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NU alumni design first robotic quarterback
2 CITY
Wandering Cafe makes sustainable street food
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Rue Simmons talks national reparations City’s reparations can act as model, Rue Simmons says By ALEX HARRISON
the daily northwestern @alexhairysun
Illustration by Jacob Fulton
Garrett Gilmer, the new executive director of CAPS. Gilmer hopes to improve access to mental health services through open dialogue and a social justice framework during his time at NU.
Gilmer assumes new role at CAPS Garrett Gilmer, new executive director, to prioritize inclusion By EVAN ROBINSON-JOHNSON
daily senior staffer @sightsonwheels
Northwestern Counseling and Psychological Services has a new executive director, Garrett Gilmer, who said he plans to emphasize inclusion and accessibility in his role. Suppor t star ts w ith
listening and trying to form a partnership with students, Gilmer said. He acknowledged that trust is a process and is especially challenging in a remote environment. “His student-centered approach, along with his aim to ensure an equitable experience for all, aligns with the core values of (AccessibleNU) and (Dean of
Students Office) and we are absolutely thrilled to begin this new partnership,” Associate Dean of Students and Director of AccessibleNU Jill Sieben-Schneider wrote in an email to The Daily. Gilmer comes to NU directly from Bowling Green State University, where he worked as director of the counseling center.
Gilmer started the position two weeks ago, as students and faculty were hearing about alleged sexual harassment and racial discrimination in the NU cheer program. Gilmer said CAPS staff members were made aware of the news and prepared to meet with students accordingly.
» See GILMER, page 6
Ald. Robin Rue Simmons (5th) spoke at a national reparations forum Wednesday to share details on Evanston’s reparations efforts, which will act as a model for other municipalities. The forum was hosted by the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America (N’COBRA) and the National Black Cultural Information Trust (NBCIT). It occurred just hours after a House Judiciary subcommittee reviewed H.R. 40, a bill that would establish a commission to study and develop policy for reparations at the federal level. H.R. 40 has been introduced in every congressional session since 1989, but has never been passed. Rue Simmons, the chair of Evanston’s reparations subcommittee, said the city’s efforts, which center around housing and economic justice, stemmed from a focus on local history and injustices. The first facet of Evanston’s reparations initiative is a homeownership assistance program with $400,000 budgeted to assist descendants of Evanston residents who faced housing discrimination due to city rules between 1919 and 1969. “We decided to advance
reparative justice in the form of reparations for Blacks in Evanston, and not wait on H.R. 40,” Rue Simmons said. “We did it appropriately and in line with the injury that is documented and able to be defended in our city. And that’s largely found in the area of housing, zoning and other wealth-stripping actions.” The forum was moderated by Matsimela Mapfumo, also known as Rev. Mark Thompson, a longtime activist and host of the daily podcast Make It Plain. Offering questions on both H.R. 40 and reparations in general, Mapfumo challenged critics of H.R. 40, and pointed to Evanston’s efforts as an example of more direct reparative work. “If you don’t agree with H.R. 40, or you’re not happy with it… We can say, ‘let’s do a commission and see what forms reparations can take,’” Mapfumo said. “In the meantime, (you) could be doing something in (your) own locale, as what has happened in Evanston.” Rue Simmons said the success of grassroots organizing in Evanston is indicative of the strategy’s viability in cities nationwide. She specifically referenced Amherst, Mass., which recently voted unanimously to commit to a reparations program of its own. “The model has been introduced in Evanston, and many other cities now, including Amherst,” Rue Simmons said. “Just start the work. Reach out to your elected, and your elected
» See RUE SIMMONS, page 6
Medical professionals address Black wellness, resiliency
At a Second Baptist Church webinar, Black medical professionals highlight building Black community By JORJA SIEMONS
the daily northwestern @jorjasiemons
AMITA Health gynecologist Riley Lloyd emphasized the importance of building Black community amid the pandemic Monday night.
“ W hat helps our community is when we’re better neighbors,” Lloyd said. “We tend to run away from (mental health)…we’re going to have to reach out more and face those demons and bring people in.” Lloyd was joined by four local Black medical
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professionals at the “Bridging the Gaps: Black Health and the COVID-19 Vaccine” event, hosted by Evanston’s Second Baptist Church (SBC) and AMITA Saint Francis Hospital Evanston. SBC senior pastor Rev. Dr. Michael Nabors and Kenneth Jones, Saint Francis Hospital’s
chief executive officer moderated a conversation about the state of COVID-19 and the role of the vaccine. Richard Phillips, regional medical director of Illinois Emergency Medicine Specialists and medical director for AMITA Health’s emergency department, stressed how sick
the virus makes people. He recalled his first COVID-19 patient — a 20-year-old Black man — was in the hospital for five weeks even though he had been relatively healthy prior to his diagnosis. “If all 100 people on this webinar were to get COVID-19, about 20 require
hospitalization, which is significant,” Phillips said. While COVID-19’s effects differ from patient to patient, he told viewers it is “not just like the flu,” and can produce substantial health consequences.
» See TRUST, page 6
Sat. 2/20 @ 4pm CST via Zoom tinyurl.com/ DNUonhousing
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