What We Do

CHALLENGE RACISM AND SEEK SYSTEMIC CHANGE

We live in a society where both historically and in the present culture, institutions and interpersonal relations set some social or ethnic groups up to succeed while at the same time disadvantages others.  Deliberate racist practices such as slavery and segregation serve as overt examples of systemic racism, but less obvious to most are the ways that education, income inequality, housing, access to healthcare are complicit in advantaging one group over another.  We may hear about these things and associate them with national politics, but they can also be found right here in Knox County.  KARE wishes to effect real systemic change by identifying the systems of oppression that exist within our community, teaching others to see these systems,  and by trying to find concrete ways to make lasting changes to the system.

Past and current projects include:

  • Responding to racist incidents when they occur and supporting Knox County residents who have experienced racism

  • Working to hold community institutions such as the Mount Vernon Police Department, the hospital, local schools, and businesses accountable for promoting diversity and inclusion 

  • Encouraging people committed to racial equity to run for local offices and organizing candidate forums to ensure issues of diversity and inclusion are recognized

  • Connecting and collaborating with other Knox County organizations to leverage our influence to move the county towards racial justice

  • Monitoring discussions and decisions at city council meetings to ensure our membership is informed about relevant issues

PROMOTE INCLUSION

A truly inclusive community is one where everyone feels valued and has a sense of empowerment and belonging. KARE wants to ensure that everyone in Knox County feels safe and valued. We support efforts to actively convey that Knox County is a community that welcomes people of all races, religions, and backgrounds. We also seek to challenge those local symbols and practices that can send the message that Knox County condones racism.

Past and current projects include:

  • Creating and distributing “Love Your Neighbor” posters, which promote respect for diversity, to local businesses and community partners

  • Encouraged Mount Vernon to remove “Dan Emmett” from the name of its annual arts and music festival

  •  Working to raise awareness of how other forms of commemoration of blackface performer Dan Emmett and the display of Confederate flags make some residents feel unwelcome

  • Developing a “welcome packet” that can be sent to all new residents

CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSITY

While Knox County is predominantly white, people of color have always built their lives here. KARE seeks to highlight and celebrate the diversity of Knox County—from the stories of its earliest Black residents to the experiences of contemporary Latino and Muslim community members. We welcome and value the diverse group of young people who come to the county every year to attend Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University and we seek to ensure that they have a good experience while living in Knox County

Past and current projects include:

  • Helping to secure a historical marker to honor Dr. Ellamae Simmons, a Mount Vernon native who became the first black female immunologist in the United States. 

  • Funding and supporting the campaign for a historical marker to recognize Mount Calvary Baptist Church, one of the first two Black churches in Mount Vernon

  • Working on curricular materials that highlight our region’s diversity

  • Collaborating on the creation of tourist and civic materials—walking tours, historical brochures—that document our rich local history

  • Planning a community festival to highlight the many different cultures of local residents

EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY

While Knox County is predominantly white, people of color have always built their lives here. KARE seeks to highlight and celebrate the diversity of Knox County—from the stories of its earliest Black residents to the experiences of contemporary Latino and Muslim community members. We welcome and value the diverse group of young people who come to the county every year to attend Kenyon College and Mount Vernon Nazarene University and we seek to ensure that they have a good experience while living in Knox County

Past and current projects include:

  • Participating in and organizing public panels on topics from blackface and minstrelsy to the history of redlining and housing segregation 

  • Offering “Subversive History: Learning the Past to Act in the Now,” an 8-week online free course for community members on the history of racism and white supremacy in the United States. A syllabus, with links to all course materials is available here 

  • Working with other local organizations and our local schools to develop resources to help teachers bring diverse histories and perspectives into their classrooms

  •  Supporting initiatives to organize events in honor of Black History Month and Latino Heritage Month

  • Communicating with our members about local events and ongoing actions through Facebook, email, and a regular newsletter


KARE GRANTS

KARE seeks to facilitate, support, and encourage work throughout the county to promote inclusion and challenge racism. We regularly give small grants in support of projects that we do not initiate. Anyone in the area can seek funding from KARE to help launch or fund efforts that serve the community. We particularly welcome requests from local teachers who would like to purchase books or other course materials about race and inclusion for their classrooms.

To date KARE has provided grants for:

  • The annual Overcoming Racism class

  • The historic marker to be placed outside Calvary Baptist Church in Mount Vernon