UPCOMING EVENTS
08/17/15 HEALTH CARE PARITY: BENDING THE ARC FOR EQUITY IN BUNCOMBE
This exhibit is based on attempts of Asheville physician Dr. Charles Blair to enhance awareness of and address health disparities affecting primarily African Americans. The exhibition also is based on a non-empirical study of Sharon Kelly West, RN on “Access and Availability of Health Care For African Americans of Buncombe County 1890-1960″. Admission is free. Location is the YMI Cultural Center at 39 South Market Street in Asheville. This exhibit goes until 08/28/15 and the YMI Cultural Center is open during regular business hours.
08/17/15 THE SPIRIT OF HIROSHIMA 1945 COMMEMORATIVE EXHIBIT
NC Peace Action is sponsoring a display of posters on the Hiroshima bombings in 1945 at First Congregational Church in Asheville, located on Oak Avenue in downtown Asheville. This will be up until 08/30/15.
08/17/15 MOVE TO AMEND BUNCOMBE COUNTY MEETING
Location is the North Asheville Library at 1030 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Time is 7 PM. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Diana at dianakruk@gmail.com or 828-275-0680.
08/18/15 JUST ECONOMICS MEETING
Our regular meeting is at 6:30 PM at the United Way on South French Broad. We will have dinner - feel free to bring a dish to share if you would like and are able. We will discuss general Just Economics topics and then divide into committees: Policy Advocacy, Certification, and Education and Outreach. Everyone is welcome! For more information, contact info@justeconomicswnc.org.
08/18/15 DRONE QUILT EXHIBIT AND PANEL PRESENTATION AT FIRESTORM CAFE & BOOKS
The Drone Quilt Project is a public education project to memorialize the victims of US drone warfare and to provide a medium for individuals to take action on this illegal and immoral use of combat drones. Drones are responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people worldwide. Come see the quilts memorializing the victims of US drone warfare. This evening will feature a panel with an “Overview of the Military Industrial Complex” by Coleman Smith of New South Network of War Resisters. Also, Barry Summers will talk on “The Coming Integration of US Military Drones in Civilian Air Space” and Dr. Terry Clark of WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility will speak on “Psychological Impacts of Drone Warfare”. Free and open to the public. Location is 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Opening panel is from 7 to 9 PM. Drone quilts will be on display until 08/22/15.
08/19/15 GREEN DRINKS
People of faith are installing solar panels, planting gardens, recycling, testifying, protesting, marching, writing, preaching and engaging in all sorts of acts of courageous compassion. Come explore some of the transformative work that is already happening on behalf of all creatures great and small. Scott Hardin-Nieri is the Director of The Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina. He has served in faith communities for over twenty years and after a “climate conversion” experience left his work in Monteverde, Costa Rica for the Blue Ridge Mountains. Socializing at 5:30 and presentation is at 6 PM. Location is The Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.
08/19/15 DRONE QUILT PANEL CONSTRUCTION WORKSHOP
The Drone Quilt Project is a public education project to memorialize the victims of US drone warfare and to provide a medium for individuals to take action to this illegal and immoral use of combat drones responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people worldwide. If you would like to create a panel to be incorporated into the next quilt, please stop by between 2 and 9 PM. Contact Coleman at 828-301-6683 for more information. Location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. There will also be drop-in hours for panel construction on 08/20/15 from 2 to 9 PM. Panel drop off hours are also on 08/22/15 from 11 AM to 2 PM. This event is sponsored by the New South Network of War Resisters with the support of Veterans for Peace Chapter Chapter 099 and WNC Physicians for Social Responsibility.
08/20/15 SHOWING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE GROUP
Showing up for Racial Justice (SURJ) is a national network of groups educating and organizing white people to act as part of a multi-racial majority for racial justice. Asheville SURJ hosts a weekly discussion group on risk-taking, accountability, mutual interest and how to call more white people into racial justice work. Anyone with a passion for working with white people on racial justice is welcome. Location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville. Time is noon. For more information, contact Firestorm Cafe.
