March 13th, 2005

Recap of the PRC Rally Against the "Chief" and the UI Board of Trustees Meeting

On Wednesday, March 9th, the PRC held a Rally Against the "Chief" at noon on the UI Quad. Over forty people came out in the blistering cold weather to support the removal of "Chief Illiniwek," the University of Illinois' racist mascot and symbol. The rally featured several speakers, including PRC member Bryan Alkemeyer, members of the student chapter of the NAACP, the co-president of the Graduate Employees’ Organization, and a UI professor. To read Bryan Alkemeyer’s speech, click here.

At the rally, anti-“Chief” supporters signed and wrote messages on two banners, one reading “Consensus Conclusion?” and the other “Where’s the progress?” These banners were held by anti-“Chief” activists the next day at the UI Board of Trustees meeting on the Urbana-Champaign campus. The PRC also debuted an updated “Wall of Shame,” which features examples of racist paraphernalia of the “Chief,” examples of other racist mascots, a list of schools that have changed their race-based mascots, etc.

The rally was cosponsored by: Illinois Disciples Foundation, Women's Direct Action Collective (WDAC), Activist Forum, El Centro por los Trabajadores, Muslim Student Association, NAACP student chapter, Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), Student Peace Action, Graduate and Professional Students of Color, and Feminist Majority.

The next morning, members of the PRC and I-Resist came out to support the UIUC Graduate Employees’ Organization’s Rally For Fair Healthcare at 8am on the UIUC Quad. Following the rally, members of the PRC went inside for the UI Board of Trustees meeting held in the Student Union. Nadeen Israel spoke on behalf of the PRC during the Board meeting’s Public Comment Session. At the end of her speech, Nadeen led supporters in chants. To read Nadeen’s speech, click here. Anti-“Chief” supporters held signs and banners in protest of the Board’s lack of action around the “Chief Illiniwek” issue.

In an attempt to make the illusion of progress, Chairmen Eppley passed around a draft of guidelines for “resolving” the “Chief” issue. However, he waited until later in the meeting so that anti-“Chief” supporters were not in the room and the Board took no action on the guidelines. Also, no anti-“Chief” groups or individuals were contacted to be involved in creating the guidelines. This is simply a media ploy that has no real action that will result in resolution of the issue. Check back for an official response from the PRC in regards to the proposed guidelines in a few days.

Chairmen Eppley's Proposed "Chief" guidelines:

Here are draft guidelines for resolving the "Chief Illiniwek" issue given to members of the University of Illinois Board of Trustees:

Draft Guidelines/Framework – Focus on why we have the Chief, not the Chief itself.

1. Seek consensus.

2. Preserve tradition and heritage in concert with the board's heritage resolution.

3. Retain the names "Illini" and "Fighting Illini."

4. Recognize the diversity of Illinois' American Indian culture, past and present.

5. Engage American Indian involvement in our efforts.

6. Reflect the University's core values of excellence, integrity and respect.