Response To Mosque Invitation 'Overwhelming'

David Proeber

The Pantagraph

Organizers of an open house at a Bloomington mosque have stopped taking reservations because of "overwhelming" response from people wanting to attend.

"We are overwhelmed,"  said Mohammed Zaman, president of Masjid Ibrahim, which has been serving the Twin City Muslim community since 2007. "We are astounded by the response from the community, the support."

The community's interest is prompting the mosque to hold another open mosque day at a future date to be determined.

"Because we are just starting to see the overwhelming response, we need to sit down and figure out another date," Zaman said Wednesday. "We definitely will keep everyone posted as soon we have that new date."

Residents wanting to attend the event from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday were asked to RSVP, and by Wednesday morning more than 200 people had responded, Zaman said.

But because of the mosque's size, attendance was limited to 100 people.

"We don't have a lot of room in the mosque," said Zaman. "It's not a very huge place, but we are trying our best to accommodate as many as possible."

The mosque already had 60 people signed up to attend the open house prior to a Pantagraph story on Tuesday about the event.

"The morning the story came out, within an hour we had 20 more people sign up," said Zaman.

At a Dec. 16 interfaith community solidarity event in Bloomington, spearheaded by Not In Our Town, Zaman promised to invite the public to an open mosque day.

More than 250 people attended the rally that was held to show support for the local Muslim community in response to anti-Islamic rhetoric that surfaced in the United States, especially after the terror attack in San Bernardino, Calif.

In return, local Muslims decided to open the mosque to the public for an event to show their hospitality and give non-Muslims an opportunity to better understand the Islamic faith.

"For us, we pray in the mosque without any chairs," said Zaman. "We sit on the carpeted floor, but for the guests coming in we are bringing in chairs so they will be comfortable.

"Although the space in the mosque is small, there is a lot of space in our hearts that we can open up." 

NIOT:B/N Co-Sponsored Legacy Wall Comes to IWU

The Legacy Wall, a traveling exhibit featuring stories of LGBT individuals who have made a significant impact in the world, opened this week at The Ames Library at Illinois Wesleyan University. The exhibit will be at the university through Feb. 13.

The interactive Legacy Wall features biographies of people who have made contributions in a number of fields. Some of the individuals featured include author Oscar Wilde, U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan, British mathematician Alan Turing, and Father Mychal Judge, a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department who was killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The Legacy Wall exhibit was created by the Legacy Project, a Chicago-based nonprofit intended to inform, inspire, enlighten and foster an appreciation for the role LGBT people have played in the advancement of world history and culture. Victor Salvo, the founder and executive director of the Legacy Project, presents remarks at Sunday's opening reception. Other speakers include IWU Provost Jonathan Green, Equality Illinois Field Fellow Marcus Fogliano, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, and Rev. Kelley Becker, associate pastor of First Christian Church, Bloomington, representing Not in Our Town, one of the sponsors of the exhibit.

The Legacy Wall is brought to Illinois Wesleyan as part of the “Queer Lives” Speaker and Performer Series at IWU funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Other Illinois Wesleyan sponsors include the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, IWU Pride Alliance, and The Ames Library. Organizers said awareness of the roles LGBT people have played in shared human history helps boost the self-esteem of LGBTQ youth who are raised without the benefit of historically significant role models. The goal of the Legacy Wall exhibit is to use the lessons of history to spark conversations and to promote a feeling of safety and belonging in the classroom. The exhibit includes data linking the teaching of LGBT-related content in schools with lowered incidences of bullying between students.  

The exhibit may be viewed on the entry-level floor of Ames, which is open Sundays 12 noon to 1:30 a.m.; Monday through Thursday 7:45 a.m. to 1:30 a.m.; Friday 7:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

'Middle Sexualities' Topic for Thursday IWU Program

On Middle Sexualities and Resisting Labels, a program examining gender and sexual identity, is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. Thursday, February 4, at Illinois Wesleyan's Memorial Center Davidson Room.

Matthew Damschroder, assistant dean of students for campus life, will present the discussion.

"Some argue students today resist labels associated with sexual and gender identity," an IWU release on the program notes. "This is maybe a simplistic response to the increasingly complex ways that students identify as somewhere in the middle of gay/straight and male/female.

