UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER
09/05/16 LABOR DAY EVENT FOR FIGHT FOR $15
Labor Day Party with Fight for 15 is at 6:30 PM. Come out and celebrate Labor Day at The Block off Biltmore with Fight for $15. Location is 39 South Market Street in downtown Asheville. Featuring the the founding members of the Travers Brothership Eric and Kyle Travers Acoustic Duo from 7:30-10:30pm followed by Endymion is the Moon @ 10:45pm, but up first we have the lovely Lilli Jean who will be playing from 6:30-7:15. Doors open at 6 PM - come grab some wonderful food before you dance the night away. The cover for this event is $10-$20 pay what you can. The funds are going to a great cause. Call 828-254-9277 for more information.
9/06/16 CURRENT EVENTS BOOK CLUB
Join host Bruce Roth for a lively discussion on topics of current interest including war and peace, the economy, the environment, and other hot political topics. The September pick is “Code Red: Computerized Election Theft and the New American Century” by Jonathan D. Simon. Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops in downtown Asheville. Call Malaprops for more information.
09/06/16 STANDING UP FOR RACIAL JUSTICE
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! This is also called the Do!sscision group. Time is 10 AM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/06/16 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL
Come to the Reuter Center for these fascinating lectures and discussions that aim to advance international awareness and foster Western North Carolina's global ties. The World Affairs Council meetings offer a lively line up of topics and compelling presenters. At 7:30 PM, Dr. Steve Solnick, President of Warren Wilson College, and a Fulbright Scholar of Russia, will open the series with a review of the latest moves and initiatives of President Putin and his current leadership in Russia -- including an emphasis on the internal politics and pressures within the country. Location is The Manheimer Room at the Reuter Center at UNCA. Lectures are free to WAC members and students, all others $10 at the door. For more details about programs, consult the World Affairs Council website.
09/06/16 ASHEVILLE SUSTAINABLE RESTAURANT WORKERS RALLY
Join Us at Pritchard Park in Asheville for a Rally to Support the Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workers (ASRW). In North Carolina, 77% of food service workers cannot call in sick without losing their pay – or perhaps their job, if they are too sick to work. In some other states and cities, workers are provided with a number of paid sick days. Carolina Jews for Justice believes that paid sick days are a matter of basic fairness. Please join us in a rally next Tuesday, September 6, at 4:30 at Pritchard Park in downtown Asheville to advocate for paid sick day legislation in honor of Labor Day. The rally is sponsored and hosted by The Asheville Sustainable Restaurant Workforce, a local restaurant workers’ rights organization whose mission is to improve the economic environment and human rights of restaurant workers through awareness, advocacy and action. Carolina Jews for Justice/West is a co-sponsor. Other co-sponsors include Just Economics, the North Carolina Justice Center’s Workers’ Rights Project, Moms Rising, the Campaign for Southern Equality, and BeLoved Asheville. The event will include a presentation by Vicki Meath, Director of Just Economics, and remarks by State Senator Terry Van Duyn and Representative Susan Fisher, among others. In addition to paid sick day legislation, we will also discuss how HB2 limits the ability of cities and counties to create their own policies to protect workers, and we will engage in a non-partisan voter registration drive. Come show your support next Tuesday for workers and their advocates. Contact Carolina Jews for Justice/West at cjjwest@carolinajewsforjustice.org for more information.
09/07/16 WHAT’S UP WITH WHITENESS?
This is an event by Asheville Standing Up For Racial Justice. This is an event focused on dismantling white supremacy. “Title Track” functions to explore what ‘white’ means and how it was created as a racial group to implement a white supremacy culture in the US. The "Title Track" part of the WUWW series will generally repeat on the first Wednesday of the month. What's Up with Whiteness functions to explore what "white" means, and how it was created as a racial group to implement a white supremacy culture in the United States. This group is for anyone who is willing and able to explore their whiteness or whiteness as a race with a racial justice lens. We aim to dismantle white supremacy's power by exploring it from the inside. We will educate ourselves and each other about the political and social origins of “whiteness” and educate ourselves and each other on white supremacy culture functions and hold our personal experiences and benefits from whiteness accountable and responsible for change and build skills to address internalized dominance and make change and build relationships with others to further imbue these lessons and build accountability. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/07/16 SIERRA CLUB MEETING/GREEN DRINKS
Discussion at this meeting will be around how we can prevent a third gas powered plant by Duke here in Asheville. Brownie Newman, Buncombe County Commissioner, Julie Mayfield, Asheville City Council, Amber Weaver of Asheville’s Office of Sustainability and Jason Walls of Duke Energy will provide an update on the work the Energy Innovation Task Force. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 1 Edwin Place (corner of Charlotte and Edwin) in Asheville. For more information, contact Judy at judymattox@sbcglobal.net or call 828-683-2176.
09/07/16 “AT THE FORK” MOVIE SCREENING
Join Erica Geppi and the Humane Society of the United States for a special screening of “At the Fork” on September 7 at 7:30PM at Asheville Pizza & Brewing on Merrimon Avenue. The screening will be followed by a 25 minute Q&A. At the Fork is a new documentary by filmmaker and omnivore John Papola who, together with his vegetarian wife Lisa, offer up a timely and refreshingly unbiased look at how farm animals are raised for our consumption. Papola asks the tough questions behind every hamburger, glass of milk, and baby back rib. What he discovers are not heartless industrialists, but America’s farmers – real people who, along with him, are grappling with the moral dimensions of farming animals for food. This is a Facebook event, and tickets are sold via a link at their event listing. Please call Asheville Pizza and Brewing for more information.
