Previous Emails
- Actions for Evanston Allies
Hello Evanston! This email is going out to our allies in Evanston for two local opportunities to make a difference. Evanston Ceasefire Resolution Evanston community members have been working hard the past several months to bring a ceasefire resolution to city council. Unfortunately the city council has been resistant to opposing the USA backed genocide… Read more: Actions for Evanston Allies - DISPATCH Newsletter December 2023
OFFICIAL Hello Niles community! This is our last newsletter for 2023 and instead of a recap we are holding the tension of current events and the urgency that brings. Please read on for how your support is so crucial at this time. Justice for Teachers!The negative blowback from anti-racist awareness cultivated in the Black Lives… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter December 2023 - DISPATCH Newsletter November 2023
OFFICIAL Hello community! During the pandemic, all public meetings went remote on Zoom, proving the capabilities of municipalities to quickly accommodate access for local communities. In May of 2021 the Village of Niles reverted back to in-person board meetings only, no remote participation at all for community members. That privilege was apparently reserved exclusively for… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter November 2023 - DISPATCH Newsletter October 2023: Neoliberal Niles
OFFICIAL Greetings community! When we embarked on our mission to #SaveNilesLibrary as our flagship campaign, we knew that we didn’t know exactly what needed to be done, but it would become clear as we tried to do it. We didn’t have to start from scratch though. We have a rich history of wisdom handed down… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter October 2023: Neoliberal Niles - ACTION ALERT! Respect our community crossing guard workers!
Earlier this week our dedicated Village of Niles crossing guard workers were abruptly terminated from their positions by the Niles Police Department and Village trustees. Please take a moment and join our letter-writing campaign here: Respect our community crossing guard workers! - DISPATCH Newsletter March 2023
Black History in Niles In our last Dispatch newsletter we wrote about the Black history of Niles and we were happy to bring this as a public comment to the February Village of Niles board meeting. You can watch how that went down on our Youtube channel here. Community Relations Commission After several years of… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter March 2023 - DISPATCH Newsletter February 2023
Hello friends, welcome back to the DISPATCH! We have more to say than we can squeeze in this month, buckle up! Black History & Resistance in Niles February is Black History Month and this year’s theme is Black Resistance. Mayor George Alpogianis read a proclamation in recognition at the recent Niles Village Board of Trustees… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter February 2023 - DISPATCH Newsletter January 2023
Hello friends, it’s time once again for our monthly newsletter we call the DISPATCH! Here are quick snippets of some of what’s going down around our community. D219 Black Student Union Support On January 10th, anti-racist orgs, parents, and other community members packed the Niles West/North D219 school board room to implore the board to… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter January 2023 - DISPATCH Newsletter December 2022
Hello neighbors, it’s time once again for our monthly newsletter we call the DISPATCH! Here are some quick snippets of what’s going down in Niles. Lincolnwood Library Solidarity Update The community came together at the latest Lincolnwood Library board meeting to say NO to book bans and anti-LGBTQIA+ bigotry. Niles Coalition organizers showed up and… Read more: DISPATCH Newsletter December 2022 - [DISPATCH] November 2022
::Community organizations like Niles Coalition fight for social justice. Meanwhile, right-wing forces are encroaching upon our communities. They are spreading misinformation in the guise of “zombie” newspapers. While many saw right through this and voted accordingly in the most recent election, these papers are agitating local bigots. When the Lincolnwood library was under attack, we… Read more: [DISPATCH] November 2022 - [DISPATCH] October 2022
::INTRO:: We’re refreshing our monthly email newsletter, which is now entitled “Dispatch”. This will include updates regarding our campaigns and other social justice concerns in our community. Our team of organizers and allies chat regularly and this is one way we can bring some of that into the broader community. But we’ll keep it short!… Read more: [DISPATCH] October 2022 - [EMAIL] In It To Win It
Hello dear community, We are delighted to announce some major progress as a result of our relentless organizing efforts for change. Our #SaveNilesLibrary campaign has just hit a major milestone that shifts the balance of power. And it’s all because of YOU! Our petition to ask State Librarian Jesse White to appoint a qualified Niles-Maine… Read more: [EMAIL] In It To Win It - [EMAIL] We Got Us
Dear Community, #NotInMyTown Orange Ribbons In our previous email we expressed our solidarity with Park Ridge youth. A Chicago cop attacked a 14 year old and walked away free and uncharged. To this day, 6 weeks later, the community is still left wondering what police actually do if not the most basic act of protection.… Read more: [EMAIL] We Got Us - [EMAIL] Act Local
