UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDAR BY DANCEWATER
Please note: I will be retiring from my regular job at the end of July, and I am going to retire from compiling this email calendar also. I plan on spending time traveling and visiting our nation’s National Parks, which does not have internet access for the most part. If anyone else would like to take over putting together this calendar, please contact me at dancewater2@gmail.com. It’s been fun doing this! Thank you for reading and especially for attending these many events in our area.
06/11/18 ERA NC ALLIANCE FILM SCREENING
The Equal Rights Amendment is making a resurgence with the recent ratification of Nevada, and votes in Virginia and Illinois happening now. Learn the legal and economic argument for why completing ERA ratification is more critical today than ever. This updated short film is excerpted from the award-winning documentary, “Equal Means Equal,” with new footage and commentary. Heroica Foundation and Equal Means Equal present a short film by Kamala Lopez called “Legalize Equality.” Runtime is 30 minutes. Written, directed and produced by Kamala Lopez, executive producer was Patricia Arquette. Hosted by ERA NC Alliance and Ratify ERA NC. “Legalize Equality” screening will be on Monday, June 11 at The Block Off Biltmore at the corner of South Market Street and Eagle Street in downtown Asheville. Find out why women are not full citizens under the US Constitution and what you can do about it. Time is 8:30 PM. Contact The Block Off Biltmore for more information.
06/11/18 PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATS MEETING
Progressive Democrats Monthly Meeting is on Monday June 11th, from 6:15 pm - 8:00 pm. Location is the Buncombe County Democratic Party headquarters at 951 Old Fairview Road in Asheville. Description: Doors open by 6:15 for sign in and conversation. Meeting begins promptly at 6:30. We encourage candidates and motivate voters while promoting the most progressive parts of the DNC platform: campaign finance reform, clean energy policy, universal healthcare, and much more. Come join us and help to turn NC Blue. Contact pdobPRESIDENT@gmail.com for more information.
06/11/18 to 06/15/18 FOOD JUSTICE PROGRAM
Food Justice, Faith, and the Ecological Imagination-with Wake Forest University School of Divinity is from June 11-15, 2018 at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. How does a renewed attunement to food justice movements reframe ministry leadership? In this time of social upheaval and ecological crisis, what does it mean to be the church? And how can religious leaders help others join in God’s restorative work in the world? The Food, Health, and Ecological Well-being Program of the Wake Forest University School of Divinity would like to invite you to join us in June to explore these important questions at our annual summer institute. This year's theme is Food Justice, Faith, and the Ecological Imagination, and we have some fantastic speakers and workshop leaders coming for the week. For more information, contact Scott Hardin-Nieri at scott@creationcarealliance.org.
06/11/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING
Asheville SURJ weekly evening meeting: Monday, 6:30-8:30pm at Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (downstairs main building). Accountability group for folks seeking to focus on anti-racism work. Meetings include opportunities such as discussion, educational opportunities, or role-playing difficult conversations, and building connections. For more info email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/11/18 VOTER ENGAGEMENT COALITION MEETING
Voter Engagement Coalition meeting will be on Monday, June 11 from 3:00pm – 4:30pm. Location is 50 S French Broad Avenue in Asheville. This came from League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County website. Contact alanapie@gmail.com for more information.
06/11/18 TEACH-IN ON REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE
Teach-In: Rebecca Todd Peters presents “Trust Women: A Progressive Christian Argument for Reproductive Justice.” 06/11/2018 - 6:00PM. In an age in which women's reproductive rights are increasingly under attack, a minister and ethicist offers a stirring argument that abortion can be a moral good. Here's a fact that we often ignore: unplanned pregnancy and abortion are a normal part of women's reproductive lives. Roughly one-third of US women will have an abortion by age forty-five, and fifty to sixty percent of the women who have abortions were using birth control during the month they got pregnant. This is a Malaprops in Asheville. Contact them for more information.
06/12/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON
Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.
