The 21st Show

Indian Exhibit At Spurlock Museum; Gun Permit Revocations; Diversity In Academic Publishing; Oscars

By Niala Boodhoo, Libby Foster, Robin Linn and Alan Montecillo
 
Spurlock Museum Exhibit

Spurlock Museum

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On the 21st: The Spurlock museum is featuring stories of the Indian diaspora with objects submitted by local residents. We hear what that exhibit says about the many stories of Indians right here in Illinois. Plus, when your gun permit gets revoked, the police send you a letter demanding that you turn in your firearm. But most of the time, there’s no follow-up and it has allowed thousands of people to keep their weapons, including, the gunman in last Friday’s Aurora shooting. And, a new grant funds diversity fellowships which calls for more representation in academic publishing. Plus, we talk about last night's Oscars.           

It’s been ten days since a gunman shot and killed five of his co-workers at a manufacturing plant in Aurora. Last week, many of the memorial and funeral services were held for the victims. During the shooting, six police officers were also injured with five needing to be hospitalized, but they’ve all been released.

The shooter, Gary Martin, was killed in a standoff with police, and lawmakers are taking a closer look at how he got his gun. He first received a Firearm Owners Identification Card, or FOID card, in 2014. He got it despite having a felony conviction on his record for aggravated assault in Mississippi. When Illinois State Police realized their mistake several months later, they revoked his FOID card and sent a letter demanding that he surrender his gun, but nothing happened after that. This lack of follow-up action happens a lot. Late last week, Illinois State Police said that more than 10,000 FOID cards were revoked last year, but nearly 75 percent of those orders were ignored.  

State Senator Julie Morrison is a Democrat from Illinois’ 29th Senate district, which includes parts of Chicago’s north and northwest suburbs, including Deerfield, Lake Forest, and Highland Park. We speak with her about her plans to close this loophole. WBEZ Chicago first reported about this back in 2013, and they’re taking a look at it again. Patrick Smith is their criminal justice reporter and he joins us from their studios. 

And -

There’s nearly a quarter of a million South Asian Americans in Illinois, which makes them the biggest and fastest growing group of Asian-Americans in the state. Some families have been here for more than a century and actually have deep roots in this part of the state. Others got here more recently, many of them being students whose families live in India right now.

Over the next few weeks, the Spurlock Museum is showcasing just some of these stories of Indians and the diaspora in an exhibit called From the Subcontinent to the Prairie: Stories of Immigration and Identity. It’s on display until May 19th in Urbana. It’s connected to a community-wide reading program between the University of Illinois and the libraries in both Champaign and Urbana. The program focuses on a best-selling book about growing up as an immigrant in America, "The Namesake", by Jhumpa Lahiri.

We're joined by the exhibit’s guest community curator, Koeli Goel. She completed her Ph.D at the University of Illinois and also runs a foundation for women’s rights in India called the Dharitree Ecosphere. Beth Watkins is also with us. She’s the Spurlock Museum’s education and publications coordinator.

Also -

The Mellon Foundation recently awarded $1.2 million to help bring more diversity to academic publishing. The money will go towards fellowships at five different presses including Northwestern University Press and the University of Chicago Press.

What does it mean to provide more access in the academic publishing world? And how does that affect what we all read?

We talk to Parneshia Jones, the Sales and Community Outreach Manager and the Poetry Editor for Northwestern University Press. 

Plus -

Did you miss the Oscars last night? Well we're joined by The Reel Critic, otherwise known as Reggie Ponder. He talks to us about the winners, losers, and controversy. 

Story source: WILL