Unveiling Black Springfield

What we meant when we wrote the Calls to Action

In the months since the Commission released its final report, I have watched people debate individual recommendations. Some support them. Some oppose them. Some want them implemented immediately. Others have questions about cost, authority or feasibility. Those conversations are part of public life. But they also risk beginning the story with “secondly.”

Before there were Calls to Action, there were people. Before there were recommendations, there were witnesses. Yet even that tells the story too late.

The commission’s workgroups on mental health, public safety, economic disparities and community education were not created in a vacuum. They existed because community members pointed us in those directions. Again and again, people identified concerns that had been overlooked, minimized or treated as isolated incidents. In many ways, they were telling us, “Look here. You never look here.”

The Calls to Action emerged from that invitation. We called them Calls to Action for a reason. A call assumes someone has something important to say. An action is what happens when we take that message seriously and keep our eyes on what people were asking us to see.

https://www.illinoistimes.com/arts-culture/advicegoddess/what-we-meant-when-we-wrote-the-calls-to-action/

New surveillance at 17th and Brown. Courtesy of your “We-wanna-improve-community -relations” PD.

But I can't act like I don't know what this is about. One church on 17th has been broken into three times. Each time, only the air-conditioner was stolen. One church at 16th and Stuart was broken into, the front doors and back windows smashed. It took a very long time and a lot of money to replace all that glass. Each of these churches is small, with fewer than 50 members. The church on 16th doesn't have many members who still live on the East Side, but the one on 17th does. And there are a couple of homes on 17th, one block up from this camera, where many older Black and Indigenous men hang out and talk, like we used to in old neighborhoods. Sometimes women join them to sit and talk. But if you have money, or you're not familiar with old neighborhoods like this, you don't see these men as harmless. You see them as "suspects."

And I can't say that they are or aren't. I talk to them during the day, not at night. But I do know that the church on 16th and Stuart has increased its surveillance equipment, which is only one of the reasons I don't utilize office space there anymore. I don't feel safe being surveilled, and I don't want to put any of my visitors through that, especially since my interviews and focus groups are supposed to be confidential. The other reason that I can't utilize that space is that there is a wiring issue. And I can't imagine how churches make decisions between roofing, windows, wiring, and surveillance equipment, especially with fewer than fifty members.

So maybe the police ARE improving relations, but with only one sector of the population here.

Woke up in a panic this morning thinking that I was late for Antiracism Training! Sister Marceline let me know that I am actually an hour early.

But I am on time! Waiting for Veronica and Kelly to give me direction!

RESTORING BLACK MEN'S WELL-BEING THROUGH NATURE AND COMMUNITY - Wednesday, June 24, 2026 | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m. ET
WEBINAR

For National Men’s Health Month, NAMI National and the Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA) are convening a conversation on what it means to support the health of Black men from the inside out. This webinar will bring together perspectives on mental wellness, physical health, outdoor connection, and community-based support to explore how healing, restoration, and long-term wellbeing are strengthened when Black men have access to spaces, tools, and relationships that allow them to show up fully for themselves and one another.

Grounded in the work of Boyz N The Wood, HBCUs Outside, and the African American Male Wellness Agency, the conversation will highlight how nature, brotherhood, health education, and culturally rooted support can help Black men reconnect to themselves, their communities, and a broader vision of thriving. It will also invite participants to think beyond crisis response and toward a more holistic, preventative, and affirming approach to Black men’s health.

This webinar is hosted by NAMI’s Community Health Equity Alliance (CHEA). CHEA envisions a future in which Black/African ancestry and other minoritized communities can easily access culturally responsive mental health support. It empowers communities and individuals with mental health conditions to connect with equitable mental health support through education, partnership, and community-centered solutions. Guided by E²C² (Educating, Expanding, Convening, and Connecting), CHEA’s goals are to provide greater clarity on where to go, what steps to take, and who to contact for help. For more, please visit nami.org/chea or email [email protected].

Reserve your spot today and submit your questions for our guest experts through the registration form!

Community Health Equity Alliance | NAMI Select your state to find a local NAMI affiliate. The page will redirect to the affiliate's page when a state is selected.

BORN ON THIS DAY // JUNE 10, 1893

Hattie McDaniel was a trailblazing actress, singer, songwriter, and performer whose historic achievements transformed the landscape of American entertainment. Born in Wichita, Kansas, in 1893 to formerly enslaved parents, McDaniel grew up in a family that valued storytelling, music, and performance. She began her career as a singer and vaudeville performer before finding success in radio, becoming one of the first Black women to perform regularly on American radio broadcasts.

As Hollywood expanded during the 1930s, McDaniel became one of the industry's most recognizable Black performers. Despite being limited by the racial stereotypes and discriminatory casting practices of the era, she built an impressive career appearing in dozens of films. Her most famous role came in the 1939 film Gone with the Wind, in which she portrayed Mammy, the head house servant of the O'Hara family.

For that performance, McDaniel made history in 1940 by becoming the first African American to win an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. The achievement was groundbreaking, though it occurred within a segregated Hollywood system that still restricted opportunities for Black artists. At the Academy Awards ceremony, McDaniel was seated separately from many of her white colleagues because of racial segregation policies.

Throughout her career, McDaniel advocated for greater opportunities for Black performers while navigating the realities of a discriminatory industry. Her historic Oscar victory opened doors for future generations of actors and remains a landmark moment in American film history. Today, Hattie McDaniel is remembered as a pioneering artist whose success challenged barriers and expanded possibilities in Hollywood.