06/12/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION
ASURJ Do!scussion: Tuesdays, 10:30 AM to 12 PM in the backroom of Firestorm at 610 Haywood Road in Asheville. A safe space to come together and talk about issues relating to dismantling white supremacy and confronting racism with a focus on what we can do to make a change, in ourselves, our communities, and beyond. All are welcome. Led by Matilda Bliss. ASURJ Do-Session: Tuesdays, noon-2pm, at a member’s residence. Meet us at 12:30 PM at Kairos West (right below Firestorm) and walk with us down there. This is a weekly space to do something to support accountability partners in their work. Letter-writing, list-making, social media work are just a few examples of what we will do to show up for racial justice Tuesday at the Do-Session. Bring your laptop and phone and help us out. For more details on any and all ASURJ meetings, email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/13/18 JUST PEACE FOR ISRAEL/PALESTINE MEETING
This meeting will be at 10 AM at Black Mountain Presbyterian Church at 117 Montreat Road in Black Mountain. Contact Beth at elizakeiser@aol.com or 828-707-4271 for more information.
06/14/18 CREATION CARE ALLIANCE MEETING
Thursday, June 14, from 6-7:30 PM. Location is St. Eugene Catholic Church at 72 Culvern Street in Asheville. Coming together to share compassion and ideas. We will learn about the creation care work of our host congregation through a conversation and tour, hear about CCA and community events and work, as well as hear ideas. If you are connected to a faith community, a green team or creation care team member, clergy, or are interested in learning more about St. Eugene, Audubon Society, the Friendship Garden or the Creation Care Alliance this meeting is for you. For more information, contact Scott Hardin-Nieri at Scott@creationcarealliance.org.
06/14/18 CENTER FOR DIVERSITY EDUCATION CELEBRATION AT UNCA
UNC Asheville invites you to a celebration of the Center for Diversity Education and 24 years of community engagement. Center for Diversity Education Celebration & Retrospective is on Thursday, June 14, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. for the reception and 7:00 p.m. for the program. Location is the Wilma M. Sherrill Center, Ingles Mountain View Room (Room 417) at UNCA. Celebrate the work of community members including K-12 teachers, students, participants, volunteers, donors, board members, CDE interns & employees, faculty, staff, and Deborah Miles, Director of the Center for Diversity Education (1995 - 2018). RSVP by June 7 to rsvp@unca.edu.
06/14/18 WHAT’S ON THE BALLOT FORUM IN HAYWOOD COUNTY
Join Democracy NC and our partners as we break down what's on the ballot during the 2018 “justice” elections! Take home information to help you remember what's at stake, spread the word in your networks, and prepare for the General Election in November 2018. Haywood County "What's on the Ballot" 2018 Forum will be on Thursday, June 14, from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Location is Down Home NC Headquarters at 3 Newfound Street in Canton. Please RSVP with Darlene Azarmi at (828) 216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org. Contact her with questions also.
06/14/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF HENDERSON COUNTY ANNUAL MEETING
LWVHC Annual Meeting. Guest speaker is Dianna Wynn from LWV - Wake County. Topic is “Defending Democracy: Strategies for Change.” Buffet Lunch - $25.00. Thursday, Jun. 14 at 11:30 AM. Location is Grand Ole Hall - Highland Lake Inn Flat Rock, NC.
06/15/18 TRIGGER WARNING RECEPTION
Pink Dog Creative is pleased to announce the exhibition, Trigger Warning, which addresses the issue of and consequences of gun violence in the United States and specifically in Asheville and Buncombe County. Sadly, Asheville had 7 homicides in 2017, and 9 in 2016, most occurring in Asheville’s poorer neighborhoods. Asheville’s homicide total for 2018 has already eclipsed the total for all of 2017. We each respond in our own particular way to the gun violence issue but 21 artists from Pink Dog Creative are tackling the issue in their specific creative ways with the exhibition Trigger Warning opening at the YMI Cultural Center, 39 South Market Street in Asheville, NC 28801 on Friday, June 15, 2018 from 5-8 PM with a reception, open to the public following at The Block, 39 S. Market St. on the corner of Market and Eagle Streets. This exhibit will be up until July 15. Trigger Warning will travel to multiple venues including, Habitat Brewing, 174 Broadway St. Asheville, NC 28801 with an opening reception August 3, First Presbyterian Church, 40 Church St., Asheville in September and October and at Pink Dog Creative Gallery, 348 Depot St. Asheville, NC 28801, in January through March, 2019. In addition to the exhibitions at the various venues, several of the Pink Dog Creative artists will lead a workshop for children at the Edington Center, 133 Livingston St., Asheville, NC 28801 this summer during their summer enrichment program., enabling them to address the issue of gun violence in a creative way. Their art work will then be displayed at the Edington Center during the summer months. No contact information.
