#NoCopAcademy Campaign | Sept 2017 – April 2019
The #NoCopAcademy campaign called for a halt to the proposed construction of a $95 million dollar police academy in West Garfield Park. Over 102 endorsing organizations across Chicago agreed that the $95 million should be invested in our communities rather than police training grounds.
From the onset, #NoCopAcademy was youth-directed and adult-supported. Art & culture were also deemed indispensable to the campaign from day one. FTP Artists Collective put out a call for art the day after we publicly launched the campaign with the prompt "How would you spend $95 million dollars in your community?" We hosted art builds, co-created the hashtag #NoCopAcademy, designed banners and t-shirts, and hosted an exhibition of works from the call for art paired with a political education component to get more people involved in organizing roles. The campaign surveyed over 500 West Garfield Park residents, finding that residents overwhelmingly did not want a cop academy built in their neighborhood and, instead, wanted to see public resources devoted to services that do not involve the Chicago Police Department, such as education and youth programs. Read the full #NoCopAcademy report here. Lead organizations included Assata's Daughters, the People's Response Team, For the People Artists Collective and AFSC-Chicago. See full list of endorsing organizations here. |
Call for Art: How Would you Spend $95M in your Community?
Photos from the full exhibition & teach-in by Sarah-Ji here.
Media Coverage of #NoCopAcademy campaign
04/26/2019 - How #NoCopAcademy shook the machine | Chicago Reader
03/12/2019 - Chicago Activists Oppose Planned Cop Academy in West Garfield Park | WBEZ
12/12/2018 - Chicago Organizers Have Message For Next Mayor: Support People's Agenda or Face Resistance | Shadowproof
10/02/2018 - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Won't Seek A Third Term. These Movements Are a Big Reason | The Appeal
09/18/2018 - Mariame Kaba: Social Movements Brought Down Rahm - Now They Can Transform Chicago | In These Times
03/29/2018 - NoCopAcademy Protesters Share How It Felt To Occupy Chicago's City Hall | Teen Vogue
03/28/2018 - Students Stage Sit-In To Protest Chicago's $95M Police Academy Plan | Blavity
12/20/2017 - The activists and the aldermen: The #NoCopAcademy crash course in Chicago civics | Chicago Reader
11/09/2017 - Chance the Rapper Denounces Chicago's $95 Million Police Training Academy | Vibe
10/13/2017 - Rahm's police academy plan met with youth-led backlash from #NoCopAcademy campaign | Chicago Reader
10/10/2017 - Activists Block Street Outside City Hall With Coffin Installation to Protest | Chicagoist
09/20/2017 - New Police Training Center Advances; Protesters Want Funds Spent Elsewhere | DNA Info
03/12/2019 - Chicago Activists Oppose Planned Cop Academy in West Garfield Park | WBEZ
12/12/2018 - Chicago Organizers Have Message For Next Mayor: Support People's Agenda or Face Resistance | Shadowproof
10/02/2018 - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel Won't Seek A Third Term. These Movements Are a Big Reason | The Appeal
09/18/2018 - Mariame Kaba: Social Movements Brought Down Rahm - Now They Can Transform Chicago | In These Times
03/29/2018 - NoCopAcademy Protesters Share How It Felt To Occupy Chicago's City Hall | Teen Vogue
03/28/2018 - Students Stage Sit-In To Protest Chicago's $95M Police Academy Plan | Blavity
12/20/2017 - The activists and the aldermen: The #NoCopAcademy crash course in Chicago civics | Chicago Reader
11/09/2017 - Chance the Rapper Denounces Chicago's $95 Million Police Training Academy | Vibe
10/13/2017 - Rahm's police academy plan met with youth-led backlash from #NoCopAcademy campaign | Chicago Reader
10/10/2017 - Activists Block Street Outside City Hall With Coffin Installation to Protest | Chicagoist
09/20/2017 - New Police Training Center Advances; Protesters Want Funds Spent Elsewhere | DNA Info
Full list of articles can be seen at nocopacademy.com/in-the-news/articles