http://willconnect.org/blog/posts/ WILLConnect Feed http://cdn.atlas.illinois.edu/will.illinois.edu/images/ipmlogo6.png http://willconnect.org/blog/posts/ http://willconnect.org/blog/exploring-neighborhoods-in-champaign-and-vermilion-counties http://willconnect.org/blog/exploring-neighborhoods-in-champaign-and-vermilion-counties Crystal Kang Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:02:16 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Exploring Neighborhoods in Champaign and Vermilion Counties When I think about the word “neighborhood,” I imagine my own suburban hometown where I grew up. It's different than the ones I’ve seen in Vermilion and Champaign counties. On my block, not only do townhouses dot the boulevard, but they are exact replicas of one another. Most of my neighbors are white and middle-class, which add a cookie-cutter feel to my neighborhood. It's rare to see young and old come together because we mostly keep to ourselves. All of our lives diverge, and we are set on keeping our interactions to a minimum. The contrast between the neighborhood where I grew up and the ones I have visited in Danville and Champaign is striking. The most noticeable difference between my hometown and Danville was seeing rental properties, owner-occupied homes, apartment complexes and single family homes all standing in near proximity. At the same time, I came across a handful of vacant properties in Danville, which owners left behind as businesses went under amid the economic crisis that began about three years ago. Even so, Danville has a big heart for diversity and dreams. On my first visit, I met long-time resident Mary Ann Pettigrew. She shared stories about how close-knit her neighbors were as she grew up in the area where she and her siblings attended school and church. Her understanding of a good neighbor is someone who is there for you without being intrusive. She can attest to what it means to be there for her neighbors. Mary Ann had helped her 90-year-old neighbor Margaret find a ride to and from church for a while before she passed away. Before journeying through her neighborhood, Mary Ann showed her hospitality by providing a fresh plate of peanut butter cookies and tea for Celeste Quinn and me. On my second visit to Danville, I met Thom Pollock, the executive director of Crosspoint Human Services and president of the New Holland Corporation. His passion for helping people find affordable housing became clear when he spoke about the initiative to rehabilitate the apartment complex that had been known for drugs and prostitution some years ago. After seeing The New Holland, I was struck by its magnificence and grandeur. It stands out in downtown Danville. The care taken to preserve this historic building and the use of green technology impress. What is most impressive is the fact that The New Holland has opened up 47 affordable apartments for individuals and families. Thom believes in being “the best neighbor on the block.” His vision for Danville speaks volumes about his value of fostering community and unity. In Champaign I visited a home in Shadow Wood, a mobile home park. My first impression of the neighborhood was that people share communal spaces including a modest computer lab. I met Max Abandja and Lester Berrio, a couple who have a knack for helping their non-English speaking neighbors apply for jobs and providing spiritual guidance to church members. What surprised me was their heart for the residents of Shadow Wood. The one thing both Max and Lester look forward to each day is being resourceful to their neighbors. And that's exactly the kind of neighbor I hope to be and live with in the future. When I think about what all these people have in common, the word that comes to mind is "compassion." Without it, I don’t think anyone would think twice about helping a neighbor or even rebuilding a community. That vision simply wouldn’t be there. But through what are now comfortable interactions and experiences with the neighbors I met in Danville and Champaign, I’m learning a thing or two about what it means to be a better neighbor. Community Culture Economy History Housing People Urban Planning http://willconnect.org/blog/a-walk-in-our-neighborhood http://willconnect.org/blog/a-walk-in-our-neighborhood Pam Dempsey Sun, 25 Mar 2012 21:43:29 -0500 WILL Connect Blog It's the "social architecture," in addition to the physical architecture, that plays an equal role in quality of life, Brenda Eheart said. And quality of neighborhoods. A few nights ago, I took the dog next door for a walk around our neighborhood in downtown Danville. Shadow - the dog - and I have the occasional opportunity to do this whenever her owners go out of town. It’s good for both of us. Our route follows a rectangle path. We go down one street past the bowling alley to the corner of Vermilion and Harrison streets where the Fischer Theatre stands. Then we turn south on Vermilion, past the antique shops and go west on North Street, where the restaurant for the best halibut went dark a few weeks ago. People say it will soon be an Italian steakhouse. We then walk past the Masonic lodge, the Methodist church and the genealogical society to Pine Street, where a group once renovated a couple of historic houses. Our neighborhood is old, with several houses built in the early 1900s and some even before. There are some properties that could use a little care, and some that could use a lot of care. There are rental properties and owner-occupied properties. There are apartments and single-family houses. There are rich neighbors, poor neighbors and middle-income neighbors. There are children and grandmas and grandpas. There used to be a Jiffy Lube in our backyard but that closed last fall. There is now an auto parts store where a carwash used to be. These are some of the elements that make up our neighborhood. On our walk, Shadow and I passed by a preacher and his wife, who were standing on the porch of a low-income apartment building. They were talking to a female resident and giving her a bag of clothes. It was growing dark and the porch light cast shadows across them. The resident was pulling out items of clothes one by one out as they were talking. They didn’t see us as we passed by on the opposite side of the street. I watched them as Shadow sniffed her way along. I can’t say if this was a big deal to the resident. Maybe it was. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she was just being kind about the clothes she received. Maybe she really needed them. It made me think about something someone said during these last several months while reporting stories on housing for CU-CitizenAccess.org and while working on Housing: A Basic Human Need for Illinois Public Media. Brenda Eheart is founder of Generations of Hope in Rantoul. Generations of Hope, or what was originally known as Hope Meadows, is an intergenerational neighborhood that provides support and services to adoptive families. It's the "social architecture," in addition to the physical architecture, that plays an equal role in quality of life, Eheart said. And quality of neighborhoods. "And really what I ask people is to think about how important friends and neighbors and family are to us in our everyday lives and I think for many of us, when we have that, we tend to take it for granted and we don’t think, one how important it really is to us and we don’t think what our lives would be like if we really didn’t have that support," she said. This has stuck with me since our interview in January. And I was reminded of it again when I saw the interaction between the preacher and his wife. Our neighborhood isn’t perfect. 
