Latest news with #ChicagoTortureJusticeCenter
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
Jussie Smollett announces engagement to boyfriend Jabari Redd
The "Empire" alum photos from his proposal to boyfriend Jabari Redd. Smollett shared the moment unfolded just one day before his 43rd birthday celebration. "I'll be spending my birthday with my Fiancé," he wrote in the caption. "He said YES. 💍." The snaps in the post captured the moment Smollett proposed to Redd near a restaurant, from getting down on one knee to slipping the ring on his fiancé's finger. The slideshow ended with joyful shots of the couple celebrating with hugs, laughter and a close-up of the ring. Family and friends later flooded the comment section with love and congratulations. "Screaming with tears of joy," Jussie's little sister and actress Jurnee Smollett wrote. "My whole heart loves both of you @jussiesmollett. Welcome to the family @jabriredd." Their other sister, Jazz Smollett, added, "Yaaaass!!! Welcome to the family Jabari!!! Love y'all!! Sooooo happy for you both! 🥰🥰🥰." The news comes after Smollett recently reached a settlement with the city of Chicago in a civil case related to the city's efforts to recover costs from its investigation into a 2019 incident that authorities claim was a staged hate crime. Smollett has always maintained he is innocent. As part of the agreement, the city dropped its lawsuit in exchange for a $50,000 donation from Smollett to a local arts nonprofit, marking a formal end to the years-long legal battle. In a statement shared on Instagram last month, Smollett said he chose to settle by making a charitable donation, not as an admission of guilt, but to move forward from what he described as a "false narrative" that he said "has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear." "These officials wanted my money and wanted my confession for something I did not do," he said. "Today, it should be clear… They have received neither." He said his decision to settle "was not the most difficult one to make" and announced an additional $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, saying he stands with others who've had to prove their truth. Meanwhile, the city said in an official statement that the settlement offers "a fair, constructive, and conclusive resolution, allowing all the parties to close this six-year-old chapter and move forward." In November, the Illinois Supreme Court overturned Smollett's 2021 conviction for allegedly filing a false police report about a hate crime in 2019, stating in its decision that the case violated his due process rights and raised questions about the state's obligation to honor agreements made with defendants. In March 2019, Smollett forfeited his $10,000 bond to the city and agreed to perform 16 hours of community service as part of an agreement to drop all criminal charges related to the alleged false report, according to then-Cook County first assistant state attorney Joe Magats.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Five years after killing of George Floyd, protest in Chicago decries Trump directive to empower police
On the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, an event that prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality, a gathering in Chicago joined coordinated protests across the country on Sunday against President Donald Trump's rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion — particularly his signing of an executive order aimed at strengthening state and local law enforcement. 'Dexter Reed. Rekia Boyd. Laquan McDonald. Adam Toledo. Reginald Clay Jr.' — as the rally began, the crowd recited the names of people fatally shot by police in Chicago. Activist and Chicago Teachers Union member Kobi Guillory, leading the chants, said Trump was 'the main stumbling block to getting justice.' On the sunny afternoon, the rally amassed a group of more than 100 people in Federal Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn St., attracting curious tourists and passersby. Speakers represented various Chicago organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Chicago Torture Justice Center, GoodKids MadCity, Southsiders Organizing for Unity and Liberation and the Arab American Action Network. On the other side of the street, over a dozen police officers observed the gathering, which eventually marched up State Street to gather across the Chicago River from Trump Tower. Organizers said the executive order will allow policing to go unchecked by funneling federal and military resources to police departments, forgoing equity policies and eliminating federal consent decrees, or court-ordered settlements that mandate changes to address misconduct. The Illinois attorney general has said that Chicago's consent decree — in place since 2019 — will remain in effect. 'We have to keep fighting. In fact, Chicago is the focal point of the fight for police accountability,' said Faayani Aboma Mijana with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, or CAARPR, at a news conference before the rally. 