Ethical Investment Wins in Urbana: A Model for Illinois

Urbana, IL, June 29, 2026 — On Saturday, June 20, the Muslim Civic Coalition was in Urbana for the Palestine Celebration hosted by the CU Muslim Action Committee — proud to attend, and proud to have been a sponsor of the event. We came not to lead, but to listen, to learn, and to lift up the people doing extraordinary work in their own community. We sponsored because we believe in what this organization is building.

The celebration marked a genuine piece of history. Weeks earlier, at its June 1 meeting, the Urbana City Council unanimously adopted Resolution No. 2026-05-020R, revising the city's financial policies to add an Ethical Investment section to its Investment Policy. Under the new rules, the city will not invest in companies — or in local government investment pools that invest in companies — listed on the most recent SIPRI Top 100 Arms-producing and Military Services Companies list or the American Friends Service Committee's list of Companies Profiting from the Gaza Genocide. The policy directs the city's Finance Director to move funds out of any pools holding those companies, to avoid such investments going forward, and to review the lists against the city's holdings at least twice a year. As Illinois Public Media reported, Urbana is the first municipality in the state to adopt an ethical investments policy. ipmnewsroom

This did not happen by accident, and it did not happen because of any one organization. It happened because community showed up. The CU Muslim Action Committee, UC Jews for Ceasefire, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized, mobilized, and stood before the council with one voice — and the council listened. That is civic justice in action: policy built by first hearing from and amplifying the people most directly impacted.

Urbana also joins a growing national movement toward ethical investment. In September 2024, Portland, Maine became the first East Coast city to pass a divestment measure of this kind, approving it unanimously. In August 2025, Iowa City did the same in a 7-0 vote — the first city in a Republican-majority state to take the step. Communities from Dearborn, Michigan to Northampton, Massachusetts to Alameda County, California have moved in the same direction, a list the American Friends Service Committee tracks as it grows. Urbana now puts Illinois on that map — and sets the precedent for every city in this state that follows. WBUR News + 2

To CU MAC and every organizer who made this possible: congratulations. You did not just win a vote. You modeled for other cities what is possible and what needs to happen next. You are leading the way, and we have your back.

We say often that we cannot do this work alone — that none of it happens outside of coalition. Urbana is the proof. Interfaith solidarity, neighbors of every background standing shoulder to shoulder, faith communities and secular organizers refusing to be divided — that is what made this victory possible, and it is the only thing that ever does. It's also why we showed up on June 20: to celebrate alongside the community, support the advocacy happening right here in Champaign-Urbana, and help build from here.

Our Executive Director, Amina, spoke at the celebration. Her words captured the day:

"Urbana, you have made history. Urbana, you chose humanity and conscience over complicity. This is exactly the civic justice we need and ask for — exactly what happens when we center the voices of those who are directly impacted. Groups like CU MAC are precisely the kind of power we need to support and amplify. You are leading the way. We have your back today, and we will continue to support and uplift your work."

Showing up in Urbana is not a one-time thing — it's how we work everywhere. Across Illinois, the Muslim Civic Coalition holds listening sessions in community: sitting down with residents, organizers, and faith and neighborhood leaders to hear what people are facing, what they're building, and how we can help amplify the good work already underway. We don't come with a script. We come to listen first, learn, and then put our weight behind the people doing the work.

If your community or organization wants to host a listening session — or you'd simply like us to come hear what's happening where you are — we'd love to hear from you. Reach out at info@muslimciviccoalition.org and we'll come to you.

And as we celebrate, we recognize the work ahead. Illinois calls itself a model state, but too often our public money is invested in corporations that profit off the backs of our communities. Ethical investment means choosing differently — putting public dollars only behind companies that are not in the business of harming people, whether in Gaza or here at home. That is a choice every city, township, and state office can make — and one we hope to see carried into the Illinois legislature.

So keep this in mind at the ballot box — in November, and again in the 2027 municipal elections. And let's commit, together, to scaling this work statewide — from our city councils to the Illinois General Assembly. Make sure you are registered and ready to vote.