February 1 - 7, 2021

February 1 - 7, 2021 Vol. 29 No. 05

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$1.10 goes to vendor

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Arts & (Home) Entertainment

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SportsWise

We are replacing our usual calendar with virtual events and recommendations from StreetWise vendors, readers and staff to keep you entertained at home!

Discussing March Madness tournament bubbles.

Cover Story: Kamala Harris

We start off Black History Month by celebrating the nation's first female, Black, and Asian vice president! We are so glad she got there, but what exactly does a vice president do?

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From the Streets

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The Playground

Advocates for people who are incarcerated celebrate two victories.

First, the Illinois General Assembly passed a law, which Gov. J. B. Pritzker is expected to sign, that will outlaw money bond for all but violent crimes, which means that people will no longer be incarcerated while awaiting trial because they cannot afford bail; they will in actuality be "innocent until proven guilty."

Also, Illinoians who are incarcerated will receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Phase 1b, following a letter signed by more than 60 groups, which noted that crowded conditions in jails and prisons prevent social distancing and contribute to COVID outbreaks -- in confinement and in the community afterward.

THIS PAGE: Official headshot of US Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) in May 2017.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & (HOME) ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Since being stuck inside, which shows have you been watching? Which movies? Have you read any good books lately? Any new music releases have you dancing in your living room? StreetWise vendors, readers and staff are sharing what is occupying their attention during this unprecedented time.

To be featured in a future edition, send your recommendations of things to do at home and why you love them to: Creative Director / Publisher Dave Hamilton at dhamilton@streetwise.org

Long Live R B G!

Virtual Tour of 'Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg' Based on the New York Times bestselling book and Tumblr page of the same name, "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg" is the first-ever museum exhibition focused solely on this judicial icon, whose image graces mugs, T-shirts, posters, and bobbleheads. The exhibit is a vibrant exploration of Justice Ginsburg’s life and her numerous, often simultaneous roles as a student, wife, mother, lawyer, judge, women’s rights pioneer, and Internet phenomenon. Whether you’re a fan or a legal scholar, don’t miss this blockbuster exhibit!

This exhibition was developed by the associate curator at Los Angeles Skirball Cultural Center, Cate Thurston, in partnership with Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik, co-authors of the New York Times bestselling book, "Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg."

Briefs and other writings by RBG, including some of her famously searing dissents, are woven throughout the exhibit. In keeping with the spirit of Carmon's and Knizhnik’s book, the exhibition riffs off the playful connection between Notorious RBG and rapper Notorious B.I.G. The name of each gallery section alludes to a song or lyric from the late hip-hop artist.

Tours are $10 at 6: 30 p.m. on February 3, 10:30 a.m. on February 10 & 17, and 3 p.m. on February 20 at ilholocaustmuseum.org/rbg

(HOME) ENTERTAINMENT

Arts Festival!

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Festival on the Square Congo Square Theatre Company (Congo Square), one of the nation’s premier African American theatres, announces its Festival on the Square, a three-day virtual festival celebrating the arts, February 4-6, from 7-9 p.m. at www.congosquaretheatre.org/fos. Inspired by the original Congo Square marketplace in New Orleans—where people of color communed through music and dance and celebrated the cultures of their homelands—Festival on the Square culminates in the 2021 Vision Benefit honoring acclaimed director Ron OJ Parson and Les Coney, the company’s first board chairman. Parson directed Congo Square’s first production, August Wilson’s "The Piano Lesson," in 2000. Festival on the Square programming is FREE to the public and includes a 10-minute play festival and “Conversations at the Square” with industry professionals, including actor Morocco Omari (Empire, 21 Bridges, Homeland) and Dionna Griffin-Irons, director of diversity talent inclusion for The Second City.

Registration is required to attend one or all three days of the festival, with optional donations accepted to support Congo Square’s fundraising efforts, including sponsorships for the Vision Benefit.

World Premiere!

