New Route Theater Offers Weekend LGBT Play Festival
New Route Theater is presenting a festival of LGBTQ plays tonight and this weekend. Theater Director Don Shandrow and program Curator Duane Boutte join Charlie Schlenker to talk about Voices of Pride.
Shandrow says this festival of four plays follows on the heels of the Black Voices Matter festival in February.
Voices of Pride will be presented in staged readings tonight and Saturday (April 23) at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at First Christian Church, 401 West Jefferson St. in Bloomington. Tickets will be available at the door for a suggested donation of $10, and the shows are open to the public.
Black Lives Matter Panel a Humanist Examination
Camille Taylor
WJBC Forum
A “Humanist” is a person who has a strong interest in the welfare of others. The Bloomington Normal Humanists believe in taking responsibility for themselves and working for the well- being of others. They thoughtfully reflect on issues that confront our culture today and want to take action that benefits the community.
This mindset is the driving force behind the Black Lives Matter panel discussion on Tuesday, April 26, at 7 p.m. in the Normal Public Library. This event will give our predominantly white community an opportunity to hear the perspectives of panelists which include four African-Americans and one Caucasian woman raising African-American children about what life is like for them as a residents of this community.
The audience will hear their stories and get a snapshot of what they experience while shopping, raising children, working, and accessing services in Bloomington-Normal. A question and answer session will also provide audience members the opportunity to clarify and/or learn more about what they hear.
Black Lives Matter is an international activist movement started by community activists Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opel Tometi. After the 2013 killing of Trayvon Martin, these women were searching for a way to respond to what they viewed as the “devaluation of black lives.”
The movement has grown as the nation has witnessed the deaths of people like Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland, and Laquon McDonald. Although those deaths occurred to people outside our community, the Humanists group has grappled with the impact these events have had on communities across the nation and our society as a whole. First Christian Church, The League of Women Voters, Not In Our Town, the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal, and the YWCA McLean County are co-sponsoring this event.
The Humanists’ group hopes that this panel presentation will give our community an opportunity to listen compassionately and to raise awareness. While other communities often react after a tragedy or negative event has occurred, this panel is a proactive attempt to break down barriers and listen to our neighbors. An old Indian proverb says, “Never judge a man until you walk in his moccasins.” Hopefully the panelists will be able to help the attendees “walk in their shoes,” if even for a short time.
Mike: Make McLean County Autism Friendly
By Mike Matejka
WJBC Forum
April is autism awareness month. A new initiative is being launched in our community, with the ambitious goal to make McLean County an Autism Friendly Community.
Autism is a very unique disability. There is no physical characteristic of people with autism. Some have multiple disabilities. Some individuals on the autism spectrum are very quiet, shy and reticent. Others are very talkative. Some individuals are extremely intelligent. That’s why it’s called an autism spectrum – there is a wide variety of abilities and disabilities.
What does it mean to be autism friendly? It most especially means being sensitive and not pre-judging an individual. Someone who doesn’t make eye contact might not be threatening, they might have autism. Someone who nervously flaps their hands or repeats a particular body movement might be more than nervous, they might have autism. Someone who comes in for a job interview and seems very shy and difficult to connect might make a great worker, but their autism makes it difficult for them to relay what they CAN do.
The diagnostic numbers continue to grow. The Center for Disease Control now says that one in 45 U.S. school children are on the autism spectrum. Just four years ago, the number from the same agency was one in 88. It will take scientific work to explain this rise in diagnosis, but the numbers continue to rise.
So what can we do to make McLean County an Autism Friendly community? Number one, learn about autism. Many people still stereotype people on the autism spectrum as either someone rocking in the corner or as a savant. There are many communication, speech and social difficulties that come under the autism label. Learn about that variety. Be open to people with autism – sometimes a little patience goes a long way. Underneath that social hesitancy is often a very delightful individual. People with autism often are very insightful, as they see the world around them very literally and will speak honestly. Their perceptions can aid us all.
My adult daughter is a very intelligent individual with autism. She once made a fascinating comparison to Alice in Wonderland. Alice falls into the rabbit hole into a world that lacks logic, totally confusing Alice. My daughter noted that is how she feels every day. Because she has trouble with nuances of speech, inflection and body language, she is often confused by what others communicate. But if you take the time to communicate clearly, you’ll find a very thoughtful young woman. Let’s make McLean County Autism Friendly. Welcoming and getting to know this population can enrich us all.
