Elgin man who grew up with gangs staging peace rally for Sunday
As Michael Cole was getting ready for work, he watched the news and the seemingly never-ending stream of violence: police being killed, people being killed by police, gang violence.
He'd finally had enough.
Growing up on 35th Street and Lake Park Avenue in Chicago, he and friends and family members became affiliated with gangs.
"I found myself going down the wrong path," he said. "My life was literally in front of my face, and I was either going to go to jail or going to be dead. I woke up one day, and I said I need to change and better myself and do something that's right."
Today, at 30 and living in Elgin, Cole had another revelation after that recent morning while watching the sad TV news: It was time for him to stand up and start doing something to make a change, starting in his hometown. He and his brother Christopher from Chicago began organizing a Unity Peace Walk with other local organizations.
"I felt it was my responsibility to make a stand as a father and a man of God and show our children that we are not all like that, and that it's very important for all of us to come together," he said.
The walk will start at 3 p.m. Sunday in Festival Park, 132 S. Grove Ave. in Elgin. It will stop at the Elgin police station and end up on Grove Avenue for children's games and live music.
The Elgin Police Department, Elgin Human Relations Commission, YWCA, Coalition of Elgin Religious Leaders and Elgin-City of Peace have all worked with the Cole brothers to coordinate the event.
Danise Habun, a member of the Elgin Human Relations Commission, said the walk is organized by people 30 and younger and is intended to show the community's unity.
"You can support the idea of Black Lives Matter and support law enforcement. They are not mutually exclusive," she said.
Deputy Police Chief Bill Wolf echoed those sentiments.
"It almost seems like (the movements have) been pitted against each other," he said. "One of the things we really want to stress is the importance of valuing everyone's lives and creating unity among the community and law enforcement. It's a really important message to send. Neither movement is antagonistic toward each other. Both are about respecting human life and promoting unity."
Cole said the violence that seems to have gripped the nation is especially poignant to him.
"It hurts more so because I can feel the pain, the sorrow, the frustration and confusion as far as the people that are affected by that," he said. "I know where they are coming from, and I know how they feel. You feel like you're trapped, and there's no way of coming out of it."
It's especially important to bring young people on board with events such as Sunday's peace walk, Cole said.
"That's our future," he said. "They are going to be running our country, teaching our kids. They are going to be the next police officers, firemen, counselors. If we can't change the people who don't want to be changed, at least we can change the future for the next generation."
Through social media, organizers have invited about 3,000 people to participate. Cole expects 200 to 500 people to walk.
"I am delighted that people have the same concerns and have the same compassion," he said. "We need to come together and say something and try to make a change. Me, personally, I can't sit there and watch it happen. I'm sure a lot of people will feel the same. It will be a warm feeling knowing that I wasn't the only one."