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Ciera Bates-Chamberlain

@revciera

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We’re less than 2 days away from a full program of organizing tools you can use the moment you walk out the door. With everything goin on outside, it’s time to get organized. Don’t miss this.

Link in bio for free tickets.

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3 days away! Educational panels on reducing gun violence, Black electoral power, deconstructing carceral logic, youth organizing, building powerful justice ministries and preaching justice, plus awards, fellowship, and a room full of people who refuse to accept the world as it is.

Take your seat in the movement.
Link in bio to get free tickets.

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🔥 ORGANIZING STILL WORKS. PEOPLE POWER WINS! ✊🏾

During Mayor Johnson’s budget address, he recognized Alderman Mosley and Live Free Illinois for our advocacy for Chicago’s Department of Gun Violence Reduction/Office of Community Wellness and Safety.

This is the result of YEARS of organizing and communities demanding change! 💪🏾

📢 But the work isn’t done! We’re pushing for a PERMANENT department established by ordinance, because community safety shouldn’t depend on who’s in office.

🚨 TAKE ACTION! Check our recent post to see if your alderperson has signed on. If not, CALL AND ASK WHY! 📞

People power got us here. People power will take us further! ✊🏾🖤💛

#OrganizingStillWorks #LiveFreeIllinois #CommunitySafety

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4 days away! Whether it’s the fight to pass the Department of Gun Violence Reduction ordinance, the battle to defend our voting rights, or the urgent work of building Black political power before and after the midterms, everything that matters to our communities is on the table at the 2026 Live Free Illinois Statewide Convening on October 24th.

It’s time to take your seat in this movement.
Link in bio to get free tickets.

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Gun violence is putting every Chicagoan at risk, and 22 Alders are still undecided about making the department of gun violence reduction permanent. It’s time they make their position known to the public!

Tag your Alder in the comments and tell them its time to put their position on the record.

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This is a defining moment in the movement to reduce gun violence across Chicago. People of faith and moral clarity must lead this fight to keep our people alive.

That is why we invite you to join the Fund Peace Coalition call, every Monday from 4:00 to 5:00 PM CST.

Come hear the latest on our campaign, and learn how you can help us win a safety plan that lasts, one that invests in peace before violence happens, instead of just paying for the damage after it does.

Today, Monday, October 19th, we are honored to welcome a new special guest speaker:

Gregory Jackson Jr.
CEO of Safer Futures, LLC

Gregory Jackson Jr. is a nationally recognized gun violence prevention leader, public policy strategist, and social impact executive. He currently serves as President of the Rocket Foundation and CEO of Safer Futures, LLC, where he advises philanthropic, nonprofit, and government leaders on public safety, community violence intervention, and strategies that expand opportunity in communities most affected by violence.

Join the call here: https://bit.ly/fundpeaceweeklycall

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We’re 1 WEEK AWAY from lighting up the Statewide Convening stage!

The 2026 Live Free Illinois Statewide Convening is a FREE in-person event that’s designed and devoted to equipping you with the knowledge and tools needed to transform our communities.

Don’t miss this chance to connect with like-minded neighbors and make a difference in our movement for justice. Mark your calendars, claim your tickets, and get ready for an unforgettable day!

Link in bio to register.

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Most of us were taught that locking people up makes us safer. But what if that idea itself is the problem? And what if it has been shaping our schools, our hospitals, our child welfare system, and our churches in ways we never even noticed?

Featured Speakers:
Jojo Mapp, Director of Reentry of the Chicago Office of Reentry Pastor George Moore Jr., Founder of Legacy Reentry Foundation NFP Celia Colon, CEO & Founder of Giving Others Dreams Chris Hodges, Executive Director of T.R.U.S.T Dyanna Winchester, Reclamation Specialists for the Women’s Justice Institute Johnny Page, Director of Reentry in the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention and Services at the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) 
The Deconstructing Carceral Logic Panel at the Live Free Illinois Statewide Convening is going to help you see the system for what it really is, and show you what it looks like to build something better.

Our Statewide Convening is free and open to the public. Link in bio to register.

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What a refreshing and reigniting Capacity Building Gathering at Duke Divinity with the Forum for Congregational Life! ✨

Rev. Ciera and Pastor Jessie had the honor of being in the room with incredible leaders and world changers—building connections and digging into marketing, communications, fundraising, succession, board development, partnerships, and more. 🙌🏾💡

Grateful for the fellowship, fresh ideas, and renewed passion for the work. Special shoutout to the incredible @angiekayhong for making it all so meaningful! 💛

#DukeDivinity #ForumForCongregationalLife #CapacityBuildingGathering #CohortC #RefreshedAndReignited

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Any church can talk about justice on Sunday morning, but Cheryl Dugan, Dr. Mary Roberson, Min. Michael Prude, and Pastor Cy Fields are going to show you on October 24th what it actually looks like to build a congregation that fights for safer streets, holds systems accountable, and treats community safety as a sacred responsibility, not just a sermon topic.

If your church is ready to stop spectating and start organizing, this panel will show you exactly how to do it.

Our Statewide Convening is free and open to the public.
Link in bio to register.

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This Friday, October 16th, the Live Free Illinois Decarceration Fellowship is sitting down for a Welcome Home Dinner to celebrate the people returning home to their community and walking straight into movement work.

Let’s give it up and honor the Fellows who are being equipped with the organizing skills, leadership tools, and community they need to transform their own neighborhoods from the inside out. 👏🏿👏🏿

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Abierre Minor, Titus Bryant, and Paige Michals are the living proof that the tradition of young Black people leading freedom movements — from Birmingham to Ferguson to Chicago — is alive and well in Illinois right now.

On October 24th they are going to show you exactly how to turn your feelings about what is happening to our people into organized, strategic, unstoppable power. If you are young and hungry to do more than post about it, this panel was built for you.

Our Statewide Convening is free and open to the public.
Link in bio to register.

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