By Camille Taylor
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 pm at the Normal Public Library. This event will give our predominantly white community an opportunity to hear the perspectives of panelists which includes: 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 Trayvonn 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.
Camille Taylor, a retired Counselor from Normal Community High School, has been an educator in this community for 34 years. She is active in the community currently serving as a church elder and board member for both the Baby Fold and the YWCA. She has been recognized by the YWCA as a Woman of Distinction for education, a Martin Luther King Jr. award winner for the City of Bloomington, a Distinguished Alumni by the College of Education at Illinois State University, a Human and Civil Rights award winner for the Illinois Education Association, and the H.Councill Trenholm Award recipient from the National Education Association for her work with diversity. She lives in Bloomington with her husband, Arthur, and is a mother and grandmother.
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