08/20/15 COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT USE OF FORCE BY LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office will host a series of community meetings for discussions about the use of force by law enforcement. Location is Owen High School at 99 Lake Eden Road in Black Mountain. Time is 6 PM. The meeting will allow people to hear from Sheriff Van Duncan on the training and education that deputies receive regarding use of force, and Duncan will answer questions from community members about the topic. “We want to share with the public the law as well as the policies that we operate under when making use of force decisions,” Duncan said. “Being transparent with the public will hopefully create a shared understanding of law enforcement’s obligations as well as duties in protecting the public.” The question-and-answer portion of the program will be moderated by Lucia Daughtery of the Asheville-Buncombe Community Relations Council. This forum is free and open to the public.
08/21/15 to 08/23/15 MONTREAT CONFERENCE CENTER REMEMBRANCE OF MLK
On this weekend in August, at the Anderson Auditorium, Montreat Conference Center, in Montreat NC, there will be a weekend of remembrance of Martin Luther King’s address at Montreat in 1965, called “Dr. King's Unfinished Agenda: A Teach-In for Re-dedicating Ourselves to the Dream”. There will be nine speakers; one of which is Rev. William Barber and the main speaker will be U.S. Representative John Lewis. Events include programming and break out sessions for teens and adults. Basic registration fee is $40; for those able to help provide scholarship funds for the conference, a registration of $100 is appreciated. To register or call 828.669.2911, ext. 339.
08/22/15 STAND WITH PLANNED PARENTHOOD
Time is 8:30 AM and location is 68 McDowell Street in Asheville. A group opposing Planned Parenthood planned to stage a protest at the Asheville clinic, and we have decided it can not go unchallenged. Planned Parenthood has gotten a lot of negative publicity lately, all based on deceptive videos and a lies. We who believe in affordable health care for low-income women, in contraceptives and in choice, need to show up and show our support. Without Planned Parenthood, many women would be without access to health care and without reliable contraception, leaving them vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies and without cancer screenings and well-woman checkups, without access to care for chronic illness that can cause premature death. Please come out and show your support for this essential community service.
08/23/15 TEACH IN TO SAVE THE ECONOMY AT FIRESTORM CAFE
In-depth discussions focused on what we can and should do to extend the reach of game-changing idea on taking back our economy - from making work family-friendly, to creating Medicare for all, to ending mass incarceration. Time is 4 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville.
08/25/15 REVISIONING HISTORY BOOK GROUP AT FIRESTORM CAFE & BOOKS
This discussion group focuses on books that challenge or expand on dominant historical narratives and research methodologies. Together, we investigate -- and question -- the common idea that history is merely the objective presentation of facts, and explore the ways in which ideology plays a role in how history is interpreted, transmitted, and culturally/academically institutionalized. The first discussion group selection is “The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism” (Winner of the 2015 Avery O. Craven OAH Award, Winner of the 2015 Hillman Prize for Book Journalism) by Edward Baptist. Because the book is relatively long and dense, we will focus on the first half (up to Chapter 7 / page 215) for August and the second half for September. Folks are encouraged to come prepared with questions and talking points! Time is 7 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville.
08/25/15 CELEBRATE SOLAR SOIREE
There is a lot to celebrate around solar successes in North Carolina. We can't wait to share these stories with you. Join Self-Help, FLS Energy, Clean Energy for WNC, NC Interfaith Power & Light, and RiverLink for a happy hour-style reception and networking soiree. You'll hear stories, learn a bit about the state of solar in NC and be asked to share what we can do together to build an affordable solar society that's accessible to all. Light refreshments and beverages will be served. Time is 5:30 to 7:30 PM and location is Lenoir-Rhyne University Asheville at 36 Montford Ave, 2nd floor, in Asheville. RSVP at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/celebrate-solar-soiree-tickets-17985841135
08/26/15 GREEN DRINKS
Bill Ramsey will inform us of the extent of the US drone warfare program. He will address how decisions are made to target people in several countries. He will describe the impact on targeted populations. He will inform us of the international response challenging the legality and consideration of criminal charges against the US. Bill Ramsey is a longstanding activist for peace and justice issues. He previously worked for the American Friends Service Committee. He is a graduate of Highpoint College and Duke Divinity School, and he lives in Madison County. Socializing at 5:30 PM and presentation from 6 – 7 PM. Location is The Green Sage (Downtown) 5 Broadway St. in Asheville.
