Today is Saturday, March 8. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar is being observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community through Sunday, March 30th. March is Women’s History month, an annual observance to highlight the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Today, Saturday, March 8 is the Hindu festival of Holi, a colorful celebration of Spring, love and new life. Today is also, International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievement of women.
Quote of the Week: “Poetry is the lens we use to interrogate the history we stand on and the future we stand for.” Amanda Gorman born March 7, 1998 – present; American poet.
Featured civil rights activist/abolitionist/pioneer: Amanda Gorman born March 7, 1998 – present; American poet.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amanda-Gorman
Special Message: We have included the message below for the last few weeks and will continue to do so for another week. We add, if you wish to contact your U.S. Senators or Congress Representative on any issue we suggest you download the free app “5 Calls: Contact Your Congress” on your smart phone that will give your representative’s contact information and assist in shaping a message on a issue or go to the link that follows. 5 Calls
ERG avoids making politcal statements or taking political positions but as we have experienced these past several weeks there have been the threat of loss of Federal funding or contracts for organizations that support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) or take anti-racism stances. The essence of ERG is anti-racism and we strongly support DEI principles. We encourage all that have taken part in the ERG program or receive and read this newsletter to support DEI and work to tear down the structure of racism that exists in our community and country. Although we are a volunteer organization with no staff and few volunteers we would attempt to assist you with your questions, concerns and efforts. Please contact us through a submission to the ERG website (https://exploringracism.org/contact-us/). If you want to take small but significant action against the attack in DEI join a boycott of a company(s) that has dropped DEI programs (see item #11 d. below).
EVENTS
1. The Gamma Iota Boule’ Foundation, Inc presents the Morehouse College Glee Club performing at the Asbury First Church, 1050 East Ave., Rochester, NY 14607, Wednesday, March 12 at 6:30 PM. General admission at the door is $25, students under 18 with ID $10. Contact Bill Davis @585-266-4500 for tickets.
2. The Jewish Federation, Jewish Life Adult program presents ‘Antisemitism: Understanding It in History and Today’ on Monday, March 17 from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM at the JCC of Greater Rochester, Inc., 1200 Edgewood Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618. See link to more information and registration below.
NEWS, HISTORY & RESOURCES:
3. Causewave Community Partners is rolling out a city-wide survey to analyze the State of Hate in Rochester according to perceptions and lived experiences. Data will allow partner organizations to address a variety of needs in the Greater Rochester area. The survey takes 10-15 minutes and is available in Spanish and traditional Chinese. Please share widely so that we may capture as many experiences as possible. The survey will close at the end of March. Link to survey: https://qrco.de/bfjA42 – pdf attached. Please contact info@endhateroc.org for more information.
4. Here is a piece from this week’s D&C that we thought should be moved near the top of the list;
‘This takes all of us; Indigenous enslavement an overlooked chapter in American history’
5. We share an article from the Emancipator newsletter;
6. Here is the latest Interrupter Newsletter from the Urban League of Rochester::
The Interrupter Newsletter – March 6, 2025
7. Here is the latest Pink Elephant Newsletter by Janice Gassam Asare, Ph.D., ‘Do Boycotts Actually Work? Examining The Use Of Boycotts To Drive Social Change’.
Do Boycotts Actually Work? Examining The Use Of Boycotts To Drive Social Change | LinkedIn
8. We missed including Bill Wynne’s Monthly Update for March last week. We share that plus another item Bill provided. Here theu are:
a. Monthly Update:
b. The Crucifixion of DEI.
A Political Commentary: The Crucifixion of DEI » The New Journal and Guide
9. The following article was published in this week’s edition of the Beacon, it makes a case for Diversity;
10. An article from the most recent The Minority Reporter, ‘Joy Brought Us Joy”. What are we willing to do about the injustices?:
https://www.minorityreporter.net/post/joy-brought-us-joy
11. There are 5 articles that deal with Race, Poverty, Hate or Intolerance found in D&C over the past week.
a. Penfield suspends BOE meetings amid threats, inappropriate messages
b. Local childhood nonprofit gets national recognition for education initiatives.
c. Let’s teach our kids to counter antisemitism (Opinion piece).
d. Pro-DEI activists plan more company boycotts.
e. Mayors defend ‘sanctuary city’ laws.
OPPORTUNITIES: Please share any opportunities for employment, assistance, grants, etc. that you are aware of with the community by sending them to “tcmitch1951@gmail.com”.
12. Interested in scholarships for next year’s college expenses? Check out the Scholarships that the Urban League of Rochester organizes. Applications are now open. Deadlines vary for the various scholarships. Don’t delay some deadlines started as early as March 1, 2025.
Scholarships — Urban League of Rochester (urbanleagueroc.org)
SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES:
13. Support the Black Community by supporting their businesses. Please share Black businesses you support and value. A good resource is “Black Owned in Rochester”
Black Owned Businesses Rochester NY Black-Owned In Rochester (blackownedinrochester.com)
14. Looking for a tax accountant? Try H-2 Tax Associates, LLC, see link below:
https://blackownedinrochester.com/listing-category/accounting-bookkeeping-services-rochester-ny
If you have an item to include in the week’s sharing we need to have it by noon on Friday.
Thank you!