UPCOMING EVENTS
02/02/15 DINNER WITH PROGRESSIVES
Join us on Monday for dinner, dessert and/or a beverage at 5:30. At 6 PM Russell Johnson, host of POLITICAL ALCHEMY on Asheville FM will speak. Russell traveled to St. Louis MO in November to join the protest after a St. Louis County grand jury did not bring criminal charges against Darren Wilson for fatally shooting an unarmed, African American teenager. Russell was attacked and arrested. This will be held at Green Sage Restaurant in Westgate. Please RSVP to Cheryl at 828-776-3327.
02/02/15 ASHEVILLE REDEFINES TRANSIT MEETING
The City of Asheville and Asheville Redefines Transit (ART) invite you to attend our public meeting to discuss changes to ADA transportation policies, forms and services. The meeting will be held in the 4th floor Training Room of the Police & Fire Building at 100 Court Plaza, on Pack Square in downtown Asheville. The following issues will be discussed: New Disability Discount Forms; New ADA Eligibility Forms; Proposed ADA Paratransit Service Area Changes. More information at iride@ashevillenc.gov or call (828) 259-5943. Time is 4 PM to 6:30 PM.
02/02/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH KICKOFF AT UNCA
Time is 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM and location is Highsmith Union, first floor. Sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information contact ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/03/15 ASHEVILLE TRANSIT MEETING
The next Transit Committee meeting is Tuesday February 3, 2015 from 3:30-5 PM. Location is the 1st Floor Conference Room, City Hall.
02/03/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS
The World Affairs Council Great Decision Lecture series is scheduled for the winter and spring terms on these dates - February 3, 10, 17, 24; March 3, 10, 2015. On February 3rd, the topic is Syria's Refugee Crisis with speaker Nora Nassri of the University of South Carolina. Syrians have for a century welcomed over a million refugees from Armenia, Palestine, Iraq and other countries around the region. Now, thanks to a multiyear civil war, they are on track to become the source of the world’s largest refugee population in a matter of months. As Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and other neighbors strive to accommodate the millions of Syrians, the risk of allowing Syrians to become dependent on emergency aid and forming a “lost generation” remains. Ultimately, though, the safety of displaced Syrians rests with the whole international community. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. Time is 7:30 PM.
02/03/15 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB
Current Events Book Club discusses “PAY ANY PRICE”. Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops on Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. This is organized by Veterans for Peace.
02/03/15 DIVERSITY ANONYMOUS TALK AT UNCA
Time is 6 to 7 PM and location is Intercultural Center. This is sponsored by the Multicultural Student Programs. Contact dhylton@unca.edu for more information.
02/04/15 GREEN DRINKS AND SIERRA CLUB MEETING
Join Robin Cape on Wed, February 4 for a program on using climate data to create business opportunities: ”The Collider”, backed by the Asheville-Buncombe Sustainable Communities Initiative. Robin Cape, former Asheville City Council member, says this is an exciting new role for Asheville to play in climate adaptation. She invites us to learn about a business and learning center in development in downtown Asheville that brings climate data into decision making. Cape envisions the Center attracting business entrepreneurs, artists, climatologists and data wizards to work together and deal with the challenges of climate change. Just two blocks away from the Center’s downtown location is a vast storehouse of records at the National Climatic Data Center, available to businesses, other branches of government, and people interested in making informed decisions that account for increased climate variability and extremes. Cape sees a big opportunity to turn this data into actionable information to help companies respond to the impacts of climate change like increasing risks of drought, heavy rains, extended heat waves and rising sea levels that could threaten communities and companies. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Edwin and Charlotte Streets in Asheville. Contact Judy at judymattox@sbcglobal.net or 828-683-2176 for more information.
02/04/15 MORAL MARCH RALLY IN MARS HILL
Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II will tour the state promoting the Moral March on Raleigh and the Forward Together Moral Movement. Location on this date is Mars Hill University, Moore University at 79 Cascade Street in Mars Hill. Time is 7:30 PM. For more information, call 919-682-4700 ext 220.
