NIOTBN's interfaith understanding effort has taken off under the auspices of Faith and Outreach Chairman Kelley Becker of Bloomington First Christian Church, center, seen here with Moses Montefiore Congregation Rabbi Rebecca Dubowe and Masjid Ibrahim Mosque Imam Abu Emad.
Kevin Barlow/The Pantagraph
and Adam Studzinski/WJBC
It’s been 20 years since more than 400 people met in downtown Bloomington to march against racism and to support black churches that had been burned in the South — a galvanizing moment for the local Not In Our Town movement that started a year earlier.
"All sorts of things came out of that, and the Not In Our Town movement really picked up steam," Bloomington resident Marc Miller said Tuesday night at a 20th anniversary celebration and rally in downtown Bloomington
“At that time, my wife, Darlene, asked me what we could do about that (the church burnings),” Miller said. “My response to that was ‘Not here.’ So, a lot of us got together and just organized a meeting in the library."
In addition to the march, some people went to the South to help rebuild churches, and many signed pledges to oppose racism. Since the 1996 march, more than 10,000 people have signed anti-hate pledge cards in the Twin Cities, Miller said.
"A lot of good came out of that (march), but I have to admit that I didn’t know then that 20 years later, we would still be around,” he said.
Bloomington was the first city in the country to adopt the Not In Our Town program, which was inspired by a PBS documentary that explored how Billings, Mont., responded to a series of hate crimes. The Twin City program gained strength through that 10-block march from downtown Bloomington to Mount Pisgah Baptist Church, one of Bloomington’s predominantly black churches. Some of those that helped organize that first march, including the Millers, were on hand at Tuesday's gathering.
Not In Our School has been a linchpin of NIOTBN's recent efforts, and Twin Cities students here display their banner with NIOTBN co-founder Willie Jo Halbert.
Among the group was former Bloomington Mayor Jesse Smart, who at the time had ordered Bloomington police to protect the black churches.
“We need to congratulate all of the people that are keeping this alive,” Smart said. “Especially the young people. That is very encouraging to see.”
About 250 people turned out for the rally. Not In Our Town member Mike Matejka, Great Plains Laborers District Council’s government affairs director, also was instrumental in the group’s organization.
“When this movement began, a lot of the dialogue centered around racism and building the concept that it had to include diversity of the whole community, and it was a growth for the community as much as it was for Not In Our Town,” he said Tuesday.
Youth with Bloomington's BCAI arts center rock out in a mid-evening medley downtown.
The event was more than just a celebration of the anniversary, said YWCA McLean County President and CEO D. Dontae Latson, who served as master of ceremonies.
"This is an opportunity to create real, sustainable change because we don’t focus on any one particular social problem, but we are talking about eradicating all forms of hatred and discrimination,” he said.
The Dancing Divas, representing the McLean County India Association, were among the multicultural performers who took the stage Tuesday night at the Old Courthouse.
“That is something we can all rally around regardless of your religion, your gender, your social economic status or your sexuality. This is about what we aspire to be.”
Bloomington Alderman Karen Schmidt said the Not In Our Town movement has made the Twin Cities a better place.
“This is a very respectful and loving community and that doesn’t happen by accident, and it happens because people make it happen and people connect with each other in positive ways,” she said.
Another one of the original members of the Not In Our Town drive, Willie Holton Halbert, said it is never OK to discriminate against anyone, and that is why she got involved. Her husband, Charles, went on one of two trips organized in Bloomington to go to the South to help rebuild churches. “What I remember is watching the PBS video and it touched my heart to see the burning of the churches,” she said. “You didn’t see color. You saw people coming together to help people. This movement has been very good for this community.”
Patrice O’Neill, with national Not In Our Town, said Bloomington was the epicenter for the spreading of the group’s message of understanding and equality.
“Standing up to hate and intolerance is not necessarily an easy thing. You can see what’s happening all over the world,” said O’Neill. “But this community has worked at it over time and worked through many of the prejudices that we see in our country.”
Organizer Mike Matejka said Not In Our Town gives a reference point for the community.
“People see the reference Not In Our Town, then they have to stop and think, ‘OK, are we really living up to this?'” he said.
Tuesday night’s events were primarily aimed at the youth in the Twin Cities. Matejka said that’s because it’s important to emphasize at a young age to support all people and not to discriminate.
