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Jill Jachera and Pastor Branscomb

By Diane Hasili
Jill Jachera and Reverend Calton Branscomb, pastor First Baptist Church of Princeton, were all smiles at the YWCA’s 4th Annual Stand Against Racism. A new record was achieved this year as over 267,000 participants, 71 YWCAs, and 3,000 organizations across the United States joined in the event started by the YWCAs of Trenton and Princeton just three short years ago.
A long-time resident of Princeton and the mother of two, Jachera saw a need and committed to creating a better life for all residents, regardless of race, religion, or economic strata. In 2008, as President of the YWCA Princeton Board of Directors, she supported a bold collaboration of area businesses, organizations, and the two YWCAs to address critical social justice issues in Mercer County. The focus was not about what makes us different, but what makes us all the same.
The Stand Against Racism encouraged people to pause and open one’s mind to those who were different from themselves. The hope was to replace stereotypes with real people. What it did was provide the opportunity for dialogue, to change misperceptions, and to empower people to find their voices.
Because of their efforts and support during that first year, 5,000 participants across Mercer County sought to increase awareness of racism and find ways to eliminate it. It became a day of peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all people. Since then, it has become a national movement celebrated annually in late April.
Each “stand” is a personal expression of how to eliminate racism. This year, Greenwich, CT, held a city-wide event at Town Hall, while Charleston, SC held a poetry slam. In Mat-su, Alaska, staff snapped pictures of just about every student at Colony Middle School holding a sign of their best trait or characteristic and wove it into a slide-show providing a forum for students to connect on a deeper level than skin color. At Saint Louis University, there was a rally at their clock tower.
While there are many that think that racism is a black-and-white issue, it is much more than that. The YWCA’s English as a Second Language program represented by students from 36 countries illustrates the vast cultural diversity found in many towns. Sometimes such diversity points to the complexities of racial prejudices and all too frequent misperceptions about someone’s skin color, religion, or ethnic background. And sometimes, just standing strong is what creates a vibrant, respectful, and kind community.