'Before Fiddler' Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to partner with Hershey Felder Presents – Live from Florence on its next live streaming production: Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem in "Before Fiddler" starring Felder as famed “Tevye the Milkman” and featuring Klezmerata Fiorentina premiering Sunday, February 7 at 7 p.m. Tickets for Felder’s one-man show are $55 per household and are available for purchase at PorchlightMusicTheatre.org. This production will benefit national US theatres and arts organizations including Porchlight Music Theatre. Before the beloved musical "Fiddler on the Roof," there was Sholem Aleichem and his beloved character of “Tevye the Milkman.” Before the popularized songs, “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker,” and others, there was music of the old world– a music that imitated talking, laughing, weeping and singing, where musicians didn’t just make music, they spoke to you in song through this music called Klezmer. In Florence, Italy, one of the oldest artistic centers in the world, a group of musicians have been virtuosos in Florence’s world famous Maggio Musicale symphony by day, and then become the Klezmerata Fiorentina by night. With Hershey Felder as their storyteller, and their old European roots, Felder executes a performance by taking on the role of great writer Sholem Aleichem himself – giving us the true story of what happened before "Fiddler." Filmed on location where events actually took place, this world premiere features stories and characters of Sholem Aleichem with a story and music that is sure to move your soul.

Folk Art!

Cesáreo Moreno, 'Folk Art to Fine Art, Mercados a Museos' Cesáreo Moreno, chief curator at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, will discuss “Folk Art to Fine Art: Mercados a Museo,” a discussion about 20th century Mexican art and its development from local markets to museums around the world, at 7 p.m. Friday, February 5. The presentation will reveal artistic movements that emerged from the Mexican Revolution, along with the role of nationalism and the visual arts. He will explore the didactic murals, prints and the iconography that ultimately inspired the 1960s Chicano murals in the U.S. and led to public art on the streets of the Pilsen neighborhood.

Tickets are free. Additional information, including more details and links to register, can be found at theccma.org/frida-events and AtTheMAC.org.

Moreno’s talk is part of a series of virtual events celebrating iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo presented by the McAninch Arts Center (MAC) in Glen Ellyn, in association with the Cleve Carney Museum of Art (CCMA). These events, taking place February to May, will offer multiple chances to explore the artist’s influences and legacy ahead of the landmark “Frida Kahlo: Timeless” exhibition June 5 -September 6.

The exhibition, hosted by the MAC and CCMA, will be the largest Frida Kahlo exhibition in the Chicago area in more than 40 years, and will be at the College of DuPage (COD). It will feature a 26-piece collection on loan from the Museo Dolores Olmedo as well as a multimedia timeline, 100+ photographic images from the artist’s life, and more.

Stay at Home Laughs!

'Green Show Live' With this new year comes a brand new, totally virtual & EXTREMELY unhinged comedy experience…

Green Show Live on February 5 from 8 - 9 p.m.

Green Show Live is the first of its kind, streaming live from the iconic Annoyance Theatre in front of one billion green screens (give or take a few) and zero in-person audience members. GSL showcases multimedia performances from some of the most unique comedians in the Chicago area. Videos, PowerPoints, music, dance, drag – this show’s got it all. The only thing better than live comedy? Live comedy from three different camera angles. Did we mention it’s all performed in front of green screens??? Watch on https://www.twitch.tv/annoyancetheatre This show is donation only. Donations will be collected throughout the live stream via Venmo (@GreenShowLive).

The Drama of it All!

'Here Lies Henry' Interrobang will stream archival footage of its Jeff Award-nominated one-man drama "Here Lies Henry" by Daniel MacIvor, newly staged by Artistic Producer Elana Elyce and featuring Scott Sawa. The revival of ITP’s very first production was shuttered last winter by the COVID-19 pandemic. Henry's got a lot he has to tell you, he just can't guarantee that it's all true. In the spotlight, with only the audience as his witness, Henry grapples with his choices and failures in a scramble to make sense of his life before it's too late. Daniel MacIvor's gripping one-man play offers a provocative take on love, death, beauty, truth, and of course, good old-fashioned lying. Stream live on February 5 at 8 p.m., or purchase the ondemand performance through March 4, both for $15, at interrobangtheatreproject.com

Lunch Music!

Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert The International Music Foundation presents the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert. Enjoy free weekly classical concerts from the comfort of your own home broadcast live from the Chicago Cultural Center. Join in on February 2 at 12:15 p.m. for harpist Eleanor Kirk performing music by Lili Boulanger, Florence Price, Marcel Grandjany and Brandee Younger. FREE concerts can be viewed from imfchicago.org, as well as 98.7 WFMT.

-Compiled by Dave Hamilton & Suzanne Hanney

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Vendors Russ Adams, John Hagan and Donald Morris chat about the world of sports with Executive Assistant Patrick Edwards.

NCAA March Madness Tournament Bubbles

SPORTSWISE

John: Hey, guys. Well, today we’re discussing a topic that interests me big-time.

I miss not being able to attend a live game of any kind, so, at the very least, it’s nice to be able to still see an annual sports event we’re used to. Last year, in 2020, there were no NCAA “March Madness” Basketball tournaments—men or women—so to learn that bubbles are being set up for the tournaments is all right. I mean, this gives everyone an opportunity to not only forget the normal daily stresses, but, also, it's the best cure to unite all. Nothing does it like sports…no matter your race or gender.

Patrick: Yeah, I hadn’t heard about it until you hipped me to it, John. Now, I remember how it began with me while watching the NBA Playoffs; I didn’t like the whole sterile feel of it: fake fans, piped-in sound, players hyping crowds that weren’t even there. But I came around. Faded into not even realizing there wasn’t a crowd—just the other team for the most part.

Russ: So you’re saying your acceptance had nothing to do with your love of the Lakers, huh?

Patrick: I don’t understand.

ALL: (Laughter.)

Donald: Well, I don’t know about you, Patrick, but that did help me stay with it.

Shoot, with the death of Kobe Bryant and his daughter, I felt the Lakers needed to complete the season. And that they completed it with a championship only topped the cake. As for the bubble action in Indiana for March Madness, I’m okay with it.

Now, I’m not so sure about the 6 locations being only in Indiana, but I guess because the Final Four was already scheduled for Indianapolis, then it makes sense.

Russ: I like it. It doesn’t matter to me. Like I said before, I breathe sports. I love to spend my time watching all of 'em.

I don’t even “not see” the fans anymore. Occasionally, I invite a couple of folks over and we watch a game or two— socially-distanced of course.

We make our own fan section, know what I mean? Boil up some hotdogs or buy some fried fish and wings, crack open a few bags of chips, turn up a beer or three, and we feel like we’re dang near in the stadium. As for the bubbles, they don’t bother me. I hate that last year we didn’t get to experience the Madness.

It really bothered me…even though I got it, what with the pandemic and all.

John: Yeah, I’m with you on that, Russ. For this year, I believe that as long as the teams follow the rules and regulations of what the CDC requires in regard to COVID-19, then, for one year, it’ll work. Now, if it goes on longer and becomes the norm, I feel advertisers, universities, and the travel industry will lose a lot of money, which will cause many layoffs—not cool.

Donald: I’m worried about the spread of the virus as well, but I believe, with the bubble, it’s minimizing the threat compared to if the tournament was held normally all over the U.S. Patrick: It’s tough. Don, you’re right: By holding it in one state, it’s the lesser of two evils. However, the players— young men and women—are still being subjected to a higher risk of infection than if the tournament was cancelled.

But I get it…I guess. It might be okay.

John: So, I’m in. Fellas, in or out?

Patrick: In. Russ: In. Donald: Unanimous it is.

Any comments or suggestions?

