Anational coalition of Jewish organizations has recently been calling for an end to raids by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department on work places that hire undocumented immigrants. I recently talked with Irene Lehrer Sandalow, director of Outreach and Education of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs here in Chicago. JCUA is one of the groups involved in this campaign.

Residents’ Journal: Can you talk to me about the raids that are carried out by ICE? Lehrer Sandalow: These raids are done in the early dawn by heavily armed men on unsuspecting families who want nothing more than to work and take care of their families.
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Civil Rights attorney Locke Bowman recently accused Attorney General Lisa Madigan of trying to “dump” 5 cases connected to former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge. Bowman, a lawyer with the Roderick MacArthur Justice Center who represents the torture victims as well as advocates opposing the transfers, said the cases were transferred to Madigan’s office by a court order six years ago.

Interviewed in February, Bowman said the cases involve men were convicted with evidence generated by Burge and officers under his command. Burge, who was fired in 1991 and is currently under federal indictment on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice, is accused of having directed torture of numerous suspects in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
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David Bates was wrongly convicted in 1983 on charges of murder, attempted murder and armed robbery and sentenced to serve 20 years. He was released in December 1995 after being acquitted of all charges at a new trial. The court ruled that a statement made by Bates after he was tortured by Chicago Police detectives under the direction of former Chicago Police Commander John Burge should never have been presented at trial. With the help of Cook County Court Clerk Dorothy Brown, Bates filed a petition for a “Certificate of Innocence,” a new legal process with the Clerk’s Office that allows people to “receive justice more swiftly along with the financial assistance they need to help start their lives anew,” according to a press release from Brown’s office.

Under the new Illinois law passed on Sept. 22, 2008, individuals may file petitions for a Certificate of Innocence, if they had been wrongly convicted, had their convictions overturned and were acquitted before Sept. 22, 2008. To qualify, these individuals must file their petitions by Sept. 22, 2010. A judge decides whether to grant the order, and also decides the amount of money the wrongly accused person can receive. “If an individual was imprisoned for five years or less, not more than $85,350 in compensation; for imprisonment of 14 years or less but over five years, not more than $170,000; for imprisonment of more than 14 years, not more than $199,150. Once the judge grants the certificate, an order is entered for the Clerk of the Circuit Court to send the certificate to the Illinois Court of Claims,” according to the data provided by Brown’s office.
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Some Chicago police officers in early January 2009 denounced their own union’s efforts to fund former police Commander Jon Burge’s legal defense.

In December 2008, the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) union board voted to fund the 60-year-old Burge’s defense on federal perjury and obstruction of justice charges for which he was indicted in October 2008.
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Many grandparents are finding themselves raising their children’s children for a variety of reasons, which include incarceration of the parent, substance abuse and illnesses such as HIV/AIDS. Willie Mae Durdon, who lives in Englewood, said she has guardianship of five of her grandchildren. “I needed help with clothing and furniture,” she said.

Durdon turned to Childserv’s Grandfamily Support Program. The program, based in Chicago, offers assistance to grandparents who have become the primary caregivers of their grandchildren. “I have the furniture and the clothes, and I moved into [an apartment] building they were able to get me into.” Durdon said whenever she needs to call on Grandfamily Support, they help her.
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There is a hidden holocaust of child sexual abuse being perpetrated, according to ChildServ, a Chicago-based not-for-profit social service agency dedicated to assisting children and families. On Feb. 23, I interviewed Stanley Hamilton, supervisor of ChildServ’s Project 90 Program that aids children with sexual abuse issues.

RJ: You said that this is a holocaust in the United States. What do you mean by that? SH: It just means that people don’t want to talk about it. It’s a hidden secret. It’s being swept under the rug. It’s such an emotionally difficult subject. But as ugly and painful as this issue is, society has to face the truth and work together to help these children so that healing can happen and the cycle of abuse doesn’t repeat itself. That’s where Child Serv comes in.
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After months of marches and protests, mental health patients and their advocates finally got their chance to meet with some of their public officials to plead their case about stopping four of their health care facilities in low-income areas from closing next month.

Anne Irving, director of public policy of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Emloyees (AFSME), accusing Dr. Terry Mason of failing to work effectively with them, during the townhall meeting at the 1st Presbyterian Church on February 12.
Photo by Mary C. Johns

The mental health clinics all located on the South Side of the city slated for closure are: Back of the Yards, 4313 S. Ashland Ave., Beverly/Morgan Park, 1987 W. 111th St., Greater Grand/Mid-South, 4314 S. Cottage Grove, and the Woodlawn Adult Health Center, 6337 S. Woodlawn Ave.
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Beauty Turner, former Assistant Editor for Residents’ Journal, died on Dec. 18, 2008. Beauty’s family found her unconscious. They rushed her to the hospital, where the doctor told them that Beauty had slipped into a coma. An aneurysm had ruptured in her brain. This was later determined to be the cause of her death. Among her many causes, Beauty fought to keep health clinics open in Chicago’s low-income communities. She was known throughout the low-income community for her hard work and her determination as an activist. Beauty Turner will be missed, but the illness that took her life will take the lives of many more. To inform our readers so that they have an opportunity to lower their risk of developing an aneurysm, I spoke with Dr. Anand Karsan, a physician at Mercy Hospital. I asked him questions about aneurysms that will help our readers be aware of how serious it is to take care of their bodies.
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On Tuesday, Feb. 17, the Bronzeville Merchants Association, formerly known as the 35th Street Merchants Association, held a press conference and tour to which this reporter was invited. In welcoming the invitation and attending the event, which started at the Bronzeville Visitor Information Center, 411 E 35th Street, I discovered news of truly monumental proportions.

On this date, the Bronzeville Merchants Association, a not-for-profit group of merchants who live and work in and around Chicago’s historic Bronzeville community, announced the upcoming installation of four of ten obelisks. These monuments will be located at two community gateways – two at 35th and State streets and two at 35th and Martin Luther King Drive – to celebrate the rich past and present of Bronzeville.
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Mrs. Clementine Pettiford, 105 years of age, was recently laid to rest. Mrs. Pettiford was the longest living resident in the ABLA Homes community, formally known as the Hastings Street Housing Development.
Mrs. Pettiford was a resident in the ABLA Home community for 65 years. She was born September 28,1903, and died January 14, 2009.

Clementine Pettiford
1903 -2009
Photo by Quintana Woodridge

In her long life, Mrs. Pettiford has seen the world change dramatically, from President Theodore Roosevelt to the newly elected Barack Obama. Jacqueline Pettiford, Mrs. Pettiford’s daughter, sat down with me and talked about her mother’s life. “My mother was respected and loved by her neighbors,” Jacqueline said. “She kept many people out of trouble by looking out for them.”
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