>> Hello and thanks for joining us on Chicago tonight.

Black voices, I'm Brandis Friedman.

Here's what we're looking at.

Consumers are pushing back against large corporations.

But is it having the desired effect?

And a former Chicago teachers union leader Karen Lewis is telling her own story in a new memoir.

>> On how her Life and Legacy Live on.

>> And now to some of today's top stories.

Us Senator Durbin is slamming senior members of the Trump administration for disclosing sensitive military information over a signal group chat.

The burgeoning scandal was the subject of House hearings today with director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe and others.

And Durbin says it was, quote, outrageous to suggest that what was shared on the group chat, which inadvertently included a journalist was not classified informations.

The senator told reporters that Gabbard Ratcliffe were deliberately downplaying the sensitivity of the information that was shared.

>> I think intentionally misled Congress trying to believe that this was some casual conversation.

This is a war plan and American lives are at risk and we should deal with the Mets services.

>> The White House continues to insist that classified information was not disclosed on the group chat.

White wealthy voters in Cook County will likely have the decisive say on whether property taxes get raised.

That's the finding of a new report from Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas, Cook County voters in 8 municipalities will be asked April first to hike property taxes to fund a variety of programs and projects including expanded fire protection renovate it.

Schools resurfaced, roads and new parks.

According to the report, the decisive votes on those ballot measures will likely be cast by voters who live in wealthy communities where the majority of residents are white and own a home voters who live in communities where the majority of residents are black or Latino and rent our former likely to skip ballot questions that ask them to hike property taxes.

According to the study.

Local activists in support of immigrant rights are speaking out against an expected Trump administration travel ban.

More than 40 countries are anticipated to be subject to sweeping travel restrictions.

According to a draft memo leaked to reporters earlier this month, immigrant rights advocates gathered and federal Plaza today and decried the proposed ban calling it racist and xenophobic.

>> This proposed travel ban disproportionately affect African backcountry continuing.

The general demonization of black migration.

proposal will also block refugees and deny people fleeing conflict, persecution and natural disaster the opportunity to seek refuge.

>> Up next, the boycotts against large corporations like Amazon and Target.

>> Chicago tonight, he's made possible in part by the support of these don't use.

>> Consumers across the country are trying to hit large corporations where they hurt their bottom line.

The Group People's Union USA is urging buyers to stop shopping at major companies like Walmart Target and Amazon in protest of corporate control and the rollback of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

The first of the boycott happened last month with more scheduled in the coming weeks.

Joining us now with more on the impact of such boycotts are Robert Hansard associate professor of African-American culture and history at Columbia College.

Chicago and on Zoom, Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League.

Gentlemen, thank you both for joining us.

Welcome back.

I'm Marc Morial, starting starting with you, please.

The National Urban League you over backers of this movement.

Why are you encouraging consumers to participate?

>> We're encouraged consumers to be intelligent about how they spend their money.

What's happened in this?

Times because of the political line.

Conservative interests, Republican interest control the White House, the House and Senate.

There's a frustration in the community that only through the use of messages sent too many of the to businesses and upwards that rolling back equal opportunity rolling back the we knew rolling back commitments that the nation is made and that many companies made in the refresh and In the murder of George Floyd is not something that week.

trouble.

And this may by those that would.

In effect.

Turning back on an important constituency consumes black Americans represent at least 2 trillion, roughly spending to he knows number gets 5.

Asian American cinema gets street.

That's significant.

And this is what lot brown consumers represent in America today.

>> Robert Hansard, we all are familiar with the historical significance of economic boycotts today still have the potential to be effective.

>> Do I mean the ones that we remember, you know, fit certain criteria.

I mean, link with something You know, I think about Montgomery Boik bus boycotts and obviously the issue of desegregation there or even if you're going to history, look his that are is Boyd in Nashville, Tennessee, who did a protest again.

Streetcars in a 19, 0, 5, 19.

0, 6, But there's always there's that legal piece or as Mark was talking about something social or act at the call, that brings to bear to questions of how corporations are behaving There's a galvanizing issue that can bring things together to really make have success in the interest of, for example, the Montgomery bus boycott the the the demand as a result of that boycott was was pretty concrete.

>> Desegregate the buses.

Yeah, it is.

Is the demand here as as evident as a parent?

>> I think it is.

I just think that that the messaging and the need for the messaging and the communication around it have to sort all galvanizing the same kinds of ways as well.

we want all collectively talk about this.

We want to draw on histories of these part movements to get So it sort of all linked together.

How do we talk a common language?

How do you reach people who may not necessarily be on social media might still be very aware and want to participate so tough for me.

That's part of the challenge.

Marmora also Miller.

>> Go ahead.

You this that addition to boycotts and use the term selected purchase.

They're also by counts.

