Archive - Where We Found Our Beginning - September 17th, 2017
This post was originally made September 17th of 2017 on our original wordpress.
On the evening of Friday, August 11th, 2017 our country changed… and yet, it didn’t. It is as if it came more sharply into focus. The hate displayed that weekend by white supremacists, nazis, and confederates (what year are we in???) was always here. But suddenly it was center stage, brought into focus. No longer a blurred shadow of darkness and evil lurking in our land.
An image taken by Stephanie Keith for DailyMail.com. The image depicts a large group of neo-nazis and white supremacists carrying tiki-torches at night, at the University of Virginia's campus ahead of the "Unite the Right" rally.
It was shocking, incomprehensible. It was horrific and heart-breaking.
It was unacceptable.
But what could I do? I had a four month old child with stuffy nose that required irrigating every two hours. I couldn’t get on a bus or train and join the protesters. I felt so helpless and scared and isolated in my grief.
An image of a black and silver pen on a light toned wooden table. The pen is to the left of a blank white card, laying flat on the table.
I wrote some cards of support. It felt…paltry…
I saw on facebook a friend attending a candlelight vigil in Madison, Wisconsin. Closer, but I still couldn’t get there.
As I began to talk with friends, the most common question was, “But what can I do?” Articles with places to donate circulated, but what could I do for others like me to not feel so alone? What could I do so my other friends here could mourn and show they supported those feeling alone?
Then, I mentioned the idea of having a candlelight vigil here, in Hutchinson. Dearest Rebecca immediately said, “Yes! You should do it!”
Whoa there. Me? No, no, no. Um, I am so not qualified. Surely someone else? I feel like a nobody. Who would listen to me? I don’t know where to start.
A quote that reads "In any given moment we have two options: To step forward into growth or step back into safety." by Abraham Maslow. The quote is overlayed on a background of grey-black texture.
But who else would? So Rebecca and I, families in tow, nestled into the couches at the coffee shop armed with good intentions, caffeine, and blank notebooks ready to be filled with a genius plan we hoped would come to us.
As we talked, we thought, surely someone else is more qualified. Surely someone else is planning something. We didn’t want to step on toes or take someone else’s thing… So, we made two plans… 1. Contact people who might already have wheels turning, ask if they need any behind the scenes help. 2. If no one is planning, reach out to different organizations and communities who might be interested in being involved, support them while they plan it.
It didn’t exactly work out like that. Does life ever?
A quote in black print, on white background that reads: "Life doesn't work out the way we plan, but maybe it works out the way it's supposed to after all." by Kristin Harmel.
We started by calling the local NAACP. With our babies on our hips, and spit up or fruit juice stains on our shirts, we knocked on doors of local churches and organizations on our quest.
I got in touch with Dr. Hence Parson at the college and Mr. Pope of the NAACP. The answer was immediate. We need to do something. We WILL do something… and then, let’s do your something. Let’s do a candlelight vigil here. You plan it, we’ll help get the word out and we’ll be there!
The overwhelming answer seemed to be, “YES! We’d love to be involved, support, be there…for you.”
Gold calligraphy on white background that reads, "Make it Happen"
Yikes. I guess we were doing the thing??? That doesn’t seem right. “But here we go.” I thought.
Mr. Pope and Dr. Parson went to Hutch News and that was that. It was happening and we better get it together.
A question we got over and over again was, who are you affiliated with? What group are you from. We weren’t sure how to respond. We weren’t a group, we were just people trying to do the right thing. We were just…moms against racism??
And, not to spoil the ending. but…we got it together. Jennifer Randall and Mark Rassette jumped on board to create a community art project. We made a facebook event. We got musicians, we and the NAACP got speakers, we got candles, we made posters and painted a banner on an old sheet in my basement into the late night, with little ones trying desperately to tread upon our work.
Our biggest fear is that only 5 people would show up. But maybe, just maybe, 50 people would show up! Wouldn’t that be amazing??
A photo of the crowd, holding candles, standing, or sitting in lawn chairs, during the candle-light vigil in Hutchinson, Ks.
There were…a few more than that… Somewhere in the ballpark of 400.
Afterward, as we talked with people there, we were asked again who we were affiliated with and mostly, what was next?
What do you mean what was next? We did a thing. We weren’t planning anything else, just this. But more and more people said not just how much this event had meant to them, but how much more was needed in our community.
So here we are. We are starting on this scary, exhilarating journey, trying to make our little corner of the world a better place.
A photo of Miriam (chin length straight black hair, brown skin, black blazer, striped shirt and Rebecca (pixie brown curly hair, pale skin, brown glasses, black dress).
We are Hutch In Harmony – Helping communities come together, to join against hate and division. Promoting inclusion and celebration of differences. We are here to help others plan events of their own that focus on unity and love and community.
A photo of Miriam and Rebecca holding hands in front of a cream stone wall.
So go back to your shadows, thou foul hatred, division, and prejudice. Let the light of love and community and friendship drive the darkness away.
A quote from MLK that reads "Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that." Overlayed a photo of Martin Luther King Jr.
Post written by:
Miriam Bebe Khan-Kitson