Today is Saturday, July 13. July has been recognized and celebrated as Disability Pride Month. After the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law that established the right to reasonable accommodations, equal treatment, and equal access for persons with disabilities. The law was signed by the 41st President, George H.W. Bush, on July 26, 1990. Saturday, July 13 is the beginning of one period of the Buddhist practice of Ullambana, a Sanskrit term that means “hanging upside down and suffering,” honors the spirits of past ancestors and strives to relieve aching souls from suffering. Wednesday, July 17 marks the The month of Muharram marks the beginning of the Islamic liturgical year. This first day, al-Hijra, remembers the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. It also marks the beginning of the ten-day Shīʿite Remembrance of Muharram, a period of intense grief and martyrdom of Hussein, the son of Ali and grandson of Muhammad.
Quote of the Week: “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist, politician, statesman and South African president, born July 18, 1918 – died December 5, 2013
Featured Civil Rights Activist/Abolitionist/Pioneer for this week: Nelson Mandela, South African anti-apartheid activist, politician, statesman and South African president, born July 18, 1918 – died December 5, 2013
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nelson-Mandela
EVENTS:
1. You’re Invited: “It’s Basic” Guaranteed Basic Income Documentary & Panel Discussion presented by the City of Rochester, today, July 13 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM at The Little Theatre. The program is free but you must register at link below.
It’s Basic (w/ discussion) – July 13 | The Little Theatre
2. The Little Theatre’s Black Cinema Series continues Wednesday, July 17 at 7:30 PM with ‘WADE IN THE WATER’, A Journey into Black Surfing and Aquatic Culture. See below for more information and tickets.
Wade in the Water: A Journey into Black Surfing – July 17 | The Little Theatre
3. 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
4. Liz Brown shares information on the Indigenous Music & Arts Festival, Saturday & Sunday; July 27th & 28th, 2024, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Admission is free but donations are requested. See link below for details.
Indigenous Music & Arts Festival | Ganondagan
5. 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:
6. Laurie Mahoney passes on this primer on our rental market.
Low-income renters who face trouble finding affordable housing end up in low-quality, poorly maintained rental properties that impact their wellbeing. https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2024/07/11/rochester-ny-landlord-rentals-dont-have-a-legal-permit/74300442007/
7. Laurie Mahoney also received the recording of Pathstone Presents Provoking Thought ‘Action and Accountability’ held on June 20, 2024 from Shane Weigand. You will find the link below. The key note presentation starts at about minute 30 and runs to around 1 hour 30 minute with a panel discussion following the key note.
Here is a link to the live stream.
8. We repeat this item John Engels shared last week, ‘MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: PLAYBOY INTERVIEW (1965)’. It is an extensive interview that details much of King’s trials and tribulations as well as his thinking on racism and philosophy of non-violence.This is a must read for each of us.
Martin Luther King Jr.: Playboy Interview (1965) – Scraps from the loft
9. George Yeadon recommends this book by Professor Margaret Burnham, ‘By Hands Now Known, Challenges Our Understanding of the Jim Crow Era’. See information and interview from NPR at link below.
10. This latest article from the Pink Elephant Newsletter by Dr. Janice Gassam Asare; Three Ways Project 2025 Will Impact American Workplaces”.
(1) Three Ways Project 2025 Will Impact American Workplaces | LinkedIn
11. Here is an article from the Minority Reporter on the Town of Brighton’s effort to assist tenants facing eviction.
Town of Brighton Assisting Tenants Facing Eviction (minorityreporter.net)
12. There are 3 articles that deal with Race, Poverty, Hate or Intolerance found in D&C over the past week.
a. Building a diverse DNA database relies on trust (trust is difficult to build, easy to lose).
b. Black patients waited longer to get kidney transplants (misconceptions about Black health costs lives).
c. Neo-Nazi flyers placed outside homes (White supremacists activity increases in Indiana neighborhoods).
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”.
13. Bill Wynne provides a link to a video of Alvin Mitchell’s for youth at Rochester’s Cobbs Hill. As shared in the past, Alvin is virtually a one man band aiding kids and young adults at Cobbs Hill during the summer…the resources it takes for the program all flows through him with small donations makes this all possible … but he needs help. See below.
14. Here is a request for help keep a woman (Yadira) and family in her home by amending the City of Rochester’s Goo Cause Eviction clause.
15. Here is an opportunity to directly help the poor and homeless. Please read.
Brooks Landing Diner gives back by serving those in need
16. The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce invites nominations for the Colors of Success Leadership Award. This award celebrates individuals who have shown exceptional leadership in fostering belonging, ensuring economic fairness, and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace and the Greater Rochester community. See below for more information and the links to the nomination forms.
SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES:
17. 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)
18. Have a small business you would like to help grow? How about sponsoring a Marketing Tune-up? See below.
Sponsor Marketing Tune-up for Rochester Small Businesses (drummergirlmarketing.com)
If you have an item to include in the week’s sharing we need to have it by noon on Friday.
Thank you!