A major road in downtown Chicago has been renamed after a civil rights hero, according to multiple news reports. It is also the first time in history that a road in the city has been named for a black woman. Ida B. Wells Drive was dedicated earlier in February. The street renamed was Congress Parkway. Wells was a pioneer in journalism and civil rights. She was also a suffragist.
Street named for civil rights hero in Chicago
Why does Illinois have so many exonerations?
Illinois ranks third among all states in the number of people wrongfully convicted of a crime and then exonerated. Over the past three decades, 225 people in our state have been cleared of the crimes they were convicted of. Last year alone, the National Registry of Exonerations reported that 21 people were cleared of convictions for murder, robbery, drug possession and sexual assault. All but one are men.