08/26/15 POSTCARD CAMPAIGN FOR EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT
Let's pass the Equal Rights Amendment! Join us for a post-card writing campaign at 7 PM on August 26, location to be announced. Back in the 1970s, the Equal Rights Amendment very nearly passed. It would very specifically guarantee women equal rights to men and end once and for all the debate about women's place in American society. We still need just three states to ratify the ERA, and some North Carolina legislators have offered to help get this done here. We stand at a time in history where we can move forward or risk losing rights we have fought so long to attain. This event is sponsored by Asheville chapter of NOW. Email ashevillenow@live.com for more information and to confirm.
08/26/15 OTHER WORLDS ARE POSSIBLE BOOK GROUP AT FIRESTORM
This discussion group focuses on science fiction, speculative fiction and fantasy literature with a feminist, social justice and/or "radical" theme. We'll read a book each month and discuss both the vision presented by the author and how the book contributes to our understanding of our present moment. We'll start with “Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements,” an anthology of short stories by various authors that explore the connections between radical speculative fiction and movements for social change. Folks are encouraged to read the whole book, but anyone should feel welcome to attend. Time is 7 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville. For more information, contact Firestorm Cafe.
08/27/15 BIOENERGY FIELD DAY
Please join us on August 27 from 8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station located in Mills River, NC for the 2015 Bioenergy Field Day. Lunch is on us and we look forward to seeing you! This Field Day is designed to provide a time for researchers to share the latest information of the work being conducted on energy crops in Western NC. Tours of the research plots and processing equipment demonstrations will help growers, researchers, and industry leaders learn how we are working to meet the state's renewable energy goals. Researchers from NCSU, Appalachian State, and local NGOs will discuss biomass crop production and the conversion of these crops into bioenergy. A complimentary lunch will be provided therefore, registration is required by August 21st, 2015. The NC Sustainable Energy Association is the organizer of this event. For more information and to register, contact Allison at allison.medlin@ncagr.gov.
08/27/15 ANNIVERSARY OF THE KELLOGG-BRIAND PACT
08/28/15 REMEMBRANCE OF EMMETT TILL’S MURDER
Wear Black and White on July 25 (Emmett Till's 74th Birthday) and August 28. A Time For Unity In Black And White: Please join us again! Let's Remember Emmett Till and those who have lost their lives #CharlestonNine #TrayvonMartin #JordanDavis #OscarGrant #RenishaMcBride #EricGarner #MikeBrown #RekiyaBoyd #SeanBell #StephenBiko and so many others to hate, violence and racism in the US and in other parts of the world. How? Please Wear black and white attire/clothing items on July 25 and August 28 (the day Emmett Till was murdered in 1955, 60 years ago). This is a silent but powerful way to show that we will never forget.
08/28/15 ASHEVILLE TIMEBANK KICK OFF
Friday, August 28, at 6 PM, Asheville TimeBank kicks off with a potluck and orientation open to all. Location is the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 20 Oak Street in Asheville. Share your talents, exchange services outside the cash economy. Please bring a potluck dish and a laptop if you have one. Voluntary donation. Contact help@ashevilletimebank.org or call 828-348-0674 for more information, including how to access an application for the TimeBank.
08/28/15 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at 3:15 PM at Brooks-Howell Home on Merrimon Avenue in Asheville. Meet in the media room. Contact Susan at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
08/28/15 HELPING OTHERS CONVERSATION SERIES
Please join us for our latest project, The Helping Others Conversation Series, an event consisting of an monthly interview that will be taped and uploaded to YouTube and Vimeo. We will focus on who and how things happen in Asheville. The first organization to be interviewed will be BeLoved House. Please join us at The Sly Grog Lounge at the Downtown Market at 45 South French Broad Street in downtown Asheville. for our first monthly interview. We'll get to hear all about how BeLoved House began, it's history, accomplishments to date, and what their future plans are and what they really need to better sustain themselves and how they are funded. Doors open at 5:30 PM with drinks to purchase as well as small foods to munch on. Event begins at 7 PM. $10 suggested donation, with money going to the selected charity after expenses. This was a facebook event.
08/29/15 TRAINING SESSION FOR EXHIBIT ON AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH
This will be from 10 AM to noon at the YMI Cultural Center on South Market Street in Asheville. More information below events listings on what exactly is needed and who to contact.
08/29/15 JUST PEACE IN ISRAEL AND PALESTINE VIGIL FOR CHILD CASUALTIES
Please note that our vigil with a focus on the child casualties during Operation Protective Edge last summer. This will be held from 11 to 12:30 at Pritchard Park. Contact Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information and to confirm location.