06/15/18 SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM NIGHT AT UUCA IN ASHEVILLE
On Friday, June 15th, we are screening an important social justice documentary “The Bail Trap: American Ransom” at Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Asheville. The money bail system is broken - private companies achieve exorbitant profits by scavenging off of communities (primarily of color) living in poverty. Low-income Americans are sitting in jails for days, months, and even years for the most minor of infractions simply because they can’t afford to pay high bond amounts. The reality is that the majority of people – over 70% - are in jails for one simple reason: being too poor. All the while, private companies are profiting in the billions each year. This is both morally and legally wrong. Brave New Films' has produced a film compilation about America’s broken bail system called “The Bail Trap: American Ransom.” This ongoing short-film series includes the following: Breaking Down Bail – unpacking the myths and the history of bail; Tai's Story - College or Bail? – a documentary about a young woman and the $100,000 price tag put on her freedom; Deal with the Devil – a cautionary film about the dangers of plea deals; How Much is Your Freedom Worth? – a compilation of spoken-word poetry performed by artists who have been formerly incarcerated; and Lessons for the Nation - New Jersey’s Cash Bail Overhaul (a success story about New Jersey’s historic money bail reform which has led to a near 20% decline in the state’s pretrial incarceration rate). The film screening is at 7 PM, and is open to the public at no charge. Donations accepted. Location is UU Congregation at Charlotte and Edwin Street in north Asheville. Contact Charles at 612-860-6628 or mnpopi@icloud.com for more information.
06/16/18 DOCUMENTARY FILM AT UNCA
Documentary Film: “Dr. Dennis Branch: An African American Physician in the Jim Crow South, 1914-1964” will be shown on 06/16/18 from 2:00 pm-3:30 pm. Location is the Reuter Center. This event is presented by the WNC Historical Association (WNCHA) in partnership with OLLI, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville. A $5 donation to the WNCHA is requested at the door. Description from the WNCHA: Join historian Marc McClure Ph.D. as he presents his documentary film (60 minutes) on the life of Dr. Dennis Branch who practiced medicine in Newport, Tennessee from 1914-1964. Over the course of his life, Dr. Branch became a beloved leader of the community, both for his quality of care as a physician and for his public contributions to the town. Dr. Branch's story is unique because the vast majority of his patients were white during the time when segregation laws prevailed, forbidding inter-racial intimacy. Dr. Branch came to national attention when James and Wilma (Dykeman) Stokely included him in their 1957 award winning book Neither White Nor Black. McClure's film will include interviews with Dr. Branch's former patients, town folks and graduates of the historically black Tanner School for whom Dr. Branch was a trailblazer. As a Rosenwald School, the Tanner School provided an education for rural African American children from the 1920s until schools were later integrated. The film will be introduced by Jim Stokely of Asheville (son of Wilma Dykeman and James Stokely) who grew up in Newport and is currently president of The Wilma Dykeman Legacy. Contact for this event is OLLI - Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UNC Asheville at olli@unca.edu or 828.251.6140.
06/16/18 JACKSON COUNTY NAACP MEETING
The Jackson County NAACP Branch's June Membership Meeting will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday, the 16th at Liberty Baptist Church, Scotts Creek Road, Sylva NC 28779. At the 11am Program, Swain High student Emma Dingle will read her national-award-winning essay from the “Reviving the [MLK] Dream” Contest. Reports and discussion will follow about the latest "Poor Peoples' Campaign" revival action in Raleigh. Contact Lucy at 743-9747 for more information.
