[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Month of Anti-"Chief" Action Begins Tomorrow!

[Brooke Anderson]

>Delivered-To: PRC-L at listproc.prairienet.org
>Delivered-To: prc-l at prairienet.org
>Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 17:51:37 -0600 (CST)
>From: "Progressive Resource/Action Coop." <xx308 at prairienet.org>
>To: prc-l at prairienet.org
>Subject: Month of Anti-"Chief" Action Begins Tomorrow!
>Sender: owner-prc-l at prairienet.org
>Status:  O
>
>Dear friends,
>
>After 15 years of organizing to eliminate "Chief Illinwek, we are now
>31 days away from a possible vote by the University of Illinois Board
>of Trustees on the fate of "Chief Illiniwek." This semester, we have
>an unprecedented opportunity to banish from our campus and community
>one of the most blatant examples of racism in our midst. In order to
>do this, however, we need you help! Please read on for more
>information about how to get involved:
>
>MONTH OF ANTI-"CHIEF" ACTION
>Dozens of organizations, including the PRC, have joined forces to
>launch a Month of Anti-"Chief" Action to saturate the campus and
>community with educational and advocacy activities to pressure the
>Board of Trustees to vote to eliminate "Chief Illiniwek" when they
>meet in Urbana in March. As part of the Month of Action, every week
>(beginning this week) we will be sending you an Action Alert asking
>you to contact a different Trustee to encourage them to vote against
>"Chief Illiniwek." If we all took just five minutes to make a phone
>call or write an email, we can mobilize a force for the elimination
>of "Chief Illiniwek" that is unbeatable!
>
>PRESS CONFERENCE TO KICK OFF MONTH OF ANTI-"CHIEF" ACTION
>To kick off this Month of Action, the organizations involved will be
>holding a press conference exactly one month from date of the BOT
>vote -- on Wednesday, February 11th at 2p.m. at the Illinois
>Disciples Foundation at 610 E. Springfield Ave in Champaign. At the
>press conference, the Month of Anti-"Chief" Action Coalition will
>unveil the calendar of activities for the month leading up to the BOT
>vote and calling on Trustees to take action to end racism.
>
>PRC MEETING
>To get involved in the anti-"Chief" movement, please consider
>attending weekly PRC meetings Wednesdays at 7:30p.m. at the Illinois
>Disciples Foundation at which we develop strategy for our campaign
>and do the hands-on work that it will take to eliminate the "Chief."
>
>ILLINOIS STUDENT GOVERNMENT
>As you may already know, on Thursday, February 5th, the Illinois
>Student Government voted to reverse course on their previous
>opposition to "Chief Illiniwek" and to adopt a neutral stance.
>Further, in an attempt by pro-"Chief" members student government to
>delay to the March BOT vote on the "Chief," ISG voted to hold a
>student referendum on the issue of "Chief Illiniwek" a mere week
>after the BOT meeting in March. PRC absolutely opposes the student
>referendum because it ignores the 15 years worth of Native American
>opposition to "Chief Illiniwek" and would instead place the decision
>regarding "Chief Illiniwek" in the hands of mostly non-Native
>students. In other ISG news, there will be a student-wide vote this
>Tuesday and Wednesday about the future of ISG. Voting for "Reform
>Now" will immediately disband ISG and possibly prevent the student
>referendum on "Chief Illiniwek". Voting to restructure ISG after the
>March elections would retain the referendum on "Chief Illiniwek." You
>can vote online at http://www.uiuc.edu/election/vote.
>
>LAKOTA HARDEN IN RESIDENCE AT ALLEN HALL THIS WEEK
>Lakota Harden will be a Guest-in-Residence at Unit One/Allen Hall
>2/9-2/12. She has dedicated her life, as the daughter of seven
>generations of devoted Lakota leaders, to liberation and justice. She
>will be holding the following programs in the South Rec Room of Allen
>Hall (1005 W. Gregory):
>    2/09 7:00pm - Native American Liberation
>    2/09 9:00pm - The Effects of Genocide in Contemporary Society
>    2/10 7:00pm - Native American Women
>    2/10 9:00pm - Writing Workshop - all experience levels welcome
>    2/11 7:00pm - Unlearning Oppression: Interactive Workshop
>    2/11 9:00pm - Follow Me Home - A Cinematic Exploration of Race & Identity
>    2/12 7:00pm - Images of Native Americans - Textbooks, Movies, and Mascots
>    2/12 9:00pm - Traditional Native American Prayer songs
>For more information visit http://www.housing.uiuc.edu/living/unit1/.
>
>Many of you have supported this movement for years, but without being
>able to get directly involved. If ever there was a time when we
>needed your involvement most, it is now. Please consider getting
>involved, if only for the next 4 weeks until the BOT vote (indeed,
>that may be all that it takes!). Please get involved!
>
>For more information, or to get involved, please contact the PRC at
>prc at prairienet.org.
>
>Sincerely,
>The PRC
>
>--


-- 
**************************************
Brooke Anderson
Champaign County Health Care Consumers
44 E. Main St., Suite 208
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone = (217) 352-6533, x 17
Fax = (217) 352-9745
Email = brooke at shout.net
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