Looking back at It’s On Us: A Day of Art and Action
...and looking forward to a new year of SJI programming
On June 13, 2026, the Social Justice Initiative collaborated with Jamila Woods, Maria Gaspar, Taína Asili, Damon A. Williams, and Kristiana Rae Colón to bring you It's On Us: A Day of Art and Action.
This day-long celebration of Chicago freedom struggles partnered with organizations, artists, and experts in social change across the city. Our programming welcomed over 550 members of the public and UIC faculty, staff, and students to explore a rich and varied array of local community projects who designed engaging free programs that responded to the prompt: "What blooms when ICE melts?"
In the morning, activations across six Chicago neighborhoods gave participants the opportunity to engage the five senses through flower-pressing and tea-making workshops at the Sistas in the Village Farm in Englewood; a community meal and wellness workshops with Blocks Together in Humboldt Park; a Korean drumming workshop and picnic with the HANA Center in Albany Park; a printmaking workshop with 18th Street Casa de Cultura in Pilsen; an immersive poetry-making workshop with Kuumba Lynx in Kenwood; and a puppet and prop-making workshop with Free Street Theater in Back of the Yards.
In the afternoon, we gathered at the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center for a resource fair featuring a dozen local organizations, arts activities and workshops with nine talented artists, soapbox speakers, poetry readings, a screening of We Call Each Other by Sarah Oberholtzer, and a Chicago Second Line procession, followed by performances by Kristiana Rae Colón, Taína Asili, Damon A. Williams, and Jamila Woods.
Our attendees connected with one another and some of the most pressing issues facing Chicago today, deepening our understanding of how people envision different political possibilities and work towards more just futures. Our attendees told us the importance of events like this, "From the moment I walked through the doors, the soap box speaking to the poetry being spoken, the following of the wonderful band around the museum that lead directly into the theater for a wonderful and beautiful display of culture." They took away a sense that It's On Us "underscored the value and strength in community," and "the importance of involving activism into my art practice, that this is essential for our collective liberation."
If you missed It's On Us on June 13, you can still download and print the free mini-zine and toolkit that we designed in partnership with Quimby's Ink to carry forward the knowledge about social change that is being produced across our city and stay grounded in our senses during times of repression by visiting this page.
If you wish to support similar programming by the Social Justice Initiative in the future, consider donating here.
Finally, to stay tuned to our exciting upcoming programming, make sure to subscribe to the SJI list serve here.