Friend, exactly a month ago, Illinois became the first state in the country to ban book bans.
I am so proud to live in a state that recognizes book bans aren't about "protecting our children", they're about censorship. They're about control, and they're about erasing histories of marginalized communities.
And I am so proud that, as a state, we have taken steps to ensure the next generation feels represented in the books they read and the history they learn.
Today, I want to share some of the great books I've had a chance to read this summer:
1️⃣ Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson
2️⃣ Culture of Opportunity: Obama's Chicago by Rebecca Janowitz
Senator Robert Peters was born in 1985 deaf and with a massive speech impediment. His biological mother was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and his adopted mother and father were a social worker and a civil rights lawyer. He saw first hand the impact and devastation of the racist war on drugs.
As he grew up, he admired the work his father did as a civil rights and criminal defense attorney, challenging wrongdoing by the police. This combined with the effect of the criminalization of addiction, inspired his work on criminal justice reform rooted in the safety, freedom, and wellness of all people.
A defining moment for Peters was the Great Recession, as he struggled to find work and lost his parents within a year and a half of each other. He found his power through political organizing in solidarity with a variety of organizations in Chicago fighting for justice.
As a state senator, Peters has championed the end of cash bail in Illinois after years of organizing around it before becoming a Senator. This legislative session alone, Peters has passed six bills out of the Senate, as he continues to push Illinois forward as a leader in criminal justice reform and true public safety for all. He chairs the Labor Committee in the Senate and is Chair of the Senate Black Caucus. He is focused on environmental justice, racial justice, economic freedom, and public safety for all.
Prefer to donate by mail? Please address a check to:
Peters for Illinois
PO Box 15118
Chicago, IL 60615-5139