'In our view, it's people power that's going to push it forward.' Chicago has the most progressive police accountability ordinance in the country, according to Aboma Mijana. Passed in July 2021 after years of back-and-forth with community activists and shaped by Floyd's murder in 2020, it included mechanisms of civilian oversight such as three council members who, under the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, would serve in each of the city's 22 police districts. 'I came here to say something loud and clear: We will not go back,' said Marquinn McDonald during the rally; he is the newest member of the 2nd Chicago Police District Council and a longtime community safety advocate. 'Not now, not ever, not after the bloodshed that has been spilled, not after the tears that have soaked our soil, not after we've watched Black lives stolen in real time with the world watching, and still had to beg for justice.' While activists say there are many sticking points to address in policing, they expressed hope from recent wins. The commission has worked alongside the Chicago Police Department to unveil the department's policy regulating traffic stops, the first draft of which was unveiled late April. 'Let me say this to the president of the United States and to anyone who dares turn their back on justice: We see you, we hear you and we will meet you. Not with hate, but with truth; not with fear, but with fire — the fire of a people who have had enough,' McDonald said. 'We demand accountability, we demand protection, and we demand respect for every life across this nation.' Reynia Jackson, a youth organizer with Englewood nonprofit GoodKids MadCity, prepared a different kind of speech than she often gives at rallies and protests. In an emotional poem, she recalled growing up with news of people of color being killed in the city — beginning when she was 6 years old, when Boyd was shot in 2012. 'I don't have any more tears. I'm not numb to the pain. I just don't want another brother being shot over nine times like Dexter Reed,' she said. 'I don't want reform or body cameras to be worn. I want armed strangers with immunity, patrolling my community, to be gone.' Toward the end of the initial rally, as protesters prepared to march across Chicago's downtown, emcee and CAARPR co-chair Jasmine Smith expressed hopes that attendees were heartened by the words of encouragement and calls to action from speakers. 'This fight, this war, does not end today,' Smith said. 'Every time we show up, we show them that we can, we show them that we matter.' ____
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
5 years after killing of George Floyd, protest in Chicago decries Trump directive to empower police
On the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, an event that prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality, a gathering in Chicago joined coordinated protests across the country on Sunday against President Donald Trump's rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion — particularly his signing of an executive order aimed at strengthening state and local law enforcement. 'Dexter Reed. Rekia Boyd. Laquan McDonald. Adam Toledo. Reginald Clay Jr.' — as the rally began, the crowd recited the names of people fatally shot by police in Chicago. Activist and Chicago Teachers Union member Kobi Guillory, leading the chants, said Trump was 'the main stumbling block to getting justice.' On the sunny afternoon, the rally amassed a group of more than 100 people in Federal Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn St., attracting curious tourists and passersby. Speakers represented various Chicago organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Chicago Torture Justice Center, GoodKids MadCity, Southsiders Organizing for Unity and Liberation and the Arab American Action Network. On the other side of the street, over a dozen police officers observed the gathering, which eventually marched up State Street to gather across the Chicago River from Trump Tower. Organizers said the executive order will allow policing to go unchecked by funneling federal and military resources to police departments, forgoing equity policies and eliminating federal consent decrees, or court-ordered settlements that mandate changes to address misconduct. The Illinois attorney general has said that Chicago's consent decree — in place since 2019 — will remain in effect. 'We have to keep fighting. In fact, Chicago is the focal point of the fight for police accountability,' said Faayani Aboma Mijana with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, or CAARPR, at a news conference before the rally. 'In our view, it's people power that's going to push it forward.' Chicago has the most progressive police accountability ordinance in the country, according to Aboma Mijana. Passed in July 2021 after years of back-and-forth with community activists and shaped by Floyd's murder in 2020, it included mechanisms of civilian oversight such as three council members who, under the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, would serve in each of the city's 22 police districts. 