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Groups plan to protest Confederate presence at Chicago cemetery

Rally and Speak-out Against Confederate Monument

This Saturday, February 7, from 3-4 PM, there will be a community speak-out outside of Oak Woods Cemetery, at 71st and Cottage Grove. Within Oak Woods Cemetery there is a 46 foot tall statue commemorating the confederate soldiers who died at Camp Douglas. This statue is only yards away from the resting place of Ida B Wells, Black freedom fighter and labor organizer. Harold Washington and Jesse Owens are also buried in Oak Woods Cemetery.

Oak Woods Cemetery view north side. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

This speak-out event was organized by Smash White Supremacy Chicago, which is made up of anti-racist organizations and individuals working for social and economic justice for all people. Anakbayan Chicago, Black Lives Matter Chicago, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Trans Liberation Collective, and Workers World Party Chicago have all shown support for the organization. There will be speakers from BLM Chicago and Black Youth Project 100, as well as community members and stakeholders, at the rally on Saturday.

Black Youth Project 100 has launched the #HonorHerLabor campaign in response to the confederate monument. This campaign aims to build a memorial to Ida B Wells to replace the confederate statue in Oak Woods Cemetery. Smash White Supremacy Chicago supports the #HonorHerLabor campaign and demands the removal of the confederate monument.

Later in the month on April 22, Smash White Supremacy will come together to stand against the annual white supremacist gathering held by the Sons of the Confederacy. This will be from 11-1 at the confederate mound in the cemetery.

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Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

His award winning columns can be found at www.HANANIA.COM Subscribe FREE today

Hanania also writes about Middle East issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at [email protected].

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