Jamie Kalven is an American journalist, author, human rights activist, and community organizer based in Chicago, Illinois. He is the founder of the Invisible Institute, a nonprofit journalism organization that focuses on issues affecting Chicago’s South Side, particularly police misconduct and the dire conditions of public housing. Kalven’s investigative work has earned him the title of “guerrilla journalist” from renowned Chicago journalist Studs Terkel, reflecting his commitment to uncovering hidden truths and amplifying marginalized voices.

Kalven is the son of Harry Kalven, a distinguished law professor who left behind an unfinished manuscript on freedom of speech upon his death in 1974. Jamie dedicated 14 years to completing this manuscript, further deepening his understanding of civil liberties and the role of journalism in society. His personal experiences, particularly following a sexual assault on his wife, Patricia Evans, inspired him to write a memoir aimed at supporting victims of rape.

His reporting on the living conditions at the Stateway Gardens housing development in Bronzeville led him to co-found the Invisible Institute with Evans and an associate. This grassroots initiative started as an informal journalism and community organizing team, dedicated to shedding light on systemic injustices. Kalven’s relentless reporting on police abuse at Stateway culminated in the landmark case Kalven v. City of Chicago, which successfully established that police misconduct records are public information under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

Through his multifaceted activism and journalism, Jamie Kalven continues to advocate for transparency and accountability in policing and public housing, embodying the spirit of civic engagement and the transformative power of informed communities.