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Local activists halt racism
By Ashwin Raman
February 7, the home of Derrick and Renee Peters in Foley was set on fire by what seemed to be an act motivated by racism and discrimination.
This was just one of several incidences of racism that had occurred in St. Cloud throughout the winter. This time, however, some citizens in the St. Cloud community decided that they had enough. On the morning of Feb. 9, after the regular morning worship at the Resurrection African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Rev. Yolanda Lehman called for an emergency meeting to church and community members who wanted to help the Peters family. They proceeded to make plans weekly to help the Peters family, and four weeks later they decided to expand their vision to help anyone who is subject to racism and discrimination in St. Cloud.
This is when the central Minnesota Coalition Against Racism and Discrimination (CARD) began. CARD, according to Lehman, is a coalition of central Minnesotan neighbors who represent the great diversity in the St. Cloud community in regard to race, class, sexual orientation, careers, faith communities as well as civic and social organizations. So far, CARD has sponsored a food, clothing and household goods drive for the Peters family, and the response to CARD has been very good according to Lehman.
"We are very thrilled with the community response to CARD. I think people, have a sense that we really are of the people, by the people (and) for the people," Lehman said. "We really pride ourselves on being a coalition, on being grassroots and on being a continually growing and alive group of people who are passionate about social justice and human rights issues,"she added.
CARD hosted a press conference March 14 in the Great Regional River Library in downtown St. Cloud. A panel of nine CARD members spoke about their experiences of racism and other forms of discrimination in the St. Cloud area. Some of them included brief written statements to their speeches. In one of the statements by Mark Jaede, assistant history professor at SCSU, he describes his first experiences with CARD as being in a "roomful of people who were grieving and outraged and caring and ready to work together."
His sentiment was echoed in another written statement by Geoffrey Tabakin, associate professor in teacher development at SCSU, who summarizes CARD's mission by stating that "we are here to affirm that St. Cloud and central Minnesota is our community and our home, and we will build and rebuild it as a place that welcomes and embraces all."
Two days after the press conference, CARD organized a rally at the Courthouse Square in St. Cloud."There were hundreds of people in attendance. The great diversity of our community was on display for all of us to love and appreciate," Lehman recalls. in "Community members, business owners, civic leaders and others shared their dreams and visions for a better St. Cloud community," Lehman added.
The CARD symbol is a dove with red, yellow, black and white ribbons in its mouth. Lehman and other members of CARD have been encouraging people to wear or display the red, yellow, black and white ribbons to show their solidarity with CARD's mission. She says that in the symbol itself, the dove represents peace while the ribbons represent the colors of the human family. So far, Lehman says she's been noticing ribbons on the doors of homes and on mailboxes and finds the positive response to be quite amazing.
Lehman also says that anyone who shares CARD's commitment to stand united against racism and discrimination in all forms can be involved in CARD.
"College students are especially invited to put the theories they study into practice for the benefit of the community," she added. She also said that all one would have to do to join CARD is to show up at the meetings and get involved in the hard work that must be done.
More information on CARD can be obtained by calling Rev. Yolanda Lehman at 320-492-7391 or by e-mail at [email protected].
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