Unity in the Community: Festival honors Elgin's cultural diversity
So what's on your plate for this coming Sunday?
The Unity in the Community Coalition hope you check out its first Unity in the Community Festival, held from 1 to 5 p.m. April 25 at the Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin.
Organizers say they have groups representing African Americans. Jews, Scots, Germans, Haitians, Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Peruvians, Laotians and more.
"We are not a single culture. It is all of our cultures and heritage and backgrounds that makes Elgin who we are," said Danise Habun, a member of the Unity in the Community Coalition's steering committee. "We want to physically demonstrate that in one event."
To that end, at least 16 UICC member organizations will have table displays of information available in the library rotunda.
At 2 p.m. a formal program will begin showing the cultures of Laotians, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.
Each group will talk about their journey to Elgin and show some aspects of their culture through dancing, photos and music.
In addition to the formal program, a video station will be set up where the people can celebrate their part in making up Elgin's diversity.
In the station, people can record a short message that will be combined into a video collage. A person will state their name, background and close with the words "I am Elgin."
For example, Habun would say her name, that she is Irish, Croation and Polish and that "I am Elgin."
"You don't know who people are just by looking at them. This is an attempt to get below the surface," she said. "We're taking this one step further."
Most groups have their own festivals ranging from Cinco de Mayo and Asian Fest to the Black history event at the library each February.
So why does Elgin need an event like this?
"I don't think there's any festival that highlights all the cultures at once," said Sadjadi, chair of the groups Speak Out Against Prejudice, or SOAP, which also helped plan the event. "At the same time, it totally, totally expresses the whole mission of unity in the community. It's a reflection if all the different cultures we have in Elgin. We want to show this as a positive."
<p class="factboxheadblack">If you go</p>
<p class="News"><b>What:</b> The first annual Unity in the Community Festival, organized by the Unity in the Community Coalition. The event will showcase the city's ethnic diversity while emphasizing that everyone is an Elginite.</p>
<p class="News"><b>When:</b> 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 25</p>
<p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Gail Borden Public Library, 270 N. Grove Ave., Elgin</p>
<p class="News"><b>Cost:</b> Free</p>
<p class="News"><b>Info: </b>Visit <a href="http://unityinthecommunitycoalition.org" target="new">unityinthecommunitycoalition.org</a> or call (847) 742-2411</p>