|
 Black Chamber of Commerce of Illinois Chairman Frank
Bass served as key note speaker.
Bass is a member of a family that has been active in Chicago
African-American businesses since the mid-1960s. The family is known
for its business acumen, owning an array of businesses including
real estate, grocery stores, dry cleaners and laundromats, funeral
homes, and more. His uncle, Rev. James Bass, once had one of the
largest churches on the west side of Chicago at 700 S. Pulaski Road
and was instrumental in bringing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to the
west side of Chicago.
In keeping with family legacy, Bass is a small business owner based
in Chicago. He owns a political consulting/government affairs firm
and has been involved in politics and government in Illinois and
Georgia since 1984, with over 20 years of campaign and public policy
experience at the local, county, state, and federal levels. Bass is
also the Chairman of Strategic Human Services, a not-for-profit that
produces the North Lawndale Newspaper in Chicago and provides
services such as job training for veterans and mentoring to at-risk
youth.
Bass talked about King protesting racial discrimination and
campaigning for civil rights. He said though President Reagan made
the King holiday official in 1983, it was not observed until 1986,
and in some states like Arizona it was not observed until 2000.
Bass was born on the West Side of Chicago in summer 1968, after
King’s death, but said he grew up hearing stories about King and
watching King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Bass said race riots
happened in the West Side of Chicago in both 1966 and 1968. In 1966,
the National Guard was called in to patrol the area and in 1968,
over 10,000 police officers, 6,700 National Guard troops and 5,000
soldiers were ordered to the city by then President Lyndon B.
Johnson.
Bass said he has not had direct experience or memories of struggles
with segregation, but still deals with racism and discrimination. He
has several ways of dealing with racism.
Bass’s grandma lived in Oxford, Mississippi, the only state where
they still have Confederate flags. It was in Mississippi that James
Meredith was the first African American entered in the Mississippi
University and he faced horrible treatment and racism from other
students.
Bass said he was six and in Cicero, Illinois, the first time he was
called the “N” word. Bass has also been harassed by police, who have
pulled Bass over and told him he looked suspicious even though he
was not breaking any laws. Bass said it could have been worse as he
could have been arrested or even shot.
Bass asked what must be done to make society better, when there are
still many problems of racism. There are police killing black men
and white judges giving seven-year sentence to the police officer
that shot Laquan McDonald, while a black man receives 80-plus years.
He gave several other examples of the problem.
To reach the mountaintop and MLK’s dream of all people living,
working and playing together regardless of skin color, Bass said we
still have a long way to go. He said we are all descendants of
immigrants, but it seems we are going backward with the current
administration.
Bass asked, “What will you do to make life better for people, to try
to understand others who don’t look like you, and to open your heart
to make this world a better place?” Bass did it by joining the
Democrat organization in Chicago and urged people to vote for those
he felt would make life better for people.
After asking “What can you do?” Bass said find something you like
and appreciate that brings personal growth, teach people by example
that racism and not looking out for your fellow man is not cool, and
stand up for those who are not being heard.
Bass said we cannot allow racism and discrimination to thrive and
flourish. Civil rights protect us all and is woven into the fabric
of society.
Bass closed with the MLK quote, “Our lives begin to end the day we
remain silent about things that matter.” He asked everyone to try
and make a difference.
As members of Second Baptist Church prepared to take
up a collection for the scholarship fund, Reverend Shelton made an
appeal for donations and said, “It is giving time.” Everyone sang
“We Shall Overcome” as members of Second Baptist Church took up the
collection.
Reverend Shelton had people around the tables clasp
one another’s hands as he thanked everyone for the support of a
college he is committed to, and he read a poem that said to never,
ever quit, even when some oppress you.
Reverend Shelton gave the invocation, thanking God
for the privilege of being here to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
and Joyce Kinzie and for their service and the legacy they have left
behind.
Lincoln College history professor and Master of
ceremonies Ron Keller thanked everyone for coming and said Dr. King
believed fully in the power of education. As King said,
“Intelligence plus character is the true goal of education.”
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Keller recognized the elected officials and first
responders in attendance, thanked the breakfast committee for
putting it together, especially LC's Jen McMillin, and introduced
Lincoln College’s twenty-second president, Dr. David Gerlach.
Dr. Gerlach said the event started in 2009 by Joyce
Kinzie, Glenn Shelton, and Les Plotner to provide funds for an
annual scholarship for Logan County minority students to attend
Lincoln College. Since then, over $50,000 has been raised for this
scholarship. In 2017, the school was able to endow the scholarship,
meaning it will continue forever. President Gerlach said these
scholarships make it possible for so many students to find success
at Lincoln College, which is one of the most affordable private
colleges that is comparable to four-year public colleges.
Gerlach said Lincoln College is in the midst of a renaissance as it
heads back to its roots as Lincoln University. Since 2015, ten
Bachelor’s degrees have been added, and a Bachelor of Law and two
master’s degrees have been submitted to the Learning Commission for
their approval. One is a Master’s in Business and the other a
Master’s of Organizational Leadership.
The two students receiving scholarships for the
2018-2019 school year were Aurora Board and Jessica Jackson, both of
Lincoln.
Board said she was proud to have been raised in
Lincoln and has made many memories at Lincoln College. Board thanked
those involved with the scholarship which will help her and other
minorities in the future.
In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., Board said, “The function of
education is to teach one to think intensively and to think
critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true
education.”
With the scholarship, Board plans to finish her first four years at
Lincoln College to complete a degree in Criminal Justice and then go
on to Southern Illinois University for her law degree.
Jackson is a senior business major who is on the
Dean’s list. Jackson said she is non-traditional student and has
three full-time jobs as a full-time fiancé, full-time mother of two
beautiful girls, and full-time student at Lincoln College. Jackson
thanked Reverend Shelton, her many supporters and said they are
proof people make a difference in this world.
In 2010, Jackson was a twenty-year-old high school dropout who was
tired of living with the stigma of being an uneducated woman of
color. Jackson decided to take her GED test with no preparation and
said a lot of information was foggy and she became discouraged,
doubting her abilities. The instructor responsible for monitoring
the test asked Jackson to step out of the room and told her the
hardest part of taking the test was having the courage to try.
Jackson stepped back in with her head held a little higher and her
mind a little clearer and finished the test.
Jackson said she found herself at another crossroads a few years
later when she was working as a Certified Nursing Assistant and had
done nothing with her GED. Jackson decided to enroll at Lincoln
College.
Jason in the Admission Office asked Jackson if she had any college
experience and Jackson said she tried to get into Robert Morris
College previously, but her placement scores were too low. He told
Jackson not to worry because Lincoln College had all the resources
she would need.
Jackson said last semester, when Reverend Shelton came to her
African American Experience class to speak, it gave her inspiration
and bravery.
Reverend Shelton concluded the morning’s event with a benediction
thanking God for what Bass shared and praying the continuing
comfort, conviction, and conversion of God’s Holy Spirit would abide
in every heart.
The event held at Lincoln College Davidson-Sheffer gymnasium drew
around 130 attendees.
As always attendees were served a large buffet style
breakfast followed by a program with an inspirational keynote
speaker, interpretive dance, and music. The scholarship breakfast
committee consists of the Reverend Glenn Shelton, Debbie Ackerman,
Ron Keller, and Jen McMillin.
[Angela Reiners] |
