Dave: My Thoughts on Marriage Equality

Dave Bentlin

Prairie Pride Coalition Board Member

I was asked to share my thoughts about the significance of Obergefell v. Hodges, the June Supreme Court decision that confirmed marriage equality and held that there is a constitutional right to marriage for same sex couples in our country. 

Truth be told, the reaction locally, while jubilant, was a bit more muted than in other states, given that Illinois had already expanded marriage equality to same-sex couples in 2014. In some ways our big celebration came a year ago when couples in Illinois first started getting marriage licenses through their county clerks.

Still, the June 26 decision was monumental for members of our local LGBTQ community.  Before, marriage equality across the country was a patchwork of inconsistent laws that were confusing and potentially discriminating, even to couples in states like ours where marriage is available.  A couple legally married in Illinois always had to remember that their marriage license was worthless if they traveled to one of the 14 states where marriage equality was illegal.  It was not uncommon for couples to work with their attorneys to draw up additional legal paperwork they could take with them in the event it was needed.

This patchwork of marriage inequality also was worrisome to same-sex couples whose careers might require them to move to another state.  Here in Bloomington/Normal many people in our workforce – particularly those in the insurance industry and the postsecondary education field – relocate to either further their careers or to take on new assignments within their company.  State Farm, our major employer, is expanding its presence with “hubs” in Atlanta, Dallas, and Phoenix; two of those metro areas are in states that before the Supreme Court decision banned same-sex marriages.  If not for the Supreme Court, any same-sex married couple that relocated from Illinois to one of those states would not be recognized as legally married.

So it’s clear that Obergefell v. Hodges provides sorely-needed legal recognition and protection for same-sex couples. Beyond that, though, it is a deeply personal triumph for the LGBTQ community. 

It’s a victory for couples like my good friends Elizabeth and Caroline who are raising their children in a home filled with love and who now have all the federal rights and protections of any family unit.

It’s a victory for couples like my fellow activists Ron and Tom, Suzie and Danielle, and Peggy and Donna, whose decades-long relationships have weathered anti-gay attacks, bigotry, and inequality.  They have lived their lives lovingly, openly, and authentically, and by their example they won over a lot of people who previously didn’t understand or appreciate the importance of marriage equality.

It’s a victory for today’s generation of LGBTQ youth who will never have to experience or worry about non-recognition of their relationships.

It’s a bittersweet victory for some gay and lesbian people whose partners didn’t live to see marriage equality.  I also think about the many, many gay men we lost to AIDS who I hope are somehow aware of this victory and are dancing with wild abandonment and joy…because it’s their victory too.

“I believe the public debate has helped shed light on the many other issues that still face our LGBTQ community (youth homelessness, discrimination based on gender identity, hate crimes).””

— Dave Bentlin

I argue it’s a victory even for members of our LGBTQ community who either have no interest in getting married or oppose the institution of marriage. This struggle has strengthened our overall cause and I believe the public debate has helped shed light on the many other issues that still face our LGBTQ community (youth homelessness, discrimination based on gender identity, hate crimes).

I’d also assert that this victory presents a challenge and a new responsibility:  Winning hearts and minds.  For while polls regularly show majorities approve of same-sex marriage, almost 40 percent of those respondents do not.  It is my hope that through information and interaction we can bring that number down. The Prairie Pride Coalition welcomes the collaboration with Not In Our Town (NIOT) and I hope we can take steps together in this effort.  After all, at the end of the day our similarities far outweigh our differences.

For me personally?  I guess I still find it hard to describe the depth of my feelings; in some ways the effects of the decision haven’t yet sunk in, possibly because I am single – for the moment - and less invested in the institution of marriage.  Nonetheless, I think I will always get a lump in my throat whenever I reread the closing paragraph of Justice Kennedy’s opinion:

No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.  As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves.  Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

New NIOT:B/N Committee to Work With Faith-Based Community

The church is at the center of many communities: It is a center for socialization and fellowship, a meeting place, and a safe harbor. As evidenced by the recent Charleston victims vigil at Bloomington's Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church and local churches that have made a special effort to welcome LGBT individuals, it can provide a connecting point for social reform and unity. Religious perceptions also can reinforce biases, prejudices, and even policies against other cultures, faiths, and lifestyle communities.

Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal's new Faith and Outreach Committee is designed to work with the Twin Cities faith-based community toward the goals and spirit of Not In Our Town while allowing an opportunity for all faiths to come together to share with one another while respecting the ideas of "a safe and inclusion community."

"We believe that by standing up against racism, discrimination, and bullying we establish a community standard that we should treat everyone with respect," Chairperson Willie Holton Halbert maintains. "We understand that we are all one nation with liberty and justice for all. These ideas have been shared since Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal started with our first Rally Against Racism July 13, 1996."

