One of my favorite places on earth is Urbana, Illinois. The name means nothing to many; others shake their heads in bewilderment. A small town somewhere in the American Midwest. What can be special here? I lived and studied in Urbana for five years. Since then I keep coming back. It’s a place full of music, art and people creating community. Every day they fight on a small scale for what they miss on a large scale: places of warmth and reason – not only in the USA there is often a lack of both.
One of those places is the Independent Media Center (IMC). In the old town center of Urbana, it rises colorfully out of the gray orphaned surroundings. The motto of the IMC: “Media + Art + Technology for social change!” The IMC promotes media and art and lets people have their say whose voices are lost in the commercial media frenzy. Whether African Americans, poor or old. The goal is “empowerment” through education. In a country where religion, business and politics drive the news, this is no small task.
Over 1000 volunteers make it possible. They run a radio station, a newspaper and a library. They organize working groups, cultural projects and support social justice initiatives. Just last week there was the “Book Sale for Prisoners” – a book sale, the proceeds of which support educational projects in prison. The theater company “Bread and Puppet Theater” from Vermont also made a guest appearance recently. Their motto: art for everyone, not just for the rich! Around 400 visitors attended. In the open air they saw a magnificent spectacle of oversized dolls. That evening, all visitors went home a little richer – whether with a lot or little money.
Recently, the IMC also has government funding—$700,000 to support local non-profit organizations. “It’s really incredible how many people try to improve things,” says Miriam Larson. She is the director of the IMC and a longtime friend. Often, people who want to set up non-profit organizations have no help, she says.
The IMC helps them to establish themselves with start-up financing, advice and support. One focus is initiatives once morest gun violence – that’s going pretty well, she says. In addition, the IMC has been supporting social projects for years. The “Black Voices Theater Production” for example – a theater project that advocates coping strategies for racist violence. Or the “Champaign County Bailout Coalition” – an association once morest the structural exploitation of the poor in US prisons. There is much to be done in times of growing economic and social division, including in Urbana, Illinois.
My husband and I are here for a wedding. For four days we meet old friends. Craftsmen, teachers and organic farmers. They play music, sit around the campfire and celebrate – in a barn in the middle of the forest. Today, as then, we are speechless. Your commitment shows us once more: Political and social participation is more than watching the news and voting. It happens through the things we strive for every day. All those who only shake their heads, on the other hand, should scratch their heads.