Mike Matejka is the Governmental Affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council, covering 11,000 union Laborers in northern Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. He lives in Normal. He served on the Bloomington City Council for 18 years, is a past president of the McLean County Historical Society and Vice-President of the Illinois Labor History Society.
Basketball Matchup to Benefit Mental Health Organizations
Normal Community West High School's Not In Our Schools program is helping strengthen the lives of McLean Countians with mental health issues through a Friday hoops matchup.
One of two T-shirt designs available at Friday's game.
A Student vs. Staff Basketball Game is scheduled at 6 p.m. in the North Gym at NCWHS in order to raise funds for mental illness services in the area.
"We are splitting the proceeds 50/50 between NCWHS Guidance and the McLean County Crisis Center," NCWHS NIOS member Micaela Harris said. "It costs $2 to get in, and we will be selling t-shirts for $12."
'Colorblind Racism' Theme for IWU Summit
A public Summit on New Frontiers in the Study of Colorblind Racism, May 12-14 at Illinois Wesleyan University, which will focus on the modern roots of racial bigotry and discrimination.
The summit is supported by the American Sociological Association Fund for the Advancement of the Discipline, in order to bring together scholars, a campus community, and a local public to invigorate new directions for research on contemporary racism. It will include presentations by scholars as well as workshop sessions meant to stimulate new methodologies, approaches, insights, and strategies for better understanding and challenging contemporary racism.
The summit features a keynote address by Charlene Carruthers, national director of the Black Youth Project, whose recognition includes being named one of the “New Leaders of Social Justice” and “One of America’s Most Daring Young Black Activists.”
The summit will explore the idea that contemporary racial inequality is that of colorblindness -- the notion that individual or cultural differences best explain racial inequality, rather than ongoing racism and its past legacy.
Carruthers is a "black, queer feminist" community organizer and writer with more than 10 years of experience in racial justice, feminist and youth leadership development movement work. She currently serves as the national director of the Black Youth Project 100 (BYP100 is an activist member-led organization of black 18-35 year olds dedicated to "creating justice and freedom for all black people."
Her passion for developing young leaders to build capacity within marginalized communities has led her to work on immigrant rights, economic justice, and civil rights campaigns nationwide. She has led grassroots and digital strategy campaigns for national organizations including the Center for Community Change, the Women's Media Center, ColorOfChange.org and National People's Action, as well as being a member of a historic delegation of young activists in Palestine in 2015 to build solidarity between black and Palestinian liberation movements.
Carruthers is the winner of the "New Organizing Institute 2015 Organizer of the Year Award." She was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, where she currently resides and continues to lead and partake in social justice movements.
Chicago Latino Community Leader/Alumnus Leads 'Do Good' Program
Doing good is "about now, not later," .MacArthur Fellow and Illinois Wesleyan University alumnus Juan Salgado maintained during last week's Student Senate’s annual “Do Good” lecture at Illinois Wesleyan University.
"While you have that energy and enthusiasm and vitality, while you have everything to give and absolutely nothing to lose," said Salgado, president and CEO of Instituto del Progreso Latino, which creates educational and workforce opportunities for Latino communities in Chicago. "When you are doing action research or volunteerism or opening the doors for others, you're really opening the doors for yourself in so many different ways."
Salgado was recognized as a 2011 White House Champion for Change for Social Innovation. In 2010, he was the recipient of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund Excellence in Community Service Award.
Based on his leadership on the educational, political and economic advancement of the Latino community, Salgado was named one of 24 MacArthur Fellows in 2015. Funded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the so-called “genius grants” award each recipient $625,000, paid over five years with no strings attached, as an investment in the recipient’s originality, insight and potential. MacArthur Fellows are recognized for their extraordinary originality and dedication in their individual creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.
Salgado is a 1991 graduate of Illinois Wesleyan with a major in economics. He won a graduate fellowship to study at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a master’s degree in urban planning. Illinois Wesleyan granted Salgado an honorary doctor of humane letters degree at Commencement in 2013.
