We at Justice for Evanston Tenants are building this plane as we fly it. We know there’s a dire need for tenant justice in Evanston. Our Justice for Wesley campaign is an urgent experiment in community power that will forge a path for the future. As renters and homeowners allied in the struggle against oppression, we know that all issues are connected. Together in solidarity we can and will bring power where it belongs: to the people!
These are trying times for the former Wesley tenants but they’re fighting back and they need your support! Please read on to see how you can push back against anti-Black gentrification in our city!
Press Conference
City officials, especially Alderperson Bobby Burns, have been doing their best to shape the narrative by misrepresenting facts and framing the elderly Black tenants as ungrateful for the city’s support and that all of their needs have been met. That’s one reason why the Wesley tenants are holding a press conference Monday June 3rd 11:00am, in front of 2014, 2018, and 2024 Wesley Ave.
It’s an opportunity for the Wesley tenants to have their voice heard about injustices perpetuated by building owner Evanston Housing Coalition, management company HODC, and that we have seen enabled by the City of Evanston. The Wesley tenants need community members like you to show up and help them demonstrate their strength. Show up, be a body!
Also, there may be a surprise announcement that lets the powers that be and their gentrifying interests know that they can’t get away with injustice like this!
Mutual Aid Network
We got us! When our community is under attack we RISE UP FIGHT BACK! Right now, that looks like mutual aid and we’re aiming to do just that! We’re calling for volunteers to help meet the needs of the Wesley tenants who have been uprooted from their homes, community, and support networks. If you have capacity to run errands, transport goods, and perform other logistical tasks for these elders, please contact us here! We are all that we’ve got and it’s more than enough! It’s time to show up for the people of Wesley!
Letter-writing Campaign
Our letter-writing campaign, Protect our neighbor’s right to live in the community, is still going strong – we’ve sent nearly 1100 letters! It’s imperative that your voice goes on record in support of community care over racist gentrification. City officials have made it clear their priorities are landlords, developers, and business over actual human lives. Pressure from this campaign as well as the swarm of public comments during city council meetings has forced them to provide answers that they previously hadn’t been willing to give. These letters serve to put officials on notice that we see what they are doing!
So please continue to share the campaign and encourage your personal networks in Chicagoland to send a letter, sign up to this newsletter, and stay engaged!
Going Away Party
The party on May 19th was bittersweet but provided some form of closure for Wesley tenants. Connections were made, food was shared, hugs were exchanged. We left invigorated for the struggle ahead and steeled for turbulent times that come with it. It’s important to remember and practice being human with each other in the face of such dehumanizing state violence. That includes celebrating each other every chance we get.
A banner hung over the party that day. It was a parting message to tenants across the city: “YOU WILL BE NEXT”. Wesley isn’t the first but together we can ensure that it’s the last. The Wesley tenants are leading the charge in fighting back and we’re excited to support them! The press conference on June 3rd is a major step toward making sure everyone knows this isn’t going away, and we need you there to say it with us!
This is the beginning of a long fight and there will be more calls to action in coming days and weeks! Stay tuned!