We have our bouts of crime. I think its reputation is much worse than its reality. But I know I could leave my front door unlocked without worry because my nosy neighbor keeps a good eye on the area. I know that if I needed a jump start for my car, money for gas, or a ride to the hospital, I have three nearby options. I know that our neighborhood isn’t perfect. But it’s a perfect neighborhood for me. Housing Community http://willconnect.org/blog/nursing-homes-and-quality-of-life http://willconnect.org/blog/nursing-homes-and-quality-of-life Pam Dempsey Mon, 05 Dec 2011 00:57:18 -0600 WILL Connect Blog As we take a close look at nursing home care across Central Illinois, quality of life may vary to everyone. For some residents in the Champaign County Nursing Home, a cookie at night makes a big difference. During a state health inspection in December 2009, half a dozen residents complained that they were not getting a bed time snack. (See full report below) “A dark room and a cookie in the middle of the night is good for sleeping,” one resident reported. Sometimes she saved part of her dessert from dinner so she could have a snack overnight. And her complaint netted attention. Under state law, a facility is to provide at least three meals a day and cannot let more than 14 hours lapse between meals. The facility must also offer bedtime snacks. A lack of a cookie may seem insignificant compared to the other patient care problems that plague nursing homes - some so severe that they cause serious injury and even death. But to the few residents who complained that December day, the bedtime snack was a necessary part of their quality of life. And quality of life is a big deal. CU-CitizenAccess.org spent the last few months reviewing hundreds of federal and state records of more than 90 nursing homes in East Central Illinois in the wake of state efforts to reform nursing home oversight. 
 The results were startling. Many nursing homes have repeated safety violations spanning the past five years, placing residents at risk for untreated pressure sores, bladder infections, serious medication errors and broken bones. Some nursing home officials cite inadequate staffing issues and delayed public health payments as challenges to providing quality of care. Advocates argue that, regardless, nursing homes should fulfill the responsibilities they commit to. Those responsibilities may vary from patient to patient. It may be receiving their medication on time, having a warm bed to sleep in and a safe place to live. For others, it may be a daily activity more stimulating than sitting in front of a TV all day. And still, for some, it may be something simple as having a bedtime snack. Health Care http://willconnect.org/blog/growing-hope-against-hunger http://willconnect.org/blog/growing-hope-against-hunger Kimberlie Kranich Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:33:41 -0500 WILL Connect Blog A look at hunger in Illinois and the public-private response I met a man in his 20s at the Wesley Evening Food Pantry in Urbana this fall. He wouldn’t talk to me on camera, but he told me how he and his girlfriend had lived in their car for two weeks after he lost his construction job. He had sold plasma to supplement their income. She was nutritionally deficient and unable to donate. His eyes were wide and clear blue as he explained they only come to the pantry when they need food. Illinois Public Media staff members have met dozens of working or part-time working people like this man who need emergency food assistance. In July, we heard testimony from migrant farm workers in Rantoul who came from Texas with their families to work in the corn fields of Illinois. Some arrive with little or no money. Outreach staff from the Illinois Migrant Council (IMC) help them enroll in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps. But IMC funding is insufficient for an increased demand for services. IMC staff members are scrambling to cover a larger geographic area to meet the needs of those who don’t know from where their next meal will come. In Peoria, we heard from a woman whose church provided nutritious meals to 50 school children after cut backs resulted in abandonment of summer feeding programs at schools with the poorest children. “We wish we could give them more variety,” Marjorie Hayden, of the United Methodist Church in Peoria, told us. “Corn and green beans and mashed potatoes are wonderful but we need to introduce them to other foods and provide a balance meal and introduce them to some things they may not get introduced to at home.” Since 2009, as Illinois Public Media has been listening regularly to the voices of our region, hunger kept rising up as a community problem and these are some of the stories that were told to us. And we aren’t the only ones listening. In 2010, the Illinois Commission to End Hunger was formed and commissioners have been holding listening sessions throughout the state to develop an action plan every two years. Businesses such as Wal-Mart are huge donators of produce and meat to Illinois’ food banks. And local businesses, such as the Common Ground Food Coop in Urbana, have partnered with Illinois Public Media to provide meals to the Eastern Illinois Foodbank for every donation to WILL. During the month of Thanksgiving, Illinois Public Media will highlight the public-private efforts to meet hunger needs in Illinois with a special night of TV programming on Tuesday, Nov. 15 called “Growing Hope Against Hunger.” The first hour (7 pm) features a national program from Sesame Workshop that looks at families and hunger. The second hour (8 pm) will be a live, locally produced program whose focus is to: • raise awareness of hunger in Illinois • look at the public-private-government response to the need • connect viewers/listeners/web users to resources in their community An hour-long, live, online chat (9 pm) will follow the television programs. All are invited to participate in the chat by going to will.illinois.edu/connect. The 8 pm television program may be viewed on our main website here: will.illinois.edu. If you know of anyone who needs food assistance or if you have resources to give to those who are involved in these long-term efforts to end hunger in Illinois, we hope you’ll tune in on Nov. 15. Culture Food Government Poverty http://willconnect.org/blog/restaurant-jobs-high-turnover-lower-wages http://willconnect.org/blog/restaurant-jobs-high-turnover-lower-wages Pam Dempsey Mon, 12 Sep 2011 01:13:55 -0500 WILL Connect Blog The restaurant industry is a high turnover industry, which provides ample jobs. Yet wages on average are low This week CU-CitizenAccess.org and Illinois Public Media explore and discuss restaurant inspections in Central Illinois - the process of health inspections and the usefulness of keeping the public informed of inspectors’ findings. The number of people employed in Champaign County full-service restaurants was 3,430 people in the third quarter of 2010 , according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The restaurant industry is a high turnover industry, which provides ample jobs. Yet wages on average are low. In Champaign County, turnover in full-service restaurants for the third quarter of 2010 was nearly 18 percent and average monthly earnings was about $1,300. For new hires, the average monthly earnings was about $950, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Average monthly earnings in all industries overall in Champaign County were about $3,400 and nearly $2,000 for new hires. Job turnover overall was at about 8 percent. While the number of available job openings for food and beverage service workers is expected to increase nationally about 10 percent , combined food preparation and serving workers, including fast food workers are expected to increase 15 percent. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 edition on "food and beverage serving and related workers": * Most jobs are part time and have few educational requirements, attracting many young people to the occupation—21 percent of these workers were 16 to 19 years old in 2008, about six times the proportion for all workers. * Job openings are expected to be abundant through 2018, which will create excellent opportunities for jobseekers. * Tips comprise a major portion of earnings for servers, so keen competition is expected for jobs in fine dining and more popular restaurants where potential tips are greatest.