So there's been an effort by many of my colleagues and civil Sharpton, Dylan Campbell, of the Black Women's Roundtable who engage in many others in by mean they have said that, for example, company like Costco event, polls, a shareholder resolution of all back to diversity, equity and inclusion by their actions dollars.

So speaks.

think you're going to see in this movement.

The combination it's about intelligence spending.

So I recall through History and a little time New Orleans my father and mother involved in this.

That drives street boycotts, a dry street.

Was a black shopping district on those.

A significant number of the merchants were Jewish merchants, but they did not hire.

Like people shop there like try close on there, whereas you could go can oust him like shop the could buy clothes.

So the community leaders and 19 60's letter, effort don't shop when you can't work, go buy can work.

It opened up, tries change, try soon.

So I think you're right that sometimes objectives have to concrete.

I think in this instance, all rollback of diversity inclusion means I would treat from a commitment to equal opportunity to civil rights and we have to stand strong against every way at the National Urban League.

We brought a lawsuit a federal lawsuit represent about coming to the Defense fund against the Trump administration.

Challenge 3, anti diversity, equity inclusion executive There are a number of other things.

We have worked very hard also in what are called aggressive diplomacy speaking to business leaders and business owners.

I think people should know JP Morgan Chase, which air pressure.

To drop a sunburst.

The equity inclusion said no, we're going to drop and we We will re cherished.

And so they record.

3 cancer goes diversity opportunity and inclusion.

So I think you're going to see the real question is what are the actions?

What is the commitment?

Is the institution committed to conclusion equal opportunity, giving black people opportunity employees to business with the company and also the hat, a commitment of investments, whether it's philanthropic, a business investments with black owned businesses like institutions.

So I want to get a little data in here because data for momentum.

Calmer show Amazon sales increased one percent on February 28th.

>> Compared to the average average previous 8 Fridays.

And during the Amazon targeted boycott from March 7th to the 14th sales, increased 5.9% compared to the 8 week average.

Robert, the creator of this movement, John Schwartz, has organized several additional boycott spread out over the next few months as well.

Targeting the specific businesses, as we've mentioned, Wal-Mart Target Amazon, Nestle, which is a major maker of a lot of things you'll find in your grocery store as well as McDonald.

Is it effective to target multiple corporations all at once and at different times or should organizers focus their efforts on on one goal?

>> I think it can be.

I think you can be flexible.

Asked was sort of describe in terms of the sort of boycotting bike otter, these kinds of things I for me, it's about strategy.

It's about getting folks in the room having the right kinds of critical conversations.

>> So that you can reach a wide range of people and you can get many, many people engage in these movements.

I think part of the challenge, at least for myself was that, you know, I said again, there's so many folks who maybe aren't connected with social media who might have missed some of You know, and I know this is happening.

You know what, that the articulation of churches are involved.

>> How community groups and other organizations are stepping up to the challenge on even meeting in person feature of day.

If you look at some of the old examples from Montgomery bus boycott those folks are getting together.

You're excited.

You have people at work 9 to 5 all day and they had enough time and energy to walk to the church and get there to rally to get ready to again tomorrow.

Walk again.

Seems like there needs to be more done and done differently.

>> organize, not just social media that we've gotten a little bit dependent on it.

Perhaps overly didn't get to go back a little old school, maybe to some of the other ways that these previously organized.

That's what made it work.

I mean, historically and you know, sure.

I mean, some of mine is from reading from books, but also for my parents and my family.

Another who taught me about the movement and what it's about.

And there has to be that personal I mean, the end of the social media component is significant but has to be in Congress without There's the boycott.

There's what Marc Morial refer to also as the by caught that some folks are getting into.

Robert, what more could organizers and protesters due to be achieving be whatever the goal is, public information and sharing of information more clearly and articulating what exactly it is and why it is that we need to boycott these folks.

And if there are other alternatives.

And and this is some of this is happening I'm certain.

>> There other alternatives for by very clear opportunities to access other alternatives on more and more about if you look at what boycott is, if you look at the definition is individual action that is ultimately designed to prompt others to get engaged.

that has to be the criteria how you wage, whether or not it's effective.

Everything from South Africa to, you know, apartheid movement and other kinds of things to the civil rights movement to the early ideas of the civil rights movement.

They drew upon sort of different ways of thinking everything from people who think about accommodation all the way up to maybe the birth of integration modern ideas about civil rights and all the place.

Yeah.

So we're just about out of time.

Marc Morial got a minute left the Trump administration.

We know that Attack Dei initiatives at the federal level.

>> Which have now trickle down to public and private sectors.

What do you think it says that corporations were so quick to abandon those initiatives early on after almost everybody adopted.

Then in 2020 post, George Floyd.

>> Well, as many will question, whether that really committed, it's some cases why they would be so easily in Tempe.