09/07/16 ASHEVILLE SOCIALIST PUBLIC FORUM ON POLICING, RACE AND CLASS
Police violence and how to stop it: public forum on policing, race, and class. From Asheville, to Raleigh, to Charlotte, and across the world groups of Black activists, students, and workers are leading a growing movement against racism and state violence. By taking the streets together to proclaim and demand that #BlackLivesMatter we are continuing a long and proud tradition of ordinary people uniting in the struggle against injustice and once again our streets ring with the challenge “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” In America, policing as we know it originates in the southern slave patrols and in private armies to fight labor organizing and protest in the north. In other words, to control laboring people and impose the law and order of the elite upon them. So please join the Justice4Jerry campaign and the International Socialist Organization on Wednesday September 7 from 6:30 to 8 PM in Highsmith Student Union room 221 at UNCA for a panel discussion of police violence and how to stop it. There will be several speakers followed by a period of audience discussion and concluding with a wrap up from the panelists. Bring at least $20 to buy #Justice4Jerry t-shirts the Williams family is selling in order to raise funds for funeral expenses and so on. There is free visitor parking near Highsmith Student Union and near the arena in the parking deck. We can organize childcare. Please give notice if you plan to attend with children and we can help out. This is a Facebook event.
09/08/16 COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION TRAINING SERIES
What makes it so hard to let go of anger? Can forgiveness lead us to authentic, empowered and effective action? This question is so timely now, as streets from Asheville to St. Paul to Dallas, Baton Rouge to Istanbul, Baghdad and Nice, flow with blood and tears. Turning the fire of anger into forgiveness and meaningful action is a four week series in Nonviolent Communication on Thursday evenings in Asheville. Dates are September 8, 15, 22, and 29, and time is 6:30-8:30 PM. Facilitator is Roberta Wall. In Nonviolent Communication, we say that anger has a surprising purpose, and that its energy can be harnessed and transformed into self-understanding, authentic action, and forgiveness. Location is the Asheville Jewish Community Center at 236 Charlotte Street in north Asheville. Cost is $100. Please consider adding an extra amount for scholarships for those with more limited resources. To register or for more information, call or email Polly at (828) 775-6333 or polly.medlicott@gmail.com. (Please speak to Polly about scholarships.)
09/08/16 PLAY AT NC STAGE - THE LOWER FREQUENCIES
This is a harrowing play about the experience of being Black in America, a play focused on the rise and unintended consequences of drone warfare, and two 1940's radio adaptations of classic American stories. “What do artists do when confronted by pain? They create art,” asserts Immediate Theatre Project co-founder Willie Repoley. “It's not just a way of creating a buffer from the pain; it's a way of living in it, and processing it in a way that may offer some hope for change, a way that may open people's hearts and minds to a new experience of our shared humanity.” Bryce Monroe responded to the killings of Black men in Ferguson and around the country by creating a solo performance piece inspired by Ralph Ellison's book called “Invisible Man.” This play experience includes a talk-back following the performance in which the audience is able to discuss the work with the artist and explore different ways we can continue to engage communities in insightful and tolerant conversation. The performances will take place at North Carolina Stage Company for one weekend only, September 8th - 10th. From Facebook posting: Inspired by the novel Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, The Lower Frequencies depicts the particular experience of a nameless narrator and his confrontation with the American Dream. This experience is brought to life through a series of vignettes which comment upon the socioeconomic injustices caused by enduring institutional systems that have muted the voices, camouflaged the bodies, and denigrated the lives of the black community in the United States. More information and tickets can be obtained at 828.239.0263 and the NC Stage Box Office.
09/08/16 PLAY AT THE BE BE THEATRE - RASHEEDA SPEAKING
Upon returning from a few sick days, Jaclyn notices some disturbing changes in the doctor’s office where she works. Meetings are happening without her. The doctor is acting even more awkward than usual. And Ileen, her co-receptionist, is now her boss. She’s not stupid, though. Instead of letting them force her out, she flips the script — with some good, old-fashioned psychological warfare. “Rasheeda Speaking” is a darkly funny, satirical depiction of workplace dynamics in “post-racial” America. Or is it a tightrope-walking thriller? (It depends on who you root for.) Rasheeda Speaking features: Steph Hickling Beckman, CJ Breland, Kristi DeVille, and Eamon Martin. Presentation by Different Strokes Performing Arts Collective. “Rasheeda Speaking” is by Joel Drake Johnson and directed by Scott Keel. This will run until September 17th, on Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM. Location is the The Be Be Theatre at 20 Commerce Street in Asheville. Tickets are $18.00 in advance and $21.00 for general admission at the door.
09/08/16 PANEL DISCUSSION ON HB2 AT MARS HILL COLLEGE
Political Science adjunct instructor Natalie Teague will moderate a panel discussion on HB2, the controversial "bathroom bill" that the State of North Carolina continues to defend despite a staggering legal bill and the absence of representation by its Attorney General. The panel will consist of Aaron Sarver, Communications Director for the Campaign for Southern Equality, and Ann Peiffer, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Coordinator of Safe Haven at MHU.
