Amy Goodman, Founder of Democracy Now!, to Speak About Independent Journalism’s Role in Activism

Chicago, Ill. — In 1882, first Labor Day parade was held in New York City — where more than 10,000 workers marched in the streets to demand better working conditions.

And this Labor Day weekend, Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA) — a Chicago-area nonprofit group that works to promote peace and justice in the United States and around the world — is continuing to fight for a better life for all by presenting a talk by Amy Goodman, host and executive producer of the independent news program Democracy Now!, at the University of Illinois Chicago on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 2:30 p.m.

In her talk, entitled, “An Afternoon with Amy Goodman: Independent Media in a Time of Elections, War and Rising Authoritarianism,” Goodman will reflect on 30 years of Democracy Now! and the role of independent media in covering the grassroots movements that are the driving force for progressive change in the world. She will be joined in conversation by Damon Williams, co-founder of the Chicago-based Respair Media, which creates podcasts and films about communities that are challenging power and reconfiguring public life. After the conversation with Williams, Goodman will take questions from the audience.

“When we talk to Chicagoans, many of them feel despair about our world and powerless to change our society for the better, but we believe that real change is possible if we educate people and continue to organize for change,” said CAPA president Erin Bosack. “We hope that Amy Goodman will offer ideas and hope to people in Chicago who care about making a difference issues like climate change, immigration, nuclear weapons, the military industrial complex and war around the world.”

The event is being co-sponsored by the DePaul Humanities Center and University of Illinois of Chicago’s Institute for the Humanities, Political Science Department, and its International Studies Program.

Goodman founded Democracy Now! in 1996, and today, it is an award-winning program that airs on more than 1,500 public television and radio stations worldwide and is known for spotlighting news stories often deemed too controversial for mainstream media outlets. Democracy Now! frequently covers the war in Iran, the conflict in Gaza, immigration issues in the United States, and more.

In addition to hosting and serving as the executive producer on Democracy Now!, Goodman has the co-authored six New York Times bestselling books, including her latest, Democracy Now!: Twenty Years Covering the Movements Changing America, which covers the first two decades of Democracy Now! and the powerful movements and charismatic leaders shaping our world.

Goodman was the first journalist to receive the Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize” for “developing an innovative model of truly independent grassroots political journalism that brings to millions of people the alternative voices that are often excluded by the mainstream media.” She has also received numerous other awards for her reporting, including the Society for Professional Journalists’ Sigma Delta Chi Award for the reporting she and her team did from the Indigenous-led protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Tickets to the event are $35 per person and $10 for students and limited-income adults. For tickets, please visit https://tinyurl.com/Amy-Sept-6.

EVENT DETAILS

Sept. 6, 2:30-4 p.m.
Amy Goodman
In conversation with Damon Williams

University of Illinois Chicago, Illinois Rooms AB, Student Center East, 750 S Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60607
Tickets: $35, $10 for students and limited-income adults
Info: https://tinyurl.com/Amy-Sept-6

About Chicago Area Peace Action
Chicago Area Peace Action (CAPA) is a grassroots Chicago-based nonprofit, and an affiliate of the national organization Peace Action, that seeks to transform our nation’s priorities towards justice, peace and environmental stewardship. We work to promote justice and peace by educating and mobilizing Chicago Area residents and students to promote human and planet-oriented policies. Our vision is a world in which justice prevails for all, free of the devastation caused by war, racism, poverty, nuclear weapons, and environmental degradation. We educate and mobilize Chicago area activists to advocate for policies that reflect our vision and values, through solidarity with local peace and justice organizations, direct action, letter writing campaigns, petitions, online advocacy, speaking with legislators, and more.