 |
| Kimberly Holley/John Grap for Second Wave Media |
Could you provide an update on the activities of the Coalition forTruth, Racial
Healing & Transformation?
The Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation (TRHT) is entering its fifth year of movement-building in the community. Much of TRHT’s community-driven efforts have focused on narrative change, racial healing & relationship-building, and housing. Below are highlights of some TRHT activities:
Narrative Change
Redefining Race – a virtual storytelling and community dialogue series that aims to provide a platform for honest conversations about race and amplify voices that are often unheard. See videos here; and recorded community dialogue sessions here.
Battle Creek Did Not Burn oral history project, capturing stories about the civil rights era in Battle Creek (paused due to the pandemic; will resume in late 2021, health guidelines permitting)
Battle Creek Racial History Timeline Project – Cultivating Our Multiracial Narrative, an interactive timeline capturing inclusive accounts of national and local history that have impacted community members; will be used for public displays, curricula, and more (paused due to the pandemic; will resume in late 2021, health guidelines permitting)
Co-hosting community dialogues and forums around issues that intersect with race
Racial Healing & Relationship-Building
Trained 12 racial healing practitioners skilled in leading intimate conversation to explore life experiences and perspectives around race and racism, and promoting our shared humanity
Hosted 20+ large and small racial healing circles (pre-pandemic) to foster relationship-building as described in previous bulleted item
Hosted 10+ virtual healing experiences (during pandemic/ongoing) to foster relationship-building as described in previous bulleted item.
Co-sponsored community vigil after murder of George Floyd, and most recently in response to Asian American Pacific Islander hate crimes, in partnership with other community organizations and groups
Urban Memorial & Racial Healing Garden – a space for community members to gather for flower-planting activities, fellowship, and other activities, as health guidelines allow. Located across from the Sojourner Truth Monument, on Hamblin Avenue at the base of the “penetrator."
National Day of Racial Healing (NDORH) - always the Tuesday immediately following MLK Day
TRHT has hosted numerous events and activities each year, in celebration of NDORH, including community dinners and racial healing circles (pre-pandemic)
This year, TRHT launched a yard sign campaign, and Racial Healing Love Letters to Battle Creek book project that will be published in conjunction with NDORH 2022 (see www.bctrht.org for details)
Housing
Following the 2018 community event featuring Richard Rothstein, author of The Color of Law, TRHT supported community members’ desire to develop housing solutions in Battle Creek. Activities have included strategies to increase home ownership among people of color, provide education on redlining, and dismantle neighborhood separation.
At the systems level, TRHT is spearheading a Racial Equity Task Force to help ensure equitable distribution of government funding and other resources for housing assistance to vulnerable populations.
What is the mission of the Sojourner Truth Center for Liberation & Justice? Could
you give a bit of its history? Any update on recent activities, i.e., digitalization of
archived material?
We went through a very comprehensive and community-facing strategic planning process in 2019-2020, and we have re-branded the organization as the Sojourner Truth Center for Liberation and Justice. Our theory of change, and values documents are attached.
Recent Activities
Later this summer, the Sojourner Truth Center will launch Youth for Truth, a social justice program created by youth for youth. In addition, the Center will offer workshops and programming consistent with the Center’s new strategic direction. We will also continue to lift Sojourner Truth’s legacy with programming that provides a comprehensive overview of her life, and links to resources and archival materials so that history is more easily accessible.
History
Inspired by Sojourner Truth’s legacy,
Dr. Velma Laws Clay established the Sojourner Truth Institute of Battle Creek in 1998 to expand the historical and biographical knowledge of Sojourner Truth’s life work and carry on her mission by promoting projects that accentuated the ideals and principles for which she stood. Over the decades the organization provided educational curriculum on Sojourner Truth to local schools, and hosted events and art programming.
To what extent has the Sojourner Truth Institute been in collaboration with the Battle Creek Historical Society?
The Historical Society of Battle Creek was the original fiscal sponsor for the Sojourner Truth Institute and both entities worked together under the umbrella of Heritage Battle Creek. Many projects resulted from this partnership, including education materials, oral history projects, etc.
Although the Historical Society is no longer the fiscal sponsor, the Historical Society remains incredibly supportive of the Sojourner Truth Center, and the two entities will seek opportunities for collaboration in the future.
In your opinion, what is the strongest piece of Sojourner Truth's legacy?
She was not limited by her circumstances or environment.
Driven by faith and fortitude, Sojourner Truth used her life experiences and gifts (speaking, wit, resourcefulness) to advocate for the abolition of slavery, for women’s rights, and equality.
Lesser known, she was the first Black woman to win a lawsuit against a white man (for the illegal slave trade of her son.) She actually won three lawsuits during her lifetime. She copyrighted her image and sold photos of herself at speeches, and her autobiography to earn income. She secured resources for Black civil war soldiers, and freed slaves. She met with President Lincoln, advocated for land for freed slaves, and spoke out against capital punishment.
All of this, for a person that could not read or write, was formerly enslaved, and during a period when Black people were viewed as property and less than human.
What influence has your father, Bobby Holley, a well-known community activist, had on your life?
He taught me to unabashedly pursue my dreams and always stand up for my beliefs and what is right and just on behalf of others.
Is there anything else you'd like to mention?
I encourage people to see Sojourner Truth as a model for civic engagement, that they too can apply to their lives. She assessed her life experiences, beliefs, and gifts, and used that combination to advocate for the change she wanted to see in the world. You can do the same thing. Her vision was on a national scale, but yours does not have to be that broad. Yours could be the change you want to see in your neighborhood, school, city or beyond.
No comments:
Post a Comment