Panelists tell tales of racism, experiences in Bloomington

Before he went on the infamous killing spree that ended the life of graduate student Won-Joon Yoon, white supremacist Benjamin Smith distributed racist literature at IU.\nSmith's attempts to divide Bloomington had the opposite effect. It brought the people of Bloomington together. \nProminent community and religious leaders banded together to form Bloomington United, a group devoted to racial harmony.\nTuesday, the group tried to bring together the city's black residents to find out what they have to say about being black in Bloomington. The crowd that gathered at the Banneker Community Center was of all ages and mostly two colors: black and white.\nIf the meeting was any indication, the Bloomington community is divided about how to be united.\nThe panelists -- La Verta Terry, Paul Norris and Patrick Efiom -- started the meeting by telling stories. There were stories of firsts: first black teacher in Bloomington, first black IU Police Department officer and first black postal worker in Bloomington, respectively. \nOthers told of a past much more difficult than the present, and of children who are fortunate to be able to take things for granted. Many shared experiences of harassment and race-baiting. \nIn the end, only half an hour was left for debate about how Bloomington's black residents feel, what they want changed and how they could do it. People had a lot to say, and many stayed after the debate to share their opinions. \nMany said Bloomington doesn't have a black core. Communities are transient and the old networks don't exist anymore. \nNorris, from Bloomington, suggested black churches as the only places where some of these networks still exist. \nTerry said she sees new kinds of networks shaped in schools and elsewhere. \nMany noted that urban segregation is not as obvious as in bigger cities. \nPreston Bridgwaters, who has lived all of his 64 years in the house across the street from Banneker Center, said he remembers when this kind of segregation was promoted. \n"Years ago, I was interested in buying a house, and I realized that I will have to live in this particular area where the blacks were," he said. \nHis bank told him that was how it should be. \n"Of course they said that they are letting me know that I would be disappointed or get my feelings hurt if I lived outside of this area," Bridgwaters said. "Years later, the same people told me, Preston, you are in a different income bracket, you don't have to live in that area anymore, you can live in any area you want. But I said, no, I will live here for the rest of my life."\nBridgwaters said that he didn't mind living there but that he is disappointed that once black people become successful they move away from their roots. \nOthers said they have to start with themselves. \nWillie Kimmons, chancellor of the Bloomington campus of Ivy Tech, said he has been involved in the civil rights movement as long as the movement existed. \n"I am the civil (rights) movement" he said.\nHe said blacks are not visible enough in the community.\n"I don't see us at the plate -- we're not at the country club, the Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotaries, the Kiwanis …" he said. "We're not where the decisions are being made; we are not visible. We need to stop fooling each other." \nSome applauded Kimmons, but Don Griffin said he found that perspective frustrating. \n"It irritates me," he said. "I am in real estate; I am a developer; I'm in the Kiwanis -- what is he talking about?" \nGriffin, who has lived in Bloomington all his life, said he was bothered by some other speakers, too.\n"I get frustrated with people standing up and basically not saying anything," he said. "They want to hear how diverse they are, and we are here to hear what the problems are and what to do about them"