Challenging Normal

exchange program to bring young people from Alabama to Eau Claire\

Mike Seitz |

SOME ‘RANDOM’ CHOREOGRAPHY. Members of the Selma, Ala.-based Random Acts of Theatre Co. performed at UW-Eau Claire last spring. The youths will spend a week in Eau Claire this month as part of a new exchange program between Eau Claire and Selma.
SOME ‘RANDOM’ CHOREOGRAPHY. Members of the Selma, Ala.-based Random Acts of Theatre Co. performed at UW-Eau Claire last spring. The youths will spend a week in Eau Claire this month as part of a new exchange program between Eau Claire and Selma.

Everyone has a “normal,” whether we think about it or not. Our day-to-day routine is full of things we become used to, so much so that we might not recognize aspects of our society. This month a new program will take place that might shake up the “normal” for folks in the Chippewa Valley. The Eau Claire Selma Exchange will be happening from Aug. 11 to Aug. 16 and will involve around 50 people from Selma, Ala., coming to Eau Claire. The interracial group, mostly youths, will stay with host families and will take part in various activities around the area.

“These relationships allow us to find our similarities and (see) that as people we have the same struggles internally, regardless of what our problems are externally.” – Nicholas Schneider, organizer, Eau Claire Selma Exchange

The program is being spearheaded by Nicholas Schneider, Brett Zacho, and Rachel Zacho, all of whom are very excited to see it come to life. The focus of the Eau Claire Selma Exchange is community and how our lives are much different from those in Selma, a center of the Civil Rights movement where black and white residents remain heavily segregated. Through those differences, however, Nicholas hopes this will create a positive impact on the Valley. “We focus on differences more than similarities,” Nicholas says, “and I think this program, although it brings to light some of our differences, these relationships allow us to find our similarities and (see) that as people we have the same struggles internally, regardless of what our problems are externally.”

The Inspiration

When Nicholas was a student at UW-Eau Claire in 2014, he went on the university’s annual Civil Rights Pilgrimage, a 10-day trip that explores historical landmarks in the South, including Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthplace in Atlanta; the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn.; and various locales in Selma, site of the famous “Bloody Sunday” march for voting rights in 1965. It was in Selma that Nicholas learned about the Freedom Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes youth development and racial justice. Nicholas introduced Brett and Rachel to the group, and the idea of an exchange program was born.

In April 2014, the university brought Random Acts of Theater Co. (RATCo) to put on a performance for the community. Nicholas invited Brett and Rachel to come along. Both of them were touched by the performance and felt like they needed to do something. As a result, they went to Selma and were also introduced to the Freedom Foundation. It was there that they realized the potential a program like the Eau Claire Selma Exchange could have on the community. “As we saw the changes the Freedom Foundation was making and how they were making those changes, and the changes we felt in ourselves by interacting with them, it dawned on us that we could help our kids as much as theirs and show them a different ‘normal,’ ” Brett said.

They began putting together a community exchange program – separate from the university’s – which would involve a group coming from Selma as well as sending a group from Eau Claire to visit Selma. Ever since March 2014 the program has been growing, not without a few bumps in the road, but with help from many different sources it is becoming a reality.

The Program

On Aug. 12, the fifth- through 12th-graders of RATCo will arrive in Eau Claire, and they will spend the rest of the week in the Valley. While staying with host families, they will take part in a variety of activities, which will also be attended by local youths, to help them understand our culture. Touring Holland Family Cheese in Thorp, attending the Sounds Like Summer concert in Phoenix Park, and touring Chippewa Valley Technical College are just a few of the items on the list, most of which involve partnerships with local businesses.

On Aug. 14, half of the day has been set aside for the kids from Selma – with the help of local young people – to work on a community project for the city. In this way, they can give back to the community.

And on Aug. 15, RATCo will perform at Peace Church, 501 E. Fillmore Ave., from 7-9pm. The free performance will be followed by an ice cream social. It will be a great opportunity to meet some of the children involved and learn more about the Eau Claire Selma Exchange. You can also look for them at the Sounds like Summer Concert, where they’ll have a tent and booth.

The Vision

“I’m most excited about seeing the change in my kids, in the last six months, brought on by interacting with RATCo, the Freedom Foundation, and the kids from Selma, and how their normal has changed; I’m excited about spreading that to more of the next generation in the Chippewa Valley,” Brett said.

 In the upcoming months, those who were involved with the Eau Claire Selma Exchange will get a chance to visit Selma and further the experience. Racial segregation isn’t something that most of us think about in the Valley, but for people living in Selma it’s a regular part of their normal. Getting a chance to witness this firsthand will give those who visit Selma a new appreciation for our lives in the Valley, along with new insight on how some of these issues exist in the Valley.

Ultimately what Nicholas, Brett, and Rachel want to see from this program is a change for the better in the area of Eau Claire. For everyone involved, they would love to see this program become an annual event in the Valley. “That’s my goal; that this becomes a vibrant part of our community,” Nicholas says. “I think the community is hungry for something like this and look forward to seeing where it goes.”

If you would like to learn more about the Eau Claire Selma Exchange, feel free to email ecseratco@gmail.com for more information.