NCHS Senior 100 Black Men Mentee of the Year; Program Aims at SMART Education

Lenore Sobota

The Pantagraph

Markus Brooks of Bloomington is just starting his senior year at Normal Community High School, but he is already looking ahead — to attending college, teaching social studies and becoming a mentor like those who have mentored him through 100 Black Men of Central Illinois.

Brooks, son of Udonald and Dorothy Brooks, was recently named Mentee of the Year by the organization, which began in Bloomington in 2004 as a chapter of the national organization.

“It made me a better person,” Brooks said of his experience in the M4L (Mentoring 4 Life) program. “I made my goals higher. I know a lot more about society.”

His enthusiasm for the program brings a smile to the face of Paul Hursey, who has been involved in the mentorship program since it started about seven years ago.

“It started out as a reading program, but we saw that these young men needed more than a reading program,” Hursey said.

Although Brooks lives in a home with both parents present, Hursey said, “We get a lot of young men who are in single-guardian homes.”

The mentors provide them with role models and opportunities they might not otherwise have — and another adult to push them to do their best.

“I don't talk to them about potential,” Hursey said. “Potential is just wasted capability.”

Udonald Brooks, who has worked at State Farm for 26 years, said he has watched his son mature and become more aware of his ability to influence others through his involvement in the program.

“It allows him to interact with people from different social statuses,” Udonald Brooks said. “People from different backgrounds can have a lot of the same goals and different ways to reach them.”

Dorothy Brooks, a substitute teacher in Bloomington District 87, likes the way the mentors make sure the youths keep up their grades and encourage discussion.

Hursey said: “Don't misjudge us by our name. We have Caucasians in our program as well.”

District 87 school Superintendent Barry Reilly said, “They really have a passion, not only for mentorship but for doing things to help the entire community.”

For example, the organization collaborates with the NAACP to provide scholarships for low-income students to attend summer school.

“They just ask how much we need and write a check,” Reilly said.

Next month, the organization is offering a bus trip to a college and scholarship fair in Chicago.

“For a lot of these kids, college is way off in the distance,” Hursey said.

Their mentors try to get them to think about a path that will give them a career — not just a job — whether it involves a college degree or a trade, he said.

Education and economic empowerment are two of the pillars of 100 Black Men. The others are mentoring and health and wellness. A health awareness breakfast is among their annual outreach activities.

They also partner with other organizations on such projects as holiday food baskets, school supply giveaways and college scholarships.

The mentoring program groups together youths of varying ages, some as young as fourth grade.

The younger students learn from the older ones and the older ones learn to set a good example, Hursey explained.

A typical session will start with a quiz about topics such as politics, current events or black history.

The group then discusses each question and the answers. Sometimes the youths are presented with a scenario — such as being at a party where they shouldn't be — and discuss what they should do: Call a parent? Walk home?

The idea is to teach them critical thinking skills, Hursey said.

Brooks was selected as Mentee of the Year because of his regular participation, good grades and volunteer activities in school and at his church, according to Hursey.

“He sets an example inside our mentor sessions for most of the younger ones,” Hursey said. “He thinks things though before saying anything.”

Turning to Brooks, he said, “We're going to try to pull some of that teaching stuff out of you this year, so be prepared."

100 Black Men of Central Illinois sponsors the Mentoring the 100 Way program, a holistic approach that addresses the social, emotional and cultural needs of children ages 8-18. It’s really what we’re all about. Members become mentors, advocates, and role models for the youth within our community. Through chapter operated one-on-one and group mentoring efforts, our members forge relationships that positively impact our greatest resource, our youth. Our efforts focus on building essential skills needed to become productive, contributing citizens in Bloomington/Normal (Central Illinois).

Mentoring the 100 Way uses three different techniques: One-on-one, group, and tag-team mentoring. All techniques focus on being "S.M.A.R.T.":
Specific: Specific and clearly defined mentoring population
Measurable: Measure and evaluate effectiveness
Attainable: Setting goals that are attainable for the children and mentors
Realistic: Goals should be realistic (makes sense to the mentee)
Target Driven: Have a set target of pursuit

For more on the organization, visit http://www.100bmci.com/

Culture on The Quad, Communities Commingled

The Illinois State University quad came alive Sunday with dance, color, and camaraderie both among Bloomington-Normal’s diverse but united Indian “communities” and between the cities’ Indian and non-Indian neighbors.

This year’s fifth annual Festival of India buoyed McLean County India Association (MCIA) President-Elect Archana Shekara, an ISU assistant professor of graphic design. But for Shekara, whose academic and personal worlds cross many cultures, the fun and fellowship are prelude to what she hopes to be an expanded outreach to and understanding with the community.

The first festivals were held at first the McLean County Museum of History and then Miller Park, “but since I teach here, I thought it would be so nice if we could do it here,” Shekara related.

“It’s a great collaboration between this university and the Indian community, the McLean County India Association,” she said. “People learn from each other – we’re having fun at this festival, but they’re also learning.”

