PEORIA (HOI) - In the last month there have been calls throughout the community for the removal of the Christopher Columbus statue in Laura Bradley Park and for six Peoria Public Schools to be renamed. We sat down with two longtime Peoria residents to talk about the underlying issues.
Donald and Ernestine Jackson are no strangers to calls for change. The two have been active in the Peoria community for several decades.
Donald as the former president of the Peoria Chapter of the NAACP. And Ernestine as a former school board member for District 150.
She was on the board when Woodrow Wilson's name was removed from the primary school that now bears the name of Doctor Maude A. Sanders. Ernestine says people like Sanders helped out so many minority families are the types of people who should be recognized.
"What better name than someone whose service to the minority community, not only the African American community, but the minority community was so great that she would take care of you if you didn't have the money," she explained.
The Jackson's say the reason these conversations, and the outcry for change have amplified is due to more people are asking questions. That included the younger generations.
"We should care what our kids are thinking or knowing, at some point the kids are going to ask us 'why did you put that name on the school?'
They're asking all kinds of questions right now. So we've always talked about it but nobody's ever done anything about it," explained Ernestine Jackson.
But they say this goes beyond the name on a building or a statue in park. It's about creating opportunity and leaders in the area supporting minorities to build a stronger Peoria. "But we can take down statue and still work to get jobs," said Ernestine.
Donald Jackson added, "Any steps that will increase the number of African-Americans employed in jobs that are meaningful jobs certainly is a step in the right direction."
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September 07, 2020 at 11:16AM
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Longtime Peoria residents talk about social and racial justice reform in the city - HOI ABC
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