Mike Matejka ’74 came to Illinois State University as a transfer student in the early ’70s, and now over five decades later he became a Golden Redbird and one of the most notable members of the Bloomington-Normal community. He is known for his work as a community leader and Bloomington City Council member. This year he will be a keynote speaker at the Half Century Club reunion.
Born into a close-knit family in a working-class neighborhood in St. Louis, Matejka’s early life was shaped by the values of community, compassion, and social justice instilled by his parents. Later they moved to Cahokia, a small village in Illinois.
Matejka’s educational journey led him to pursue priesthood studies, leaving his family at the age of 13 to attend St. Henry’s Preparatory Seminary in Belleville. After graduating, he attended Creighton University. Transferring to Illinois State to pursue a degree in history after his sophomore year of college wasn’t easy, but it was worth it. What drew him to Illinois State at first was free tuition. Finding affordable and high-quality education opportunities is a challenge for students to this day, but Illinois State started a tradition of helping young minds achieve their goals, and Matejka was one of them.
Children usually absorb core values at a young age from their parents and family. Matejka’s father was a transit worker and an active union member. His parents believed that workers received decent conditions and fair pay, thanks to union representation. From an early age, Matejka knew that the union and everything that was happening there had a direct connection to not only his family’s well-being but also to every single household in the neighborhood.
“If there was a strike, we all knew that he (Matejka’s father) was on strike, and we would become more cautious with money during that period,” Matejka said. “Every month he would get a little union button membership pin, which meant he had paid his dues. Then he would give it to me, and I would wear it to school for the next month. It was a part of identification, and part of the working-class union movement. He was not an officer or an activist—just a conscientious member of the union community.”
One of the most memorable things that shaped Matejka’s belief system was occasional car rides with his father around East St. Louis, where they would pass shotgun shacks—narrow, rectangular houses with rooms aligned one after the other and doors at each end. The neighborhood consisted of mostly African Americans, and unlike other citizens, they could not get credit to buy houses, so they were forced to rent and live in terrible conditions. Just seeing these homes made young Matejka wonder why people lived like this and what circumstances created this situation. He did not have an answer at that time, but those are the things that heavily imprinted on him.
Searching for answers to his questions and being a curious person, Matejka explored all opportunities to learn—seminary, church, and educational institutions. Matejka came to Normal for the first time in the fall of 1973 and almost instantly started to partake in activities that were organized by the Newman Center (currently St. John Paul II Catholic Newman Center), including anti-war protests. While at the Newman Center he met his wife, Kari Sandhaas, also an Illinois State graduate. Sharing similar values, together they have worked on multiple issues.
Matejka got involved fast because of Rev. Joseph Kelly, specifically his emphasis on building a strong community. What Matejka really liked about Kelly was that his theology was not necessarily about God and heaven but how to create a better world for people. The Newman Center under Kelly’s guidance was very open, meaning that if students wanted to plan a demonstration or bring a speaker, all they had to do was mark a day on a calendar.
Matejka said that what really speaks to Kelly’s personality was his attitude toward people in need. At one point a Filipino family, Charlie and Verna Avila, lived with Kelly. Charlie was the vice-president of the peasant union in the Philippines and had to flee the country when Ferdinando Marcos seized power. Verna previously was an exchange student in Normal. When they had nowhere else to go, they asked Kelly if they and their daughter, Miriam, could stay for a few weeks with him. They stayed for three years. Matejka even babysat their daughter. He says that the conversations he had with this family were an incredible opportunity to learn about the world, different state policies, U.S. imperialism, and dictatorship.
Newman Center was a place for everyone to learn and grow as individuals. For instance, they have been actively involved with labor leader and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), which is now known as the United Farm Workers labor union. Another co-founder of NFWA, Dolores Huerta, also appreciated Newman Center’s support and visited campus twice. Members of this organization were working toward achieving better conditions for farm workers in California by calling for national boycotts to force growers to improve conditions. It provoked mass movements among campuses, churches, and trade unions. Matejka would spend his afternoons after class standing outside of the grocery stores, passing the leaflets with the text “Don’t buy grapes!” They were trying to help those impoverished workers continue fighting and hoping that people in the city would support them.
“Just seeing these very poor people who were struggling for justice, who were taking great risks to improve their lives was an eye-opening experience,” Matejka said. “Seeing that people, who didn’t have a college education, who barely had any education, had the courage to step up, trying to get some decency in their lives, was incredible.”
