Adding community members to a research team = more hyperlocal researchers on the team. Philip Nyden and Win Wiewel share why community perspectives must be at the center of research strategies during our first panel. 📈 #2025UICUrbanForum

"Between 1950 and 2024, Chicago lost 600,000 manufacturing jobs" - Teresa Córdova. The impact? ➡️High youth joblessness rates, disproportionately affecting BIPOC youth. The need? ➡️Workforce development programs, strong partnerships with local schools/orgs and wage equity.

Welcome to the #2025UICUrbanForum Juan González (Juan Gonzalez)! González is a senior research fellow at the Great Cities Institute and co-host of Democracy Now!. Today he is joining us as our keynote speaker!

González shares how universities can be partners with their communities, rather than perpetuate threats of expansion and erasure. He notes that higher education today can do more to not only work with the community, but protect them against harm and tyranny. Juan Gonzalez 📚

"There is no way to escape the reality that we are in the midst of the greatest crisis in higher education," says Juan Gonzalez, citing that university students, staff, parents and administrators must band together to defend our democratic education system. 🤝 #2025UICUrbanForum

Keeping the good vibes going with Panel 2️⃣! We're joined by a group of experts to discuss how long-term university-community research partnerships create mutual learning and trust. Pablo Alvarado, NDLON Nik Theodore, University of Illinois Chicago Alonzo, Waheed, Equity and Transformation

"Even when it wasn't criminalized, it was okay. But the moment it became our industry, it becomes criminalized" Alonso Waheed of Equity and Transformation starts the panel off talking about the informal economy, citing hair braiding, drumming buckets and selling food on the street.

"During the longest economic expansion in U.S. history, black unemployment barely changed." - Nik Theodore, University of Illinois Chicago Theodore shares that without the research strategies by NDLON and Equity and Transformation, data about BIPOC representation in the workforce in Chicago may not exist.

"When all our people are good for is a study, that becomes problematic." Alonzo Waheed tells the audience how traditional research will extract from BIPOC communities, without actually providing a solution. "I think it's time we get some solutions" 💪🏾 #2025UICUrbanForum

Public Equity's own Tony Woods! Woods' lightning talk ⚡ explored how PE advocates for public health and equitable resource distribution. They also provide violence prevention services through their broad network of partners. "We work in-sync to meet people where they are"

Next Up: UIC's very own Kate Albrecht! ⚡ Albrecht spoke on her current work: mapping Chicago's health networks for better collaboration and sustainability. "The first step to human-centered design is empathy...one of the main things is understanding the community"

⚡Lightning Talk #3: Melissa Chrusfield of the PCC Community Wellness Center. Chrusfield shared how PCC serves community members by listening first. "It's a subtle shift, but it's a quality one" DYK: PCC has the first free-standing birth center in Illinois!

⚡Continuing with Kate Eakin from McKinley Park Developmental Council! "We create opportunities for our neighbors to engage... We help people understand what to bring to meetings so they can be a part of the process." Community voice must be at the core of decision-making.

Oscar Sanchez of the Southeast Environmental Task Force is next! ⚡ "When it comes to institutions, we are always extracted from." Sanchez shared how researchers often come into communities to research, but don't commit to giving data back to create real solutions.

That's a wrap 🎬on the #2025UICUrbanForum! Thanks to everyone who was able to join us in-person and to our amazing speakers for sharing your bright ideas with us today. See you next year!

Did you attend the #2025UICUrbanForum? 🏙️ We want to hear from you! Tell us about your experience and help shape the future of the UIC Urban Forum! 🗳️ Take the survey here: go.uic.edu/2025urbanforum