By president, by the administration.

I you know, in this world you have to stand for your values, Shep, to stand for what you believe in.

you know, I applaud those corporations and other leaders who in the face oppression.

You know, there's pressure campaign being waged bought group of people and they're going to corporations behind the scenes and threatening them.

If they don't drop the first the equity inclusion and threatening with a balancing threatening with boycotts from the community.

And so we need to be aware that no, this is happening in a vacuum, which why we have to bring pressure.

One of the things also got to do.

It's called the question with elected officials.

Those elected officials who want 4 seats in the Congress and Senate.

Are you committed?

That was Republican State.

You're equivocal commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, equal opportunity and civil rights.

We've got a call that question.

You've got to earn my vote.

You've Eiffel, which commit.

>> Okay.

That's what we'll have to leave Robert Hansard is over here, shaking his head in agreement with you, Marc Morial, thanks to you both for joining us.

We appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

And we're back with more right after this.

The legacy of former Chicago teachers Union president Karen Lewis can still be felt in public education in the city today.

The feisty and outspoken teacher led nearly 25,000 fellow teachers on a historic week long strike in 2012 changing the way the union organized and negotiated.

Lewis also consider challenging Mayor Rahm Emanuel before dropping her plans to run for mayor after being diagnosed with brain cancer.

She died in 2021 at 67 years old, but she's still telling her story in a new memoir called I didn't come here to Lie My Life and education.

She co-wrote that book with Elizabeth Land, a history professor at the University of Illinois, Chicago and former vice president of the Chicago Public School board.

She joins us now.

Welcome back, Chicago tonight.

Thanks joining Thank you so much for having I love the title of the book.

I didn't come here to like is it definitely sounds like something.

Karen would she came up with the very much her selection on the title.

course, that was why does it matter to tell her story now?

You know, we started this project together in 2017 and it is just as relevant today as it has been at any moment and in some ways, maybe even more so.

>> The issues and struggles that face us in public education.

I still like her voice has so much to say to those concerns.

What just a bit.

Everybody knows.

Tell us a little bit about the process for you writing this book, certainly after she had died.

Sure.

So in 2017, Karen and of editor, friend of Mine, Joe Petty, Ask Me to come help.

Karen write her memoir and initially care was going write her story.

And I was there a sort of historical context, right?

I'd write the historical context.

But early hour at the end of 2017, she had a really bad stroke.

And after that, she was no longer able to write.

So from there on out, we switched went into a form of her having long from conversations that we've recorded and then transcribed and that took us really up until the pandemic.

And then during the pandemic, I started trying to massage all these, you know, stories into something like a narrative form that took shape certainly after she passed away in 2021, that became a bit harder.

But I think for me, you know, I made a promise that I would finish it and it felt very important to me to make that happen and to keep the integrity of having it be in her first person narrative.

So I had to scrub around and find public statement she had made and other writing and speaking to add and kind of fill out the narrative.

But I also feel really lucky because in these mild form recordings, there was a lot of information about that.

She shared about her personal life about her early life, that there would have been no other way for me to access after her unfortunate passing.

And to that point, you know, she does talk about her early life in this book.

What were some of the early influences that lead to the Karen Lewis that we all remember today?

Yes, I mean, I think some of it can be taken back to her family.

She had a really strong relationship with her father who was always pushing her and particular Chicago Feminist pushing her to do things that may not traditionally been seen as leadership roles for women, women and young girls at the time.

But he was definitely a backer in her corner.

She grew up in a large extended family and spent a lot of time around adults that I think shaped her in particular ways.

And then certainly as a young person, she was outspoken as a teenager.

She led walkouts for black power and community control of schools in the late 60's was an activist during her time in college.

So you just see this progression and this growth in her leadership over time.

But also someone who was just curious who explored the world and was eager to seek out new experiences.

Karen was known for, obviously for her mind, right?

Being very smart.

But with that officials know for a lot of very witty responses and retorts.

Here's a little bit of some of that.

>> We will never do that.

24 7 or We're too old for that.

People have to go home and go to bed Jim France have you seen him with you to additional ideas?

>> Why there could be there could be problem.

can you do in Well, I know people in want ice water, but I'm going to tell you, Dorothy, we cannot do that.

>> calling Jim frantic old.

I happen to know, Jim frantic, you know, despite their different he was a Karen Lewis often sitting across the table from her while negotiating those futures What else did you learn about her as a percent incur reading this?

But, you know, I think one of the things that that highlights is she was brilliant and often the way that brilliance can show up, if you can tell jokes.

Well, you have a sharp mind and she did have these sums, right?

I know one of them.

If you've been around for, you to say something to hot buttery mess, right, like she was quick to, you know, describe something get right to the core of it.