02/04/15 COPS, CLASS AND RACE - DISCUSSION AT UNCA
As communities around the nation have taken to the streets in the ongoing movement against police brutality the question of the police and their role in society has taken on new importance. With the police killing a Black person every 28 hours a movement is emerging that challenges the idea of who they protect and who they serve. The very origins of their institution is saturated with racism and violence. From their beginning as a force to quell strikes, urban riots, and the threat of slave insurrection they have always existed primarily as an enforcer for the 1% and a protector of their property. Join the International Socialist Organization for a discussion about the origins and function of the police and their relationship to racism, class and capitalism. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Highsmith Union Room 222 at UNCA. This is a facebook event.
02/05/15 PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT AND RECEPTION AT UNCA
Selma to Montgomery 1965: The Photographs of James Barker. The exhibit, Selma to Montgomery 1965, will be on display in the UNC Asheville Karpen Hall Lobby February 2 - February 27, 2015. The opening reception will be held on February 5 and will include a talk (called “Forward Ever, Backward Never”) by photographer, James Barker. Free and open to the public. Contact Deborah Miles, 232-5024 or dmiles@unca.edu for more information. Time for the reception is 5 to 7:30 PM and location is Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum, at UNCA.
02/05/15 SEEING SYSTEMS: PEACE, JUSTICE & SUSTAINABILITY
This course was due to start on 1-22-15 but has been postponed two weeks due to problems with website registration. It’s time for WNCA’s (now Mountain True) annual NWEI discussion course! Join us this winter for Seeing Systems: Peace, Justice & Sustainability to address the connections between three of society’s most pressing challenges, and become equipped to promote peace, justice, and sustainability within our community. To register for the course is $45 for WNCA members, and $60 for non-members (includes 1 year WNCA membership!). Your books are included, and will be distributed during the first meeting. Registration by Jan 28. Go to http://wnca.org/thursdays-starting-january-22-seeing-systems-peace-justice-sustainability/ for more information and to register. This will be held every Thursday from 2-5-15 TO 3-12-15 22. Location is the Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar, and time is 6 to 7:30 PM.
02/05/15 BIG IVY FOREST MEETING WITH US FOREST SERVICE
The Big Ivy Forest meeting with the U.S. Forest Service will be held February 5th at 7 PM at the Big Ivy Community Center. We hope to pack the room with folks who want to protect the forest. Already, over 800 supporters have joined our efforts to stop the proposed logging in Big Ivy. The Forest Service district ranger and his staff will provide a brief overview of the proposed forest plan followed by discussion and questions from the audience. This is an important opportunity for the Forest Service to hear directly from the people who care about this wild mountain treasure. Everyone is invited. Please spread the word and bring as many folks as possible. The Big Ivy Community Center is located at 540 Dillingham Road, which is about 25 minutes from Asheville.
02/05/15 ASK CTS - CLEAN UP CTS - SHOW ASHEVILLE A LITTLE LOVE
CTS Corporation's headquarters may be located in "The City with a Heart" (Elkhart, Indiana), but the company has shown no love for Asheville where a decades-long legacy of toxic pollution still pollutes air, water and nearby residents. This Valentine's Day we'll call on CTS to “have a heart” by immediately cleaning up all the poisons the corporation left behind in Arden decades ago. Join us on February 5 to create your custom message, card or video postcard. Time is 4 to 6 PM and location is South Buncombe Library on Overlook Road. POWER Action Group will deliver these along with more than 1,200 signatures to CTS officials asking them to show Asheville a little love by doing the right thing by our community. We're serious about cleanup, which is why this day of action is just one step in a multifaceted approach involving pressure on CTS, EPA and local, state and federal officials to work toward that goal. This is a Facebook event.
02/06/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
Fab Friday Lecture - An African-American Woman's Perspective on UNC Asheville. Black History Month at UNC Asheville by Dr. Dee James. Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Dr. James will share her journey at UNC Asheville as an African-American student then faculty member. Dr. James is a tenured professor in the UNC Asheville Literature department. This presentation is free and open to the public. Time is 11:30 AM and location is the Reuter Center 102A at UNCA. For more information, contact Leanna at lpreston@unca.edu or call 232-5181.