The festival officially kicked off with the traditional Deep Prajavalan ceremony (see top photo at right) – the lighting of a lamp fashioned from flowers by Bloomington’s Krishna Flowers and Gardening -- led by 2015 MCIA President Uma Kallakuri, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, ISU’s College of Fine Arts Dean Jean M.K. Miller and Provost Janet Krejci, and Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal leader and Hindu Temple of Bloomington-Normal board member Mandava Rao.

In addition to onstage music and dance from throughout the subcontinent, the event featured Indian fashions, crafts and decorations, and spiritual, health information, and educational booths, as well as face-painting, a “bounce house,” and balloon animals. Representatives of the Twin Cities’ Hindu temple were joined by  members of Bloomington’s International Society for Krishna Consciousness – a local Hare Krishna group.

The festival also showcased Indian art including rangoli -- patterns created on the ground or floor traditionally using materials such as rice flour and often placed at the doorway of a temple or home, “welcoming people and warding off evil,” said Shekara, an ISU College of Fine Arts Service Award recipient.

Visitors feasted on a hefty “lunch thali” combination plate featuring either paneer masala and or vegetable biryani (a rice dish) or samosas (savory pastries) – according to Shekara, all vegetarian to bridge the various dietary/cultural traditions of India’s diverse regions. The festival drew Indian-Americans, temporary Indian workers, and others from at least 14 Indian states – an impressive feat of coordination a myriad of customs, preferences, and attitudes designed to “celebrate our diversity and our unity.”

“The first thing that we tell people is that ‘we are Indians -- leave those cultural differences aside,’” Shekara stressed. “We all come together and celebrate India as a country, and celebrate the similarities. We all speak different languages -- Uma and I speak a different language at home. Uma speaks a language called Telugu, and I speak Kannada. And we speak English -- that’s what unites us. It’s a ‘foreign’ language; it’s not even Indian.”

But the Festival of India also is an invitation to the non-Indian community. “More and more” Twin Citians from other cultures have dropped by for a new experience or to meet their neighbors or coworkers, reported Shekara, who canvassed “every organization I could think of” to promote the festival.

A long-time MCIA volunteer who originally “was just having fun doing it,” eventually recognized “all these little gaps that are there in the community.” The Hindu temple provides a focal point and “an identity” for the cities’ disparate Indian communities, but events like the festival provide a way both to “connect those dots” and to reach out to the community in which Bloomington-Normal Indians live, work, eat, and shop, but from which some may feel disconnected.

Shekara and the MCIA are working to connect the microcosmic Indian community with the community at large. She recently attended Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal’s annual strategy planning meeting, and has provided cultural training and certification for local day centers “trying to understand their customers who leave their children.”

“The festival is bringing a lot of non-Indians onto the quad and trying to help everyone understand a little bit of Indian culture,” Shekara said. “But more needs to be done.

“When I teach my students about cultural identity, my students tell me I’m the first Indian that they’ve interacted with, let alone teach. And then I teach European graphic design – Swiss graphic design – and I teach it with an accent. I kept thinking about all this, and I thought, ‘Maybe as a president-elect or as a president next year, I need to do something more than the festival.

“I invited (NIOT:B/N’s) Mike Matejka to come and talk to my class. If I’m a minority and I start talking, they’re going to think, ‘Oh, she’s just complaining.’ But when you bring in a Caucasion who starts talking about diversity issues, that’s when people just start listening – it’s different. Just a person’s color completely changes everybody’s attitude and mentality.

Archana Shekara signing prints. (Photo by ISU College of Fine Arts)

Archana Shekara signing prints. (Photo by ISU College of Fine Arts)

“So then I thought I needed to start going and meeting people in the community. That’s when we start having conversations. These conversations bring us together, and then that’s when we realize we are not the ‘other’ – we are all the same. We are just all so caught up in how we look that we forgot, and then we are self-conscious. But we are the same – we have the same heart, we have the same thinking. But there’s a little bit of a gap in the community – we see that especially in the workplace.”

Festival of India: Tradition Through Dance

Below, the Indian Classical Dance troupe, directed by Guru Uma Kallakuri, performs during Sunday's Festival of India on the Illinois State University quad. The annual festival brings together cultural, spiritual, artistic, fashion, and culinary traditions from across the various Indian states. The event is co-sponsored by the McLean County India Association and designed both to unite Indians and Indian-Americans throughout the Bloomington-Normal area and to introduce Indian cultures to Twin Citians.

More highlights from the festival, along with reflections from major festival coordinator, ISU graphic arts instructor, and McLean County India Association President-Elect Archana Shekara tomorrow here at Twin Cities Stories.

Festival of India Sunday on ISU Quad

Block out part of your Sunday afternoon for a taste of another culture at the 5th annual Festival of India, from noon to 6 pm. tomorrow on the Illinois State University quad.

The festival, presented by McLean County India Association and Illinois State University, will feature workshops on yoga meditation, and Pranayama (breath control) and a Rangoli folk art display. Other highlights will include a picture studio with Indian clothing, displays and a parade focusing on the various states represented by Bloomington-Normal's diverse Indian/Indian-American community, henna and face painting, Indian youth sports, balloon art, a bounce house, a culture program, and a Bollywood band influenced by India's major film industry.

