Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson declared February as Black History Month in the village and issued a proclamation shining a light on local Black owned businesses.
The proclamation, presented at the Feb. 17 board of trustees meeting, outlines the values the village recognizes in its history and how Flossmoor thrives through its diversity and inclusion.
Black History Month was established in February 1976 under President Gerald Ford to inspire others to take the time to learn about Black history and contributions of Black Americans. Ford was formally recognizing an observance founded in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson as “Negro History Week.”
“Every year Flossmoor features different residents to focus on who are doing great things, who are history makers during Black History Month,” Nelson said. “This year I wanted to focus on our not-for-profit leaders because of the excellent work they do for our community.”
The non-profits recognized were the iCan Dream Center and its founder Evisha Ford, Angels Athletics general manager and coach Marcus Crawford and his wife, Katrina Crawford, and You Matter 2 founder Destiny Watson. Each spoke about their organizations and what they have been able to do for their communities.
Ford said the iCan Dream Center will be celebrating 12 years in March. According to the organization’s website, the center helps assimilate youth to innovative and holistic special education services.
“Public education is so important for students to be successful,” Ford said. “What I also realized is that every student is not going to be served by the public education system, and so the iCan Dream Center was born.”
The organization started in Hazel Crest in 2020 and has since relocated to Tinley Park for a bigger space. Ford plans to keep expanding the program.
“One thing I can say is that we have a 100% high school graduation rate for our students,” Ford said. “And our students who stay with us into adulthood leave us and they enter the world ready to work.”
Watson, a Homewood-Flossmoor High School graduate, started You Matter 2 when she was 16 as a way to get others her age involved in service.
She has been able to expand the organization reaching young people throughout the Chicago Southland area. You Matter 2 created the Juneteenth Celebration in Flossmoor.
“We work with sixth through twelfth grade students on a year-round basis giving them access to leadership development, personal development, college and career skills,” Watson said.
She said the organization is preparing to take 23 high school students on a five-day college tour at the end of March. You Matter 2 will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary at a gala May 29.
“We’re doing all the things for youth: service, culinary, mental health, art, therapy,” Watson said. “I’m just so glad to be able to continue to serve the youth in this community and just be able to grow.”
Crawford said he and his wife joined the Angels Athletics organization 10 years ago. The organization is 22 years old.
His wife left her corporate job to be a full-time unpaid executive director of the program that involves girls through basketball, dance and golf. Crawford said athletics is what brings girls to the program, but Angels Athletics also supports “their aspirational goals as far as career aspirations, community involvement,” Crawford said.
Crawford said community involvement is critical and took the time to thank the coaches and mayors attending the meeting that have shown support to Angels Athletics.
“Programs that allow us to get (young people) away from the negatives of the phone and the internet and back into community building and building their bodies, their mind and their spirits I think are critical,” Crawford said.
Note: This story was updated to include credit for Carter G. Woodson as the founder of the nation’s Black history recognition.
