Join us for our region meeting. We will be joined by special guests and discuss the harmful tough on crime rhetoric growing in our region. We will also strategize for our upcoming campaign initiatives in The FREE Act, gang ordinance, Office of Gun Violence Prevention, and voter engagement.
Special Guests
Marlon J. Chamberlain
Marlon is an advocate for people directly impacted by the justice system. Marlon brings over 20 years of lived and professional experience to his work at Heart Alliance.
Marlon has an established track record of creating effective coalitions. Previously, he served as the Englewood Project Manager with the READI Chicago Program at Heartland Alliance. Prior to that, he was a Community Organizer with the FORCE (Fighting to Overcome Records and Create Equality) Initiative. Marlon developed FORCE to become one of the strongest organizations led by people with records to advance issues, policies and legislation at the state level – including passing the largest sealing expansion law in the United States and leading a voter registration campaign which registered over 1,000 people with records to vote.
Marlon is very active in the community. He is a founding member of the RROCI coalition (Restoring Rights & Opportunities Coalition of IL); He Chairs the Live Free Decarceration advisory committee; he is an Alumni of JustLeadership USA - a national organization with a mission to reduce the U.S. prison population in half by 2030. In 2013, he received the Purdy Award from the Community Renewal Society in recognition of his outstanding leadership in organizing and policy work. And in 2017, he received the CARRE Visionary Award from Safer Foundation. Marlon lives on the south side of Chicago with his wife and five children.
Minister Lanyaird A. Smith
Minister Smith is a 2021 graduate with a Masters in Clinical Mental Health from Moody Theological seminary and received an undergraduate degree from Chicago State University in Business Administration. As an ordained minister and administrator at the Apostolic Church of God on staff leading the community engagement department and ministry of the Evangelism of Grace on the Chicago Southside.
Through the ministry of the Evangelism of Grace, I am responsible for the direction of over a 100 leaders working within their communities through a block by block strategy under the direction of Pastor Dr. Byron T. Brazier. Our church, the Apostolic Church of God continues to work towards improving the lives of those living in marginalized communities by providing the essential resources for daily living. Working in this ministry has given me many opportunities to apply my mental health education and training. I look forward to helping those who are in need of total wellness, mind, body and soul through personal and spiritual guidance, working also through a social justice lens.
Gregory Chambers
Greg is a Chicago native, has a passion for restorative justice, reforming the criminal justice system, reforming the Department of Corrections, reforming the police departments, and providing greater opportunities for those formerly incarcerated.
In 1986, Greg joined the Chicago Police Department at the position of a police officer with intent on continuing his education to ultimately earn a law degree. A set of unfortunate circumstances led to a major disruption in Greg’s life resulting in a criminal conviction and a rather lengthy term of incarceration. Greg was released from the custody of the Illinois Department of Corrections on September 22, 2020. In addition to attending Eastern Illinois University, Greg successfully completed barber school and culinary arts.
Since his release, Greg created and pursued efforts to establish a “Restorative Sentencing Act” (Senate Bill 2054) which would give incarcerated individuals ineligible to receive Earned Program Sentence Credit (EPSC) an opportunity to earn EPSC for the successful completion of programs designed to restore them to useful citizenship. Greg has volunteered with Community Renewal Society as a leader, the Restoring Rights and Opportunities Coalition of Illinois (RROCI), the Coalition to end money bond, The People’s Liberty Project, and the Illinois Alliance for Re-entry and Justice. Greg also participated in the Voting Rights panel held by Lieutenant Governor Julianna Stratton. Greg’s ultimate goal is to eliminate barriers that serve as obstacles for returning citizens and to ensure that there is justice and equity for all people.
Rev. Ciera Chamberlain-Bates
Rev. Chamberlain-Bates was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago. She is committed to the fight for social and economic justice by strengthening communities through radical theology.
As the Executive Director of Live Free Chicago-Live Free Illinois, Ciera is working with black churches to create safe, economically viable, and self-sustained black communities. Prior to Live Free Chicago, Ciera served as the senior organizer at a faith-based organization.
Ciera received her bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Lamar University, and a master’s in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently studying at McCormick Theological Seminary for a master’s in theological studies. Ciera is an adjunct professor at Northeastern University, a mental health professional, and a strategy consultant. In 2013, Ciera was ordained a minister through the Church of Jesus Christ House of Prayer Inc., where she served as the church administrator for the Chicago congregation. In addition to her commitment to racial justice, Ciera is a proud wife and mother of three daughters and a blended family of 8.