Aaron Sarver grew up in North Carolina and attended N.C. State University where he graduated with a B.A. in Economics. His writing has appeared in In These Times, The Chicago Reader, Alternet, and The Asheville Citizen-Times. Ann Peiffer is Assistant Professor of Psychology at MHU and is the faculty adviser for Safe Haven, the MHU LGBTQ group on campus. Time is 7 to 8 PM and location is Belk Auditorium at Mars Hill College.
09/08/16 PROTEST AGAINST RACISM
Help an aging activist celebrate his birthday right! Lyndon is inviting people to celebrate his 60th birthday by showing up at the Vance Monument on Thursday, Sept. 8 from 4-6:30 PM. Instead of bringing gifts or eating tasty food, we'll stand at the monument and make our voices heard for justice in Asheville and speaking out against racism – past, present, and future. Bring whatever signs, banners, fliers about racism in Asheville and beyond. Arrestable action is not the intent, just peaceful protest. For more info, contact Lyndon: 669-0027, cell: 828-275-0036. (What a lovely idea! - dancewater)
09/09/16 GREEN ENERGY ASHEVILLE EVENT
Localize and Strategize: Green Energy Asheville. With so much attention focusing on the oil pipelines being put in the ground at Standing Rock Reservation and across the Nation, how can we become part of the solution and contribute less to the problems? How can we use our dollars locally to rely less on big corporations and take back our sovereignty as free peoples? In what ways can we support renewable energy sources becoming a part of what makes Asheville shine? Participants will discuss ways in which we can lessen our footprint by taking action in our own lives, within our community and help this movement to ripple globally. Calling all earth enthusiasts, movers and shakers, peace activists and beyond to join for this discussion and take the first steps necessary into reclaiming our right to nature, health and happiness. Time is 6 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/09/16 ASHEVILLE SOLIDARITY ACTION TO SUPPORT RESISTANCE TO DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE
The Camp of the Sacred Stones and Red Warrior Camp, currently defending against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, are calling on allies across the world to take action from September 3rd to 17th on the pipeline companies and financial institutions working to build the pipeline. In Asheville we will meet in Pritchard Park on Friday, September 9, at 3 PM for a rally and march to TD Bank, which is one of the several big banks funding the Dakota Access Pipeline. For more information contact Steve Norris at earthsun2@gmail.com.
09/09/16 ANTI-RACISM ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP AT UUCA
A weekly group focused on Standing Up For Racial Justice core values for people beginning to wake up to the impact of white supremacy on our culture and seeking a safe place to begin to talk about it. Time is 10 AM and location is 23 Edwin Place, next to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lainschell.com for more information.
09/10/16 CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY MEETING
Citizens Climate Lobby meets the second Saturday of each month 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. Time is 12:30 to 3 PM. For more information, contact asheville@citizensclimatelobby.org.
09/10/16 INVASIVES REMOVAL AT RICHMOND HILL
Richmond Hill Park invasive plant removal work days. Sponsored by MountainTrue. Richmond Hill Park is at 280 Richmond Hill Drive in Asheville. Time is 9 AM to 1 PM. Contact Susan at susan@mountaintrue.org for more information.
09/10/16 SAVING SEEDS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Join us at the Seed Legacy Farm for a fun filled day of seed saving and storytelling. This event is for all ages and will cover the ins and outs of saving your own seed for home production. Throughout the day hear stories about some of the rare and endangered seed varieties of Appalachia, tour the Seed Legacy Farm, and maybe even take home some magic beans Instructor is Dr. Jim Veteto. He is a recognized world expert on agricultural biodiversity and seed saving and a foremost expert on Appalachian heirloom vegetables and fruits. He directs both the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies and Southern Seed Legacy and is assistant professor of environmental anthropology at Western Carolina University. Sliding scale $15 to $30. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM. Location is the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies at 120 Prairie Sky Lane in Burnsville. This is a Facebook event.
09/10/16 BUNCOMBE COUNTY BIG SWEEP RIVER CLEANUP
Join us Saturday Sept 10th for the 29th annual NC Big Sweep River Cleanup. Volunteer for the region's largest river, stream and roadside cleanup! Asheville GreenWorks, River Link, Mills River Partnership and our sponsors will provide dozen's of boats, If you have your own boat, please consider bringing it along for the cleanup. We will be taking on 25 + miles of river in teams, then meeting back up for a riverside after party. Please register now to hold your spot. Shuttles will be provided to move you around to the cleanup areas. Time is 10 AM to 1 PM for the cleanup and 1 PM to 4 PM for the after party. Wear swimsuits with shorts, river sandals, old tennis shoes. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water bottle and a change of clothes for the after party. If you have a truck, please consider helping out with the Road Crew. Must be over 18 to volunteer unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. Meet at 144 Riverside Drive in Asheville at 9 AM for this event. Please contact Kate Nelson - Asheville GreenWorks with any questions or for instructions on how to register at 828-232-7144 or volunteer@ashevillegreenworks.org. Please register ahead of time.
