GRC Impact: UN Urges Action in Chicago Police Violence

Humanities Without Walls Grand Research Challenge Project “Amplifying Mothers of Police Violence Survivors” is making strides in their efforts to address and remedy Chicago police violence and its ripple effects within families and communities. As a result of the project's partnership with mothers impacted by police torture and their advocacy and outreach to the United Nations, the UN has issued a press release urging action.

From the press release: “Chicago has a long history of law enforcement officials reportedly using torture to extract confessions to serious crimes,” the UN experts said. “These heinous alleged human rights violations appear to a significant extent to be rooted in systemic racism and have disproportionately affected people of African and Latin American descent.” It continues, “The [UN] experts urged relevant federal, state and local officials to take immediate and comprehensive action to fully address and remedy the situation in Chicago.”

Funded by the Mellon Foundation through HWW, the “Amplifying Mothers” project is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Chicago and the Chicago-based organization “Mothers Activating Movements for Abolition and Solidarity” (MAMAS). The project seeks to foreground the experiences and voices of mothers of incarcerated individuals, and to realize their potential to create political change. Project PI Nadine Nabor (UIC professor in Gender and Women's Studies) spoke with CBS Chicago about the group's efforts.