Lisa Kurian Philip
@lkpwrites.bsky.social
Covering racial inequity in higher education for WBEZ Chicago and Open Campus Media. I love making radio. Like, LOVE it.
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
“I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility
Hundreds of children are currently being held with their parents at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas. In letters and drawings, eight kids convey the pain of feeling trapped with no end...
www.propublica.org
February 9, 2026 at 11:21 AM
Please take the time to read what the children detained in Dilley wrote me in their own words: www.propublica.org/article/ice-... 10/
My latest for @wbez.org and @opencampus.org about the painting over a trans flag with an alleged hate symbol and Northwestern University's decision not to intervene.
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
Trans students felt threatened by this symbol of the far right. Why didn’t Northwestern intervene?
Campus leaders say they don’t police “The Rock” unless the content poses an immediate threat or is profane. The decision has some questioning whom administrators see as worthy of protection.
www.wbez.org
February 4, 2026 at 9:49 PM
My latest for @wbez.org and @opencampus.org about the painting over a trans flag with an alleged hate symbol and Northwestern University's decision not to intervene.
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
“I think the best defense against an ICE officer potentially seizing your camera in a public space is other people recording that action and then being able to use that footage as evidence in court, when you sue them,” FPF's @trevortimm.bsky.social said.
How to Film ICE
Filming federal agents in public is legal, but avoiding a dangerous—even deadly—confrontation isn’t guaranteed. Here’s how to record ICE and CBP agents as safely as possible and have an impact.
www.wired.com
February 3, 2026 at 4:58 PM
“I think the best defense against an ICE officer potentially seizing your camera in a public space is other people recording that action and then being able to use that footage as evidence in court, when you sue them,” FPF's @trevortimm.bsky.social said.
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
UPDATE — The Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is calling for the immediate release of Lemon and Fort, and for all charges against them to be withdrawn.
thetriibe.com/2026/01/jour...
thetriibe.com/2026/01/jour...
NABJ Chicago calls for the immediate release of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort arrested after filming Minnesota church protest • The TRiiBE
Journalism organizations condemn the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort as vindictive attacks on press freedom.
thetriibe.com
January 30, 2026 at 6:58 PM
UPDATE — The Chicago Chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is calling for the immediate release of Lemon and Fort, and for all charges against them to be withdrawn.
thetriibe.com/2026/01/jour...
thetriibe.com/2026/01/jour...
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
Big changes to college affordability are coming ⏰
New limits on student loans, repayment plans, and Pell Grants begin in 2026.
➡️ Visit edtrust.org for more.
#HigherEd #StudentLoans #Educationpolicy
New limits on student loans, repayment plans, and Pell Grants begin in 2026.
➡️ Visit edtrust.org for more.
#HigherEd #StudentLoans #Educationpolicy
January 26, 2026 at 8:16 PM
Big changes to college affordability are coming ⏰
New limits on student loans, repayment plans, and Pell Grants begin in 2026.
➡️ Visit edtrust.org for more.
#HigherEd #StudentLoans #Educationpolicy
New limits on student loans, repayment plans, and Pell Grants begin in 2026.
➡️ Visit edtrust.org for more.
#HigherEd #StudentLoans #Educationpolicy
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
Memory is a fragile thing in this moment, so it is important to keep in mind that Hakeem Jeffries refused to whip his caucus against ICE funding earlier this week.
January 24, 2026 at 8:00 PM
Memory is a fragile thing in this moment, so it is important to keep in mind that Hakeem Jeffries refused to whip his caucus against ICE funding earlier this week.
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
As Border Patrol immediately — and some would say reflexively — declares the latest killing in Minnesota to be a good shooting:
A reminder that the bearer of the message — Cmdr. Greg Bovino — lied about why he lobbed tear gas in a Chicago neighborhood, per a U.S. judge www.wbez.org/immigration/...
A reminder that the bearer of the message — Cmdr. Greg Bovino — lied about why he lobbed tear gas in a Chicago neighborhood, per a U.S. judge www.wbez.org/immigration/...
