Brian Gladstein Speaks before the Special Rapporteur on Racism

Listen to the speech!!

Statement of Brian Gladstein
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs and
Developing Governmental Accountability to the People network
Chicago, Illinois USA

This statement is submitted on behalf of the many communities in Chicago who wish to see racial discrimination named for what it is, and eradicated so that we can move beyond its legacy. We unite across racial divides that mark Chicago as one of the most segregated and politically corrupt cities in the U.S. We seek the facilitative intervention that the presence of the international human rights system might promise.

The legacy of torture that remains from the impunity enjoyed by Jon Burge extends beyond the over 100 African American men who he and his cronies tortured. Between 2002 and 2004, over 18,000 reports of misconduct were alleged against police officers. Only 18 officers received any kind of meaningful discipline. We need your help to provide reparations for victims, and to help hold accountable those police officers who engage in torture.

An estimated 90% of Chicago’s homeless are people of color. Those who live in public housing are 80% African American and Latino and over 50% are women. Nonetheless, 19,000 public housing units have been demolished and fewer than 300 have been built to replace them. Communities are decimated and families destroyed. The children of these displaced families risk their rights as they seek education, made more difficult by the City of Chicago’s plans to close over 70 schools that provide education to African American and Latino students. The promise of a partnership of local, state and federal government can help facilitate respect for human rights.

People of color in Chicago are disproportionately poor and disproportionally affected by a system that perpetuates historical patterns of discrimination in housing, education, economic deprivation, police abuse and many other human rights. The politically corrupt system of government in Chicago often benefits people with money and clout at the expense of communities of color. There is a groundswell in Chicago that seeks the enlightened consciousness that human rights mechanisms can provide. We want to work in partnership with you to ensure that our local, state and the federal governments ensure that the City of Chicago protects human rights. We urge you to visit Chicago, to help facilitate the understanding of human rights from which we can develop concrete measures to hold our government accountable.