Illinois Wesleyan’s Student Senate sponsors the “Do Good” speaker series. The “Do Good” title refers to President Minor Myers, Jr., who concluded each Commencement ceremony admonishing graduates to “go forth in the world and do well, but more importantly, do good.”
Salgado’s presentation, entitled “The World Needs You,” will be held in the Hansen Student Center and is free and open to the public. It is part of the events and activities surrounding the inauguration of President Eric Jensen on April 2.
Second Law Enforcement Summit April 19
Join local law enforcement agencies for the 2nd Annual Law Enforcement Educational Summit, April 19, 2016 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Illinois State University’s Horton Field House, 180 N. Adelaide St., Normal.
The event is open to the public -- those 16 and over will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of training simulations (see map below).
Last year's inaugural summit in Bloomington offered residents the opportunity to learn how officers are trained to interact with civilians in common law enforcement situations, and for local police agencies to gain insight into community perspectives.
The event and others followed on the February 2015 Breaking Barriers police-community dialogue in Bloomington, co-sponsored by Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal.
2016 Asia Film Festival Offers Quartet of Acclaimed Works
The 2016 AsiaConnect Film Festival kicks off April 14 with four nights of acclaimed international hits examining life and struggles in Korea, India, Japan, and China.
Here are this year's offerings:
April 14, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Treeless Mountain
Jin (Hee Yeon Kim) and her younger sister, Bin (Song Hee Kim), are left by their mother (Soo Ah Lee) with Big Aunt (Mi Hyang Kim). The girls' mother is trying to hunt down their father. She gives them a piggy bank, telling her daughters that when it is full of coins she will return. Big Aunt is an alcoholic who neglects to look after the children. By selling roasted grasshoppers, the two girls manage to take care of themselves over the summer, waiting all the while for their mother's return. Unrated / 89 min. In Korean with English subtitles.
April 15, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Queen
A young Delhi woman from a traditional family goes on a solo honeymoon when her wedding is canceled in this Bollywood coming of age hit. Unrated / 146 min.
April 16, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Departures
Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo Kobayashi (Masahiro Motoki) learns that his orchestra is disbanding. Daigo and his wife move back to his hometown in northern Japan, where he answers an ad for what he thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary. As he learns and carries out the rituals used in preparing the dead for their final rest, Daigo finds his true calling in life. PG-13 / 131 min. In Japanese with English subtitles.
April 17, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Coming Home
A former political prisoner (Chen Daoming) tries to help his wife (Gong Li) regain her memory and rediscover their love for each other. PG-13 / 109 min. In Mandarin with English subtitles.
For details, visit http://www.normaltheater.com/index.aspx.
Illinois State University AsiaConnect is an association of faculty and staff members who work together in the interest of the Asian community. Its purpose is to:
- Promote the various cultures of the Asian community to Illinois State and the Bloomington/Normal community
- Represent the interests, needs, and concerns of Asian faculty, staff, and students
- Promote communication and support among the Asian community
- Develop cooperative relationships in the academic community and with student organizations
- Assist the University with the recruitment and retention of Asian faculty, staff, and students
Taste of the West Tasty Display of Local Diversity
The West Bloomington Revitalization Project's Taste of the West event wasn't fooling around April 1.
Local culinary lights brought their multicultural best to Bloomington First Christian Church to benefit the services the Project brings to the west side.
Jessica Chacko Jackson and local students (below) represented Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal at the Taste. Fifty-seven individuals signed the NIOT/NIOS pledge at the event.
Taste of the West featured dishes by Romelia Aza, Annie Foster, Selina Gunn, Reve Jackson III (Jackson's Soul), Chef Jose (Rosy's Grill), and Kelly Mathy (Kelly's Bakery & Cafe).
NIOTBN Production Becomes Mission for Student Filmmaker
It may be no major motion picture. But to an Illinois State University student team currently working to bring Not in Our Town: Bloomington/Normal’s story to the screen, the project’s significance is “huge.”
ISU senior and mass media major Cory Herman is helming a documentary about NIOTBN’s efforts toward building awareness and helping affect change in the Twin Cities. The yet-untitled project is an end-of-the-year production for his team’s Non-TV Production course, focusing on local non-profit activity.
The team currently is interviewing NIOTBN leaders and volunteers and compiling footage from recent NIOTBN-involved events including the December interfaith vigil in downtown Bloomington, NIOTBN’s participation at the Bloomington Donald Trump visit, last spring’s Breaking Barriers police/community dialogue, and the summer vigil for the Charlestown church shooting victims.
