{"id":5577,"date":"2024-01-12T17:21:47","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T23:21:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/?p=5577"},"modified":"2024-01-12T17:21:48","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T23:21:48","slug":"dedicated-to-helping-one-another-grow-in-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2024\/01\/12\/dedicated-to-helping-one-another-grow-in-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Dedicated to Helping One Another Grow in Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

by Caitlyn Baylor, Grants and Special Initiatives Director<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I grew up in Rockford, where, for five years, I attended Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School on Rockford\u2019s southwest side.\u00a0 Every morning, first through fifth grade, right hands on our hearts, we began our day with the \u201cpeacemaker pledge.\u201d The last line of our daily recitation was: We follow Dr. Martin Luther King Jr\u2019s lead, as one school family, dedicated to helping one another grown in peace<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At King School, the life and work of Dr. King was an enormous part of our curriculum.  We sang songs about Dr. King in our school choir, The Jammin\u2019 Peacemakers, led by Dorothy Paige Turner.  We watched documentaries about Dr. King at school-wide assemblies.  On January 15 each year, we gathered as a school family to dance in the gym in celebration of Dr. King\u2019s life to Stevie Wonder\u2019s \u201cHappy Birthday.\u201d  We learned about the Civil Rights Movement, Jim Crow Laws, Selma, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the March on Washington\u2026 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But something I did not know until my life led me into this line of work was the impact Dr. King had on the fight for fair housing.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

April of 2024 will mark the 56th<\/sup> Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King.  It will also mark the 56th<\/sup> Anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act.  That is not a coincidence.  Dr. King was fighting fiercely to eliminate discriminatory practices in housing shortly before his assassination, and it was his tragic death that pushed Congress to finally pass the fair housing legislation that he and other civil rights leaders had been fighting for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That legislation has been on paper since 1968, yes, but as a community, we still have a long way to go to realize Dr. King\u2019s vision of housing justice.  Many cities like Rockford that were segregated from years of discriminatory legislation remain largely segregated today. The gap between white and Black homeownership rates have grown rather than shrunk. Affordable housing remains out of reach for many, and the affordability crisis continues to have a disparate impact on communities of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his 1967 speech \u201cBeyond Vietnam,\u201d Dr. King spoke of the need not only to play the Good Samaritan when someone is beaten down along life\u2019s roadside, but also to transform that roadside so that it is no longer a place where people are beaten down. The work that Habitat for Humanity does aims not only to intervene and provide critical housing to those who need it, but also to restructure the very edifice which makes housing unsafe, unaffordable, and inaccessible to millions in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we read the full speeches and works of Dr. King, we are reminded that his instruction, time and again, was for civil disobedience, economic divestment, and radical action challenging racial injustice. To follow Dr. Martin Luther King’s lead is to be willing to “boldly challenge the status quo.” We push ourselves every day to do this at Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, on what would have been Dr. Martin Luther King Jr\u2019s 95th birthday, I hope you will join me in joyful dance to Stevie Wonder\u2019s \u201cHappy Birthday.\u201d  I hope you may celebrate Dr. King\u2019s legacy by attending a sermon or completing community service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I hope you will also join organizations like Habitat in honoring Dr. King\u2019s legacy by challenging the status quo and continuing his fight for housing that is fair, safe, decent and affordable for each and every member of our beloved community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today and every day, as my fellow King School Peacemakers and I would have repeated close to 1,000 times in our daily pledge, “let us follow Dr. Martin Luther King Jr\u2019s lead” and really work to transform the Jericho Road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Happy Birthday, Dr. King.   <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Caitlyn Baylor, Grants and Special Initiatives Director I grew up in Rockford, where, for five years, I attended Martin Luther King Junior Elementary School on Rockford\u2019s southwest side.\u00a0 Every morning, first through fifth grade, right hands on our hearts, we began our day with the \u201cpeacemaker pledge.\u201d The last line of our daily recitation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":161727633,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb8kyv-1rX","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1131,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2020\/08\/11\/education-for-a-more-equitable-future-reflections-from-our-recent-book-club\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":0},"title":"Education for a more equitable future: reflections from our recent book club","author":"Community Engagement","date":"agosto 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"By Caitlyn Baylor, RAHFH Homeowner Services Coordinator As you\u2019ll often hear us say, the focus of our work at Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, put simply, is to increase access to homeownership. On the surface, it is clear that this work addresses a present-day need: low-income families in our community\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/the-color-of-law.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/the-color-of-law.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/the-color-of-law.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/the-color-of-law.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/the-color-of-law.jpg?fit=1200%2C674&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3122,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2021\/12\/31\/looking-back-on-2021\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":1},"title":"Looking back on 2021","author":"Community Engagement","date":"diciembre 31, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Charae's home dedication Tracey and her son at their home dedication 2021 was certainly a year to remember. When we sat down with RAHFH Executive Director Keri Asevedo to discuss what this year was like for our organization, a few words came to her mind: powerful, tenacious, and determined. There\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_4432.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_4432.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_4432.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_4432.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/IMG_4432.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2224,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2021\/03\/16\/staff-spotlight-jack\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":2},"title":"Staff Spotlight: Jack","author":"Community Engagement","date":"marzo 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Jack Turner has worked as RAHFH\u2019s Construction Manager for six years. He coordinates all of our builds and repairs, which is no small task! Jack works with our floor plans, coordinates with any contractors that we hire to help with the construction of our homes, ensures that our builds are\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Jack.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Jack.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Jack.jpg?fit=600%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3704,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2022\/05\/27\/connecting-students-to-the-trades-the-guilford-high-school-build\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":3},"title":"Connecting students to the trades: The Guilford High School Build","author":"Community Engagement","date":"mayo 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Guilford students, Representatives from Rockford Public Schools, Habitat leaders, and Tammy, the owner of the 2022 Guilford House gathered to dedicate the home. Carmen grew up watching her dad work as a car mechanic. She would go with him and watch and learn as he fixed cars. Carmen quickly discovered\u2026","rel":"","context":"En \"Affordable Housing\"","block_context":{"text":"Affordable Housing","link":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/tag\/affordable-housing\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/IMG_6206.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1888,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2020\/12\/30\/20-things-to-celebrate-in-2020-the-year-in-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":4},"title":"20 Things to Celebrate in 2020: The Year in Review","author":"Community Engagement","date":"diciembre 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This reflection on 2020 was written by Keri Asevedo, Executive Director of Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity What\u00ad an incredible year it\u2019s been for Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity \u2013 filled with generosity, compassion, dedication, and some good old fashioned grit.\u00a0 I presume that not every non-profit or small business\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSC_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSC_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSC_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSC_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/DSC_0455.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5525,"url":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/2023\/11\/08\/housing-matters\/","url_meta":{"origin":5577,"position":5},"title":"Housing Matters","author":"Community Engagement","date":"noviembre 8, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of our 35th year celebrations, Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity is presenting a visual display about the organization and its history in the lobby of City Hall. The display, titled \u201cHousing Matters,\u201d will be a combination of informational posters about Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity, photographs spanning 35\u2026","rel":"","context":"Entrada similar ","block_context":{"text":"Entrada similar ","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/rockfordhabitat.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/Housing-Matters-poster.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/161727633"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5577"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5581,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5577\/revisions\/5581"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rockfordhabitat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}