Dr. Larry McClellan and the Underground Railroad
Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Chicago and Northeastern Illinois
Join us to hear from Dr. Larry McClellan, historian and author, who will discuss the history of freedom seekers and the Underground Railroad in Illinois.
We’ll gather at the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library (Room 122). The event will also be available virtually. It is free to attend and open to the public.
Dr. McClellan’s award award-winning book, Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois (Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2023), will be available for sale at the event.
Thank you to the University of Chicago Library for co-sponsoring this program.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
About the Speaker
After graduate work at the University of Chicago, Dr. Larry McClellan helped create Governors State University south of Chicago in 1970 and served with the University for 30 years. He is Emeritus Professor of Sociology and Community Studies. In the mid-70s, he was mayor of University Park (then Park Forest South). He spent four years as a senior consultant with the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission, and throughout his career, served as pastor with diverse congregations.
His consulting, research and writing focus on freedom seekers and the Underground Railroad, and on African American and regional history south of Chicago. Major publications include 25 articles in the Encyclopedia of Chicago [2005]; The Underground Railroad South of Chicago [2019], co-author of To the River, The RemarkableJourney of Caroline Quarlls, a Freedom Seeker on the Underground Railroad [2019]. Onward to Chicago: Freedom Seekers and the Underground Railroad in Northeastern Illinois was published by Southern Illinois University Press in 2023. This received the national 2023 Memorial Prize for the Advancement of Knowledge from the Underground Railroad Free Press. In 2022 he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois State Historical Society for his contributions to Illinois history and, in 2024, they gave his latest book their Award for Superior Achievement.
Larry has spoken at five Illinois state history conferences and three national conferences of the National Park Service Network to Freedom program. He was the principal researcher for listings on the NPS Network to Freedom national register of Underground Railroad sites in Crete, Lockport, and Chicago. Some of his work will be found at illinoisundergroundrailroad.info.
For ten years, he wrote a monthly regional history column for The Southtown/Star newspapers. Larry graduated from Occidental College in Los Angeles, with a year at the University of Ghana in West Africa, and additional studies in Great Britain and Jerusalem. He has served on the boards of the Illinois State Historical Society and the Will County Historical Society and has given lectures and programs across Illinois. Currently he is President of the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project and serves on the Illinois Underground Railroad Task Force.
Past Chicago in Focus Programs
What Is AI, and How Could It Put Elections and Democracy at Risk?
Kevin B. Boyd, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Chicago, and Matt Morton, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the University of Chicago, join us to discuss the effects of AI on elections.
Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Let’s discuss clean water access and Black maternal health. Our featured speaker is Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Chicago’s Migrant Crisis
Featured speakers Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
Bringing Ranked Choice Voting to Chicago
Let’s improve Chicago elections! Join us to hear from Rebecca Williams of FairVote Illinois about the fight to establish a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system for municipal elections in the City of Chicago.
This virtual event event is free to attend and open to the public.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
About the Speaker
Rebecca Williams is the executive director of FairVote Illinois. She began with the organization in 2022 as the statewide organizer and led the successful Evanston and Oak Park campaigns. Rebecca has worked in political organizing and policy advocacy since 2017, securing environmental wins for Illinois with prior organizations. She has a passion for nonpartisan systemic reforms and currently resides in Willowbrook.
Past Chicago in Focus Programs
What Is AI, and How Could It Put Elections and Democracy at Risk?
Kevin B. Boyd, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Chicago, and Matt Morton, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the University of Chicago, join us to discuss the effects of AI on elections.
Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Let’s discuss clean water access and Black maternal health. Our featured speaker is Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Chicago’s Migrant Crisis
Featured speakers Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
Chicago in Focus | “Teach Me Why and How to Vote, Then I’ll Vote.”: The Effects of High School Voter Registration Drives on Youth Voter Participation
Join us for an electrifying session on how youth voter registration drives and civic engagement programs are rocking the youth voter turnout!
