News from Chicago Freedom School

Chicago Freedom School E-News	FEBRUARY 2008

in this issue

:: Turning Ideas Into Action 2-day workshop

:: Freedom Fellow Spotlight: Genesis Gomez

:: Winter Public Programs Recap

:: CFS Welcomes Alex Poeter!

:: Eyes on the Prize Continues

Greetings!

We are in the midst of a busy and exciting season of winter programming here at CFS and we can't wait to share what is coming this spring.

The CFS family has grown quite a bit in the last few months. We are happy to announce that this newsletter reaches more than 1000 people across Chicago and the U.S. CFS is also fortunate to welcome five new dynamic members to its Board of Directors. Kristen Atkinson, Ansheera "Ace" Hillard, Francie McGowan, Yunuen Rodriguez, and Tania Unzueta began their terms in January and they have already made quite an impact. Lastly, CFS welcomes a new staff member who has already begun to extend the reach of CFS throughout the city. See below for more details.

CFS continues to speak and respond to the growing community of youth activists and adult allies in Chicago. Read on for a recap on recent programs and dates for upcoming workshops and events that empower youth, fight injustice, and honor the past.

Thanks to you all for your continued support.

In peace and solidarity,

Mia Henry

Pictured above: From L to R, new board members Kristen, Yunuen, Francie and Ace

Turning Ideas Into Action
Youth Workshops in March and April

Youth ages 14 - 29 are invited to attend a two-day workshop co-sponsored by CFS.

DATE: Saturday, March 17, and Saturday, April 19, 2008
TIME and PLACE: 12 - 5 pm, North Park University
HOW TO SIGN UP: Youth under 19: email turningideas@gmail.com
Youth 19 and over: register at YNPN Chicago
REGISTER BY MARCH 7
Download this flyer on our website!

Freedom Fellow Spotlight:
Genesis Gomez

"The CFS retreat was the best. I learned about myself and the people around me and how we are connected to the past."

Genesis Gomez is a junior at Our Lady of Tepeyac High School. As a 2007 Freedom Fellow, Genesis participated in the visual arts and media arts summer institutes where she studied drawing and photography and worked on the documentary "Homophobia Hurts." After the summer, Genesis attended all four of the fall "Chicano!" screenings and led one of post-film discussions. Since then, she has begun to learn more about the immigration debate and the role of indigenous peoples in resistance movements in Latin America. Recently, she has joined the communiversity planning committee for the May 17 workshop on Immigration and International Labor Movements. She has also been an active member of the Youth Leadership Council.

CFS applauds Genesis and her dedication to addressing issues that affect the Latino community in Chicago and around the world.

Winter Public Programs a Great Success
Over 200 people have attended CFS programs in January and February

Thanks to the many youth, teachers, and Chicago community members who joined us for "Lessons from the Jena 6" in January, "Strange Fruit: The History and Legacy of Lynching" this month and "Eyes on the Prize" over the past six weeks. All of these programs speak to our goal of providing provocative intergenerational discussions about current issues in a historical context.

Pictured: Participants at the "Lessons from the Jena 6" workshop on January 26.

Welcome, Alex!

CFS is excited to have Alex Poeter on staff as our Director of Organizing. Alex comes to us with an extensive experience in community organizing and nonprofit leadership. He is also a founder of CFS. Alex will work to create freedom school spaces across the city of Chicago and connect CFS to national work in movement-building.

Eyes on the Prize II Series continues
It is not too late to join us for a screening of this incredible series.
EOTP

Join CFS as we screen the last two episodes of this series. We continue to host scholars, activists and youth in an intergenerational discussion on topics including education and politics. The final two episodes are as follows:

EPISODE 13:
The Keys to the Kingdom
FEBRUARY 28, 5:30 - 8:00

For blacks and whites in Boston, court-ordered busing proves an unpopular means of integrating schools. The Bakke Supreme Court case challenges affirmative action when a white man sues a university on the grounds of "reverse discrimination."

EPISODE 14:
Back to the Movement
FEBRUARY 28, 5:30 - 8:00
Harold Washington becomes Chicago's first black mayor. Miami's Overtown section explodes in rioting when a young black salesman dies after being beaten by police for a traffic violation.

Pictured: Late mayor of Chicago Harold Washington

CFS in the News

CFS was one of several great Chicago social justice initiatives featured in the February 25 issue of THE NATION. The article, called "The Conscious Classroom," also included information about the Little Village Lawndale Social Justice High School, Teacher for Social Justice, and a CFS national partner, the Education for Liberation Network.

NOTICES	Save the Date for the "Strut Your Art" Art Expo: March 29, 3 - 7 pm at the CFS Center for Social Change. Applications for instructors for the 2008 Freedom Fellowship Summer Leadership Institute are now being accepted. Please download the application information from our website. Applications for youth for the 2008 Freedom Fellowship will be available in mid-March.

Support the Chicago Freedom School

Please consider the Chicago Freedom School as one of your priorities for charitable giving.
You may donate onine now or mail in your contribution. Please see our CONTRIBUTE page for more details. Your contributions are fully tax deductible under the internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) code.

Thank you for your support!

OUR MISSION

The Chicago Freedom School provides a space where young people and adult allies can exchange ideas, build new coalitions, study the work of past movements and deepen their understanding of current social problems. We support new generations of critical and independent thinking young people who use their unique experiences and power to create a just world.

La Escuela de Libertad de Chicago provee un espacio donde jovenes y adultos aliad@s pueden intercambiar ideas, construir nuevos coaliciones, estudiar el trabajo de movimientos pasados y profundizar su comprension de actuales problemas sociales. Apoyamos nuevas generaciones de jovenes criticos que piensan independientamente y que usen sus experiencias unicas y poder para crear un mundo justo.

CHICAGO FREEDOM SCHOOL

719 S. State St
Suite 3N
Chicago, IL 60605
phone: 312.435.1201
fax: 312.435.1203
info@chicagofreedomschool.org
www.chicagofreedomschool.org