 http://willconnect.org/blog/wrapping-up-our-road-trip http://willconnect.org/blog/wrapping-up-our-road-trip Celeste Quinn Sun, 26 Jun 2011 16:26:09 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Our month-long trip along U.S. Route 150 draws to a close with stories on food and housing. Our series "Life on Route 150" has been exploring life in cities, small towns, and on farms during the month of June. The highway has served as a guide of sorts, leading us from Edgar and Vermilion counties along the border with Indiana to points west, including Champaign, Piatt, and McLean counties. We've been to food pantries, churches, police departments, parks, and more, reporting on struggles and successes. This week Illinois Public Media's Dave Dickey reports on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps) and why some people who are eligible for this assistance aren't signing up for it. Dave's report airs Monday on "Morning Edition" and Tuesday on "The Afternoon Magazine." The next story in the series is reported by Pam Dempsey of CU-CitizenAccess. It looks at how, in spite of the recession and rising housing vacancy rates, coummunities are working to maintain the quality of life in their neighborhoods. It will air Wednesday on "Morning Edition" and Thursday on "The Afternoon Magazine." Many of these stories grew directly from our community conversations. Illinois Public Media staff have convened, or asked others to convene these conversations. We come with a couple of questions to open the discussion, then listen. What we learn helps us report stories that illustrate and illuminate the issues that are important to the audiences we serve on radio, on television, and online. While the "Life on Route 150" series is drawing to a close, the conversations will continue. We're certain they'll continue to present us with more stories to share with you. All the best, Celeste Agriculture Business Children Community Crime Culture Economy Entertainment Environment Food Government Health Housing Nutrition Recreation Religion http://willconnect.org/blog/on-the-road-again-route-150-week-of-june-20 http://willconnect.org/blog/on-the-road-again-route-150-week-of-june-20 Celeste Quinn Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:52:25 -0500 WILL Connect Blog WILL News reporters continue their series of stories about life along U.S. Route 150. There are three new reports this week from WILL on the issues and concerns of people in east central Illinois who happen to live in communities along U.S. Route 150. On "Morning Edition" Monday, Tom Rogers brings us up-to-date on efforts to convert an old rail line along 150 between Urbana and Danville into a bicycle trail. People have been working on this project for decades. We'll broadcast this story on "The Afternoon Magazine" on Tuesday. The Champaign County village of Ogden recently decided to close its police department. Policing duties are now handled by the county sheriff. Other small communities have made the same choice as they grapple with tight budgets. But the Piatt County community of Mansfield continues to have an officer on-duty. Sean Powers rides along on patrol with Mansfield's one-man police department. Listen Wednesday on "Morning Edition" and Thursday on "The Afternoon Magazine." Our last story of the week is one I find particularly interesting. Faith and communities of faith are an integral part of life here as they are everywhere. In small communities, churches, together with schools and small businesses, have been bedrock institutions. How are congregations in rural areas faring today? Some are thriving, while others face significant obstacles as they try to survive. Jeff Bossert shares this story Friday on "Morning Edition" and later the same day on "The Afternoon Magazine." All the reporting on "Life on Route 150" along with photos, slideshows, video, maps, and more are here on WILL Connect. Visit often, and tell your friends. We've heard some good things about this series. Please share your thoughts with us here by commenting on the front page of WILL Connect, by letter (our address is 300 N. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, IL 61801), or phone (217-333-7300). All the best, Celeste Economy Government Community Recreation http://willconnect.org/blog/cu-citizenaccess-teams-up-with-will-on-route-150-project http://willconnect.org/blog/cu-citizenaccess-teams-up-with-will-on-route-150-project Pam Dempsey Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:09:51 -0500 WILL Connect Blog CU-CitizenAccess and WILL News team up for a series about towns along Route 150. CU-CitizenAccess.org is a grant-funded news and social network site focused on economic and social issues in central Illinois. Since January, CU-CitizenAccess.org has occupied a spot in the newsroom at WILL - a nice row of desks inside a cubicle in a noisy part of the newsroom where a steady stream of reporter chatter filters over the partitions all day long. In the two years since our inception, we’ve reported dozens of in-depth stories on the issues with visualizations such as maps, interactive graphics and charts as well as audio and video. Through this work we strive to meet our overall goal - offering the underserved and overlooked residents in our communities a public voice and a place to tell their stories. And we weren’t alone. WILL reporters and CU-CitizenAccess.org reporters do what they do best - report on a story or issue in a manner most natural to them - whether its broadcast reports, maps, graphics, charts, videos or online text. WILL’s dedication to the community and open-arms approach to the goals of CU-CitizenAccess.org made for a natural transition from reporting stories alone to reporting them together. It’s a strong, effective way to cover these types of stories under lean economic times, by combining our skills and knowledge and pooling our resources. We’re doing it together. And this way, our communities have an even bigger benefit - they get a louder voice and a larger place to tell their stories. So, thank you WILL. We look forward doing great work together. Visit CU-CitizenAccess. Media http://willconnect.org/blog/this-week-on-route-150 http://willconnect.org/blog/this-week-on-route-150 Celeste Quinn Mon, 13 Jun 2011 14:39:51 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Here's where we're headed. After visiting community kitchens and state parks last week, we're back on the road with stops in Farmer City, Mansfield, Urbana, and McLean County. First up: Sean Powers takes the wheel and we pull into the Farmer City Raceway