The film – and Herman -- were inspired by a meeting between students and NIOTBN Education Chairman Camille Taylor. As Taylor “passionately” outline the group’s community efforts and Not In Our School’s reach into elementary, junior high, and high school classrooms, Herman and his colleagues quickly realized that the project was “bigger than just ourselves; bigger than a grade,” he related.
“Listening to (NIOTBN’s) vision and its values, it really became a mission to show what Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal has done and the positive impact, the positive message that it stands for,” the Metamora student said. “We all looked at each other and said, ‘Wow, this is huge.’
“We want to make sure our film does justice for the organization – to make sure we’re doing everything we can to honor what they’re doing and the people who give the time to make sure that everybody feels safe, that no one feels afraid of being discriminated against or being persecuted for anything.”
The film is set to premiere in a late April screening for the NIOTBN Steering Committee before being submitted for the group to use in its activities. Herman’s production team also includes students David Hohulin, Kyle Bartolini, Sophia Hart, and Kristen Koukol, under the faculty direction of School of Communications Prof. Brent Simonds.
Herman’s own vision and values were forged in part by his parents – his father was a long-time youth pastor, his mother an active community volunteer. The family traveled extensively from church to church, “and my parents told me always to judge people based on who they are – how they act around you, how they act around adults – and to always have the capacity to forgive and to understand,” Herman said.
The Hermans lived for five years in a community a half-hour outside Charleston, S.C., where, according to the student documentarian, many of the residents “were very sweet and truly were looking for change” but others had clung to a “begrudging mentality” with roots in the Civil War era. Herman enjoyed a diverse circle of friends, but the population was divided somewhat by a largely white prep school and a predominantly black public school as well as lingering social sentiments.
“I didn’t realize until looking back, years later, that, wow, what I believed in – what my dad and my mom stood for -- wasn’t necessarily going along with the popular current,” said Herman, whose family returned to the Peoria area 14 years ago. “We never got harassed for it; nothing bad ever came from it. It’s just sobering, looking back and seeing that mentality.”
Herman is slated for a summer internship with a small production studio in Los Angeles. He hopes ultimately to use film, fictional or documentary, not only to entertain but to push his audience to learn and “question” – to challenge previous social perceptions or recognize societal issues and concerns.
“I want to come back and be able to film in Peoria, in Bloomington-Normal,” Herman maintained, however.
Black Life That Matters To Illuminate #BlackLivesMatter issues
The hashtag/concept #BlackLivesMatter was created in 2012 after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin’s killer, Florida armed suburban patrol volunteer George Zimmerman, was acquitted.
It since has fostered both a rallying cry for racial justice and a degree of social backlash. Twin Citians will join at 7 p.m. April 26 to try to clarify what #BlackLivesMatter means and how it impacts the community.
Diversity Trainer Art Taylor will moderate "Black Life That Matters" in the Normal Public Library Community Room. The panel discussion is co-sponsored by Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal, YWCA McLean County, The League of Women Voters, Bloomington First Christian Church, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal.
The public event is presented by the B-N Humanist Group.
NIOTBN Gets Facebook Lift
Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal PAGE is moving to the Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal GROUP. If you like this page, we invite you to like the group. We will be encouraging people to move over to our group over the next few weeks. Thanks for your friendship and support!
Capitol Forum to Offer Global Perspective on Human Rights
ISU's Bone Student Center will host the April 14 Illinois Capitol Forum on America's Future, a year-long civic education program for Illinois high school students promoting "informed discussion about and active participation in human-rights policy issues."
Capitol Forum supports teachers in their classrooms and focuses on human rights concerns worldwide. Collaboration with Illinois State University's History Department allows teachers and students opportunity to benefit from the resources and campus of the University. Illinois Humanities invites high schools – public and private, in upstate and downstate Illinois – to apply for the program.
This year's local participants include Bloomington High School Megan Bozarth and Normal Community High School's Kelly Keogh, as well as ISU Coordinator Richard Hughes.
Keynoting the event will be ISU history Prof. Issam Nassar, who will address the current situation in Syria. Follow-up sessions will address civil rights, military intervention for human rights, sexual exploitation, children's and health rights, and international justice. A series of human rights simulations will complete the day's activities.
