Historic North First Street Farmers Market

Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance Foundation managing attorney Valerie McWilliams, left; William Jones, president of the North First Street Association; and market manager Wendy Langacker gather at the north end of a parking lot near the Champaign Police Station, which will be the home of a farmers' market to begin June 18 and run for 11 weeks. By Heather Coit.

News-Gazette

Scholarships will be awarded to single parents

Social Services--Single Parent Scholarship Foundation, Community Organizations--Urban Exchange Center, Education--Higher--University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Education--Higher--Parkland College, Family, Economy, Media--News-Gazette

URBANA – After Maria Thompson started researching the Champaign-Urbana area, she knew her foundation could help one of the community's underrepresented groups.

Thompson, founder of the Single Parent Scholarship Foundation, discovered there were 3,000 single parents in the area without a bachelor's degree.

"They are pretty much stressed just working full time to provide for their family," said Thompson, whose foundation helps single-parent college students pay for tuition, books and fees along with counseling, mentoring and tutoring support. "For whatever reason, they chose not to go back to college."

That realization prompted her to contact the University of Illinois, which contributed a $15,000 Partnership Illinois Fund seed grant.

The money will cover operating expenses, hiring a consultant and a UI graduate student from the School of Social Work. Once the program begins this fall, officials will set their sights on finding scholarship funding.

"It helps the single parents who are predominately low-income," added Thompson, who started the foundation three years ago. "To have support and go back to college will increase the single parents' chances for self-sufficiency and a higher paying job."

Last year, two Parkland College students received scholarships.

One of the recipients, Barbara McKee, saw any financial help as a blessing. She received $375, which she used to pay some of her rent. The money was timely, considering her car broke down this month.

"Every little bit helps," said McKee.

McKee, 43, has been a single parent for five years and has children ranging from 2 to 15 years old. She said receiving the scholarship gave her a sense of pride and accomplishment.

"It is hard to be a single parent because you take care of the family at home and then do work on top of that, and nobody is there to pat you on the back," McKee said. "Getting the scholarship is kind of like getting support and having someone say, 'We know what you are doing is difficult, and you should be rewarded for that.'"

She plans to graduate in May 2005 with a degree in nursing and work in a hospital critical care wing.

The university will be a resource in many ways for the program. Eric Hadley-Ives, assistant professor at the UI in the School of Social Work, will be a board member on the foundation's advisory board and will organize research on single parents. He said students in his department will get hands-on experience working with the foundation, including a graduate student who will become an intern as part of an assistantship.

Kris Campbell, an assistant chancellor for the UI, said the university has offered office space for the program at the Civitas/Urban Exchange Center, 112 W. Main St., U. Campbell, who also oversees the Partnership Illinois Fund, said she appreciated an outside organization taking the initiative to contact the university.

"This was an unusual situation. Typically we are going out to the community to find ways to link up," she said. "This was the first one where a community program came to the university and saw that we could provide them with some support. We are encouraged that this may lead to more collaboration between the community and the university."

Photo caption: Single Parent Scholarship Foundation founder Maria Thompson and Single Parent Scholarship Foundation board member Eric Hadley-Ives stand in front of the School of Social Work at the University of Illinois in Urbana last week. Photographer: by Robin Scholz

Ernst Lamothe Jr.

News-Gazette

January 26 2004

Robin Scholz

Hyperlink

Barbershop's new owners will still stress family atmosphere

Businesses--Rose and Taylor's Barbershop

Article on the "New" Rose and Taylor's Barbershop.

Debra Pressey

News-Gazette

January 22, 2008

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Local ministers urge students to work hard in school

Education--K-12--Central High School, Social Services, Religion--New Hope Chuch of God, Religion--Salem Baptist Church, Religion--Free Will Baptist Church

CHAMPAIGN – The Rev. Charles Nash was standing at a table full of boys in the Central High School cafeteria Monday, struggling to be heard over the din.

Nash talked about college, what the students need to focus on in high school, and what happens to those who don't take education seriously. The boys laughed and joked with each other. But they listened too.

"They were a little goofy at times, but they were listening to what he had to say," freshman David Quarles, one of those at the table, said of his classmates.

Nash, of the New Hope Church of God in Christ, was one of several local ministers who were visiting Champaign high schools Monday to kick off "Operation Graduation," an effort to get community members more involved in the school district and encourage students to stay in school and work hard at their education.