09/01/15 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE SERIES
“Reconnecting with Cuba,” a lecture by journalist and historian Jon Elliston, will kick off the fall World Affairs Council lecture series, at 7:30 PM on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at UNC Asheville’s Reuter Center. Elliston will discuss the recently restored diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, which were severed during the Cold War, along with the ongoing disputes between the two governments and the possibilities of further reconciliation. Elliston, a frequent traveler to Cuba, currently serves as the investigations and open-government editor at Carolina Public Press, a nonprofit news service that covers Western North Carolina, and as senior editor at WNC magazine. The lectures are sponsored by the WNC chapter of the World Affairs Council, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville, and the university's Department of Political Science. Admission to World Affairs Council presentations at UNC Asheville is $10 for the public; free to members of the World Affairs Council and UNC Asheville students. For more information call 828.251.6140.
09/02/15 SIERRA CLUB MEETING AND GREEN DRINKS
Sierra Club meeting on French Broad River Odyssey by Dr. Chris Lechner. Location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place, (corner of Charlotte & Edwin). Time is 7 PM. Contact: judymattox@sbcglobal.net, or 828-683-2176 for more information.
09/09/15 GREEN DRINKS
Interested in making your home greener, but frustrated because you don’t have thousands to spend for a major renovation? This discussion focuses on ways that homeowners on a tight budget can change how they operate their homes to achieve significant energy savings. We will also discuss inexpensive upgrades that make easy do-it-yourself projects. Amy Musser will speak, and she is co-founder and principal of VandeMusser Design, PLLC, founded in 2002. Socializing at 5:30 and presentation is at 6 PM. Location is The Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.
09/09/15 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at 9:30 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Contact Susan at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
09/10/15 BUILDING BRIDGES
Building Bridges is starting a new seminar on the dynamics of racism and how it has impacted our relationships, institutions and community. The session runs from September 10 to November 5 from 7-9pm at AB Tech and costs $35. This is an outstanding opportunity to learn together how to improve our interactions. Registration is now open. For more information call 828 -777-4585.
09/10/15 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC GENERAL MEETING
Time is 5:30 to 7 PM, and location is the First Baptist Church of Asheville at 5 Oak Street in downtown Asheville. Information came from their website.
09/12/15 CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING
Citizens Climate Lobby meets on 9-12-15 from 12:30-3 PM at Kairos West Community Center, 742 Haywood Road in west Asheville. We are advocating for a Carbon Fee & Dividend, which would impose a fee on fossil fuels at point entry; this fee will be refunded to individuals and families. There is bipartisan support in Congress as this will create jobs and help grow the economy, boosting renewables.For more information, contact asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org.
09/16/15 GREEN DRINKS
Each year the International Day of Peace is observed around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All” which aims to highlight the importance of all segments of society to work together to strive for peace. For our Asheville Green Drinks presentation, WNC 4 Peace will discuss what we have planned for International Day of Peace in Asheville and Black Mountain, and will discuss the many faceted diamond of peace, from inner peace to world peace. Socializing at 5:30 PM and presentation from 6 – 7 PM. Location is The Green Sage (Downtown) 5 Broadway St. in Asheville.
09/19/15 AMERICANS WHO TELL THE TRUTH EXHIBIT
Saturday, September 19 at 6 PM the exhibit at YMI (39 S. Market St.) called “Americans Who Tell the Truth” will open. Rev. William Barber of Moral Monday fame will speak as his portrait is unveiled September 19th for the first time as a new addition to other heroes on display for the “Americans Who Tell the Truth” exhibit. Mountain People's Assembly is hosting this event with YMI. This is a ticketed event, tickets start at $25. Go to YMI webpage for more information.
09/19/15 AND 09/20/15 HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN GREENVILLE SC
Carolina Human Rights OrgaNizing Conference (or CHRONIC) will hold a several day conference primarily on the issue of race relations on September 19-20, 2015 in Greenville, SC. See www.chronic2015.weebly.com for details.
09/20/15 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE EVENTS
Special fun and educational events in Asheville and Black Mountain will take place on Sunday, September 20. WNC4 Peace will be collaborating with UNCA Student Government Association to celebrate peace in the Quad Sunday afternoon while in Black Mountain, Dobra Tea on Broadway will be celebrating Tea for Peace. Music and information about peace will be in abundance as some 30 groups set up tables to educate participants.