'I came here to say something loud and clear: We will not go back,' said Marquinn McDonald during the rally; he is the newest member of the 2nd Chicago Police District Council and a longtime community safety advocate. 'Not now, not ever, not after the bloodshed that has been spilled, not after the tears that have soaked our soil, not after we've watched Black lives stolen in real time with the world watching, and still had to beg for justice.' Hands Across Chicagoland protest draws thousands Sunday along Ogden Avenue Thousands rally, march through Loop for national 'Hands Off!' protest City touts mission to target employee ties to hate groups; community demands police be the priority While activists say there are many sticking points to address in policing, they expressed hope from recent wins. The commission has worked alongside the Chicago Police Department to unveil the department's policy regulating traffic stops, the first draft of which was unveiled late April. 'Let me say this to the president of the United States and to anyone who dares turn their back on justice: We see you, we hear you and we will meet you. Not with hate, but with truth; not with fear, but with fire — the fire of a people who have had enough,' McDonald said. 'We demand accountability, we demand protection, and we demand respect for every life across this nation.' Reynia Jackson, a youth organizer with Englewood nonprofit GoodKids MadCity, prepared a different kind of speech than she often gives at rallies and protests. In an emotional poem, she recalled growing up with news of people of color being killed in the city — beginning when she was 6 years old, when Boyd was shot in 2012. 'I don't have any more tears. I'm not numb to the pain. I just don't want another brother being shot over nine times like Dexter Reed,' she said. 'I don't want reform or body cameras to be worn. I want armed strangers with immunity, patrolling my community, to be gone.' Toward the end of the initial rally, as protesters prepared to march across Chicago's downtown, emcee and CAARPR co-chair Jasmine Smith expressed hopes that attendees were heartened by the words of encouragement and calls to action from speakers. 'This fight, this war, does not end today,' Smith said. 'Every time we show up, we show them that we can, we show them that we matter.'
Chicago Tribune
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Five years after killing of George Floyd, protest in Chicago decries Trump directive to empower police
On the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, an event that prompted a national reckoning over race and police brutality, a gathering in Chicago joined coordinated protests across the country on Sunday against President Donald Trump's rollbacks on diversity, equity and inclusion — particularly his signing of an executive order aimed at strengthening state and local law enforcement. 'Dexter Reed. Rekia Boyd. Laquan McDonald. Adam Toledo. Reginald Clay Jr.' — as the rally began, the crowd recited the names of people fatally shot by police in Chicago. Activist and Chicago Teachers Union member Kobi Guillory, leading the chants, said Trump was 'the main stumbling block to getting justice.' On the sunny afternoon, the rally amassed a group of more than 100 people in Federal Plaza at 230 S. Dearborn St., attracting curious tourists and passersby. Speakers represented various Chicago organizations, including the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Chicago Torture Justice Center, GoodKids MadCity, Southsiders Organizing for Unity and Liberation and the Arab American Action Network. On the other side of the street, over a dozen police officers observed the gathering, which eventually marched up State Street to gather across the Chicago River from Trump Tower. Organizers said the executive order will allow policing to go unchecked by funneling federal and military resources to police departments, foregoing equity policies and eliminating federal consent decrees, or court-ordered settlements that mandate changes to address misconduct. The Illinois Attorney General has said that Chicago's consent decree — in place since 2019 — will remain in effect. 'We have to keep fighting. In fact, Chicago is the focal point of the fight for police accountability,' said Faayani Aboma Mijana with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, or CAARPR, at a news conference before the rally. 'In our view, it's people power that's going to push it forward.' Chicago has the most progressive police accountability ordinance in the country, according to Aboma Mijana. Passed in July 2021 after years of back-and-forth with community activists and shaped by Floyd's murder in 2020, it included mechanisms of civilian oversight such as three council members who, under the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, would serve in each of the city's 22 police districts. 