Today is Saturday, May 25. May is Asian American Pacific Islander month. Sunday, May 26 the Jewish commemorate Lag BaOmer. Also known as the “Counting of the Omer,” this is a break between the seven weeks of Passover and Shavuot where certain prohibitions are permitted. Today, Jews remember the plague that killed thousands of students during the occupation of Judea. Monday is Memorial Day, the day we remember and honor those who lost their lives while defending our country.
Quote of the Week: “The way to bring about change is to be proactive and active…”; Octavia Spencer, May 25, 1970 – present; American actress.
Featured Civil Rights Activist/Abolitionist/Pioneer for this week: Octavia Spencer, May 25, 1970 – present; American actress.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Octavia-Spencer
EVENTS:
1. Check out the Urban League’s 2024 Homecoming events, May 31 – June 2, 2024
Homecoming Events — Urban League of Rochester (urbanleagueroc.org)
2. Melissa Mueller-Douglas shares that Saturday, June 8, 4-5pm is the Global Wellness Day Chocolate Mindfulness Retreat at Frequency Wellness Space. https://www.linkedin.com/events/chocolatemindfulnessretreat-glo7188864520348413952/
More information on the MYRetreat business can be found in the SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES section.
3. Bill Wynne shares information on a movie event at The Little Theatre on Thursday, June 13 sponsored by the Elder Justice Committee titled ‘Fire Through Dry Grass” the documentary with a discussion with the filmmakers. See below for details.
4. The City of Rochester and MLK Jr. Commission announces the 2024 Juneteenth celebration. See link below.
https://www.rochesterfirst.com/around-town/rochester-2024-juneteenth-festival-plans-announced/
5. George Yeadon shares that Pathstone Presents announces it’s Provok!ng Thought program ‘ACTION AND ACCOUNTABILITY: UNPACKING AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHERING FAIR HOUSING’ to be held on June 20, 1:00 – 3:30 PM at 440 East Ave. See link below for
6. Bill Wynne also provides information on a retreat ‘The God of us all: Praying with Black Spirituality’ on June 24-July 3 at the Loyola University Retreat & Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois, just outside of Chicago. See below for details and to register.
7. His Branches, operates as a community health center with clinics in the 19th Ward and Beechwood communities within the City of Rochester, dedicated to the pursuit health and economic equity for all people and the good of our neighborhoods is holding a fund raising golf tournament on July 22. See link below for more information.
https://www.hisbranches.org/golf
8. Save the date, 9/18/2024 for the Urban League – Rochester’s (UL-R) 5th Annual ‘Interrupt Racism’ Summit. This year’s theme is ‘Honoring Whence We Came”. This year’s Keynote Speaker is Ms. Cheryl Brown Henderson, daughter of the late Rev. Oliver Brown, lead plaintiff in the Brown vs. Board of Education court case that led to the desegregation of schools.
NEWS, HISTORY & RESOURCES:
9. ERG friend and advisor, Grequan Carter has published a new book, “The F Words: Further Fathering Feeling Fatherless”. Creative Intelligence of Black Consciousness. A Poetic Philosophical Practical Guide to Self Improvement, Community Impact & Cosmic Alignment.
The book has intwined poetry with prose and was written as a guide to all, especially Black men but intentionally as a sharing of life lessons and his philosophy with his children born and to be born as they come of age.
You can purchase the book at: www.grequancarter.com
10. We need to highlight some of the great work of some ERG Alums. Gary Curwin, Gregg Lederman, Jeff Wynn and others have made it possible for some high school students to get beyond the borders of Rochester for new experiences. Read about the trip and the organization “Go Beyond Rochester” below.
11. George Yeadon suggests listening to the ‘Civil Disobedience and Democracy on Campus’ podcast sponsored by Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, a research center and think tank at Harvard Kennedy School.
12. Alan Ziegler shares the ‘4 forms of racism/oppression’ from the the Anti-Racism Daily.
13. This latest article from the Pink Elephant Newsletter by Dr. Janice Gassam Asare; How Hair Discrimination Affects Black Women at Work”.
(1) How Hair Discrimination Affects Black Women at Work | LinkedIn
14. Here is the Urban League of Rochester’s latest Interrupter newsletter:
Increasing Access to Capital for MWBEs (mailchi.mp)
15. There are 5 articles that deal with Race, Poverty, Hate or Intolerance found in D&C over the past week.
a. We have to give ourselves grace (Art exhibit intended to aid healing from the Buffalo 5/14/2022 massacre).
b.ADDING SWEETENER (NY Governor takes an alternate approach to accelerating affordable housing).
c. Working around barriers to promote diversity (Anti-DEI laws lead some on Florida campuses to push back).
d. Amazon co-founder gifts local nonprofit (4 organizations receive gifts that should make an impact in the community).
e. Daniel’s Law Progresses in the State Senate (It has been over 4 years since the passing of Daniel Prude).
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”.
16. Foodlink is in need of volunteers on a regular basis. The shifts that are available are found below.
17. Do you know an adult that could use a mentor or interested in being a mentor. The Action for a Better Community has a program you should be aware of, see below.
18. The Winters Group is providing grant opportunities Winters envisions a world that has fully actualized access, equity, inclusion, and justice for all people. If you are doing this work, we want to help.
Live Inclusively® – The Winters Group
SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES:
19. 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)
20. Looking for a program to immerse your employees in experiential wellness practices that decrease stress to increase productivity and improve retention? Check out MYRetreat, a wellness app that pairs chocolate with mindfulness to dramatically improve habit formation. Also, see the business case for MYRetreat below that.
https://exploringracism.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/MYRetreat-wellness-app.docx
https://exploringracism.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Business-Case-for-MyRetreat.pdf
If you have an item to include in the week’s sharing we need to have it by noon on Friday.
Thank you!