When looking for ways that we can make the change we want to see, it’s important to think local. When we see bad news at a national or global scale, it’s easy to feel like there’s nothing we can do or the problems are too big to take on. But at the local level, even… Read more: [EMAIL] Act Local - [EMAIL] Getting Uncomfortable
We’ve been busy and can’t wait to tell you all about what we’ve been up to! Neighbors United Against Hate Rally Our rally against hate with Action Ridge was a huge success! On Sunday May 15 we welcomed a crowd of supporters ready to take back the streets against hateful acts in our coalition-wide community.… Read more: [EMAIL] Getting Uncomfortable - [EMAIL] United
Niles Coalition has celebrated the 1 year anniversary of our founding. It was the attack on our Niles-Maine District Library that acted as the inciting incident bringing us together to create the #SaveNileslIbrary campaign. More and more community members have been reaching out and folks have been connecting with our organizers at local events. We’ve… Read more: [EMAIL] United - [EMAIL] Coalition Building in Niles and Beyond
Hello friends, the weather is warming up and we are getting out! Looking forward to seeing more of everybody this spring and summer! Anti-Hate Actions You might remember that back in February a number of racist hate incidents happened in our community. The initial response from the Village was nonexistent which was very disappointing but… Read more: [EMAIL] Coalition Building in Niles and Beyond - [EMAIL] Niles Transparency
The people of Niles deserve transparency. We know an open government strengthens democracy and builds trust. Unfortunately, in Niles, actions and decisions that affect our Village government occur behind closed doors. Most residents remain unaware of these actions, but we all pay the price. We showed up at the February Village of Niles board meeting… Read more: [EMAIL] Niles Transparency - White Supremacy in Niles
The Niles Coalition was founded to foster social justice in our community. The use of racial slurs[1] in our schools and the distribution of antisemitic flyers[2] in our neighborhoods are just the latest acts of white supremacy that have no place in Niles. While these acts have done immediate harm to our family, friends, and… Read more: White Supremacy in Niles - [EMAIL] Love Means Action
It’s time for action! Join us this Friday at 1:30 p.m. to Denounce Racist Attacks at Niles West in solidarity with the Abolition Coalition of Skokie, NAACP Northshore, the Skokie Schools Equity Collaborative, and Niles West & Niles North students against racism. Communities all over the country are facing pressure from right-wing groups under the… Read more: [EMAIL] Love Means Action - [EMAIL] Voicing Truth!
Greetings friends, In our last email Silencing Dissent, we spoke not only about the lack of representation in our governing bodies but the direct suppression of speech. We’re taking action to make civic engagement available to all. Community Relations Commission After months of public comments voiced in their meetings and complaints sent to the Community… Read more: [EMAIL] Voicing Truth! - [EMAIL] Silencing Dissent
Greetings community members, In an inclusive community, all voices would be represented and heard. We wrote about how public access to Village of Niles Board Meetings has been recently restricted. Now we’re seeing how the Niles-Maine District Library board led by Carolyn Drblik is similarly restricting access and engagement. This is an expected response when… Read more: [EMAIL] Silencing Dissent - [EMAIL] Write With Us!
Howdy neighbor! With several elected officials leaving their posts mid-term in recent months, there are alotta opportunities for new leadership and representation in Niles. First we learned of Niles-Maine District Library Board Vice President Olivia Hanusiak’s departure, then Village of Niles Board Trustee Denise McCreery’s, and now 15th District State Representative John D’Amico’s. We at… Read more: [EMAIL] Write With Us! - Liberate the Library Protest Postponed
Hello supporter! Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Niles Youth Community has decided to postpone the Liberate the Library protest scheduled for Wednesday October 20th. Liberating the library means more than a single protest. It’s an ongoing commitment of solidarity with groups of people who are impacted most. We’re not slowing down one bit! There are… Read more: Liberate the Library Protest Postponed - [EMAIL] Youth Solidarity
Howdy neighbor! Leaders of social justice have emphasized the importance of solidarity. It is a crucial element for a just society. All of us are or will be subject to marginalization that dramatically affects our lives. It’s in solidarity that great strides towards justice have been made. In that spirit, here are opportunities to show… Read more: [EMAIL] Youth Solidarity - [EMAIL] Youth Coalition Building
Hello there neighbor! We have some awesome news to share, with opportunities you or people you know may be interested in. Check it out and please share around! Niles Youth Community A group of youth organizers has joined the Niles Coalition as the Niles Youth Community! We are so excited to work with them in… Read more: [EMAIL] Youth Coalition Building - [EMAIL] One Down, Three To Go!