Here are some samples of last year's festival, from the McLean County India Association.

Bob: Kentucky Clerk Furthers Oppression

Bob Bradley

WJBC Forum

In a short period of time my daughter will be getting married. She will marry her soul mate. They share a love that will sustain them through any tough times that may lie ahead.

The wedding ceremony will be one of joy and celebration. Friends and family from near and far will join in the happy festivities. They will eat, drink, laugh, dance, and be merry. As a father I could not be more proud and happier.

So should my and others’ delight in the ceremony be tempered if the gender of the bride and groom were the same? Should my pride be diminished if my daughter had chosen as the love of her life a same-sex partner? Should my happiness and love for my daughter be lessened if the ceremony was a same-sex marriage? Clearly not.

As for the Kentucky county clerk, the contempt finding against her is not depriving her of religious liberty and her actions are not comparable to those of Martin Luther King. Consider if she was a Quaker and refused to issue a license to carry a firearm based on her strong belief in non-violence. Would the outrage by certain segments of the community and particular presidential candidates be the same?

In fact, her actions are similar to those of local authorities who claimed it was against God’s will to allow biracial couples to marry in the 1960s despite a Supreme Court ruling saying they could. And are comparable to the refusal of certain Southern school authorities to integrate public schools in the 1950s after the issuance of the famous Brown decision.

The clerk used her official position to force citizens to abide by her religious views. This runs counter to the principle of the separation of church and state embodied in our Constitution. That principle was designed to prevent the government from making people conform to a specific religion.

And by not carrying out a Supreme Court decision granting a right to a minority group, the clerk is furthering the oppression of that group. This is the opposite of King’s actions, which tried to eliminate laws that were oppressive of minorities.

I hope my daughter’s wedding goes well and that she continues to live in a country where a specific religion does not dictate government actions.

Bob Bradley is a professor emeritus from Illinois State University where he primarily taught law-related courses in the political science department for 30 years. He did a weekly-segment for WJBC on politics and law for more than a decade. He also co-hosted a live- radio show from the Democratic and Republican national conventions in 2008, and reported live from the 2012 Republican convention. Currently, he serves on several community boards, does volunteer work, enjoys golf and fishing, and likes landscaping and bird-watching. He is married to the love of his life, Reenie, and has one daughter, Erin.

Empowerment Institute Sept. 19 at Heartland

Early bird registration is now open for With My Girls Empowerment Institute, a network/education program designed to help women "move your goals and dreams forward" Sept. 19 at Heartland Community College.

The theme is Getting Started: Taking the First Step Today for a Better Tomorrow. The program will include sessions on four issues: Career and Entrepreneurship. Health and Quality of Life. Financial Empowerment. and Overall Self-Awareness and Self-Management

Individual tickets are $20 for students and $45 for non-students. Sponsors include McLean County YWCA, Illinois State University, and Soroptimist International Bloomington-Normal.

For information or to register, visit www.withmygirls.com/empowerment.

'Black Eagle' Keynoter at NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet

Joe Madison, civil rights activist and preeminent African-American radio host known as “The Black Eagle,” is keynote speaker for the Bloomington-Normal Branch of the NAACP's Freedom Fund Banquet, Sept. 19 at Bloomington's DoubleTree Hotel and Convention Center.

The event starts at 7 p.m., preceded by a 6 p.m. social hour.

Takesha Stokes of Bloomington will be presented the Roy Wilkins award for her dedicated service to the NAACP, including serving as first vice president, Freedom Fund Banquet chair, and 2014 State Convention chair.

Another local award recipient will be Bloomington Police Chief Brendan Heffner, who will receive the Merlin Kennedy Community Service award in recognition of his efforts in building a stronger community-police partnership in Bloomington.

Tickets for the Freedom Fund Banquet are $50 for adults, and $25 for youths under 12. For information or to purchase tickets, contact Takesha Stokes 309-242-5827 or Chemberly Cummings at 216-570-0549.

Madison, a radio host on SiriusXM's Urban View channel, served as executive director of the Detroit NAACP at 24. He describes himself as "doggedly progressive," having worked on voter registration efforts and led marches and demonstrations to end the genocide in Darfur.

Last year, Joe Madison received the Freedom Flame Award presented by the Selma, Alabama, Bridge Crossing Jubilee Commission, and was named Outstanding Media Personality at the 104th Annual NAACP Convention. Madison has been selected as one of Talker Magazine’s top 10 talk radio personalities for 10 consecutive years and he is the only African-American to be listed in the “talented tenth.”

New ISU 'Response Team' Offers Clearinghouse For Bias/Discrimination Issues

A racially inflammatory Twitter post last spring spurred an “awe-inspiring” community response and a new effort to head off hate and bigotry and foster understanding on campus, according to Art Munin, chairman of ISU’s new Inclusive Community Response Team.

