On Sunday, January 18 the Polar Peace March took place in Lincoln Park. The march was honoring the legacy of non-violence of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Before the actual, we congregated at St. Paul's United Church of Christ. There was an entire program which included choir songs, a poem called
Alternate Names for Black Boys and readings from MLK. A lot of my classmates are Jewish so it was nice to be united for a common cause in a church, it made it feel as though we've come a long way from discrimination. We all listened silently to the messages of non-violence throughout the entire program. The messages conveyed include the use of non-violence in fighting oppression and a call for action against institutional racism. It was refreshing to have a mass of white people entertain the idea of deconstructing the institutions in which they thrive in for a noble cause. The role of white people is to realize the present inequalities so that they may work towards a more democratic society. The role of the colored person in this struggle is to navigate through institutions, whether they be educational systems, government systems or corporate systems, so that we may gain enough power to help our brothers and sisters who fall behind.
The march was a 1.5 mile walk from Fullerton and Orchard walking east to Clark street; then South on Clark; then West on Webster; turning right onto Lincoln; then North on Halsted; and then East again on Fullerton back to Orchard. As I walked I carried a sign that said "Stop Violence." We were followed by a polices officer in their car as we marched. The march didn't display its message other from the signs held, which is fine but it lacked urgency.
Our march was featured on Univision later that night. I made it into one of the shots when I was registering. The March raised money for ucan, an organization that helps youth who have suffered trauma. Ucan has more than 30 programs across Illinois for children and youth.
