Time flies, racism persists

This is a photo I took in the 1990s, looking down on a wannabe headdress that was floating in Boneyard Creek. Back then it seemed like the University of Illinois mascot, Chief Illiniwek, would never go away. Yesterday, when Illinois played Michigan here, I still saw Chief Tshirts, bumper stickers, and flags everywhere. The Chief has been “retired.” What a long way we have to go.
Boneyard Creek has been channelized and paved over along most of its length. Racism too seems to be running underneath the whole community, buried or ignored by many, all too evident for many others.