The committee tentatively will meet within the next two weeks. If you are interested in serving on or working with the committee, contact Halbert at dime54@aol.com.

The Bookshelf: Rights, Rites, Race, and Roles

The Normal Public Library continues to replenish its storehouse of cross-cultural reading, offering insights into the peoples who make up the U.S., the forces that drive them, and the issues that challenge all of us trying to live under a single flag.

The latest new non-fiction offerings look at the history of culture and conflict, the role of technology in both exposing hate and bullying those online, the roots and rituals of a key holiday, and the rights of immigrants, women, and tenants. Included are:

Considering Hate -- Over the centuries, American society has been plagued by brutality fueled by disregard for the humanity of others: systemic violence against Native peoples, black people, and immigrants. More recent examples include the Steubenville rape case and the murders of Matthew Shepard, Jennifer Daugherty, Marcelo Lucero, and Trayvon Martin. Most Americans see such acts as driven by hate. But is this right? Longtime activists and political theorists Kay Whitlock and Michael Bronski boldly assert that American society’s reliance on the framework of hate to explain these acts is wrongheaded, misleading, and ultimately harmful.

Who We Be remixes comic strips and contemporary art, campus protests and corporate marketing campaigns, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Trayvon Martin into a powerful, unusual, and timely cultural history of the idea of racial progress. In this follow-up to the award-winning classic Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, Jeff Chang brings fresh energy, style, and sweep to the essential American story.

A War for the Soul of America illuminates the most contentious issues of the last half of the twentieth century. In lively, elegant prose, Andrew Hartman explains how and why the consensus that appeared to permeate the nation following World War II frayed and fractured so dramatically in the 1960s. With keen insight and analysis, he shows that the Culture Wars were not marginal distractions from the main issues of the day. Rather, they were profound struggles over the very foundation of what it meant to be an American.

Detained and Deported takes an intimate look at the people ensnared by the U.S. immigrant detention and deportation system, the largest in the world. Author Margaret Reagan examines how increasingly draconian detention and deportation policies have broadened police powers, while enriching a private prison industry whose profits are derived from human suffering, and documents the rise of resistance, profiling activists and young immigrant “Dreamers” who are fighting for the rights of the undocumented.

U.S. Immigration Made Easy meanwhile helps prospective immigrants navigate a complex legal system. Every Tenant's Legal Guide elaborates the rights and expectations of those trying to find housing in a potentially discriminatory environment.

So You've Been Publicly Shamed: For the past three years, Jon Ronson has travelled the world meeting recipients of high-profile public shamings. The shamed are people like us - people who, say, made a joke on social media that came out badly, or made a mistake at work. Once their transgression is revealed, collective outrage circles with the force of a hurricane and the next thing they know they're being torn apart by an angry mob, jeered at, demonized, sometimes even fired from their job. Ronson reviews modern cyberbullying and use of the social media as a "social control."

Hannukah In America: In New Orleans, Hanukkah means decorating your door with a menorah made of hominy grits. Latkes in Texas are seasoned with cilantro and cayenne pepper. Children in Cincinnati sing Hanukkah songs and eat oranges and ice cream. While each tradition springs from its own unique set of cultural references, what ties them together is that they all celebrate a holiday that is different in America than it is any place else. For the past two hundred years, American Jews have been transforming the ancient holiday of Hanukkah from a simple occasion into something grand. Each year, as they retell its story and enact its customs, they bring their ever-changing perspectives and desires to its celebration.

On Your Case: Television legal analyst and attorney Lisa Green offers something new: a witty, direct and empowering legal guide for women, filled with accessible information they can employ to understand and respond to common legal issues throughout their lives, from dating, marriage, and kids to jobs, retirement, aging parents, and wills.

Financial Aid for Asian Americans and Financial Aid for Hispanic Americans outline a wide range of options for minority families looking to fund higher education.

Mike: Flexibility on The Fourth

Mike Matejka

WJBC Forum

With the Fourth of July close, I thought, “What makes us a great nation?” There are many answers, but one that jumped to mind was flexibility.

A few years ago, a young friend in the Czech Republic asked me to send him the U.S. Constitution.  After I sent it, his response back was, “Where is the rest of it?”   He was comparing it to the European Union constitution, which is 480 pages long.  If we were to write a constitution today, it probably would be as long also.

However, one reason our Constitution has survived is that is written simply and creates flexibility.  Now the slave-holding founding fathers probably could never conceive of slaves’ descendants voting, let alone gays marrying, but our system is flexible enough to allow those ideas to come forward.  We grow, we change, we adapt.  We have a basic framework of equality before the law.    Our basic premise of equal justice and opportunities for all to participate means we are not a stagnant people, but a changing and evolving nation.

