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 The tradition of a
block party to kick off the Fourth of July
weekend is something that the neighborhood has enjoyed for several
years.
However, this year the party offered a little something extra: a
tribute and acknowledgement of one of the city's newest U.S.
citizens, Dr. Njeri Mwede Bere.
"Jerrie Berrie," as her name is pronounced, is a happy, outgoing woman born and
raised in Kenya. She now lives in Starkey Acres and is a professor at
Lincoln Christian University.
Last year, just a few weeks before the Fourth, she earned her
citizenship in the United States of America. As a new citizen, she
proudly marched with her daughter, Kena, in the Old-Fashioned
Children's Parade downtown, but otherwise hasn't really made much
of a fuss over her new status.
This year, however, her neighbors decided that she deserved a
full-blown celebration and therefore dedicated their annual
get-together to her.
Kenya is located on the eastern side of Africa, near the equator.
The six-sided country borders against Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan,
Ethiopia, Somalia and the Indian Ocean. Bere grew up in the
country's capital city of Nairobi, which has a population of
3,064,800.
She first came to the U.S. in 1993 for her graduate studies at
Indiana University. At that time, she intended to stay only for her
education and then return to her homeland.
As part of her studies, she was appointed to teach for one year
at Illinois Wesleyan University in Normal. When the year was
completed, the university offered her a position, assisted with her
green card and made it possible for her to stay in the United States
for another five years.
Along the way, she brought her daughter, Kena, into the world.
Born in the U.S., Kena was automatically a citizen even though her
mother was not.
Bere said that making the decision to stay in America was based
on her daughter and her career, and that she feels she owes Wesleyan
University a great deal for encouraging her to stay.
Ron Keller, who with wife Cindy hosted the annual Starkey Acres
block party this year, talked about Bere and the community's
decision to honor her.
"She has a fantastic sense of humor and is a wonderful gal to
have in our neighborhood. You don't see this kind of thing happen
every day, you don't have a new citizen in your neighborhood, and we
need to celebrate that," he said.
"This is what (the Fourth) is about anyway," he added.
"Celebrating not just what has happened in the past, but also the
fact that it still happens, which is a real compliment to our
country and who we are."
As part of the celebration, Mayor Keith Snyder paid a visit to
the party this year, offering his congratulations along with a
memento of the occasion.
Snyder spoke to the neighborhood group, saying: "It is a great
day! We're not only celebrating our country's independence, but
we're also celebrating with Njeri her one-year anniversary (as a
citizen).
"I thought maybe one of Lincoln's newest citizens needed a
picture book about Lincoln's namesake. I've started inscribing it,
but I need everybody here to do something. I need you sign it too so
Njeri will have it as a memento."
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The mayor's inscription read: "presented to Njeri on July 3rd
2010. Congratulations to Lincoln's newest citizen. Best wishes on
living out your life-sized American Dream."
Keller also made a presentation to Bere. Giving her a badge
donated by one of the neighbors, and a wooden baton, he named her
the grand marshal of this year's parade.
Bere and Keller drew a happy laugh from the audience as she piped
up, "I've never done this in Kenya!" to which Keller responded, "And
I'm afraid she'll take it a little too seriously telling everybody
where to go!"
When the parade took off, Bere happily led the way, wearing her
marshal's badge, carrying her baton and waving a small American flag
all around the block.
Afterward she spoke briefly about what she feels toward her new
country and her citizenship.
"This is like being a new mother," she said. "When you have a
baby, you don't just say, 'Yeah, I have a baby!' You feel the
responsibility; you want to do the right thing because whatever you
do impacts other people.
"I feel very responsible; I want to do the right thing for my
country," she commented.
"One of the things that I have really taken to is praying for the
country and praying for the president," she added. "I feel there is
no need to criticize what is going on, but as a Christian citizen, I
have to pray."
Born and raised in Kenya, and with her mother and grandmother
still there, that country will always be Bere's first home, but now
she knows that as a citizen of the United States and a member of the
Starkey Acres community, she has a new home, a new sense of
belonging that she truly values.
In Kenya there are two major languages: English and Kiswahili,
also known as Swahili. It is a language with happy-sounding words
such as "Jambo" for "hello or greetings," "Asante sana" for "thank
you very much" and "Hongera" for "congratulations."
In her honor it seems only fitting to end this story with a
message bearing her two languages now blended together: Hongera,
Njeri! Asante sana for choosing to be a part of our country and our
community!
[By NILA SMITH]
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