Reparations History
In 2015, survivors of police torture, the #RahmRepNow coalition (Chicago Torture Justice Memorials, Project NIA, We Charge Genocide, and Amnesty International USA), and the people of Chicago made history with the passage of the Reparations Ordinance, originally submitted as a speculative memorial by CTJM co-founder Joey Mogul for CTJM’s exhibit, “Opening the Black Box: The Charge is Torture,” in 2012. The reparations campaign was a product of decades of struggle and resistance from police torture survivors, their families and communities, attorneys, and community organizers. Read more of the history below and join us in continuing to pursue the implementation of the city’s last promise to survivors: a permanent, public memorial.
The Burge Torture Era
Between 1971-1992, Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge and men under his command tortured more than 100 Black and Brown people across Chicago's south side...
The Call for Reparations
In 2004, Standish Willis, founder of Black People Against Police Torture, organized a group of attorneys, organizers, and human rights activists with the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights to raise the Burge torture cases in international fora...
Burge torture survivors Gregory Banks, Anthony Holmes, Melvin Jones, and Shadeed Mu’min courageously testified against Burge at his criminal trial in federal court. The prior testimony of Andrew Wilson, who had passed away in prison on November 19, 2007, was also read to the jury.
Burge was convicted in federal court on all 3 counts of perjury and obstruction of justice for falsely denying under oath that he and others engaged in torture at Chicago Police Headquarters.
A few people who later become CTJM’s co-founders began to discuss the ideas of reparations and memorials in light of Burge’s conviction and upcoming sentencing hearing.
Anthony Holmes and Melvin Jones courageously testified against Burge at his sentencing hearing.
Burge was sentenced to four and half years in prison, the maximum sentence he could have received under the federal sentencing guidelines.
CTJM and the Call for Speculative Memorials
On January 23, 2011, CTJM members, consisting of artists, activists, academics, and an attorney, began to meet and discuss the possibility and process of inviting people to submit proposals for speculative memorials for the Chicago Police torture cases. CTJM decided on a name for the group: Chicago Torture Justice Memorials (Project) and held a series of community events to support memorial proposals...
The opening reception for CTJM’s art exhibit titled “Opening the Black Box: The Charge is Torture” was held at the Sullivan Galleries of the School of the Art Institute (SAIC) and displayed over 70 proposals for memorials documenting the Chicago Police torture cases, including the reparations ordinance...
On September 11, 2013, Chicago’s City Council approved a $12.3 million settlement in Burge torture survivors Ronald Kitchen’s and Marvin Reeves’ wrongful conviction cases. Both were tortured and wrongfully convicted of a quintuple murder they did not commit. They were exonerated after serving 21 years in prison. Most of the time Ronald served was on Illinois’ notorious death row.
In response to comments made by an attorney at the People’s Law Office, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Fran Spielman confronted Mayor Emanuel and asked if the Kitchen-Reeves’ settlement serves as an apology for the torture cases. In an article released on September 12, Mayor Emanuel responded:
“This is a dark chapter on the history of the city of Chicago. I want to build a future for the city of Chicago. I don’t want to just deal with the past. But we have to close the books on this. We have to reconcile our past and start to write a future and a new chapter for the children of the city of Chicago and for the city.
“So yes, there has been a settlement, and I do believe this is a way of saying all of us are sorry about what happened here in the city, and closing that period of time, that stain on the city’s reputation, it’s history and now being able to embark on a new part of the city and a new way of actually doing business. And that is not who we are, and who we all are one or another are obviously sorry.
“Here’s what I mean. I am sorry this happened. Let us all now move on.”
A few, in addition to the mainstream media, heralded this as an apology, while others, including the vast majority of the Burge torture survivors, saw it as an insincere, half-hearted attempt to sweep the Burge torture cases under the rug, and many were insulted by Mayor Emanuel’s desire to move on.
Chicago Aldermen Moreno and Brookins agreed to serve as sponsors for the reparations ordinance and file it in Chicago City Council. CTJM held a press conference to announce the filing of the ordinance that was widely covered in the media.
The ordinance was referred to the Finance Committee chaired by Alderman Ed Burke, a former Chicago Police Officer and member of the “Vrdolyak 29” that opposed Mayor Harold Washington and his administration’s initiatives and proposals.
The Reparations Campaign
What follows are highlights of the reparations campaign. For the full story and photos, click the button below.
CTJM met with executive staff of Amnesty International, USA (AI) to discuss their upcoming annual conference in Chicago and their ideas for a new domestic program focused on human rights violations in the US. When AI launched this program, which included violations committed by law enforcement officials, they highlighted the Burge torture cases. CTJM and AI agreed to work together to pass the reparations ordinance.
CTJM and AI organized CTJM’s first annual memorial action on Daley Plaza where the names of known Burge torture survivors were read and large banners, each bearing the name of a torture survivor and the date they were tortured, were raised in the crowd.
CTJM and Amnesty International held a press conference on the day Burge was released to a halfway house after serving less than four years of his four and half year sentence. CTJM pointed out the cruel irony that Burge was released from prison and given the opportunity to begin his life anew with the benefit of his police pension funded by Chicago taxpayers’ money, while scores of Chicago Police Torture survivors continued to suffer from the psychological effects of the torture they endured without any compensation or assistance, and they had no legal recourse for any redress.
The press conference was covered widely in the local, national, and international press, including the Chicago Tribune, DNAinfo.com, The Guardian, MSNBC, Atlantic Black Star, WGNTV, In These Times, and other media outlets.
Anthony Holmes spoke at the press conference describing his torture and need for help: “It was first time I felt the press believed me.”
