ECC discussion series looks at history of racism in Midwest
As part of Black History Month, Elgin Community College's Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee (MAGIC) presents "Black Lives Matter: A Historical Perspective," at 2 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, via Zoom. Meeting links will be shared on ECC's Facebook page and on elgin.edu.
"The existence of systemic racism in our community and institutions has long been ignored," said Clark Hallpike, ECC professor of business and MAGIC co-chair. "MAGIC is helping students and the community to address it and take action towards making our environment more equitable."
The panel will cover the historical migration of Black families from postwar South to the Midwest.
Session attendees will gain insights into the systemic racism Black families found - and still find today - when they resettled in the Midwest.
Participants also will gain the tools to act to help Black families feel welcome and supported in the community.
"We are very pleased with the overall reaction to the 'Black Lives Matter' discussion events, and we plan to continue this series indefinitely, as long as the environment of systemic racism continues among us and in our institutions," said Susan Timm, MAGIC co-chair.
To bring you this critically important series, MAGIC has partnered with ECC Black Student Achievers (BSA), ECC Student Life, ECC Police Department, ECC Renner Academic Library, Elgin Police Department, and Gail Borden Public Library. The event is limited to 300 participants; the session will be recorded and made available to the public afterward.
ECC's Multicultural and Global Initiatives Committee aims to prepare individuals to succeed in a diverse society by providing and supporting multicultural learning experiences at Elgin Community College and within District 509 with the ultimate goal of creating an inclusive environment at the college.
For additional information, contact Clark Hallpike at (847) 214-7542 or challpike@elgin.edu, or Susan Timm at (847) 214-7916 or stimm@elgin.edu.