Judge blasts Trump’s Chicago border ‘Blitz,’ extends curbs on use of force that ‘shocks the conscience’
Judge Sara Ellis said Trump's Justice Department lacks credibility, partly because of a lie told by U.S. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino.
www.wbez.org
January 24, 2026 at 10:13 PM
As Border Patrol immediately — and some would say reflexively — declares the latest killing in Minnesota to be a good shooting:
A reminder that the bearer of the message — Cmdr. Greg Bovino — lied about why he lobbed tear gas in a Chicago neighborhood, per a U.S. judge www.wbez.org/immigration/...
A reminder that the bearer of the message — Cmdr. Greg Bovino — lied about why he lobbed tear gas in a Chicago neighborhood, per a U.S. judge www.wbez.org/immigration/...
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
Our reporting has found that ICE sent 600 immigrant kids to detention in federal shelters in 2025.
A 17-year-old was detained at a traffic stop because officers couldn’t make contact with his dad, who is deaf.
Another kid ended up in a shelter after making a wrong turn:
A 17-year-old was detained at a traffic stop because officers couldn’t make contact with his dad, who is deaf.
Another kid ended up in a shelter after making a wrong turn:
January 22, 2026 at 1:50 AM
Our reporting has found that ICE sent 600 immigrant kids to detention in federal shelters in 2025.
A 17-year-old was detained at a traffic stop because officers couldn’t make contact with his dad, who is deaf.
Another kid ended up in a shelter after making a wrong turn:
A 17-year-old was detained at a traffic stop because officers couldn’t make contact with his dad, who is deaf.
Another kid ended up in a shelter after making a wrong turn:
I wonder how #IL universities who have backed away from #DEI programs will respond. Will they reinstate initiatives? I'm thinking of the University of Illinois system, for instance, which in October banned the consideration of #race/#gender in scholarship decisions.
bravo @democracyforward.org & @aft.org.
and shame on all the universities that dismantled their legally secure and morally just diversity, equity and inclusion programs becuase Trump sent them an angry letter.
democracyforward.org/news/press-r...
and shame on all the universities that dismantled their legally secure and morally just diversity, equity and inclusion programs becuase Trump sent them an angry letter.
democracyforward.org/news/press-r...
January 21, 2026 at 7:55 PM
I wonder how #IL universities who have backed away from #DEI programs will respond. Will they reinstate initiatives? I'm thinking of the University of Illinois system, for instance, which in October banned the consideration of #race/#gender in scholarship decisions.
Reposted by Lisa Kurian Philip
🔴 "Government invasion into a reporter’s home and the seizure of journalistic materials is exactly the kind of scenario our First Amendment was conceived to protect against."
Today, we joined over two dozen organizations in condemning the outrageous government invasion.
Today, we joined over two dozen organizations in condemning the outrageous government invasion.
January 15, 2026 at 8:58 PM
🔴 "Government invasion into a reporter’s home and the seizure of journalistic materials is exactly the kind of scenario our First Amendment was conceived to protect against."
Today, we joined over two dozen organizations in condemning the outrageous government invasion.
Today, we joined over two dozen organizations in condemning the outrageous government invasion.
The #Trump administration is starting to seize people's pay to cover their defaulted student loans. More than 177,000 #IL residents are at risk. Here's how you can prevent this situation - or try to get out of it.
@opencampus.org @wbez.org #studentdebt
www.wbez.org/education/20...
@opencampus.org @wbez.org #studentdebt
www.wbez.org/education/20...
What to know if you’re one of 170,000 people in Illinois behind on student loans
The Trump administration is resuming withholding wages from student loan borrowers in default. Here are some steps you can take to prevent that.
www.wbez.org
January 15, 2026 at 2:38 PM
The #Trump administration is starting to seize people's pay to cover their defaulted student loans. More than 177,000 #IL residents are at risk. Here's how you can prevent this situation - or try to get out of it.
@opencampus.org @wbez.org #studentdebt
www.wbez.org/education/20...
