Activist/Theologian Invites Next Gen To Join 'New' Movement

Jonathan Upshaw

VidetteOnline

With an estimated crowd of 500 students and faculty packed inside the Illinois State University’s Capen Auditorium, Reverend Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou gave a powerful message to the audience Thursday night.

“You are the generation we have been waiting for,” Sekou told college students in attendance.

Sekou, an activist, author and theologian, touched on several relevant topics for the young audience. His talk was titled “A New Civil Rights Movement? Ferguson, Black Lives MAtter, and the Future of Nonviolence.”

“We have high expectations for you because we have seen what you can do,” Sekou said.

Sekou was one of many activists who traveled to Ferguson, Mo., to participate in the protests in support of African American Michael Brown after he was allegedly killed by Ferguson Police last summer.

Sekou provided a message about what could be called a new civil rights movement. He touched on many points including methods and possibilities to change the way the government works.

“If you are more concerned about the use of profanity by young people than the profane conditions they live in, then there is something wrong with you,” Sekou said.

Sekou delved into his experience in Ferguson and how it changed him as a person.

“It was a very powerful and knowledgeable speech,” Marques Thornton, ISU junior political science major, said. “Sekou showed so much love for young students he characterized as the generation we have been waiting for.”

Throughout the evening the reverend continued to stress the future need for non-violence protest.

“I don’t want to shoot children down. I don’t want to release tear gas on innocents. I don’t want to violate the first amendment right of citizens to gather to share their voices,” Sekou said.

“I have seen the very face of God and God is angry. God is queer. God is a black woman. God is a single mother,” Sekou said.

You need “that kind of love” to help make a change in the world Sekou said.

His strong belief in changes for the civil rights in our nation was backed by applause from the audience.

“We can’t build a society using the master’s tools, which is physical violence,” Sekou said. “All life matters, this is true, but we are going to focus on black ones now because we are the ones being killed.”

Editorial: Police-Community Meeting a Chance to Move Ahead

The Pantagraph

It is not easy to have a well-reasoned discussion on the topic of race.

But that's exactly what we expect will happen Jan. 22 in downtown Bloomington, when the public is invited to meet with representatives of 11 groups in a community-police discussion about race, race relations and racism.

The Twin Cities' Not In Our Town anti-racism group was re-energizing last summer just as Ferguson, Mo., erupted after a white police officer shot a black man. As NIOT discussions continued, the nation watched police-involved deaths take place in Ohio and New York.

And a week ago, just as NIOT and 10 other groups announced their event, a recording of a Bloomington police officer's racial comments from a 2013 incident were played at a trial, leaving little doubt as to the officer's feelings.

Non-discrimination is a belief system that must be practiced by everyone for it to be successful and for it to spread beyond our municipal borders.

It was just last month when NIOT started a pledge drive, asking community members to sign a card agreeing to fight hatred and discrimination in the Twin Cities.

As we said then, true change starts at the grassroots level. And that includes respectful, open, truthful conversation about what works, what doesn't, and why.

The success of a local discussion on race will not be immediate; to start, we must look each other in the eye, speak and harbor respectful thoughts, agree on the problems and try to fix them.

As with any discussion on a difficult topic, there could be finger-pointing and blame. It must be accepted, at the outset, that hurtful words may be said. But once the air clears, the community must agree to work together to pinpoint issues and find ways to address them.

Part of that dialogue could be learning about police policies and training. Equally important is hearing from those who feel judged because of their color, age, employment, religion or background.

Without that information, we run the risk of staying "mind blind" — that is, limiting our responses based on individual beliefs rather than from shared knowledge.

Willfully neglecting to learn about our differences and appreciate our similarities is childish. We must learn about one another to better understand one another. That can lead to a better community.

Our community must step up to step forward.

("Breaking Barriers" will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 22 at City of Refuge Church, 401 E. Jefferson St., Bloomington. The Rev. Lee Bennett will moderate. Conexiones Latinas will provide Spanish translation. Questions should be submitted in advance and can be done anonymously at http://bit.ly/1wMTMAa or by postal mail to NAACP, PO Box 925, Normal, IL 61761.)

