Maria Nagel
The Pantagraph
In July 1996, more than 400 people gathered at the old courthouse square in downtown Bloomington to march against racism and to support black churches that had been burned in the South.
Inspired by a PBS documentary that explored how Billings, Mont., responded to a series of hate crimes, the Not In Our Town movement formed in Bloomington in 1995, making it the first city in the country to adopt the NIOT program.
But it was the 10-block march to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, one of Bloomington's predominantly black churches, that helped the organization's anti-racism campaign gain a footing in the Twin Cities.
NIOTBN charter member Mike Matejka leads a news conference announcing the organization's 20th anniversary celebration June 28 on the Old Courthouse square in downtown Bloomington. (WJBC)
March organizers Marc Miller, Charles Halbert and his wife, Willie Holton Halbert, and other NIOT members announced Tuesday that Not In Our Town Bloomington-Normal plans to celebrate its 20th anniversary from 6-9 p.m. June 28 at the downtown square, from where the walkers stepped off in 1996.
A commemorative march is planned.
"We're not going to try and do a long march, but just do something to try and mark the event," said Mike Matejka, a NIOT member and Great Plains Laborers District Council's governmental affairs director. "We'll probably just circle the blocks here (around the square)."
"Come back, those who were there with us 20 years ago," said Barb Adkins, who helped organize the original march when she was serving as Bloomington's community affairs manager. "And those who just moved to this community and those who are here for vacation, come see how a community embraces and respects and celebrates the diversity of its citizens."
The event also plans to focus on youth.
"We want to honor the folks who were part of initiating this, but we want to share continuity, so much of what is going to be on the stage and celebrated that night will be our young people who have been part of Not In Our Schools," said Matejka.
Performances are planned by youth dance groups. McLean County Diversity Project scholars Kristin Koe, 18, and Ethan Clay, 13, both of Bloomington, composed a classical musical piece in connection with a mural other diversity project scholars are painting on a retaining wall across Olive Street from the Bloomington Public Library to honor NIOT.
Since the 1996 march, 10,000 people have signed anti-hate pledge cards in the Twin Cities, said Miller.
"Our purpose is to stand up and say, 'We will not tolerate racism and discrimination in our community,'" said Miller. "If we talk about it, if we make this a public discussion more people are aware and more people won't just sit back and say we can't do anything about it."
"I've been really struck by how many times Not In Our Town has come to speak to issues that we all value right ahead of the curve," said NIOT member and Bloomington Ward 6 Alderman Karen Schmidt.
NIOT sponsored anti-hate initiatives in 2000 to counter East Peorian Matt Hale's white supremacist message, and in 2004 when members of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., came to town with anti-gay messages.
When GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump visited Bloomington in March, NIOT held a silent vigil.
"Basically, what we were trying to say is: Let's maintain a civil attitude toward one another," said Matejka. "People can disagree on many different things, but I think one of the gifts of this community, maybe it's our Midwestern values, is mutual respect."