06/17/18 ASHEVILLE PRISON BOOKS VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
Sunday, Jun 17th @ 1:00pm. Asheville Prison Books (APB) is a volunteer-run collective which has distributed free reading material to people incarcerated in North and South Carolina since 1999. APB's monthly (3rd Sundays of the month) volunteer orientation is an opportunity for new folks to learn who we are, what we do, and how to plug in. They will go over some info about the project, find out how you want to get involved, and package up some books to send out. APB has a variety of roles and needs for volunteers, including: filling book requests, wrapping and addressing packages, donation pick-ups, fundraising and social media. Asheville Prison Books is a prison abolitionist project. They send books to folks who are locked up because it is one of the best ways to show solidarity with them. As a project rooted in anti-authoritarian politics, APB views prison as a tool the state uses to uphold an unjust social and economic order based in large part on white supremacy. When dealing with a system that thrives on dehumanization and isolation, finding ways to connect with and meet the every day needs of incarcerated people is a crucial part of challenging the legitimacy of this repressive institution. This event is at Firestorm Books at 610 Haywood Street in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
06/17/19 ETHICAL HUMANIST SOCIETY EVENT
Sunday, June 17 “Community Conversation on Policing – Mindset Challenges” by Quentin Miller. Join Quentin Miller for a discussion on how we can foster a growth mindset – a mindset that creatively builds on past success with an honest and sometimes difficult conversation on how the community and police working together can repair and build trust and partnerships on a foundation of excellence, integrity, accountability, transparency, and equality. Quentin Miller recently retired from the Asheville Police Department where he has served since 1994 and is the 2018 Democratic candidate for Buncombe County Sheriff. Quentin holds an Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate from the North Carolina Department of Justice and graduated from the Administrative Officers Management Program at N.C. State. Informal discussion and refreshments will follow the presentation. All are welcome. Time is 2:00 PM. Location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. Contact the Ethical Humanist Society of Asheville at EHSAsheville@gmail.com for more information.
06/18/18 to 06/20/18 FACING HISTORY AND OURSELVES WORKSHOP AT UNCA
Facing History and Ourselves Workshops will be on June 18, 19, and 20 at UNC Asheville. For a second year in a row, through the generous support of Fred and Donna Meyer, CDE will be sponsoring workshops with Facing History and Ourselves. Mark your calendars now and stay tuned for registration information coming soon. Students come to me in the beginning of the year and say “I don't care about history. It happened in the past. It doesn't matter to me.” I say to them “Give me 2 weeks. We are going to learn a different kind of history and approach it in a different way.” For more information, contact UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education at 828-232-5024 or dmiles@unca.edu.
06/18/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING
Asheville SURJ weekly evening meeting: Monday, 6:30-8:30pm at Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (downstairs main building). Accountability group for folks seeking to focus on anti-racism work. Meetings include opportunities such as discussion, educational opportunities, or role-playing difficult conversations, and building connections. For more info email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/18/18 DEMOCRACY ASHEVILLE COALITION MEETING
Please join us for the next Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting on Monday, June 18. We're excited to introduce our Democracy Summer Interns, and plan out our advocacy steps for this summer. We will also discuss what's next in the fight for Fair Courts. Democracy Asheville Coalition Meeting will be on Monday, June 18, from 6:00 - 7:30 PM. Location is the Dr. Wesley Grant Southside Center at 285 Livingston Street in Asheville. Please RSVP by contacting Darlene Azarmi at 828-216-3430 or darlene@democracync.org. Also contact her with questions. What is the Democracy Asheville Coalition? Our Local Coalition brings together organizational representatives and individuals who agree to work together to change and use the political system so it equips people to take action, promotes grassroots leadership, and serves “the good of the whole.” We want an elections process that is accessible, fair, and secure. And we want a government "of, by, and for the people," that fosters equity, solidarity, and justice.
06/18/18 TRANSITION ASHEVILLE JUNE SOCIAL
Time is 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Meet at West Asheville park (end of Vermont Avenue) and carpool from there. Presentation topic: Transition Asheville’s June Social: field trip to “Patchwork Urban Farms” locations. Description: with gardening season upon us, Transition Asheville's main event on Monday, June 18th will be a field trip to visit sites in the Patchwork Urban Farms partnership. Our guide will be Sunil Patel, who co-founded the PWUF in 2014. Contact Rebecca Mahan at (812-334-0176) and palmtree747@gmail.com for more information.
006/19/18 FILM SCREENING AT FIRESTORM
Tuesday, June 19th @ 5:30pm. Juneteenth Film Screening: 13th. This Juneteenth we will screen Ava Duvernay's award winning documentary 13th and discuss the movement to #EndPrisonSlavery. This event is at Firestorm Books at 610 Haywood Street in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
06/19/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON
Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.