09/21/15 INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE MARCH AND RALLY
On Monday, September 21, at noon WNC 4 Peace hosts a March for Peace downtown, with the meeting place in front of the St. Lawrence Basilica in Asheville.. We will march to the Peace Pole in front of Asheville City Hall, where participants will observe a moment of silence. Asheville bells will be rung all around town, peace activist and performer David LaMotte and Rhoda Weaver plan to sing with people of diverse beliefs gathered to explore the spirit of peace in a troubled world, while white doves are released to send our message out into the universe. Attendees will also be invited to participate in Dances for Universal Peace. For more information, call Rachael at 828-378-0125.
09/23/15 GREEN DRINKS
This legislative session has been jam-packed with moves to roll back environmental protections, hinder renewable energy, slash funding for open space protections and more. But it’s not all bad news. Many of our WNC legislators have stood against these shenanigans and are attempting to forward legislation to protect our communities’ natural resources. We’ll get you caught up on environmental outcomes of this legislative session, priorities between sessions and next year, and how you can get involved in holding our lawmakers accountable to the public they serve. Socializing at 5:30 and presentation is at 6 PM. Location is The Green Sage at 5 Broadway Street in downtown Asheville.
09/24/15 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP BY MOUNTAIN TRUE IN HENDERSONVILLE
This legislative session has been jam-packed with moves to roll back environmental protections, hinder renewable energy, slash funding for open space protections and more. But it’s not all bad news. Many of our WNC legislators have stood against these shenanigans and are attempting to forward legislation to protect our communities’ natural resources. We’ll get you caught up on environmental outcomes of this legislative session, priorities between sessions and next year, and how you can get involved in holding our lawmakers accountable to the public they serve. Time is 6 to 8 PM and location is Biz 611 at 611 North Church Street in Hendersonville, which is the MountainTrue office. For any questions and to RSVP, please contact Joan at Joan@Mountaintrue.org, 828-575-6268 ext. 205.
09/24/15 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE OF WNC DINNER AND EVENT
“Caring for Our Common Home: Responding to the Pope’s call for action” is the theme for this event. Time is 6 to 8 PM and location is St. Eugene’s Catholic Church at 72 Culvern Street in Asheville. Join with others to be inspired by the words of the Pope’s Encyclical and watch Pope Francis’ address to Congress. Light dinner included. Discuss what the Pope’s message means to the world and commit to one behavioral change to better care for God’s Creation. Sponsored by the Creation Care Alliance of Western North Carolina. Information came from their website.
09/29/15 POVERTY SIMULATION BY JUST ECONOMICS
CJJ Sponsored Poverty Simulation: The Difficulty of Living on Minimum Wage in WNC. Join Just Economics in a poverty simulation that will provide the community an opportunity to learn first-hand how difficult it is to live on a minimum wage salary in WNC. The cost is $10. Participation will be limited to the first 45 registrants. Time is 4 to 6 PM and location is the Edington Education & Career Center at 133 Livingston Street in Asheville. For more information or to register, contact Judy Leavitt at judleavitt76@gmail.com.
09/30/15 GREEN DRINKS
Curious about solar energy? Want to know your options for switching over to solar? Join Asheville Green Drinks in meeting Erika Schneider, director of communications at Sundance Power Systems and Bill Maloney, the Solar Panels Project Coordinator at St. Eugene Catholic Church. Erika will help clarify the difference with the direct purchase, finance or lease options for your future or dream solar installation. As legislation can vary between states, she will also touch on current legislation surrounding solar energy in NC. St. Eugene Catholic Church in Asheville is installing over 100 Solar Panels this September to coincide with the visit of Pope Francis to the US. In his Encyclical “Laudato Si” we are encouraged to take Care of the Earth. This 45.99 KW DC Net Metered system will reduce CO2 emissions and our dependence on fossil fuel, provide 22% of the Church’s electricity, and give a 35% NC tax credit and 30% Federal charitable tax deduction to donors. MB Haynes Energy Solutions of Asheville will do the installation. The presentation will discuss our project and show how your Congregation can do the same. Socializing at 5:30 PM and presentation from 6 – 7 PM. Location is The Green Sage (Downtown) 5 Broadway St. in Asheville.
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ONGOING EVENTS
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TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 5 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville
THURSDAY
Showing Up For Racial Justice meeting at noon at Firestorm Cafe & Books in west Asheville.
