Vigil for Charleston Tragedy Wednesday at Mt. Pisgah

As Americans struggled with, joined to console the survivors of, and find understanding following Wednesday's race-motivated church shootings in South Carolina, Twin Citians commemorated the deaths in Charleston and sought answers to preventing future tragedies.

Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal will sponsor a Vigil Prayer Service from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday  at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, 801 W. Market Street.

This service is designed according to NIOT:B/N coordinator Willie Holton Halbert to "lift up the families in Charleston, the community, and the nation, in prayer and refection."  Mt. Pisgah Pastor Frank McSwain will share words of encouragement, and other local ministers are expected to offer scripture readings.

Donations also will be accepted for Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church and the families of those killed by Dylann Roof.

Roof, 21, appeared Friday afternoon by video feed at a bond hearing in Charleston, where he listened to the anguished words of relatives of nine victims he gunned down Wednesday night at a Bible study at the historic Emanuel AME. Roof had been welcomed into the group and attended for roughly an hour before opening fire. Roof told officers at his arrest that he had hoped to incite a race war, but whites and blacks rallied in Charleston to console the stricken Emanuel congregation and victims' families.

The nine victims of the Charleston church shootings.

Meanwhile, Roof may face federal charges and a potential death sentence. The U.S. Justice Department issued a statement Friday saying, "This heartbreaking episode was undoubtedly designed to strike fear and terror into this community, and the department is looking at this crime from all angles, including as a hate crime and as an act of domestic terrorism."

In Bloomington, Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal leader Alderman Karen Schmidt Friday attended what she deemed "a very moving prayer service" for the Charleston victims at Wayman AME Church.

The Charleston incident has raised a number of issues, including heightened gun control debate in Congress; controversy surrounding racial remarks made by white Judge James Gosnell, who presided at Roof's hearing; and a call to remove Confederate flags associated with racism from government places.

"It's time," argues Bloomington First Christian Church Associate Minister Kelley Becker. "We can't dictate what people display on their own property, but government space, public space, should not be sullied by these flags."

In the summer of 1996, when African-American churches were being burnt in the South, a “Not In Our Town – No Racism” march was held, drawing a large and diverse coalition.

A group from that march went south to help rebuild a church and people signed a “no racism” pledge. Mayor Jesse Smart stepped up police patrols around African-American churches, to prevent a repeat of what was then happening in Southern states.

The national Not In Our Town organization offers three ways individuals can help in the aftermath of the Charleston shootings:

1. Send a Message of Support to Charleston: Show the families of the nine victims and other church members that they are not alone. They need to know they are surrounded by people who care. Post messages online or send them to info@niot.org and Not In Our Town will share them, print them, and send them on to the AME church. Send a donation to the families. The outpouring of support can mean so much to the community in this time of darkness and grief.
2. Act Locally/Connect with People in Your Town: Bring your community together to honor those who were killed through vigils, church services, and gatherings. This moment of sadness and heightened awareness is a time to bridge differences. Reach out to people who may be targets of hate or intolerance. Get in touch with Black churches in your town and bring together different religious and community groups. Sign banners and pledges to share with those in South Carolina and elsewhere. Include local law enforcement in your planning, and ask them to make sure all community members feel safe. (See examples below.)
3. Commit to Ongoing Action to Stop Hate and Bigotry: Form a NIOT group that works to build a safe, inclusive community for everyone. Make a commitment to take ongoing action to prevent hate in our schools, workplaces and communities. Open dialogues about how  to build better understanding about racism and bias. Start by signing the NIOT Pledge and sharing it with friends and family.

Kelley: One Size Does Not Fit All Homeless

This winter, our community became very aware that not everyone has a safe, warm place to live. Cold temperatures and piles of snow reminded us daily that being outside is not ideal, even for short periods of time. There are some people in our community who live outside year round.

I want to encourage us, now that warmer temperatures are here, not to put the issues surrounding homelessness out of our minds and hearts completely. While living outside is not as dangerous now that the weather has moderated, it is certainly not ideal and can still be very dangerous.

We must work together for long-term solutions to the challenges that contribute to homelessness. It is important to remember that all people who are homeless are not the same, just as all people who live in homes are not the same. Because of this, we must treat each individual who is homeless as a human being with a story and a life and the right to be treated with dignity and respect. As we begin to look at the challenges around homelessness, let us come at them from a posture of love and care. Let us remember that solutions for one person may not be solutions for another person.

There are two shelters for people who are homeless in our community. Some of the people who are homeless are not allowed in either shelter due to their past mistakes. Some of the people who are homeless choose not to stay in a shelter for a variety of reasons. In other words, shelters do not work for everyone. It is time to consider other options. We must choose “housing first”. In order for a person to seek employment, get treatment for his/her mental health or addiction and begin to repair and have healthy relationships, that person must have a place to live.

As we seek solutions, I ask that you listen for the words “housing first”. When you hear them, consider supporting the ideas that are being explored.

People who are homeless are people, just like you and just like me. People who are homeless are our neighbors. Let us work to make all of our neighborhoods safe and welcoming to everyone…let us seek housing first.

