Press Release/PSA: Friday Forum Series Connects Community To Racial Justice Activism

Press Release/PSA
For Immediate Release
January 12, 2016

For media inquiries, contact:
Megan Flowers, University YMCA Communications Director
[megan@universityymca.org; 217-337-1500]

BREAKING DOWN RACISM

Friday Forum series organizes community discussions with racial justice activists, provides opportunities for action 

In response to the building public awareness of racial injustices in the United States with the gaining momentum of nation-wide grassroots movements to combat racism, the Friday Forum committee of the University YMCA has organized a year-long discussion with opportunities for action with this year’s Friday Forum program theme, “Breaking Down Racism.” The Spring 2016 series builds on the Fall 2015 series by highlighting specific tools, campaigns, and changes necessary to combat racism and break down the institutional barriers to equality. Throughout the series, the audience will be offered opportunities to learn how to fight back against inequalities.

The YMCA of the University of Illinois is pleased to announce the full line up of the Spring 2016 Friday Forum lecture series, Breaking Down Racism: Fighting Racial Injustice in the U.S. The series will be headlined by A Conversation with Opal Tometi, one of the original founders of the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday February 19. Recognized as a 'New Civil Rights Leader For The 21st Century' by the LA Times, Opal Tometi introduced the world to the Twitter hashtag and expanding network, #BlackLivesMatter, along with Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors. For the full list of series speakers please visit, universityymca.org/friday_forum.

When & Where: All lectures unless otherwise noted are on Fridays at 12:00pm in Latzer Hall of the University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright Street, Champaign, IL 61820. Please note that on February 19, A Conversation with Opal Tometi, will take place at Allen Hall Main Lounge, 1005 W Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL. The event will begin at 12:00pm.

Additionally, the University YMCA invites the public to learn more about how communities are taking a stand. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, January 28; Art @ the Y hosts the exhibition opening of the “Unforgotten: Humanizing the Tragic Consequences of Gun Violence." On view in the Y’s Murphy Gallery through February 2016. For more information, please visit: universityymca.org/art.

The Spring 2016 Friday Forum lecture series sponsors include: Anne Robin, Atmospheric Science, Black Lives Matter: Champaign-Urbana, Bruce Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, Center for African Studies, a National Resource Center under the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI Program, Central Black Student Union, Channing Murray Foundation, The Chapel of St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, College of Fine and Applied Arts, Counseling Center, C-U AAUW, Department of Recreation, Sport, and Tourism, Diversity and Social Justice Education, First Mennonite Church, First Presbyterian Church of Monticello, Friedman Law Group, LTD, Human Development and Family Studies, League of Women Voters of Champaign County, LGBT Resource Center, McKinley Presbyterian Church and Foundation, New Covenant Fellowship, Prairie Research Institute, The School of Social Work, Social Action Committee of the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Speech and Hearing Science Department, UC Books to Prisoners, Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting, Wesley United Methodist Church, Wesley Foundation at the University of Illinois, YWCA of the University of Illinois. Funded by SORF.

Friday Forum is a weekly lecture series held during the fall and spring semesters that strives to raise awareness about national and international trends and events. Friday Forum has been continuously running for over 80 years at the University YMCA, continually adapting to the times while remaining committed to providing talks that address topics of relevance and urgency in our society.

Additional Information: The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily reflect the views of the University YMCA, co-sponsors, or the Friday Forum committee. A sign language interpreter is available with a 72 hours notice (contact Carol Nunn at 217-337-1500). All forums are radio broadcast at 6:00 p.m. on WEFT 90.1 the Monday following the lecture. You may also find archived Friday Forum lectures on the Y's YouTube channel.

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Art @ the Y presents the "Unforgotten: Humanizing the Tragic Consequences of Gun Violence"

Press Release/PSA

For Immediate Release

January 7, 2016

For media inquiries, contact: 

Megan Flowers, University YMCA Communications Director

[megan@universityymca.org, 217-337-1500]

Meet the UNFORGOTTEN

Art @ the Y presents the “Unforgotten: 

Humanizing the Tragic Consequences of Gun Violence"

On view in Murphy Gallery of the University YMCA

from January 28, 2016 through February 2016

Art @ the Y is pleased to present the Unforgotten–Humanizing the Tragic Consequences of Gun Violence at Murphy Gallery of the University YMCA from January 28, 2016 through February 2016. Curated by the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, the Unforgotten remembers all gun violence victims by focusing on the stories of eight people who lost their lives. The jarring installation features life-like statues created by working closely with each of the victims’ families. Dressed in the victims’ personal clothing, they represent the image and absence of their fallen loved ones.

Art @ the Y will host the exhibition opening of the Unforgotten on Thursday, January 28, 2016 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at Murphy Gallery. Viewing will begin at 5:00pm followed by a gallery talk with Colleen Daley, Executive Director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence at 5:30pm. Attendees will learn about opportunities to help keep guns out of the wrong hands, and help keep the lives of those lost Unforgotten. Light refreshments will be served. All Art @ the Y events are free and open to the public.

The Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence (ICHV) is making a plea to end gun violence with this innovative and powerful public awareness campaign titled the Unforgotten. The campaign includes a traveling art installation that memorializes the lives of victims of gun violence, shares their personal stories, and offers solutions to help end to gun violence. The statues and campaign website are intended to raise awareness of the problem of gun violence across Illinois and the gaps in gun laws that enable deadly firearms to be easily obtained. Foote, Cone & Belding (FCB) is ICHV’s creative partner in the creation of this powerful exhibit.

