Champaign

As a new building on campus is being named after Maudelle Bousfield, the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Illinois, a public housing complex named after Joann Dorsey, black community activist in Champaign during the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, has been torn down. One woman came from the black upper-class, the other from the working-class, yet they both should be recognized for their contributions.

Pioneer Educator, Maudelle Bousfield    

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- Bloomington has a new interim Police Chief.

The city announced that retired Champaign Police Chief R.T. Finney will serve in that position until a permanent replacement is found.

Finney also served as interim Chief for East Peoria during a portion if 2012.

Starting Monday, Finney takes the spot of current Interim Chief Clay Wheeler, who is headed to Virginia for previously planned training with the FBI.

Former Chief Randy McKinley left the city as Chief of Police to take another position in ST. Charles, Missouri.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51373909/#.UVc6q1e67dU

Immigration. Yes. Chicago Youth Violence. Yes. Education. Yes.

On this spoken word project titled ILL POETS SOCIETY, six (6) poets from across the great state of Illinois were brought together to expound on the modern day issues facing America. The crown jewel of this project is a spoken word piece titled "Chi City Youth" by Jazmine McKinney. From the outset, she captivates audiences with her wordplay as she expresses the grief in her soul for her family, friends and community. To download the album for free, visit www.TheShow1045.com.

The film is available for checkout at local public libraries and cultural centers within the Champaign-Urbana community. This project was funded by SORF and supported in part by a City of Urbana Arts Grant.

by Paul Buchheit

Food supply chain workers adopt the IWW’s radical actions to fight abusive employers.
by Michelle Chen

Once upon a time in the labor movement, a rebellious vanguard emerged at the margins of American industry, braiding together workers on society’s fringes—immigrants, African Americans, women, unskilled laborers—under a broad banner of class struggle.

The Industrial Workers of the World (IWW - http://www.iww.org/), or Wobblies, raised hell in the early 20th century with unapologetically militant protests and strikes.

Their vision of a locally rooted, globally oriented anti-capitalist movement was eclipsed by mainstream unions, which had more political muscle. But grassroots direct action is today undergoing a resurgence in the corners of the workforce that have remained isolated from union structures.

WRFU 104.5 FM will be down the next couple of days. We are installing a new tower next to the UC-IMC building which will greatly increase our signal when it is all finished (hopefully Wednesday Nov 28 at the latest.)

We appreciate all our listeners and hope you will bear with us as we fulfill our long-term goals of making WRFU 104.5 FM an important part of the Urbana-Champaign community and surrounding areas.

There is a video being worked on documenting the progress and ultimate installation of our new tower. If you have taken photos or video recorded the installation process and would like to have your footage included in a video to be shown on Urbana Public Television, please contact Dane Spudic at danespudic@gmail.com

In November 2005, WRFU 104.5 FM's original antenna was installed on the roof the UC-IMC building. That antenna is coming down today to be cleaned and installed on the tower.

Here's a photo-video that documented the process of installing the original antenna back in November 2005 (about 20 seconds into the photo-video the UC-IMC building as it used to look 7 years ago comes into view):

About Us

Our mission is to help preserve the post office in it's current form with the least amount of change possible.

We will seek out volunteers to assist in this goal. People of like mind who appreciate the services the post office currently perform.

We will lobby in defense of any rural post office facing closure.

We will lobby in defense of any mail processing center facing closure.

We will lobby in defense of 6 day delivery week to continue.

We will organize peaceful rallies any place where people may congregate.

We will find creative ways to promote our cause.

Our goal is to seek positive media coverage for our cause.

We will raise funds to pay for television, radio, newspaper and internet advertising for our cause.

We will organize email and letter writing campaigns to members of government at all levels.

We will seek funds to print promotional material for our cause. These items will include but not limited to the following. (t-
shirts, hats, pamplets, broshures and associated items)

We will seek the assistance of lawyers and legal professionals.

We will lobby for assistance from any and all labor organizations.

The Department of African-American Studies is hosting a forum to explore the potential impact of the 2012 Presidential election on the lives of Black people in the United States and across the Diaspora. This election-eve event is scheduled for Monday, November 5th from 7-9pm at the Krannert Art Museum auditorium located at 500 Peabody Drive in Champaign, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The forum is designed to engage students, community members, staff and faculty from across our community. The event will be moderated by Dr. Erik McDuffie of African-American Studies and WBCP 1580AM local radio personality, Ms. Imani Bazzell. Speakers include Dr. Sundiata Cha-Jua, County Board Member Carol Ammons, Professor Ken Salo, and Dr. Safiya U. Noble. We especially encourage students to attend.

For more information: www.afro.illinois.edu; 217.333.7781