09/10/16 HENDERSON COUNTY BIG SWEEP
The community is invited to lend a hand and help clean up Henderson County’s rivers and streams on Saturday, September 10 during the annual Henderson County Big Sweep. This year, MountainTrue is hosting the event. The Big Sweep is a county-wide litter cleanup program that brings citizens and community organizations together to clear trash from their waterways. Civic organizations, Scout troops, church groups, school groups, Adopt-A-Stream teams, neighborhood associations, city and county departments, local businesses, and individuals can all pitch in to make our waters cleaner and healthier. Teams will hold cleanups between 9 AM to 3 PM in waterways throughout the county. For more information or to volunteer for Henderson County Big Sweep with MountainTrue, call (828) 692-0385 ext. 1001 or email gray@mountaintrue.org.
09/10/16 SAVING SEED FOR THE NEXT GENERATION
Join us at the Seed Legacy Farm for a fun filled day of Seed Saving and Storytelling. This event is for all ages and will cover the ins and outs of saving your own seed for home production. Throughout the day hear stories about some of the rare and endangered seed varieties of Appalachia, tour the Seed Legacy Farm, and maybe even take home some magic beans! Instructor is Dr. Jim Veteto, a recognized world expert on agricultural biodiversity and seedsaving and a foremost expert on Appalachian heirloom vegetables and fruits. He directs both the Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies and Southern Seed Legacy and is assistant professor of environmental anthropology at Western Carolina University. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM and location is Appalachian Institute for Mountain Studies in Burnsville, NC. This is a Facebook event and they do want people to register. Contact southernseedlegacy@gmail.com for more information and instructions on how to register.
09/11/16 PLAY AT UNCA - GO GRANNY D!
On Sunday, September 11th at 2 PM, OLLI is pleased to host, Go, Granny D! , a one woman show by acclaimed storyteller Barbara Bates Smith. Never underestimate grannies. At age 90 Doris 'Granny D' Haddock blazed a 3200-mile trail across the U.S. for campaign finance reform, precipitating the passage of the McCain-Feingold Act. She continued her bipartisan efforts in countrywide voter registration drives, issuing her final challenge in 2010 at age 100: 'Democracy is a running game. You huddle and you go back in. You keep going.' Off-Broadway actress Barbara Bates Smith highlights the story of this crusader whose steel determination took the world by surprise and elevated her to national fame. Smith summons the granny with the straw hat proclaiming across the U.S. 'Corporations are not people! Democracy is!' This performance event is free and open to the public. This will be at the Manheimer Room at the Reuter Center 102 at UNCA.
09/12/16 BUILDING A CHILDREN’S OPPORTUNITY AGENDA
Join us for a community meeting to discuss creating opportunity for children! The future of North Carolina is as strong as its people. That’s why we’re at our best when all children to grow up in financially secure families and communities where they have the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Unfortunately, many children and families face systemic barriers to prosperity that have a wide-ranging impact on children’s current well-being and future success. As part of our overall effort to build a stronger, more organized voice for children, NC Child is convening a series of community discussions aimed at building opportunity for children across North Carolina. Time is 5 to 8 PM and location is MAHEC at 119 Hendersonville Road in Asheville. Co-sponsors are Children First / Communities in Schools Buncombe County, The Success Equation, Asheville Children's Economic Opportunity Forum, NC Child, Children First / CIS Buncombe County, and The Success Equation. Both the event and dinner are free. Dinner will be provided by NC Child beginning at 5 PM. Please contact Adam Sotak at adam@ncchild.org for more information, including how to register.
09/12/16 DISCUSSION ABOUT DEATH PENALTY AT MARS HILL COLLEGE
MHU's Political Science program and the Chaplain's office is celebrating Constitution Day and continuing the discussion about the death penalty and criminal justice by having Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove speak at Broyhill Chapel at Mars Hill College on Monday, September 12th at 7 PM.
09/12/16 TALK ON RACHEL CARSON’S LEGACY FOR NC TODAY AT UNCA
Robert L. Musil presents the keynote talk for Fall Greenfest 2016.Musil is president and CEO of the Rachel Carson Council, teaches about climate change and environmental politics at American University, and is the author of several books including Hope for a Heated Environment - How Americans are Fighting Global Warming and Building a Better Future, and Rachel Carson and her Sisters - Extraordinary Women Who Have Shaped America’s Environment.In addition to her classic exposé of DDT and other harmful chemicals, Carson was aware of the earliest warnings of global climate change, was deeply worried about nuclear weapons and waste, and was one of the first to expose the dangers of industrial animal production. She challenged college students of the 1960s to get involved. Now the RCC continues that legacy with a campus network concerned about climate and clean energy, nukes, and the environmental and human health hazards of industrial hog and poultry production in North Carolina.This talk is free and open to the public. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Highsmith Student Union, Grotto, at UNCA.
