Sherialyn Byrdsong has her three children by her side. She has a supportive mother, and caring friends and neighbors. She’s always surrounded by people eager to help. For example, more than 2,000 people met at Long Field last Saturday to join her in support of a cause she took up after the murder of her husband, former Northwestern basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong.
But as the first runner in the 2nd annual Ricky Byrdsong Memorial 5K Race Against Hate crossed the finish line, Sherialyn, wearing a white nylon warm-up outfit, stood on the sidewalk – alone.
“It’s helpful when you have people around you who share in the situation,” Sherialyn said. “But the No. 1 support, the main base that helped me through this two-year journey, has been my faith and my relationship with God.”
Much has changed in Sherialyn’s life since that day in July 1999 when white supremacist Benjamin Smith went on a two-state shooting rampage that resulted in death of her husband, as well an Indiana University student and the gunman himself. The hate crime sent shockwaves through the Skokie neighborhood where the Byrdsongs reside.
Now, almost two years later, Sherialyn has devoted her life to her husband’s memory and life work. She started the Ricky Byrdsong Foundation in late 1999 and continues to spend a great deal of time running the organization – planning Project Y.E.S (Youth Education Services), a program Ricky helped start when he was vice president of community affairs at Aon Corp. Events include an August basketball camp and a program that introduces children to corporate America.
Sherialyn said her foundation work is a way of making the best of a bad situation.
“In Ricky’s whole life and professional career, he had a way of turning negatives into positives,” Sherialyn said. “I had 20 years experience watching him do those things. We had the same goals.”
Introspection has allowed Sherialyn to cope with her husband’s death, and events like Sunday’s memorial service allowed others to share their perspectives as well. With the memorial’s theme – “from tragedy to victory” – Sherialyn said her goal was to share her faith-based perspective on how God works in unfortunate situations.
What she has found is that her organization allows her to channel anger in positive ways in the hope that other “young people won’t fall into the same category (of hatred).”
“I have never felt anger toward Benjamin Smith,” Sherialyn said. “I do have an anger toward evil. I look at it like my fight is not against people, it is against a spirit of evil.”
She brings the same poise inside the walls of her house, giving her children a beacon to follow.
“My kids have really done well throughout the ordeal,” she said. “They watch me and take my lead in terms of remaining stable. If I had been extremely emotional or unstable it would cause them to handle it in a different manner. I talk to them constantly and encourage them to express how they’re feeling. We have an open line of communication.”
While Sherialyn remains inwardly focused, she has taken the chance to share her feelings with others in similar situations. She has met with the the family of Won-Joon, the student shot in Bloomington, Ind., on Smith’s shooting spree. She also attended a conference at Harvard University in February for family members who have been affected by deaths of loved ones.
“You connect with someone who has been through similar experiences,” Sherialyn said. “It’s therapeutic to be able to meet face-to-face.”
RACING FOR RICKY
NU has sponsored many events honoring the former basketball coach, but the 5K memorial race is the largest and best-attended event. Sherialyn said that the planning and fund raising for the event continues year-round. Racers donate money in the form of an entry fee. The race’s winners this year, repeat champion Julius Mwangi of Indianapolis and Evanston’s Tina Tremmel, each took home a $200 cash prize.
Messages such as “Don’t Hate,” and “Hate-Free Zone” surrounded Long Field on t-shirts and banners as people crossed the finish line. MC Mike Adamle, from Chicago’s NBC affiliate, warmed up the crowd on the sweltering Saturday morning.
Youth dancers performed while dozens of people signed a banner bearing messages such as “Ricky, this is a great tribute to you,” and “We are all the same. Beautiful.” Former NU student Michaela Purdue, 26, supervised the banner signing. Purdue, who works for the International Re-evaluation Counseling group, said that the event gives people a chance to talk about racism and share their experiences.
Lisa Lester is a personal friend of the Byrdsongs who came to support Sherialyn. She finished the 5K race in about 28 minutes.
“I do this for fun,” said Lester, 40. “It’s a good cause that brings people together. People are saying ‘good morning’ to me; it’s nice.”
Sherialyn’s mother, Gwendolyn Kelley, sat on the lawn listening to her daughter and Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan address the racers about Ricky’s legacy. Kelley made the trek from Atlanta to Evanston to attend the event.
“I don’t do much in the planning,” Kelly said. “So I try to help (Sherialyn) in any way I can. This is really good for her.”
Sherialyn said that she will always remember the first race because it was proof that the community was behind Ricky’s cause. This year’s was proof to her that the cause is for real.
“Last year’s race will always be meaningful because it was one year after his death,” she said. “To see so many people there communicated a message to me. This year showed that people still do want to carry on Ricky’s legacy – it’s not going to fade away so quickly. He’s still remembered, and the numbers show that the race has credibility.”
Hate Revisited
As the streets of Evanston cleared Saturday and the race reached its end, only the feelings of support and remembrance remained. Sherialyn tries to convey to her organization the feelings of unity and acceptance that the 5K brings.
She realizes that hate-based organizations such as the World Church of the Creator, which Smith followed, are difficult to stop. These groups attempt to attract young people across the country – and on college campuses. Leader Matt Hale’s visit to NU last winter serves as proof that hate is an ideology with continual backing.
“There are still many people out there who are white supremacists,” she said. “It’s reality. We have to face it and live with it every day.”
The numbers are not looking good. The Anti-Defamation League’s Web site reported that 1,606 anti-Semitic incidents occurred in 2000, showing a slight increase from the 1,547 reported in 1999. David Barkey of the Midwest Civil Rights Council said that the ADL continues to receive calls about incidences of hate crimes against Jews in Chicago.
Skokie Mayor George Van Dusen remains optimistic about the future of safety in his neighborhood. According to Van Dusen, Skokie has declared 2001 Peace and Harmony Year, and the theme will be repeated in such events as the 4th of July parade.
“Crime is pretty low and there is very little hate crime,” Van Dusen said. “The Byrdsong murder has changed things. Last year we did have a problem with the (Klu Klux Klan). I think now we have heightened recognition of diversity.”
Despite a rise in awareness in communities such as Skokie, progress is tough to assess.
“The Benjamin Smith killings reflect how serious of an issue (hate crimes) is,” Barkey said. “Hate is on a continuum. Someone doesn’t just wake up and say, ‘I’m going to kill a black person.’
“The things we are often concerned about in the North Shore is leafletting,” he said. “At most it is a littering crime. But what does that reflect? Others may get interested and it could lead to violent activity.”
Many lawmakers are taking notice – and cracking down. State Rep. Jeff Schoenberg (D-Evanston) sponsored a bill that passed the Illinois General Assembly in March ordering tougher penalties for hate crimes. In part, the bill would allow for the prosecution of church leaders, who currently cannot be charged for hate crimes even though they may have encour
aged violence. Hate crimes laws already on the books in Illinois mandate a heightened penalty for murder if bias is detected.
The silver lining to this grim cloud is that North Shore communities continue to come together in the face of adversity – something that can make its residents feel at home.
“What came out of (the Byrdsong murder) was a greater working relationship between Evanston, Wilmette and Skokie,” Van Dusen said. “We’ve always been close. Now everyone is unified in the idea that this wasn’t just an attack on the Byrdsong family. This was an attack on all of us.”