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SAVE THE DATE!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH SERIES

The History + Future of Black Wealth WEDNESDAYS| FEBRUARY 2021 12PM CST

Follow: @ywcachicago Economic Empowerment Institute

KAMALA HARRIS IS VP! BUT WHAT EXACTLY DOES THE VICE PRESIDENT DO?

by Joshua Holzer

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n January 20, Kamala Harris became vice president of the United States – the first woman, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first African American to do so. Harris also became the first vice president to have graduated from a historically black college or university.

Each of these achievements is significant in its own right. However, the vice presidency itself has traditionally been a relatively insignificant position, though the office has become more influential in recent years.

John Adams, the first U.S. vice president, once complained to his wife that the vice presidency was “the most insignificant Office that ever the Invention of Man contrived or his Imagination conceived.” However, not all have been upset about such inactivity. Woodrow Wilson’s vice president, Thomas Marshall, quipped after he retired: “I don’t want to work … [but] I wouldn’t mind being Vice President again.”

THE ‘MOST INSIGNIFICANT’ OFFICE? The role of vice president is only mentioned in the U.S. Constitution a handful of times. Article I, Section 3 says that the vice president “shall be President of the Senate but shall have no Vote” except in the event of a tie. Normally, ties are rare, but the vice president’s power to break them will likely become relevant to Harris as Democrats, and independents who caucus with Democrats, are expected to control only 50 of the 100 Senate seats.

The beginning of Article II, Section 1 explains how vice presidents are elected, which was later revised by the 12th Amendment. The end of that section states that presidential power “shall devolve on the Vice President” in the event of the president’s “Death, Resignation, or Inability to discharge the Powers and Duties of the said Office.” Finally, Article II, Section 4 states that vice presidents – like presidents – can be “removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

So, other than staying out of trouble to avoid impeachment and waiting around for the president to need a replacement, vice presidents are really obligated only to occasionally cast a tie-breaking vote. This means that the great majority of the time, vice presidents have no real job to do.

THE EVOLUTION OF THE VICE PRESIDENCY Wilson’s successor as president, Warren Harding, had unconventional views about the importance of the role of the vice president. He thought that “the vice president should be more than a mere substitute in waiting,” and he wished for his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, “to be a helpful part” of his administration. Coolidge later became the first vice president in history to attend Cabinet meetings on a regular basis.

In 1923, Harding died of a likely heart attack, and Coolidge succeeded him as president. “My experience in the Cabinet,” Coolidge later recalled, “was of supreme value to me when I became President.”

After Harding and Coolidge, many later presidents reverted back to the tradition of keeping vice presidents an arm’s length away, even on key matters. Franklin D. Roosevelt, for instance, kept the atomic bomb a secret from Vice President Harry S. Truman, who didn’t find out about it until Roosevelt’s death.

THIS PAGE: John Adams, the nation’s first vice president, called the job ‘the most insignificant Office’ (Gilbert Stuart, National Gallery of Art via Wikimedia Commons).

Warren Harding, center, wanted his vice president, Calvin Coolidge, at right, to play an active role in governing (FPG/Keystone View Company/Archive Photos/Getty Images).

OPPOSITE PAGE: Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president as her husband, Doug Emhoff, looks on at the U.S. Capitol on January 20 (Alex Wong photo).

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For the 1960 presidential election, two-term Vice President Richard Nixon faced off against John F. Kennedy. At one point during the campaign, reporters asked then-President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Can you think of a major contribution that Nixon has made to your administration?” Eisenhower replied: “Well, if you give me a week I might think of one.” Nixon lost that election.

offer impartial advice” so that Carter wouldn’t be “shielded from points of view that [he] should hear.”

Carter agreed and subsequently made Mondale an integral part of his inner circle.