02/06/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT AT UNCA
OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 6, 2015, plan to attend 'The Grimke Sisters: Abolitionist Activists' a film and presentation led by Catherine Frank, PhD, OLLI Executive Director and Jim Lenburg, PhD, retired Warren Wilson faculty, former OLLI Steering Council chair, and College for Seniors faculty. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9:30 AM to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A.
02/06/15 FILM AT UNCA
The Most Important Issue of Our Time (Energy); the Switch Energy Project. Switch Energy Project Video: moderated by Dr. Scott Tinker, Chair of the Bureau of Economic Geology at U. Of Texas at Austin, former President of American Association of Petroleum Geologists. This award-winning video represents the culmination of several years of research on Energy with global visits to different energy sources, such as geothermal in Iceland, hydroelectric in Norway, and solar, biofuels and fossil fuels in US. The video explores the benefits and costs of different energy types, including environmental and economic impacts. The video is 98 minutes and will be followed by a question and answer period, moderated by Dr. Richard Wiener, OLLI instructor, who is currently teaching a course on Energy at OLLI. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 2 PM to 4 PM and location is Reuter Center, Room 102A.
02/08/15 ASHEVILLE NOW MEETING
Come to our 2nd Sunday monthly meeting at 2:30 PM at the YWCA, S. French Broad Street, and bring a friend. Newcomers may attend two meetings prior to joining, and we encourage all voices to be heard whether a member or not. If you have questions, contact Asheville National Organization of Women (NOW) at AshevilleNOW@live.com.
02/08/15 HOMEGROWN REVOLUTION
How re-imagining your home and yard can transform the world, with Peter Bane, author of The Permaculture Handbook. Time is 10 AM to 5 PM and cost is $70. Call 828-772-5846 for more information and instructions on how to register. Hosted by Organic Growers School.
02/08/15 HISTORY AND ITS BURDENS
“History and its Burdens: The Place of African Americans in our Collective Historical Memory”, with Dr. Darin Waters and Deborah Miles. Dr. Waters will share his research on slavery in Asheville while Ms. Miles will share its relationship to the current site of Vance Monument. This presentation is part of a project of the Center for Diversity Education to acknowledge the history of slave labor at the current site of the Vance Monument which is the former site of the Buncombe County Court House. On this site enslaved people were sold on the court house steps and their deeds recorded at the Register of Deeds. Time is 3 PM and location is Congregation Beth Ha Tephila at 43 Liberty Street in Asheville. This is a program of Carolina Jews for Justice.
02/09/15 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
This meeting will be a planning meeting. Time is 7 PM and location is North Asheville Library. We plan to review and finalize 2015 goals, review job descriptions, discuss membership clarifications. If you have any questions, please contact Diana Kruk 828-275-0680 or dianakrukmta@gmail.com.
02/09/14 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE MEETING
Vaidila Satvika, formerly the Director of the NYC Plaza Program, will discuss the radical approach that is leading New York City to take back underutilized streets to make more space for people. In the densest city in the U.S., leaders are demolishing streets to build places for people to sit, for children to play, and for plants to grow. How is this possible? What lessons can we learn? And what is causing cities everywhere to think more seriously about the transportation paradigm? Time is 6:30 to 8 PM and location is St. Mary’s Episcopal Church on Charlotte Street in Asheville.
02/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/10/15 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
Time is 6:30 PM and location is VFP HQ at the Phil Mechanic Studios: 109 Roberts Street in Asheville.
02/10/15 LUNCH N LEARN AT UNCA
Lunch-N-Learn: The Essence of Community Building will be from 12:30 to 1:30 PM at the Intercultural Center. This is sponsored by the Multicultural Student Program. Facilitator: Selena Hilemon (Director, Service Learning & Community Citizenship). For more information, contact ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/11/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in Black Mountain.