In light of last week’s Supreme Court ruling on gay marriage, let’s go back 25 years ago.  Gay marriage was a fringe idea.  Even amongst many gays and lesbians, equal treatment was seen as a more attainable goal.  However, gay marriage became a movement; some states passed referendums against it, other states allowed.  It became a central issue for our time, a marker of acceptance for gay and lesbian Americans.  I’m sure some people find this idea uncomfortable, some abhorrent.  Yet just like inter-racial marriage, we will adapt and we will grow in the process.

Think about change in our own community.  Just look at our local restaurant scene.  25 years ago Chinese food meant only the Grand Café downtown.   There was a single Mexican restaurant in Normal.   Today we have multiple restaurants with an Asian theme, from Chinese to Japanese, Thai to Indian.  There are no shortages of Mexican restaurants.  Over 25 years, Bloomington-Normal has changed, and we’ve come to enjoy that diversity and choice when we go out to dine.

So celebrate the fourth, whether you skin is pale, dark or brown, your gender is male, female or in transition, whether you are a hetero, bi- or a homosexual.   This is a great country because through the centuries, we have learned to accept new ideas and new peoples.  Happy Fourth of July.

High Court Rules For Marriage Equality

Same-sex couples won the right to marry nationwide Friday as a divided Supreme Court handed a crowning victory to the gay rights movement, setting off a jubilant cascade of long-delayed weddings in states where they had been forbidden.

"No longer may this liberty be denied," said Justice Anthony Kennedy.

Chicagoans react.

The vote was narrow — 5-4 — but Kennedy's majority opinion was clear and firm: "The court now holds that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry."

Same sex marriages have been legal in Illinois since June 1, 2014.

The ruling will put an end to same-sex marriage bans in the 14 states that still maintain them, and provide an exclamation point for breathtaking changes in the nation's social norms in recent years. As recently as last October, just over one-third of the states permitted gay marriages.

Kennedy's reading of the ruling elicited tears in the courtroom, euphoria outside and the immediate issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in at least eight states. In Dallas, Kenneth Denson said he and Gabriel Mendez had been legally married in 2013 in California but "we're Texans; we want to get married in Texas."

In praise of the decision, President Barack Obama called it "justice that arrives like a thunderbolt."

Four of the court's justices weren't cheering. The dissenters accused their colleagues of usurping power that belongs to the states and to voters, and short-circuiting a national debate about same-sex marriage.

"This court is not a legislature. Whether same-sex marriage is a good idea should be of no concern to us," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in dissent. Roberts read a summary of his dissent from the bench, the first time he has done so in nearly 10 years as chief justice.

"If you are among the many Americans — of whatever sexual orientation — who favor expanding same-sex marriage, by all means celebrate today's decision," Roberts said. "But do not celebrate the Constitution. It had nothing to do with it."

Justice Antonin Scalia said he was not concerned so much about same-sex marriage as "this court's threat to American democracy." He termed the decision a "judicial putsch." Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas also dissented.

Several religious organizations criticized the decision.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said it was "profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage."

Kennedy said nothing in the court's ruling would force religions to condone, much less perform, weddings to which they object. And he said the couples seeking the right to marry should not have to wait for the political branches of government to act.

The 14th Amendment to the Constitution requires states to allow same-sex couples to marry on the same basis as heterosexuals, he said

"The dynamic of our constitutional system is that individuals need not await legislative action before asserting a fundamental right. The nation's courts are open to injured individuals who come to them to vindicate their own direct, personal stake in our basic charter," Kennedy wrote in his fourth major opinion in support of gay rights since 1996. It came on the anniversary of two of those earlier decisions.

"No union is more profound than marriage," Kennedy wrote, joined by the court's four more liberal justices.

The stories of the people asking for the right to marry "reveal that they seek not to denigrate marriage but rather to live their lives, or honor their spouses' memory, joined by its bond," Kennedy said.

As he read his opinion, spectators in the courtroom wiped away tears when the import of the decision became clear. One of those in the audience was James Obergefell, the lead plaintiff in the Supreme Court fight.

Outside, Obergefell held up a photo of his late spouse, John Arthur, and said the ruling establishes that "our love is equal." He added, "This is for you, John."

Obama placed a congratulatory phone call to Obergefell, which he took amid a throng of reporters outside the courthouse.

Speaking a few minutes later at the White House, Obama praised the decision as an affirmation of the principle that "all Americans are created equal."

The crowd in front of the courthouse at the top of Capitol Hill grew in the minutes following the ruling. The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, D.C., sang the "Star-Spangled Banner." Motorists honked their horns in support as they passed by the crowd, which included a smattering of same-sex marriage opponents.