Munin, ISU assistant vice president and dean of students, reports the recently debuted effort is designed to help address essentially “any identity-based issue” on campus, from overt bigotry (such as the racist graffiti recently found on an Illinois Wesleyan University sidewalk) to more subtle “bias-related” incidents or “microaggression” – frequently unintended, often routine discrimination in interactions with those of a different race, culture, faith, or gender identity. In short, activity “that just doesn’t reflect the values and diversity we espouse at Illinois State University,” Munin said.

The 10-member response team includes junior Patrice Gooden, secretary of diversity affairs for the ISU Student Government Association, as well as representatives of the ISU’s provost office, counseling and housing services, Milner Library, University College, the ISU Police Department, the vice president of student affair, and the Office of Equal Opportunity, Ethics, and Access (OEOEA).  Visit the team’s website at http://studentaffairs.ilstu.edu/who/diversity/icrt/.

 “This group is to help provide a place to support, listen, and remedy, but hopefully also to do some proactive work to help prevent these things from happening,” the Southside Chicago native and first-generation college student related. “Previously, there just wasn’t a mechanism to draw all these entities together so we’d be talking on a regular basis.

“This is tough – it’s difficult, emotional, intellectual work, and it’s work that sometimes doesn’t start until folks get to college and they start having these conversations. I know that was the case for me – I didn’t really start opening up these dialogues until I started going to college. You have 18 years or so of one way of programming and thinking, and then college is going to ‘disrupt’ that. Higher education should be an intellectually and emotionally disruptive process. This isn’t about making you think one way – it’s about challengi9ng you to think, to think critically, and ask questions of why.”

Munin, an Eastern Illinois University/Loyola psychology/student affairs specialist with a second masters in multicultural communications from DePaul University, applauded ISU President Larry Dietz’ rapid public response last spring to a student Twitter post putting a racist spin on African-American protestors in the wake of alleged police abuse -- “Dr. Larry Dietz is very clear about his convictions related to diversity and justice.” The subsequent proposal to form a response team received Dietz’ immediate “blessing,” he noted.

Munin also was gratified by the proactive response of ISU fraternities and sororities to nationwide reports of fraternity racism and abuse, including a cross-campus demonstration walk. Under the umbrella of the Dean of Student’s office, he emphasizes that “the Greek community answers to me,” and he has been active with sorority recruiters and the Interfraternity Council, particularly in fostering messaging on “diversity and justice.”

“That march on the campus, we didn’t organize that – the students did,” Munin stressed.

However, students who have been the victims of discrimination often have not known where to file a report or complaint or even “that we want to know about that,” he acknowledged. The new team will serve as a clearinghouse for accountability and follow-through (“I’m hopeful that more students will come forward and share their stories with us”).

Student discrimination of harassment reports will move first through Munin, who will share them with OEOEA and/or the campus police, if a reportable crime has been committed. The response team also will review complaints with an eye to potential remedies or actions.

The team also will meet regularly to review campus-related events, community developments that affect the university and students, ways to improve communications and “messaging,” and available resources to help promote diversity and reduce or prevent discrimination.

“There’s already so much great stuff going on here, but we don’t connect all the dots and share that information,” Munin maintained. “That sharing of information will continue to be crucial to this new entity.”

Part of the problem is the insular nature of various campus communities and cultural groups, and general discomfort with direct confrontation of racial and related issues. ISU’s administration collects considerable data on “who comes to events and participates in events,” Munin said, but the team will attempt to focus as much on “who wasn’t there – who did we not reach, and who was not participating?”

Social media can be a double-edged sword in building cross-cultural bridges, as evidenced by last spring’s racial posting episode. But “to see the response from the community to it afterwards was just awe-inspiring,” recalled Munin, who sees great value in online communications and web-based social justice information sharing and the “systemic approach” to bias and bigotry social media provides.

Another priority is recognition of previously disenfranchised or underserved student constituencies. Munin was instrumental in launching ISU’s new “Lavender Graduation” to acknowledge the special accomplishments of LGBT students, and he will meet this week with students and student groups – including Greek organizations -- to discuss the possibility of a similar ceremony for Latino students next May.

Munin meanwhile is excited by high-profile campus activities such as this weekend’s India Festival on the campus quad, and is hoping families from around the Twin Cities will drop by to help make the cultural celebration “a truly community event.” ISU’s basic “family friendly” nature that drew him to Central Illinois.

“You can include everyone, and that just makes it a warm environment,” Munin said.

Inclusive Community Response Team

What is the Inclusive Community Response Team?
The Inclusive Community Response Team (ICRT) serves students by fostering an open and inclusive campus and responding to instances of hate and bias.

What does ICRT do?

  • SUPPORT – provide students with care and assistance when faced with a bias-related incident
  • RESPOND - review reported bias-related incidents affecting students and refer to appropriate University and community entities
  • MONITOR – examine the student experience for trends and issues which may affect the campus climate
  • EDUCATE – build understanding within the campus community about the value of diversity and social justice

How do I report an issue?