The plan calls for the ministers to visit the high schools twice a month and talk with students. They'll also put messages in their church bulletins and talk with their congregations about topics such as being a good role model, helping children learn from everyday experiences, helping with homework, talking with teachers and encouraging children to ask for help when they need it.

Robin McClain, the district's attendance improvement coordinator, said the district is also working with social service agencies to get information into the schools about the services available for families, and it will be working with the business community next to get more people involved in the schools.

"I think it's invaluable for kids to see the community has an expectation for them to do well in school," said Central Principal Bill Freyman.

Nash was not put off by the rowdiness in the cafeteria on Monday.

"They are basically good kids. Their behavior a lot of times is a front," he said.

Several students said they appreciated the ministers taking an interest.

"I'm glad they're letting everybody know they care about young black kids trying to do better in their lives," said David, who shook hands with Nash before heading off to class.

"It was kind of cool for them to come here and give us advice on life," added sophomore Denzel Stewart. "I hear that stuff every day from my mom, but this was the first time hearing it from someone other than my mom."

The Rev. Zernial Bogan of Salem Baptist Church talked with a group of upperclassmen, asking how they felt about lunch, the police officer assigned to the school and their overall interactions in high school. He wanted to get the students' points of view.

"To hear from them on a one-on-one level gives a broader picture of what's going on," Bogan said.

The Rev. Evelyn Underwood of the New Free Will Baptist Church knows the families and pastors of many Central students. She was using that to make connections with students. Several girls who know her came up and hugged her, including senior Diamond Sturkey.

"I think it's very necessary," Diamond said of having the ministers visit the school. She said their presence may help calm things down and reduce conflicts. Students "still have some type of respect for people coming in and trying to change things," she said.

Jodi Heckel

News-Gazette

January 29, 2008

Document

Champaign-Urbana race relations, past and future

Politics and Activism--NAACP, Segregration, Health, Education, History, Geography, Housing, Labor and Jobs, Media--News-Gazette, Racism, Poverty, Community Orgranization--S.O.U.L, Businesses, Restaurants, Law

