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We're proud to introduce the 2023 CUE Fellowship cohort! These 15 individuals bring their own unique perspectives and expertise to the work that must be done to build an equitable Chicago for everybody. Once again, the 2023 CUE Fellowship includes changemakers working in partnership with civic institutions and in community with neighbors. By fostering our relationship to each other and our shared interest in a Chicago that works for all, CUE fellows create an ecosystem of honest conversation, meaningful collaboration, and collective action. Welcome to the CUE Family CUE is people powered. We believe that an equitable city is possible whenever people come together in love of community and disruption of the status quo. We invest in the curious, visionary and courageous people who can target inequity in our systems and promote change—like these 15 fellows! From left to right: Adria Husband (Shifting Hearts and Minds LLC), Alana Warren (The Civic Federation), Chandra Christmas-Rouse (Metropolitan Planning Council) Chris Bridges (It Takes a Village Nation), Davon Clark (The Movement of Movement), Edna Navarro-Vidaurre (Birth to Five Illinois) Elizabeth Schuh (Cook County Bureau of Economic Development), Gabriella Nelson (Chicago Department of Housing), Jeni Hebert-Beirne (University of Illinois, Chicago) Kristen Garcia (Illinois Action for Children), Liú Méi-Zhì Huì Chen (National Public Housing Museum), Lucy Brennan (P33 Chicago) Marly Schott (Elevated Chicago), Nneka Onwuzurike (Office of Equity and Racial Justice, City of Chicago), Sonseriya Williams (Teamwork Englewood) Learn more about the 2023 Fellowship Cohort.

The documentary film about the fight to save the National Teacher's Academy. Rachel Pate, Director of Civic Programming, leads a panel discussion with director Kevin Shaw and former NTA principal Issac Castelez. Last Wednesday, our new 2023 Fellowship cohort gathered with CUE family for movie night: a screening of Let the Little Light Shine, the documentary film showcasing the fight to save the National Teachers Academy (NTA). In the film, NTA students, staff and parents, like Elisabeth Greer and Niketa Brar, CUE co-founders, tell the story in their own words in real time. In 2017, we launched Chicago’s first public Racial Equity Impact Assessment, bringing over 350 residents together to weigh the burdens and benefits of the proposed school and create alternatives to protect NTA. It’s this collective organizing that directly inspired CUE’s inception. Left: Kevin Shaw, Niketa Brar and Isaac Castelez pose in front of a neon sign at the Chicago United for Equity office. We thank Isaac Castelez (former NTA principal) and Kevin Shaw (documentary director and producer) for joining the panel discussion after the film. You can learn more and find out where to stream the documentary at lightshinefilm.com.

Transforming Chicago requires a definition of racial equity. On July 6, Mayor Johnson revealed A Blueprint for Creating a More Just and Vibrant City for All, the highly anticipated transition committee report promising a commitment to three large value sets: Equity, Inclusivity and Racial Justice, Co-governance, and Engagement and Accountability. Niketa Brar, Executive Director of Chicago United for Equity, and Darlene O. Hightower, President and CEO of Metropolitan Planning Council, wrote an op-ed for Crain’s Chicago Business to expand on these values and what actionable steps they’d like to see to “make good on a promising beginning” for the new administration. “The administration should commit to a definition [of equity] that is explicit about shifting power to communities most harmed by discriminatory policies and hold themselves accountable to these communities going forward.” Read their top 3 recommendations for the new administration in the full commentary “Johnson's 'Blueprint' is promising starting point for transformative government.” Rachel Pate, CUE’s Director of Civic Programming, teamed up with our MPC colleagues Kendra Freeman (2019 CUE Fellow) and Chandra Christmas-Rouse (2023 CUE Fellow) to shape this op-ed. We thank them for their hard work combining Niketa’s and Darlene’s voices for this timely response. Meet the CUE Fellows who served on transition subcommittees and the Fellows currently serving in Mayor Johnson’s administration.