  • Any student, faculty, staff, or community member can file a report with the ICRT. There are several ways to file a report:
  • Email
    • ICRT@ilstu.edu
    • When filing a report via email please be as specific as possible. Items to consider including are: date, time, specific location, names of people involved, descriptions of people involved (if names are not known), and specific details regarding the issue. You are able to include files (e.g. pictures) with the email if available.
    • If you supply your name and contact information, a member of the ICRT will follow up with you within two business days.
  • Online
  • By phone or in person
    • Dean of Students Office: 309-438-2008309-438-2008; 144 Bone Student Center
    • Illinois State University Police Department: 309-438-8631309-438-8631; 105 Nelson Smith Building
    • University Housing Services: 309-438-8611309-438-8611; Office of Residential Life Building
    • Office of Equal Opportunity, Ethics, and Access: 309-438-3383309-438-3383; 208 Hovey Hall

WGLT's Investigation of Race and The Law Spotlighted

WGLT's award-winning pre-Ferguson investigation of Twin Cities racial issues was again in the spotlight this week, in a featured spread by the Washington-based communications website Current.

In a story also featuring Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal leader Camille Taylor and photography from a recent police-community gathering, Current's Henry Scheider relates how the Illinois State University-owned station began reporting for its five-part Police and Race series in August 2014, spurred by an Illinois-mandated study of traffic stops that indicated that people of color were being stopped and searched significantly more often than white drivers.

The study also revealed that canine searches were ordered more often during traffic stops involving people of color, though white drivers were more frequently found with illegal drugs or weapons. WGLT's coverage drew local interest, "and then the situation in Ferguson brought that to everyone’s attention nationally,” Bruce Bergethon, WGLT’s general manager, told Schneider.

WGLT’s four-person newsroom sought "a balanced picture” of the relationship between police and minorities in the community, according to Bergethon. Over the next four months, WGLT reviewed recordings of police interactions with minorities, examined court records and interviewed public officials, scholars and residents of Bloomington-Normal.

The resulting series, which aired last December, received two National Murrow Awards from the Radio Television Digital News Association.

For the complete story, visit Current at http://current.org/?p=146973.

Mitsubishi Worker Hailed for Scout Work

Roberto Avina, a United Auto Workers 2488 member and employee of Mitsubishi Motors, exemplified the 2015 Labor Day theme, “For More Than Ourselves.”  Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal celebrate the diversity and contributions of unions and workers during Monday's Bloomington Labor Day Parade.

NIOT:B/N at the Labor Day Parade.

NIOT:B/N at the Labor Day Parade.

Avina, a Mexican immigrant and now-U.S. citizen, was recently awarded the Boy Scouts of America George Meany Award for the local W.D.Boyce Council, at the McLean County Museum of History on August 15. The Meany Award is annually given to an adult scout leader from union ranks.  

Avina is also the 2015 WJBC-AM "Laborer of the Year."

Avina is a line worker at Mitsubishi with 10 years of scouting service

Bloomington Labor Day Parade Sept. 7, Emphasizes Community Service

The theme for the 2015 Bloomington Labor Day Parade is "For more than ourselves," emphasizing community service and involvement.

The parade marches on Monday, September 7 at 10 a.m., line up at 9 a.m. on Front Street in Downtown Bloomington.  The parade will proceed west on Front Street to Lee Street, south on Lee Street to Wood Street, and then west on Wood Street to Miller Park.

"The parade theme reflects our close community ties," said Trades & Labor President Ronn Morehead.  "All of our unions, through donated labor, volunteering and donations, support local charities, and community organizations.  We want those community organizations to be the center of this year's parade, with Labor's contributions to them."

The parade features union marching units, high school bands, construction equipment, community organizations, antique cars, and elected officials and aspirants for political office. Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal is scheduled to participate.

The local labor community has been a key catalyst in driving diversity and cultural growth. World War II brought unexpected changes to the Twin Cities workplace -- women and African-Americans in the factory. Williams began hiring women as military draft depleting the workforce, Williams losing 383 employees to the armed forces. Williams initially hired 56 women in early 1943, using training films to acquaint them with plant processes.

The other group hired was African-American workers. Although the new female hires joined Machinists Lodge 1000, the African American workers were not allowed to participate in the union. They were kept segregated from the rest of the workforce, doing mainly hand filing and finishing work, and only worked on defense contracts.

A. Phillip Randolph, Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters president, had successfully lobbied President Roosevelt in 1941 to end discriminatory hiring practices. Roosevelt issued an executive order against racial discrimination in war contracts. Ruth Waddell, who worked at Williams during the war, remembered that "some people had problems with us being there," but she and other African-American workers enjoyed the higher pay and an opportunity to do work usually denied to them. As soon as the war contract work ended, though, the African-American workers were laid off.

 

IWU Students Silently Protest Racism

Lenore Sobota

The Pantagraph

Pantagraph photo by Lori Ann Cook-Neisler

Pantagraph photo by Lori Ann Cook-Neisler

More than 40 students at Illinois Wesleyan University staged a silent protest before the first faculty meeting of the semester on Monday, calling for greater attention to inclusiveness and diversity.

A mixed group of students lined both sides of the hallway outside of the meeting room, holding handwritten signs with messages such as, “Stand against ignorance,” “I won't stand for silence,” and “I should feel accepted in the classroom.”