We're thrilled to have the incredible June Park, a recent graduate from Harvard College, share insights from her groundbreaking thesis, “Teach Me Why and How to Vote, Then I’ll Vote: The Effects of High School Voter Registration Drives on Youth Voter Participation.” Tune in for a dynamic dialogue on engaging young voters this election cycle and beyond.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to make a difference!
This virtual event is free to attend and open to the public.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
About the Speaker
June Park is an organizer and academic for youth voter engagement and voting rights. Originally from Havertown, Pennsylvania, June graduated from Harvard College in 2024, where she completed a 105-page senior thesis titled, "Teach Me Why and How to Vote. Then I’ll Vote.": The Effects of High School Voter Registration Drives on Youth Voter Participation. This work explored the impact of high school voter registration initiatives on increasing youth participation in elections and highlighted innovative strategies to engage young voters.
Currently, June is working with Project 26 Pennsylvania, a nonprofit, nonpartisan youth voter organization, to get college student voters in Pennsylvania out to vote for the 2024 election. In the fall of 2025, June will return to Cambridge to attend Harvard Law School, where she plans to continue her studies. Outside of voting rights, she is an avid K-pop fanatic, USWNT soccer superfan, and crossword enthusiast!
Past Chicago in Focus Programs
What Is AI, and How Could It Put Elections and Democracy at Risk?
Kevin B. Boyd, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Chicago, and Matt Morton, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the University of Chicago, join us to discuss the effects of AI on elections.
Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Let’s discuss clean water access and Black maternal health. Our featured speaker is Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Chicago’s Migrant Crisis
Featured speakers Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
Chicago in Focus | Moving Forward Together: Legal Aid Chicago Listens to Community Needs
Join us to better understand the unmet civil legal needs of low-income Cook County residents.
For the first time in their organization’s history, Legal Aid Chicago has released a Community Legal Needs Assessment. They listened to a wide ambit of internal and external stakeholders, community members, and researchers in order to make evidence-based strategic decisions about how and where to deploy their resources. Legal Aid Chicago’s Kulsum Ameji and Barbara Bertini will present their findings and strategize with us on how we can all move forward.
Read the Report:
Moving Forward Together: Community Legal Needs Assessment 2022
Released March 2024
This virtual event is free to attend and open to the public.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program virtually will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
About the Speakers
Kulsum Ameji is a Senior Attorney specializing in Community Engagement at Legal Aid Chicago. After graduating with honors from Smith College, she attended DePaul College of Law. Kulsum has more than two decades of experience connecting communities, issues, and ideas in imaginative ways. Kulsum is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships for her work from the Chicago Foundation for Women, KANWIN, the Community Renewal Society, Legal Aid Chicago, the University of Chicago’s Civic Leadership Academy, and others. She is passionate about cross-sectoral collaboration, creative problem-solving, and user-centered systems-thinking. She is the Co-Author of Moving Forward Together, Legal Aid Chicago’s recent Community Legal Needs Assessment.
Barbara Bertini is the Associate Director of Pro Bono & Community Partnerships at Legal Aid Chicago. She joined Legal Aid Chicago in December 2021 to focus on enhancing and expanding the organization’s presence in the Cook County community. She has experience as a government attorney, a criminal prosecutor, and a specialist in criminal records relief. This experience allows Barbara to provide substantive legal trainings to service providers and community members and manages the agency’s partnerships with organizational allies. Barbara received both her law degree and her undergraduate degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University in Boston.
Past Chicago in Focus Programs
What Is AI, and How Could It Put Elections and Democracy at Risk?
Kevin B. Boyd, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Chicago, and Matt Morton, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the University of Chicago, join us to discuss the effects of AI on elections.
Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Let’s discuss clean water access and Black maternal health. Our featured speaker is Chakena D. Perry, Senior Policy Advocate for the Safe Water Initiative at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).
Chicago’s Migrant Crisis
Featured speakers Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
Chicago in Focus | What is CABO?
Time to learn about the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance!
