Today is Election Day. That means today, Tuesday, November 5, is the last day to cast our votes for a host of political offices that have the power to determine the course of the future for our individual and communal lives. CRS encourages all who read this to make that choice.

CRS and our member congregation, Urban Village Church, Wicker Park, co-hosted a virtual gathering on October 23. This online meeting set out to educate our network on the battle to end pretextual traffic stops in Chicago and empower folks to mobilize because, as asserted before, when we fight, we win.

CRS co-hosted a prayer vigil with our member congregation, Urban Village Church, at Grace Church of Logan Square for our “We Won’t Bury the Slain: Day of Action” on September 18. Together with site pastors and Black, Brown, white, and LGBTQIA+ communities in Chicago, we embodied the longstanding tradition of acting in solidarity in the pursuit of justice.  

Our voices will resound stronger, louder, and unbroken in unison and Beloved Community. Our foreparents faced setbacks and obstacles. Still, they rose to the occasion for us and generations yet born. We will carry that spirited fire because it is perpetual and vibrantly inextinguishable through the persistence of our prayers, our protests, and our policies.

CRS rang in Freedom Day early and boosted backing for the Free2Move Coalition’s campaign and their petition to end pretextual stops by canvassing at the June 15 Juneteenth Village Fest hosted by It Takes A Village Family of Schools. Check out photos from the fest here!

On this Juneteenth, let’s honor our history by continuing our ancestors’ fight for freedom. Read our statement as we celebrate and build political power to ensure that Black liberation is a reality.

This Memorial Day holiday, as CRS reflects on lives dedicated to service, moral courage, and the principles of justice, sacrifice, and human dignity, we do so against the backdrop of present-day wars, genocide, and a culture of violence that includes poverty and racism. We are beckoned to memorialize the peacekeepers of our past by being the change agents in this very hour of world suffering and unrest.

On May 14, 2024, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson will introduce his seven appointees for the CCPSA to the City Council Committee on Police and Fire. In anticipation of this important milestone in the Commission selection process, the District Council Nominating Committee proudly presents its comprehensive process report. Read the report here.

As CRS calls on transparent conversations about the Chicago Police Department’s use of excessive force in relationship to Black, Brown, and Indigenous people of our Beloved city, we share a list of traffic stop resources in partnership with the ACLU of Illinois.

In America, policing has almost become synonymous with Black death. The March 21 killing of Dexter Reed (26) in Chicago is yet another horrific example of the ways in which Black bodies are violently and fatally endangered when they come in contact with law enforcement. They can’t keep killing us. The excessive use of force must stop!

On February 15, CRS gathered at the Chicago City Hall to demand City Council members vote ‘no’ to arbitration behind closed doors for police misconduct cases and vote ‘yes’ for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Amidst these challenging times and with the holiday season upon us, our unwavering commitment to police accountability holds strong. In respect to the adversities surrounding us, we take pride in the significant strides made in our pursuit of justice reform.

CRS believes that the significance of accountability cannot be overstated. As people of faith advocating for racial, economic and social justice, it is critical that we always hold our leaders accountable.

Here is our statement in response to the selection of CPD Counterterrorism Chief Larry Snelling as the next police superintendent for Chicago.

Mayor Brandon Johnson announced CPD Chief of Counterterrorism Larry Snelling as Chicago’s 64th Police Superintendent. Read this blog article for the press release.

On August 9, CRS and other community organizations and members shared powerful testimonies at the Public Hearing on Chicago’s Consent Decree policy on “stop and frisks.”

Mayor Johnson’s request to not dehumanize our youth challenges us to consider the language we use when speaking about our communities. We thank Mayor Johnson for lifting the humanity of our children.

Read a press release from the City of Chicago Office of Inspector General on the Chicago Police Department’s Community-Police Mediation Pilot Program.

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability continues its superintendent search for the Chicago Police Department.

Community Renewal Society was instrumental in helping the ACLU of Illinois identify directly-impacted individuals to be the plaintiffs in a discrimination lawsuit filed against the Chicago Police Department.