*BIG NEWS* on our Niles Coalition #SaveNilesLibrary campaign! Yesterday was a new day. Yesterday we woke up knowing that on 8-18-2021 the anti-library bloc of the Niles-Maine District Library Board finally lost their stranglehold on our library. Olivia Hanusiak resigned her position from the board! Now the board is made up of 3 pro-library trustees… Read more: [EMAIL] One Down, Three To Go! - [EMAIL] #SaveNilesLibrary All Day Every Day
We hope everyone is enjoying the last days of summer. While the summer winds to a close we’re just warming up! After the big #SaveNilesLibrary rally on July 20th, we’ve been busy catching up with all the new connections we’ve made. This will be the engine that drives all of our campaigns. #SaveNilesLibrary is just… Read more: [EMAIL] #SaveNilesLibrary All Day Every Day - [EMAIL] Post-Rally Update: Our First Win!
On Wednesday night, we won an important victory. Library board trustee Olivia Hanusiak, who originally supported a widely-criticized austerity budget, broke with the majority and proposed an amendment that retains current funding levels for staff and operating hours. Because of all the work our community put in, employees walked into work Thursday knowing their jobs… Read more: [EMAIL] Post-Rally Update: Our First Win! - [EMAIL] Rally to Save Niles Library
Hi Neighbor! In Niles we have an undeniable lack of representation in our local government. While #SaveNilesLibrary is our first campaign in response to the immediate threat to our library, we know the issue is much bigger. We will strive to not just bring more folks to the table, but build a better table. It… Read more: [EMAIL] Rally to Save Niles Library - [EMAIL] July 20 Action Plan to Save Niles Library
Hi Neighbor, We have a small Niles Coalition update with an important #SaveNilesLibrary plan to join. Check it out! Niles Coalition We have a new logo! Notice anything familiar? 👀 #SaveNilesLibrary Campaign Our Niles Coalition #SaveNilesLibrary campaign is growing thanks to supporters like you! We have a number of opportunities available for you. The next… Read more: [EMAIL] July 20 Action Plan to Save Niles Library - [EMAIL] Get Off the Internet!
[Niles Coalition] Solidarity Card Events Like the amazing activist, grassroots organizer, and educator Mariame Kaba says: “It isn’t true that ‘noone is doing X’. In fact, it’s always true that ‘someone is doing X’”. That is to say that everywhere people are creating all sorts of ways to help others out. Niles is no exception… Read more: [EMAIL] Get Off the Internet! - [EMAIL] We Knew This Was ComingThe lessons we’re learning from the #SaveNilesLibrary campaign have been informing the organizational structure of the Niles Coalition. We’ve been networking and making so many new friends. We’re excited to connect with so many of you. Another world is possible, we just know it! #SaveNilesLibrary Update As you know, our cherished Niles-Maine District Library was… Read more: [EMAIL] We Knew This Was Coming
- [EMAIL] Niles Coalition Progress & #SaveNilesLibrary Action Alert
We’re so excited about all of the support and interest from those of you in the community who’ve signed up for our NilesCoalition mailing list! If you want to be more involved in where we focus our attention as a group please let us know so we can set up a time to meet before… Read more: [EMAIL] Niles Coalition Progress & #SaveNilesLibrary Action Alert - [EMAIL] #SaveNilesLibrary Update: 5-24-2021 Board Meeting
Hello World! Bet you’re here to keep tabs on the Niles Coalition’s #SaveNilesLibrary campaign, and that’s SUPER awesome! Thanks for signing up! We formed as a group relatively recently to fight for a more inclusive community here in Niles, Illinois. But the catalyst happened when the Northwest Side Coalition Against Racism and Hate saw community… Read more: [EMAIL] #SaveNilesLibrary Update: 5-24-2021 Board Meeting