From 1972 to 1991, former Chicago police commander Jon Burge and his men systematically tortured over 119 African-American men and women. Following decades of struggle by groups such as Black People Against Torture, in 2013, the Chicago Torture Justice Memorials introduced a Reparations Ordinance in City Hall demanding holistic reparations for torture survivors and their families. With pressure from grassroots organizing, on May 6, 2015, Chicago became the first U.S. municipality to provide reparations for racially motivated police violence. The additional fifth star on the Chicago flag represents the devastating impact torture has had on survivors and their communities.
Printed at the worker-owned and union-run Community Printers, Santa Cruz, CA.
Monica Trinidad is a member of the Justseeds Artists' Cooperative.
This is #136 in the Celebrate People’s History Poster Series.