Meet Your Muslim Neighbors Pt. 2 April 16
The Twin Cities' Muslim community is sponsoring a second open house to help area residents of all cultures learn about Islam.
The open house is 4-6 p.m. April 16 at the Islamic Center of Bloomington/Normal, 2911 Gill St., Suite 6, Bloomington. Based on the recent open house at Bloomington's Masjid Ibriham mosque, seats will fill quickly, so to reserve a space, RSVP to events@usicbn.org.
"If you didn't get a chance to visit the mosque during the last open house, now is your chance," suggests Kelley Becker, associate minister with Bloomington First Christian Church and Faith and Outreach chair with Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal. "Our Muslim brothers and sisters will welcome you warmly!"
See program on attached invitation.
Share Your Concerns About Bigotry in New Survey
Dear NIOT community members,
Not In Our Town - Bloomington-Normal is interested in hearing your feedback through Facebook or an anonymous survey.
Some of us face very overt forms of discrimination or bullying. There are also subtle, persistent words or activities that can put us on edge, causing confusion or hurt.
If you have experienced something like this in our community recently, would you mind sharing it on the Not In Our Town Facebook page, to begin an open community dialog? Not In Our Town is trying to gather information on the currents and sub-currents of our experiences, to help us build a safe and inclusive community.
Coming soon: Requests for your stories of how respect and love win.
Photo by Nia Gilbert
U-High Students Stage Black Lives Matter Demonstration
A sizeable percentage of students at University High School in Normal recently dressed all in black for a day to mark the Black Lives Matter movement.
There was some contention as other students dressed all in white as part of an All Lives Matter response. WGLT's Charlie Schlenker talked with two organizers of the Black Lives Matter effort, Juniors Seba Nassar and Nia Gilbert.
School administrators took care to encourage respectful dialogue on racial issues, though some posters were torn down. Two University High School teachers also publicized their classrooms as safe spaces to discuss racial and cultural issues connected to Black Lives Matter.
To listen to Schlenker's interview, visit http://wglt.org/post/u-high-students-hold-black-lives-matter-protest#stream/0 or listen below
Aishwarya: The Realities of Racism
Aishwarya Shekara
Not In Our School
Normal Community High School
The black smoke that engulfed us was thick and dirty. I instinctively held by breath while identifying the deep pain in my mother’s eyes. The driver sped off, quickly leaving us in the smoke.
I needed a moment to register what had just happened. This man, another human being, my fellow countrymen, had done this on purpose. His goal, like many others, was to get a rise from us: Make us want to put our anti-racism signs and Not In Our Town banner down. He wanted to divert us with his insult. He wanted to send us home; little did he know that we were already home. Bloomington is my town, my haven, my home, and no one has the right to take that away from me.
On Sunday, March 13, Donald Trump arrived in Bloomington, IL. on his alleged $100 million dollar private jet. After being shunned from Chicago, Trump must have been looking for a small town, one that would easily be duped by his radical rhetoric and demagoguery. But we would not let that happen. As a member of Not In Our Town in Bloomington, and a starter of my high school’s Not In Our School chapter, I would not allow such a hateful human to enter the realms of my community, my home.
The night before, I had decided to join the peaceful protest with NIOT members to show our community that hatred and bullying have no place in Bloomington. Donald Trump’s constant appeals to the fear and frustrations Americans face have opened doors such as racism and bigotry back in our free world. As a student watching all the mayhem the Republican frontrunner has created, I knew I couldn’t be a bystander. I had to act. My voice had to be heard. Nothing would have prepared me for the experiences and political gander I endured that day.
Braving the rain was a challenge every protester encountered. As my hair stuck to my face and my energy and spirits soared, the cold kept my emotions in check. Around thirty to forty members from Not In Our Town were silently protesting outside Trump’s rally headquarters. The silence was extremely excruciating, but I knew NOIT is nonpartisan and we were there to end hate, not create more.
Time passed as I held my anti-racism poster, and as the traffic started to pick up all the action started. Supporters of our message would honk, give us a thumbs up sign, or talk to us from their windows. Trump’s advocates weren’t as kind. As a sixteen year old American with Indian parents I had never faced this much hate in my young life. As they drove by, middle fingers raised telling us to “go home,” I was deeply shocked by the realities of racism and hatred that exist in today’s world.