02/11/15 DISCUSSION AT UNCA
Shades of Being: Colorism in the African American Community is presented by the Multicultural Student Program. Facilitator: Dr. Dolly Mullen (Associate Professor of Political Science). Time is 6 to 8 PM. For more information, email intercultural@unca.edu.
02/12/15 FILM AT UNCA
“Dear White People” film screening is from 7 to 9 PM at Lipinsky Auditorium. This is presented by the Multicultural Student Program. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu. The film, Dear White People, is a social satire that follows the stories of four black students at an Ivy League college where controversy breaks out over a popular but offensive black-face party thrown by white students. With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the film explores racial identity in acutely-not-post-racial America while weaving a universal story of forging one's unique path in the world.
02/13/15 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM NIGHT AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS
Shot over a period of four years, Girl Trouble documents the compelling personal stories of three teenage girls entangled in San Francisco's failing juvenile justice system. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at Edwin and Charlotte Street in Asheville. No charge, donations are welcome. Public is invited.
02/13/15 OLLI BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT
OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 13, 2015, plan to attend 'Policing and Minority Communities' presented by Buncombe County Sheriff Van Duncan. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9 to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A. (Another listing had this starting at 9:30 AM.)
02/14/15 HISTORIC THOUSANDS MARCH ON JONES STREET (HK on J)
Also known as Historic March on Raleigh. Location is across the street from the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at 2 East South Street in Raleigh. Pre-rally begins at 9 AM and march begins at 10 AM. Join us in Raleigh for a love and justice revival. This is also called the 9th Annual Mass Moral March on Raleigh. Buses will be leaving from Asheville early Saturday morning and returning that evening. Please visit the website listed below for ticket information and to reserve a seat. WE ARE IN THIS LOVE TOGETHER ... and we are determined to go "FORWARD TOGETHER, NOT ONE STEP BACK!" Go here for bus tickets: http://www.mountainmoralmonday.org. For more information email info@mountainmoralmonday.org.
02/17/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Church at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/17/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON PRIVACY IN THE DIGITAL AGE
“Privacy in the Digital Age,” with Jagdeep Bhandari, professor of business and economics at Mars Hill University. Bhandari will discuss the responses abroad to what some see as a “U.S. dragnet,” and will explore whether changes in the ideas of “privacy” and “harm” due to digital technology have done away with privacy as we have known it. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website. Time is 7:30 PM.
02/19/15 BLACK HISTORY MONTH LECTURE AT UNCA
Lecturer will be Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard University, as well as director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. His ten-part documentary series, Finding Your Roots, aired on PBS in 2012. Professor Gates is Editor-in-Chief of TheRoot.com. He is the author of several works of literary criticism focusing on race and black culture, and he has written for Time, The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Root. He has also produced and hosted several documentaries for PBS. This will be at 7 PM and it is free and open to the public. Location is Lipinsky Auditorium. The tickets for this event are gone, per reports from UNCA.
02/19/15 SAVE THE ROSENWALD SCHOOL IN MARS HILL
Upon rehabilitation, the Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School will serve as a Community Cultural Center and an Interpretive Museum intended to promote a fuller understanding of southern Appalachian black history and to enhance education at all levels. The final program of “Our Story – This Place” will be held on Thursday, February 19, 2015 at 6:30 PM. Join us for an evening of gospel music and a presentation on the history of gospel music and how it relates to the African American community. A reception will be held afterwards. The event takes place in Broyhill Chapel, on the campus of Mars Hill University. “Our Story, This Place, The History of African American Education in Madison County, NC: The Mars Hill Anderson Rosenwald School” is on display at the Rural Heritage Museum until February 28, 2015. The exhibit includes historic artifacts, photographs, and videos. Works by Charity Ray are also on display as part of the exhibit. The Rural Heritage Museum is open daily (except Mondays) from 1-5 PM and by appointment. It is located on Rt. 213, in Montague Hall, on the campus of Mars Hill University. Admission is free.