06/19/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION
ASURJ Do!scussion: Tuesdays, 10:30 AM to 12 PM in the backroom of Firestorm at 610 Haywood Road in Asheville. A safe space to come together and talk about issues relating to dismantling white supremacy and confronting racism with a focus on what we can do to make a change, in ourselves, our communities, and beyond. All are welcome. Led by Matilda Bliss. ASURJ Do-Session: Tuesdays, noon-2pm, at a member’s residence. Meet us at 12:30 PM at Kairos West (right below Firestorm) and walk with us down there. This is a weekly space to do something to support accountability partners in their work. Letter-writing, list-making, social media work are just a few examples of what we will do to show up for racial justice Tuesday at the Do-Session. Bring your laptop and phone and help us out. For more details on any and all ASURJ meetings, email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/19/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE MEETING
On the third 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 5:45 PM and location is the Block Off Biltmore at Eagle and Market Streets in downtown Asheville. For more information, contact Gerry at gwerhan@gmail.com.
06/20/18 TEACH-IN ON SLAVERY IN THE USA AT MALAPROPS IN ASHEVILLE
Teach-in: Ethan Kyle and Blain Roberts percent Denmark Vesey’s “Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy.” In the tradition of James Loewen's Lies My Teacher Told Me, a deeply researched book that uncovers competing histories of how slavery is remembered in Charleston, South Carolina--the heart of Dixie. A book that strikes at the heart of the recent flare-ups over Confederate symbols in Charlottesville, New Orleans, and elsewhere, Denmark Vesey's Garden reveals the deep roots of these controversies and traces them to the heart of slavery in the United States: Charleston, South Carolina, where almost half of the U.S. slave population stepped onto our shores, where the first shot at Fort Sumter began the Civil War, and where Dylann Roof shot nine people at Emanuel A.M.E. Church, the congregation of Denmark Vesey, a black revolutionary who plotted a massive slave insurrection in 1822. As early as 1865, former slaveholders and their descendants began working to preserve a romanticized memory of the antebellum South. In contrast, former slaves, their descendants, and some white allies have worked to preserve an honest, unvarnished account of slavery as the cruel system it was. Examining public rituals, controversial monuments, and whitewashed historical tourism, Denmark Vesey's Garden tracks these two rival memories from the Civil War all the way to contemporary times, where two segregated tourism industries still reflect these opposing impressions of the past, exposing a hidden dimension of America's deep racial divide. Denmark Vesey's “Garden” joins the small bookshelf of major, paradigm-shifting new interpretations of slavery's enduring legacy in the United States. Event date is Wednesday, June 20, 2018 at 6:00pm. Location is Malaprop’s at 55 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville. Contact Malaprops for more information.
06/21/18 LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS BOARD MEETING
Board Meeting, public comment open at beginning of each meeting. Date is Thursday, June 21 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. Location is The Cathedral of All Souls, 9 Swan Street in Asheville. Join us in the CE Room! This came from League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County website. Contact communications.lwvab@gmail.com for more information.
06/21/18 EMPOWERMENT WORKSHOP IN ASHEVILLE
Thursday, June 21 - Calling All Black Girl Bosses. The time is now. Step out of fear, step in to your power, and step up to your destiny. The Boss Club presents an empowering event for entrepreneurs, social entrepreneurs, small business owners, and social justice advocates. 5:30 p.m. at 10th Muse Cafe, 8 London Road in Asheville. No information on cost. No contact information.
06/21/18 TALK ON SOCIAL CHANGE AT FIRESTORM
Thursday, Jun 21st at 6:00pm. Millennials, Social Change & Critical Mass Conversion. In this talk, Alison Sher explains how holistic systems, transpersonal psychology, and generational theory can inspire millennials to step into their destiny. Alison has been interviewing members of her generation across the country for over 5 years. She uses this knowledge to explain how young people can create the critical mass conversion to solve the biggest social problems we're inheriting. Audience members will leave equipped with tangible ways to take action, and learn how intersectional politics, environmentalism, and the latest studies in consciousness are all linked. This event is at Firestorm Books at 610 Haywood Street in west Asheville. Contact Firestorm at info@firestorm.coop for more information.
06/25/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ WEEKLY MEETING
Asheville SURJ weekly evening meeting: Monday, 6:30-8:30pm at Asheville Unitarian Universalist Congregation (downstairs main building). Accountability group for folks seeking to focus on anti-racism work. Meetings include opportunities such as discussion, educational opportunities, or role-playing difficult conversations, and building connections. For more info email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/26/18 VETERANS FOR PEACE VIGIL - BECAUSE THE WARS STILL GO ON
Every Tuesday, Veterans for Peace Chapter 099 holds a vigil at Vance Monument in downtown Asheville. Time is 4:30 PM. This has been happening since 2002. No matter the weather, no matter if it falls on a holiday, they are out there standing for peace.