Camille: Engage, Exchange, and Change

Camille Taylor

WJBC Forum

I read several articles on police community relations to prepare for this forum. Unfortunately, last Friday’s Pantagraph story was in error when it reported that public disclosure of a tape related to the Gabriella Calhoun case prompted several organizations to have a Police-Community Dialogue on January 22 at the City of Refuge Church.

In fact, the Not In Our Town Community Engagement Committee had already been planning the event for about two months. Nonetheless, everything I read supported the steps and the strategies the committee used to organize the event.

Some strategies listed to create positive change in community police relations were as follows:

1. Join with others who want to create change on this issue. The NIOT committee is co-sponsoring the event with the NAACP; the Minority and Police Partnership; the League of Women Voters; the Bloomington, Normal, and ISU police departments; the McLean County Sheriff’s office; the McLean County State’s Attorney; the Bloomington Normal Trades and Labor Assembly (AFL-CIO); and 100 Black Men.

2. Create opportunities for genuine community engagement. This event is open to everyone, and people are encouraged to submit questions prior to the event to the NAACP or via a survey on a website.

3. Address the history of mistrust and disconnection between the community and police. I’m sure the individual police representatives will discuss the history of their presence in our community and

4. Link dialogue to action and community change. Involvement is needed by young people and community leaders, and attendance at the event will include both. Certainly one of the goals for this dialogue will be to influence change where needed and create opportunities to dismantle stereotypes and mistrust.

In the wake of recent events in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York City it is obvious that poor relations between community members and police can lead to feelings of distrust, anger and fear. Citizens may think the police are prejudiced and have unfair policies. Police may feel blame for all kinds of social problems, and think they don't get credit for doing their jobs.

Twin City Not In Our Town sponsors anti-hate initiative

The PANTAGRAPH/December 7

by Maria Nagle

mnagle@pantagraph.com

BLOOMINGTON — Against the backdrop of the deaths of an unarmed black man in Ferguson, Mo., and now New York City, and accompanying nationwide protests, Bloomington-Normal's "Not In Our Town" is sponsoring a new anti-hate initiative.

More than 100 political, community and educational leaders have been invited to show their support in fighting hatred and discrimination at an awareness-building event from 2 to 3 p.m. Tuesday at the YWCA McLean County, 1201 N. Hershey Road, Bloomington.

"Not In Our Town has always had a step in place for residents to show their support — the pledge card," said local NIOT member Marc Miller.

NIOT will unveil a newly-redesigned pledge card at a ceremonial signing of the first cards by community leaders to set an example for other residents, Miller said.

"Not In Our Town is a national movement that began right here in Bloomington," said Mayor Tari Renner. "I am honored to do whatever I can to help promote this cause so that people understand the best part of humanity and avoid our worst instincts."

A PBS "Not In Our Town" documentary, which explored how Billings, Mont., responded to a series of hate crimes, inspired the 1995 formation of an organization with the same name in Bloomington, making it the first city in the country to adopt the NIOT anti-hate, anti-discrimination program. 

Anyone who wants to come out and sign a pledge card Tuesday is welcome.

The latest campaign also includes placing NIOT's anti-hate, anti-discrimination message on electronic billboards, including one along Veterans Parkway at Lincoln Avenue, and posters on Connect Transit buses.

"One of our goals is to make this a safe, inclusive community," said Miller. "I don't see how anybody could say they don't agree with that principle."

While the event was planned seven to eight months ago, its goal to create a safe, inclusive community is all the more critical in light of what has happened in Ferguson, organizers said.

"We're blessed that nothing terrible has happened in Bloomington-Normal. Our goal is to make sure that is always true." Miller said. "We take pride in being proactive rather than reactive."

He also hopes the local anti-hate campaign will be a catalyst for community dialogue and spur renewed interest in the pioneering local movement whose profile has diminished in recent years.