02/19/15 ASHEVILLE POWER HOUR BY ASHEVILLE N.O.W.
The first monthly Asheville Women's Power Hour will be February 19, third Thursday, at 6 PM. The Women's Power Hour will be a monthly event issues uniquely of value to women. During these events, women from all walks of life will build relationships and create transformation in our public, professional, and private lives. All Women's Power Hour events are sponsored by Asheville NOW. February's topic will be: Examining A Woman's Worth: The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, Workplace Conditions, and NC's Unresolved Issues. At the event, women will meet and greet Asheville author Cynthia Drew, who will talk about her novel, "City of Slaughter," which is set against the dramatic backdrop of this historic event. For more information on this and other events including location, email ashevillenow@live.com.
02/20/15 OLLI BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT
OLLI is offering this program in celebration of Black History Month. On February 20, 2015, plan to attend 'History of Slavery in Asheville' presentation led by Deborah Miles, Director of UNC Asheville's Center for Diversity Education and Darin Waters, PhD, assistant professor of History at UNC Asheville. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 9:30 to 11 AM and location is Reuter Center, room 102A.
02/20/15 HISTORY AND ITS BURDENS
“History and its Burdens: The Place of African Americans in our Collective Historical Memory”, with Dr. Darin Waters and Deborah Miles. Dr. Waters will share his research on slavery in Asheville while Ms. Miles will share its relationship to the current site of Vance Monument. This presentation is part of a project of the Center for Diversity Education to acknowledge the history of slave labor at the current site of the Vance Monument which is the former site of the Buncombe County Court House. On this site enslaved people were sold on the court house steps and their deeds recorded at the Register of Deeds. Time is 3 PM and location is UNCA Osher Life Long Learning Center. This is a program of Osher Life Long Learning (OLLI).
02/21/15 WESTERN CAROLINIANS FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN THE MIDDLE EAST WORKSHOP
Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East will hold a workshop on the Israeli military detention of Palestinian children “No way to treat a child” and local actions we can undertake. Time is 10 AM to noon. Location is St. Mathias Church at 1 Dundee Street in Asheville. We will be learning more about the subject and looking to craft local actions. We are fortunate to have Jennifer Bing of The American Friends Service Committee leading us in this. This event is free but your registration would be most helpful so we can properly plan Please call 828-669-2073 or wcpjme@gmail.com to register.
02/22/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 2 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
02/23/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
Mandy Carter is the National Coordinator for the Bayard Rustin Commemoration Project of the National Black Justice Coalition. Her talk with build the connections between the work of Bayard Rustin, organizer of the 1963 March on Washington, with the fight for equal rights for LGBTQ community and the current deterioration of voting rights in North Carolina and across the country. Time is 7 PM and location is Karpen Hall, room 038.
02/24/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON RUSSIA AND THE NEAR ABROAD
“Russia and the Near Abroad,” with Steven Solnick, president of Warren Wilson College. Before coming to Warren Wilson, Solnick spent a decade abroad as Ford Foundation Representative in Moscow and New Delhi. Solnick was coordinator for Russian studies at the Harriman Institute at Columbia University, and research associate at Harvard University’s Russian Research Center and Center for International Affairs. He will discuss what Russia’s actions in the Ukraine may mean for its other neighbors, and the current situation in Russia as the value of the ruble has dropped along with world oil prices. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website.
02/24/15 NC WOMEN UNITED LOBBY DAY IN RALEIGH
North Carolina Women United is asking residents to save the date and come to the state capitol Feb. 24 to fight for women's rights. “The more numbers we have, the more attention we will get,” local organizer Sandra Abromitis said. The group has planned a Women's Advocacy Day Program 9 to11 AM at the NC Legislative Building in Raleigh. Participants will discuss NCWU's priorities, including access to health care, civic participation and equality, economic self-sufficiency and violence against women. Writer and filmmaker Dream Hampton will be the keynote speaker. There also will be an opportunity to meet with state legislators and to learn how to advocate for local and state issues that affect women. This event is free and open to the public. For more information including how to register, contact Sandra Abromitis at abromitis@msn.com or 828-686-8281.