When Trump arrived, I was ready to greet him with my message of defiance and protest. An elderly woman that was holding a “Make America Great Again” called my friends the “N-word” out loud. This is evidence that Trump’s campaign is uplifting racism in our country, by allowing strangers to use such evil and derogatory language. Later, I found myself trapped in a huddle of his supports. I knew I was entering a dangerous zone, a place my mother warned me of numerous times the night before. Though I was stuck in their huddle and cheers, I would not stay quiet. I knew if I was passive or ignored their hateful chants I was indirectly accepting their evil, and Trump’s message to our country. Quick to act, I began screaming anti-Trump chants such as, “Dump Trump” and “Love Trumps Hate” as loud as I could. Dazed and confused that a protestor had entered their pack, a man around sixty-years-old shouted, “Go back to your country.” At first, I was shocked to hear such a cruel comment directed towards me. Never in my life has someone had the audacity to say such a racist and hateful thing to my face. My reaction could be considered controversial; I started laughing because the joke was on him. I was born in OSF Saint Joseph Hospital, a mile away from the protest, and here this stranger was trying to tell me to “go back.” The irony of it all was too much for me, so I began laughing to let my anger and frustration out. Another woman nearby heard my obnoxious laughter and tried saying something. Before she could open her mouth I gave the group a dazzling smile and walked away.
Trump later called protesters “thugs” and “Bernie supports,” but we were simply there to exercise our right to peacefully protest to end his tyranny of hate. By appealing to radical voters, Trump has driven a wedge through our country, causing an eruption of discrimination and bigotry on our soil.
While walking back to my car I found a sticker on the ground that said “I love white people.” I love my white brothers and sisters, but loving a single race is baffling. Never had I imagined something this spiteful could be printed as a sticker to wear as a sick sign of pride orhonor. I picked the sticker up off the ground and ripped it to shreds. Something that vile does not belong on the soil of our free nation. It was in that moment I vowed to make a difference, to change something and make my voice heard. My goal as a students is to emphasize how our voice matters, and though some of us can't vote, we need to be heard because we are the next generation.
Photo by Mike Matejka
Twin Citians Explore Hindu Faith, Culture
Twin Citians continued their exploration of area's diverse cultures over the weekend during an open house at the Hindu Temple of Bloomington-Normal.
The event was part of Not In Our Town's efforts to offer Twin City residents ways to learn about different beliefs through local interfaith programs and open houses. NIOTBN Vice Chairman for PR and Marketing Archana Shekara is president of the McLean County Indian Association, and represented MCIA as well at Illinois State University's 45th Annual International Fair.
A similar open house Feb. 6 at Masjid Ibrahim in Bloomington drew about 100 people wanting to learn more about Islam from their Muslim neighbors.
The International Fair meanwhile provided the Bloomington-Normal community a showcase of food, music, entertainment, and traditional, cultural clothing from around the world. Student groups and community organizations hosted country- and region-specific displays, and booths, which featured a variety of clothing, art, and cultural artifacts.
Performances of traditional music and dance took place on the main stage from student and community performers. Visitors sampled and purchased ethnic foods and snacks prepared by international students, local restaurants, and community members.
April 1 Taste of the West Rustles Up Great Local Grub
The great chefs and eateries of Bloomington's west side will show off their multicultural wares during Taste of the West, Friday, April 1 at 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM at First Christian Church of Bloomington, 401 W. Jefferson Street.
The free competitive tasting event -- sponsored by the West Bloomington Revitalization Project (WRBP) -- will feature dishes by Romelia Aza, Annie Foster, Selina Gunn, Reve Jackson III (Jackson's Soul), Chef Jose (Rosy's Grill), and Kelly Mathy (Kelly's Bakery & Cafe).
"This is an opportunity to taste the rich diversity in food and cultures in Bloomington -- Not Your Average Chain Restaurant here," Not In Our Town: Bloomington/Normal Steering Committee member and Bloomington City Councilwoman Karen Schmidt noted. "West Bloomington is where our city started, and it embraces the wonderful diversity of cultures that many Bloomingtonians don't even know exist."
The WRBP Annual Meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the church.