Today is Saturday, February 15. Today is the Buddist holiday of Nirvana. This day commemorates the life of the Buddha and his attainment of Nirvana upon his death. Monday, February 17 is Presidents Day, a federal holiday celebrated each year to honor past U.S. presidents. Tuesday, February 18 is the Hindu festival of Maha Shivarati celebrating Lord Shiva. Thursday, February 20 is the World Day of Social Justice established by the General Assembly of the United Nations to promote and ensure that workers, indigenous peoples, and marginalized communities receive the support they need. February is Black History Month. Black History month, orginally known as African American History Month began as a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora in the United States. The 2025 Black History Month Theme is “African Americans and Labor.” for more information go to https://asalh.org/ . For information on Black History Month programs offered by the Smithsonian Institute, the City of Rochester and Free the People Rochester, it can be found at this link: https://exploringracism.org/2025-black-history-month-programs/
Quote of the Week: “If there’s a book you really want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” Toni Morrison born February 18, 1931 – died August 15, 2019; American author.
Featured civil rights activist/abolitionist/pioneer: Toni Morrison born February 18, 1931 – died August 15, 2019; American author.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Morrison
Special Message: ERG avoids making politcal statements or taking political positions but as we have experienced these past few 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/).
EVENTS
1. Liz Cornehlsen shared that Spiritus Christi is hosting two programs for Black History Month, one (a) on Friday, February 21 at 7:00 PM, ‘ Love and Justice IV’ featuring the Martin Luther King Community Choir and the other (b) on Saturday, February 22 from 12:00 – 3:00 PM, ‘Say the Word “Reparations” ‘ with Jean Pierre Brutus, Esq. PhD. See details below.
a. https://spirituschristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/7-1536×864.jpg.webp
b. https://spirituschristi.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/8-1536×864.jpg.webp
2. Chris Cooley and Compeer are providing a Comic Workshop for people ages 13 – 21 accompanied by a mentor/guardian on Saturday, February 22 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Compeer Rochester at 259 Monroe Ave, Rochester. Please RSVP by 2/8 to erizzo@compeerrochester.org or 585-601-4222. The flyer for the program is included below. See item #17 under OPPORTUNITES for more information on this program.
3. Brenda Brightful shares that the North Greece Road Church of Christ, 1039 N. Greece Rd., Rochester is holding a Black History Month event on Saturday, February 22 at 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Call 585-256-0190 for details.
4.Elders & Allies invite you to come view the documentary “State of Black Rochester” followed by a discussion led by Jonathan Jones and Mike Boucher on Wednesday, February 26 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at the Downtown United Presbyterian Church, 121 Fitzhugh St. N., Shaw Room. The program is free but seating is limited, RSVP required. See information below.
5. The Person Centered Housing Options announces there will be a screening of the film “No Address” at AMC Webster: 2190 Empire Blvd Webster, NY 14580, on Thursday, February 27th at 5:00 PM – 8:15 PM
PERSON CENTERED HOUSING OPTIONS – Screening of “No Address” at AMC Webster
6. Melanie Russo shares that there will be a retreat-style event for Black men in Rochester, scheduled for Friday, February 28th, 2025, at the MCC Forward Center. This collaborative effort between RMAPI, the City of Rochester, Action for a Better Community and others, will empower Black men in their job search through confidence-building, strength discovery, skill enhancement, access to emerging career opportunities and more. See information below and item #18 in the OPPORTUNITIES section for more information.
7. Registration is now open for the fourth annual Antiracist Education Conference, to be held from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1. It’s completely free and will be held via Zoom. See below for information on the Keynote speaker and to register.
2025 Antiracist Education Conference
8. 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.
9. 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:
10. Here is a story published in the Wall Street Journal ‘The Minority Voters Who Love Trump’s Dismantling of DEI’.
The Minority Voters Who Love Trump’s Dismantling of DEI – WSJ
11. USA TODAY featured an article ‘How advocates are stepping up for Black History Month as federal agencies scale back’.
https://apple.news/AB6IRtvjCSlGmq0p4LMQLSw
12. For those that concerned about the disruption to refugee resettlement and representation programs please find the Refugee and Immigration Newsletter newsletter from the Catholic Charities Family & Community Services below. Please share with others.
13. Last week’s Reveal News produced two valuable pieces on it’s podcast. Find them below.
a. ‘Forty Acres and a Lie, Part 1’
b. ‘Immigrants on the Line’
14. Here is the Urban League of Rochester’s latest The Interrupter Newsletter:
The Interrupter Newsletter – February 13, 2025
15. The following article was published in this week’s edition of the Beacon:
16. There are 6 articles that deal with Race, Poverty, Hate or Intolerance found in D&C over the past week.
a. Black labor leaders’ legacy honored amid DEI backlash
b. Homicides take a large financial toll on a city (there is a cost to each of us, not just a financial one).
c. In America, this is the cloud hanging over Black people’s heads (Opinion piece)
d. Victim of 1963 Alabama church bombing by KKK recalls horror.
e. Feds investigate Ithaca schools’ students of color summit events (is it possible to provide different demographics, different programs that fit their needs?).
f. Debate over book, man in gorilla costume shake Penfield board.
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”.
17. Chris Cooley and Compeer are looking for adults who are considering mentoring youth. The two organizations are providing a Comic Making Workshop on February 22 from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM at Compeer Rochester at 259 Monroe Ave, Rochester. Please RSVP by 2/8 to erizzo@compeerrochester.org or 585-601-4222.
The purpose of this event is to provide an experience where potential mentors can connect with youth and share stories about their lives in a fun, comic format. Ideally adult mentors who participate will consider becoming a mentor with Compeer (but no long term commitment is required). See flyer listed as item #2 above in the EVENTS section
18. Interested in supporting Black Men in the Rochester area community? See program listed as item #6 above in the EVENTS section. Please read the following message:
Are you looking to be intentional about attracting and hiring talent from marginalized groups or those who have been historically excluded from the workforce? If so, I’d love to connect! Whether your focus is on individuals from re-entry populations, refugees, people with disabilities, or other historically excluded groups, we can work together to align your hiring strategies with available workforce development resources.
Please reach out to Melanie Russo at melanie.russo@greaterrochesterchamber.com
Let’s work together to create meaningful opportunities for all!
19. Stuart Mitchell is reaching out to us for assistance in identifying potential Board members for Rural & Migrant Ministry, Inc. (RMM) to help them recruit five to seven new Board members. See details below. Any interest or recommendations?
20. 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 deadlins are as early as March 1, 2025.
Scholarships — Urban League of Rochester (urbanleagueroc.org)
21. The Rochester Area Community Foundation (RACF) Scholarship program portal is now open. The portal will close on February 28, 2025.
Rochester Area Scholarships and Award Resources – Rochester Area Community Foundation (racf.org)
SUPPORT BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES:
22. 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)
23. Is your business looking for a consultant that deliver outstanding results? AIOPX leads clients through the methodologies of Operations Excellence to produce extraordinary bottom-line results. See link below.
AIOPX – Business Consulting Rochester NY Reviews – Black-Owned In Rochester
If you have an item to include in the week’s sharing we need to have it by noon on Friday.
Thank you!