where people are engaged in a decades-long tradition of weekend races. Sean's report airs June 13th on "Morning Edition" and June 14th on "The Afternoon Magazine." Next WILL's Jim Meadows and Pam Dempsey of CU-CitizenAccess look into the difficulties some area residents face finding quality food. They report on the concept of food deserts. They're areas where a lack of nearby full-service supermarkets makes it tough for people with low incomes to put healthful foods on the table. Our last stop this week is McLean County where we're in search of all things alpaca. Did you know McLean County is home to no fewer than three alpaca farms? The long, silky, soft alpaca fiber is highly prized, and the people who raise these natives of South America are quite taken with their personalities. Jeff Bossert is our guide on this trip. Listen to his report Friday on "Morning Edition" and "The Afternoon Magazine." Of course, you can listen to these stories and look at the photos and slideshows that are part of the project whenever you'd like here on WILL Connect. We'll be making more stops along Route 150 as June continues. So, there are more stories to come. Thanks for riding along. Celeste If you'd like to learn more about CU-CitizenAccess.org, take a look at the organization's website. Visit CU-CitizenAccess Agriculture Business Community Culture Economy Entertainment Food Health Nutrition Recreation Transportation Latin America http://willconnect.org/blog/life-on-route-150 http://willconnect.org/blog/life-on-route-150 Celeste Quinn Mon, 06 Jun 2011 21:12:27 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Stories about life and matters that face us in east central Illinois. WILL reporters are traveling U.S. Route 150 from the southeast in Paris, IL in Edgar County to the north and west and the community of Leroy in McLean County. We're talking with people about life here: what we do and what matters to us. The stories involve home and civic life and how we're making a living in 2011. We're stopping in small towns and mid-size cities. The first story is from Sean Powers. He takes us into a community kitchen in Vermilion County and introduces us to the people working to create one in Champaign County. What is a community kitchen? Listen to Sean's report. I hope you'll join us for these reports here on WILL Connect and on WILL Radio during "Morning Edition" and "The Afternoon Magazine." And I want you to know that at WILL Connect, you'll find these stories as well as resources for connecting with people and community organizations where you live. We hope to hear from you about life where you live and want to know what you'd like to see here. WILL Connect is a work in progress and we hope that will always be so. All the best. Celeste http://willconnect.org/blog/shelbyville-tennessee-america-is-still-developing http://willconnect.org/blog/shelbyville-tennessee-america-is-still-developing Gabby Parsons Wed, 11 May 2011 17:06:53 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Tuesday's Community Cinema is more light-hearted but still delivers a message. Yesterday's film, "Welcome to Shelbyville" was probably the most uplifting so far of all the Community Cinemas that we've viewed. It followed citizens of Shelbyville, TN who were struggling with the recent influx of refugees coming into the previously conservative, and white-predominated town. The film was good about mixing humor with the facts of the situation, and overall gave one a sense of humility after it was over (like every other film we've screened!). Here's a clip from the film. What really surprised me about the movie is that how recently the events took place, and that a setting not too especially far from Illinois was still living with ideals that most have not seen since Civil Rights era. There were peoples' ideas featured, especially the town's own newspaper reporter, that were referring to the Somalian refugees with racist thoughts and beliefs. However, unlike every other film that we've screened, I feel like "Shelbyville" concluded with the central conflict really on its way to being solved. The documentary also didn't follow any specific time-line within the setting, and I liked the fact that we as the audience were kind-of "plopped" right into the middle of what was going on for a little. After the film we had another great discussion moderated by Jack, and some of the audience members were returning viewers from the last film, so I was happy that we are building a small following. The discussion focused primarily on American culture and the English language, and I even joined in and gave my two-cents! I am REALLY looking forward to the next film which is the one that I have been wanting to see most all along. It is about the senseless murder of a transgender Native American boy, Fred Martinez; and will be screened in June. Community Politics Race Religion News Opinion People Media Education Labor Latin America Culture Immigration Justice History Human Rights http://willconnect.org/blog/racism-alive-and-well-in-birther-movement http://willconnect.org/blog/racism-alive-and-well-in-birther-movement Christine Adrian Wed, 04 May 2011 14:05:29 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Insistence on proving the President's citizenship another form of racism When the silent film, Birth of a Nation, was released in 1919, it was praised highly among the American people. It has even been cited at the highest grossing silent film in American history. The message of the film was clear; it propelled the idea that blacks in this country were not like “us.” Rather, African-Americans (white actors in black face) were made to appear alien; foreign. This was revealed through depictions of African-American men in particular as unintelligent, sexually aggressive (especially to white women) creatures. The Ku Klux Klan, on the other hand, was lauded as heroes, working to clean communities of this “foreign menace” that preyed on our “pure American values.” During the era of Jim Crow, which followed the Civil War that freed blacks from legalized slavery, black men and women were harassed, segregated, stalked and murdered in the name of an ever stagnant idea that “true” Americans did not include people of color. The Jim Crow era declared to all people of color that attempts to gain equal status to white “American” citizens could result in the end of their life. The white power structure in the United States proclaimed publicly that blacks should be satisfied; after all, they gained their freedom and now enjoyed “separate but equal” facilities. In reality, the underpinnings of this social construct were to continue to define African-Americans as those who are subhuman and not entitled to the natural rights of humans laid out in the U.S. Constitution. African-Americans in this country had to defend their actions, their very existence, on a daily basis to any white that asked for it. Blacks were instructed not to look whites in the eyes as a matter of respect; they wouldn’t dare call a white by their first name; at least not without a “Miss” a Ma’am,” “Sir” or “Master.” What spaces a black person was allowed to occupy were constantly culturally legislated. African-Americans could only sit in the worst seats in the theater; they could only defecate in assigned public locations; God forbid white and black waste mingle. If African-Americans were out after curfew, they had to carry a permit that could and probably would heavily scrutinized by any white that chose to ask for it. (This hearkens to travel permits that were issued to