2022 Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate

For the third year, Thor's Oak Kindred has a team walking in the Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate. We invite you to join us or donate to this worthy cause.

Thor's Oak Kindred is a diverse organization dedicated to the practice of the Ásatrú religion in Chicago. We come together to honor the Norse gods and goddesses, the spirits of the land, and the departed people who inspire us. Since 2016, we have been building and nurturing a face-to-face community of practitioners in Chicago and the greater midwestern region for ritual celebration, group events, and mutual support.

Our members are kindred by choice and have chosen to embrace each other as family. We are proud of our diversity, and we stand against all discrimination on the basis of race, sex, orientation, identity, origin, ancestry, age, or ability.

With the poison of white nationalism spreading worldwide and using Ásatrú as a propaganda vehicle, it is no longer enough to issue declarations and denunciations. We must join with other people of positive intent, push back on resurgent hate, and promote productive change.

On June 19 in Evanston, the YWCA hosts the 23rd annual event in memory of Ricky Byrdsong, the Northwestern basketball coach murdered by a white supremacist in 1999 while walking in his neighborhood with his young children. On the same day, the shooter wounded six Orthodox Jews. Over the subsequent weekend, he killed a Korean-American graduate student and wounded an African-American minister before taking his own life.

All proceeds are used to further the YWCA's mission in the areas of racial justice and violence prevention. Their programs assist children in schools and youth organizations to challenge their own prejudices and foster healthy, violence-free relationships among their peers; support teenagers in examining their own relationships and practicing constructive ways to handle conflict and differences; and encourage adults to engage in constructive dialogue, interactive activities, and meaningful action as related to racial justice.

Help make a real difference in the real world. Register today and join us on the walk. If you don't live in the area, you can donate any amount small or large. Sign up to join our walking team or donate by clicking here.