Get Ready for the Race

The Race Against Hate is a race with purpose -- this annual 5/10K run, walk, and youth mile, held every Father's Day, is a staple of our community and a family-friendly way to take a stand against racism and hate. Competitive at the front and relaxed and celebratory at the back, it's a feel good event you don't want to miss.

We race in remembrance of Ricky Byrdsong, killed in a hate crime in 1999. We race because we're at a crucial point as a nation, and we believe that fighting hate and racism is more important than ever. It starts with recognizing our country’s long history with racism and its impact on our systems, structures, and institutions. If we want a just, peaceful society, it is our mutual responsibility to address racism.

Prepare your body:

The Evanston Running Club, a longtime supporter of the Race, is offering a free 0-5K training program leading up to the Race. To register go to www.evanstonrunningclub.org and click on "ERC 0-5K Training Program Registration" in the events box on the right side of the homepage.

Prepare your mind:

While you work phycially to get ready for the Race, we hope you will consider broadening your perspective each week leading up to the Race as well. Here are some "Couch to 5K Equity" ideas:

  • For some quick inspiration, you and a training buddy can watch/listen to Jay Smooth about how we talk about race: www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU.  Then talk about how YOU talk about race.
  • Ready to get moving toward deeper understanding of how “race” has impacted the history of ALL of us? Download the book “Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson from your local library to keep you company as you walk/run toward your Couch to 5K goals. 
  • Treadmill time is the perfect opportunity to read, “The Case for Reparations” a TaNehisi Coates article from Atlantic Monthly. It covers miles of history about how housing discrimination set the tone for segregation, particularly in Chicago. An extremely valuable foundation for understanding systemic racism.  www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2014/06/the-case-for-reparations/361631/
  • Exercise your election muscle: Find out where your local School Board candidates stand on equity issues: Is there an opportunity gap for Students of Color? Is there anyone making sure classroom libraries contain books by a broad range of authors, with diversity in the main characters and story lines? Do some students get punished more, or more harshly, than others?