slaves during the slavery era). Even if that permit were produced, it might not make a difference. A black’s right to exist in that space most likely would still be questioned. That was then, this is now. A series of Supreme Court decisions meant the end of legal segregation. In 2008, many media outlets declared “the end of racism” when President Barak Obama was elected as our president. Since his inauguration, he has been harassed about his name and religion (too “Muslim”, not the “right kind of Christian”), his education (How did he get into Harvard? How did he pay for it?), his adherence to the principles of democracy (he’s a socialist!) and his citizenship. Much like a movement that supported the success of a cultural, social and political system known as Jim Crow, the “birther” movement has consistently and doggedly harassed our president to prove he is worthy of the space he occupies in our nation’s capital. Like the supporters of the idea of “separate but equal”, the ideologies that support this continual and unprecedented harassment of our commander and chief speak more to our long history of racism and overall refusal to acknowledge it as a nation. Our mega media outlets have given fuel and voice to this racism through constant coverage, interviews and articles, not unlike the nation’s silent film blockbuster, Birth of a Nation. April 27, 2011 signaled a new low point for race relations in this country. Our president, who holds a position of ultimate power and respect in this country, was forced to show “his permit” to legitimize his occupancy of the White House. Never before has a president been so continually questioned to prove that he belongs not just in his space, but also to the group that we call “American.” Much like the African-American male in the 1950s out after dark, the original permit was not good enough. As a nation, it was declared over media outlets that if you’re black, there is no place in our society where you will be seen as equal; even if the majority of Americans have said with their votes that you deserve to be there. Race Justice Culture http://willconnect.org/blog/freedom-riders-an-inspirational-success http://willconnect.org/blog/freedom-riders-an-inspirational-success Gabby Parsons Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:59:34 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Thursday's event spurs great conversation and enlightenment. Last night's Freedom Riders screening and discussion was extremely powerful, and if you missed it, boy did you miss a lot! There was such a great exchange between the panelists, Dr. Patterson, and the audience. I was excited from the moment I got there for the program to begin because I love interactive events like this where so many voices and opinions can be expressed and debated. As the film clips were being played, it seemed each one was more powerful than its predecessor. I love learning, observing, and trying to understand anything from the Civil Rights era because I feel it is such a relevant and necessary part of American history. the clips really captured (for how short they were) how dangerous, frightening, and powerful being on the bus and traveling into the deep South was. For every person that was interviewed in the film, I felt a sense of humility, for people in today's times take a lot of things for granted; and here are individuals risking their LIVES in order to interrupt a system that's been in effect since slavery ended. Since I am African-American and have family members who are from the South and experienced segregation, I feel a personal connection to the stories, and an obligation to understand it as a part of my history as well. Although the Freedom Riders and other Civil Rights events took place almost half a century ago, that part of my history as a black American should never be forgotten or disregarded. I had two favorite elements of the night: being able to witness the ideals of our great panel, and being able to do my own five minute interview. After each film clip there were questions and responses for and by the as an open discussion. I learned some history I was previously unaware of, and I also got some answers for ideas of my own. The panel was expertly organized in my opinion, and I don't think there could have been better candidates. For my five minute interview I was asked a series of questions about my personal integrity and about Civil Rights today, and I think I gave some good answers! Latinos as a discriminated group from Illinois Public Media on Vimeo. Standing Up for What You Believe In from Illinois Public Media on Vimeo. Overall I am very grateful I was able to be a part of this experience. I think it's important that communities have events like this to not only keep the history alive, but to spark awareness in the communities as well. As the generations are moving farther and farther away from America's shadowy past of racial inequality, it is the job of those who are aware to keep it alive. Media Culture Race People Civil Rights Education History Human Rights Interviews Justice http://willconnect.org/blog/benazir-bhutto-pakistans-martyr http://willconnect.org/blog/benazir-bhutto-pakistans-martyr Gabby Parsons Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:08:30 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Tuesday April 26th's Community Cinema opens my eyes once again. Yesterday was yet another fantastic Community Cinema and this time around we viewed "Bhutto" about Benazir Bhutto, the first elected Muslim woman to office. Bhutto was the Prime Minister for the republic of Pakistan, and ultimately was assassinated by the country's corrupt presidential regime. Before this film I knew virtually nothing about Benazir, and had only heard her name a handful of times. What I received most from this film is just how much Pakistan has suffered politically for virtually its whole existence. Benazir Bhutto was so inspirational, regal, beautiful, intelligent; and just like all other great leaders who have been assassinated, her life was ended way too soon. Here is a clip from the film. The film was the longest one that we've viewed so far (an hour and fifteen minutes), however, it seemed to move quicker than some of the others just because of how captivating and intriguing it was. It was 40-plus years of Pakistani history, but overall the other viewers (and I agree) believed it was done excellently for how much information needed to be included. I knew absolutely nothing about Pakistan before watching "Bhutto", and just as "Pushing the Elephant" enlightened me on the struggles in the Congo, this film instilled a new sense of awareness within myself about the country of Pakistan. I loved the strong sense of culture illustrated in the movie whether it was the traditional music being played as background audio, or hearing the native language of Urdu being spoken; I feel this film was created FOR Pakistan, not ABOUT Pakistan. This movie allowed for me to learn about a totally different world outside of my comfy Urbana life, and how the struggles Bhutto and her nations faced/are facing are real. I don't know if this is the motive, but every Community Cinema film I've viewed has really tugged at my heart! Probably the thing I loved most about the movie is being able to hear and see Bhutto talk. She was so powerful yet beautiful at the same time, I was just in awe. Although Bhutto was an educated woman in politics (something absolutely unheard of) she also believed in maintaining traditional values. She kept her hair covered, never shook hands