Immigrants and Refugee Ministries Grants Boost Hope
New neighbors in Northern Illinois who came from other lands are experiencing God’s love through God’s people, thanks to the 14 churches and organizations that received confe…
Watch the Presentation and Discussion
Learn more about The Negro Motorist Green Book exhibit on the website of the Illinois Holocast Museum here.
Learn more about the 2023 Film Discussion Series
Itinerary:
In person prices include tour, lunch and panel discussion:
YoFresh will be providing a sampling of desserts historically associated with African American cooking
Before visiting the exhibit or watching the presentation, it is recommended to read the book Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candace Taylor, as well as watch the documentary The Green Book: Guide to Freedom (2019), and the Award Winning movie The Green Book (2018).
Dr. Richard R. Guzman, is professor emeritus at North Central College where he taught writing, literature, race/ethnicity, and social change and is active in his family’s foundation, Emmanuel House. He serves as a consultant on anti-racism initiatives for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church and headed the committee that produced the Becoming the Beloved Community workshop. Dr Guzman is a member of Friendship United Methodist Church in Bolingbrook where he has chaired the Church Council, is coordinator of its Daybreak homeless shelter program, and occasionally preaches and plays keyboard in the worship band.
Dann Gire serves as the Lay Leader of Our Redeemer’s in Schaumburg. He is a founding director of the Chicago Film Critics Association and has served as its president for 22 years. Gire has worked at the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago as a government reporter, crime reporter, Metro reporter for the Cook County Criminal Courts, and — since 1978 — film critic. He teaches Introduction to Cinema at Loyola University Chicago. The class includes a week on mainstream movies supporting white supremacy themes, and a week on movies encouraging empathy and tolerance, introduced (on video) by Gire’s late colleague Roger Ebert.
Dr. Larry Murphy is professor emeritus at the Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. His many publications include four full-length books and some 22 articles and reviews, focusing on the social and religious history of African Americans. Beginning in 1976, Dr. Murphy served for some 22 years on the ministerial staff of Evanston’s Ebenezer AME Church. Post retirement, Dr. Murphy and his wife, Dr. Jean Murphy, opened YoFresh Cafe that is available to civic organizations, service agencies, and other individuals and groups seeking a space to support their work for the common good.
Rev. Tennille Power currently serves as the Pastor of Hazel Crest Community United Methodist Church and the CEO and Creative Director of Serenity Coaching and Counseling. Rev. Power actively serves within the Northern Illinois Conference through her work on Becoming Beloved Community, The Black Healing Collective, The Champion Team, which is a subset of the Anti Racism Task Force. She holds advanced degrees in theology and counseling. Rev. Power is the former Executive Center Director of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago-Parks Francis Center, which is where she began her anti violence and anti racism work. She has been trained with Crossroads (CROAR), a national renowned organization in Anti racism work. In addition to pastoring and mental health counseling, Rev. Power is a trained yoga instructor and believes in the wholeness of well being of all.
Rev. Megan Dean Tobola is the Lead Pastor of Wesley United Methodist Church in Naperville, Illinois—a Reconciling Ministries Network church. Ministering primarily in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) of the United Methodist Church, she enjoys the blessing of work in the local church and surrounding community, as well as statewide, national, and global work of ecumenical, interfaith, and interreligious relationships. She enjoyed her anti-racism work on the conciliar level on the Illinois Conference of Churches Illinois Christians Encountering Racism Team and Churches Uniting in Christ, and continues this work on the grassroots and conciliar level through continued and present relationships.
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