"If you have questions about what it means when students use terms like bi/pansexual, non-binary, queer, genderqueer and fluid, this is a safe space to learn more, get answers and become equipped to support students fully in pursuit of communities of respect and inclusion."

The discussion is sponsored by IWU Safe Zone with the support of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Novelist/Poet To Give Reading Wednesday on Campus

PercivalEverett.jpg

Celebrated author and scholar Percival Everett will give a reading of his work at 7 p.m. Wednesday, February 3, in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center. The event is free and open to the public.

There will also be a Q&A session at 2 p.m. in Stevenson Hall, room 401.

Everett is a distinguished professor at the University of Southern California, and an internationally renown author of more than 25 novels and collections of poetry. His works include the award-winning Erasure, and I Am Not Sidney Poitier.

He is the recipient of the Pen Center Award for Fiction, the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, the Academy Award in Literature, the Dos Passos Prize, and the New American Writing Award, among others. Everett’s most recent work are Assumption: A Novel, Percival Everett by Virgil Russell: A Novel, and a collection of short fiction titled Half an Inch of Water.

The event is free, open to the public, and sponsored by Illinois State’s Creative Writing Program, Department of English, the Harold K. Sage Foundation, and the Illinois State University Foundation.

Actor-Director Esposito to Keynote ISU Black History Cultural Dinner

Award-winning actor, director, and education advocate Giancarlo Esposito will be the guest speaker at the Black History Cultural Dinner at 5 p.m. Wednesday, February 24, in the Brown Ballroom of the Bone Student Center.

Tickets for the dinner are available online. Tickets are $20, or one swipe of a meal plan for Illinois State students. Tickets are available online only, and will not be sold at the door.

During the dinner, Esposito will share his journey as an actor and an artist with a will to succeed despite the hurdles many people of color face while trying to break into “the industry.”

The event is sponsored by Illinois State’s University Housing Services, Campus Dining Services, the Association of Residence Halls, Hewett-Manchester Student Association, East Campus Diversity Coalition, and MECCPAC, a Dean of Students’ Diversity Initiative.

Gospel-Hill.jpg

Esposito is a celebrated television, film, and stage actor, whose career spans decades and includes more than 60 films. Television audiences know him best for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring in AMC’s award-winning series Breaking Bad, for which he won the 2012 Critics Choice Award and earned a 2012 Emmy nomination. Other notable roles include Spike Lee films such as School Daze and Do The Right Thing, as well as Rabbit Hole, The Usual Suspects, Smoke, and The Last Holiday.

In 2007, through his production company, Quiet Hand Productions, Esposito made his feature directorial debut with the film Gospel Hill. He also co-starred with Danny Glover, Angela Bassett, Julia Stiles, Taylor Kitsch, and Samuel L. Jackson. Quiet Hand Productions aspires to make “conscious content” films that focus on the inspirational.

For additional information, contact Michelle Halpin at 309-438-8611.

Glenn Elementary Launches Not In Our School

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Not In Our School kicked off at Normal's Glenn Elementary School Friday in an effort by the Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal program to reach children at an earlier stage.

Glenn Elementary held an assembly to kick off “Kindness Month,” during which students will be rewarded for acts of kindness, including defending against bullying. WJBC was on hand to interview participants in the program, which previously established a base in Twin Cities junior high and high schools.

"Just like anything else, the earlier you start the better!" NIOT:B/N Education Chairman Camille Taylor related. "The mission of Not In Our School is to stop hate, address bullying, and create a safe, inclusive community. Children at the elementary level, from kindergarten through fifth grade, can learn specific skills to be an upstander when they witness bullying.

"They can also learn the importance of speaking up and speaking out to make their learning environment safer. Students will become accustomed to this and expect/demand that their school environment be like this as they progress through middle and high school."

Jan Meadows, a retired teacher who according to Taylor helped NIOS "make the Glenn connection," stressed kindergarten is "the beginning of outside the family socialization."

"We start at the beginning," Meadows said. "That is where we start. When we expect high schoolers to succeed in algebra, we forget that once they didn't know any numbers. The same applies for social skills. When we teach the littlest child the language and the actions of inclusion, they accept it, they practice it, we reward and recognize their efforts and they will use it. "

"We often don't recognize that our brains are wired to search out danger in all settings, anything that looks or sounds different sets off internal alarms. But just like other biological responses the brain learns to accept and ignore these alarm triggers through practice and knowledge. These are skills we can and must teach our children."

