Bearing witness to many of our challenges as of late, Peoria seems to be at a crossroads. A hot topic polarizing our community as of late is community crime and violence. Peoria is pushing records in shooting deaths per capita…
Tag Archive for Real Talk
Real Talk | The fight to exist
by Sherry Cannon • • 2 Comments
Between the 18th and 20th centuries more than 1,200 Black settlement, enclaves, and towns were established in the United States. According to the Historic Black Towns and Settlement Alliance, there are 13 historical all-Black towns in existence today. The state…
Real Talk | All-American sweat is the new cotton
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
Just the other day, I was watching ESPN when a sports news story came on about one of the most prominent NCAA football coaches in NCAA history, Nick Saban, who had accused another high-profile coach, Jimbo Fisher, of “buying every…
Real Talk | Learning more about race, racism and discrimination is critical … lest we forget
by Sherry Cannon • • 1 Comment
Recently while watching a podcast that DL Hughley was on as a guest, he made a very interesting statement. Hughley said, “the most dangerous place for Black people to live is in White people’s imagination.” That statement illustrates how successfully…
Real Talk | African Americans struggle just like crabs in a barrel
by Community Word Staff • • 2 Comments
When Crabs are pulled from the ocean and thrown together in a barrel, the crabs will pull down any other crab that tries to get out before them. This is how the term “Crabs in a barrel” came to be.…
Real Talk | Power of fear feeds on a fragile democracy
by Sherry Cannon • • 2 Comments
You’ve heard the saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same?” This saying came to my mind as I watched the Democratic Congressional members commemorate Jan. 6, 2021’s insurrection at the United States Capitol. After the Civil…
Real Talk | Emphasizing empathy behind the badge will help strengthen our communities
by Community Word Staff • • 3 Comments
I heard a true story from Peoria County Sheriff Brian Asbell a while ago that sticks with me to this day. He told a story to a group about a man who was in the county jail. This person was…
Real Talk | Power Without Courage is Useless
by Sherry Cannon • • 1 Comment
Since its enactment in 1965, The Voting Rights Act, (VRA) has been reauthorized and amended five times, with bipartisan support. The last time the Senate reauthorized and amended the VRA was in 2006, by a vote of 98-0 and for…
Real Talk | The struggles of Black police officers
by Community Word Staff • • 1 Comment
Dear Black or Brown Officer, When I was a little boy growing up in South Peoria, I spent a lot of my time dreaming and reading comic books. Being a thin and stout-statured young man, I was no stranger to…
Real Talk | Preserving the 15th Amendment
by Sherry Cannon • • 0 Comments
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, between Jan. 1 to July 14, 18 states enacted 30 laws that will make it harder for Americans to vote. In particular, Black and brown Americans will be disenfranchised, because many of these…