Why is CABO so important for Chicago? Over two-thirds of Chicago's greenhouse gas emissions currently come from buildings, while 1 in 5 Chicagoans struggle to pay soaring gas bills. CABO will set our city on a path towards a cleaner, healthier, and more affordable future. CABO would require newly constructed homes and commercial buildings to comply with an emission standard, requiring zero-to-low emission energy systems. That's a key first step in the necessary transition away from dirty, expensive fossil fuels.
Join us to hear from Sarah Moskowitz, Executive Director of the Citizens Utility Board (CUB), a statewide group that advocates for consumer protections, lower utility bills, and equitable, consumer-friendly clean energy solutions in Springfield, at the Illinois Commerce Commission, and in the courts. Sarah started at CUB in the summer of 2000 and served there in a variety of roles before becoming Executive Director in the summer of 2023.
Check out CUB's fact sheet about CABO. Please join us for this important presentation. If you can’t make it, the presentation will be recorded for you to watch later.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
Chicago in Focus: What is AI, and how could it put elections and democracy at risk?
Join us to discuss the effects of AI on elections with Kevin B. Boyd, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the University of Chicago, and Matt Morton, Executive Director and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at the University of Chicago.
This event is free to attend and open to the public. We will gather at the University of Chicago Regenstein Library. The event will also be presented virtually.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program virtually will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
Thank you to UChiVotes for cosponsoring this event! UChiVotes is a student-led, nonpartisan voter engagement initiative founded out of the University of Chicago Institute of Politics to boost voter turnout and engagement on UChicago’s campus.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today.
About the Speakers
Kevin B. Boyd is the associate vice president and chief information officer at the University of Chicago. In this role, he oversees Information Technology Services (ITS), the University’s largest single IT operation. ITS is responsible for the planning and operations of many of UChicago’s most widely utilized IT systems and services, such as the core wired and wireless networks; the learning management system; the security and protection of the University’s computers and networks; central student and business information and data systems; primary data centers for physical and virtual server hosting, and high-performance research computing; and instructional technologies in a growing portfolio of classrooms and learning spaces.
Matt Morton is the executive director and chief information security officer at the University of Chicago. Matt leads the Information Security team in developing and implementing information security and data governance strategies, policies, and practices for the University. He also collaborates with the information technology leadership throughout the University, including the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences Division, to build consensus among campus leaders on a risk-based approach to information security outcomes.
Past Chicago in Focus Programs
Chicago’s Migrant Crisis
Featured speakers Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition, discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
The Electoral College
The League of Women Voters has long advocated for abolishing the Electoral College in favor of a national, direct vote for president. This lecture from League expert Joyce Williams explores how the Electoral College impacts our presidential elections and discusses the arguments given for and against keeping the Electoral College.
Gun Violence Prevention
Following an increase in gun violence in Lake County, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office was awarded $1.5 million in funding for the Lake County Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI), which takes a public health approach to violence prevention. Joining us to discuss the initiative are Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart and GVPI Chair Sara Knizhnik.
Chicago in Focus: Chicago's Migrant Crisis
Join us to discuss the current situation of new asylum seekers arriving in Chicago and how local organizations are helping.
Our featured speakers are Johannes Favi, Deputy Director of the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants (ICDI) and Alisa Bhachu, CEO of the Chicago Refugee Coalition (CRC).
We will gather at the Union League Club (65 W Jackson Blvd). Join us early, starting at 5:30 pm, for social time. A cash bar will be available. The event will also be presented virtually.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Chicago in Focus: Priced Out of Your Life?Affordable Housing in Chicago
A college grad moving to Chicago to start a new job and life. Low- and moderate-income families looking for a place to grow. City employees who are required to live within the city limits. Seniors seeking comfort and security as they ease into retirement. What do all these people have in common? They all are in need of housing that doesn’t put them at financial risk. Even with exciting new developments and towering new high rises, is Chicago pricing its citizens out?
On Tuesday, April 18, LWV Chicago will present Priced Out of Your Life? Affordable Housing in Chicago, a look at the how affordable housing affects diversity, finances and future health of the city. Join us as our guest speakers discuss the housing situation in Chicago, how it impacts the citizens and city, and what steps should be taken to address the issue.
