Holding a Juneteenth flag, participants in the East St. Louis Juneteenth celebration ride in a motorcade down State St. in East St. Louis on their way to city hall.
Derik Holtmann
dholtmann@bnd.com
Leading up to today, I’ve tried to think of words to introduce this week’s newsletter, considering it’s the first one for Black History Month.
“Black and proud” seemed too cliche, and the traditional “Happy Black History Month” seemed too disingenuous because, well, I’m not happy. I don’t feel anything. And I honestly don’t know how to feel about a month for Black pride, given everything that has happened in the past year, one that took so much away from Black people.
But then I thought about East St. Louis District 189 and a local health department teaming to ensure district staff were vaccinated this week. I thought about an East St. Louis community organization wanting to make Juneteenth a national holiday. I also thought about a church in East St. Louis that partnered with the state to inform residents about the coronavirus vaccine.
Thinking about all of that in this month reiterated to me that Black communities will continue to support each other, even when no one else will.
The more I thought about that, the more I began to feel a little bit of “something” about Black History Month. I still can’t properly define that feeling. I also don’t know if it’s the right feeling to have because I question whether Black people’s support of each other amid a pandemic that has disproportionately adverse effects on us is a trait to be celebrated because we need/have always needed more help that isn’t always accessible to us.
What I do know is that we will always have each other’s backs simply because we’ve always had to.
It’s why the BND is hosting listening sessions for residents in Black communities in the metro-east. We know that no one knows those areas better than the people living in them, and that’s the foundation of our coverage in underserved communities. Our next session, scheduled for Feb. 23 at 6 p.m., is for pastors in the East St. Louis, Cahokia, Centreville and Alorton areas. To RSVP, send an email to jcouch@bnd.com or dsutgrey@bnd.com
Have a story tip or just need to talk? Send me an email @dsutgrey@bnd.com or call me: 618-239-2624
Here’s the latest news:
East St. Louis nonprofit to host Black History Month event about Juneteenth
American Legion Post 2505 member Harvey Jackson attaches a Juneteenth flag outside of East St. Louis city hall. Derik Holtmann dholtmann@bnd.com
Community Development Sustainable Solutions, a nonprofit in East St. Louis, will host a Black History Month event centered on why Juneteenth should be a national holiday. The virtual event is on Sunday, Feb. 14 at noon and will feature city leaders talking about their support for Juneteenth and efforts to eliminate systemic racism in their communities.
Teachers are being vaccinated in southwest Illinois, but at vastly different rates
Chantel Crawford, a first grade teacher at Dunbar Elementary School, was in the first round of East St. Louis educators to get vaccinated Tuesday inside the gymnasium at East St. Louis High School. Derik Holtmann dholtmann@bnd.com
The BND’s education reporter Megan Valley explores how teachers in the metro-east are being vaccinated, given Illinois’ slow vaccine rollout and teachers meeting the 1B eligibility criteria. East St. Louis District 189, with help from East Side Health District, held mass vaccination events for district staff this week. It is the first district in the region to have such an event, according to officials. Nearly 600 staff members were scheduled to be vaccinated this week.
Illinois health director seeks to reassure East St. Louis residents about COVID vaccine
Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike addresses the news media at a COVID-19 news conference in Chicago Wednesday. She stressed diligence is still needed in social distancing, wearing face coverings and washing hands as Illinois’ COVID-19 metrics continue in the wrong direction. Blueroomstream.com
Last week, Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, answered questions about the COVID-19 vaccine during a virtual event with Macedonia Baptist Church in East St. Louis . She addressed concerns such as the vaccine’s effectiveness and communities of color having equitable access to the vaccine.
More reading on COVID-19 vaccines in the metro-east:
Throughout February, New Life in Christ Church in O’Fallon will celebrate Black History Month with a sermon and lecture series that examines the current state of race relations within the United States. Photo courtesy of Ellsworth Air Force Base
In this piece for The New York Times , Imani Perry, African-American studies professor at Princeton University, challenges readers to think about the figures typically celebrated during Black History Month and who’s left out. This particular passage from the article moved me:
The decision to choose leaderless or leader-full models is a refutation of the ideal of the traditional hero: martial, dominant and authoritarian in style, if not substance. It also recognizes the ways in which so many important figures have been excluded from being cast as heroes because they don’t fit the standard image, whether because of queerness, gender nonconformity, femininity, or mental or physical disability. The practice of overlooking these heroic people is ironic, given that navigating disadvantage often requires heroic labors.
What to watch
Daniel Kaluuya stars in “Judas and the Black Messiah,” which will have its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and be shown locally at the Starlite Drive-in. Courtesy
“Judas and the Black Messiah”
Directed by Shaka King, “Judas and the Black Messiah” is a biopic on Fred Hampton, former chairman of the Chicago chapter of the Black Panther Party. Hampton, a native of Maywood, Illinois, was assassinated by the Chicago Police Department in 1969 when they raided his apartment. The film focuses on the FBI’s effort to infiltrate the chapter, which eventually led to Hampton’s death. Produced by Ryan Coogler (“Creed,” “Black Panther”), the film stars Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield. It premieres on HBO Max and in select theaters today.
And that’s it for now!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 11:41 AM.
DeAsia Paige joined the Belleville News-Democrat as a Report for America corps member in 2020. She’s a community reporter covering East St. Louis and surrounding areas. DeAsia previously interned with VICE and The Detroit Free Press. She graduated from The University of Kansas in 2020.