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. Call 884-3435 to confirm.
Third Saturdays – Asheville’s Green Grannies invites the public to “sing for the climate” at Pritchard Park at 5 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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‘Americans Who Tell The Truth’ (AWTT) exhibit is in need of volunteers.
When: Saturday, Aug 29 - 10 AM – 12 noon
Where: YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St. downtown Asheville
Now - thanks to our generous community - that all our portraits are sponsored, we are moving on to the next stage of organizing for the AWTT exhibit. Mountain People’s Assembly is in SERIOUS need of volunteers for staffing the ‘Americans Who Tell The Truth’ exhibit that will run from September 19 through November 7 at the YMI. We have over 100 slots that need to be filled for the duration of the 7-week exhibition.
A training session for docents and greeters will be held on Saturday, August 29 from 10 am-noon at YMI Cultural Center, 39 S. Market St. in downtown Asheville. In addition, volunteers are needed to staff and help with unpacking and mounting portraits, set-up for the opening gala on September 19, repacking portraits for shipping when the exhibit is over, van transportation for pickup and return of display partitions and other items.
Please help us make this inspiring exhibit a success for our community! We assure you it will be an experience like no other.
For more information or to sign up, contact Carmen Ramos-Kennedy at 828-423-6476.
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From the Mountain People’s Assembly:
NAACP: “America’s Journey for Justice”
The "America's Journey for Justice" march to fight for civil rights began August 1 in Selma, AL and will culminate on September 15 with a rally in front of the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the NAACP, the first leg of the 860-mile march has already drawn more than 200 demonstrators. "We're marching for our lives, our votes, our jobs, our schools," NAACP Southwestern Region Organizer Quincy Bates said. "We're demanding real policy reform, and we need support from everyone in our country."
Demonstrators have planned stops in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia in which they will visit local schools and churches to educate citizens on criminal justice and education issues.
MPA will be joining NAACP on portions of this historic march. “America's Journey for Justice” will mobilize activists and advance a focused advocacy agenda that protects the right of every American to a fair criminal justice system, uncorrupted and unfettered access to the ballot box, sustainable jobs with a living wage, and equitable public education.
It is expected that the march will be in North Carolina August 20 – 29 with specific places and dates to be determined. For more information, contact Sherrill Zoeller at zbirdlady@relloz.com.
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WNC4Peace invites you, as individuals or groups working for peace through love of creation, social justice, environmental sustainability, human rights, etc. to respond to this message. Please pass this on to others. Events begin Friday, September 18 and continue through Monday, September 21.
For information about WNC4Peace and all peace day events, contact Rachael Bliss, Coordinator at rachael_bliss@yahoo.com or call 828-378-0125.
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When Oppression Is The Status Quo, Disruption Is A Moral Duty
by Bree Newsome
“When rights are consistently denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets.” —Alabama clergymen’s letter to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. April 12, 1963
“You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. … It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city’s white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.” —From Letter From a Birmingham Jail, by Martin Luther King Jr., April 16, 1963
I visited the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site for the first time two weekends ago while in Atlanta for a wedding. I sat in the pews of the original Ebenezer Baptist Church listening to recordings of King speaking on racial and economic injustice, words just as applicable to the present moment as they were 50 years ago.
I walked along the reflecting pool—a mausoleum surrounded by the kind of poverty and urban blight King was fighting to end at the time of his assassination in 1968—and watched people toss coins into the water and pose for photos in front of the tombs of King and his wife, Coretta.
I saw posters celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act—although the Voting Rights Act itself didn’t survive intact for 50 years but was gutted by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2013.
I viewed photos of activists receiving nonviolent-resistance training at the Highlander Center in Tennessee. I thought of a similar photo that exists of myself with a group of modern activists, many of whom were in Cleveland at that moment attending the Movement for Black Lives Convening. I paused to scroll through my Twitter feed and saw that attendees of the convening in Cleveland had just been pepper-sprayed by a cop. An anger that had been slowly rising within me during my visit finally boiled over.
I’m struck by the way society can commemorate the movement of the past while condemning the movement of the present. Or how it can continually celebrate social progress in the most abstract of ways while ignoring the realities of what is required for social progress to occur. Lyndon B. Johnson’s signing of the Voting Rights Act happened only because there were black Americans refusing to comply with oppression, creating disruption and posing direct challenges to the United States’ racial caste system.
