The Knox County Board is putting its support behind the NAACP and actions that the organization is encouraged to end systemic racism.
A letter to board members from Brittany Grimes, President of the Galesburg Branch of the NAACP, calls on the board to encourage funding to be allocated to facilitate de-escalation training as well as in-person diversity, equity, and equality training.
Other actions that are being encouraged include the establishment of a Citizen’s Police Review Board to provide oversight and investigate instances of police brutality and produce sanctions to an officer for misconduct.
Board member John Hunigan says that racism takes many different forms, both economic disparity, and perception of people being treated differently based on their race.
“And I think, especially, in a community that is, let’s be honest, predominantly white, I think we miss the boat at times of what we consider racism,” Hunigan told board members. “Unfortunately, many people think that racism means overtly saying the ‘N-word’ or having hate symbols or something scrawled across a building. Racism has many different forms. It’s systemic, it can be indirect or direct.”
He said he applauded the efforts being done to address systemic racism.
Board member David Amor encouraged law enforcement agencies in Knox County to work with the NAACP to correct shortcomings.
The board approved the response statement supporting the Grimes’ letter.