The ruling will not take effect immediately because the court gives the losing side roughly three weeks to ask for reconsideration. But county clerks in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Ohio, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas began issuing licenses to same-sex couples within hours of the decision.

The cases before the court involved laws from Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee that define marriage as the union of a man and a woman. Those states have not allowed same-sex couples to marry within their borders, and they also have refused to recognize valid marriages from elsewhere.

Just two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down part of the federal anti-gay marriage law that denied a range of government benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor formed the majority with Kennedy on Friday, the same lineup as two years ago.

The earlier decision in United States v. Windsor did not address the validity of state marriage bans, but courts across the country, with few exceptions, said its logic compelled them to invalidate state laws that prohibited gay and lesbian couples from marrying.

There are an estimated 390,000 married same-sex couples in the United States, according to UCLA's Williams Institute, which tracks the demographics of gay and lesbian Americans. Another 70,000 couples living in states that do not currently permit them to wed would get married in the next three years, the institute says. Roughly 1 million same-sex couples, married and unmarried, live together in the United States, the institute says.

The Obama administration backed the right of same-sex couples to marry. The Justice Department's decision to stop defending the federal anti-marriage law in 2011 was an important moment for gay rights, and Obama declared his support for same-sex marriage in 2012.

The states affected by Friday's ruling are Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, most of Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Texas.

Camille: Fighting Hate With Love

Camille Taylor

WJBC Forum

Last week, Not In Our Town organized a communitywide prayer vigil at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church for the nine people killed at the Mother Immanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Around 300 people attended a truly ecumenical service. Everyone came to reflect, pray, and stand united against hate.

Rev. Frank McSwain, from Mt. Pisgah, and Pastor Kelley Becker, from First Christian Church, touched the crowd with their words. Rev. McSwain repeated several times, “together we stand, divided we fall,” and explored what happens when people come together or find ways to separate themselves. He noted that people/experiences have made “deposits into our thinking” during our lives, and over time this has contributed to the people we’ve become.

My thoughts went to the accused gunman, Dylan Roof, and I wondered what people/experiences made deposits into his thinking over the 21 years of his life. I flashbacked to two visits I made to South Carolina. On my first visit to Charleston, my ex-husband and I were “greeted” by white hotel staff in the parking lot when we pulled up in our new 1984 Chevy conversion van. The staff wanted to know who we were delivering the vehicle for. We had no idea what they were talking about and only wanted to check-in and go to sleep. They were angered when we insisted it was ours and demanded to see our license, insurance, and registration. After seeing the items, they grumbled, and we followed them reluctantly inside thinking, “Can’t black people own a van?” We had to stay, because it was a two week Naval Reserve assignment, and the hotel was already paid for.  

I remarried 21 years ago. While on my honeymoon, we drove from Florida to Washington, DC. and stopped at a secluded rest stop in South Carolina. We got out; noticing the van next to us had a large Confederate flag covering the window with a sign saying, “Save the land, join the Klan!” I didn’t want either of us to go into the restroom unsure of who/ what we would face.

Those are just two deposits that have fueled my life’s quest for equality and respect. Not In Our Town’s mission is to have a safe, inclusive community.

Last week’s vigil is another example toward that goal. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “…Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”

Twin Citians Offer Prayers, Messages, $1,400 in Donations for Charleston's Victims

More than 250 Twin Citians -- black, white, members of a variety of local churches -- joined Wednesday night at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church for a powerful prayer vigil and candle-lighting for the nine victims of last week's Charleston church shootings.

Beyond individual prayers for the victims and their families, their community, and the Twin Cities, area residents at the event raised more than $1,400 to be donated to the families of the victims of 21-year-old shooter Dylann Roof.

"Hate was defeated by love tonight," concluded Willie Holton Halbert, a leader with vigil host Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal and vigil leader. "The Vision came alive! Just look at the rainbow of hope -- equality is possible!

"I had to share as I reflected and (Halbert's husband) Charles showed me the rainbow that stood over the church as we began the  prayer vigil. Let's keep the momentum going as people are wanting to be engage."

Mt. Pisgah Pastor Frank L. McSwain delivered the evening's central message (listen to audio below), arguing the need for community wide unity and understanding to ensure mankind's survival "as a race."

He called for examination of the hatred, attitudes, and environment that led Roof to murder the Charleston parishioners after spending an hour with them in Bible study, while the minister emphasized the ongoing human and societal pain caused by overt, institutional, or even casual bigotry and bullying.

