Updated following ICE deployment through the city of Chicago and state of Illinois:
Our communities are facing escalating violence and intimidation from federal immigration officers. CPC believes that no human is illegal, and we keep us safe.
CPC events occur primarily on private property at Haymarket House. Both CPC and Haymarket exercise our right as private organizations to deny federal immigration officers access to our event location, offices, and the attached private parking lot. When not at Haymarket House, CPC is only programming events on private property in which the owner also agrees to exercise this same right to deny access. We follow suit with the recent executive order from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.
We will do everything within our power to keep those who engage with our organization in any capacity safe. As part of that work our staff attends safety trainings both specific to arts venues and ICE (via LCA) as well as ICIRR and OCAD training opportunities. Annually we update our organizational documentation regarding ICE and CPS to ensure our that our teaching artists and broader community have relevant and up to date safety information.
We encourage all to know your rights, learn and share training opportunities, connect with your neighbors, and report sightings to the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) at 855-435-7693.
Letter sent by CPC Executive Director to all board, staff, and Poets in Residence on Monday, February 3, 2025:
As news mounts of organizations changing their values or language due to pressure from the current administration, I wanted to reach out and let everyone know that CPC remains grounded in its mission and organizational values, as developed by this community.
Our mission is to connect people and poetry, equitably engage poets with communities, and advance creative literacy in the city and beyond.
Our organizational values are Creativity, Inclusivity, Equity, Integrity, and Humility. Additionally, you can read CPC’s Vision, Core Belief, and our definitions of those five core values here.
Decisions at CPC are rooted in and guided by our mission and values, which were built by the CPC community. If and when they change, that change will be done in a similar manner to the way these were built: with meetings, interviews, and feedback sessions with Poets in Residence, Staff, and Board.
If challenges come to CPC for standing on these values, then we will handle that challenge when it comes. What we won’t do is compromise our values because of fear or pressure or threat.
As the Executive Director of CPC, I believe that this work is heart work and community work. I’m deeply grateful to do this work with each and everyone one of you. Whether you are on the board, fundraising to make this work possible, in the classroom, bringing care and creativity to our students across Chicago, or in the office, making sure it all happens: thank you.
Yours,
B Sampson
Executive Director
