The inequitable use of force against unarmed worshippers and Palestinians at-large are crimes against humanity and there must be outrage and denouncement by global leaders, faith communities, and all who believe in justice and peace for all.

As we move toward our Easter Celebration of the Risen Christ, and beyond, and we end our Lenten fasting, consider the command given to the people and seek out opportunities to address poverty in our community and world.

Thanks to the efforts of the CRS Faith, Race and Equity Issue Team and the involvement of our CRS member congregations, HIV prevention medications will now be more accessible through local pharmacies in Illinois. The bill, HB4430: Increased Access to PrEP & PEP through Community Pharmacies, successfully passed both the Illinois House and Senate in April 2022.

The practice of Lectio Divina, “a contemplative practice of scriptural reading, meditation, and prayer”, invites us into transcendence through repetition. When we repeat the words and pause and reflect – we believe something will resonate and speak to our spirit and mental consciousness.

Time and time again, communities across Illinois came together to boldly defend the Pretrial Fairness Act from attempts to repeal it or lessen its impact. In the last few weeks alone, thousands of people filed witness slips, wrote and called their legislators, text and phone banked, and rallied others to take action! The movement’s collective efforts stopped multiple proposals that would have weakened protections for people on electronic monitoring or caged more people awaiting trial.

You can now apply to first job openings with the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability: First Deputy Director, Deputy Director for the Commission, and Executive Administrative Assistant.

Lent provides us the space to remember and the opportunity to re-adjust our lenses—or get us some new ones. An anti-racist lens. A decolonial lens. An intergenerational lens. An anti-sexist lens. An LGTBQIA+ affirming lens.

It is going to take all of us to rebuke and dismantle hate in this nation, within our state and beyond. There are no states free from LGBTQIA+ oppression, including Illinois.

CRS is blessed to have donors who faithfully support our work to build Beloved Community. We want to hear why you support CRS or The Chicago Reporter, and what our work means to you. With your permission, we may use your stories in our upcoming appeal to encourage others to join you in your generosity.

Join the Coalition to End Money Bond for any or all of the virtual text banking sessions to fight back against attacks on the Pretrial Fairness Act.

We must consistently in all places and in all times commit to ensure the dignity of every human is not only respected but truly valued. As Richard Lischer writes in The Preacher King: Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Word that Moved America, “This understanding of full humanity lies at the heart of King’s efforts to develop the Beloved Community.”

It is important to note that the call for accountability and justice is not simply about putting officers in jail. Rather, it is a demand that those who kill our loved ones be made to answer for those killings in the full view of the public. It is, as many have said, the least we should expect.

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, or PrEP, and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) are highly effective prevention methods in reducing the risk of acquiring HIV. Even with extremely successful prevention options, Black and Latino/a/e/x communities continue to fall behind in PrEP awareness, uptake, and adherence due to several factors including stigma, LGBTQ+ discrimination, systemic racism, medical mistrust, lack of access to health care, and affordability.

The season of Lent is an opportunity for us to turn back to God, again. To recall the story of God’s liberative love as modeled in the life and ministry of Jesus. To have the courage and humility to ask powerful questions of ourselves as followers of Jesus and as the church, with the intention of living truly transformed lives and to be the church.

Community Renewal Society's Executive Director, Rev. Dr. Waltrina N. Middleton joined with fellow faith leaders in a press conference to call for the passage of H.R. 40. The Act would establish a commission to study and develop reparations proposals for African Americans.

Getting to Zero Illinois (GTZ-IL) is a statewide community-led initiative dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic in Illinois by 2030.

Emmett Till remains a symbol of resistance and hope in American history. The U.S. Senate passed the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act on March 7, 2022. Legislation named for the 15-year-old Chicago boy lynched for allegedly whistling at Carolyn Bryant in Mississippi now heads to President Joe Biden’s desk.

Regardless of whether you thrive in crowds or in quietude - at some point we all need rest. We all need to practice self-care to be our best selves. Self-care evangelist Katie Reed says, “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

There must be greater outcry and call for US government intervention to free Griner and all detained citizens. We also demand equitable attention and energy for Griner’s immediate release. Here are three ways you can take action.

Family, as we enter into the seasonal observation of Lent (for those who engage in this faith practice), in the spaces and places that we occupy in our towns, our cities, our states, our countries, and our worlds, juxtaposed with the multiple pandemics that are currently still occurring in our lives, I suggest we reflect upon what fits and doesn’t fit in our lives.