WHERE DOES THE VICE PRESIDENT Many vice presidents since In addition to the Vice President’s Office in the W Mondale have the Vice President and staff maintain a set of offic often offered Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), loc points of view the West Wing on the White House premises. that didn’t align with that of the president. Bill Clinton and Al Gore, for instance, disagreed over the amount of power and influence entrusted to first lady Hillary Clinton; they also disagreed over the handling of the Monica Lewinsky scandal. George W. Bush and Dick Cheney disagreed, at times, over Iraq, as well as the use and nonuse of presidential pardons.

In 1976, Jimmy Carter picked Walter Mondale as his running mate. In a memo sent to Carter after winning the election, Mondale argued that “[t]he biggest single problem of our recent administrations has been the failure of the President to be exposed to independent analysis not conditioned by what it is thought he wants to hear or often what others want him to hear.” Mondale’s vision for the role of vice president was “to

In contrast, Mike Pence has proved to be a loyal ally to a president who has a track record of being unwilling to listen to dissent.

In the wake of the January 6 insurrection, Democrats and even a few Republicans called on Pence to remove Trump from office by invoking the 25th Amendment. Pence ultimately avoided taking such action.

THE ‘LAST VOICE IN THE ROOM’ Following Mondale’s model, when Joe Biden agreed to be Barack Obama’s running mate, he said that he wanted to be the “last man in the room” whenever important decisions where being made so he could give Obama his unfiltered opinion.

When Biden picked Harris as his running mate, he said he “asked Kamala to be the last voice in the room,” to “[c]hallenge [his] assumptions if she disagrees,” and to “[a]sk the hard questions.”

WHERE DOES THE VICE PRESIDENT LIVE? Located on the grounds of the United States Naval Observatory (USNO), the white 19th Century house at Number One Observatory Circle in northwestern Washington, D.C., was built in 1893.

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As Harris begins her trailblazing term as a vice president of many firsts, she has an opportunity to either follow the past as a vice president who is largely ignored, to follow Pence as a deferential foot soldier, or to pick up Mondale’s mantle by making sure that the president isn’t shielded from points of view that he should hear.

Joshua Holzer is assistant professor of political science at Westminster College. Courtesy of The Conversation.

THIS PAGE: Vice President Walter Mondale, right, was an active part of President Jimmy Carter’s administration (AP Photo/Harvey Georges photo). The Vice President's residence at One Observatory Circle, photographed in December 2017 (D. Miles Cullen photo). The interior of the Vice President's office in the White House (White House Museum photo). OPPOSITE PAGE: Harris attends the San Fransisco Pride Parade in 2019 (Quinn Dombrowski photo).

T WORK?

West Wing, ces in the cated next to

MEET KAMALA Kamala Harris became the first Indian American and African American woman to become the 46th Vice President. Here are some fast facts about our new Vice President: Full name: Kamala Devi Harris Did you know? Kamala is Sanskrit for “lotus” and Devi is Sanskrit for “goddess” Birthday: Oct. 20, 1984 in Oakland, California. Kamala’s zodiac sign is Libra.

Parents: Dr. Shyamala Gopalan, an Indian immigrant, and Donald Harris, a Jamaican-born emeritus professor of economics at Stanford University Education: B.A. from Howard University (1986) and J.D. from University of California Hastings College of Law (1989) Did you know? Kamala was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, the first established Black Greek letter organization for women?

Career: Deputy district attorney in Alameda County, district attorney for San Francisco, California attorney general, U.S. Senator, and now vice president Relationship: Married Doug Emhoff on Aug. 22, 2014 in Santa Barbara, California Momala to Cole and Emma (that’s better than stepmom) Hobbies: reading, cooking Did you know? Kamala has written 3 books: "The Truths We Hold: An American Journey," "Superheroes Are Everywhere," and "Smart on Crime: A Career Prosecutor’s Plan to Make Us Safer."

DId you know? Her inauguration was the 59th, although there are only 45 presidents. www.streetwise.org

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Illinois moves to outlaw money bond: 'innocent until proven guilty' becomes a rea

by Suzanne Hanney

Illinois became the first state to outlaw money bond on January 13 with passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act, part of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus’s criminal justice reform bill, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign.