Housing in Champaign-Urbana was at one time segregated; African-Americans lived primarily in northeast Champaign and the adjacent area of Urbana. African-Americans were not permitted to attend schools of choice but were limited to Lawhead and Willard in Champaign, and Hayes and Washington in Urbana. These students were taught by African-American educators.
Some African-Americans occupied multifamily post-World War II housing. The northeast area consisted of single and multifamily housing. Public housing (Burch Village) was introduced to the northeast area in 1951.
African-Americans were denied access to adequate health care, which led to the creation of the "North End Health Center" at 908 N. Fifth St., C, which provided services to the residents of the northeast area.
The "North End Health Center" was created by a group of citizens, both African-American and white, including a young African-American's group named S.O.U.L. (Security, Opportunity, Unity and Love). This health-care facility moved in 1968 to its current location at 1306 N. Carver Drive, C, and became what is now known as the Frances Nelson Health Center.
African-Americans were denied employment in a variety of positions such as sales clerks, bank tellers, secretaries and many others. Employment in department stores in downtown Champaign was denied to African-Americans and brought people together to picket. As a result, employment opportunities for some began to open up.
From an economic standpoint, within the northeast area, African-Americans owned a variety of businesses & restaurants, barber shops, beauty shops, nightclubs, pool halls and a hotel, just to name a few. These businesses provided employment for African-Americans and enabled them to provide for their families. And they provided services that were denied by white business owners.
This helped bring stability to the African-American community and provide an economic base. These thriving businesses ended as a result of desegregation and the unwillingness on the part of financial institutions to make needed loans for business development and expansion.
The northeast area was red-lined by limited city services, financial institutions' unwillingness to make home loans, insurance companies' failure to provide homeowner policies, educational opportunities, and access to recreational facilities. As a result, red-lining caused the northeast area infrastructure to deteriorate.
Looking at the current state of our community, Champaign and Urbana are growing and prospering. Let's look at North Prospect Avenue, where the city of Champaign has contributed more than $2 million for infrastructure. Developers have created four large shopping areas on North Prospect along with "restaurant row" and a luxury apartment complex. This development draws thousands of shoppers and visitors per day to the community.
In west Champaign, subdivisions including Ponds of Windsor, Turnberry Ridge and Trails of Brittany have been developed with homes starting at $150,000 and above. The city of Urbana has contributed more than $3.5 million for the infrastructure of Stone Creek development (golf course) with homes starting at $300,000.
Looking at the northeast area (east of Neil Street to Lincoln Avenue, north of University Avenue to Interstate 74), there have been two housing developments, King subdivision in Champaign and Eads at Lincoln in Urbana. There was a struggle to get both city governments to participate in the development of these homes. Some of the questions asked by elected officials were, "Who will purchase the homes?" and "Can African-Americans afford $65,000 to $75,000 homes?"
African-Americans are still being denied employment opportunities by some of the major employers and continue to experience the glass-ceiling effect, where they are not allowed to progress beyond a certain point. As we look at school districts, cities, the University of Illinois, park districts and other taxing bodies, we find few African-Americans employed and even fewer in managerial positions. A large number of African-Americans are working two and three jobs in order to provide for their basic needs.
Over the last three years, some African-Americans have lodged complaints with Champaign officials and the Champaign Human Relations Commission regarding Champaign Police Department racial profiling. The NAACP Champaign County Branch and the Urban League of Champaign County receive complaints monthly regarding tactics in stopping African-American motorists. Law enforcement officers are routinely requesting vehicle searches without probable cause, and when the request is denied, the K-9 Unit is called and the dog is walked around the vehicle in an attempt to detect drugs.
As W.E.B. Du Bois said in 1903, "The problem of the 20th century is the problem of the color line. The question is how far differences of a race which shows themselves chiefly in the color of the skin and the texture of the hair will hereafter be made the basis of denying over one-half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization. If we expect to gain our rights by nerveless acquiescence in wrong, then we expect to do what no other nation ever did. What must we do then? We must complain. Yes, plain, blunt complaint, ceaseless agitation, unfailing exposure of dishonest and wrong - this is the ancient unwavering way to liberty, and we must follow it."
Looking at our housing, employment, business opportunities and law enforcement, I believe the plight of race relations has not and unfortunately will not progress in the next 100 years. Hopefully, this prediction will not prove to be true.

Cleveland Jefferson is president of the Illinois NAACP. He has been president of the Champaign County branch. A native of Louisiana, Jefferson came to Champaign in 1971 to visit a brother in graduate school here. He intended to stay two weeks.

The News-Gazette welcomes comments from readers on the issues raised in this article. Please send your comments to: Editor, The News-Gazette, 15 Main St., P.O. Box 677, Champaign, IL 61824-0677. Send comments by e-mail to news@news-gazette.com.

Cleveland Jefferson, NAACP

News-Gazette

2000

Jason Patterson, local artist, exhibit stories from News-Gazette

BACK-UP of Text. For original pieces click on hyperlinks (below) :

Studio Visit: Jason Patterson, 24, of Urbana
Sun, 09/20/2009 - 6:22am | Melissa Merli
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Photo by: Robert K. O'Daniell

Jason Patterson with his gallery show at Amara Yoga & Arts in Urbana.

Q: I was surprised to hear that Gerhard Richter (German, born 1932) is one of your favorite artists, as you're so young. Why?

A: I think I'm pretty conservative in what I do as an artist, and I think he is, too. He paints like a machine. My favorite thing is to do something traditional but with really contemporary ideas.

Q: How does this show (at Amara Yoga & Arts, Urbana) reflect that?

A: As far as technique goes, I try to use charcoal and pastel in new ways. For example, in these paintings, I use charcoal and white pastel on unprimed canvas and then seal it with a fixative and then varnish it with a polymer-based glaze or gel. I try to use the materials in a different way but the images are derivative. The images look traditional or simple.

Q: I noticed your work on your Web site is different than your work here.

A: The stuff on the Web site is old, and I was not as focused then. Now I try to work in series. I was telling my boss a few weeks ago (at the Art Coop) that I wish there were 50 hours in a day because I want to do everything. This is all I do. I try to paint 70 hours a week. I'm either at the Art Coop or painting.

One of my favorite painters is Don Pollock, who teaches at the School of the Art Institute. He did a Lincoln series based on old photographs – some portraits and some landscapes. He did a huge series of 30 paintings.