Taylor reported Unit 5 and Bloomington District 87 superintendents have given "100 percent support" to NIOS developing elementary-level programs on a school-by-school basis.

Kelley: Legacy Wall About Tearing Down Walls

Rev. Kelley Becker

Bloomington First Christian Church

Very soon, Bloomington-Normal will welcome the Legacy Wall to our community. I am honored to have been asked to speak, on behalf of NIOT, at the Opening Reception at 4 p.m. January 31 at Ames Library on Illinois Wesleyan’s campus. Other speakers will include IWU Provost Jonathan Green, Bloomington Mayor Tari Renner, Victor Salvo, and Marcus Fogliano.

The Legacy Wall is a traveling exhibit that features "mini-biographies" of LGBT people from all over the world. Its digitally interactive content is international and multicultural, and has been substantially vetted and sourced. This meaningful and useful exhibit raises awareness of the roles LGBT people have played in shared human history – information which helps to boost the self-esteem of LGBTQ youth who are raised without the benefit of historically significant role-models. The goal of the Legacy Wall is to use the lessons of history to spark conversations and promote a feeling of safety and belonging in the classroom – giving our children hope.

As the chairperson of the Faith and Outreach Committee for NIOTBN and an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the arrival of this exhibit gives me great hope. I hope that in the future we recognize that teaching our children to tolerate other people is not enough. We must teach them to embrace one another.  I believe this exhibit brings us closer to that goal. The more we know about people, the easier it is to appreciate and value their contributions and their unique gifts. The Christian faith tradition teaches that God created all human beings and declared them “very good.” We have different skin colors, faith traditions, gifts, intelligences, gender and sexual orientations, but we were each created on purpose for a purpose. I believe that purpose is to bring about a world where everyone has a place to belong and contribute...a place where everyone can be whole.

I hope you will join me on January 31, to welcome The Legacy Wall to our community and to celebrate and give thanks for our brothers and sisters in the LGBTQ community.

Ithica College Author To Speak at Legacy Wall Showing

Carlos Figueroa of Ithaca College will explore politics at the confluence of race, religion, sexuality, and policy development. He will speak about his latest book with a talk titled “Bayard Rustin: Black Gay Quaker Thinker and Civil Rights and Labor Activist,” at 7 p.m. Monday, February 15, in the Prairie Room of the Illinois State University Bone Student Center.

The author of the upcoming Quakers, Race and Empire: Political Ecumenism and U.S. Insular Policy Rhetoric, 1898–1917, Figueroa will explore Bayard Rustin’s Quaker sensibilities, and how his reliance on Quaker principles–peace, equality, integrity, simplicity, community, and truth–informed his nonviolent protest, and the lessons that can be drawn to in battles against racial, social, and economic injustices across U.S. cities today.

Figueroa’s talk will be held in conjunction with The Legacy Wall exhibit at Milner Library. The traveling exhibit features “mini-biographies” of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGBT) and transgender people, and aims to raise awareness of the roles LGBT people have played in shared human history.

The talk is sponsored by Illinois State’s Department of History and the Office of the President. The exhibit is sponsored by the Office of the President and Milner Library.

Eureka College Program Addresses Systemic Racism

Eureka College today hosted a member of the “Central Park Five” as part of an in-depth discussion on unconscious bias and systemic racism.

Yusef Salaam appeared at the college as part of a panel and to deliver the keynote address at the event. Salaam was one of five teenagers convicted in 1989 of beating and raping a jogger in New York City’s Central Park. The young men spent years in prison before another confession and DNA evidence led to their convictions being vacated.

It was another 10-plus years before the lawsuit filed on behalf of the Central Park Five was settled. In 2002 the Five received a $40 million settlement from the city, with Salaam's share being $7.1 million. The City of New York admitted no wrongdoing. Even as a millionaire, Salaam shows on social media that he continues to encounter racism in his everyday life.

Since his release from prison, Salaam has dedicated himself to education on false confessions, police brutality and misconduct and the disparities of the criminal justice system in the United States.