'I came here to say something loud and clear: We will not go back,' said Marquinn McDonald during the rally; he is the newest member of the 2nd Chicago Police District Council and a longtime community safety advocate. 'Not now, not ever, not after the bloodshed that has been spilled, not after the tears that have soaked our soil, not after we've watched Black lives stolen in real time with the world watching, and still had to beg for justice.' While activists say there are many sticking points to address in policing, they expressed hope from recent wins. The commission has worked alongside CPD to unveil the department's policy regulating traffic stops, the first draft of which was unveiled late April. 'Let me say this to the President of the United States and to anyone who dares turn their back on justice: We see you, we hear you and we will meet you. Not with hate, but with truth; not with fear, but with fire — the fire of a people who have had enough,' McDonald said. 'We demand accountability, we demand protection and we demand respect for every life across this nation.' Reynia Jackson, a youth organizer with Englewood nonprofit GoodKids MadCity, prepared a different kind of speech than she often gives at rallies and protests. In an emotional poem, she recalled growing up with news of people of color being killed in the city — beginning when she was 6 years old, when Boyd was shot in 2012. 'I don't have any more tears. I'm not numb to the pain. I just don't want another brother being shot over nine times like Dexter Reed,' she said. 'I don't want reform or body cameras to be worn. I want armed strangers with immunity, patrolling my community, to be gone.' Toward the end of the initial rally, as protesters prepared to march across Chicago's downtown, emcee and CAARPR co-chair Jasmine Smith expressed hopes that attendees were heartened by the words of encouragement and calls to action from speakers. 'This fight, this war, does not end today,' Smith said. 'Every time we show up, we show them that we can, we show them that we matter.'
The Guardian
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Jussie Smollett settles suit over alleged hate-crime hoax with $50,000 donation
Jussie Smollett, the actor who claimed to be a victim of a 2019 hate crime but was later charged with having staged the attack, has agreed to settle a lawsuit brought against him by the city of Chicago with a donation to charity. The actor said on a post on Instagram that he made a $50,000 donation to the Building Brighter Futures Center for the Arts, a Chicago-based non-profit that works with art and city youth. He will additionally make a $10,000 donation to the Chicago Torture Justice Center, which helps victims of abuse by Chicago police. 'Every dollar we receive goes towards repairing decades of racialized state violence by providing no-cost therapy, a community space, an organizing home, and other services to survivors of police torture and violence,' the Chicago Torture Justice Center said in an Instagram post confirming Smollett's donation. 'This generous donation from Mr. Smollett is so meaningful and deeply impactful.' This settlement brings to an end a six-year-long legal battle between Chicago and Smollett, in which the city sought to recuperate funds used to investigate Smollett's claims. Smollett, a Black and gay actor well-known for his performance in the television show Empire, said in 2019 that two masked men in Chicago jumped him, poured bleach on him, placed a rope around his neck and called him homophobic and racist slurs. But two extras from his show told police the actor had paid them to stage the attack. Smollett was charged with disorderly conduct for falsely saying he was the victim of a hate crime. All charges were dropped after his legal team cut a deal with prosecutors – Smollett paid the city $10,000 and agreed to perform community service. The city of Chicago, in turn, sued Smollett for the cost of the investigation, saying it totaled $130,000. Smollett counter-sued the city, denying he staged the attack. Smollett was indicted in 2020 after the case was revived by a special prosecutor and was convicted of falsely reporting an attack. But in November, the supreme court of Illinois overturned the conviction , ruling the actor had been unjustly prosecuted after prosecutors had agreed to drop the charges in 2019 in exchange for Smollett agreeing to forfeit a $10,000 bond and perform 15 hours of community service. Smollett continues to deny that he staged the attack. 'Over six years ago, after it was reported I had been jumped, City Officials in Chicago set out to convince the public that I willfully set [up] an assault against myself,' Smollett wrote on Instagram on Friday. 'This false narrative has left a stain on my character that will not soon disappear.' Smollett also claimed that he had been 'exonerated by the Illinois Supreme Court', but the judges wrote that they decided to overturn the case based on the procedural issue of a due process violation, and made no finding on the underlying facts in the case.