Most of the faculty and staff members who walked down the hall on their way to the meeting — including IWU President Dick Wilson — stopped to read the signs and many made supportive comments to the students.

Among them was history professor Tom Lutze, who said faculty members needed to hear their message.

“There have been instances of racism on campus,” Lutze said. “We need to create an atmosphere in which all of our students feel welcome, especially our students of color. That's what we're all about.”

Although the protest was triggered by an incident just over a week ago when the N-word was found written on a campus sidewalk, organizers said it was about larger issues, such as students experiencing “microaggressions” in classes, when comments are made that are offensive or make students feel singled out or uncomfortable.

Not In Our Town's Angelique Racki applauded the student's proactive but peaceful approach to the slur, noting "the students didn't riot, they didn't damage property, they didn't cause a dramatic pointless scene." "They made their case and their presence known in an important meeting," Racki said. "To me, that's a win."

Christy Cole, a senior in philosophy and French major from Freeport, said, "To me, this goes beyond race" and includes gender, sexual orientation, and religion.

Senior Ashley Spain, an elementary education major from Chicago, said the university puts “a lot of effort into diversity” but more needs to be done.

“Diversity is in our mission statement at IWU,” said Kitty White, a senior in sociology from Chicago. “If it's in your mission statement, it has to be your mission.”

Reading each sign in the hallway, Wilson told the students, “It takes courage to do this, and I'm proud of you.”

The students asked for and received permission for two students to speak to the meeting on behalf of the others. The students were greeted with applause as they entered the meeting room.

The first speaker, Emani Johnson, a sophomore in sociology from Chicago, said, the students were not there to discredit the school, but “there's always room for improvement.”

She said there can be no improvement without faculty involvement.

“We're here to recruit you as allies,” Johnson said.

The second speaker, senior Catherine Carini, a music major from Chicago, told faculty members, “We look to you to start the conversation” about incidents such as the word written by he fountain and to be as loud about social justice as they are about classroom subject matter.

Carini is involved in “Engaging Diversity,” a three-day program for white, incoming first-year students that began five years ago. Participation grew to 35 students this year.

Cole said students would be back at a later time with more specific suggestions of what the university could do.

Among ideas some students are contemplating is a semester-long general studies course on diversity issues, rather than just the pre-orientation “Engaging Diversity” program.

--

Angelique Racki,

Deaf Community Rallies Behind CornBelters Coach

Randy Reinhardt

The Pantagraph

The conversation moves quickly down the right-field line 10 minutes after the Saturday evening baseball game is completed.

Yet other than the occasional sound of hearty laughter, there is silence.

The center of attention is the man in uniform standing on the playing surface. The others huddle around him in the first few rows of the Corn Crib's section 101.

The man is Tommy Barksdale, former CornBelters' player-turned-coach and ambassador. The group of seven has adopted No. 8 as their own.

The hard-of-hearing Barksdale has embraced and become a unifying force in Bloomington-Normal's deaf community.

"It's just a bunch of friends," Barksdale said. "Two of them work at the (Lincoln) community college we stayed at. I saw them signing. They came over to talk to me and introduced me to a bunch of their friends from around town."

Barksdale considers himself "hard of hearing" because he is able to hear when wearing his Cochlear implant. He communicates with his deaf friends through sign language.

"It's nice to know there is a deaf community that supports me and watches my games and afterwards has a conversation with me," said Barksdale. "It's nice to be part of both worlds. I love it. They love it.

"They do mock me sometimes. We all have our jokes. Sometimes I mock them back. It's a family. That's why we can do that."

Barksdale landed in Normal after Belters' manager Brooks Carey received a call from an old friend, former Toronto Blue Jays manager Tim Johnson.

"TJ called me from the California Winter League and said 'Will you sign this kid I have out here?' " recalled Carey, whose team continues its pursuit of the Frontier League's West Division championship Tuesday against Evansville in a 6:35 p.m. game at the Corn Crib.

"About a week later I was talking to TJ and he said 'I forgot to tell you he played for (deaf ex-major leaguer) Curtis Pride at Gallaudet (College) and he's deaf.' I said OK, this is even better."

Barksdale made Normal's season-opening roster but saw little playing time. Hitless in seven at-bats, Barksdale was nearly released several times when other personnel needs arose, according to Carey.

On one occasion he planned to release Barksdale, he had several Belters' veterans accompany Barksdale into his office to provide emotional support.

"Three of them got tears in their eyes. I said 'I don't have any choice,' " Carey said. "I walk out the door and Tommy is sitting in center field in the dark, and Pat (McKenna) is down there with his arm around him.

"They told me Tommy just wants to enjoy the field before he has to go home. I said, 'Never mind, get him back up here.' "

When Barksdale actually was cut from the active roster on July 13, Carey and team president Steve Malliet found a way to keep Barksdale in uniform.

"I told Steve I would make him a coach if we can find a little extra money around," said Carey. "Steve was all for it. The reason Tommy is here is Malliet."

Although Barksdale still considers himself a player, he jumped at the opportunity to serve as bench coach and occasionally coach first base.