"You don't have to shoot somebody to kill them," McSwain said, urging the group to "go beyond the limitations of your own humanity" and both resist the social "status quo" and "learn to love somebody." McSwain cited the abuse his family faced at white hands and his lighter-skinned mother's determination to "prove she was still with us."

"Should I have hate in my heart?" he posed. "You can't have hate in your heart with Jesus living there at the same time. . .When you establish a relationship with people, and you come to respect people for who they are, you'll come to find out they know a little bit more than you and they can help you more than you thought they could. How valuable is it for us to be together as a people? Together, we stand; divided, we fall."

Vigil participants left hand prints on a message paper roll and wrote a messages to the families in Charleston, and NIOT:B/N distributed anti-bigotry/anti-bullying pledge cards. Local youths with their parents lit candles and led prayers for each of the nine victims, and representatives of Bloomington's Second Presbyterian Church, First Christian Church and Moses Montefiore Temple offered devotions. In her closing benediction, First Christian Associate Minister Kelley Becker asked to "enable us, despite our circumstances, to live together, respecting, embracing, and loving one another."

Mt. Pisgah youth choir director Shirley Boykins led the group in the hymn We Need You to Survive before participants linked in a Unity Circle around the Mt. Pisgah sanctuary.

Meanwhile, vigil guest Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner asked the community to join his department in fighting racism and potential violence to help ensure a Charleston-style tragedy never occurs in the Twin Cities. Heffner reiterated the BPD's commitment to "serve and give back to you in the community."

 "We have to be strong together," the chief stressed. "If you see something, say something. And work with us so that we can hopefully help a prevent a tragedy like that. It's going to take all of us working together.

"We may not always get along -- we may disagree on some things. But the bottom line is, we are all here together."

Kennedy to be Honored Thursday, Defends Dolezal

By Andy Dahn

WJBC

A Bloomington civil rights activist who will be honored at Thursday night’s 2015 McLean County History Makers Gala said a recent NAACP controversy involving a white leader was blown out of proportion.

Rachel Dolezal is accused of portraying herself as African-American to lead Spokane, Washington’s NAACP Chapter and stepped down from her position last week. Merlin Kennedy fought for civil rights in Central Illinois throughout his career and said he believes Dolezal when she says that she identifies as a black woman.

“Some people identify that way,” Kennedy said. “I mean all people are not the same way. There are some Christian people who have got enough nerve to fight for what they think and she probably got enough nerve to do it. But they just won’t let her do it.”

Kennedy said Dolezal deserves the freedom to live her life however she pleases.

“If she wanted to practice her life that way, why can’t she?” said Kennedy. “She should have had a chance to practice her life that way if she really wanted to.”

Kennedy served as an NAACP president in the 1960’s and worked to help more minorities get hired by businesses like State Farm. While he said progress has certainly been made, Kennedy said African-Americans must continue to fight for equality the right way.

“I would tell young people to stand up for whatever they believe,” Kennedy said. “As long as they’re not breaking any rules, they should go for it.”

Kennedy was the first chair of the Bloomington Human Relations Commission and also served on the Board of the YMCA of Bloomington.

(Kennedy was featured in a February Black History Month piece on Twin Cities Stories for his then-controversial portrayal of Santa Claus in downtown Bloomington in 1966.)

Local Churches Joining for Wednesday Charleston Vigil

Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal and local churches are participating in aVigil Prayer Service to lift up the families in Charleston, the South Carolina community, and the nation with prayer and reflection from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, 801 West Market Street, Bloomington.

In addition to lighting nine candles in memory of and offering individual prayers lifting up each of the nine victims of last week's racially motivated shooting spree at Charleston's Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the vigil will include a communal sing and one-sentence prayers from those in attendance. Bloomington's Second Presbyterian Church, First Christian Church, and Moses Montefiore Temple are expected to lead devotions at the event.

NIOT:B/N leader Marc Miller stressed the assembly also is aimed at reaching "those with hate in their hearts that God can turn into love." One image from shooter Dylann Roof's Facebook page showed him wearing a jacket decorated with the flags of two nations noted for their white supremacist and racial segregation policies: Apartheid-era South Africa and Rhodesia. According to a childhood friend, Roof went on a rant about the shooting of Trayvon Martin and the 2015 Baltimore protests that were sparked by the death of Freddie Gray while Gray was in police custody. He also often claimed that "blacks were taking over the world." Roof reportedly told friends and neighbors of his plans to kill people, including a plot to attack the College of Charleston, but his claims were not taken seriously.