After the exhibition opening of the Unforgotten, the University YMCA invites the public to learn more about communities taking a stand. On Friday, January 29, 2016 at 12:00pm, Tamar Manasseh, Chicago activist and founder of Mothers Against Senseless Killings (M.A.S.K.), will give a talk at the University YMCA about the work of M.A.S.K. in preventing gun violence in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago and in changing the dialogue about gun violence on a national level. This is event is free and open to the public.

Websites: the-unforgotten.org; universityymca.org/art; ICHV.org

Images: 1. Unforgotten: Hadiya Pendleton (Tiff) 2. Unforgotten: Ryanne Mace (Tiff)

About The Illinois Council against Handgun Violence: ICHV is the oldest and largest statewide organization in the U.S. working to prevent the devastation caused by firearms. Founded in 1975 by four suburban Chicago women concerned about the tragic consequences of handgun proliferation and availability, ICHV works on a variety of fronts to educate, raise public awareness, and build coalitions to enact change in laws and behavior. For 41 years, ICHV has been a leader among state gun violence prevention groups.

About Art @ the Y: Some of the most profound insight, critique, and creative thinking around the issues which comprise the mission of the Y happen in and around the arts. Art @ the Y is an initiative of the University YMCA that seeks to engage issues of social justice, international understanding, environmental activism, faith and cultural understanding through quality public arts programming. Art @ the Y includes a revolving exhibition space in Murphy Gallery, featuring artists whose work speaks to the mission of the Y and performing arts events throughout the year.

Murphy Gallery:

Hours: Mondays-Thursdays from 9am to 9pm

Fridays from 9am to 5pm

Location: 1001 S. Wright St., Champaign, IL 61820

Admission: Free and open to the public

Bus Lines: Yellow, Navy, Blue, Silver, Brown, Illini

Nearby Bus Stops: Transit Plaza, Wright & Chalmers, Armory & Wright

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University YMCA Student Board Stands in Solidarity with Black Students

In light of the backlash against Black student protests, the University YMCA Student Board and Y student program leaders took a stand against the racial injustices on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. Student leaders at the Y released their statement of solidarity on Friday, November 20, a few days after Black students protesting against racial injustices on the Main Quad received back lash from white supremacists and inaction from the University's Administration.  Here is the full, open letter, written and signed by the University YMCA student leaders:

To the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign community,

For the Black students who organized and took part in the November 18th rally and who have been the primary targets of racist posts and comments, we, the leaders of student organizations at the University YMCA, support your fight to be heard, respected, and empowered. We admire your courage in the face of hate and structural oppression. These incidents have made it evident that the goals of Inclusive Illinois have not been met. We will not stand by while peaceful activism for equality is labeled as terrorism. The true harm to our community comes from those who manipulate our belief in free speech to use it as a means of silencing black voices, perpetuating injustice, and supporting a centuries-old system of inequality built upon racial hierarchies.

We will not stand by while people on our campus and in our community hide in anonymity to spread messages of exclusion and bigotry. In the face of structural racism, we cannot accept hate presented under the guise of freedom of speech. We stand in solidarity with all of the students, faculty, staff, community members of color, and others who organized the rally, and we stand with growing nationwide movement for racial justice.

While we strive to address racism and inequality through our programming, education can be only one part of the strategy. Events on campus over the past few days have made it clear that activism on this campus around the issue of race relations is important and relevant, but our work is not complete. We want to build a more just society, but as we do, we cannot ignore the cracks in our foundation or the rifts in our community.

We do not wish to meet ignorance with anger, but we cannot be complicit or complacent while blatant acts of racism are committed and peaceful rallies are stifled on campus. The students of the University YMCA work to enact positive change at the University and will not stay silent in the face of oppression.

Staff, faculty, students, and community members: we need to collectively reflect, but we cannot allow reflection to quietly transition into inaction. Silence in the face of discrimination is complicity in oppression. As allies in the fight for social justice and equality, we encourage you to join us as we continue to educate ourselves and raise our voices to support the Black student body in their demands for fair treatment.

University YMCA student groups plan to convene after fall break to discuss how to best serve as allies in this critical moment. We invite anybody who feels strongly on this issue to join us in our discussion. Please feel free to contact us at studentboard@universityymca.org.

Signed,

Catherine Schmid and Sana Singh Alternative Seasonal Breaks	Michael Lin Engineers Without Borders	Nikki Pijon Prison Justice Project
Carl Pearson Amnesty International	Jess Tang Green Observer	Katie Kucera Red Bison
Lorenzo Grego BikeFace	Kevin Estrella La Colectiva	Allison Steffens Lauren McGinnity Boswell Students for Environmental Concerns
Irfan Ali Interfaith in Action Crystal Ponce Philippine Student Association	Benjamin Daniels, Catherine Kemp, and Erika Weir University YMCA Student Board	Sarah Busse Vis-A-Vis

On December 2, the University YMCA student leaders stand together to read the statement of solidarity at the In Love and Solidarity Rally with allies and accomplices for Black revolution. Student Board members plan to reconvene at the beginning of the Spring 2016 semester to further build a coalition of student allies and accomplices to work together with Black student groups to end white supremacy at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.