02/25/15 FILM SHOWING AT UNCA
There will be a screening of “Freedom Summer” on Thursday, February 25. at 7 PM at The Grotto at Highsmith Student Union. This film is part of a series from “Created Equal: America's Civil Rights Struggle” that documents the summer of 1964 when more than 700 students joined with organizers and Local African Americans to shatter the foundations of white supremacy in the nation's most segregated states.
02/25/15 INTERRACIAL DATING IN AMERICA STUDENT PANEL AT UNCA
This event will be from 6 to 8 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, room 224. This is sponsored by Multicultural Student Programs. For more information, email ssnyder@unca.edu.
02/26/15 TOWN HALL FORUM AT YMI CULTURAL CENTER
“Communities of Color: Exclusionary Housing, the Unbanked and Underbanked" Town Hall Forum. This panel, moderated by Dr. Darin Waters, will examine the financial practices of predatory lending, check cashing outlets, and their impact on the unbanked and underbanked in the community. Time is 6 to 8:30 PM and location is YMI Cultural Center.
02/27/15 OPEN MIC NIGHT AT UNCA
And We Still Rise - Open Mic Night, sponsored by Multicultural Student Program and Black Student Association. Location is Alumni Hall and time is 7:15 PM to 8:15 PM.
02/28/15 MARTIN LUTHER KING PRAYER BREAKFAST BY SWANNANOA VALLEY MLK MEMORIAL COMMITTEE
The 25th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Prayer Breakfast will be held at Camp Dorothy Walls in Black Mountain. Time is 8 AM. We are excited to announce that the speaker for the 2015 Prayer Breakfast will be Tyrone Greenlee. Tyrone Greenlee is an Asheville native and graduate of Asheville High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a community activist who currently serves on the boards of Just Economics of Western North Carolina and Green Opportunities, and has volunteered for many years with the Building Bridges organization. Tyrone works as a mentor and mediator at the Francine Delany New School for Children, and as Director of Christians For A United Community, a coalition of churches which works to dismantle racism and the disparities caused by racism. Tyrone is also a member of the New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church where he serves as a member of the Deacons and Youth and Music Ministries. He also attends Circle of Mercy Congregation in Asheville. Tickets to the 2015 Prayer Breakfast can be purchased at the Black Mountain Chamber of Commerce, 201 E. State Street, Black Mountain, NC phone - Adult Tickets $15.00; Tickets for children ages 3 - 12 - $6.00 - Contact number for the Chamber is (828) 669-2300.
03/04/15 LECTURE AT UNCA
“In Her Father's Eyes: A Slovak Childhood in the Shadow of the Holocaust” will be on display from March 2 to March 27 at UNCA. The year 2015 marks the 70th anniversaries of the end of WWII when the slave labor and death campus were liberated. In Her Father's Eyes is the life of Kitty Weichherz told by her observant and devoted father Bella Weichherz. Family photographs and entries in a diary kept by Bella offer a window into the everyday life of birthday parties, the first day of school, and a first boyfriend. The Weichherz family were murdered sometime in 1942 or 43 most likely at Sobibor Death Camp. Dr. Mark Gibney will give the opening lecture on March 4. Time and location TBD.
03/10/15 COMMUNITY DIALOGUES ON RACE IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
Two local churches have joined forces to offer a four-week series of Community Dialogues on Race, beginning Tuesday, February 10. The two-hour programs will feature films, group exercises, and dialogue, facilitated by the Rev. Michael J.S. Carter of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Swannanoa Valley. The partner church is Thomas Chapel AME Zion Church. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Thomas Chapel at 124 West College Drive in Black Mountain. The program is free and open to everyone. Interested persons are encouraged to register by emailing Roberta Madden at robertamadden@yahoo.com. For questions call Roberta at 828-419-0730.