Years later Charlie Avila helped organize the Asian Cultural Forum on Development and invited Matejka to join the group as a consultant. For six months he traveled around Asia from Thailand and Malaysia to Sri Lanka and India, living in rural areas, and sleeping on floors. He then spent a year traveling around the states, spreading the word on how U.S. policies impact the lives of people in Asia.
Inspired by Kelly’s teachings, Matejka embraced the concept of servant leadership, empowering individuals to take control of their lives and work for positive change. He was passionate about changing laws and conditions to help marginalized communities have a voice.
Matejka said it is still troubling how many people are looked down upon because they are working class and poor, and there are so many who do not realize how incredible people are until they give them a chance to express it. While there are many injustices in the world, whether discrimination or poverty, Matejka believes that the best way of empowering people is not only to invest money in programs but to also give people the opportunity to control their lives. He said people know what they need but don’t have the resources.
Matejka’s unwavering commitment to making a difference is a reminder of the power individuals have to affect positive change. Recognition as the 2021 Normal Citizen of the Year is a testament to Matejka’s contributions and impact on the community. For him, the honor symbolizes the opportunity to continue his mission of advocating for those whose voices often go unheard and working toward a more compassionate world.
“I think this community is incredibly open to people and not necessarily open to confrontation, but if you raise an issue and do so in a thoughtful way, people will respond, and people will think,” Matejka said. “One of the opportunities of Bloomington-Normal is that we are a city, but we are small enough. We are not stratified. If you want to call a mayor, you can call a mayor. That would not happen in Chicago. In other words, local decision-makers are open to response and taking whatever people have to share seriously.”
Matejka appreciates that Bloomington-Normal has opportunities for a variety of activities. He’s been actively involved with the McLean County Museum of History for years, having the opportunity to work on five exhibits there. He believes that the Social Justice Walking Tour was one of the most exciting things he worked on. The tour was created to reflect how 19th and 20th century Bloomington dealt with issues of human rights, including immigration, labor, gender equity, LGBTQ+, and racial justice.
Not In Our Town was created to manage anti-discrimination activities, which involved school outreach programs. His main mission was to help people in the community feel more welcomed and valued here by hosting workshops on topics like bullying, community inclusivity, and empathy. It is a nonprofit organization, which means every person involved was doing it because of their beliefs.
Matejka also shared his experience about encountering infamous white supremacist and antisemite Matt Hale, who was active in the ’90s in Illinois. Not In Our Town members planned to directly confront Hale on his recruitment tactics but decided instead to hold a diversity celebration in downtown Bloomington. Over 500 people attended the event, marking a point in the city’s history by being an open and inclusive place.
Matejka was elected to the Bloomington City Council, serving 18 years and raising social injustice issues. In 1996, Matejka voted to expand the city’s human relations ordinance to include LGBTQ+ people. At that time, Matejka was the only one to vote for it and was defeated. But in 2001, Bloomington amended its ordinance to include LGBTQ+ people.
After 40 years in the local union movement, Matejka’s intent was always to give people the opportunity to find their own power and use it. Especially when it comes to the digital world and the opportunities it provides to marginalized communities all over the world who may become more resilient and fight for their rights.
With such professional and personal experiences, Matejka will be a good keynote speaker at this year’s Half Century Club reunion. While saving most of his words for the night’s attendees, he shared a glimpse of what he hopes to address.
“When I came to ISU, I wasn’t interested in majors or professional careers, I came here to learn things that I was curious about,” Matejka said. “So, I was thinking a lot about what was the world that we lived in as a generation, as a class of students. I think we underestimate sometimes the amount of change in terms of human relations, whether it is between race, gender, or sexual orientation. We have made progress, and sometimes it is difficult to see for some because people get discouraged.
“Another thing to look at is particularly is the 1970s, which was a tumultuous time. People talk about this country being divided now, but we were a divided country back then because of wars and racial relations. But we adapted and changed. I think people fail to realize that there is pain, but there is an opportunity. And that should be a constant reminder for us to think of what has not been done yet.”
Awareness of social issues and adaptation of a collective action movement within Bloomington-Normal is what made Matejka a valuable member of the community. His tireless efforts in promoting social justice, confronting discrimination, and helping people find their way to improve their lives are a part of the immense legacy he has left for his community.