>> But I think the other thing that felt really special and I hope that people feel this in the memoir, Israel Boehner ability in particular around her illness and how she navigated that and pulling the curtain back a little bit to show that she certainly a phenomenal person, right, and and singular and special in so many ways, but also human, you know, and I think sometimes in the bright spotlight and particularly for black women in leadership who are scrutinized and picked apart her having a vulnerability in the memoir to speak about her personal experiences but really powerful.

>> She, of course, we know lead that historic week long strike against the school board in 2012.

How Karen Lewis and of course, the court caucus as of CTU, how they shift the collective-bargaining process for teachers?

I think it's not just the collective bargaining process.

It is what social movement unionism looks like, which means bargaining for not just bread and butter, but also the common good.

>> That looming and saying that racism and poverty are things to be addressed and that that needs to be at the forefront of collective bargaining and of the work of unions that transform the conversation nationally.

So if you think about the red for Ed strikes that came up in the years that followed was berthed here out of luck or good at what Karen Lewis did.

>> Adam, what coming together teachers union and parents and community organizations right?

public education, as we know, still facing some some challenges today, certainly with the cuts changes that are happening, that the Department of Education.

>> How do you think the national current issues of sort of reflected in the overall fight for for public schools?

Yeah, you know.

>> We are in really perilous times given the fact that at the federal level in particular there is a large scale attack on public education as being a thing.

And I really think in this moment when I think back to the things that Karen and of course, other people she worked with, fought for in that moment and continue to fight for around fighting back against billionaires fighting for working people not being afraid to push against the traditional Democratic Party and push them further or to consider the needs of people on the ground.

I think all of these are really important legacies that still speak to the moment that we're in today.

And most of all the fight for full funded, fully funded public education as a public good and has a right.

They this moment, the movement that Karen Lewis was a part of any leader shifted that conversation.

So even today when we see these attacks at the federal level, they are attacking because that near to the shifted.

If you think about the sort of polls of the argument, one side is saying get rid of public education altogether, private eyes, everything parents, you know, we'll get vouchers and make decisions.

The alternative to that isn't something in the middle.

The alternative to that is fully fund public education as a right and a public good and that legacy that we got to that point where that is the common sense comes from this period and the work of Karen Lewis in the work of the many people that were part of that move As we mentioned, you served for 5 years on the Chicago Public Board of Education under Lori Lightfoot and then under Mayor Brandon Johnson.

>> How did writing this book while also serving in that position and then becoming vice president?

Of course, how did that serve or have that influence your work as a board member?

Yeah, I mean, it quite the experience.

And honestly, I feel very fortunate because I would go into my board work and then I would work on this book at the same time and constantly be able to have this dialogue with this amazingly educational leader.

And I think it really for me personally grounded me.

But the other thing is it that it did is remind me of what's important.

Wright, remind me of keeping, you know, principals intact to keep your eyes on the prize of what is best and what is most needed for young people and that that's not individual pursuit.

That's a collective pursuit that all of us have responsibility for.

And before we let you go is with the have to ask, what can you say about your exit from the board late last year?

You along with the other board members?

It was very public.

We all talked about it a lot.

Yeah.

I mean, here's what I'll Michelle's on the board for 5 and a half years.

And in that time on the board of 7, I serve with 16 different board members.

So in fact, my experience was one of transition frequently like that was not that was the norm rather than and anomaly as an appointee.

You serve at the pleasure of the mayor.

I'm grateful that I, you know, was entrusted to serve for the time I did.

And I don't have a problem passing the baton to whoever comes next.

It's a hard job and I have such great empathy for everyone who commits to step up into that role.

And I think, you know, there's so much opportunity with democracy now and again, that's another legacy of the movement that Karen Lewis led.

The fact that we have finally a partially and eventually democratically elected fully elected school board.

That's part of this legacy.

So this transition is one that I think that we need to continue to, you know, move through and push through, but also have hope in the power of people in the city of Chicago to fight for a public education that has the CTU.

And Carlos would say our children That's where we'll have to leave.

It was the country.

thank you so much for joining us.

Thank congrats on the Thank you.

Again, the book is called.

I didn't come here to live my life and education.

Of course, that title is picks by Karen Lewis herself.

You can read an excerpt on our website.

>> And we're back right after this.

And that's our show for this Wednesday night.

Stay connected with our reporters and what they're working on by following us on Instagram W T Tw Chicago and join us tomorrow night at 5, 30 10, me 2 brothers fighting for their lives.

One needs a kidney transplant.

The other is a match, but he's in ICE custody and facing deportation.

>> Now all of us here at Chicago tonight, Black Voices, I'm greatest Friedman, thank you for watching.

Stay healthy and safe and have a good night.

>> caption News may pass by Robert a cliff.

And with Chicago personal injury and wrongful death.

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