Key Facts
Location: Troy, OH
Partners: The Troy Foundation, Hobart Filler Metals, and Hobart Food Equipment Group
Summary: I.D.E.A. Troy is a donor-advised fund organized by the Troy Foundation to promote Inclusion, Diversity and Equity within the city of Troy, a predominantly white community 19 miles north of Dayton. The goal of I.D.E.A. Troy is to work towards racial equity by sponsoring engaging community events that provide opportunities to learn about non-white American history.
About
I.D.E.A. Troy was established by the Troy Foundation based on an understanding that raising awareness about the experiences of others in the community and building compassion towards one another is integral to improving the region. The Foundation developed the program based on the understanding that opportunities to develop better understanding of equity issues and racial injustice and can be hard to come by when your city has such a small minority population (6% Hispanic and 5% African American/Black).
The “I.D.E.A.” stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity Advocates and encompasses four "teams": the Juneteenth Team, the MLK Team, Troy Freedom Chasers Team, and Diversity Awareness Team, which was created with the focus of addressing all of the other facets of diversity outside of just black and brown. The organization hosts a few annual events throughout the year in recognition iconic African American figures and cultural holidays to raise awareness about the importance of racial equity.
In January, the MLK team held their annual MLK Commemoration Day at the Troy Senior Center. The event included a march from the Troy Senior Center to Richard’s Chapel, who hosted the ceremony in honor of Dr. King. The special service was led by Reverend Jawwad Love, the pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church in Springfield. At the end of the service, this year’s Wesley McCoy Sr. Community Service Award was presented to Dean Matthews, for his dedication to volunteer work with local organizations. The MLK team is also currently accepting nominations for next year’s recipient.
The Juneteenth team is currently fundraising in preparation for what will be their third annual Juneteenth Walk and Celebration. Last year the team was able to host a virtual fireside chat with Ruby Bridges, civil rights icon who led the desegregation of New Orleans’ public schools at the tender age of six. This year they intend to have a muralist make a piece that people can come up and paint a section for $1 at the event.
I.D.E.A. Troy strives to organize four events a year, at least one per quarter. Besides the MLK Day and Juneteenth events, the other two events will likely be smaller in scale and be more focused on community conversations. The I.D.E.A. Troy Freedom Chasers team, which was formed shortly after the murder of George Floyd and focuses on raising awareness of injustices happening in black and brown communities, would like to sponsor and host a town hall event where electoral candidates discuss their views and policies with young adults. Another potential event I.D.E.A. Troy may support is the Festival of Nations Event. The Festival of Nations, founded 90 years ago (1932) by the International Institute of Minnesota, is one of the most diverse, oldest and longest running multicultural festival in the Midwest. The institute announced that the festival would not be happening in 2023, as they would be reimagining its future. I.D.E.A. Troy looks forward to being a part of that future when it returns.