While Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been a national holiday since 1983, AmeriCorps officially took over the coordination of this National Day of Service in 1994. Since then, the organization has empowered Americans to build community and mend divides.
This year, AmeriCorps members from Illinois State University Sam Kortkamp, Laura Keeran, Tatum Flores, and Erin Hennessy proudly participated in this tradition by learning about restorative justice practices in addition to donating their time and effort to a local voting rights museum.
Stevenson Center Assistant Director Dane Myers organized the restorative justice workshop to aid AmeriCorps members in learning about restorative justice, how it aligns with Dr. King’s vision of the “Beloved Community,” and how they can apply it to their service.
“Restorative justice provides us with the tools to respond to conflict and wrongdoing in a way that fosters human connection and reconciliation rather than meeting harm with more harm,” explained Myers. “It allows individuals who have hurt others to take active accountability, repair damaged relationships, regain self-respect, and be accepted back into the community.”
Communities that participate in restorative justice practices are better able to heal and even thrive in the face of adversity. And when communities thrive, they’re more equipped to ensure equity and opportunity for everyone within them.
Illinois State Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) graduate assistant and AmeriCorps member Tatum Flores also organized an event aiding in the creation of a museum that aims to educate people about an opportunity many take for granted: the right to vote. The Project XV Museum is slated to occupy a building in El Paso once owned by barber David Strother, the first African American to vote in Illinois. Volunteers helped with the extensive renovations to the building by painting, taking apart old fixtures, and moving furniture and other heavy items.
Flores helped to paint a room that will eventually be a virtual reality barbershop where Strother will tell his story to visitors.
“It was really cool to see the vision … and be able to be a part of the museum’s foundation,” she said. She was also excited to learn about the history of the site. Flores, despite living in Illinois her whole life, had never heard of Strother.
“As someone hoping to work in student affairs, I think it really opened my eyes to being aware of the place you are in,” Flores said. “By understanding the history around myself and the campus I am on, I can help connect students and be able to better support my students.”
“I was surprised to learn that the first Black man to vote in Illinois [did so in] El Paso, Illinois,” added Stevenson Center Fellow Sam Kortkamp, a Bloomington-Normal native who is planning on continuing to serve the community after he graduates. Kortkamp also said he enjoyed connecting with another volunteer during the event who shared her views about the area from a new resident’s perspective.
The activities the Stevenson Center and Center for Civic Engagement AmeriCorps members participated in were just some of many volunteer events organized across the country this year, all working towards AmeriCorps’ support of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of the “Beloved Community” in America.