CTJM also announced the support of over half of the alderpeople in City Council and the support of the Chicago Teachers’ Union (CTU) President Karen Lewis, who was contemplating a run for mayor and mayoral candidate Dr. Amara Enyia.
In response to the press conference, a spokesperson for Mayor Emanuel released the following statement:
“While Jon Burge will leave prison today, the horrible stain he left on Chicago’s history remains and we sympathize with his victims. He is a disgrace to the hard working men and women at CPD and a disgrace to our City – and most importantly he has negatively impacted the lives of the very people he was sworn to protect. On behalf of the City of Chicago I want to once again apologize to the victims and their families for the injustices they have suffered and reaffirm my pledge as Mayor to do everything in my power to right these wrongs and bring a close to this dark chapter in Chicago’s history.”
The UN Committee Against Torture held hearings with a U.S. Delegation to determine whether the U.S. Government has complied with the UN Convention Against Torture. We Charge Genocide sent a courageous delegation, all youth of color, to present WCG’s report and findings to the UN Committee. CTJM and Transformative Justice Law Project of Chicago also sent representatives to Geneva, Switzerland.
The WCG youth delegation documented their trip to Geneva on social media. The delegation also made the decision to walkout during the second day of the proceeding and initiated a historic protest inside the UN during the presentation of U.S. Government representatives, garnering the attention and respect of watchers worldwide.
The UN Committee Against Torture issued its findings condemning the City of Chicago for failing to provide adequate redress to Burge torture survivors and noted that the “vast majority of those tortured” most of whom are African American “have received no compensation for the extensive injuries they suffered, calling on the U.S. Government to support the reparations ordinance pending in Chicago’s City Council” (para 26).
CTJM/Project NIA/WCG/AI and supporters marched from Chicago Police Headquarters to City Hall, culminating in the delivery of over 40,000 petition signatures in support of the Ordinance and the creation of an ad hoc memorial for torture survivors with hundreds in front of the Mayor’s office. As part of the Holiday Action to Pass the Reparations Ordinance organizers read the names of all the “naughty” and “nice” alderpeople who did not/did support the ordinance. During the march to City Hall, Alderman and Mayoral Candidate Bob Fioretti announces his support for the ordinance.
On the 2015 anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, birthday, CTJM, Project NIA, WCG/AI, and collaborators held a sing-in outside the Chicago City Council’s Finance Committee meeting.
In response, journalists asked Mayor Emanuel about the Reparations Ordinance. Emanuel goes on record saying that he will meet with the aldermanic sponsors and believes that redress is necessary.
The Chicago Light Brigade and Project NIA organized and staged a “Reparations Now” light installation outside Mayor Emanuel’s House calling on him to support the reparations ordinance.
In response to the growing movement and on the heels of the Rally for Reparations, Corporation Counsel called CTJM to set up a meeting to discuss the reparations ordinance.
We Charge Genocide and the Chicago Light Brigade led a #TrainTakeOver for Reparations on the eve of the Mayoral and Aldermanic election.
The coalition, led by WCG and Project NIA, held a Pop-Up Exhibit outside Mayor Emanuel’s Office at City Hall, demonstrating in words and visuals the need for the reparations ordinance and the need to memorialize racist police violence from the past to the present.
Chicago’s City Council’s Finance Committee held a hearing on the reparations ordinance. On the eve of the hearing, the coalition finalized negotiations and a reparations package with Mayor Emanuel and his administration.
Hundreds packed the City Council’s chambers and third floor balcony and witnessed Chicago Police torture survivors Anthony Holmes, Darrell Cannon, Mark Clements, and Mary L. Johnson, whose son was tortured by Jon Burge, testify, courageously sharing their harrowing experiences of the torture they endured, and describing the ongoing pain and trauma they and their families continued to suffer. Read the full transcripts here.
It was a momentous occasion and a transformative moment to see these three survivors, who only years ago were caged behind prison walls, step into the well of the City Council chambers and address the politicians, media, and people of the City.
“It ain’t a day that go by that I don’t suffer. But that’s part of the life I got to live… I wasn’t the only one suffering in this. My whole family suffered. And they continued to suffer just like I suffered each day.”
Long-time advocates and CTJM members Dorothy Burge (also a member of BPAPT), Joey Mogul, Flint Taylor, and Mario Venegas, also testified at the hearing, explaining why each part of the reparations legislation needed to be enacted. Dorothy Burge testified:
“What we’re asking for is a restorative justice practice. We’re asking for a process where people admit that harm has been done… You talk about who did the harm and then what should happen to make the people who were harmed whole.
Fourteen Chicago Police torture survivors and three family members attended Chicago’s City Council meeting, and their names are read out loud by aldermanic sponsor Joe Moreno. Chicago’s City Council unanimously passed the Reparations for Burge Torture Victims Ordinance and an accompanying resolution, becoming the first municipality in the U.S. to provide reparations for racially motivated law enforcement violence.
In doing so, the City of Chicago agreed to acknowledge the City’s responsibility for gross human rights violations and committed significant resources to begin repair the harms inflicted on the torture survivors, their families, and the communities they came from. The enactment of this legislation sent a strong message that activism and organizing matter in the ongoing struggle for human rights and social justice.
This historic moment was the product of decades of activism, litigation, investigative journalism, and the inspirational, intergenerational, and multi-racial campaign waged by the coalition in the context of #BlackLivesMatter over the previous six months.
L.C. Riley, a Burge torture survivor said, “May 6, will be a day to remember for those of us that was tortured by Burge and CPD in the early 70s and 80s and 90s… My thanks goes out to People’s Law Office and CTJM community for years of work they have put into this.”
#ReparationsWon