"I can't leave the team. These guys are like my family," he said. "I want to support them being a bench coach and learn the game as much as I can. But I'm not going to give up. I'm going to come back next year, play somewhere and give it all I got."

Carey does have to remind Barksdale about the changes his new role has brought.

"The kid is an inspiration to everybody here. He can be a little pain in the neck though," said the third-year Normal manager with a big smile. "He still wants to take BP (batting practice) and do everything the rest of the players are doing. But he has a job now down in the batting cage. He's got to throw BP.

"(Assistant coach Dave) Garcia is out there throwing BP, and here comes Tommy into the batter's box. Are you a coach or are you a player?"

Carey has seen Barksdale treated no differently than anyone on the team.

"He's been a great asset to the organization," Carey said. "I don't think it's a disability. I think it's a positive in his life. He's turned it into a positive."

ISU Seeking 'Books' for Human Library

Illinois State University is seeking individuals who can speak volumes at a Sept. 23 "Human Library" program at the Bone Student Center.

The Human Library is an innovative method designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices, and encourage understanding. The main characteristics of the project are to be found in its simplicity and positive approach.

The Human Library works functions like a normal library: Readers borrow a volunteer human "Book" for a limited period of time, and the Books and readers enter into a personal dialogue. The Books in the Human Library are people representing groups frequently confronted with prejudices and stereotypes, and often are victims of discrimination or social exclusion.

"In the Human Library, Books cannot only speak, but they are able to reply to the readers’ questions and can ask questions themselves,” according to the Human Library Organizers Guide.

ISU students enrolled in LinC Seminar, Success 101, and Transfer Student Seminar courses will be Readers of the Human Library Books. Readers will check out a Human Book for a 30-minute group conversation.

For more information visit: www.UCollege.IllinoisState.edu/HumanLibrary, email HumanLibrary@IllinoisState.edu, or for special accommodations to participate in this event, call 309-438-2599.

Festival of India Offers Taste of Country's Diverse Culture

One of the Twin Cities' key communities will offer a sample of and insights into its culture during the 5th annual Festival of India, from noon to 6 pm. Sunday, Sept. 13, on the Illinois State University quad.

The festival, presented by McLean County India Association and Illinois State University, will feature workshops on yoga meditation, and Pranayama (breath control) and a Rangoli folk art display. Other highlights will include a picture studio with Indian clothing, displays and a parade focusing on the various states represented by Bloomington-Normal's diverse Indian/Indian-American community, henna and face painting, Indian youth sports, balloon art, a bounce house, a culture program, and a Bollywood band influenced by India's major film industry.

ISU Professor of Graphic Design Archana Shekara, who has helped plan the festival, was on hand for Saturday's Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal strategic planning meeting. "I met some wonderful people shared and listened to great stories — a morning of reflection!" she said.

Shekara noted “each state in India has its own language and culture" -- the McLean County India Association attempts to bridge those regional  differences within the community -- and, with others at Saturday's gathering at Illinois Wesleyan University, stressed the importance of members of the community at large sharing Indian culture with those within the West Asian community.


Tiny House Project 'Springboard' for Transition of Homeless?

It was a different sort of luncheon and home tour recently at Bloomington’s First Christian Church. The luncheon was sloppy joes and three-bean salad, the home could fit roughly in perhaps two church parking spots, and the guests were a mix of city officials, church volunteers, representatives of west side non-profit groups, and guests who spent much of their days – and nights – on the streets.

Local contractor and volunteer mission builder Mike Robinson displays the Tiny House interior for representatives of non-profit organizations.

Local contractor and volunteer mission builder Mike Robinson displays the Tiny House interior for representatives of non-profit organizations.

Redeemer Lutheran Church Tiny House volunteer chats outside the prototype home.

Redeemer Lutheran Church Tiny House volunteer chats outside the prototype home.

Members of three area churches are currently putting the internal finishing touches to the Tiny House – a modular one-room frame home equipped with AC, heating, a toilet, and shower, designed to put a roof over one currently homeless head. The Tiny House Project – built on the Illinois Wesleyan University campus with private and city support – will go on tour with an eye toward finding a lot and hookups for permanent or transitional residency.

“This is a good thing you guys are doing,” one guest told Tiny House sponsors prior to the home tour.

The Tiny House will be on display for two weeks at a time at various Bloomington-Normal churches, as project coordinators consider options for occupancy. “We actually haven’t thought that far yet,” admitted Tiny House Co-Coordinator Julie Robinson, whose husband, local contractor Mike Robinson, helped build and is now finishing the interior of the structure.

Robinson sees the tiny house as “a viable option” for persons who currently live outside, particularly during periods of inclement weather. City of Bloomington Code Enforcement Grants Coordinator Jennifer Toney sees even longer-term benefits of economic housing for homeless persons: “Housing is probably one of the most important things for an individual when they’re looking for a quality of life.”

Toney subscribes to a “housing first” model, arguing that those not “struggling with where they’re going to put their head at night” can focus on employment, community services, and financial security. “It levels the playing field a little bit.”

