“Free…ish since 1865.” So goes the slogan you may see on some T-shirts if you celebrate Juneteenth in Springfield this year. While June 19, 1865, is celebrated as Freedom Day, the struggle for equality continues. Juneteenth organizers in Springfield are still lobbying for state, city and county recognition of the day. The state legislature passed […]
Rachel Otwell
Posted inArts & Culture
Art exhibit celebrates Juneteenth and Black culture
More than 140 years since its founding, the Illinois State Museum in Springfield is featuring its first exhibit by Black curators. In collaboration with Springfield’s Juneteenth, Inc., the museum is hosting an exhibit titled “NOIR,” the French word for the color black. Korbin “Kas” King, 32, is one of the curators. He said the art […]
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Changing sex ed
A controversial bill passed by the state legislature aims to guide and expand sex education curriculum being taught in Illinois. Lobbyists say the bill would help schools provide age-appropriate lessons that include violence prevention and LGBTQ identities. Brigid Leahy, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood of Illinois, said the measure would prevent bullying, abuse […]
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Mental health disorders leading cause of maternal mortality
Vaccinations mean hope for an end to the pandemic is on the horizon. But in Springfield, the number of infected and ill pregnant women actually went up after vaccinations became available. That’s according to Dr. Robert Abrams, head of the maternal-fetal medicine division at SIU School of Medicine and director of obstetrics for the South-Central […]
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Kidzeum on road to reopen
The city’s only children’s museum is planning its return. The Kidzeum of Health and Science was forced to shutter early on in the pandemic. Children’s museums in particular were hit hard by COVID-19, as the exhibits are hands-on. The museum has remained closed. But it will reopen with weekend hours, beginning in July, with an […]
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Durags and dress codes
Nancy Marschewski and her husband have three adopted sons who are multiracial. One of them was penalized after wearing a durag – a headscarf typically worn by Black males – to Effingham High School. Now the Effingham school board is considering a policy change. Marschewski, who is white, has taken her sons to hairdressers who […]
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Born in a pandemic
Sydney Capers of Springfield, 25 years old, gave birth to her son, Phoenix, last November. She was an early childhood education major in college, and nannied for special needs children. She has since worked at preschools and plans to go back to teaching once her son is ready for child care himself. Phoenix struggled in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
C.T. Vivian was “in the action”
C.T. Vivian entered Macomb High School in 1938. “I never thought of using the term ‘institutional racism’ to describe the place,” he wrote in his posthumous memoir. “This wasn’t because such racism didn’t exist. Rather, I just didn’t know there was a term to describe what I experienced.” The book – titled, It’s in the […]
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Force to be reckoned with
It was the morning of Sept. 15, 2020. Jaala Smylie, 20 years old at the time, rented a room in her aunt’s home on the west side of town. Smylie’s aunt had woken up later than usual and didn’t want to be late to work. She asked Smylie to take her 10-year-old son, Smylie’s cousin, […]
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The “Living Room” provides free crisis care
Mental health care should not be a luxury. And those in crisis don’t always need to be hospitalized. That’s part of the philosophy behind a state-funded program that brings free crisis care to people regardless of whether they have medical insurance. The pandemic has increased the need for mental health care. According to the Kaiser […]
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School board shake-up
The Springfield Public Schools Board of Education will soon welcome two new members who could shift the balance on decisions like the best way for students to return in the fall. Both are newcomers to public office and work in the medical field. Both were also endorsed by the Springfield Education Association, which represents teachers […]
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Alana Banks of Decatur makes her-story
“We are extremely proud of Alana Giselle Banks’ historic electoral victory for the Decatur Public Schools District 61 Board of Education,” said Brian Johnson of Equality Illinois in a statement after her win on Tuesday, April 6. Banks is believed to be the first Black transgender woman who will serve on a public school board […]
