Service, especially with women, is not new to WaTasha Barnes Griffin.
She can remember going to church and the food pantry with her mother and her grandmother as a child. Her mother, she said, would visit people who were “forgotten about,” like those incarcerated or those in nursing homes.
“I knew at a young age that this was going to be a way of life for me,” Barnes Griffin said.
Sen. Timothy Lanane, D-Anderson, recognized Barnes Griffin, the director of the YWCA in Muncie, and others for their community service in a resolution for the Indiana General Assembly in March.
Others recognized include Terry Whitt Bailey, the director of community development for the city of Muncie; Sylvia Bogle, Ivy Tech Community College’s financial aid director; Joyce and Edward Foggs of Anderson University; and Muncie civil rights leader Vivian Conley, among others.
Brent Stinson, Lanane’s press secretary, explained this resolution was brought to the Senate during Black History Month. The senator “crowdsourced” to see who was making a difference in East Central Indiana’s African-American community, Stinson said.
The news of Barnes Griffin’s recognition came in the form of a “weird” envelope mailed to her home.
“It was huge,” Barnes Griffin said. “I thought, ‘Is this a poster? What is this poster going to be?’”
She then received a call from the Senate congratulating her on her recognition, which, aside from the YWCA, includes her service as president of the Muncie Chapter of Indiana Black Expo.
As a lifelong resident of Muncie, members of the community congratulated Barnes Griffin when she received her recognition, including Jason Donati, stormwater manager at Muncie Sanitary District and Muncie Community Schools board member.
“I think every place she’s at she enhances the work that that organization is doing by her great leadership skills and just her ability to bring people together for great causes,” Donati said.
However, Barnes Griffin doesn’t consider herself a hero to Muncie.
“The work that I do with our community is just because I love our community. I’m passionate about equality for all and empowerment of women and children, and so I do that work because it’s a passion and I don’t look to receive accolades from it,” Barnes Griffin said. “I do it just because I care and I’m concerned.”
The YWCA and Barnes Griffin will continue to support residents of all backgrounds with its annual Stand Against Racism event, which runs Thursday to Sunday.
The event will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Muncie YWCA.
Contact Sara Barker with comments at slbarker3@bsu.edu or on Twitter at @sarabarker326.
Read More
Yorktown baseballs’ offense stalls early, falls to Shelbyville
By David Moore / 5 hours agoWith few conference games left on the schedule, this was an important series for the Tigers. However, in the end, the Golden Bears swept the season series over the Tigers with an 11-6 victory.
Students gather to protest for Palestine at Frog Baby Fountain
By Staff Reports / 9 hours agoA student-led protest kicked off near Frog Baby at 4 p.m. May 1 in solidarity with Palestine amidst the country’s conflict with Israel.
I want to advance my career back in my hometown
By Jacob Boissy / 17 hours agoLiving outside my hometown changed my perspective and made me work on pursuing a career back home.