with men, and was arranged to be married since she was in such a high position of power within society. Her headscarves and traditional robes only added to her regal appearance, and throughout her life I would say Benazir Bhutto remained one of the most beautiful people I have seen. We had a great discussion after the film, and two of the audience members were of Middle Eastern descent. One woman was from India, and a man was from Pakistan. They both provided expertise, experience, and enlightenment towards the film and their personal opinion of Benazir Bhutto. The major reason I love these Community Cinemas is for interactions like this. Overall I feel kind-of upset that Bhutto's life was ended before I was really old enough to understand and have an interest in world politics. This film was a small glance into the renown Bhutto family and their legacy with Pakistan. My only hopes are that I can learn more, and that this film will touch others as it touched me. Entertainment Pakistan Justice News History Politics Culture Community http://willconnect.org/blog/teaching-segregation-and-the-black-liberation-movement-in-the-age-of-obama http://willconnect.org/blog/teaching-segregation-and-the-black-liberation-movement-in-the-age-of-obama Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:41:16 -0500 WILL Connect Blog It's harder now in the Obama age than it was then Editor's note: Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua is associate professor of history in African American Studies at the University of Illinois. He will be a panelist at Illinois Public Media's Freedom Riders event April 28, 2011. Soul/R&B legend, Wilson Pickett was nominated for a Grammy in 1999 for the song “It’s Harder Now.” Pickett’s soul classic resonates with me because I find teaching African American history “harder now.” It is especially difficult to teach the sociohistorical period known variously as “the age of Jim Crow” or “Segregation.” Students don’t see the segregated South of the 1950s and 1960s as harrowing as Slavery or as rancorous as the Nadir (1877-1923). Why is teaching African American history to this generation of college students such a difficult task? Why is the era of Segregation and the liberation movements it spawned so difficult for today’s youth to understand? There are myriad reasons for students’ confusion on the history of Segregation and the civil rights and Black Power movements. I think the two most important are: 1) the inaccuracy and impotence of the terms used to describe the phenomena and the period; and 2) contemporary students’ faith in the market and U.S. law, and lack of faith in ordinary Black people, which leads them to reject social movements and protest strategies. Because that moment and the racial relations encompassed by it have largely been misrepresented, it is not surprising that many white students view the period’s inequities as “irritating,” rather than fundamentally oppressive. According to one white male student in the course on the Black Freedom Movement I teach, “the market would have soon eliminated segregation; it wasn’t profitable.” From his vantage point there was no need for disruptive protest activities. On the other hand, many contemporary Black students like an African American female student in that same the Black Freedom Movement course, mistakenly believe “blacks fared better” when “we owned our own segregated institutions.” Focused on the successful individuals and Black teachers and administrators that heroically prepared them despite working in under resourced institutions, they mistakenly view the period far more positively than it was. What’s the problem with the dominant terminology? Essentially, it emphasizes form over content, that is, it stresses racial separation rather than analyzing a system of white supremacy in which whites made all of the decisions about the accumulation and allocation of resources. In my experience, the emphasis on “separate” drinking fountains, schools, etc., and the relegation of Blacks to the back of the bus leads most students to mistakenly equate African American Studies units, Black cultural centers, and even Black students’ in-group socializing with “Segregation.” Simply put, the term “segregation” does not accurately convey the system of racial oppression that existed from the 1880s until it was outlawed in the mid-to-late 1960s. What’s missing is an emphasis on power relations, the dominant and subordinate positions of whites and Blacks in the racial order. In that system of racial oppression, whites controlled all public institutions. For instance, all-white state and local superintendants and school boards decided that African American schools would receive 10-33 percent of the resources that white schools received. They hired all personnel, set policy, and selected the textbooks. These same entities determined to pay Black teachers with the same credentials as whites approximately 65 percent of whites’ salary. As we can see, the heart of this system was not that it separated African and European Americans, but that whites had exclusive power over all decision-making processes. And of course, they enacted policies that insured unequal outcomes. Given this, “segregation” does not begin to describe how this system functioned. The Apartheid concept better captures the system of racial oppression. Technically, both terms have the same denotation, but they have very different connotations. What we in the United States call “segregation” is referred to as “petty apartheid” in South Africa. That is those aspects that mandated and enforced separateness in social relations. Apartheid in general is recognized as a system of white supremacy, which entailed the exploitation of Blacks’ labor, political subjugation, social ostracism, and a combination of cultural destruction, appropriation, and assimilation that is buttressed by violence. On Thursday April 28, at a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of 1961 Freedom Rides, I along William Patterson, Office of Inclusion and Inter-Cultural relations, Carol Ammons, co-founder of C-U Citizens for Justice and Christine Adrian, Jefferson Middle School Teacher will dissect the structural and ideological underpinnings of American Apartheid and examine civil rights campaigns and battles for Black Power by the Black liberation movement during the 1960s (1955-1977). The Freedom Rider event and other popular programs will make it less hard to teach contemporary youth about Blacks’ struggle for freedom, justice, equality, self-determination and social transformation. Commentary Community Culture Justice Politics Race http://willconnect.org/blog/reflections-on-community-based-scholarship-and-family-values http://willconnect.org/blog/reflections-on-community-based-scholarship-and-family-values Dr. William Patterson Sun, 24 Apr 2011 14:37:15 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Connecting young people to their history through media Editor's note: William Patterson is on staff at the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He grew up in the twin cities and received his PhD. from the University. He is the moderator of Illinois Public Media's Freedom Riders event April 28, 2011. It’s a great feeling when you understand your own history and its legacy. There’s nothing like walking down the street and being hit with moments of remembrance such as seeing an indigenous space like a building that used to house the barbershop where you got your hair cut when you were a kid or the lot that now holds a new building in the