CHICAGO, Dec. 10 – A broad coalition of community and city-wide organizations, including two MCHR organizations, the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, released a groundbreaking report today to the UN committee responsible for overseeing the U.S.’ compliance with the International Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination.
According to Jane Ramsey, Executive Director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, “All people have the right to be treated fairly and with dignity. Our report documents examples of pervasive racial discrimination occurring in Chicago including unequal opportunities to education, housing, health and public services such as transportation. Police corruption, death penalty sentencing and incarceration rates disproportionately target people of color. We need strategies to dismantle this pattern of structural racism.”
Willie J.R. Fleming, of the Coalition to Protect Public Housing, states, “This is a timely report as the city of Chicago attempts to win the bid for the 2016 Olympics. If the city truly wants to be seen as a world class city, then everyone’s rights need to be protected and human rights standards need to be established.”
The release of this report comes on the same day as the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee is meeting to consider a $20 million settlement for four of the over 100 individuals who were tortured by Lieutenant John Burge and other Chicago police officers at Area 2 Police Headquarters.
The coalition provided Mayor Richard Daley’s office with a letter inviting him to “work closely with our coalition to create and implement human rights standards for the City of Chicago.” Similar initiatives have been taken in other U.S. cities, including San Francisco and New York City.
To read the full report, click here.
Source: DGAP Network (Developing Government Accountability to the People), 12/10/07
Contributors to DGAP: Access Living, Alianza, Applied Research Center, Better Government Association, Blocks Together, Chicago Coalition for the Homeless, Chicago Recycling Coalition, Community Renewal Society, Coalition to Protect Public Housing, DePaul Egan Urban Center, DePaul University Geography Department, The Dina and Eli Field EZRA Multi-Service Center, Grassroots Collaborative, Illinois Public Interest Research Group, Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organization, Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, Jobs with Justice, Lakeview Action Coalition, Lugenia Burns Hope Center, Metro Seniors in Action, Nathalie P. Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement, Pilsen Environmental Rights and Reform Organization, Pilsen Alliance, San Lucas Workers Center, SEIU Local 73, Southside Together Organizing for Power, Southside Organizers’ Summit