Victims of the church massacre included:

Rev. Clementa Pinckney (NBC news photo)

• Cynthia Marie Graham Hurd (54) – Bible study member and manager for the Charleston County Public Library system
• Susie Jackson (87) – a Bible study and church choir member
• Ethel Lee Lance (70) – the church sexton
• Depayne Middleton-Doctor (49) – a Bible study teacher employed as a school administrator and admissions coordinator at Southern Wesleyan University
• Clementa C. Pinckney (41) – the church pastor and a South Carolina state senator
• Tywanza Sanders (26) – a Bible study member; nephew of Susie Jackson
• Daniel Simmons (74) – a pastor who also served at Greater Zion AME Church in Awendaw
• Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45) – a pastor; also a speech therapist and track coach at Goose Creek High School
• Myra Thompson (59) – a Bible study teacher

Darlene: Charleston Horror Stresses Need to Reach Youth

Darlene Miller

Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal

Dylann Roof, the 21-year-old who shot nine church members in Charleston, South Carolina.

We too have been thinking about the '90’s church burnings as we try to digest this horrible event (this week's Charleston, S.C., church shootings).

My husband Marc and I shared an office space in our home back then: With every report of a church burning over the course of several months, we would comment to each other about how terrible it all was, and then go back to work. Finally it was apparent that we needed to actually do something if our words were to have any substantive meaning.

We set up a meeting at our local library: (Bloomington labor leader and alderman) Mike Matekja showed up with his good news -- the story of Not In Our Town. Churches, the mayor, and countless citizens stepped forward to participate. A team of wonderful people went south to help rebuild a church, including the mayor of Bloomington.

Marc designed an action step --.an act that people of any age could participate in: "Sign a Pledge Card," which served as a tool of self-commitment to fight racism and hate, and to this day is a mainstay in our efforts.

When we started the Not In Our Town In Schools in the mid-2000s, the hope was to reach families who would never on their own have the opportunity to make a statement regarding racism: The local schools were most receptive in letting us have information tables at as many as 30 events a year. We felt this was a way to possibly catch the attention of a youngster headed in the wrong direction. I so strongly feel that children need to be reached early.

So our attention turned to reaching the unreached. The annual rallies, although inspiring, tended to draw the same already committed crowds and reached very few new people. Today, (NIOT:B/N leaders and educators) Camille Taylor and Faye-Freeman Smith are leading the Education component and how fortunate we are for their skilled leadership: They are leading our most important effort in my opinion -- reaching young people.

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.

LGBT Community Celebrates Pride Month With Picnic

The area LGBT community and its allies gathered Sunday for fried chicken, fun, and fellowship at the annual Prairie Pride Coalition/Bloomington-Normal Parents, Families, and Friends of Gays and Lesbians Pride Picnic at Normal's Anderson Park.

The four-hour celebration is one of several June Pride Month events scheduled locally. Coming up Friday is "Adult Salad," an artists' open house beginning at 8 p.m. at Bloomington's The Bistro.

The open house will feature visual art, sculpture, performance art, and spoken word presentations, with a 10 p.m. open microphone. Free appetizers will be available.

36th Cultural Festival To Highlight Twin Cities Diversity

Preview of Cultural Fest "The Happiest Place in Central Illinois" - July 25, 2015 - ISU Ballroom - Normal, IL - www.culturalfest.com

Illinois State University reportedly will be “The Happiest Place in Central Illinois” July 25, as host to the 36th annual Bloomington-Normal Cultural Festival.

The festival, established in 1979, is a community event that has evolved over the years but always focuses on the theme of diversity. The event is designed as a tool to bring people and the community together to provide a positive impact and serve as “a bridge to foster positive attitudes and learning.”  This year’s event will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Illinois State University Brown Ballroom; admission and parking will be free.

Local groups can reserve a booth the Cultural Fest online by visiting www.culturalfest.com. Organizations may with a $50 fee request an invoice and be billed to hold a spot.

In addition, area residents can register at the website to participate in a festival Lip Synch Battle.

Festival Partners include State Farm, Ameren, the City of Bloomington, Country Financial, the Bloomington-Normal Convention and Visitors Bureau, Illinois Prairie Community Foundation, the Illinois Arts Council, KHOL, WXRJ, Illinois State Redbird, and Perfect Productions.

Camille: Stereotypes Obscure the Person Inside

Camille Taylor

WJBC Forum

A homeless person …a gang member…a terrorist. What images popped into your mind? Did you see a person of a particular race, gender, or age? If so, why did you get that particular image?

A stereotype is an idea about a thing or group that may be untrue or only partly true. It’s a judgment based on one or two pieces of information that don’t tell the whole story. They are often shared by many people such as “Politicians are dishonest” or “Rich people are snobs.” The problem with the stereotype paintbrush is you start to believe these untruths or partial truths without taking the time to get to know the individuals behind them.

