About the Peoria Area Chapter

The ACLU of Illinois – Peoria-Area Chapter Board of Directors meets on the 4th Tuesday of every month (except December) at Central Illinois Friends, located at 2112 E. War Memorial Dr., Peoria, IL 61614. These meetings are open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.In addition to board meetings, we host monthly roundtable discussions on the 2nd Thursday of each month. These gatherings are informal, free to attend, and open to the public. They take place at Rhythm Kitchen, located on Water Street at Liberty near the Peoria Riverfront. While attendance is free, we encourage participants to enjoy the food, drinks, and spirits offered by the host restaurantWe also organize other events and activities throughout the year. Stay tuned for updates!

Our chapter has a proud history of defending civil liberties for nearly 60 years, but one of our most notable recent achievements involves safeguarding freedom of the press. Since 1977, The Community Word (thecommunityword.com) served primarily as a booster for local events and activities. However, in 2013, after 36 years in publication, the paper went up for sale.Recognizing a unique opportunity, a small group of local investors — including several members of the ACLU of Illinois Peoria-Area Chapter’s Board of Directors and other area ACLU supporters — stepped in to purchase the paper. Their vision was to transform it into a platform that would spotlight civil rights issues while also addressing critical local concerns such as renewable energy, environmental protection, and adequate funding for education.Since its purchase in 2013, led by individuals inspired by the Peoria-area ACLU chapter, The Community Word has thrived and continues to grow, tackling progressive issues with courage and commitment.

Our chapter has had the privilege of hosting several distinguished guest speakers at our annual banquets in recent years, including State Senator Dave Koehler and Peoria City Council member Beth Jensen. Over the past decade, we’ve also welcomed high-profile speakers such as Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, Justice Tom Kilbride, former U.S. Transportation Secretary under the Obama administration, Ray LaHood, and U.S. federal court judge, Joe Billy McDade.Our Board has also included notable leaders dedicated to civil rights. JD Wheeler, a former chapter president, is remembered as one of the Peoria area’s greatest champions of civil liberties throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s, and ‘90s. Similarly, Tom Pugh, longtime editor of downstate Illinois’ largest daily newspaper, the Peoria Journal Star, served as both chapter president and a dedicated Board member for many years.

Our chapter actively participates in protests, marches, and other events, including a recent initiative aimed at boosting voter turnout by raising awareness about deceptive voter suppression tactics.In addition to advocacy efforts, the Peoria-Area Chapter hosts several annual events, including a membership meeting and banquet and a community picnic. We also hold weekly discussion groups that are open to both members and the general public, providing a space for thoughtful conversation and engagement on important issues.

Our Peoria-area ACLU chapter serves as a vital link to our parent chapter, the ACLU of Illinois, headquartered in Chicago. The Chicago office provides strong support and maintains clear communication with the Peoria and other downstate chapters. Aligned with the national ACLU’s mission — upheld for nearly 100 years — our state and local chapters remain steadfast in protecting and defending the civil rights and liberties of all individuals in our region, focusing primarily on west and central Illinois.While our members may support various worthy causes, the ACLU’s core mission is to preserve and promote the freedoms granted to us by birth and safeguarded by the U.S. Constitution. Following the election of Donald Trump, the ACLU has taken on an even more ambitious and necessary role: defending liberty not only in the courts but also in the streets. We’ve joined forces with several like-minded organizations in our area, all committed to preventing the Trump administration from undermining constitutional protections.

Peoria Chapter Approves New Mission Statement

On August 24, 2021, the Peoria Chapter of the ACLU of IL approved a motion to update our Mission Statement, as written below:

"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) exists to preserve and protect the liberties and privileges guaranteed to every individual by the Bill of Rights. The purpose of the Peoria Chapter of the ACLU of Illinois is to promote awareness of civil liberties issues including, but not limited to Voting Rights, Criminal Legal System Reform, Women’s Rights and Reproductive Freedom, Immigration, Police Practices, Racial Justice, and LGBTQIA+ Rights. As a group we will organize and participate in events in and around the Peoria area that advance the ACLU’s position on particular issues and raises awareness about civil liberties in general."

ACLU 2020 Awards

The mission of the ACLU is to safeguard and defend the basic human and civil rights of all Americans.

With the Sam Belfer Award, the Peoria chapter of the ACLU recognizes two medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria who are committed to preserving reproductive choice –– a basic human right that is being effectively denied to huge numbers of women.

It may surprise you to know medical schools across the country and around the world have inadequate curricula in abortion training –– therefore effectively limiting women’s access to reproductive choice.

It won’t matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides about Roe v. Wade –– if there are no healthcare providers trained in abortion, there will be no reproductive choice, says Lois Backus, executive director of the international organization Medical Students for Choice. 

Two students at UICOMP campus understand this injustice. They formed a chapter of Medical Students for Choice, they raise money so students can attend the organization’s annual conference and training in Philadelphia, and they meet with school administrators here in Peoria and in Chicago to advocate for expanding the curriculum. 

We can support them with donations to their not-for-profit organization and with honoring them for their advocacy and courage.

Peoria ACLU is proud to give the 2020 Sam Belfer Award  to Brittani Steinberg and Andy Banks.