There are over 4,000 people incarcerated at the Cook County Jail and 3,000 people on staff—both are particularly vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

Where are the sanctuaries for Black people in America? Where can we go to be free, to breathe, to laugh, to love and be loved, and be human without the fears and threats of being harmed? For many, the answer has largely been the Black church.

Most Holy and Divine One,
The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
The God of Sarah, Hagar, Rachel and Leah,
On this past Pentecost Sunday, as our nation began physically burning because of systemic oppression, help us God….
--Rev. Dr. Danielle J. Buhuro

More than 250,000 people are in jail every year while awaiting their trial in Illinois. Every day, thousands of people are incarcerated even though they have not been convicted of a crime, and even though a judge has determined it is safe for them to return to their homes pending a trial.

A Just Harvest raises its voice with all who are mourning and demanding justice for Black men, women and trans siblings murdered by police who are sworn to serve and protect them.

As a national partner, Community Renewal Society is committed to stand with the Poor People’s Campaign, alongside our member congregations and faith leadership who recognize and refuse to adjust to the normalcy of injustice.

CRS stands in solidarity with its community partners and is committed to supporting local community efforts. Please share this list of Chicago food pantries widely with your networks and consider supporting if you are able. Together, we will heal, rebuild, and rise.

Publicizing the names of people released from incarceration due to the pandemic, then painting everyone as a repeat offender or exploiting a tragic loss of life, exemplifies a system that demonizes people with records.

We share this video, produced by Black Lives Matter, as a resource for faith communities seeking to facilitate the eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence in honor of Brother Floyd.

The Illinois Conference of the United Church of Christ writes to express our acknowledgement of the communal pain, outrage and lament felt by so many of our citizens.

The team at the Chicago Jobs Council is feeling grief and sadness. We are tired of the violence of white supremacy still raging in this country.

We share in the righteous lament of stolen lives and reject white supremacy and a normalized culture of violence that sanctions the undue lynching of Black and Brown bodies.

Our member congregations are being creative in managing their worship services and connecting with their members during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has been a year since Lori Lightfoot took office and she has yet to fulfill a critical promise to communities of color to establish a civilian oversight board over the Chicago Police Department.

Community Renewal Society is monitoring the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic. CRS is following the guidance prepared by the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We will continue to update this blog article as resources are made available.

One of my favorite chants from the movement for Black Lives in Ferguson, MO was a call to “Get out of the house and into the streets!” or “Get out of the pews and into the streets!”

Read a press release issued by the GAPA coalition denouncing May Lori Lightfoot’s inaction in police reform. GAPA will continue the fight for police accountability and civilian oversight and we will keep you updated on how you can support our work.

During this pandemic, fair tax reform is needed now more than ever. According to Governor Pritzker, projections show a possible 2021 deficit of more than $7 billion.

CRS stands with our brothers and sisters at the Chicago Community Bond Fund in their fight to free people from their bonds. Click to read our full statement.

CRS made a major mark in history by creating the first federally enforced consent decree without the Department of Justice while ensuring that we have the power to directly file a motion with the court, should the police not maintain compliance with the decree.