Salaam appeared in The Central Park Five, a 2012 documentary directed by filmmaker Ken Burns, his daughter Sarah, and her husband, David McMahon. The documentary examines the case with a combination of footage and information available at the time of the crime and trials and interviews with the "Central Park Five" following their release. The film is available for viewing on Netflix.

The discussion panel also included former St. Louis Police Chief Daniel Isom, Peoria community service officer Daniel Duncan, and Eureka College professors Junius Rodriguez (history) and William Lally (criminal justice). Isom was appointed St. Louis' 33rd Chief of Police on October 6, 2008, and was St. Louis' third African-American police chief.

IWU Examines Interfaith Understanding With Film, Patel

Words with Gods, which premiered at the 2014 Chicago International Film Festival, is a unique and beautiful film that explores “the relationship between different cultures and religion." It airs at 7 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at Illinois Wesleyan University's Hansen Student Center.

Eboo Patel

Eboo Patel

 "Aboriginal Spirituality, Catholicism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto Buddhism, Orthodox Christianity, Umbanda, Hinduism, as well as Atheism find their expression in this two-hour film,” the film's promotion states. Words with Gods is based on a concept by Guillermo Arriaga with nine episodes directed by him and eight other directors. The music was written and performed by Peter Gabriel.

This event is part of the 3D series and sponsored by Evelyn Chapel and the Multifaith Ambassador Program. For more information, email University Chaplain Elyse Nelson Winger at enelsonw@iwu.edu and visit www.wordswithgods.com.

Meanwhile, Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth Core, is set to visit IWU on Feb. 17. A Rhodes scholar with a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University, Patel has four honorary degrees. His autobiography is required freshman reading on 11 college campuses., and he runs the nonprofit Interfaith Youth Core with 31 employees and an annual budget of $4 million.

 

League of Women Voters to Explore 'Hidden McLean County'

The League of Women Voters of McLean County will attempt to uncover the facts regarding two critical segments of "hidden McLean County" -- very low-income families that need early childhood services, and victims of domestic violence -- during a Tuesday, January 26 program at the Normal Public Library Community Room.

Members of the 7 p.m. panel discussion will include Jaylene Taubert, Parent Family and Community Engagement Manager for Heartland Head Start; and Senna Adjabeng, director of MCCA's Countering Domestic Violence and Mayors Manor programs.

The program is free to the public. 

 

Haynes, Mendez, Funderburg, Brooks Honored at MLK Luncheon

Local adults and youth who've led the community in realizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s spirit were honored today (Saturday) during the annual Twin Cities MLK Luncheon at Illinois State University.

Luncheon Human Relations winners were:

Arthur Haynes of Bloomington, founder and coordinator of the annual West Side Neighborhood Summer Block Party, which has brought together people in the neighborhood. He serves on the Bloomington Housing Authority and on the board of the West Bloomington Revitalization Project. He is a member of the steering committee for the NAACP ACT-SO program.

Marcos Mendez of Normal, 2014-2015 chairman of the board for Conexiones Latinas de McLean County, through which he coordinated a school supply drive for low-income families. He partnered with Illinois State University faculty and United Way of McLean County to increase Latino parents’ access to bilingual/Spanish-language books to read with their children. Marcos has been involved with Minorities and Police Partnership.

I Have A Dream winners were:

Amari Funderburg of Normal, a senior at Normal Community High School. She is president of the NCHS Culture Club and is a representative at Not In Our School Club meetings. She serves meals at Home Sweet Home Ministries and collects donations for The Salvation Army.

Markus Brooks of Bloomington, a senior at Normal Community High School. He volunteers with the Bloomington Police Department Explorer Club, 100 Black Men, Sigma Beta Club, Back to School Party, Special Olympics, Cultural Fest and Sigma Gamma Rho sorority annual youth symposium.

Amari Funderburg, above, with Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal Education Subcommittee Chairman Camille Taylor, left, and co-chair Anne Libert. Below, Markus Deshawn Brooks with Normal Community High School Associate Principal, Nikki Mauer

Amari Funderburg, above, with Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal Education Subcommittee Chairman Camille Taylor, left, and co-chair Anne Libert. Below, Markus Deshawn Brooks with Normal Community High School Associate Principal, Nikki Mauer

Arthur Haynes, left, and Marcos Mendez, center, with other MLK Human Relations nominees, from left, Arlene Hosea, Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal's Mary Aplington, and Jesse Padilla.