Q: What kind of series are you working on now?

A: I'm going to work on this civil rights/slave series until I think it's done. I took old pictures of slaves and pixelated them and changed the colors. I pixelated them to make them anonymous. If you're a slave, you have no name. I think when I finish this series, it will be the only black culture/civil rights work I'll do.

Q: What other themes interest you?

A: With my themes and ideas I try to stay as contemporary as possible. For my next series, I want to do paintings of scrambled Internet videos so they look like abstract paintings, but they're not really abstract. I think more and more people are watching things on the Internet.

Q: When did you start making art?

A: As soon as I was old enough to pick up a pencil. When I moved out of my parents' house, I made really big drawings of Michael Jordan, comic-book heroes and the Chief (Illiniwek), which makes me cringe a little now. When I was a kid, I was like the pro-Chief people, thinking he was more than a mascot. I actually went on to make one piece stating just the opposite.

Q: You grew up in Champaign, right?

A: Yes, I graduated from Champaign Central in 2003. I took art classes at Parkland College, but I guess my high school education is my only degree.

Q: With whom did you study at Parkland?

A: The biggest influences there were Matthew Watt, Joan Stolz and Stephen Hudson.

Q: Did you win any awards at Parkland?

A: The Art Coop award. That was before I started working there.

Q: Do you plan to get a degree in art?

A: I don't know. I'm sure if I went to a big school it would make me better, but it wouldn't make me better enough to spend 100 grand. I'm really happy with the way I do my work now, so it's really hard to think of a reason to go to school right now.

Q: How long will your show ("Phases of Construction," also featuring work by Barbara F. Miller) be here at Amara?

A: Probably a month, through mid-October. In February, these pieces will probably be at the Indi Go gallery in Champaign. I'm just going to put all these and anything new I do there. These pieces are part of my civil rights series, and I'll probably do 48 pieces altogether in that.

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Urbana artist raising money to assist Don Moyer Club
Tue, 02/02/2010 - 11:28am | Melissa Merli
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Photo by: Robert K. O'Daniell

Jason Patterson displays some of the pieces from the Civil Rights Project at Amara Yoga & Arts in Urbana. His work will be on display this weekend at the Indi Go Gallery in Champaign.

CHAMPAIGN – Artist Jason Patterson, who is biracial, says he has encountered in his life only two minor incidents of racism or prejudice.

One happened when he was young. "I actually didn't notice it; my parents did," he said. The other time came in high school, when a friend called Patterson an "Oreo."

"He didn't know it was derogatory," he said. "He thought it was funny. But a teacher heard it and told him it was racist and inappropriate. The kid cried and apologized over and over."

Patterson, a 2003 graduate of Champaign Central High School, credits his "comfortable" life to the civil rights movement that got under way well before he was born.

In tribute to it, he began creating a series of charcoal drawings in 2008 that he calls the Civil Rights Project.

This past fall, he showed some of the works from the series at Amara Yoga & Arts in Urbana. This weekend, he will show those plus newer Civil Rights Project pieces at Indi Go Gallery as a fundraiser for the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club in Champaign.

Patterson, who studied art at Parkland College, created his black-and-white drawings, which he covered with an acrylic glaze, from video stills he grabbed from the Internet. They depict people and scenes from the movement.

"A lot of people in the '50s and '60s would have seen these on their televisions," he said.

Patterson, who lives in Urbana, said it was James Barham's idea to make the "Civil Rights Project" at Indi Go a fundraiser for the Boys and Girls Club. Already, Barham, who founded Indi Go Gallery as an artist cooperative, has raised $2,500 from sponsors. Patterson plans to give the Boys and Girls Club half of the proceeds from each drawing he sells. The works range from $500 to $2,500, with a large one priced at $5,000.

The opening reception at Indi Go, 9 E. University Ave., C, will be from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday. The works will remain on view through Feb. 21, with events at the gallery on Feb. 12 and 19. For more information, visit online www.indi-go-art.com.

The show is sponsored by both Champaign's and Urbana's Office of Human Relations; the University of Illinois Department of Public Engagement; The Downey Group Inc.; Fox Development Corp.; KEC Design; Ramshaw Real Estate; Bank Champaign N.A.; and Barham Benefit Group.

Noah Lenstra

Noah Lenstra