A rally Friday morning outside of the Waukegan courthouse where an extradition hearing will be held for accused killer Kyle Rittenhouse is among the key racial justice events coming up for Iowa and Illinois in the next two weeks.
Black Lives Matter Lake County Illinois will join with two other groups to lead a protest at 111 N. County St. during a hearing over Wisconsin’s effort to extradite him to Wisconsin to be tried on charges he killed two protesters during unrest following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in August.
Waukegan is also where an unarmed Black man was killed last week, sparking days of protests.
Tomorrow morning’s gatherings starts at 9 a.m.; see the event Facebook page for more information. You can check out the full TRM Calendar at therealmainstream.com/calendar.
The event is one of several upcoming events in support of racial justice:
• Today, Advocates for Social Justice in Cedar Rapids welcomes high school students for a Black Student Unions cookout at 3 p.m.
• Des Moines Black Lives Matter holds a winter clothing drive Friday.
• This Sunday, you can help raise money for the nonprofit support organization Corridor Community Action Network by getting a pizza at Mellow Mushroom.
• ASJ also holds a presidential election watch party Tuesday night at Taboo.
• And later this month in Springfield, Ill., photographer Kari Bedford hosts a fundraiser for that community’s Black Lives Matter organization.
LGBTQ, TRANS EVENTS ALSO COMING SOON
In addition to racial justice events, the coming two weeks also offer many opportunities for LGBTQ-related networking, education, job seeking and socializing. Check out the Halloween parties happening this weekend, including a tree set-up event for the Council Bluffs Community Alliance. You’ll find a Trans Summit by Iowa Safe Schools in mid-November, several speakers and poets, and the first-ever live telethon to raise money for the Quad Cities’ Clock Inc. LGBTQ+ Community Center Nov. 1.
To have your events included on the calendar, send the to reachus@therealmainstream.com. This calendar is updated at least twice a week and aims to highlight the most unique and impactful LGBTQ-identified, intersectional, progressive events in Iowa and Illinois.
