Illinois Celebrates Human Rights Day December marks the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act

 Illinois Celebrates Human Rights Day

December marks the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act

Here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows, we're huge supporters of human rights. In our current political climate we're happier than ever to live in Illinois, a state with strong human rights protections. Kudos for taking human rights seriously and prioritizing protections for ALL Illinois citizens regardless of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability.

Today, the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC) commemorated International Human Rights Day with a celebration of the 45th anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act (IHRA or Act).

The celebration includes joint outreach and remarks at a Chicago History Museum event on 100 years of LGBTQIA+ rights activism provided in partnership with the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. IDHR will also celebrate at an All-Staff meeting with employee recognition awards in Chicago and Springfield and through educational content on social media.

Inspired by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the IHRA was signed into law by Governor James R. Thompson on Dec. 6, 1979, establishing the IDHR and the IHRC as the state agencies responsible for enforcing the IHRA. The IHRA now prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, financial credit, and education on the basis of more than 20 protected classes. Those categories include race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. Recent additions include anti-discrimination protections in employment for conviction record and work authorization status and in housing for source of income and immigration status.

“The Illinois Human Rights Act provides one of the most comprehensive sets of human rights protections in the country,” said IDHR Director Jim Bennett. “Amid attacks against human rights and reproductive rights across the country, IDHR remains committed to uplifting this historic legislation by informing people who live, work, or visit our state of their rights and obligations under state law.”

“For forty-five years, both the Illinois Human Rights Commission and the Illinois Department of Human Rights have enforced the Act without fear or favor, and as effectively and efficiently as possible,” said IHRC Chair Selma C. D’Souza.

In 2024, Governor Pritzker signed into law five bills that expanded the IHRA. Amendments to the IHRA include new protections for reproductive health decisions in all areas of the Act and family responsibilities in employment that go into effect Jan. 1, 2025. Another amendment expands the statute of limitations (time limit) for individuals to file a charge of discrimination from 300 days to 2 years, effective Jan. 1, 2025. The expanded time to file a charge applies only to employment, public accommodations, education, and financial credit cases. For housing cases, the time remains unchanged, one year to file a charge with IDHR or 2 years to file a complaint in circuit court.  

In-Person Event

OUT at CHM: 100 years of LGBTQIA+ Rights: Henry Gerber and the Society for Human Rights

Tuesday, December 10, 6-9 pm

Chicago History Museum

1601 N. Clark St.

Chicago, IL 60614

Tickets: $8 members / $12 non-members

Join the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) and the Illinois Human Rights Commission (IHRC) for an event to celebrate International Human Rights Day and the 45th Anniversary of the Illinois Human Rights Act. IDHR and IHRC will provide information on the agencies and present brief remarks.

IDHR and IHRC call on each of us to do our part to advance freedom and inclusion for all. If you believe you have experienced discrimination, contact IDHR by calling (877) 236-7703 or 7-1-1 for *TTY users or by visiting us online at dhr.illinois.gov/filing-a-charge.

To learn more about IDHR, visit dhr.illinois.gov.

To learn more about IHRC, visit hrc.illinois.gov.

FREE Public Performances of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights 1/20/20 and 2/28/20

ChiIL Mama's Chi, IL Picks List:

Writers Theatre opens the 2020 tour of

The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights

By Yolanda Androzzo

Directed by Sophiyaa Nayar

Featuring Adhana Reid

with free public performances at the Chicago History Museum

on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (January 20, 2020 at 10:30am) and 

DuSable Museum of African American History 

on February 28, 2020 at 7pm

Writers Theatre opens its 14th annual tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights, written by Yolanda Androzzo, directed by Sophiyaa Nayar and featuring Adhana Reid. A special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day public performance will take place at 10:30am on January 20, 2020 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark Street in Chicago. The kickoff event also includes a post-show community discussion. The event is free and open to the public, and audience members will also receive free museum admission for the remainder of the day. The closing performance will also be free and open to the public, at 7pm on February 28, 2020 at DuSable Museum of African American History, 740 East 56th Place in Chicago. Tickets are free and can be reserved in advance by calling 773-947-0600. Visit dusablemuseum.org/events for more information.

Weaving together poetry, hip hop and history, The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is a one-woman show that follows Chicago student Alaya’s personal transformation through studying the Civil Rights Movement. Alaya uses her fists as an outlet for anger. After interviewing local heroes of the Movement, she discovers she can put “anger into action” and that her power is in her voice and her hip hop, not violence.

Seen by more than 83,000 students, this dynamic, cross-cultural, multi-media performance interlaces personal interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights activists, featuring both celebrated and unsung heroes of the Movement, such as Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, spoken word artist and activist Sista Yo, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Puerto Rican poet and activist David Hernandez, among others. 

The 2020 production will tour to more than 35 venues during its 6-week run, including Chicago Public Schools, community centers, and juvenile detention centers.  All performances on the tour include a post-show discussion and a study guide with wrap-around curriculum.