@opencampus.org @wbez.org #studentdebt
www.wbez.org/education/20...
You can hear directly from Tyrek, Charles & Farid at the link above. Click the red "LISTEN" button.
A big thanks to my editors Johanna Zorn and Kalyn Belsha for getting this across the finish line, and to @edwriters.bsky.social for the space to work on this project.
Photo by: Candace Dane Chambers
A big thanks to my editors Johanna Zorn and Kalyn Belsha for getting this across the finish line, and to @edwriters.bsky.social for the space to work on this project.
Photo by: Candace Dane Chambers
December 19, 2025 at 4:35 PM
You can hear directly from Tyrek, Charles & Farid at the link above. Click the red "LISTEN" button.
A big thanks to my editors Johanna Zorn and Kalyn Belsha for getting this across the finish line, and to @edwriters.bsky.social for the space to work on this project.
Photo by: Candace Dane Chambers
A big thanks to my editors Johanna Zorn and Kalyn Belsha for getting this across the finish line, and to @edwriters.bsky.social for the space to work on this project.
Photo by: Candace Dane Chambers
And how that struggle has made them empathetic guides for younger generations. Educators who are willing to drop everything to hop on the phone with a student and tell them yes, they do belong, and to ask where they need help.
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible
Black men in the West Side community face some of the biggest hurdles to getting a degree. Just 1 out of 4 who make it to college graduate in six years.
www.wbez.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:54 PM
And how that struggle has made them empathetic guides for younger generations. Educators who are willing to drop everything to hop on the phone with a student and tell them yes, they do belong, and to ask where they need help.
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
I will never forget my time listening to the three of them -- Tyrek Gates, Dr. Charles Brown and Dr. Farid Muhammad -- tell stories over tea and hot cocoa. I heard about their constant struggle against the misconception that Black men aren't "college material."
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible
Black men in the West Side community face some of the biggest hurdles to getting a degree. Just 1 out of 4 who make it to college graduate in six years.
www.wbez.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:50 PM
I will never forget my time listening to the three of them -- Tyrek Gates, Dr. Charles Brown and Dr. Farid Muhammad -- tell stories over tea and hot cocoa. I heard about their constant struggle against the misconception that Black men aren't "college material."
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
And are still doing everything they can to help each other and others overcome some of the biggest barriers any students encounter on their path to college graduation.
December 19, 2025 at 3:47 PM
And are still doing everything they can to help each other and others overcome some of the biggest barriers any students encounter on their path to college graduation.
Throughout 2025, so much of my work has been about loss -- the loss of research funding, scholarships, student visas, the right to criticize Israel's occupation of Palestine. But this story was about three people who didn't have much to start with...
December 19, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Throughout 2025, so much of my work has been about loss -- the loss of research funding, scholarships, student visas, the right to criticize Israel's occupation of Palestine. But this story was about three people who didn't have much to start with...
I'm grateful that, weeks in, a new doc at my primary care practice **one who is also a woman of color, and pregnant** finally took me seriously, put me on a hefty dose of antibiotics & brought my lung function back. Because of that I was able to wrap up this project:
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible
Black men in the West Side community face some of the biggest hurdles to getting a degree. Just 1 out of 4 who make it to college graduate in six years.
www.wbez.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:30 PM
I'm grateful that, weeks in, a new doc at my primary care practice **one who is also a woman of color, and pregnant** finally took me seriously, put me on a hefty dose of antibiotics & brought my lung function back. Because of that I was able to wrap up this project:
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
This pregnancy hasn't been the easiest. While federal agents were tearing families apart across the Chicago area, I was in bed for weeks with pneumonia. I felt (still feel?) a lot of guilt that I couldn't help document what was happening to our community. (6/?)
December 19, 2025 at 3:25 PM
This pregnancy hasn't been the easiest. While federal agents were tearing families apart across the Chicago area, I was in bed for weeks with pneumonia. I felt (still feel?) a lot of guilt that I couldn't help document what was happening to our community. (6/?)
