“Justice Is Something We Do”: Dr. Eddie Glaude Calls Evansville to Live Its Values

By Rasheedah Ajibade

Evansville gathered Friday for the 2025 Mayor’s Celebration of Human Rights Awards, hosted by the Evansville-Vanderburgh County Human Relations Commission. The evening at Old National Events Plaza honored local leaders and featured a keynote address by Dr. Eddie S. Glaude Jr., a nationally recognized scholar and public voice on democracy and race from Princeton University’s Department of African American Studies.

After the celebration of local heroes, Dr. Glaude delivered a speech that challenged Evansville to practice justice. His message—part reflection, part charge—urged the audience to move beyond good intentions and work for policies that show every life is valued equally.

He put into words what many in the room already felt: that too often, public debates look more like performances than honest efforts to do what’s right. “We’ve become too comfortable looking righteous instead of doing right,” he said. Glaude spoke of a culture where trust has worn thin, where disagreements turn into contempt, and where longing for “the good old days” can keep us from facing hard truths.

On the topic of race, Dr. Glaude offered a powerful image: the nation’s founding parchment, marked forever by a spill of ink. That stain, he said, wasn’t an accident of history but part of the structure itself. Its trace is still visible in the systems we live with today. “Everything is touched,” he said.

His answer to that reality was what he called creative non-conformity, the courage to go against the grain. He explained that real justice means refusing to stay silent in private spaces where prejudice still lingers, pushing back when redevelopment erases communities, and matching representation with real policy: living wages, fair schools, affordable housing, and budgets that truly reflect a community’s values.

Dr. Glaude’s core message carried through the night: justice isn’t a feeling; it’s something we practice. “Justice is something we do,” he told the audience. “It shows up in budgets, ordinances, and classrooms.”

That idea hit home in a city still marked by sharp economic and social divides. According to the 2023 Census, Evansville’s median household income is about $52,000, and nearly 17% of residents live in poverty. Yet MIT’s Living Wage Calculator shows that a single adult here needs at least $20 an hour just to meet basic needs—and closer to $25 for two working parents raising two kids. Indiana’s minimum wage is still $7.25.

“Budgets,” Glaude said, “are moral documents.” He urged city leaders to bring more honesty and fairness into public decision-making, pairing every spending proposal with an equity statement that makes clear who benefits and who bears the cost. His challenge was simple but direct: read the numbers and neighborhood maps not just as data, but as mirrors of our moral priorities.

Dr. Glaude closed with a reminder that democracy doesn’t start in Washington—it starts right here. In Evansville, in every neighborhood meeting, classroom, and city hall decision. Honoring diversity means more than giving awards. It means turning shared values into action and making sure every voice and every life truly matter.

Honoring Local Leadership

Local leaders and organizations whose work reflects the commission’s mission to advance equality, fairness, and inclusion were honored. Awards were presented in several categories recognizing service, advocacy, and human rights leadership across the Evansville community.

Sadelle Berger Award (Posthumous): Leonard Collins — Recognized for his lifelong dedication to public service and civil rights advocacy.

Sadelle Berger Award: Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library — Celebrated for creating spaces where knowledge and connection are open to all.

Willie Effie Thomas Development Award: Valerie Stein — Recognized for her leadership in fostering economic empowerment and opportunity.

Leadership Award: Immigrant Welcome and Resource Center — Honored for helping immigrants and refugees build pathways to belonging and self-sufficiency.

Sue Woodson Community Relations Award: Ashley Riester — Recognized for her outstanding work in community relations and advocacy.