Title: The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights
By: Yolanda Androzzo
Directed by: Sophiyaa Nayar
Featuring: Adhana Reid
Dates: Monday, January 20, 10:30am – Chicago History Museum (Free) 
Friday, February 28, 7pm – DuSable Museum of African American History (Free) 

The 2020 tour of The MLK Project is made possible in part by support from Allstate, Major Corporate Sponsor.  Additional supporters of The MLK Project and Writers Theatre’s education programs in 2020 include: The Crown Family, Polk Bros. Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, and The Seabury Foundation.



Writers Theatre Education Programs are aimed at exploring text, nurturing the creativity of young people and instilling appreciation of the arts for future generations. Through comprehensive programming in schools, on-site and through community-based initiatives, WT Education’s curriculum is designed to emphasize collaboration, cultivate self-expression, encourage imaginative inquiry and promote civic responsibility.

Additional Writers Theatre’s Education Programs include: 
Write On! a flexible artist-in-residence program customized for each school and group of students. Write On! pairs teaching artists with schools and community organizations in dynamic explorations of performance and text with a focus on encouraging young people to find their creative voices.  Writers Theatre has provided after-school drama programs, in-depth Shakespeare or mythology workshops, ethnographic performance and dramaturgy units, and poetry and writing classes in collaboration with CPS schools, community organizations and juvenile detention centers.

The Novel Series, a cutting-edge theatre and literary arts curriculum designed to allow students to explore literature and the art of bringing text to life. Under the guidance of a Writers Theatre Teaching Artist, students engage in a layered study of a book and enter a rigorous artistic process that merges writing, discussion, and vocabulary with arts-integrated theatre projects. Residencies culminate in a final performance of student-created work as students use voice, body, and imagination to make new and exciting connections to the text.

ACTIVATE is Writers Theatre’s wraparound residency designed to deepen students’ engagement with the art on our stages. Students and teachers involved in ACTIVATE attend an exclusive student-only matinee performance of a play in our season, prepare for and extend their experience at the theatre through in-school pre and post-performance participatory workshops designed to investigate contextual information and the major themes in the play, and participate in a post-show discussion with WT artists and educators.

Writers Theatre Youth Council, an artistic leadership advisory board for motivated, passionate high school students interested in hands-on, in-depth exposure to arts administration. Council members get behind-the-scenes access to Writers Theatre productions, artists, and programs, participate in play readings and artistic discussion groups, host youth nights at the theatre, and develop artistic leadership skills. Youth Council members attend after-school meetings, performances at the theatre, and workshops. Youth Council members represent a valued voice in theatre operations.

Writers also began offering Onsite Theatre Classes for young people in Fall 2017. Classes each session will mirror WT’s mission of the word and the artist with creative themes that highlight each of these theatrical tenants created specifically for young artists at the heart of the process. Held in our state-of-the-art theatre center, these customized classes are the perfect way to introduce children to the arts through creative and active collaboration.

All of Writers Theatre’s education programs are aligned with state and national Common Core standards. To learn more visit www.writerstheatre.org/education.



ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
For over 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues. 

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.

PICTURED: CAREN BLACKMORE AS ALAYA THE MLK PROJECT. PHOTOS: TOM MCGRATH

Writers Theatre opens the 2019 tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights With FREE MLK Day Chicago Performance at the Chicago History Museum

Writers Theatre opens the 2019 tour of

The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights

By Yolanda Androzzo

Directed by Tasia A. Jones

Featuring Angela Alise

Free performance at the Chicago History Museum

on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 21, 2019

10:30am

Writers Theatre opens its 13th annual tour of The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights, written by Yolanda Androzzo, directed by Tasia A. Jones and featuring Angela Alise. A special Martin Luther King, Jr. Day public performance will take place at 10:30am on January 21 at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N Clark Street in Chicago. The kickoff event also includes a post-show community discussion. The event is free and open to the public, and audience members will also receive free museum admission for the remainder of the day.

Weaving together poetry, hip hop and history, The MLK Project: The Fight for Civil Rights is a one-woman show that follows Chicago student Alaya’s personal transformation through studying the Civil Rights Movement. Alaya uses her fists as an outlet for anger. After interviewing local heroes of the Movement, she discovers she can put “anger into action” and that her power is in her voice and her hip hop, not violence.

Seen by more than 77,000 students, this dynamic, cross-cultural, multi-media performance interlaces personal interviews of Chicago-based Civil Rights activists, featuring both celebrated and unsung heroes of the Movement, such as Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, Founder of the DuSable Museum of African American History Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, Reverend Jesse Jackson and Puerto Rican poet and activist David Hernandez, among others. 

The 2019 production will tour to more than 35 venues during its 6-week run, including  Chicago Public Schools, community centers, and juvenile detention centers.  All performances on the tour include a post-show discussion and a study guide with wrap-around curriculum.

