The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Policy Summit Live brings together policymakers, advocates, researchers, community leaders, and engaged citizens to discuss the issues shaping Black communities and the nation.

This event is free and open to the public.

Redistricting, Representation, and Black Political Power in Chicago

League of Women Voters Panel, 1:30 pm

In April 2026, a U.S. Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais opened the door to racist redistricting, raising new concerns about the future of voting rights protections and Black political representation nationwide.

In response to the ruling, Illinois lawmakers paused a proposed constitutional amendment intended to strengthen state-level Voting Rights Act protections, signaling broader uncertainty around how race can be considered in future redistricting efforts.

This timely discussion will examine the implications of the ruling for Black Chicago communities and explore how national legal shifts intersect with local issues, including demographic change, ward remapping, political representation, voter engagement, and disinvestment. Bringing together legal experts, advocates, organizers, and policy leaders, the panel will discuss what is at stake for Black political power in Chicago and identify strategies to protect equitable representation and democratic participation moving forward.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a distant or abstract technology. It is already shaping education, healthcare, employment, elections, public policy, and even the way institutions make decisions affecting people’s lives. In this presentation, LWV Chicago Vice President John Engle will offer an overview of what AI is, how it works, where the technology is heading, and why it matters for democracy.

The talk will examine both the promise and the dangers of AI, including its environmental costs, impact on truth and public trust, risks in healthcare and military decision-making, emerging concerns around AI-generated abuse and self-harm, and the central accountability question: if machines cannot be held responsible, how do we ensure humans remain accountable?

About the Speaker

John Engle is Vice President of LWV Chicago, as well as its resident historian and subject-matter expert on emerging and frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and new energy. A political strategist, writer, market commentator and communications consultant, John brings deep experience in public policy, government affairs, and innovation.

John currently serves as Chief Strategist at Purpose Brand, in addition to his independent political consulting practice. He works across communications, advocacy, political strategy, and public affairs. He has advised civic, nonprofit, public-sector, and private-sector clients on complex issues ranging from infrastructure and economic development to housing, technology, democracy reform, and public accountability. John holds degrees from the University of Oxford, Trinity College Dublin, and the London School of Economics, and has written widely on history, politics, political theory, markets, and tech innovation.

Join Reform for Illinois, the League of Women Voters of Chicago, Citizen Action Illinois, Asian American Midwest Progressives, Alderman Matt Martin (47th Ward) & Cook County Commissioner Bridget Degnen (12th District) for a virtual ‘Follow the Money’ training focused on tracking the campaign cash—and political influence—in Illinois state and local elections. This timely event comes after big spending in Illinois’ recent primary elections. 

This training will cover both Reform for Illinois’ Sunshine Campaign Finance database and the Illinois State Board of Elections websites. Learn how to find information on donations to political committees, search for super PAC expenditures, and track the money in a given race.

Join us to learn how to ‘Follow the Money’ in Illinois! 

✔️ Free and open to all
✔️ No League membership required
✔️ Recording available after the event

Training Leaders

The League of Women Voters of Roselle-Bloomingdale Area and the League of Women Voters of Chicago will host a free webinar, "Countering Citizens United: Blunting the Influence of Money in Politics," on Wednesday, May 6, from 7 to 8 p.m. via Zoom.

The program will examine the Center for American Progress's "corporate power reset" — a state-level strategy that advocates say could limit the influence of corporate and dark money in elections without requiring a Supreme Court reversal. The approach would redefine the rights of corporations operating within state borders, offering a practical path forward in the wake of the court's 2010 ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, which opened the door to unlimited corporate spending in U.S. elections and has been repeatedly upheld. 

Tom Moore, senior fellow for democracy policy at the Center for American Progress, will discuss the national launch of this strategy and the Transparent Election Initiative in Montana, a constitutional initiative expected to appear on the 2026 ballot. He will be joined by Alisa Kaplan, executive director of Reform for Illinois, who will address the growing role of money in Illinois politics. Unlike most states, Illinois allows corporations to donate directly to candidates. Reform for Illinois will outline a range of proposed reforms to increase transparency, reduce corruption, and ensure that elected officials serve the public, not just big donors.

Hit the streets in solidarity with workers on May Day!

League members will meet up at the James Connolly statue (corner of West Warren Blvd & Ashland Ave) at 12:30 pm. The march kicks off at Union Park at 2:00 pm and ends at Daley Plaza by 5/6:00 pm.

The League of Women Voters of Chicago, the Jeannette Rankin Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc - Chicago Alumnae Chapter, the National Council of Jewish Women Chicago North Shore, Chicago Women’s History Center, and the Union League Club of Chicago welcome former Ambassador and United States Senator from Illinois Carol Moseley Braun and women’s historian Lorissa Rinehart for a timely discussion about the enduring power of women’s leadership in American democracy.

As Shirley Chisholm said, women have always had to bring their own chairs when claiming a seat in the United States government. Tracing two groundbreaking women’s extraordinary journeys from uniquely American roots to the halls of power, Moseley Braun’s recent memoir, Trailblazer: Perseverance in Life and Politics, and Rinehart’s new biography of Jeannette Rankin, Winning the Earthquake: How Jeannette Rankin Defied All Odds to Become America’s First Congresswoman,  reveal just how true this has been throughout our country’s history.

In Trailblazer, Senator Moseley Braun reflects on her historic 1992 election as the first Black woman ever elected to the U.S. Senate, offering an intimate account of perseverance, public service, and the realities of breaking racial and gender barriers in American politics. In Winning the Earthquake, Rinehart tells the gripping story of Rankin’s 1916 campaign for Congress, an audacious victory that reshaped who could hold office and evolved the nation’s understanding of democratic participation.

More urgently, both books illuminate the capacity of women’s leadership to expand the possibilities of American democracy for all. Rankin’s historic run for Congress and Moseley Braun’s groundbreaking Senate campaign were not merely personal firsts, but watershed moments that redefined who could participate in government and broadened the meaning of “We the People.”

Together, Moseley Braun and Rinehart will explore how the wisdom earned in defeat and the courage forged in victory by those who came before can help guide the next generation of women leaders carrying the torch of American democracy toward a more perfect union.

Cost: $51.64 (includes cost of luncheon, tax and gratuity) | Attire: Smart Casual

Books will available for purchase onsite from Madison Street Books.

Space is limited. Advance registration is required.