In the summertime of 2022, Victoria Vann made historical past within the village of Westchester, Illinois, when she organized the neighborhood’s first-ever Juneteenth celebration. As a newly elected village trustee, Vann noticed a possibility to bridge cultural recognition with civic engagement in a neighborhood that has undergone important demographic adjustments over the previous century.
Now, as Westchester prepares to have a good time each Juneteenth and its one hundredth anniversary as an integrated village, Vann displays on the journey from a neighborhood that after had deed restrictions stopping gross sales to folks of shade within the Thirties to at least one that now options a number of elected officers of shade working collectively to construct an inclusive future.
Vann, who based the Eugene Baker Pleasure Vann Memorial Scholarship Basis to help numerous learners, brings a novel perspective to neighborhood management. Her basis honors her grandfather, one of many first Chicago Cubs gamers who helped convey Ernie Banks to the group and later grew to become the primary African American baseball supervisor within the Skilled League, and her mom, the primary African American girl to function Union President for Native 512 at American Airways.
On this dialog, Vann discusses the importance of cultural celebration, the evolution of neighborhood advocacy and the way she’s working to make sure that each voice in Westchester is heard and valued.
This yr’s Juneteenth fest marks each a nationwide day of liberation and Westchester’s one hundredth anniversary. What does it imply to you to convey these two moments collectively in a single celebration?
It’s impactful. It’s significant. Westchester has been round for 100 years, and as of 2022 Westchester began celebrating Juneteenth celebration as a result of I introduced it to the village of Westchester because the trustee for the village of Westchester.
Now that we’re coming into into our [100th year] of being integrated, and now having Juneteenth as certainly one of our standing celebrations, it’s a real reflection of how far Westchester has developed and has come, and the way we are actually not solely celebrating range, however having the ability to start to observe fairness and inclusion.
You led the primary Juneteenth celebration in Westchester. What impressed you to begin it? And the way have you ever seen it develop and resonate with the neighborhood since then?
I used to be [a] newly elected official, first time ever working for workplace, and imagine it or not, I used to be elected and I used to be touring to different Juneteenth celebrations within the Proviso Township space as a result of I’m an enormous advocate [for] cultural actions, cultural schooling, and undoubtedly what you’d name black excellence and what that appears like. It dawned on me like I’m celebrating my tradition in different communities the place I do know that in my neighborhood that I used to be elected for and characterize as a result of I used to be elected, there’s some illustration there. Why are we not doing that in my neighborhood? That’s when it dawned on me like, Hey, we’re doing this.
I used to be perhaps a month into workplace, and I referred to as President Rebo, who’s the president now of the village of Westchester, and [I] mainly was like, Hey, we’re performing some type of celebration ceremony to honor Juneteenth. He was like, okay, as a result of I feel we’re gonna elevate the flag. We’re gonna do one thing. And it was like perhaps 2 weeks.
I needed to put all the pieces collectively earlier than the precise June nineteenth hit, and I believed the best and most impactful occasion to do was to do a flag elevating ceremony. I purchased the Juneteenth flag, and gathered everyone collectively locally, and different elected officers got here out and we raised the primary time ever within the village of Westchester, the Juneteenth flag that flew in entrance of the village corridor.
Why that’s vital is as a result of, as of [the] Thirties there was a deed restriction in place the place residents couldn’t promote their house to individuals of shade within the village of Westchester; the village of Westchester has come extraordinarily far.
And there was a time the place, there was dialog of is the village of Westchester prepared for an individual of shade, [an] African American particular person, to be in an elected seat, to now having, three or 4 elected officers now which have [served] in an elected seat, serving to to manipulate the village of Westchester. We’re coming, and like once more, we’ve come far, and we’re persevering with to develop.
It was instrumental, as a result of I actually heard residents saying lastly, I see myself on this neighborhood. Lastly, I really feel like I’ve a voice on this neighborhood. Lastly, I really feel like I’m part of this neighborhood and really feel revered on this neighborhood that I like and bought a house right here and raised my youngsters right here.
It’s greater than only a elevating of the flag and issues of that nature. It hits house. It’s extra of [an] evolution of who we’re as African Individuals. And we’re celebrating our tradition. We’re letting everybody know that we’re right here within the village of Westchester and our tradition issues, and we wish to be seen and heard; we wish to be handled pretty. That’s what’s occurring now.
I’m actually honored to serve alongside President Rebo as a result of he was completely for it. He might have been towards it. He was completely for it, has been fully supportive, and [so] has the village employees. I’m actually honored to have the ability to work with people that imagine within the mission as a lot as I do.
The village itself has grow to be extra numerous in recent times, with a major Black inhabitants. How has that shift formed your advocacy work and the sorts of initiatives you’ve prioritized as a village trustee?
What I needed to do was, do what I’ve at all times been doing, which has at all times been advocating for the unvoiced, advocating for many who are underserved, underrepresented, marginalized communities. And that didn’t change once I obtained elected. I simply thought that now I would like to make use of this platform to construct that out extra within the village, that we might start to not solely simply be neighbors, however now we are able to start to actually study from each other and develop in a extra inclusive neighborhood.
In doing that, it takes quite a lot of schooling, as a result of one factor I didn’t wish to do was simply [to] power feed schooling, cultural schooling, that by no means goes properly while you power somebody into your tradition, or no matter, and vice versa.
That’s with anyone. You must meet folks precisely the place they’re. My strategy shifted just a little bit as a result of I needed to step again and begin to actually start to coach and mannequin what I used to be really attempting to show locally.