Arthur Haynes, left, and Marcos Mendez, center, with other MLK Human Relations nominees, from left, Arlene Hosea, Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal's Mary Aplington, and Jesse Padilla.

State of the Dream

Camille Taylor

WJBC Forum

During January, there are many celebrations around Dr. Martin L. King Jr.’s birthday. The “I Have a Dream” speech is part of Dr. King’s legacy. Since our president gave the State of the Union address last night (Tuesday), I wanted to share a few “State of the Dream” observations.

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Dr. King would have been pleased to see Barack Obama elected President, believing that as a nation, we may be closer to that dream. However, discrimination on the basis of race continues. The U.S. Bureau of Statistics provides a stark contrast between the quality of life for whites versus people of color. A typical white household has 16 times the wealth than people of color when you define wealth as home ownership, education, and job earnings.

Dr. King said, “I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” Since 1975, the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus has state legislators who develop remedies for social and economic problems.

King said, “We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote.” With the erosion of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, Mississippi doesn’t allow early voting or on-line voting and requires official identification when voting. This has turned the history clock back to the 1960s.

King said, “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” What would Dr. King think of the almost weekly news of unarmed blacks being shot by police in communities across our nation?

King also said, “I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells.” Dr. King would be saddened by issues like the school to prison pipeline impacting black students, or statistics like one in three black men can expect to go to prison in their lifetime or one out of every 15 black men are incarcerated compared to one out of every 106 white men.

No doubt progress has occurred, but we have a long way to go before his dream becomes a reality.

Local Peace Prize Nominations Sought

Do you know someone who has been active in helping people in our community?  Please consider making a nomination for the Grabill-Homan Community Peace Prize.  Nominations are due by January 31, 2016. 

Gerlof Homan, Mary Campbell (2015 recipient), and Joseph Grabill

Gerlof Homan, Mary Campbell (2015 recipient), and Joseph Grabill

The Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies Program at Illinois State University is accepting nominations and self-nominations for the Grabill-Homan Community Peace Prize, which is named for Joseph L. Grabill and Gerlof D. Homan, Illinois State University emeritus professors of history who helped establish the interdisciplinary Peace and Conflict Resolution Studies Program.

The Grabill-Homan Community Peace Prize recognizes individual achievements in peacemaking, leadership, community service, and activism. The award recipient will be presented with a plaque at a reception in the spring of 2016, and a gift of $250 will be made to an established program or scholarship at ISU selected by the recipient in his/her honor.

To be eligible, a nominee must be a resident of Bloomington or Normal and be at least 21 years of age. Eligible individuals must have a record of participation in peacemaking activities in the community. Examples of such activities include activities in the areas of civil rights, cross-cultural understanding, economic and social justice, environmental protection, as well as activities that help advance peace and human dignity. Nominees should have a record of peaceful conflict resolution, leadership, integrity, and compassion and demonstrate respect for all individuals. Nominees may demonstrate these personal attributes and a record of peacemaking activities in any area, including the workplace, family life, or volunteer work.

The following materials are required for all nominations or self-nominations for the Grabill-Homan Community Peace Prize:

-    Nominees should provide a brief resume that highlights their relevant peacemaking activities.
-    Two letters of support are required. These letters should be from individuals who can speak to the impact of the nominee’s activities and initiatives on the community.
-    A brief 300-500 word description of a community need that should receive public attention is also required. This description should be written by the nominee, and the community need should have a peace and conflict resolution dimension.

Please send applications to:

Dr. Dawn Beichner
Department of Criminal Justice Sciences
Illinois State University
Campus Box 5250
Normal, IL 61790-5250

Legacy Wall to Highlight LGBT History, Legacy

The Legacy Wall, a traveling interactive LGBT history exhibit, will be on display on the main floor of Illinois State University’s Milner Library February 15-27. The free exhibit was created by the Legacy Project, a Chicago-based non-profit dedicated to recognizing the contributions LGBT individuals have made to world history and culture.

