FOND DU LAC (NBC 26) — Ebony Vision in Fond du Lac is working to strengthen the city's black community through a lending library, a mentoring program and more.
- Ebony Vision is focused on supporting Fond du Lac's black community and showcasing its excellence.
- Video shows the group's leaders talking about their mission.
Ebony Vision president and co-founder Daisy Fraizer said the group “fills a void” in Fond du Lac. The group aims to empower black youth and showcase black excellence in the community. But above all, Frazier said they hope to promote kindness and respect.
“With the way the world is today, our children are looking at everything the adults are doing. And if we can't get it right and we're telling them, what are we telling them?” Frazier said.
Frazier said the new downtown space they acquired last year, as well as some other changes, has allowed them to grow a lot in the past year. She said new programs like a lending library and more mentorship opportunities are meant to build up young people.
“So often in society. brown skin people are just, they beat you down,” Frazier said. “Whether it’s verbally, or not including us in anything, or if you overlook us like we just don’t matter. That’s a problem. Because we do matter and we are here and we're not going anywhere.”
Three percent of the population in Fond du Lac is black. Fraizer said that means it’s even more important to create a space just for the black community.
“We want to make one thing perfectly clear: the target market is African Americans unapologetically,” Fraizer said.
The group is using its new space for its lending library. The library features books written by black authors or centering black experiences.
“We want to help make this a start for a love of literature,” Frazier said.
They also have a mentoring program for young boys. Ebony Vision Vice President Antony Godfrey, who’s also a mentor in the organization, said empowering young people is essential to their mission so important to the community.
“Oh absolutely empowering them. We give them that voice to tell their stories and tell their experiences,” Godfrey said.
Ebony Vision launched its mentoring program for young girls this week.
Fraizer said it's another step to make Fond du Lac a stronger community overall.
“The primary goals for Ebony Vision is to, in our community, treat everyone fairly, you know, not just the African Americans or the black people, to make sure everyone is treated with respect,” Frazier said.
The group is hosting a few events for Black History Month with the main focus on a celebration on Feb. 24 to showcase African Americans and the Arts.
