CHICAGO — Northwest Siders looking for ways to sustain the spirit of Wednesday's anti-racism vigil in Portage Park will have their chance on Saturday, with a pair of neighborhood marches planned by the grassroots social justice group Unity in Community.
Billed as "Families Showing Up Against Racism for Racial Diversity Neighborhood Parades," the marches are a product of the year-old group's mission to "create space for civic dialog among neighbors about race relations," co-founder and organizer Jac Charlier said.
The group will meet at 3 p.m. at the Billy Caldwell Golf Course, 6150 N. Caldwell Ave., and walk to Central and Devon avenues in downtown Edgebrook, Charlier said. There, the group will take YWCA's "Stand Against Racism" pledge, including a vow to "stand up to prejudice in every form."
The marchers will reconvene at 4:30 p.m. at the Sauganash mural, 4300 W. Peterson Ave., and march to Cicero Avenue.
The group started last year as an open forum for Northwest Siders to discuss race, but today's "historic moment" — punctuated by last weekend's violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va. — means "everyone needs to be in the game, especially white voices saying that racism is real."
"Living in the predominantly white Northwest Side, we want to come out and say 'No more,' that we're done with this," Charlier said. "And we're not going Downtown — we're marching right where we live, so our neighbors can see us."
The group might advocate for specific political causes "down the road," but for now, the group is simply "starting conversations" and making its presence known, he said.