In 1963, Birmingham, Ala., was one of the most segregated cities in the United States of America. Black citizens faced brutal racial and economic oppression. If they protested, they faced violence from police and local authorities. To ask, “Was the Birmingham campaign of 1963 really necessary?” seems like a ridiculous question to most people today.
Yet some of those very same people whose 20-20 hindsight never fails them seem blind to the present. They ask why Black Lives Matter protesters staged die-ins at the malls, disrupting America’s high holy shopping season, or why they blocked traffic on the highways. Do they pause to “express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations”? Instead of asking why young black people are interrupting white people at brunch, perhaps we should be asking why equal protection under the law is not a real thing.
In 2015, St. Louis remains one of the most segregated cities in the United States of America. According to Richard Rothstein’s study “The Making of Ferguson,” black citizens there have faced brutal racial and economic oppression for decades, including the following:
… zoning rules that classified white neighborhoods as residential and black neighborhoods as commercial or industrial; segregated public-housing projects that replaced integrated low-income areas; federal subsidies for suburban development conditioned on African-American exclusion; federal and local requirements for, and enforcement of, property deeds and neighborhood agreements that prohibited resale of white-owned property to, or occupancy by, African Americans; tax favoritism for private institutions that practiced segregation; municipal boundary lines designed to separate black neighborhoods from white ones and to deny necessary services to the former; real estate, insurance, and banking regulators who tolerated and sometimes required racial segregation; and urban renewal plans whose purpose was to shift black populations from central cities like St. Louis to inner-ring suburbs like Ferguson.
On Aug. 9, 2014, Michael Brown, an 18-year-old, unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed by a white police officer named Darren Wilson in a place where black citizens are routinely harassed by cops to generate revenue for the city coffers. Brown’s body was left on full display in the street for hours. The officer involved was not arrested.
When residents objected, police responded with canine units, rifles, tanks and tear gas. Journalists were arrested, protesters were thrown in jail, residents were teargassed in their own front yards. Yet we must explain why there was an uprising in Ferguson? How much longer must we wait for justice? Why must we wait at all?
South Carolina was the first state to secede from the Union, arguing, “We of the South contend that slavery is right.” The Confederacy was formed in the belief that African Americans should remain in a perpetual state of bondage. For over a hundred years, the Ku Klux Klan and white supremacists waved the Confederate battle flag as a sign of non-surrender as they continued to terrorize and murder black Americans.
In 1961, at the height of the civil rights movement, the all-white South Carolina Legislature voted to raise the Confederate battle flag above the Statehouse. Black residents protested it for the next 54 years.
In June 2015, a white supremacist entered Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, S.C., and massacred a local civil rights leader and eight parishioners during Bible study. The state refused to lower the flag even as these victims of a hate crime were laid to rest. Yet instead of asking the state of South Carolina why it took 54 years of protest and a massacre to ultimately remove a hate symbol from its Capitol, James Tyson and I had to explain why we removed the flag ourselves instead of waiting longer. How much longer must we wait for justice? Why must we wait at all?
Some seem to think we’ve reached a point in time where the right to vote has replaced the need to disrupt the system—although the right to vote itself has yet to be secured. Rights are signed into law by the legislature, but history shows that the legislative pen moves in accordance with the pressure of organized protest and disruption in the streets.
This moment requires bold action and disruption of business as usual for the same reasons it was required in Birmingham in 1963. We easily become blind to what we see every day. The continued oppression and brutalization of black life is so normalized that we’re taught to wait and be patient, as though liberation is an inevitable by-product of the passage of time. It’s not and it never has been.
The political establishment cannot praise King with one breath while condemning modern civil disobedience in the next breath. If we are wrong now, King was wrong then. If King was right then, we are right now.
History will remember the Ferguson uprising as a moment of awakening. This small suburb—which many of us might not have ever heard of were it not for the events of August 2014 and the existence of social media—is a microcosm of America. We looked at Ferguson and saw that Ferguson is everywhere. There can be no more waiting for the passage of time to do what only we can do by taking a stand via direct action. When oppression is the status quo, disruption is a moral duty.
The movement lives.
Bree Newsome is a community organizer in Charlotte, N.C., where she works with several organizations including the Tribe, Ignite NC and the local NAACP chapter. Newsome made headlines recently when she took down the Confederate flag in Columbia, S.C.
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