Writers Theatre will also feature two special onsite performance of The MLK Project on Saturday, February 2nd, 2019 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets for this performance are $20 for adults and $10 for students and may be purchased by calling the WT Box Office at 847-242-6000 or https://www.writerstheatre.org/the-mlk-project-the-fight-for-civil-rights.

Dates: Monday, January 21, 10:30am – Chicago History Museum (Free)
Saturday, February 2nd, 4:00pm & 7:00pm – WT’s Gillian Theatre   (Paid: $20 adults; $10 students)

The 2019 tour of The MLK Project is made possible in part by support from Allstate, Major Corporate Sponsor.  Additional supporters of The MLK Project and Writers Theatre’s education programs in 2019 include: The Crown Family, Northern Trust Charitable Trust, Paul M. Angell Family Foundation, Petersen Aluminum Corporation, Polk Bros. Foundation, Dr. Scholl Foundation, and The Seabury Foundation.

Writers Theatre Education Programs are aimed at exploring text, nurturing the creativity of young people and instilling appreciation of the arts for future generations. Through comprehensive programming in schools, on-site and through community-based initiatives, WT Education’s curriculum is designed to emphasize collaboration, cultivate self-expression, encourage imaginative inquiry and promote civic responsibility and social justice.

Additional Writers Theatre’s Education Programs include:

Write On! a flexible artist-in-residence program customized for each school and group of students. Write On! pairs teaching artists with schools and community organizations in dynamic explorations of performance and text with a focus on encouraging young people to find their creative voices.  Writers Theatre has provided after-school drama programs, in-depth Shakespeare or mythology workshops, ethnographic performance and dramaturgy units, and poetry and writing classes in collaboration with CPS schools, community organizations and juvenile detention centers.

The Novel Series, a cutting-edge theatre and literary arts curriculum designed to allow students to explore literature and the art of bringing text to life. Under the guidance of a Writers Theatre Teaching Artist, students engage in a layered study of a book and enter a rigorous artistic process that merges writing, discussion, and vocabulary with arts-integrated theatre projects. Residencies culminate in a final performance of student-created work as students use voice, body, and imagination to make new and exciting connections to the text.

ACTIVATE is Writers Theatre’s wraparound residency designed to deepen students’ engagement with the art on our stages. Students and teachers involved in ACTIVATE attend an exclusive student-only matinee performance of a play in our season, prepare for and extend their experience at the theatre through in-school pre and post-performance participatory workshops designed to investigate contextual information and the major themes in the play, and participate in a post-show discussion with WT artists and educators.

Writers Theatre Youth Council, an artistic leadership advisory board for motivated, passionate high school students interested in hands-on, in-depth exposure to arts administration. Council members get behind-the-scenes access to Writers Theatre productions, artists, and programs, participate in play readings and artistic discussion groups, host youth nights at the theatre, and develop artistic leadership skills. Youth Council members attend after-school meetings, performances at the theatre, and workshops. Youth Council members represent a valued voice in theatre operations.

Writers also began offering Onsite Theatre Classes for young people in Fall 2017. Classes each session will mirror WT’s mission of the word and the artist with creative themes that highlight each of these theatrical tenants created specifically for young artists at the heart of the process. Held in our state-of-the-art theatre center, these customized classes are the perfect way to introduce children to the arts through creative and active collaboration.


All of Writers Theatre’s education programs are aligned with state and national Common Core standards. To learn more visit www.writerstheatre.org/education.

ABOUT WRITERS THEATRE
For 25 years, Writers Theatre has captivated Chicagoland audiences with inventive interpretations of classic work, a bold approach to contemporary theatre and a dedication to creating the most intimate theatrical experience possible.

Under the artistic leadership of Michael Halberstam and the executive leadership of Kathryn M. Lipuma, Writers Theatre has grown to become a major Chicagoland cultural destination with a national reputation for excellence, being called the top regional theatre in the nation by The Wall Street Journal. The company, which plays to a sold-out and discerning audience of more than 60,000 patrons each season, has garnered critical praise for the consistent high quality and intimacy of its artistry—providing the finest interpretations of both classic and contemporary theatre in its two intensely intimate venues. 

In February 2016, Writers Theatre opened a new, state-of-the-art facility. This established the company's first permanent home—a new theatre center in downtown Glencoe, designed by the award-winning, internationally renowned Studio Gang Architects, led by Founder and Design Principal Jeanne Gang, FAIA, in collaboration with Theatre Consultant Auerbach Pollock Friedlander. The new facility has allowed the Theatre to continue to grow to accommodate its audience, while maintaining its trademark intimacy. The new facility resonates with and complements the Theatre’s neighboring Glencoe community, adding tremendous value to Chicagoland and helping to establish the North Shore as a premier cultural destination.

Find Writers Theatre on Facebook at Facebook.com/WritersTheatre, follow @WritersTheatre on Twitter or @Writers_Theatre on Instagram. For more information, visit www.writerstheatre.org.