09/12/16 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
On the second Tuesday of each month, Western North Carolina Veterans for Peace meets to coordinate group activities and programs.Veterans For Peace is a global organization of Military Veterans and allies whose collective efforts are to build a culture of peace by using our experiences and lifting our voices. We inform the public of the true causes of war and the enormous costs of wars, with an obligation to heal the wounds of wars. Our network is comprised of over 140 chapters worldwide whose work includes: educating the public, advocating for a dismantling of the war economy, providing services that assist veterans and victims of war, and most significantly, working to end all wars. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/13/16 BUILDING BRIDGES FALL SESSION
Registration for the 2016 fall session of Building Bridges is now open! This seminar is an introduction to the dynamics of racism and is an opportunity to explore how race has impacted our relationships, communities and institutions. Past participants are welcome. The program will be held at Rainbow Community School in West Asheville on Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 PM starting on September 13th and running through November 8th. Please go to buildingbridges-ashevillenc dot org to get to the registration page and for more information. Help us spread the word by telling your friends and colleagues. We anticipate filling fast, so be sure to register early to reserve your spot. Hope to see you there! Cost is $35. Go to their webpage to see payment instructions. A celebratory pot luck supper will be held for all participants at the ninth meeting. Families are welcome to attend the potluck. You may call (828) 777-4585 for more information. This event if full, but call them if you want to be on the waiting list for next time.
09/13/16 OCCUPY WNC GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN SYLVA
Occupy WNC General Assembly will be at 7 PM at The Sneak E Squirrel Community Room at 1315 W Main Street in Sylva. The Sneak E Squirrel is on left side of Main Street past Sylva's Mark Watson Park. All are welcome. Contact Lucy at (828)743-9747 for more information.
09/14/16 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 Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
09/14/16 WHAT’S UP WITH WHITENESS?
This is an event by Asheville Standing Up For Racial Justice. This is an event focused on dismantling white supremacy. “Calling People In: Role Playing Conversations about Race” is the title of this workshop. For most of us, it is very challenging to respond to racist speech or action in ways that feel constructive. In this workshop, we will role play having these conversations, so we can all feel better prepared to engage in them when the opportunities arise. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at the corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets in north Asheville. This will downstairs. Contact David at davidgreenson@gmail.com for more information.
09/15/16 AUTHORS FOR ACTION READING & SIGNING WITH NANCY LOVE
Nancy Love’s book “Trendy Fascism: White Power Music and the Future of Democracy” explores the unsettling implications of white power music’s effect on violence and culture. It presents chilling case studies of white power music and, according to Professor Neil Roberts, argues that “we must confront the realities of . . . the often-disavowed transnational white supremacist communities and networks in our political present” to shift the future. Nancy is a Professor of Political Science and a Humanities Council Coordinator at Appalachian State University who is the author of Musical Democracy and the co-author of Doing Democracy: Activist Art and Cultural Politics, both published by SUNY Press. Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops in downtown Asheville. Call Malaprops for more information.
09/15/16 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
At least half of American women will experience an unintended pregnancy by the age of 45, and almost one in three will elect to terminate a pregnancy. Most abortions are performed outside of hospitals in private clinics, but American abortion clinics are fighting to remain open as they battle the spread of state laws designed to restrict access to their services. Since 2010, 288 laws regulating abortion providers have been passed by state legislators. Reproductive rights advocates refer to these as TRAP laws, or Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers. In total, 44 states and the District of Columbia have measures subjecting abortion providers to legal restrictions not imposed on other medical professionals. Unable to comply with these far-reaching, exorbitantly expensive and medically unnecessary laws, clinics have taken their fight to the courts. “Trapped” is a documentary film that follows clinic workers and lawyers who are on the front lines of the battle to keep abortion safe and legal for millions of American women. Time is 7 PM and the location is the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville at One Edwin Place, in Asheville. There is no charge for viewing the film - Donations are welcome.
09/16/16 ANTI-RACISM ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP AT UUCA
A weekly group focused on Standing Up For Racial Justice core values for people beginning to wake up to the impact of white supremacy on our culture and seeking a safe place to begin to talk about it. Time is 10 AM and location is 23 Edwin Place, next to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lainschell.com for more information.
09/17/16 HOW DO WE FIX OUR BROKEN WORLD?
We need hope, we need change, we need justice - and we have help. In this divided world Maitreya, the world teacher, is stepping forward. His mission has begun. Mastery and his group of enlightened teachers, are here to help us reverse the damage we have done to our planet and inspired us to create a new civilization based on sharing the world’s resources and justice - the way to lasting peace. Free presentations at 2 PM at Asheville Friends Meeting at 227 Edgewood Road in Asheville NC. Please call McNair at 828-398-0609 for more information. Sponsored by Share International Southeast.
09/17/16 HARD 2 RECYCLE EVENT
This will be at Madden Ace Hardware Parking Lot at 2319 U.S. 70 in Swannanoa. Time is 10 AM to 2 PM. Founded in 2011 by Rainbow Recycling, Hard 2 Recycle events are free to the public. Collections are geared to bring awareness to other modes of recycling to our area. There are four quarterly held collections to cover the four corners of the county and one central event in downtown Asheville. Our goal is to educate, collect and divert items that would normally end up in the landfill - i.e styrofoam, electronics, books, batteries, cooking oil and much more. Volunteers are needed to help run this event. Contact Asheville GreenWorks to volunteer at 828-232-7144 or volunteer@ashevillegreenworks.org.
