The Frederick Douglass Community Center, 512 East Grove St. in Champaign, hosted the Youth Speak-Out program in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day on Monday. With many students and community members in attendance, the program focused on both civil rights issues and the need for communities to take adequate actions to prevent violence.
The program was hosted by the University’s Office of Public Engagement to represent what King’s goals mean for the Champaign-Urbana area, said Nathaniel Banks, director of community initiatives for the Office of Public Engagement.
“He (King) was all about bringing people together and about positive solutions, so we wanted this event to focus on strategies for moving past conflict and negative issues,” he said.
The night began with encouraging words from undergraduate and graduate athletes at the University about the importance of higher education, community service and goal setting to further King’s dream of equality. These athletes included Lacey Simpson, a graduate student and member of the Illinois women’s basketball team and CeCe Marizu, a senior in Media and member of the Illinois women’s swimming team.
Simpson discussed the importance of goal setting and higher education while Marizu addressed community service and poverty.
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Aaron Ammons and his wife Carol Ammons, members of Champaign Urbana Citizens and Peace and Justice, said repeatedly to the crowd, “There are no evil people, but there is a need for good people to let their light shine.”
The couple showed a clip from the Hip Hop documentary, “Beef.”
Aaron Ammons recited multiple poems about drugs and violence to highlight the need for individuals to actively counter these problems to create better communities.
Next, William Patterson, associate director at the University’s African American Cultural Center, spoke about the importance of using the post-Civil Rights culture of Hip Hop to reach those in less fortunate communities and reducing violence.
Patterson asked audience members about the kind of “Hip Hop,” or legacy, they were leaving behind for the community.
Following this presentation, there was a breakout session titled “Dealing with Grief through Art,” during which Aaron White, junior in FAA, led a group dance session about the five stages of grief.
“I think this program and programs like these are very important because my goal is to reach youth: to guide them and to let them know there is a greater future for them,” White said.
