Vol. 3 Issue 7
Jamie Kalven on Succession Plans
Tree planting at Stateway Gardens public housing development, 1994, Patricia Evans
A letter from Jamie Kalven on the future of the Invisible Institute
The return of spring is at once inevitable, prosaic, and miraculous. Never more so than in 2021. After a year like no other, it brings the promise of escape from the purgatory of undifferentiated time imposed by the pandemic. One day soon, we will again be able to come into one another’s presences, breathe the same air without fear, and recover the world of human conviviality.
In a variety of ways, the virus has intensified the drama of seasonal renewal. By disrupting the status quo in every dimension of life, it has opened up space to imagine alternatives. That imaginative space, acquired at incalculable cost, is precious. It’s exciting to be alive in this era when the work of reconstructing our bonds as neighbors and citizens is at once necessary and possible—a matter of practical problem-solving. In both personal and public spheres, we have a rare opportunity, in James Baldwin’s words, to begin again.
That extends to the Invisible Institute. I recently informed the board and staff of my decision to step down as executive director. The board has launched a search for a successor. The job description is available here. Please spread the word.
I have been considering this move for some time. Three factors moved me to act now.
The Invisible Institute grew out of my practice as a journalist and human rights activist. As a result, I have necessarily played a central role in its evolution. Our aim, however, was never to build an organization around me. On the contrary, it has been to institutionalize a core set of values and an orientation toward human rights reporting. Although the Invisible Institute, like all dynamic organizations, remains a work-in-progress, we have now established sufficient operational infrastructure and administrative capacity that it’s not only possible for me to step down but in the best interest of the organization that I do so.
That brings me to my second reason: in our shop, as in so many institutions, it’s time to make way for the next generation of leadership. When you love your work and colleagues as much as I do, there is a danger you will overstay and thereby cast shade that stunts the growth and impedes the flourishing of others. Over time, I have come to understand my role as one of stewardship. That role is best fulfilled at this juncture by stepping aside.
Finally, I have work to do. As the activities and reach of the Invisible Institute have grown, I have found myself with two jobs that consume me—writer and director of a dynamic organization—but only one life. It’s time to adjust the balance. Rest assured, I’m not going anywhere. I will continue in a full-time role that allows me to devote most of my time to reporting and to providing editorial support to my colleagues.
This is a major moment in the life of the organization. I am confident it will prove a creative occasion. And I look forward to the work that lies ahead in the role that means most to me: member of the Invisible Institute team.
Onward,
Jamie
March 17, 2021
Green v. Chicago Police Department
Recently, Jamie Kalven published an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune on the status of Charles Green’s lawsuit seeking the public release of police misconduct investigations. Convicted in 1985 as a 16-year-old on charges of participating in a quadruple murder, Mr. Green always claimed his confession was coerced by the police. Since his release from prison in 2009, he has endeavored to establish his innocence. Toward that end, he sought release of all investigations of police misconduct back to 1967. In 2020, a judge ruled in his favor. While appealing the judge’s order, the City Law Office also entered into an agreement with Mr. Green to settle the case for $500,000, which it later reneged on. Kalven’s op-ed is the third in a series he has written on the case. Here are the first and second. Read in chronological order, they tell the story a transparency campaign in three acts. We await the fourth act. How will the state appellate court rule? Will the City Council pass legislation in response to the Green controversy that significantly expands transparency? Will the City Law Office’s withdrawal from its settlement agreement with Mr. Green receive the public scrutiny it warrants? We will report on developments in the case in future issues of VFTG.
On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the societal shutdown in response to the pandemic, Maira Khwaja and Trina Reynolds-Tyler of the Invisible Institute, together with collaborators Hannah Nyhart and Dominique James, wrote an op-ed for the New York Times reflecting on their experiences as organizers of the Market Box and People’s Grab-n-Go mutual aid initiatives.
Commit to sustaining Market Box with us and our neighbors. Become a recurring donor→
The Gender Violence Project, emerging from a long tradition of investigating sexual misconduct by Chicago police officers, is advancing to a new phase of research. With support from the Cloudera Foundation, Field Foundation, and Human Rights Data Analysis Group, Trina Reynolds-Tyler will lead a group of volunteers in research designed to unearth instances of gender-based violence at the hands of police buried in misconduct complaints.
Volunteer to read and categorize complaint records with us →
Our longtime research collaborators, Bocar Ba and Roman Rivera, have published in Science a new study on the role of officer race and gender in police-civilian interactions in Chicago. They found that Hispanic and Black officers make far fewer stops and arrests and use force less than white officers, especially against Black civilians. These differences are largest in majority-Black neighborhoods in the city of Chicago. Female officers also use less force than male officers.
Read the study →
Mauled, our investigation into police dog attacks with The Marshall Project, AL.com, and The Indianapolis Star, has been named a finalist for a Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting and for a Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in National/International Investigative Reporting.
The Somebody Podcast has also been named a finalist for the a Scripps Howard Award for Excellence in Radio/Podcast Coverage and a nominee for the Podcast Academy's Ambie Award.