06/26/18 ASHEVILLE SURJ DO!SCUSSION
ASURJ Do!scussion: Tuesdays, 10:30 AM to 12 PM in the backroom of Firestorm at 610 Haywood Road in Asheville. A safe space to come together and talk about issues relating to dismantling white supremacy and confronting racism with a focus on what we can do to make a change, in ourselves, our communities, and beyond. All are welcome. Led by Matilda Bliss. ASURJ Do-Session: Tuesdays, noon-2pm, at a member’s residence. Meet us at 12:30 PM at Kairos West (right below Firestorm) and walk with us down there. This is a weekly space to do something to support accountability partners in their work. Letter-writing, list-making, social media work are just a few examples of what we will do to show up for racial justice Tuesday at the Do-Session. Bring your laptop and phone and help us out. For more details on any and all ASURJ meetings, email avlsurj@gmail.com.
06/27/18 WE THE PEOPLE 2.0 FILM SCREENING
We The People 2.0 Screening will be on Wednesday, June 27th, from 6 to 8:00 pm at THE BLOCK off Biltmore, 39 S Market Street, Asheville. Interested in Community Rights and why Corporations have more rights than we do? This film showcases the work of CELDF and the Community Rights movement across the US. “We the People 2.0” is about the loss of democracy in the United States. The story unfolds through the eyes of rural people and sacrifice zones in urban communities who have faced decades of toxic dumps, drilling and mines in their communities. These people come to understand that the reason they can’t stop the destruction is that the US has become an oligarchy, run by the corporate few who ignore the rights and will of the people. These people are frontally challenging our corporate state; thereby saving nature and themselves. Thomas Linzey, a nonprofit attorney’s inspiring words shows how, we, the people, can turn this around and lay claim to our democracy. This movement is building as you read this, not just in this country but around the world; this film shows how and where it all began.
06/27/18 FILM SPONSORED BY SIERRA CLUB
June 27 film is “Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom.” A film commissioned by the Sierra Club will be shown on June 27, Wednesday, from 630 to 830 pm at the Collider in downtown Asheville, 1 Haywood Street Ste 401, in Asheville. Doors open at 6:30pm, with the film starting at 7:00pm. Free & open to the public with a suggested donation of $10/person or $20/family. Oskar Blues Brewery beer and refreshments will be provided. Join Sierra Club, MountainTrue & The Collider for a screening of “Reinventing Power: America’s Renewable Energy Boom” at the Collider. This film takes us across the country to hear directly from the people making our clean energy future achievable. These individuals are working to rebuild what’s broken, rethink what’s possible, and revitalize communities. These stories are proof that America does not need to choose between keeping our lights on and protecting our communities. Critically, Reinventing Power underscores the notion that we don’t have to sacrifice jobs for a clean environment. Supporting a clean energy future means building a better, more prosperous future for everyone. Over the film’s 50 minutes, you’ll meet people in eight states whose lives were changed by the renewable energy industry while exploring various aspects of the clean energy industry from innovation to installation. It will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A. No contact information.
06/28/18 PASTORS FOR PEACE POTLUCK AND TALK
The Cuba Caravan is coming to town! They are part of Pastors for Peace and are promoting building bridges and tearing down walls. Pastors for Peace began organizing Fridneshipment caravan to Cuba in 1992. What is it like in Cuba today? What is the current state of US-Cuba relations? What needs to be done to truly normalize relations? Pastors for Peace began organizing Friendshipment Caravans in 1992. This is its 29th caravan. This Asheville event will be a potluck and talk - please bring a dish. Also, it is a fundraising event for the caravan, so please donate what you can. The speaker will be Bill Hackwell, from the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity to the Peoples in Oakland, CA. He is a social documentary photographer and veteran of Caravans and the International Committee to Free the Five - now the International Committee for Peace, Justice and Dignity. US citizens are free to travel anywhere in the world, except Cuba. To travel to Cuba you need permission, a license, from the US government. This has been the case for over 50 years. In his final years President Obama made licenses very easy to get, as well as taking some steps to reduce the underlying US economic blockade of Cuba. However President Trump has adopted a very hostile stance towards Cuba, partially reversing Obama’s actions, and reduced the possibilities for individual licensed travel. Pastors for Peace believes that licenses should be scrapped and we should be freely able to travel to Cuba and meet our Cuban sisters and brothers. Since 1992 we have taken 28 Caravans of people to Cuba without a license as a conscious act of civil disobedience. Time is 6 PM to 8 PM and location is Asheville Friends Meeting House at 227 Edgewood Road in north Asheville. This is a fundraising tour, please donate what you can. For more information, contact ken at jonesk@maine.edu.
