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The 1995 heat wave killed more Chicagoans than the Great Chicago Fire. This July marks the 10th anniversary of this disaster, which killed 780 people.

In commemoration of this event, Northwestern Law's Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC) and the Public Square at the Illinois Humanities Council will co-host a public forum featuring Eric Klinenberg, author of the widely acclaimed book Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago, at Thorne Auditorium, 375 East Chicago Avenue, on Thursday, July 7, from 6:30-8:00 p.m. This program is free and open to the public.

Reservations are required. Please call (312) 422-5580 or e-mail events@thepublicsquare.org for reservations.

In his provocative and important book, Klinenberg describes how this so-called "natural disaster" was not as natural as one might think. He explains how the lines of culpability for the deaths can be drawn to city government, local businesses and communities, to families and individuals and ultimately to the breakdown of many of our social institutions.

Steve Edwards of WBEZ's "Eight-Forty-Eight" will moderate the forum on the aftermath of the heat wave and the continuing inattention to issues of race, class and gender by our society at large that made this heat wave so particularly deadly.

Bernardine Dohrn, director of the CFJC, will introduce and open the panel. She will be joined by Dr. Quentin Young, long-time activist and physician who is leading the campaign for Physicians for a National Health Plan, and Dr. Beth Richie, Director of African –American Studies at University of Illinois Chicago and activist with INCITE-Women of Color Against Violence, will join in the conversation that evening.

ABOUT THE CHILDREN AND FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER

The Children and Family Justice Center is a comprehensive children's law center where law students, under the supervision of attorneys and clinical professors, represent young people on matters of delinquency and crime, family violence, school discipline, health and disability, and immigration and asylum. CFJC collaborates with communities and child welfare, educational, mental health and juvenile justice systems to develop fair and effective policies and solutions for reform.

ABOUT THE PUBLIC SQUARE AT THE ILLINOIS HUMANITIES COUNCIL

The Public Square at the IHC fosters debate, dialogue, and exchange of ideas about cultural, social and political issues with an emphasis on social justice. Programs promote participatory democracy by creating space for public conversations.

Knowledge is power, yet much crucial knowledge still circulates only in small, isolated communities. We build bridges between theory and practice in order to empower individuals to use ideas as tools to improve their lives. The Public Square was adopted by the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC) on December 1, 2004. To learn more about IHC programs in Chicago and around the state, check out the website Calendar of Events at www.prairie.org. More information about The Public Square at the IHC and Café Society is available at www.thepublicsquare.org.

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