Not In Our Town is a movement that has been active for about 20 years in our community. The vision of Not In Our Town is to eliminate hate, address bullying, and to make a safe, inclusive community. In order to do that, we know that there is no room for believing stereotypes which often leads to prejudice, discrimination, and hatred.

Last week, members of Not In Our Town mobilized when a sign that perpetuated a stereotype was displayed outside a local business. I was involved in a demonstration on the street outside the business and tried talking to the owner about why the sign was offensive. Unfortunately, the media headlines published “angry protestors” and “free speech” as the main focus. We were not angry, just full of conviction, and freedom of speech was never the issue. The issue was and always has been to make Bloomington/Normal a community where all people can live without fear of being stereotyped, discriminated against, or feel prejudice.

Last week I also spoke to about 25 young people at the McLean County Diversity Project Scholars’ Retreat at East Bay Camp. I shared the history and vision of Not In Our Town as well as why stereotypes, discrimination, and prejudice hurt people. These young people gave me hope, because they wanted to understand and to learn. We had a good exchange of ideas and several hope to get involved with efforts to make their schools more inclusive and safer from bullying next year.

After talking to the scholars of the McLean County Diversity Project, I would say our community’s future is in good hands, because these young people share that vision of hope. I’m Camille Taylor for the WJBC Forum.

NIOT:B/N Raises Awareness of Public Palestinian Slam

Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal protesters took to the street this month in front of a Twin Cities taxi business, they raised awareness that stereotype-based humor, especially in public, is a form of bigotry. 

"The message was heard," NIOT:B/N leader Willie Holton Halbert maintained after the hour long protest

A sign outside of Checker Cab, 1513 S. Main St., Bloomington, read "Things I trust more than Obama, a Palestinian on a motorcycle."

"Checker Cab's sign is a passive-aggressive use of a racial and ethnic stereotype to promote a political agenda," said Marc Miller, one of those protesting. "We do not care about political views. We do care about stopping the promotion of hate."

Miller said Aaron Halliday's sign is a form of bullying. After receiving complaints, Halliday posted an explanation on Facebook that stated he had no intention of offending anyone. He said the idea for the sign came from a friend who sent a list of slogans from Facebook.

"Now when I read this, the only thing I could think of was action movies where the hero is trying to get away and is chased on a motorcycle by a man (typically) who is wielding a knife or a gun. Picture Indiana Jones being chased through the desert. This is what I thought of when I read this. It was not meant to offend anyone. It was in my opinion, humor," Halliday said.

A local woman with connections to Palestine is among those upset by the sign.

"I am very grateful that people feel this is wrong," said Adrianna Ponce, a professor at Illinois Wesleyan University's School of Music. "We are against bigotry and I think that it's a pity that this sign is up."

Ponce is originally from Venezuela but is now married to a Palestinian and her son was born in Palestine. She also spent five years teaching music to Palestinian youth. Her son told her about the sign.

"I have seen a number of comments on Facebook and have talked to a few people and am glad that there are a lot of people taking a stand against this sign," she said.

NIOT:BN's Darlene Miller noted support in the form of passers-by honking their horns.

"We also spoke to Mr. Halliday about our very diverse populace in B/N due especially to three universities and State Farm," she related. "People from all over the world come in and out of Bloomington continuously. His signage would rightfully cause fear in some of these visitors. He seemed interested in that thought. We’ll see."
 

Seven Set to Compete in NAACP Academic Olympics

Kevin Barlow

The Pantagraph

Jordan Stipp has been dancing since he was 3 years old, but the Normal Community High School junior says he has never had much luck in competition. He has danced throughout the state and even appeared in a professional dance video for an Israeli music artist.

Recently, though, he was one of seven Twin City high school students honored as gold medalists in the Bloomington-Normal NAACP Academic Cultural, Technological Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition. The seven will advance to the July 9-12 national competition in Philadelphia, receiving an all-expenses-paid trip.

"This means that I will have a better future for myself," said Stipp, who was awarded a gold medal in dance.

"I have been in competitions competing against people who have had more advanced training than I have had and it's been difficult. But winning something because of my dance means that I can continue doing something I love.

"I will probably still stick with computer science as a career, but this shows me that I can also be successful in dance,"he said.

For the past nine months, students from Normal Community West, Normal Community, University High, and Bloomington high schools have been working on projects in the humanities, performing arts, visual arts and business, said Carol de la Cruz, Bloomington-Normal NAACP ACT-SO Chairwoman.

Thirteen African-American high school students were honored as “Olympians” at an awards ceremony and banquet Sunday at the Illinois State University Hancock Stadium Club. The local competition was Saturday in Normal.

“I was able to see the competition firsthand Saturday and to say that these students are truly exceptional is an understatement,” said Bloomington-Normal NAACP President Quincy Cummings. “Everyone did a great job and we are proud of them.”

