NASW-Illinois Chapter President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW
Greeting Social Work Community,
So much has transpired since my last column to our social work community. It seemingly has been a whirlwind and vacillation of emotions. On one hand, I find myself in a place of excitement to the possibility of a first female president who happens to be a woman of color. On the other hand, I am deeply outraged by the tragedy in our own state in the loss of the precious life of Sonya Massey. I am infuriated that yet another person of color, an African American woman who was unarmed, in her own home, and seeking protection and assistance was unjustly killed at the hands of the police. Sonya Massey could have easily been me and any other woman of color who called for assistance in a time of need.
To say that I am tired is an absolute understatement. I am exhausted with “Saying Their Names.” I am tired of a corrupt and broken system of policing that was never meant to safeguard and protect the rights of people that identify and look like me. I find myself even more outraged that the tragedy of Ms. Massey’s murder has not provoked immediate action and change. What we saw via the body cam footage was a blatant disregard for human life, excessive use of force, violation of police protocols, and from my prospective, premeditated murder by a deputy officer.
It is a historical fact that the most disrespected and unprotected group of individuals are women and, most notably, African American women. It begs the questioning, why are we not valued? Why is our humanity not seen or felt? And why do our cries for help go unnoticed, ignored, or end in tragedy?
Over the past four years, our chapter has been on the front lines and vigilant with advocating for police reforms and addressing issues of racial justice through our involvement with initiatives such as Treatment Not Trauma for the City of Chicago and our statewide recommendations on police reforms by our NASW-IL Taskforce on Racial Justice.
Our chapter continues to stand with the original recommendations of our taskforce which are common sense reforms. Although we are grateful that these advocacy efforts have made a tremendous impact on reforms in the state of Illinois which are reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus Bill of 2021, we recognize that our efforts must be magnified and continued. Special thanks to the NASW-IL Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging Committee (NASW-IL DEIAB) for their profound statement on the death of Sonya Massey: https://www.naswil.org/post/nasw-il-deiab-committee-statement-on-the-death-of-sonya-massey. The NASW-Illinois Chapter stands in support with the Massey family in calling for Illinois lawmakers to pass legislation in the name of Sonya Massey to prevent law enforcement officers with a history of serious misconduct infractions from transferring to new jurisdictions.
Our chapter joins with our national office with calling for immediate reforms on a federal level. We are calling for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act to be reintroduced and to receive bipartisan support in passing this critical legislation. We are also calling on President Joseph R. Biden to sign executive orders instituting immediate reforms that will end qualified immunity for police officers that practice outside instituted protocols.
To my fellow social workers, I am reminded at times like these, times of uncertainty and societal chaos, that it is us as social workers who have made the difference. We have been the ones to pound the pavement, advocate for policy changes, march for human rights issues, and etc.
This is the Civil Rights movement of our time. Our current democracy is at stake as we have seen over the past few years with the US Supreme Court decisions and rollback of key protective legislations. We have our work cut out for us in this season, but as social workers, I know that we are up for the challenge. History has shown us that in the midst of great challenges can come great change.
My ask of us as social workers, change agents, and difference makers is to remember our responsibility and to stay the course of justice! We have the responsibility to amplify our voices to advocate for individuals and groups that are marginalized and unprotected. We are also responsible to continue examining our own biases and how we value others with differences. In respect to each individual’s choice, I will simply say that the upcoming election will purely come down to our value system, who we value, what we value, and how we value.
I leave us with this quote by the philosopher Erasmus as he states, “He who allows the oppression shares the crime.”
In solidarity and peace,
Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW
Other Chapter News:
NASW at the DNCC
Tuesday, August 20, 2024, 5:00 to 7:30pm
UIC Student Center East, 750 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
Join NASW CEO Dr. Anthony Estreet and social work professionals, policymakers, and stakeholders for a panel discussion and reception highlighting the social work profession's impact on mental health policy nationwide. Free in-person CEU opportunity available!
2024 NASW Chapters Conference: Empowering Social Workers
Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8, 2024
This year's annual conference has been announced! This year's conference will be a two-day virtual conference hosted with our sibling chapters, NASW-Nevada and NASW-North Dakota. Stay tuned to our conference website for more info as it is announced.
Save the Date: 2025 NASW National Conference
June 16–19, 2025 | Hyatt Regency Chicago, Chicago, IL
Join us next year as the NASW National Conference comes to Chicago! Save the date for this unique opportunity to join social work colleagues from around the nation as they meet up in Chicago. Stay tuned for more info as it is announced.
Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her), serves as university lecturer and BSW field coordinator at Governors State University in the Department of Social Work. She is a strong advocate for social justice and works to influence policies that create equitable and transformative change in our society. She has served on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors since 2019, previously as Calumet District Chair, chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIAC), and as member of the national NASW Delegate Assembly. In 2020 she served as co-chair of the NASW-Illinois Chapter Task Force on Racial Justice where the chapter’s final recommendations on police reform were reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus bill. Latesha believes that it is our social responsibility to create and effect change through advocacy, policy, and the advancement of social work.
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