GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Green Bay YWCA held it’s the fifth installment of a lunchtime series called Stand Against Racism on Wednesday.
Kay Baranczyk is the CEO of the organization and says this free, one hour event, aims to raise community awareness of the affects of racism on all of us.
“So we want greater Green Bay to be a place where people of different cultural, racial and ethnic backgrounds can get along well together, can have a place of community harmony, and we believe this begins with awareness. That’s a really necessary first step,” said Baranczyk.
Guest speaker Mohammed Bey is the Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. He shared his experience of growing up in Chicago and how education changed his life.
“I don’t always want to share my story but I’ve found that it’s very relevant and it helps people understand that you can make it through whatever you go through,” Bey said. “And I hope that other kids out there and people that have gone through stuff or are going through, can hear my story because they can get through anything, and I mean it.”
Bey also discussed the book “Between the World and Me” and opened up the audience to comments and questions.
Baranczyk says the YWCA is a perfect place to have conversations like the one today.
“We are non-partisan, we are unaffiliated, we are neutral and we are welcoming to all.”
Members of the public and community leaders were in attendance. The next event in the lunchtime series is on April 26 at 12 p.m. at the YWCA located at 230 S. Madison Street in Green Bay.
It will provide a panel discussion on the newest Neville Public Museum exhibit opening May 5th called Estamos Aqui (“We are Here”).
The lunchtime series is in it’s second year.