same space that your father placed his dream in a barbecue restaurant. I have been so blessed over the years to be able to manifest moments of remembrance into legacy building scholarship. When I think about the importance of understanding the legacy I inherited, I reflect on the essence of growing up with a great sense of family and a great sense of community. My family and the community of Champaign-Urbana always provided a safe space to play as a child, but also an opportunity to grow into an adult with a deep sense of the shared family values that build and maintain great communities. It’s those traditions that I believe the Freedom Riders got on the bus to maintain and preserve. They knew that African Americans’ sense of freedom and pursuit of happiness was not being realized and protected in the South. The Riders knew that in order for change to be realized it would take putting their own lives on the line to make a statement that the whole world would see. I wonder what the Freedom Rider bus would look like today? What would drive people to get on the bus? This is why the essence of my scholarship concentrates on teaching young people in the African American community how to use media to connect with the legacies of the black lived experience. It is my hope on Thursday night we’ll again create a space where students will be inspired to discover their communal legacies through conversations and documentation from a living reflection of self-identity. It’s the love of my family and community that provided me with a strong sense of the need to educate myself to gain the ability to work with young people and provide them with the support to learn and appreciate the indigenous knowledge of the African American experience. Won't you join us on Thursday to talk more about the legacy of the Freedom Rides and the work that remains? Civil Rights Commentary Community History http://willconnect.org/blog/a-call-to-history-teachers-to-get-on-the-bus http://willconnect.org/blog/a-call-to-history-teachers-to-get-on-the-bus Christine Adrian Sun, 24 Apr 2011 13:57:05 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Are the stories you teach unchanged since slavery and segregation? Editor's note: Christine Adrian is a Jefferson Middle School Social Studies Teacher and Content Area Chair and the Illinois History Teacher of the Year, 2010. She is a panelist at Illinois Public Media's Freedom Riders event April 28, 2011. History teachers may not realize it, but they hold an enormous source of power in society. You might not know it from our paychecks, but I contend that our choices in how we tell the stories of the past and present determine this country’s future policy debates, laws and identity. I became a teacher because I fundamentally believe in the power of knowledge as the great equalizer. Those who hold it, have options. Those who don’t won’t. I believe that those who shape knowledge hold more power than presidents, dictators and kings. For me, those who shape knowledge have the power to control the past, present and future. These people have the power to convince a whole group of people they are worth the struggle, or that no matter how they struggle they will never realize their dreams. The people who shape knowledge define what is important to know and what a society forgets. As history teachers, we are the controllers of knowledge for our students. How we shape the past affects how our students see themselves, their present, and their futures. It is our tendency to tell only the stories that we heard in history classes when we were students. After all, isn’t that how it works? The past is the past, unchangeable, static. I contend that history is very much alive in the way we choose the stories we as a nation teach. You see, when you choose to tell the stories that were passed down over generations of history teachers, you perhaps unknowingly are communicating the lens of history shaped by those who lived with slavery, segregation and racism and either helped to construct it or willingly accepted it. Sure, textbooks have made efforts to add a bit of “color” and “femininity” to their tomes, but overall, the stories are largely of white men as the success story. Take this challenge: count the amount of white men discussed in a child’s history book and compare it to the amount of people of color and women that are discussed. I warn you, it will take you a while. Why is this, you may ask? The stories told in these books have remained largely unchanged since the times when slavery and segregation were institutionalized, apparent and openly violent. It benefited and justified those who propelled or accepted institutionalized racism to have history shaped and told through the lens of those in power. Those add-ins for people of color and women are often of those who were victimized in some way. In essence, we’re still teaching the same stereotypes that made slavery and segregation possible. As teachers, we owe our students more. It is their right to see their faces, their identities in people of the past; those who were admirable, successful, and human. While we can and should still teach the white men of the past, we should teach students that history can hide and alter the truths of those who were very much present, contributing members of our society. If we truly want to break the chains of slavery and segregation, we must free ourselves from repeating the same old stories and tell richer, fuller stories of the past. We must teach students to look at an author’s purpose in writing history; knowing that is equipping them with the power of knowledge. Teaching kids to be critical of what they read in history and why it was written is not anti-patriotic; quite the opposite-it is the fundamental right and duty of a working democracy. When students see their faces, their histories in the people of the past, it validates their existence and place in society. They can now see possibilities. They no longer see the struggles of the past as past, but very much connected to the present. They can look at the world more realistically; they see that current injustice has a historical connection. They can see that history becomes a vehicle for change instead of accepting that the way things are now are just the way it is and will always be. So here’s my call to you, history teachers, to “get on the bus”. Step away from the history books; step out of your previous understandings of history and the way it is taught. Empower your kids to see themselves as heroes through the stories of the past that incorporate ALL of their voices. Give our kids the equipment to wipe out today’s ever lingering racism and sexism so it can TRULY be taught as a thing of the past. Here’s a good place to start:Zinn Education Project. Here’s my question to you: Where do you look for information to teach outside the textbook? Community Culture History Race http://willconnect.org/blog/would-you-get-on-the-bus-today http://willconnect.org/blog/would-you-get-on-the-bus-today Kimberlie Kranich Sat, 23 Apr 2011 08:13:02 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Thoughts about interrupting racial oppression then and now, north and south Have you ever looked at a photo of a lynching? Not only does it show a lifeless black male body hanging from a tree, the photo often captures a crowd of men, some women and even some children, all white, observing this extrajudicial killing. Have you looked at the expressions on the faces of those posing in front of this “strange fruit” (as Billie Holiday sang about) hanging