09/17/16 CLEAN WATER FOR NC MEETING IN STATESVILLE
“Standing up for Safe Energy Jobs and Water Justice” - the Annual Meeting of Clean Water for NC. Saturday, September 17, 1:30 to 5:30 PM at Statesville Civic Center. Free for current members and students; $25 for new members (includes 1-year membership). Refreshments Provided. Join CWFNC for a gathering about CWFNC taking action with communities for safe water, coal ash accountability and resisting risky pipelines! Speakers will include experts, organizers and community leaders and there will be opportunities to get involved. Contact Katie at 828-251-1291 or 1-800-929-4480 or email katie@cwfnc.org for more information, including how to register.
09/18/16 WNC 4 PEACE EVENT
“Authors Speak Peace” at The Block off Biltmore at the corner of Eagle and Market Streets in downtown Asheville. Featuring authors DeWayne Barton, Cecil Bothwell, Clare Hanrahan and Jeff Messer. Time is 2 PM. Contact wnc4peace@gmail.com or call 828-378-0125 if you have questions.
09/18/16 PEACE VIGIL RETURNS TO ALL SOULS
The Vigil Returns - Beginning Sunday, August 21, at 5 PM, the Vigil for Peace on the All Souls Cathedral grounds in Biltmore Village, will resume and continue weekly until the Nov 8 election. Sponsored by the Episcopal Peace Fellowship of WNC, it is a way of asking people to make special intercessions in their prayer and life for peace and justice in our American culture. The tone of the current political campaign makes it obvious that we are neglecting our Baptismal vows to respect the dignity of every human being. This is a call to pray with actions as well as words. We invite you to join us each Sunday for our thirty minute Vigil.
09/18/16 LOCAL AUTHORS SPEAK FOR PEACE
Local authors get a chance to speak about peace from their writings on Sunday, September 18th at 2 PM at The Block Off Biltmore, 39 South Market St. in Asheville. Brunch will be available at 1 PM. Authors who will be featured at the event will be: poet DeWayne Barton, author of “Hood Huggers International: Return to Burton Street” and City Council member Cecil Bothwell, who will be reading from his book, “She Walks on Water” - a novel that that claims that religion is the principle problem facing humanity, and if we were as rational as the dolphins and whales we would never engage in war; and popular radio host of 880 The Revolution Jeff Messer, author of “Red-state, White-guy Blues”, a book that focuses on the first two years of red state rule in Raleigh; and activist Kyle Ross, author of “Taserized: Neighborhood Walk Ends in Police Brutality”, her true story of what it's like to be tazered by police and becoming caught up in the maze of the criminal justice system through no fault of her own. Questions and answers will follow. Books will be on sale at the conclusion of the reading. This is one of the main events this year as WNC 4 Peace observes International Day of Peace (which is on 9/21/16). Contact Rachael at 828-378-0125 or rachael_bliss@yahoo.com for more information.
09/19/16 to 09/23/16 PEACE DISPLAY AT UNCA
“A Peace of My Mind” displays in Highsmith Union, Student Recreation Center, and Brown Hall on these dates. Contact Rachel at rbrelsfo@unca.edu for more information.
09/19/16 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE BOOK STUDY
Join the Creation Care Alliance’s Chas Jansen reading the Pope’s Encyclical Laudato Si’ -- On Care for Our Common Home, one chapter at a time with discussion questions available in advance. Six Monday evening classes will focus on climate science, creation gospel, humanity’s role, “Integral Ecology,” policy directions, and changing within. Starting 9/19 at Jubilee! from 6 to 7:15 PM. In Laudato Si’, Pope Francis asks, “What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?” Moving beyond scientific consensus on climate change, Pope Francis invites us to recognize “the rich contribution which the religions can make towards an integral ecology and the full development of humanity.” Despite disturbing ecological news, daunting challenges presented today by technology and excessive self-centeredness, as well as growing injustices visited upon the poor analyzed in this encyclical, Francis nevertheless threads a heartening message of hope through the entire document. This will be at Jubilee! Community Church in downtown Asheville. Contact creationcare@mountaintrue.org for more information.
09/21/16 DOCUMENTARY AT UNCA
The “Inside Peace” documentary follows a group of inmates doing hard time in a Texas prison as they embark on a journey of personal discovery while struggling with society’s roadblocks and dangers as they prepare to re-enter a world that has labeled them as permanent problems despite having served their sentences. Time is 8 PM and location is the Grotto in Highsmith Student Union at UNCA.
09/21/16 PLAY AT NC STAGE - GROUNDED
When a hotshot air-force pilot throws up on the tarmac after a flight, she realizes that she’s pregnant. After her daughter is born, she returns to the military but is told that she is no longer needed on her fighter jet. Instead, she will report to duty at Creech Air Force Base in the Nevada desert. She will be at the forefront of the latest advances in aerial combat as the operator of an Unmanned Ariel Vehicle, A Reaper, a Drone. She will smite the enemy by day and return to her family at night. And she will be challenged and changed in ways she never dreamed possible while looking out into the endless blue. The play is called “Grounded” and is written by George Brant. This play runs until October 9, 2016. More information and tickets can be obtained at 828.239.0263 and the NC Stage Box Office.
09/21/16 WHAT’S UP WITH WHITENESS?