It's amazing what can happen when racial equity work is community-centered. Co-governance is best defined in action. CUE believes in the power of the collective. By centering those most impacted by public policy, we can create civic structures that benefit us all. Our work requires the political will to reimagine leadership and practice new decision-making processes. This kind of collaborative governance, or “co-governance”, is a topic best defined in action. Here are three case studies from major U.S. cities bridging the gap between government and community. Chicago Chicago Digital Equity Council The gap in digital resources, such as quality Internet, computers, and learning tools, creates growing disadvantages for families who are low-income and experience language barriers in my community.” —Karin Aguilar, Community Leader on the Digital Equity Council Guiding Team The Chicago Digital Equity Council, first launched in May 2022, brought nearly 400 residents together across Chicago’s least digitally connected neighborhoods to discuss the digital divide, identify work already in progress, and co-create recommendations for the Chicago Digital Equity Plan. Learn more. This case study was brought to you by the Office for Equity and Racial Justice. OERJ seeks to advance institutional change that results in an equitable transformation of how we do business across the City of Chicago enterprise. San Francisco Worker Powered Co-Enforcement in the Bay Area Because of us building power, person to person, learning how to develop leadership to help people take collective action and take on bigger fights, we’ve shifted the norms in Chinatown.—Alex Tom, former CPA Executive Director The Chinese Progressive Association builds power for the historically exploited, predominantly immigrant low-wage workforce through a “co-enforcement” strategy, bringing public agencies, work centers and community organizations together to monitor and enforce labor standards. Learn more. This case study was brought to you by Partners for Dignity and Rights. PDR works to build a broad movement for economic and social rights, including health, housing, education and work with dignity. Seattle Equitable Development Initiative “Displacement pressures are real…these projects will help ensure that our many cultural communities will always have a home here in Seattle.” — Rico Quirindongo, OPCD Acting Director With Seattle’s rapid growth comes burdens that fall on historically marginalized communities. To combat displacement, the Office of Planning & Community Development launched an Equitable Development Initiative to fund community-led anti-displacement strategies from affordable housing and elder care, to local art and libraries. Learn more. This case study was brought to you by Local Progress. LP is a network of elected leaders who build power with underrepresented communities and fight to reshape what is possible in our localities all across the country.

Chicago Public School students deserve a leader dedicated to education and committed to community. At the heart of CUE is a shared commitment to equity in action, which is why it’s so exciting to see CUE fellows take public accountability in this work as they step into larger civic leadership positions. Jianan Shi (2020 CUE Fellow, 2022 CUE Senior Fellow) has been named President of the Chicago Board of Education, bringing his values as a former educator, organizer and systems thinker to the position. He was recently interviewed by Chalkbeat Chicago to discuss his journey into this new role and how he intends to promote Chicago Public Schools’ commitment to community. “I want us to shift from looking at lagging indicators, and move towards how we invest in communities. If we provide well-resourced neighborhood schools, if there’s abundant social services and affordable housing in Chicago, those communities will grow back, right?” — Jianan Shi, Chalkbeat Chicago Jianan co-led a project with Cliff Helm (2020 CUE Senior Fellow) on Public Finance for Public School Elections to assess the implementation of an equitable public financing system for the Chicago-elected representative school board. The project developed out of a desire to make running for office more accessible for those most impacted by education policies. “I saw Jianan’s passion and drive for equitable education in CPS. He has an amazing ability to lead by working with people that are directly impacted by an issue to get a deep and meaningful understanding. I'm excited to see what the Board is able to accomplish with Jianan as President.” — Cliff Helm, 2020 CUE Senior Fellow They presented their findings at the 2022 Annual CUE Showcase last December. In April, Jianan was appointed to the Education & Youth Subcommittee for the 2023 Mayoral transition team and named President of the Chicago Board of Education in July. More colleagues spoke with the Chicago Sun-Times on working with Jianan and what his 16-month term as appointed President means to the progressive education movement. “Jianan is the most emotionally intelligent colleague I’ve ever worked with...A really thoughtful and insightful leader in terms of what a group needs in order to move forward.” —Deanan Digitale-Grider, Solorio Academy Faculty As an educator, organizer and leader, Jianan is uniquely suited to serve as President before a partially elected school board takes over for the first time in Chicago history. Voters will elect 10 members to the Chicago Board of Education in November 2024. “It’s my job as board president to build a coalition of folks that work towards increasing revenue for Chicago Public Schools at every level. Before January, I intend on meeting with every elected (official) that touches Chicago.” — Jianan Shi, Chalkbeat Chicago Congratulations to Jianan! As the 2023-2024 school year launches, we wish him the very best in this impactive role.