NAACP | WGLT

'You Holler Like Hell': B-N Leaders Speak Out Against Riot At Capitol

By Sarah Nardi • Jan 7, 2021

As Willie Halbert watched scenes of chaos unfold at the U.S. Capitol, she said she was neither shocked nor surprised.

'The Time is Right': B-N NAACP Addresses Inequity in Health, Education

By Sarah Nardi • Jul 16, 2020

On Thursday night, the Bloomington-Normal chapter of the NAACP began its monthly town hall meeting with a sobering statistic.

Protests And Riots Dissimilar But Not Unconnected

By Charlie Schlenker • Jun 10, 2020

Looters exit Target — Charlie Schlenker / WGLT

Recent looting in Bloomington-Normal and in many states since the death of George Floyd may have something in common with race riots of the 1960s.

A Dialogue On Race Begins With Police In Bloomington-Normal

By Sarah Nardi • Jun 9, 2020

“You probably don’t know this, but a broken tail light is a black man’s biggest fear.”

Around the table, people were silent as Otis Evans Jr. described what it’s like to be a black man in America.

Video: NAACP Joins With Police For Unity Message

By Ryan Denham • Jun 8, 2020

Police on the steps — Ryan Denham / WGLT

Illinois State University Police Chief Aaron Woodruff received only light applause Monday when he told a crowd in downtown Bloomington that he condemned the Minneapolis cop who killed George Floyd.

Motorcycle Group ABATE Condemns Hit-And-Run Attack On Demonstrators

By Ryan Denham • Jun 4, 2020

Motorcyclist at protest — Jeff Roberson / AP

The state's leading advocacy group for motorcyclists is condemning the hit-and-run that injured two people after an NAACP rally Sunday in downtown Bloomington.

Motorcyclist Faces Hate Crime, Assault Charges After Hit-And-Run

By Ryan Denham • Jun 2, 2020

A 21-year-old Bloomington man was charged Tuesday with committing a hate crime and aggravated assault after allegedly driving his motorcycle through a crowd of demonstrators on Sunday.

NAACP President: 'Corona Has Told Us, You've Got To Change'

By Ryan Denham • Apr 9, 2020

The president of Bloomington-Normal’s branch of the NAACP says the coronavirus is sending the community a message.

“Corona has told us: You’ve got to change,” said Linda Foster.

McHistory: Segregation In Bloomington-Normal

By Darnysha Mitchell & Charlie Schlenker • Feb 12, 2020

The early 1900s saw an influx of racism and discrimination in the Midwest, from anti-Catholic, anti-immigrant, and anti-African American sentiment, to race riots in Springfield, Chicago, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Ku Klux Klan became a force in central Illinois. Segregation grew in Bloomington-Normal and what had been a thriving black middle class was gradually destroyed.

With First All-Female Exec Board, Local NAACP Turns Focus To Voting And Gun Violence

By Tiffani Jackson • Sep 9, 2019

When Linda Foster moved to Bloomington-Normal in 1977, she noticed a lack of equal opportunity for minorities. Raised in a family of visionaries and problem solvers, Foster followed the same path and made bringing change a priority by joining the NAACP.