"Inoculation against hate is getting people to talk about what's wrong and help make it right," said Miller. "When we don't talk about things it festers."

Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner and Assistant Chief Gary Sutherland plan to attend the ceremonial signing event. 

"It's important for our residents to know that we are vested in communicating with the public so that we can all live in a safe community ... where we talk to each other and not at each other," Heffner said.

He and Sutherland attended a recent NIOT summit at the University of Illinois-Chicago to learn about developing civil rights issues and other related matters, Heffner said.

The organization is hoping to sponsor public discussions this spring between local law enforcement agencies and residents "to build mutual respect in that process," said Mike Matejka, who has been a Bloomington-Normal NIOT member from its inception.

"We can talk about what goes on in Ferguson. We can talk about what goes on with our police and what happens in our schools," said Matejka, Great Plains Laborers District Council's governmental affairs director. "And we can do it in a way that is respectful and hopefully builds understanding."

"I think the joy of Bloominton-Normal is we don't have events like Ferguson going on," Miller said. "It doesn't mean we don't have problems. It does mean we want to make this community a great place."

Mike: Respect a Two-Way Street on the Streets

By Mike Matejka

for WJBC-AM Forum

The incident in Ferguson, Missouri and the shooting of Michael Brown is one of those cultural divide moments where white and black America look across a chasm at each other from totally different perspectives.

What happened in August in Ferguson will be debated for years.  Was officer Darren Wilson truly justified in shooting Michael Brown?  Did Michael Brown act inappropriately and threaten Darren Wilson?   None of us were there that afternoon and none of us were in the middle of the adrenaline rush that both these young men felt. 

Rather than picking Ferguson apart, I would rather consider our reactions to it.   The friction between young Latino and African-Americans, especially males, and police, creates a pervasive tension.   Parents have to counsel their children on how to respond to police.  The African-American community claims they are being disproportionately targeted, profiled and subject to random attack.   From that perspective, Ferguson and Michael Brown is just another incident in a long line of police confrontations.

Earlier this fall, there was much comparison to the “Pumpkin Riot” in Keene, New Hampshire, where young whites vandalized cars, started fires and attacked police.   The police responded with force and there were arrests, but did those young white people fear that their out of control party would result in deaths?  Probably not, but if there were young African-Americans whose party got out of control, would they fear being shot?  Very possibly.

Respect is the word that I think a lot about after Ferguson. And respect is a two-way street.   Law enforcement deserves respect.  Citizens also deserve respect from law enforcement.   This is more than police being colorblind; police should also appreciate the strong feelings that African-Americans and Latinos have about feeling targeted.

When we have more young African-Americans in jail than in college, that impacts all of us.  Those individuals may never get a decent opportunity in life, branded with a record.    As long as we are spending more on prisons than we are on pre-schools and job training, this social tension will haunt us.   Yes, individuals have to take responsibility for themselves.   But young people growing up in poverty often do not see opportunities that others might think obvious.  Or even if they see the choice, they may not know how to get there.

We can argue who was right or wrong last August in Ferguson.  The conversation I hope we start having is how do we bring our society together and help create opportunity and openings for all.

Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, covering 11,000 union Laborers in northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He lives in Bloomington with his wife and daughter and their two dogs. He served on the Bloomington City Council for 18 years, is a past president of the McLean County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Illinois Labor History Society.