PATH Homeless Services Supervisor Lori Kimbrough characterized the Twin Cities’ current homeless situation as “pretty severe,” with some 20-25 people on the streets or “other places not meant for human habitation” on any given night. That number did not drop this past winter as it traditionally has on a seasonal basis, “and we’re looking for some permanent solutions to that problem,” Kimbrough said.

“The folks say who stay out on the street have huge barriers to housing – basically affordability is the biggest issue,” she noted. “They have extremely no to low income, so that doesn’t afford them a living situation or a permanent housing option.

“If the housing choices for a person are in a tent or in a shelter, these people prefer to choose a tent. If we could give them the option of affordable housing, I would say they’d prefer that option.”

Low building costs and floorplan/facilities simplicity also offer relatively low home maintenance costs – another plus for prospective Tiny House tenants trying to regain their financial stability, Kimbrough suggested. Inaugural tiny house projects to date “have worked fairly well” in communities such as Eugene, Ore., Madison, Wis., and Huntsville, Ala., the PATH supervisor maintained.

The City of Bloomington currently administers  a federal Department of Housing and Urban Development Local Continuum of Care Grant, which provides about $300,000 per year in homelessness prevention services. Toney and colleagues are investigating possible local lots for tiny houses, preferably along a municipal bus line to accommodate employment and considering public safety issues “for everyone,” she related.

Early talk of the Tiny House Project intrigued Joe Teague, a smaller properties broker and property consultant with Road Runner Real Estate and member of Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Bloomington. Teague concedes that the tiny house concept “breaks a few rules” and poses challenges in zoning and potential liability but notes “I’ve been known to bend or break a few as I go along in life.”

“It’s using great ideas, using different ideas, and using people’s imaginations to tackle a very tough problem and to provide services for folks who are in very tremendous need,” Teague said. “It also benefits our community as a whole. This is not just let’s put people in a shelter – let’s find them serves, let’s make it holistic. I don’t care if you live in a 10,000-square-foot mansion or a 2,500-square=foot nice house, or a cabin – sense of place is so critical. It’s a springboard.”

 

Cone With a Cop: Dialogue and a Dip

The Bloomington Police Department will host its first Ice Cream With a Cop event Thursday from 4-6 p.m. at Carl's Ice Cream (601 West Locust, Bloomington)

Officers from BPD will meet, talk, and eat ice cream with adults and children in an effort to field residents' questions, concerns, and views and get to know their neighbors. The event is a follow-up to spring's inaugural Coffee With a Cop get-together at Normal's Dunkin' Donuts.

Carl's Ice Cream will provide free small cones to kids 12 and under during the event.

IWU Prof To Share Green Chem Expertise in India

Illinois Wesleyan University’s Ram Mohan will lecture and provide expertise on green chemistry at Pondicherry University in India as a Fulbright Specialist.

Internationally recognized for his contributions to green chemistry, Mohan is the Wendell and Loretta Hess Professor of Chemistry at Illinois Wesleyan. Mohan’s research, widely published in international chemistry journals, focuses on developing environmentally friendly organic methods guided by green principles. Pondicherry University has been awarded a Fulbright Specialist grant to host Mohan for three weeks later this year.

During his time at Pondicherry, Mohan will deliver a series of lectures on green chemistry to graduate students, help provide expertise in developing green and environmentally friendly laboratory experiments for undergraduate and master’s-level labs, and train Ph.D. students in the practice of green chemistry in labs.

“The lectures will introduce students to fundamental concepts in green chemistry and then highlight the current state of art in the field,” said Mohan. He will present case studies and use real-world examples to highlight environmental problems and how they can be solved using green chemistry principles.

“These experiences will allow me to bring back more green chemistry concepts and ideas to IWU,” said Mohan. “We have been involved in greening our own organic chemistry laboratories over the years in addition to my own research.  Intellectual exchange with scholars at a Ph.D.-granting institution will surely benefit my own research program.”

The Pondicherry grant marks Mohan’s second trip to India on a Fulbright grant. Mohan received a Fulbright-Nehru award to deliver lectures on the principles of green chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research at Mohali, India, as well as several other Indian colleges and universities during the 2012-2013 academic year.

A 1985 graduate of Hansraj College in Delhi, India, Mohan earned a master’s degree in organic chemistry from the University of Delhi in 1987 and a doctorate in chemistry from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), in 1992.  Following that he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 

In 2011, the Illinois Heartland Section of the American Chemical Society named Mohan Chemist of the Year. He received the distinguished alumni award from his alma mater UMBC in 2002 and the Henry Dreyfus Teacher Scholar award in 2001. His research at IWU, which has involved more than 100 IWU students, has been funded by several grants from the National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society-Petroleum Research Fund.

The Fulbright Specialist program provides an opportunity to Indian universities and institutions of higher learning to collaborate with U.S. faculty and professionals. In addition to sharing their expertise, specialists can help develop linkages between their respective institutions. The Fulbright Specialist is sponsored by the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board, the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Department of State and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars. Envisioned by U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright and founded in 1946, the Fulbright program promotes a mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries.