Today is Saturday, August 24. August is Black Business Month (see story on two (2) Black owned businessess featured in item #18 below). Monday, August 26 is Krisshna Janmashtami (Also known as Jayanti), this Hindu holiday celebrates Krishna’s birthday, Vishnu’s eighth incarnation on earth. Monday, August 26 is also Women’s Equality Day, commemorates the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote.
Quote of the Week: “Like what you do, and then you will do your best.” NASA trailblazer (part of life story depicted in movie “Hidden Figures”); Katherine Johnson born August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020
Featured Civil Rights Activist/Abolitionist/Pioneer for this week:
NASA trailblazer (part of life story depicted in movie “Hidden Figures”); Katherine Johnson born August 26, 1918 – February 24, 2020
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Katherine-Johnson-mathematician
EVENTS:
1. Writers and Books offers an encore performance of the staged reading of Monologues on Clarissa Street, Sunday, August 25, as part of the Sankofa Theatre Festival at The MCC. See the Writers & Books website, “wab.org” for details.
2. Dr. Seanelle Hawkins newly named Chair of NYS Community Commission on Reparations Remedies invites you to the next Community Commission on Reparations Remedies public meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 27th at 1:30 pm. See link below to find the link to this virtual public meeting.
Dr. Seanelle Hawkins Named Chair of NYS Community Commission on Reparations Remedies (mailchi.mp)
3. The Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester is hosting the Mort Skillboll Lecture on Antisemitism with Dr. Rachel Fish on September 5 at 7:00 PM (location to be determined). See further information at link below.
https://jewishfederationofgreaterroche.regfox.com/mort-skirboll-lecture-on-antisemitism
4. The Urban League of Rochester is hosting it’s monthly speaker’s series on Friday, September 6 at 1:00 PM. The featured speaker is Erin Thompson, Executive Director of the MK Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence. Register below for this Zoom event.
https://mailchi.mp/ulr/dhs-expanding-access-to-community-13856047?e=25818c1f26
5. Tickets are now on sale for the Urban League – Rochester’s (UL-R) 5th Annual ‘Interrupt Racism’ Summit to be held at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center on 9/18/2024 . 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.
2024 Interrupt Racism Summit Tickets On Sale Now! (mailchi.mp)
6. Please join us to celebrate ERG’s 5 year birthday celebration Tuesday, September 24, 5-7 pm.
Enjoy music, food, an open bar and connecting with dozens of committed leaders.
RSVP for this special event, and feel free to invite others: http://evite.me/QCsFn5A2eD
We appreciate these organizations for their continued support and event sponsorship: Butler/Till, ESL, Canandaigua National Bank & Trust, VP Supply Corp, Go Beyond Rochester, ITX, The Ramerman Group.
7. George Eastman Museum presents ‘In This Moment; Revolution, Reckoning, Reparation’, a book launch and panel discussion to be held on Monday, September 30, 2024 from 6:30 – 8:30 PM at the Dryden Theatre. See the link below for details.
https://www.eastman.org/moment-vol-3
8. George Yeodan suggests this program offered by the Smithsonian Associates, ‘Bloody Tuesday: The Untold Story of the Struggle for Civil Rights in Tuscaloosa’ on Tuesday, October 8, 2024 – 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET. See details at link below.
9. Monday, October 14 is Indigenous People’s Day. There are 3 major gatherings that day in City parks at sunrise, noon and sunset. The City of Rochester is sponsoring but is seekig co-sponsors. Attached below are details for the day and an application for co-sponsors.
10. Donna Richie shares information on the University of Rochester’s Annual Diversity conference on Tuesday, Friday, October 15 from 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM at the Rochester Riverside Convention Center. See information below.
NEWS, HISTORY & RESOURCES:
11. In keeping with Black Business Month, we repeat this piece by Shawn Rochester where he lays out a compelling case for the benefit to all for supporting Black businsess. See summary of book below for this and other challenges to Black businesses.
12. Here is the latest from the Pink Elephant Newsletter by Dr. Janice Gassam Asare, ‘Nassau County’s Controversial New Mask Ban May Increase Racial Profiling And Discrimination’.
13. Here is one (1) article from the Beacon this week; “The code that divides Fairport”. Bill Wynne points out that “Even though this is focused on the Village and its current code updating process, the conversation should be broadened to include the Town not only because the Village sits within the Town of Perinton, but also since the Town’s own Comprehensive Plan speaks to similar affordable and diverse housing goals as the Village.” The concern, not openly stated, is that potential plan will not only result in more diverse housing options but that these options would lead to a more diverse racial and ethnic community.
14. Liz Brown shares the recording of the first briefing hosted by New Yorkers for Reparations: webinar here (passcode: NY4Reparations!) and the slides attached. If you would like to join the coalition, please fill out this intake form. If you have any questions regarding joining the coalition, you can reach out to (recruitment@ny4reparations.org) and someone on the subcommittee will get back to you.
15. There are 3 articles that deal with Race, Poverty, Hate or Intolerance found in D&C over the past week.
a. Suicide haunts Native American vets (Military veteran suicide is a national tragedy, Native Americans aare haunted by this reality).
b. MIT sees drop in student diversity. (Asian students are up, Blacks are down and Whites the same).
c. Former deputy charged in killing of Black man in Fla.
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. Amy Stein shares that the Rochester Education Foundation is seeking career models for the Future Fair which will be held on October 11 at St John Fisher to bring hope, inspiration, and excitement to all RCSD 7th graders to help them imagine the possibilities for their bright future ahead. Hoping to have all 100 career models secured by September 1.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1xOrw-Aml7BASvP3bUsnfEf4CylJVv870CchDrxM0kdA/edit
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. Rochester Institute of Technology Center for Urban Entreprenuership (RIT-CUE) held its 4th Annual ROC the Pitch night on Thursday, August 22. This was a competition for small businesses selected based on business plan application process. With the support of RIT-CUE and others six (6) businesses presented their “pitch”. The two (2) top rated businesses received a 1st place prize of $25,000 and 2nd place prize of $10,000. Please consider supporting these businesses as appropriate:
1st place: Path of Discover counseling services, https://www.pathofdiscoverycounseling.com/
2nd place: Jon John’s Bakery, known for their World Famous Peanut Butter Balls, www.JonJohnsbakery.com.
If you have an item to include in the week’s sharing we need to have it by noon on Friday.
Thank you!