Ensuring that I highlighted African Individuals or Latinos, or Asian Individuals locally doing nice work or having occasions that had been extra cultural occasions that had been round schooling, whereas celebrating the usual American historical past occasions just like the 4th of July, issues of that nature.
And assembly folks round veteran points as a result of these points relate to anyone no matter race, gender [or] class. In case you’re a veteran, you’re a veteran. You fought for this nation that we are able to benefit from the freedoms and liberties that now we have now as Individuals, and utilizing these platforms to convey everyone collectively helps us to start to study from each other, to respect each other, and it begins to interrupt down a number of the stereotypes, or perhaps implicit biases that had been there.
While you really take time and say I’m right here for the neighborhood, then folks present up for you as a result of they perceive you’re right here for everybody, and that’s actually what my objective is. However I’m very a lot unapologetically [an] African American girl, and I don’t waver from that. I perceive that on the finish of the day that it’s going to take an entire village of us to return collectively to have the ability to help each other and develop this neighborhood to the capability that we wish it to develop to.
Briefly, my technique has been, let’s deal with the neighborhood, no matter what nationality or ethnicity they’re. When you try this work and also you deal with the neighborhood, all the pieces else simply sort of [falls into place]. No matter now we have a standard invested curiosity in, all of us desire a good house. We wish to ship our children to good colleges.
We wish to really feel secure; we wish to be sure that the neighborhood that we’re in is secure. We wish to have the ability to present for our household. These are all important wants that, no matter race, class or gender, all of us need. And we begin from that baseline. Then we are able to transfer ahead collectively on different points. And that’s sort of been my strategy. What’s the frequent denominator?
The liberty stroll and the flag ceremony are highly effective symbols. Are you able to converse to their significance, and the way they set the tone for your complete celebration?
The liberty stroll is critical as a result of it represents what occurred [on] June nineteenth when the slaves [realized] that they had been free; they did basically a freedom stroll, and walked off the plantation into Galveston, after which [asked for confirmation like], are we? Is that this true, and noticed the notices and realized that is true, and went to go have a good time at a church. As a result of that’s the place African Individuals [gather].
We collect at church buildings. And the liberty stroll represents that; it’s very a lot historic and linking the aim and the rationale behind that freedom stroll. When I’ve the liberty stroll right here within the village of Westchester, we’re actually strolling by means of the neighborhood of all nationalities, chanting unity, celebrating freedom, celebrating liberty, and strolling to the village corridor to lift the Juneteenth flag.
As a mother, a neighborhood chief and a founding father of a basis supporting numerous learners, what legacy do you hope to depart each by means of this occasion and your work in Westchester?
The legacy that I [hope that] I’m leaving, as a result of I’m very aware of that, and intentional, is that I wish to make sure that — I’m a mom first of a younger, lovely, good-looking 13-year-old soccer participant, and I’m a proud soccer mother, and I do know that sadly, quite a lot of our African American males, boys are focused. There’s been quite a lot of injustice performed to the African American neighborhood usually, significantly our African American males.
What I might hope is that the legacy that I’m leaving is that I’m leaving a legacy to point out my son and different youngsters that seem like my son that they too, can struggle towards all odds. Don’t surrender. You may have a voice; inform your story; be pleased with who you might be and the place you come from, and just remember to give again.
Just remember to are part of the neighborhood that you just not solely reside in, however that you just serve; get entangled; grow to be a civic chief. Guarantee that the particular person subsequent to you is doing properly, similar to you might be.
That’s what I might need. I wish to be sure that my son realizes that once I created that basis I additionally made certain I had him in thoughts that he might perceive his household legacy, and the place he comes from, that he might stand on my shoulders, after which be higher than I used to be, and proceed on to pursue greatness, and no matter that appears like for him in that capability. And I would like that for all of our children. Truthfully, all of our children.
How can folks study extra about what you’re doing and the Juneteenth occasion, and the rest that’s occurring in Westchester?
There’s two methods you possibly can have a look at it. I’m on social media on a regular basis, not by selection, as a result of I actually wish to Netflix it out and simply chill. However this position has obtained me having to be right here. However anyway, Fb, it’s actually my first and final title, Victoria Vann, and in addition you would go to my trustee web page, which is Village of Westchester trustee, Victoria Vann, after which on [Instagram]. It’s the Scholarship Fairy, as a result of I subject scholarships for numerous learners by means of my basis.
It’s the Eugene Baker Pleasure Vann Memorial Scholarship Basis in honor of my grandfather, Eugene Baker, who was [a] Chicago Cubs [player], one of many first Chicago Cubs gamers. He really helped to herald Ernie Banks, after which he grew to become the primary African American baseball supervisor for the Skilled League, and that was below [the] Pittsburgh Pirates, and my mom was the primary African American girl to be Union President for Native 512, which is [the] American Airways Union.
Advocacy and combating for folks — that’s in my blood. What I made a decision to do is to open up a basis of their honor and supply scholarships to numerous learners. And people are [people who] simply merely [learn] otherwise. It doesn’t essentially imply you’ve got a studying incapacity or something like that. It simply implies that, perhaps you wish to be an artist. You don’t wish to be a health care provider; you study just a little extra creativity.
However you wish to go, and pursue some type of commerce or school or college schooling. My basis helps to sponsor that. And we do have a bullying prevention program and have a good time unsung heroes.
The Scholarship Fairy on the Gram. Yow will discover me there both below the Scholarship Fairy or V2, after which that’s just about it. Or you would go to the Eugene Baker Pleasure Vann web site: https://www.ebjv.org; you possibly can study extra in regards to the group there as properly, and in addition apply for scholarships.