June 24 "Know More" event at Englewood Public Library sponsored by the Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council

CHICAGO- A panel of Chicago scholars and activists moderated by Chicago Sun Times columnist Laura Washington will meet on Saturday, June 24th from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the West Englewood Library, 1745 W. 63rd Street to discuss what the recent debate over immigration legislation has revealed about Black and Latino relations in Chicago and across the nation. Part of the "Know More: Conversations That Matter" series, this event is sponsored by the Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) and is made possible by a grant from The Joyce Foundation.

Does the recent mobilization around immigrant rights provide an opportunity for coalition building among Latino and African American communities in Chicago and nationally? Or are there more pressing issues that African Americans must attend to in their own community before they focus on such a coalition? What still remains of the Black/Latino coalition that elected former Mayor Harold Washington? These questions and others will be explored by the panelists.

After the panelists’ presentations there will be a community-based discussion that will engage the audience. Free pizza will be served during this discussion. This event is free and open to the public.

Laura S. Washington, an In These Times senior editor who teaches journalism at DePaul University and is a columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, will moderate the panel. Other panelists include John Betancur, Professor of Urban Planning at University of Illinois at Chicago and author of The Collaborative City: Opportunities and Challenges for Blacks and Latinos in U.S. Cities; Tiffany Childress of the Lawndale Christian Development Corporation; and Rudy Lozano, Jr. of Instituto del Progresso Latino.

The "Know More: Conversations that Matter" series is designed to bridge the gap between the arts and social issues that are of current concern to Chicago’s Englewood community. Programming has included visits from hip hop artists, activists, and scholars Jeff Chang, David Stovall, and Lavie Raven; Africana Studies scholar William Santiago Valles; performer Will Power; and poet Elizabeth Alexander.

For a full calendar of Public Square at the IHC events or for more information, please visit www.thepublicsquare.org or contact the Public Square at the IHC at 312.422.5580 or via email at info@thepublicsquare.org.

Founded in 2000, The Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) has carved out a unique place in the cultural life of Chicago through innovative programming that fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social, and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. All Public Square at the IHC’s programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations. The Public Square was adopted by the Illinois Humanities Council on December 1, 2004.

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