03/10/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL ON SECTARIANISM IN THE MIDDLE EAST
“Sectarianism in the Middle East,” with David Hudleson a retired career employee of the National Security Agency. Hudleson twice received the NSA’s Meritorious Civilian Service Award, as well as an Exceptional Service Award from the CIA and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Award. During his career he spent time in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and was an Arabic language specialist. He will address the role of sectarianism — the politicization of ethnic and religious identity — in the Middle East, specifically through the struggle between Sunni and Shi’i groups for dominance. Free admission for WAC members and students; $10 general public. Meetings are scheduled for 7:30 PM in the Reuter Center's Manheimer Room at UNCA. For more details about programs, consult the WAC website.
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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville
THURSDAY
Asheville Homeless Network meeting at 1 PM at A-Hope on North Ann Street in Asheville.
Youth Outright Poetry Night at United Church of Christ in Asheville at 5 PM
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville
Women in Black have a monthly vigil at 5 PM at Vance Monument in Asheville (first Friday only)
SATURDAY
Transylvanians for Peace and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility have a weekly vigil at noon in front of the courthouse in Brevard
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Vance Monument at 4 PM.
SUNDAY
Youth OUTright meeting from 4 to 6 PM at First Congregational United Church of Christ at 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Ages 14 - 23 only.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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MORE PEACE DAY PLANNING:
CHAPTER 099 VETERANS FOR PEACE HAVE VOTED TO TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN PARTICIPATION WITH OTHER GROUPS IN THE ASHEVILLE AREA FOR THE SEPT. 21, 2015 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED.
From activist Ed Sacco: I see myself at this point, as focusing on publicity and community outreach with Veterans for Peace members and others. I’m trying to get an evaluation of last year,but the folks seem invisible. Can anyone pass on any info, contacts, or even better, participate in this? The sooner we start planning the better…contact Ed Sacco at esacco189@gmail.com or (828) 242-8448 to get involved or for more information.
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How many innocents must be released before we end the death penalty?
January 26, 2015 By Kristin Collins
How on earth did it take 38 years to exonerate Joseph Sledge?
On Friday, Sledge was the eighth man freed by the N.C. Innocence Inquiry Commission. That number doesn’t include the innocents freed by the legal system, such as Alan Gell and Darryl Hunt.
There were fingerprints and shoeprints at the crime scene that didn’t match Sledge. He was convicted based on the thinnest of circumstantial evidence, an unscientific hair comparison, and the extremely unreliable testimony of a jailhouse snitch who made the ridiculous claim that Sledge confessed a lust for the blood of “white she-devils.” (The snitch was paid for his testimony.)
The one piece of physical evidence supposedly linking Sledge to the crime, the hairs found on the bodies, went mysteriously missing after the trial. (When the hairs were finally found and tested for DNA, they proved Sledge’s innocence.)
Racial bias was clearly at play. Sledge is African-American man, and his two victims were white women. The trial took place in 1978 in rural Columbus County, when racism was still overt and socially acceptable.
We’d like to see Sledge’s case as a shocking anomaly. In reality, it’s part of a trend.
Henry McCollum, who was North Carolina’s longest serving death row inmate, and his brother Leon Brown had a story just as egregious as Sledge’s when they were exonerated in September. McCollum and Brown were tried before DNA testing, and the only evidence was their own confessions, forced out of them as vulnerable teenagers with no lawyers or parents in the room. Both are intellectually disabled. Yet, their convictions stood for 30 years.
Now, the case against another long-serving African-American death row inmate, Norfolk Junior Best, is unraveling. Best, who is intellectually disabled, was convicted in 1993 of killing an elderly white couple. New investigation has shown that the DNA evidence used at his trial was faulty, and that the couple likely died days earlier than the prosecution argued–at a time when Best had an ironclad alibi. Other evidence in his case was misplaced and never tested.
Sadly, Joseph Sledge’s case is just another example of a deeply flawed justice system that has stolen decades of freedom from innocent men, most of them poor and black. Clearly, it’s a system we cannot trust to decide life and death.
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