“Presumed to be innocent until proven guilty: today is the day that has become a reality for us,” said Kevin Blumenberg of The People’s Lobby, a member organization of the Coalition to End Money Bond and the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice, during a virtual press conference hosted by the two advocacy groups.

More than 250,000 people are incarcerated in Illinois county jails every year, 90 percent of them pretrial. For a majority, the only reason is because they cannot afford to pay a money bond, according to the Coalition.

“Efforts to build on our lives and maintain them will no longer be threatened by money bond bills. No longer will we have to sit in jail because we don’t have any money, feeling hopeless because we can’t afford to pay a bail,” said Blumenberg, who was a pretrial detainee at age 16.

“I was put in a position where I had to be concerned about the realities of being in a foreign environment: being raped or jumped on.” People in jail are more likely to feel pressured to accept a guilty plea with prosecutors in order to return to their families, he said.

FROM THE STREETS

The advocates described other situations where people in jail lose a job and then their home, sometimes even custody of their children, when they are incarcerated for months because of inability to pay bail.

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Conversely, The Marshall Project described a Chicagoan identified only as “Flo” who spent 52 days in jail for burglary committed as the result of a gambling addiction because he lacked $7,500 cash for bail. He got out thanks to the nonprofit Chicago Community Bond Fund, which raises money to pay bail for defendants. As a result, Flo was able to help his wife move when they were kicked out of their home, he was able to work odd jobs in warehouses and construction, and he was able to appear in court in suit and tie rather than an orange jumpsuit. He eventually served two years on a plea deal with credit for good behavior.

Constitutionally, there are only two reasons for limiting a person’s pretrial liberty: “to maintain public safety and reasonably assure appearance in court,” an Illinois Supreme Court commission said in a report last April.

Judges would retain discretion under the Pretrial Fairness Act to detain people in cases of domestic violence, sexual offenses, gun offenses and nonprobationable forcible felonies

such as murder and attempted murder, said Sharone Mitchell Jr. director of the Illinois Justice Project, a member organization of the Coalition to End Money Bond and the Illinois Network for Pretrial Justice. However, drug and misdemeanor offenses -- “the vast majority, 80 percent of the cases” – will not be eligible for pretrial detention, he said.

“We want to balance the ability of the court to detain individuals that may pose a threat to person or persons, but we also want to ensure that we are reducing the jail population.

If there is evidence somebody is a flight risk, the court can detain them.”

States that have tried to end money bond instantly have faced chaos – and attempts to repeal – so the Illinois law will not go into effect for two years, he said. During that time, the state will follow the recommendation of an Illinois Supreme Court task force to gather pretrial data from courthouses in all of the state’s 102 counties on what happens in bond court: who gets released and who doesn’t. But the task force’s bottom line is that money should never be the reason someone is detained.

“It’s all about looking at the individual case. You’re innocent until proven guilty and detention should only be the exception to the rule,” Mitchell said “This bill stands at the intersection of race, class and gender and over the next two years will break down a system that stands at that intersection so clearly,” said state Rep. Robert Peters (D-Chicago), one of the main organizers behind the bill, along with state Sen. Elgie R. Sims Jr. and state Rep. Justin Slaughter, both Chicago Democrats.

Prison Population gains covid-19 vaccination priority

ality

Calling the legislation “a historic combination of advocates, clergy, grassroots organizations, legislators,” Peters said that the bill was on the Black Caucus agenda but got its energy from the streets of 2020: “from yard signs to actual policy. Symbolic justice was not enough. We needed actual policy and we got that today.”