Nancy: The Complex View Over Ferguson

By Nancy Cruse

for WJBC-AM Forum

The situation in Ferguson, Missouri, really bothers me.  I’m trying to wrap my head around it from many angles:

1. As a mother who will never, ever see her son again.  I know this pain personally and I feel very badly for Michael Brown’s mother.  On a certain level, it really doesn’t matter how he died.  The point is that Lesley McSpadden will never share another birthday, Thanksgiving, or Christmas with her son.  When something major like that happens to you, you have to decide how you will move forward with your own life.  My personal feeling is that you should try to figure out a way to bring something positive out of the situation so that you can help the next person who finds themselves in a similar circumstance. 
2. As a former small business owner.  My late husband and I owned our own businesses for 27 years here in Bloomington/Normal.  We experienced being broken into and robbed twice, having an employee steal company checks and try to cash them, having a plate glass window broken by vandals and having our business burn due to an electrical fire.  After my husband died I experienced having an employee murdered while trying to stop a robbery.  It’s not the same as having your business looted and burned due to racial tensions obviously.  I can however speak to feeling violated by the actions of other human beings and the pain it causes, as well as to how it feels to watch your livelihood go up in flames.  There is no way any one can convince me that looting and destroying other people’s property or causing someone physical harm helps to solve racial tensions.
3. As a human being.  Not all police officers are bad.  I cannot understand how when we are trying to overcome stereotypical thinking it suddenly becomes ok to classify anyone who is part of a particular profession as a horrible human being.  Isn’t this what we are supposed to be overcoming?

I am very sad that a young man lost his life and I empathize with his mother.  I have great respect for those who have given their lives to protect and serve their communities.  I would like to think if there are those in their ranks who hold biased beliefs and treat people unfairly that it will be addressed and dealt with constructively.  I applaud those who express their concerns and beliefs peacefully.

I am very grateful that I was raised by a man who taught me more through actions than words that all people are created equal and deserve respect.  By looking through my father’s eyes I saw that every person has worth, value, and something to contribute.  I believe the greatest change begins at an individual level.  Examine your thoughts and your actions.  What changes can you make – in yourself, in your parenting, and in your community?

Nancy Cruse has been part of the Bloomington/Normal community for the past almost 30 years. A widow, with five children, along with her late husband was a small business owner in downtown Bloomington. Now employed by State Farm, Nancy is active in the community, writing the Clare House newsletter and maintaining their Facebook page, hosting an annual Fourth of July Food Drive, a team leader and fundraiser for the Pat Nohl Lupus Walk, and a member of Toastmasters International, as well as volunteering in various capacities at Holy Trinity Church and schools. In her spare time, Nancy likes to run, bike, hike, read, sew, and be a vegetarian who occasionally indulges in a Schooners Tenderloin.

Absalom Jones: Thanks in a Thankless Time?

This season, Americans of all cultures struggled with Thanksgiving feelings of gratitude and celebration while watching the continuing frustration, heartbreak, and anger in Ferguson. For Absalom Jones, an African-American abolitionist and clergyman in the late 18th and early 19th century, thankfulness and charity were key to keeping hope alive for those who had little reason for hope, and he pushed for a day of thanksgiving decades ahead of President Lincoln's 1863 holiday proclamation.

After founding a black congregation in 1794, Jones was the first African American ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church of the United States, in 1804. He is listed on the Episcopal calendar of saints and blessed under the date of his death, February 13, in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer as "Absalom Jones, Priest, 1818."

Jones was born into slavery in Sussex County, Delaware, in 1746. When he was sixteen, he was sold to a storeowner in Philadelphia, Pa., and one of the store's clerks taught him to write. While still a slave, he married Mary King on January 4, 1770, and by 1778, Jones had purchased his wife's freedom so that their children would be free. In another seven years he was able to purchase his own freedom.

In 1772, while at St. George's Methodist Church, Absalom Jones and other black members were told that they could not join the rest of the congregation in seating and kneeling on the first floor and instead had to be segregated first sitting against the wall and then on the balcony. After completing their prayer, Jones and the church's black members got up and walked out. He co-founded the Free African Society, a non-denominational mutual aid society, to help newly freed slaves in Philadelphia.

In 1808, preaching in Philadelphia, Jones urged a national day of thanksgiving. He proposed reserving Jan. 1, for the special celebration, because Jan. 1, 1808, was the day Congress banned the further importation of slaves. On that day of remembrance, Jones maintained, "the history of the sufferings of our brethren" should survive down "to the remotest generations."