Huntley protests remained peaceful

In the wake of the death of George Floyd, the message of Black Lives Matter has arrived in smaller towns across America, and Huntley is no exception. Protesters arrived with peaceful intent and showed signs of encouragement in how the youths of this nation are spearheading peace and a common ground in race relations.

The protesters in Huntley, Woodstock, Crystal Lake, and McHenry demonstrated their constitutional rights with a peaceful way of delivering a message of change that resonated clearly and without diminishment of purpose. The actions in McHenry County appeared with respect of law enforcement and property.

Protesters carried signs in Huntley at Diecke Park, with messages such as “I Can’t Breathe” and “No More Silence.” These signs were typical of the messages conveyed to thousands of drivers, there and elsewhere. In each and every one of the local protests, police officers provided traffic control and safe access for protesters.

Many of the protesters were young people, a fair number of high school age. The message of the superintendent’s office at Huntley School District 158 would not be lost on them.

“District 158 is adding our voice to the chorus of millions demonstrating for the condemnation of racial violence, for the recognition that Black lives matter, for changes to break down the individual and systemic racism that plagues our society, and for the embrace of hope, love, decency, and common humanity.”

The work required to achieve change is wide-ranging and requires partnership with the entire community, according to the Assistant Superintendent of Special Services. Dr. Rocio del Castillo oversees the Equity Action Coalition and is prepared to present before the Huntley School Board on June 18, a year’s worth of study on The Destination 158: An Equitable Approach to Education Framework.

“The framework of the D158 Equitable Approach to Education is to make explicit the ways in which our district will address the challenges of systemic inequities that impact the opportunities for our students,” del Castillo said.

Dan Armstrong, Huntley District 158 Director of Communications and Public Engagement, notes “a pivotal moment” in the community that happened a few years ago.

“While incredibly painful to experience, it ultimately had a positive effect in making visible a lot of issues that needed greater attention,” he said.

Armstrong reflected on an incident back in 2017 involving a student in District 158.

“A student, of his own volition, printed some truly vile, hateful material from a white supremacist website and displayed it at school. It was horrible and caused a lot of pain for our students and families of color, as well as our entire school. Rightfully, there was a massive uproar and disapproval from our community and from people throughout the country,” Armstrong said.

The response he believed was that more students felt empowered to speak up about other forms of racism they had experienced in school and throughout their lives.

“It brought to light some important realities, and it started bringing the community together in a way we hadn’t seen before. Since then, there have been a lot of specific actions taken, and we’ve made some progress. However, we still have a long way to go,” Armstrong said.

Some pressing issues in society tend to eventually get buried under the weight of other pressing issues, but this movement also fights against activism burnout. At the forefront of the effort to effect change, we can find young people armed with signs, social media platforms, education, and conviction of a values system worthy of all of us.

As Armstrong emphatically states, “It’s important as a district, as a community, and as individuals that we acknowledge our histories and the things we need to change. There is a moment happening on a large scale, and we want to propel it forward for positive change.”

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