This is an event by Asheville Standing Up For Racial Justice group. This is an event focused on dismantling white supremacy. This event is called “Accountability Through Action” and each month we will learn about a people of color led effort in Asheville, ways to support that work and take up a collection to help fund it. Potluck is at 6:30 PM, program at 7 PM. Location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/22/16 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM AT UUCSV IN BLACK MOUNTAIN
The Social Action Committee's September film is Brave New Films “Making A Killing: Guns, Greed and the NRA.” The film tells the stories of how guns, and the billions made off of them, affect the lives of everyday Americans. It features personal stories from people across the country who have been affected by gun violence, including survivors and victims' families. The film exposes how the powerful gun companies and the NRA are resisting responsible legislation for the sake of profit - and thereby putting people in danger. The film looks into gun tragedies that include unintentional shootings, domestic violence, suicides, mass shootings and trafficking - and what we can do to put an end to this profit-driven crisis. Rebecca Williams will lead a post-film discussion. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation Swannanoa Valley at 500 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Contact Suzanne at 828-581-0564 for more information.
09/23/16 ANTI-RACISM ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP AT UUCA
A weekly group focused on Standing Up For Racial Justice core values for people beginning to wake up to the impact of white supremacy on our culture and seeking a safe place to begin to talk about it. Time is 10 AM and location is 23 Edwin Place, next to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lainschell.com for more information.
09/24/16 CENTER FOR ART AND SPIRIT EVENT
This is an event to mark International Day of Peace. Spirit Collage will be in the fellowship hall. You can create peace flags – peace collages – peace rocks - materials provided; donations welcome to help cover the costs. Veterans for Peace Chapter 99 office open house on the Mimosa Street level. Peace Village display, possibly a labyrinth walk will be in the sanctuary. At 2 PM, there will be a WNC4Peace awards ceremony for Peace Makers of the Year award presentation. This will be for a poem, video, essay, and artwork on peace for area students. At 3 M, there will be Dances of Universal Peace demo and teaching by Tarana & Shem. Location is 1 School Road in Asheville. This starts at 10 AM. For more information, contact centerartspirit@gmail.com.
09/24/16 WNC 4 PEACE ART CONTEST
WNC 4 Peace has held an art contest for school children this summer, and the winners of which will be announced Saturday, September 24, along with annual Peace Makers of the Year awards for local activists, at 2 PM at the Center for Art and Spirit at 1 School Road in Asheville. Contact Rachael at 828-378-0125 or rachael_bliss@yahoo.com for more information.
09/25/16 ACLU BANNED BOOKS READING
The ACLU has historically championed free speech and academic freedom. The issue of book-banning crops up regularly all over the country, and this year the Western North Carolina chapter of the ACLU of NC will bring attention to it by hosting an afternoon at Malaprop’s, where area writers, artists, musicians and booksellers will read passages from banned books both notable and lesser-known. Please join us as we discuss the issue of freedom of speech and the freedom to read. Time is 3 PM. Call Malaprops for more information.
09/26/16 AUTHORS FOR ACTION COLORING EVENT with MAKEDA LEWIS!
Atlanta artist Makeda Lewis joins us for this unique event, when our Authors for Action series meets the adult coloring book. Makeda’s powerful new release “Avie’s Dreams: An Afro-Feminist Coloring Book” is part coloring book and part surrealist poem about protagonist Avie’s self-discovery and embrace of her identity as a young black girl. Filled with striking illustrations, it touches on themes of “feminism, death and rebirth, Afrocentricity, gender issues and power dynamics.” Time is 7 PM and location is Malaprops in downtown Asheville. Call Malaprops for more information.
09/28/16 WHAT’S UP WITH WHITENESS?
This is an event by Asheville Standing Up For Racial Justice group. This is an event focused on dismantling white supremacy. This is a monthly discussion group on the book “The New Jim Crow” by Michelle Alexander. This group continues on October 26, November 23, December 28, and January 25. Anyone is welcome to jump in anytime. Time is 6:30 PM and location is Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
09/30/16 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 Suchi at suchi1025@bellsouth.net for more information.
09/30/16 ANTI-RACISM ACCOUNTABILITY GROUP AT UUCA
A weekly group focused on Standing Up For Racial Justice core values for people beginning to wake up to the impact of white supremacy on our culture and seeking a safe place to begin to talk about it. Time is 10 AM and location is 23 Edwin Place, next to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville. Contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@lainschell.com for more information.
10/01/16 PRIDE FESTIVAL
Local LGBTQ activists will host the annual LGBTQ Blue Ridge Pride Festival from 11 AM to 7 PM at Pack Square in downtown Asheville. “Color Our World With Pride And Love” is this year’s theme.
10/04/16 WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL LECTURE
Dr. Donald Mayer, Professor of Business Ethics at Denver University Daniel's School of Business and St. Mary's College in California, will consider the implications and the responses to the release earlier this year of the 'Panama Papers'; and the challenges to the status quo in international finance they present. This is at 7:30 PM and location is room 102, Manheimer Room, at the Reuter Center at UNCA. Lectures are free to WAC members and students, all others $10 at the door. For more details about programs, consult the World Affairs Council website.
10/05/16 SIERRA CLUB MEETING/GREEN DRINKS
This meeting will present an Environmental Legislative Update, the good the bad and the ugly by Cassie Gavin. It will cover coal ash, water quality, waste management, clean energy and recycling. This event is free and open to the public. Time is 7 PM and location is Unitarian Universalist Congregation at 1 Edwin Place (corner of Charlotte and Edwin) in Asheville. For more information, contact Judy at judymattox@sbcglobal.net or call 828-683-2176.