Presenting are Enrique Castillo, Senior Planner at the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) in the Local Planning department; Bill Eager, Senior Vice President for Chicago and the Midwest at the Preservation of Affordable Housing development company; and Kyle Smith, Director of Housing and Community Development, Metropolitan Mayor's Caucus.
The event will be presented virtually.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Chicago in Focus: The Electoral College
The League of Women Voters has long advocated for abolishing the Electoral College in favor of a national, direct vote for president.
This lecture from League expert Joyce Williams will explore how the Electoral College impacts our presidential elections and discuss the arguments given for and against keeping the Electoral College.
We will gather at the Union League Club (65 W Jackson Blvd). Join us early, starting at 5:30 pm, for social time. A cash bar will be available. The event will also be presented virtually.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Chicago in Focus: Gun Violence Prevention
Join us to discuss Lake County's Gun Violence Prevention Initiative (GVPI) with Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart and GVPI Chair Sara Knizhnik.
Following an increase in gun violence in Lake County, the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office was awarded $1.5 million in funding for the Lake County GVPI, which takes a public health approach to violence prevention.
Utilizing an adaptation of the Cure Violence Model (CVM), which maintains that violence is a learned behavior that can be prevented using disease control methods, the program works primarily with high-risk youth aged 14 to 25. It includes regular individual interactions, conflict mediation, and community mobilization.
We will gather at the Union League Club (65 W Jackson Blvd). Join us early, starting at 5:30 pm, for social time. A cash bar will be available. The event will also be presented virtually.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Chicago in Focus: Unfixing Chicago
Join us for a talk by Joe Ferguson, Chicago’s former Inspector General and the Founding Executive Director of (re)Chicago, a strategic initiative to assess and address flaws in Chicago’s governance structure.
Ferguson, who also serves as a lecturer at Loyola Law School and the University of Chicago's Harris School of Public Policy, will discuss (re)Chicago’s goals of lasting structural reform of City government grounded in participatory democracy.
We will gather at the Union League Club (65 W Jackson Blvd). Join us early, starting at 5:30 pm, for social time. A cash bar will be available. The event will also be presented virtually.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Chicago in Focus: Forest Preserves
Join LWV Chicago in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago for our first in-person Chicago in Focus program in over two years!
We will gather at the Union League Club (65 W Jackson Blvd) to discuss the Cook County Forest Preserves and the upcoming referendum regarding Preserve funding. The event will also be presented virtually.
Since its founding more than 100 years ago, the Forest Preserves of Cook County’s mission has been to protect and preserve public open space in its natural state for the education, pleasure and recreation of the public. The Forest Preserves are a place to go to experience nature close to home. They are a place where native plants and animals thrive. They offer opportunities for adventure and fun. And they make our communities healthier. They are to the Chicago region what the National Parks are to our country.
For the first time since the 1930’s, Cook County residents will be asked in the November 8 Election to vote on a referendum to bring more resources to the Forest Preserves. If approved, new funding would be used to expand and improve the benefits the Forest Preserves provides us all and set the Preserves on a sustainable fiscal path.
Our speakers for the evening are Benjamin Cox, Executive Director of the Friends of the Cook County Forest Preserves, and Iza Redlinski, Deputy Director of Resource Management for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Our moderator for the evening is Matt Evans, Managing Ecologist, Woodlands at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program virtually will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.
Police Reform, Civilian District Councils and the Reduction of Violence
Join LWV Chicago in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago for a presentation by Adam Gross, Executive Director of the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, and Kim Smith, Director of Programs and Education of the University of Chicago Crime Lab.
We will discuss the structure of the Community Commission, particularly the role of the inaugural District Councils to be elected during the February municipal elections, and the impact on violence reduction of various approaches to police reform throughout the country.
Mr. Gross will also answer questions about qualifications and procedures to run for District Councils.
You must register to attend. A link to participate in the program will be sent to registrants 24 hours in advance.
This event is part of our Chicago in Focus lecture series, which seeks to highlight and explore the most important issues facing Chicagoans today. We host this series in partnership with the Union League Club of Chicago.