts document an…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | “Eating the planet to death”
The most effective way to slow global climate change is with dietary changes, according to Dr. John McDougall. Changes in our diet can be more effective immediately than driving a Prius, turning off the lights, lowering the thermostat and viable…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Courage or cowardice: Learning America’s true history takes courage
In the din and clamor over the 2020 presidential election, it’s easy to feel adrift and unable to influence the direction of our country. Maybe it’s even easy to feel a little apathetic, a little despair. But Bryan Stevenson and…
by Clare Howard • • Comments Off on Editorial | Kim Foxx: Diversity critical for justice and equality
People wiped away tears as they listened to Kim Foxx deliver the keynote address at the Peoria Bar Association’s 16th Annual Diversity Lunch. Foxx is the first African American woman to serve as Cook County State’s Attorney in the 100…