EVANSTON, Ill. (WLS) — One step at a time, thousands of people took to the streets of north suburban Evanston to stomp out hate.

“Our society continues to change, and unfortunately, not for the better,” said YWCA Evanston/North Shore President and CEO Cherese Ledet.

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Sunday marked the 26th Ricky Byrdsong Memorial Race Against Hate, hosted by YWCA Evanston/North Shore.

“I believe now, more than ever, it’s crucial for us to unite. The sheer number of attendees today says a lot,” mentioned Ledet.

The event pays tribute to Ricky Byrdsong, Northwestern University’s first African American men’s basketball coach, who was tragically killed by a white supremacist while out for a walk with his kids near his home in Skokie in July 1991.

“The purpose of the race, Race Against Hate, truly reflects how my husband lived his life, so we felt compelled to do something,” expressed Sherialyn Byrdsong, Ricky’s widow.

Byrdsong launched Race Against Hate to memorialize her late husband and to bring a sense of hope and peace to the community.

“Silence or inaction is not an option whenever your community has been impacted by such a horrific act, like what happened to us,” Byrdsong said.

Race Against Hate participant Arlene Jackson says after Byrdsong’s death, she knew she had to show her support.

“Unfortunately, we still have so much hate in this world, and this race is one small way that Evanston can say, ‘Hey, we are totally against that, and we are supportive of this community,'” Jackson said.

Sharon Weeks says she has come out to Race Against Hate for years and says she feels the need to keep coming back to take a stand for hope.

“There is one message, that we do not receive hate, that we are a community of love and we extend that love out into the community and other areas as well,” Weeks said.