Kelley Becker, associate minister, Bloomington First Christian Church

Immigration Discussion, Film Wednesday Evening

Twin Citians are welcome Wednesday to gain a perspective on "Living in B-N as an Undocumented Immigrant," during a Drinks & Dialogue get-together at 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Uptown Normal.

The discussion will be led by Jasmine McGee, executive director of The Immigrant Project, and Jennifer Carrillo from Illinois People's Action.

After the discussion, all those interested can take the short walk down the street to the Normal Theater at 7 p.m. to view the film Documented. The Immigration Project and its community partners are sponsoring the screening of the film, created by Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas about his experience as an undocumented immigrant in the United States. The film tracks his journey from the Phillipines as a child and becoming one of the most well-known immigration reform activists in the U.S., to reconnecting with his mother after more than 20 years. 

The screening will be followed by a discussion with the Immigration Project, immigrants, and other immigration advocates and experts. This event is free, but donations are requested to support The Immigration Project.

Community partners include the League of Women Voters, Illinois People’s Action, Moses Montefiore Temple, First Presbyterian Church, Mennonite Church, Holy Trinity Church, and St. Mary’s Church.

Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal's Kelley Becker notes that "we are struggling with how to respond to the strangers who are crossing our southern borders, to live in our communities, to work in our businesses and farms, and to learn with our children." Amid current sociopolitical hysteria,  she stressed most of the estimated 11.7 million "undocumenteds" in the U.S. are here for economic reasons, and "are not here to harm us."

Becker witnessed ramped-up federal border security/immigration enforcement activity during a tour centered in Tucson, including "Operation Streamline" prosecution and deportation of selected individuals who'd illegally entering the country, including minors who did not wish to be separated from other families. "I would not have believed this was a courtroom in the United States," Becker said, arguing those proceedings divert federal resources away from prosecution of drug smugglers and human traffickers who pose a palpable threat to the U.S.

That experience, as well as inspecting the border areas where Mexicans crossed into the U.S., highlights the need to "legislatively, socially, and ethically" deal with the immigration issue, she maintained. An Arizona host showed Becker objects including a bottle of insulin and a baby shoe discarded by individuals fleeing Mexico.

"We began to think about the people who left these things behind in the desert," she recalled. "We cannot disagree about the value of these human beings."

Kelley: See Homeless as People

Pantagraph editorial

"The recent Pantagraph articles highlighting the community of people who live outside should trouble this community. However, we should be aware that this isn’t new. There is a lengthy history of people in our community who live outside due to a variety of circumstances. It is a horrible, dangerous way to live.

This sudden publicity is troubling to many of us who care for our friends who live outside. I understand that, as a result of the publicity, PATH has received many donations to “the cause”. On the surface, this may seem like a wonderful story of a community coming together to solve a problem. Sadly, I don’t believe this is the case.

In the past, when attention has been drawn to the plight of people living outside, the level of danger for them has increased. They live in the shadows of our community for a reason. The comments regarding the Pantagraph story on Feb. 26 illuminate some of the reasons. Previously, there have been threats, property destruction and acts of violence committed against them.

It is my hope that, rather than seeing people who live outside as problems or as causes to champion, we can begin to see them as people. People are not problems. The problems are addiction, poverty, and our refusal to welcome people who have made mistakes back into our community and shelters. One thing is certain; the issues that surround chronic homelessness cannot be solved by throwing some money, blankets, and propane at them."

Kelley L. Becker

Kelley: Homelessness 'Not Going Away'

"There are so many issues at play here. It's cold and miserable outside. Nobody should be living outside. Addiction is a horrible thing. We have no good treatment options (for people without money) should someone decide to seek treatment. 

Everyone in the community should be safe and have the opportunity to feel that they belong. We should care about other people...even if they are different. 

And last, sometimes there isn't a villain. 

My heart is broken because I can't fix this. Grown men are afraid and I can't take that away. 

We have to get around these issues in our community. It's not going to go away. 

What say you?"

Rev. Kelley Becker

Bloomington First Christian Church

On recent police-enforced evictions from the Bloomington homeless tent city

Becker, a Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal participant and homeless advocate, visited the “tent city” and met with the McLean County sheriff and deputies, representatives of the community group PATH, and Carl Thomas, the owner of private property behind the former Bloomington bus station near West Market Street where 14 homeless men had been camping.

Encampment dwellers have been put on notice that they need to relocate by Monday or face trespassing charges. Police and social service workers were working to avoid that outcome, and Becker did media interviews to raise community awareness of the problem.

Thomas, the owner of the 5.8-acre plot, said Wednesday he had concerns about property damage liability issues related to the unauthorized "tent city." He has dealt with summer encampments during the past several years, and reported finding homeless people staying in cars at his auto body shop on nearby Peggy Lane.

He became aware of the current cluster of tents after recent Pantagraph coverage of the issue.

Becker plans to discuss the issue further during the March 13 morning Coffee With a Cop at the McDonald's at 525 Brock Drive (see article below), near the camp site.

"Yes, I am going to coffee with a cop," she said. "I hope some of the people living outside do, too."