By Alexis Kniery, YWCA McLean County
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward,” during a speech for the Civil Rights movement in April 1967. We know him as one of the strongest advocates and leaders throughout the Civil Rights movement. Some think racism doesn’t exist, but 50 years later it isn’t history, yet.
Black History Month is a remembrance of all the important people and events in history of African-American freedom. Black History acknowledgment began in 1926 as a weeklong observance in the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada, which fell the week in February when both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, two avid figures in African-American history, had their birthdays.
In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford extended the week long observance to a month and officially recognizing Black History Month, calling upon the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”
The United States has made tremendous strides since the Civil Rights movements, but there is no doubt that there is a long way to go before we are able to eliminate racism. Racism is still extremely prevalent today, and the Bloomington-Normal community is not immune. We know racism still exists due to many recent events around the country – racially charged school shootings, church shootings, and police brutality. Here in McLean County there are many activists and organizations working to eliminate racism and keep the evils of hatred out of our community.
Along with Not In Our Town and other civically-minded groups, YWCA McLean County is also working towards the goal of eliminating racism. YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.
Recently YWCA has implemented the program “Reading to End Racism.” This program encourages people in McLean County to share their stories around racism and discrimination. This program will help engage children, their parents, and teachers in conversations surrounding this difficult topic and allow a platform for those who have stories, to share and spread awareness.
“Reading to End Racism” volunteers come in to local schools, after-school programs, and other venues and read age-appropriate books regarding racism and discrimination, while also relating any personal stories of how racism and discrimination have affected their lives.
Norene Ball, YWCA Mission Impact Director said, “The idea behind Reading to End Racism is to reach children at an early age and hope to instill compassion in the children. We hope that after this experience, teachers and parents will continue to encourage compassion in children.”
Although the elimination of racism is the ideal, the reality is that it will take everyone to fully recognize it as an ongoing issue, as well as a highly coordinated partnership by everyone to tackle this very prevalent issue. We must stand together to fight the injustices of the world and together is the only way we can truly eliminate racism, injustice, and inequality.
To learn more about Reading to End Racism, to volunteer, or to learn more about other Mission Impact programs at YWCA McLean County, please visit www.ywcamclean.org or call 309-662-0461.