I don't quite know how to answer, other than to share that our oldest son was born just months after my mom died and Trump started his 2016 presidency. His birth, in some ways, kept me afloat. (5/?)
December 19, 2025 at 3:19 PM
I don't quite know how to answer, other than to share that our oldest son was born just months after my mom died and Trump started his 2016 presidency. His birth, in some ways, kept me afloat. (5/?)
In the midst of all that, my partner and I decided we wanted to grow our family. Our third child is due in March. Friends and coworkers have commented on how crazy we are to want to bring a child into this world. (4/?)
a man wearing a shirt that says i 'm spiraling
ALT: a man wearing a shirt that says i 'm spiraling
media.tenor.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:16 PM
In the midst of all that, my partner and I decided we wanted to grow our family. Our third child is due in March. Friends and coworkers have commented on how crazy we are to want to bring a child into this world. (4/?)
All the while I was struggling but learning with ****so much help from friends and educators who know so much more than me**** about how to better support my son through his autism and ADHD diagnosis. I maybe shouldn't be proud of his answer on this school assignment, but I really am: (3/?)
December 19, 2025 at 3:11 PM
All the while I was struggling but learning with ****so much help from friends and educators who know so much more than me**** about how to better support my son through his autism and ADHD diagnosis. I maybe shouldn't be proud of his answer on this school assignment, but I really am: (3/?)
Then there was the overhaul of our newsroom structure to integrate BEZ with the Sun-Times. My editor, the most down-to-earth, lovely boss and collaborator and audio wizard, was moved to another team. I think 👇 is one of the last stories we worked on together. (2/?)
www.wbez.org/wbez-news/20...
www.wbez.org/wbez-news/20...
This Chicagoan is losing hope for student debt relief under Trump
Chicagoans with student debt are feeling whiplash and extreme confusion under President Donald Trump, who has called previous efforts to ease the burden of student debt “illegal” — and is closing path...
www.wbez.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Then there was the overhaul of our newsroom structure to integrate BEZ with the Sun-Times. My editor, the most down-to-earth, lovely boss and collaborator and audio wizard, was moved to another team. I think 👇 is one of the last stories we worked on together. (2/?)
www.wbez.org/wbez-news/20...
www.wbez.org/wbez-news/20...
It has been a rollercoaster of a year, both personally and professionally (a 🧵). I went from attending my close college friend's memorial to reporting on Trump's attacks on programs that have helped people I love both go to college & feel like they belong there. (1/?)
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
UIC faculty and students fought for cultural centers. New federal guidance could take them away.
President Trump’s Education Department is threatening programs for diverse students. Experts say universities need to fight back.
www.wbez.org
December 19, 2025 at 2:47 PM
It has been a rollercoaster of a year, both personally and professionally (a 🧵). I went from attending my close college friend's memorial to reporting on Trump's attacks on programs that have helped people I love both go to college & feel like they belong there. (1/?)
www.wbez.org/education/20...
www.wbez.org/education/20...
A thousand thanks to Tyrek Gates, Dr. Farid Muhammad & Dr. Charles Brown for being so generous with their time & answering my endless stream of questions. You'll be able to hear directly from them this afternoon on 91.5 FM 📻
#college #chicago @wbez.org @opencampus.org
www.wbez.org/education/20...
#college #chicago @wbez.org @opencampus.org
www.wbez.org/education/20...
In Austin, Black mentors are making college possible
Black men in the West Side community face some of the biggest hurdles to getting a degree. Just 1 out of 4 who make it to college graduate in six years.
www.wbez.org
December 18, 2025 at 4:53 PM
A thousand thanks to Tyrek Gates, Dr. Farid Muhammad & Dr. Charles Brown for being so generous with their time & answering my endless stream of questions. You'll be able to hear directly from them this afternoon on 91.5 FM 📻
#college #chicago @wbez.org @opencampus.org
www.wbez.org/education/20...
#college #chicago @wbez.org @opencampus.org
www.wbez.org/education/20...