“The passage of the Pretrial Fairness Act represents a victory for racial justice and the Black Lives Matter movement,” said Sharlyn Grace, executive director of the Chicago Community Bond Fund. Since the Coalition began its efforts nearly five years ago, in May 2016, tens of thousands of people supported pretrial freedom by calling their legislators or donating to a bond fund. The legislation had the support of more than 100 community, social service and faith-based organizations. Among them were A Just Harvest, Chicago Appleseed Fund for Justice, Community Renewal Society, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, the Ministry of Chicago Metropolitan Association-Illinois Conference United Church of Christ and Southsiders Organized for Unity and Liberation.

Protesters rally at the Illinois Capitol.

(Coalition to End Money Bond photo).

People living or working in jails and prisons will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in stage 1b – after being unlisted through Phase 3 – following a December 21 letter to Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike signed by over 60 legal and community-based organizations.

The letter from the Coalition to End Money Bond, Chicago Appleseed, Chicago Council of Lawyers, and others, said that people in prisons are four times as likely to be infected with coronavirus and twice as likely to die as the general population because of close quarters and inability to social distance, along with little access to personal protective equipment and hygiene products. What’s more, prison infections exacerbate community transmission, especially in communities of color. Prioritizing access to the COVID vaccine for people in prison and staff, “can go a long way toward protecting the public health of everyone in Illinois.”

One in 6 cases in Chicago, for example, could be tied to an outbreak at Cook County Jail that led to seven deaths and dozens of hospitalizations, according to a study by Harvard and University of Chicago researchers in the Journal of Health Affairs that was cited in the letter.

Cook County Jail is one of the largest singlesite jails in the nation, with over 5,500 detainees as of Dec. 17, 2020. Only 38 percent of them are in single cells; the remainder are in double cells or dorms with shared bathrooms.

“Social distancing and other methods of decreasing transmission are simply not possible or effective in a congregate setting like a jail or prison,” noted the letter. “Currently, there are more people confirmed positive for COVID-19 (350 people) in Cook County Jail than at the height of the pandemic in the spring (307 people).”

Other signatories include: A Just Harvest, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Mandel Legal Aid Clinic at the University of Chicago, Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center at Northwestern University’s Pritzker School of Law, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, Uptown People’s Law Center, John Howard Association and Logan Square Neighborhood Association.

-Suzanne Hanney, from prepared material

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StreetWise vendor Jimmie Beckless introduces stepson sEmaj to the vendor force

by Samantha Friedkin

Jimmie Beckless has been a StreetWise Vendor for 13 years. Over the years, Jimmie has moved around between three different spots, but he has been able to settle into one location with loyal and friendly customers.

Jimmie was homeless for about four years before coming to StreetWise. His friend and fellow vendor, Charles Dixon, brought him to the organization and he’s been with StreetWise ever since. Even during the pandemic, Jimmie has been able to build up his customer base at a Chicago Starbucks location. “The management and customers are really great,” he mentioned while talking about his vending experiences throughout the pandemic.

INSIDE STREETWISE

One of the biggest challenges for Jimmie has been connecting with the local residents and finding opportunities to tell people what StreetWise is and why he is selling the magazine. At first, “a lot of people would turn their heads and not even look at me.” Jimmie said.

This was “good with him” and he tried to not let it discourage him or let it anger him.

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“I had to let people know what StreetWise is about: that it helps prevent people from being homeless and it empowers them to work,” Jimmie said. “People saw me out there every day trying to support myself.” Jimmie mentioned one of his biggest strategies to do this was to let people into his life. He would talk to his customers about his life before StreetWise and about his military career. Jimmie said that he would talk to people every day as they walked by. He learned to tolerate it and accept it if people did not want to talk back to him. Jimmie learned that if he didn’t let this bother him, “people would start to talk with me and engage, and eventually they would buy a magazine.”

Jimmie says that the one thing keeping him out and selling StreetWise is his family. “They have been very supportive and understanding.” Jimmie said. He has a 14-year-old son who is a straight-A student and Jimmie wants to see him graduate from high school in a few years.

