From the Pen of the President: April 2025

NASW-Illinois Chapter President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW

NASW-IL President Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her)

As we transitioned out of Social Work Month, I was reflective of how influential social work has been in shaping our nation. We cannot ignore the insurmountable challenges that we face; however, together, we can make a difference. Social work has always made a difference. Social work has been the bridge to fostering hope and building humanity into the fabric of our country. Throughout history, it has been the advocacy of social workers that has made a difference. Social workers in the 50s and 60s used their voices and positions to advocate and create the very systems and programs our current government seeks to dismantle. It is social workers who helped influence and advance legislation for human rights and equitable education, and it will be social workers who help rebuild and repair these systems and communities. We can make a difference despite the opposition. This is a time for social work, and I am challenging us to engage with our local legislators and congressional leaders to be the voice of the voiceless. I personally urge social workers to participate in lobbying in their states. This year, our 2025 NASW-Illinois Chapter Advocacy Day will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Illinois State Capitol. This is one of the most powerful and influential times to collectively gather as social workers and engage with our state leaders. In light of the barrage of executive orders, it is vital that we, as social workers, lobby on behalf of underrepresented groups and communities.

NASW is also supporting and participating in the National Day of Action on Saturday, April 5th for National Hands-Off Day! This day of action is in protest to the Trump Administration's plans to cut Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other socially beneficial programs. For information on protest marches in your area please click the link here.

Chapter News:

Our chapter has a significant collaborator with NASW-IL Advisory Board Member Anjanette Young in her pursuit of justice following the traumatic wrong raid of her home in 2019. Her fierce efforts continue now on a state level, and we are happy to share with our membership that HB 1611, The Anjanette Young Act, passed out of the Judiciary Criminal Committee with a vote of 8–5. After revisions, it is expected to go before the Illinois House and Senate for a vote. We ask our membership to support by calling your legislators to support this bill which ensures proper protocols for search warrants, ensure transparency, and accountability in law enforcement practices. Here is a link to the press conference: https://youtu.be/WN9qq6pJsAA?feature=shared . May this be evidence and inspiration of what the power of social work can do!

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Latesha Newson, MSW, LCSW (she/her), serves as university lecturer and BSW field coordinator at Governors State University in the Department of Social Work. She is a strong advocate for social justice and works to influence policies that create equitable and transformative change in our society. She has served on the NASW-Illinois Chapter Board of Directors since 2019, previously as Calumet District Chair, chair of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Committee (DEIAC), and as member of the national NASW Delegate Assembly. In 2020 she served as co-chair of the NASW-Illinois Chapter Task Force on Racial Justice where the chapter’s final recommendations on police reform were reflected in the Criminal Justice Omnibus bill. Latesha believes that it is our social responsibility to create and effect change through advocacy, policy, and the advancement of social work.