Tag: Illinois

Records show Illinois fails to hold police accountable for misconduct

Eighty-one Chicago police officers lost their badges over the past 20 years, but only after being investigated for 1,706 previous offenses – an average of 21 accusations per officer.   One third (28) of these Chicago officers were investigated for domestic altercations or sexual misconduct. Two murdered their wives.   That statistical picture emerges from records obtained

Recovering the history of free Black settlements in Illinois

When Kimberly France, a descendant of free African-American pioneers, first approached Toni Craig to help piece together her family’s history in a southern Illinois community called Africa, Craig wasn’t sure she was up for it. Craig already had spent years assembling and telling the stories of the community of Africa, which is located 120 miles