Recently, Jimmie has brought his stepson Semaj to StreetWise. Semaj was always interested in StreetWise and learning the ins and outs of sales. “He wanted to get into it to learn more about how to sell, and he thought this would be a good way to do it.”

Jimmie found him a location a few blocks away from his own location at another Starbucks. Although they do not sell together as a team, Jimmie is still able to help Semaj learn and grow through his own experiences vending. The management and the customers at Semaj’s location know Jimmie very well. He said “They look out for [Semaj] and they support him.”

Jimmie is committed to selling StreetWise as long as needed to support his family. Even through the pandemic, Jimmie has maintained a positive outlook and looks forward to greeting his customers each day. “I want to say thank you to the customers who have supported me and I appreciate their cooperation with me,” Jimmie said.

He wished the world “a very happy holidays” and he hopes “COVID-19 will end soon because people need to be healthy and survive this thing.”

Jimmie and Samaj (Amanda Jones photo).

Streetwise 2/8/16 Crossword To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the

numbers 1 to 9.

Sudoku

PuzzleJu

Crossword Across

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1 6 10 14

55 Mangy mutt 56 Dollar rival 58 12th President of the United States 60 Dubai dignitary 62 In perfect condition 64 Nobility 65 Tokyo, once 66 Insurable item 67 Tempo 68 After expenses 69 Kind of alert 70 ___ and sciences

2 Daughter of 36 Not on the King Minos level 3 Old Chinese 38 Limerick money 39 Pelvic parts 4 Outfit 40 Pitch or tar, 5 Hallucinogen e.g.

6 Corrida cries 41 On a horse 7 Force 44 Dereliction 8 Poppy product 45 Brushes aside 9 ___ Baba 46 Travel options 10 Hypothetical 47 Confront continent 48 Courtyard 11 Energized open to the 15 Buenos ___ sky 18 Ripens 51 Cougars 20 Fold 53 Paperlike 22 Dusk to dawn cloth 26 Hodgepodge 57 “I’m ___ your 28 Kind of tricks!” monkeyPuzzleJunction.com own 59 Orbital period Copyright ©2016 30 Wrap 1 Student’s 61 Go bad 32 Of an arm bone 63 Dress, maybe worry

15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 25 26 29

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Solution lastSudoku week's Puzzle Answers

Solution

30 32 33 36 37 39 40 41 42 44 46 47 49 52

Sudoku Solution

53 54 58 59

Steal Fed Iranian coin Drew a bead on Marathon Therefore Mark, in college Jumping amphibian Tractor-trailer Jim-dandy River of Orléans Sedates Main arteries Wild Guanaco’s cousin Allow Expressed Your (Fr.) 61 Albanian Cuckoos money Had a shot 62 Picture holder Location 63 Unlawful Go for the firing? bronze?

64 Disrespect Navy 65 Pinball paths commando 66 Varieties Go to a restaurant Down Title-holder Craze 1 Droops Much of Niger 2 Telegram Highly skilled 3 Prayer leader La Scala 4 Rickshaws offering 5 Dutch commune Wildebeests 6 Wedding Kings Peak member locale 7 Water conduits Ancient 8 Teen spots Peruvian 9 Butterfly Abhorrent catcher

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10 Go straight 11 Annoyance 12 Ancient Greek marketplace 13 Seating sections 18 Buddy 22 Burden 24 Completely 25 Similar 26 Exploit 27 Sicilian city 28 Stadium offerings, at times 29 PC linkup 31 Tomato blight 32 “Dog Day Afternoon” character 34 Pocketbook 35 Stiff hair

38 Criminal charge 39 Sculptor’s output 41 1980’s Geena Davis sitcom 43 Band box 45 Needle continuously 47 Besmirches 48 Sleeper’s woe 49 Caper 50 Some showdowns 51 Road curve 53 Paraphernalia 55 Recipe abbr.

56 Skin cream additive 57 Egg producers 59 Genetic stuff 60 Make lace

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Solution

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