"It's very excited, and I can't wait for Philadelphia," said Itayjah Phillips, a senior at Normal Community West who won gold in Dramatics. "This means a lot to me."

Also winning gold were NCHS freshman Alexis Starks (Photography) and senior Malik Woods (Music); University High freshman Jordyn Blythe (Oratory); Normal West sophomore Kamryn Crayton (Short Story); and BHS freshman Tierra Schickel (Poetry).

“These students are excellent people and all entered with a 'We are all winners’ type of mentality,” said Meta Mickens-Baker, chairwoman of student recruitment.

Silver medalists were U High senior Darraugh Griffin (Music), Phillips (Dance) and Blythe (Instrumental Music).

Bronze medalists were BHS junior Sydni Harris (Music Composition), Normal West senior LaShuanti Bailey (Sculpture), Stipp (Oratory), Schickel (Performance Poetry) and NCHS junior Christian Baker (Short Story, Poetry and Music Instrumental).

ACT-SO is the principle youth initiative of the NAACP. It is a year-long enrichment and mentoring program that culminates in the competition where students compete for awards and scholarships totaling more than $100,000. It seeks to promote self-esteem, academic and artistic excellence and positive interaction between youth and the adult professional community.

In the five-year history of the Bloomington-Normal program, there have been 13 local gold medalists. There also have been two national bronze medalists and a national silver medalist.

Lavender Graduation Marks 'Tremendous Progress' by LGBT Students

Barb Dallinger (Photos by ISU)

Barb Dallinger, associate director of the Bone Student Center and former sponsor of the campus group Pride, told participants in the recent Illinois State University Lavender Graduation to “go out there and change the world."  It was ISU's first special ceremony devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and allied graduates.

Art Munin, assistant vice president and dean of students, said the ceremony wasn't only for the graduates specifically honored but also for LGBTQ students who might feel alone on campus who will learns about Lavender Graduation and realize, “You do matter. You do belong. You are ISU.”

Graduating senior Katie Schuette of Grayslake, this year's president of the Pride student organization, said having the Lavender Graduation at ISU “shows the progress we've made.” Dallinger displayed pictures of former students who were members of Pride, including pictures of their weddings and their children.

“We have made tremendous progress,” she said. “But never forget our history.”

Dallinger noted the university junior in Watterson Towers who, in 1978, was jumped, tied to a chair, gagged, and locked in a room until a gay friend let her out four hours later. That junior was Dallinger, “and I didn't tell a soul until Pride Day in 1995."

Twenty-four students participated in the ceremony. They passed a rainbow pride flag, crossed a stage with balloons the color of the rainbow, and received a rainbow cord they can wear at the university graduation.

Graduate student Aric Faulkner, who helped lead the effort for a Lavender Graduation at ISU, said he was hoping for at least 10 participants, knowing that the nation's first Lavender Graduation — at the University of Michigan — had only three.

“I'm grateful for the opportunity to share this moment with other graduates,” said Faulkner, who will receive a master's degree in college student personnel administration. “Our voices are being heard.”

ISU President Larry Dietz said he was honored to congratulate the students "for your academic achievements, and to recognize your many contributions to the greater community, the campus community and the LGBT community."

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

NIOT:B/N Gathers Input for School/Campus Strategies

During the McLean County Diversity Project's Annual Retreat at East Bay Camp this week, local students were working in groups identifying issues at their schools and proposing a "Not In Our School" (NIOS) plan/campaign for the fall.

Retired Bloomington educator and Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal leader Camille Taylor presented NIOT/NIOS concept and participated in a variety of exercises with students.

Meanwhile, Faye Freeman Smith, co-chair of NIOT:B/N's Education Committee, is spearheading a Not On Our Campus (NOOC) initiative for college-aged students to kick off in the fall. 

During Heartland Community College's Springfest earlier this week, NIOT manned a Pledge Card table along with a 10-question survey Freeman Smith designed to determine campus climate/issues for her to target as the NOOC focus.

Students, faculty, and staff stopped by the table and the LGBT Pride group had cards at their table, as well.

NIOT:B/N's Mary Aplington, Anne Libert, Jamillah Gilbert, Faye Freeman Smith, and Camille Taylor. Freeman Smith is seen here with Heartland mascot Hunter the Hawk.


 

Police Education Summit: Simulating the Streets

Here are some photos from last week's McLean County police departments' Education Summit aimed at simulating for the public how officers handle interactions on the street. The program, held at the Bloomington National Guard Armory, followed on the heels of a police-community forum and Coffee With A Cop get-together, all designed to address issues associated with recent law enforcement controversy in several cities. (Photos courtesy of the Bloomington Police Department)