Mother Baltimore: Wanna fly?
I often think about this Toni Morrison quote:
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the s*** that weighs you down”
For context, the quote is directed at a particular character in her 1977 novel “Song of Solomon”. I wrestle with the validity of the quote only because it’s often used outside of the context of the book and tied to everyday situations. I’ve seen and heard people use a similar message when talking about East St. Louis and the challenges the city faces. “It’s no longer time for people to sit back and wait for something to happen,” “We cannot rely on other people,” “Who’s going to help us if we won’t help ourselves?” are some of the messages I’ve come across.
While I can understand the desire to help oneself out of a situation, the problems in East St. Louis aren’t going to be solely fixed by the residents in the city. Residents aren’t the convenient solution to the city’s issues. If that were the case, the city’s challenges would’ve been eliminated a long time ago. East St. Louis is plagued by systemic conditions. Residents, alone, cannot fix that. Only systems can.
For East St. Louis to fly, the systems that caused it to crash in the first place must intervene.
Now, here’s the latest news in southwestern Illinois:
New East St. Louis festival hopes to restore fountain, pride in a changing city
Earlier this month, the Emma L. Wilson King Foundation, an East St. Louis nonprofit, hosted its first fall festival. The group hopes that its efforts help to bring more people to the city and to make people aware of the nonprofit’s various projects, which includes restoring a historic fountain. Ahead of the event, BND reporter DeAsia Paige talked to the foundation’s leaders about current and future projects.
More on festivals in East St. Louis:
East St. Louis has always celebrated Juneteenth. Now, leaders want equity
New East St. Louis festival aims to highlight Black-owned businesses in the area
Remember when a St. Clair County creek turned white? Here’s the Illinois EPA report
Part of Schoenberger Creek in East St. Louis appeared to be a whitish color back in May, prompting an inspection from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. BND reporter Kelsey Landis, who originally covered the story, reported on the results from that inspection. Spoiler alert: officials still don’t know why the creek turned white (but read the story to see what they are sure about).
More on Schoenberger Creek:
Here are the documents in the IEPA Schoenberger Creek Report
A creek in East St. Louis has turned white, authorities investigating why
COVID-19 vaccination clinics are scheduled for the Mary Brown Center in East St. Louis
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. are hosting two vaccination clinics at the Mary Brown Center in East St. Louis. The first one will be held on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The clinics are free and open to the public.
More on COVID-19 in the metro-east:
Positivity rate falls, while ICU bed availability and vaccinations rise in southwest IL
St. Clair County officials report decreases in covid cases, deaths & hospitalizations
What to do
This is a new section of Mother Baltimore that’ll highlight upcoming events in the metro-east that’s relevant to Black communities. If you have tips for events, send them to dsutgrey@bnd.com
Visions of Justice: East St. Louis
6 p.m. on October 22 via Zoom
Illinois Humanities and I Am East St. Louis, the Magazine will partner for a screening of the East St. Louis edition of Visions of Justice, an eight-part video series that examines the effects of mass incarceration on communities in Illinois. The screening will be followed by a discussion from residents in the area. Click here to register and for more information.
What to watch
Insecure
The fifth and final season of HBO’s “Insecure” premieres on Sunday, Oct. 24. Created by Issa Rae, who also stars in the show, “Insecure” follows the experiences of a group of friends and partners in Los Angeles as they wrestle with their own insecurities. The premiere for the fifth season, aptly dubbed Season Byeve, airs Sunday at 9 p.m. CST on HBO. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to binge the series before Sunday’s premiere, go for it. It’s possible (ask me how I know).
What to read
Crew Love: Saying goodbye to Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’
Speaking of “Insecure,” Chancellor Agard wrote this great feature on the legacy of the show’s main characters (Issa played by Issa Rae, Molly played by Yvonne Orji and Lawrence played by Jay Ellis) and how they feel about the show ending. This quote from Yvonne Orji perfectly illustrates the show’s appeal with Black audiences:
“It shows Black people just being Black without any extra sauce,” says the 37-year-old supporting actress Emmy nominee. “So many times when you have a show that centers around Black characters, it’s like, ‘Okay, well what is the plight that they have to overcome? Was it a deadbeat dad? Was it cocaine?’ No, [on Insecure], it was having a degree and still not finding the job you want. That’s also a real-life plight of Black people. It doesn’t have to be so salaciously traumatic.
That’s all she wrote!
Talk to y’all in two weeks!
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This story was originally published October 22, 2021 at 11:40 AM.