06/29/18 BENEFIT FOR HOMELESS WOMEN VETERANS IN ASHEVILLE
Date is June 29, 2018 and time is 6:00 - 9:00 PM. Location is Historic Patton Parker House at 95 Charlotte Street in Asheville. Featuring Music From: Linda Mitchell, blues, jazz, and “Big Al” pop country singer/songwriter. Benefiting Veteran Women Aura Home is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization working to prevent homelessness for women veterans in WNC. Celebrate the mid-summer's full moon at the restored historic house & grounds. Bring your picnic basket, blanket, low chairs for an eve of music, s'mores and camaraderie. (Parking across the street). Aura Home will provide desserts and entertainment. $20 if purchasing ticket online at www dot AuraHomeWomenVets dot org. $25 At the door. No contact information.
06/29/18 REALITY CHECK CONFERENCE AT AB TECH
The Reality Check Conference is designed to encourage, empower, and educate leaders across western North Carolina and surrounding areas on the cultural diversity challenges within our community. This conference will continue the conversation around building a better community and decreasing the gaps in disparities, education, and other social factors that play into the cultural divide of the community and city at large. Participants will also learn about local initiatives and key players who are active and directly involved in our community. Two national powerhouse speakers, Tim Wise and Jane Elliott, will speak at the conference, which takes place Friday, June 29 at A-B Tech. Participants will also hear from several local speakers who will have specific topics to engage the audience. Conference Objectives - Provide further education and knowledge about the historical trauma of African Americans and people of color in Asheville and greater western North Carolina with a focus on where we’ve been, where we are presently, and what the future holds. Discuss the impact of offensive intention created by privilege and power in a thriving, profitable community. Gain a better understanding of ways to engage African Americans and people of color with recognition, understanding (avoiding checking the box and “tokenizing” individuals), and empathy as we move forward to create a better community and professional environment with the tools needed to work toward success. The Reality Check Conference takes place Friday, June 29, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at A-B Tech Community College, 340 Victoria Rd. in Asheville. Register before June 22 and the cost to attend is $80; after June 23 the cost is $95 per person. For more information, please call (828) 254-1921.
07/03/18 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 selection for July is “No Turning Back: Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria” by Rania Abouzeid. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café at 55 Haywood Street in Asheville. Time is 7 PM. Contact Malaprops at 828-254-6734 for more information.
07/07/18 PUERTO RICO BENEFIT SHOW IN ASHEVILLE
Despite Hurricane Maria being nine months past, the people of Puerto Rico are still experiencing a deep humanitarian crisis. In an effort to raise awareness and financial support, five Asheville acts will be performing at the Salvage Station on July 7, in partnership with Pop Ed, a local social justice activists collective. Proceeds from the event will go to Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Teachers Federation), an educators union in Puerto Rico that has been a driving force in rebuilding devastated communities since the hurricane hit. Tickets to Resist! A Benefit to Fight Unnatural Disasters, can be purchased at the Salvage Station website. Volunteers to run kids activities needed! Additional event details will be announced throughout the month of June, and can be followed via the web listings at salvagestation dot com. Call (828) 484- 6587 for more info or to get involved.
07/09/18 TEACH IN EVENT AT MALAPROPS
Teach in with Jeff Biggers. He presents “Resistance: Reclaiming an American Tradition.” As we face an increasingly authoritarian American political climate, Biggers underlines the dense history of opposition in America and reminds us of the vital role civil resistance has played in defining our national identity. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Café at 55 Haywood Street in Asheville. Time is 6 PM. Contact Malaprops at 828-254-6734 for more information.
