On July 5, 1852, Frederick Douglass gave his prolific oration, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” in which he spoke to the values that the Founding Fathers aspired to––and how the country continued to fall short of those ideals as they relate to the treatment of Black people and the ongoing stain of slavery.
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Click here to view our event photo album on Facebook. Congratulations to the BPI 2018 CHAMPIONS OF THE PUBLIC INTEREST KHALIL GIBRAN MUHAMMAD Keynote Speaker Dr. Muhammad is Professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and former…
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Our 2017 Annual Dinner featured an engaging discussion among a diverse panel of experts on what it will take to achieve meaningful police reform in Chicago. Thanks to Steve Edwards, Executive Director of the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics,…
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“The time to act against injustice is always now.” Mark your calendar now for BPI’s Annual Dinner featuring Vince Warren, a powerful national voice for social justice and Executive Director of the Center for Constitutional Rights. Wednesday, May 11 Reception 5:30 | Dinner…
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Ida B. Wells fought for black civil rights and women’s rights, and crusaded against lynching during a particularly cruel time in American history. Born into slavery in 1862 in Mississippi, Wells surmounted great obstacles to become a distinguished teacher, journalist,…
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Can we fix our failing juvenile justice system? Join us for a conversation about some of our most pressing social justice issues with Hollywood producer turned juvenile justice advocate Scott Budnick, in conversation with award-winning author and documentarian Alex Kotlowitz. Thursday,…
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This year BPI was privileged to honor the inspiring work of keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director of the Equal Justice Initiative and our extraordinary Champions of the Public Interest, community leader Crystal Palmer, and the Children and Family Justice…
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Two years ago BPI’s public housing and public education teams joined forces in a determined effort to strengthen the Altgeld-Riverdale community and improve the lives of its 1,200 children under the age of eight and their families. This led to…
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On Thursday, April 24, Bob Herbert, former New York Times columnist, delivered a stirring keynote address at the University at Illinois Chicago’s Great Cities Institute Spring 2014 Lecture Series examining “The Poverty Puzzle: Ending Poverty in America.” BPI served as…
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Tuesday, May 20 5:30 Reception | 6:30 Dinner Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park 200 North Columbus Drive Please join us on May 20 for a special evening of social justice spirit and substance to help support BPI’s work. This year’s event…
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