02/16/2015
MICHIGAN CITY — Lillian Sherrod-Young moved to Michigan City from Chicago in 1981 to have a safer environment in which to raise her children. She worked on the Human Rights Commission in the 1980s, and she worked for the La Porte County Child Abuse Prevention Council in 1995-1996.
She and Felicia Thomas formed a committee in 1995 to organize the city's first community celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day the following January.
Sherrod-Young graduated from Purdue University-North Central in 1997 with a bacholor's degree in social psychology. She also represented Purdue University and PNC at the National African-American Leadership Conference in 2000.
For about five years before 2002, she worked as a substitute teacher. Approximately 2002-2007, she worked with the Michigan City Area Schools' Safe Harbor program to give presentations on African-American history. During that same time, she worked with the Lubeznik Center for the Arts to talk about this history with a focus on Kwanzaa.
Since 2009, she has worked for North Central Community Action Agencies both in its Smrt Westside Neighborhood Center, where she helps with the senior feeding and after-school tutoring programs, and in its Emmet Wise Center, where she works on the after-school drug prevention and teamwork programs.
N-D: Who inspires you and why?
Sherrod-Young: Jesus insprires me because he's my savior, and I have to be very truthful about that. That's where I get my inspiration to serve … I read the Bible, and it tells me I need to serve God and people, so that's where I get my inspiration. Because if I see a need for something, I'm going to reach out, as much as I can, to try to supply it — through information, knowledge, sometimes money.
N-D: If you could meet one person in history, who would it be and why?
Sherrod-Young: Probably Sojourner Truth. because despite being a slave and having all her children taken form her, her spirit never broke, and she went about the country — and she was a very inspirational speaker, and people were just amazed. She was for civil rights and women's rights — and human rights.
N-D: What is something about yourself that might surprise people?
Sherrod-Young: I’m very transparent. … Most people that know me are not surprised … Maybe that I’m a very hard worker.
N-D: In your words, why is celebrating Black History Month important?
Sherrod-Young: It's important because I feel that everyone should know about the contributions to our society and our community from everyone. Sometimes, things are omitted by certain people with certain frames of mind, and I don't think anything should be omitted about the contributions of all people — African-Americans, Hispanics, whatever. We've all made significant contributions to our society.
N-D: If you could pick one or two things, what would you like everyone to know about African-American histrory?
Sherrod-Young: The first thing is their contributions — African-Americans' contributions — through inventions, poetry and the things that they endured and gained strength from without a formal education. Many of them didn't have a formal education. Dr. Carter G. Woodson was 20 years old when he went to high school. He was there two years, and he got a Ph.D from Harvard university. And he was only the second African-American — during that time, during the 1800s — to get a Ph.D from Harvard. … Garrett Morgan invented the traffic light and sold it to G.E. for only $40,000 – the patent to it. Granville T. Woods was known as the black Edison; Elijah McCoy coined the phrase "the real McCoy" because of his lubricating machine that he made. And people started imitating it, and it didn't work the same, so people started asking, "Is that the real McCoy?" And that went all the way down through time, and that was in the 1800s.
N-D: What is the rate of poverty in Michigan City, and what are some opportunities to help?
Sherrod-Young: Different areas have different numbers of (people in) poverty dwelling in them. Over here on the East Side, we have much wider poverty rates because of the family – how it's situated. Sometimes there's only one female head of the family. And that person's not making enough money to provide everything that the family needs. And I think the people here in Michigan City reach out quite a bit, and I've learned that working with different agencies. When I worked with the county Child Abuse Prevention Council, people just gave. ... With the homeless shelter, people give – and they give – and that is outstanding. So I think that the way we can curb – stop – a lot of things is just find out who needs what. Find a list of agencies. Just find out, "What can I do to help to serve?" That's what Dr. King said. In fact, that's why we formed the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee. Felicia Thomas and myself were sitting around one day. She was at home and I was at home. ... We got together and said, "Well, let's have a big celebration." ... We had over 900 people at our first community-wide Martin Luther King Day celebration (in January 1996). And then it went on, and I think that probably the third year that we did it, we started breaking up and going places (to do community service) ... Dr. King said everyone can serve – everyone.
N-D: Why do you chose to make helping the needy one of your main missions?
Sherrod-Young: Because the needy need help. And I have a heart in helping, because at one point in time I needed help, and if someone hadn't helped me, I don't know where I would have wound up during that time.
N-D: What is the greatest need in the Michigan City community?
Sherrod-Young: The greatest need in the Michigan City community, to me, is unity and togetherness in upholding each other – in whatever ways and areas that are needed ... To me, (the way to accomplish that) is loving and enjoying people – no mater who they are or where they come from, the color of their skin or the way they speak. But because they're humans, just like I am.
N-D: Is there something that you would recommend community-focused organiations to do differently?
Sherrod-Young: No, I think each organization that is working in our community is doing a fantastic job in the area that they're working in – because Michigan City is small enough where a lot of information is word-of-mouth. And if anyone has any questions about the organization, they can always call the organization.