The large Legacy Wall exhibit features stories of LGBT people from all walks of life throughout history who have made great contributions in more than 20 distinct fields. Featured individuals include social justice pioneer Jane Addams; civil rights organizer Bayard Rustin; British mathematician Alan Turing; U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Jordan; astronaut Sally Ride; artist Michelangelo; and the Rev. Mychal Judge, the “Saint of 9/11.” In addition to historical content, the exhibit also highlights the challenges faced by LGBT youth and includes data on the effectiveness of including LGBT-related content in general education for substantially lowering the incidence of bullying in schools.

Speakers on the Illinois State campus during February will present on related topics. Carlos Figueroa of Ithaca College will speak about his latest book in the presentation “Bayard Rustin: Black Gay Quaker Thinker and Civil Rights and Labor Activist,” at 7 p.m. Monday, February 15, in the Prairie Room of the Bone Student Center.

Librarian Bill Kemp from the McLean County Museum of History will present “Woman in Blue: Union Army Private Albert D.J. Cashier of Illinois” at 7 p.m. Thursday, February 18, on the main floor of Milner Library. The talk will cover the life of transgender Civil War veteran Albert Cashier.

At 7 p.m. Thursday, February 25, Barb Dallinger will interview Windy City Times publisher and executive editor Tracy Baim about her new book, Barbara Gittings: Gay Pioneer. Baim will also speak about founding the alternative paper, Windy City Times, and how she became interested in LGBT historical figures, including several who are included on the Legacy Wall. That event will be held on the main floor of Milner Library.

The Legacy Wall exhibit is endorsed by the Illinois Secretary of State, the Illinois Department of Human Rights, the Illinois Department of Tourism, the Illinois Municipal Relations Association, and the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance.

The display of the Legacy Wall at Illinois State University is co-sponsored by the Prairie Pride Coalition and Milner Library.

Open Mosque Day Opportunity to Meet and Learn

Open Mosque Day is an event organized to provide an opportunity for the community to get acquainted with its Muslim neighbors while deepening their understanding of the Islamic faith.

Open Mosque Day is Saturday, February 6, 2016, from 2 to 4 p.m. at Masjid Ibrahim, located at 2407 E. Washington St., Bloomington.

An RSVP for the event would be appreciated, with number of attendees, to openmosqueday@masjid-ibrahim.org.

Program for the event is as follows:

       2-2:20 p.m. -- Gathering and welcome address

       2:20-2.45 --  Break for snacks

       2:45-3:10-- An overview of Islam--A short presentation on Islam and freedom of speech, demystifying the Sharia Law

       3:10-3:30 -- Open Forum: Q&A and discussion. Socialize with local Muslims.

       3:30-3:45 -- Congregation prayer

Refreshments will be available, and free reading material, including books and brochures on Islam, will be available for attendees to take home.

New Exhibit Studies Origins of McLean County Residents

 McLean County Museum of History is preparing to unveil the first of five new exhibit galleries, ushering in a new era for how we connect visitors and students in particular, to local history

Challenges, Choices, & Change, a core part of the museum’s ongoing $3 million campaign is scheduled to open on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, Monday, January 18.

Visitors will be able to explore new inter-actives , local artifacts and imagery, digital technology featuring hands-on learning activities that will answer the questions: Who are the people who have made McLean County their home? Where did they come from and how did they travel to get here? What were their experiences like when they arrived?

From the arrival of native people to the immigration of Asian Indians and Latinos in the late 20th century, the new exhibit looks at the experiences of individuals and families from all over the world who came to make McLean County their home.

The gran opening will begin with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10: 30 a.m., followed by a special presentation on the project. Refreshments will be served after the program.

The new gallery is the culmination of the work of Dr. Gina Hunter, Illinois State University associate professor of Anthropology and Sociology, Museum curator, Susan Hartzold, and staff.

'The Talk' Forum to Focus on Law Enforcement Interaction/Careers

Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Bloomington-Normal Chapter, and the Illinois State University Chapter of the NAACP invite you to "The Talk" discussion of  “How to Respond to Law Enforcement and Careers in Law Enforcement” on Sunday, January 17.

This forum will take place at Illinois State University in the Bone Student Center Prairie Room, from 3 to 5 p.m., during Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend according to organizers “as we seek to continue Dr. King’s legacy through community dialogue and inclusiveness.”

Families, teens, students, churches, school districts, and others are encouraged to attend.  The event is free and open to the public.  ‪