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What Can You Do?
People who hear about this case often feel depressed about the injustice of it,
and powerless to do anything about it. Below are some constructive things
you can do if you feel this way. Note that I
am not affiliated with any of the organizations
listed below, and have nothing to gain from others
helping them out.
Community Awareness
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Tell people about the story. It helps to process it with others, and
sometimes good concrete action comes out of shared frustration.
You can also share your thoughts in the Discussion
Forum on this site.
Community Service Actions
Another way to help is by getting involved with
community service projects that help youth, especially
black youth, as a way to show that our community does
care what happens to our youth.
- Sign up to be a mentor at an elementary school or junior high. Mentors
can be great influences for kids who need advocates, and also need another
positive voice in their life. I can personally
recommend two great mentoring programs that operate within schools in Champaign
and Urbana:
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The Talks Mentoring Program. Contact
Dr. Harold Davis at 351-5889
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CU one-to-one mentoring. Contact
Barb Linder at 337-0853.
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If you can't make the commitment to mentor, you can contribute financially to
the mentoring programs listed above.
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Contribute to Canaan Academy, a private school in Urbana that provides an
alternative to public schools for all children, and fosters a safe learning
environment for African American students. Contributions can be made to: Canaan Baptist Church, 404 W.
Main St, Urbana, IL 61801
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Support or contribute to organizations that provide services to African
American children, such as the the Don Moyers Boys &
Girls club or the Urban
League.
If anyone out there has other good ideas on how to
help the community, please send them to
me at dan@thebradysmithcase.com
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