from a tree? I have. They haunt me. The visual image of this extreme form of racial hatred is seared in my consciousness as I study the US civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Questions pop into my mind: What would I have done? Would I have fled? Joined the mob? Risked my life to stop it? And, what do I do in 2011 to interrupt the not-so-obvious forms of racial oppression still part of my world? What risks do I take today? What stereotypes need to be uprooted from my own mind? These are some of the questions we’ll explore at a special Freedom Rider event Thursday that links the Freedom Riders movement of 1961 to today’s movements for social and racial justice locally, nationally and internationally. We’ll start the conversation with clips from a new American Experience documentary on PBS called Freedom Riders. The Freedom Riders is a powerful harrowing and ultimately inspirational story of six months in 1961 that changed America forever. From May until November 1961, more than 400 black and white Americans risked their lives—and many endured savage beatings and imprisonment—for simply traveling together on buses and trains as they journeyed through the Deep South. Deliberately violating Jim Crow laws, the Freedom Riders met with bitter racism and mob violence along the way, sorely testing their belief in nonviolent activism. Watch the full episode. See more Freedom Riders. In-between film clips we will have a discussion with African-American Studies history professor Sundiata Cha-Jua, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice co-founder Carol Ammons and Jefferson Middle School teacher Christine Adrian. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. William Patterson of the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations with sounds of the freedom rides spun by Hip Hop Express Productions. Between now and Thursday’s event, we’ve got some content on-line that you might be interested in. The Reverend Ben Cox was a 30-year-old minister in 1961 and one of the original 13 Freedom Riders. He lived in Champaign-Urbana for a time in the 1990s. He was featured on our Keepin' the Faith program. You can listen to that interview at the link at the bottom of this post. Jason McGaughey, a student at Heartland Community College, in Normal is one of the 2011 student freedom riders. You can follow him and 39 other students from across the nation who will participate in a 10-day journey in May tracing the original Freedom Ride. One of the goals of the ride is to launch a national conversation about the role of civic participation in a thriving democracy. Congratulations to Jason who won a competitive contest to be able to participate. And now back to my original thought about interrupting racial oppression today. Have you any examples to share? Civil Rights Community Culture Environment Justice Race http://willconnect.org/blog/community-conversation-in-st.-joseph http://willconnect.org/blog/community-conversation-in-st.-joseph Sean Powers Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:19:18 -0500 WILL Connect Blog A review of the community conversation in St. Joseph on April 19, 2011 This week, WILL News Director Tom Rogers and I led a community conversation at the St. Joseph Apothecary in St. Joseph, Ill., a community that appreciates its small town feel. About 10 people showed up. They represented groups such as the chamber of commerce, a realty agency, and the St Joseph School District. The conversation kicked off with praise for the bedroom community. “Moving here was the best of both worlds,” said one resident, commenting on the town’s sense of community and its proximity to the University of Illinois. But there were things the group agreed could be better. There seem to be consensus that a community center would fit perfectly “where seniors could meet up, wedding showers could be held, and family reunions could take place.” A community center would be logical for the residents, many of whom come here to be with family. “More retirees are coming because their sons and daughters live here,” one person stated. “We have a fairly large senior population, and it would help them to have a little more variety.” The people at the community conversation also voiced support for economic development in St. Joseph. One person talked about adding some condos, while another expressed interest in a fast food restaurant or tavern. But adding new businesses in St. Joseph has received some criticism before. A gas station built last year on Main Street concerned residents about it getting in the away of the small-town feel. “It’s a terrible waste we have some empty businesses downtown,” one person said. “We need to support our businesses that are here.” During the conversation, damaging winds were pounding the exterior of the building. We all moved to the basement for shelter, and continued the discussion. Residents commented on the importance protecting their neighbors during powerful storms, like the one on this night. They also touched on wellness, saying they would like to have a bike path on Route 150 near some old train tracks. As a final question, Tom Rogers asked if newcomers feel like they are part of St. Joseph. “If they have kids here who are in school or they get involved in one of the churches, they start feeling welcome,” one person replied. The conversation then went full-circle, back to one of the earliest topics – the people who live in St. Joseph. The residents re-stated their interest in having a community center, more business development, and neighborhood activities. Community Economy Business University Of Illinois http://willconnect.org/blog/21st-century-learners-living-in-the-digital-world http://willconnect.org/blog/21st-century-learners-living-in-the-digital-world Celeste Quinn Fri, 08 Apr 2011 16:19:01 -0500 WILL Connect Blog Digital media in the classroom Why are we likely to praise a child for reading a book past bedtime, but if that child is gaming into the wee hours, we're likely to feel anxious, or criticize? That's one of the thought-provoking questions raised in the documentary "Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century." Another question that educators and scholars are posing: What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century? Illinois Public Media and the College of Education at the University of Illinois co-hosted a screening and discussion of the documentary at the college and online in February. During the discussion we heard an Urbana teacher talk about how students who don't like to write, love writing for digital media. Students who hang back in traditional class discussions dive in if the discussion is chatted. Another participant who had been a classroom teacher for more than 30 years found what the teachers in "Digital Media" were doing inspiring. He was eager to share what he saw with the student teachers he works with. There are plenty of issues to consider, including digital media equity. Some schools have more resources than others. Many rural schools lack reliable, fast access to the Internet. As the technology changes-and it feels to me like these changes are at warp speed-we need the capacity and the desire to learn new skills. Seems that's something to think about as we prepare children to make their way in the world. Along the way, we may find them helping to prepare us for what's coming next. Celeste Quinn, Editor, WILL Connect Watch the documentary and find resources for parents and teachers. Children Culture Education Media Technology University Of Illinois