10/05/16 PISGAH LEGAL SERVICES POVERTY FORUM PRESENTATION
“Ending Child Poverty Now” with Marian Wright Edelman, the President and Founder of the Children's Defense Fund, will be the topic of this Poverty Forum. Each year, Pisgah Legal Services hosts a forum to draw attention to the plight of people living in poverty in Western North Carolina. This year, our focus is on child poverty. The United States has the second highest rate of child poverty among 35 industrialized countries, despite having the largest economy in the world. A child in the United States has a 1 in 5 chance of being poor. In Pisgah Legal’s six-county WNC service region, approximately 25 percent of children live in poverty. On October 5th, we host the Forum’s keynote speaker Marian Wright Edelman, a legendary fighter for social justice in America. She is the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, a passionate advocate for the rights of children, a lawyer, an author and a civil rights leader. This will be at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium in downtown Asheville. Time is 5:30 PM for cocktail reception, with forum starting at 7 PM. Tickets are $15 to $50 and can be obtained from Pisgah Legal. For questions, contact Betsy Ellis at 828-210-3444 or betsy@pisgahlegal.org.
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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
Showing Up for Racial Justice is from noon to 2 PM at Firestorm Cafe and Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Educating and organizing white people for racial justice. Free.
Orientation session for Asheville Timebank. 4 PM at Firestorm Cafe & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. Email help@ashevilletimebank.org for information and to register.
WEDNESDAY
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville
French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.
THURSDAY
Political Prisoners Letter Writing at Firestorm Cafe & Books at 6 PM on first Thursday of the month. Materials provided.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.
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.
French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.
SUNDAY
Peace Vigil at All Souls Cathedral in Biltmore Village. This is from 5 to 5:30 PM. This vigil will last until election day 2016.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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Forest Service to Hold Open Houses at District Offices
The U.S. Forest Service will hold open houses at district offices on the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests in September and October to provide the public with opportunities to talk with forest staff about local issues, district projects, and forest plan revision. The open houses will have a flexible format allowing the public to come at any time during the specified hours and talk directly with Forest staff one-on-one. District rangers and members of the forest plan revision team will be present from 3 to 6 pm on each of the following days and locations:
• September 15, Nantahala Ranger District Office, 90 Sloan Rd, Franklin
• September 22, Cheoah Ranger District Office, 1070 Massey Branch Rd, Robbinsville
• September 27, Tusquitee Ranger District Office, 123 Woodland Dr, Murphy
• October 6, Grandfather Ranger District, 109 Lawing Dr, Nebo
• October 12, Pisgah Ranger District Office, 1600 Pisgah Hwy, Brevard
• October 13, Appalachian Ranger District Office, 632 Manor Rd, Mars Hill
The Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests have been revising their forest plan, a required document that provides a general framework to guide management of the forest. As part of the process, 24 public meetings have been held in communities throughout western North Carolina.
"A successful forest plan depends on the engagement of local residents, organizations, and local governments," explains James Melonas, Deputy Forest Supervisor for National Forests in North Carolina. "We will continue to engage the public in a transparent and thoughtful manner."
Throughout the spring and summer, the Forest Service has been releasing draft plan materials on the National Forests in North Carolina website, www.fs.usda.gov/goto/nfsnc/nprevision. Additional materials will be available this fall and posted to the Plan Revision Under Construction page as they become available.
"Like all parts of our forest plan, we are accepting public feedback on these initial building blocks and we expect to make changes before we complete the draft plan," said Michelle Aldridge, planning team lead. "Feedback will also help us shape our analysis. Specific feedback about desired changes, as well as information gaps is very useful at this stage.”
By fall 2016, the public will have had an opportunity for early review and input on nearly all aspects of the developing plan, and will again have an opportunity to review the plan during the formal comment period once a complete draft plan and alternative analysis are released. While there is no formal NEPA or legal comment period at this time, the Forest Service is accepting input on the building blocks at NCplanrevision@fs.fed.us with the subject line "Summer building blocks" or by mail at this address: Attn: Plan Revision Team Leader; National Forests in North Carolina; 160 Zillicoa St. Suite A; Asheville, NC 28801.
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From Asheville Buncombe County NAACP
UPDATE: IN CASE YOU MISSED IT - The decision by the US Supreme Court not to stay the ruling from the US Court of Appeals means five elements of the 2013 Voter Law have been overturned. Here is the result:
1.Voters will NOT need a photo ID to vote in this upcoming election. They simply need to register by October 14th.
2. Early Voting will return to 17 days, and will start on October 20th. There will be one Sunday to Early Vote, on October 30th, in Buncombe County.
3. Same day registration is back. While the registration deadline is October 14th, you can register to vote and vote during Early Voting. (Important: People cannot register to vote on Election Day, November 8th.)
4.Out-of-precinct voting now requires the Board of Elections in each county to count the provisional ballot of an Election Day voter who appears at the wrong precinct, but in the correct county. However, their votes will only count for those candidates or issues that are on their ballot.
5.Preregistration is permitted for 16- and 17-year-old's, when obtaining driver’s licenses or attending high school registration drives, to identify themselves and indicate their intent to vote when they turn 18.
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