07/09/18 TEACHING WITH SLAVE DEEDS COURSE AT MARS HILL UNIVERSITY
People Not Property: Teaching with Slave Deeds as Primary Sources at Mars Hill University on July 9 - 14 from 9:00 - 4:00PM. Teaching with Primary Source Documents at Mars Hill College is collaborating with the UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education to host a summer institute at Mars Hill University. Before the end of the Civil War, the “bill of sale” for an enslaved person was documented at the Buncombe County Court House - the site of the current Vance Monument. In 2013, Register of Deeds Drew Reisinger digitized the documents which are now viewable at the Register of Deeds website. This important research has spread to other NC counties as well as other states. The workshop is limited to 20 participants and is open to all teachers, but may be most effectively implemented in high school, college, or community college settings. The week will include scholarly lectures, presentations by teachers who use the deeds in the classroom, field trips to sites across Buncombe County, and opportunities to create lesson plans for the classroom. Participants will receive a certification of completion for 40 content hours. This certificate should be eligible for 4 CEUs in most school systems. For more information, contact UNC Asheville Center for Diversity Education at 828-232-5024 or dmiles@unca.edu.
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ONGOING EVENTS
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MONDAY
Asheville SURJ weekly meeting at 6:30 pm at UU Congregation in Asheville, downstairs
Citizens’ Climate Lobby meeting on the third Monday at 6:30 at Habitat Tavern & Commons.
TUESDAY
Veterans for Peace have a weekly vigil at 4:30 PM at Pack Square, Vance Monument
SURJ Discussion at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 610 Haywood Road in west Asheville. 10:30 AM-12 AM. Followed by Do!sessions from 12:30-2:30 PM Meet at Kairos West for later session.
Rally at historic Courthouse in Hendersonville at 5 PM on the first Tuesday of the month. Organized by the Progressive Organized Women.
Socialism! The Reading Group is at 6 PM at Firestorm on the second Tuesday of the month.
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.
Green Drinks meets at 6 PM at The Block Off Biltmore on the third Wednesday of the month.
Sierra Club meets at 7 PM at Unitarian Universalist in Asheville on the first Wednesday of the month.
Indivisible Asheville does political letter writing at 5:30 every Wednesday at The Block Off Biltmore.
THURSDAY
Political Prisoners Letter Writing at Firestorm Coffee & Books at 6 PM on first Thursday of the month. Materials provided. Also Tranzmission Prison Project meeting to send packages of books and zines for mailing to prisons across the US.
Welcome Home Tour by Homeward Bound on the third Thursday of the month at 11 AM. Call 258-1695 for more information.
Asheville Prison Books Program is held at Downtown Books & News from 4 to 7 PM.
Haywood Peace Vigilers have a weekly vigil at 4 PM at Haywood County Courthouse in Waynesville.
FRIDAY
Women in Black have a weekly vigil at noon at the City Hall in Hendersonville.
Progressive Women of Hendersonville hold a letter/postcard writing to government representatives from 4 to 7 PM at Sanctuary Brewing Company at 147 First Avenue in Hendersonville.
SATURDAY
French Broad Riverkeeper has a paddle-n-plant to prevent sediment erosion most Wednesdays and Saturdays. Registration required at anna@mountaintrue.org.
Mountain True holds urban forest workdays on the second Saturday of the month at Richmond Hill Park from 9 AM to 1 PM. Call 258-8737 for more information.
Food Not Bombs serves free vegan/vegetarian food every Saturday at noon at Pritchard Park.
Dances of Universal Peace on the third Saturdays at 7:30 at 1 School Road in Asheville.
SUNDAY
Asheville National Organization for Women meeting at 2:30 PM at YWCA of Asheville on second Sunday of the month.
Political Prisoner Letter Writing Night at 5 PM at Firestorm on the first Sunday of the month.
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ACTIONS AND READINGS
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Message from Oak Ridge Environmental Peace Alliance
TIME TO BE HEARD: New Bomb Plant Environmental document invites public comment.
It’s time to be heard. Since OREPA, Nuclear Watch New Mexico, Natural Resources Defense Council and four individuals sued the NNSA in July 2017, NNSA has been secretly preparing a second Supplement Analysis on the 2011 Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Complex.
On May 19, the Supplement Analysis was released. And, in an unprecedented move, NNSA offered a 30-day public comment period. That means you have until June 20 to submit comments.
The SA tries to cover ground that was not covered in previous environmental analyses. In particular, it looks at NNSA’s plan to continue to conduct Enriched Uranium operations in two aging facilities that do not comply with current environmental or seismic standards. These facilities, the 9215 Complex and Building 9204-2E, are at the center of OREPA’s legal challenge to the UPF bomb plant. NNSA fails to provide any solid information about the facilities in the SA. Instead, it says more study is needed and “NNSA believes the buildings can be operated safely.”
Below you will find information on where to send comments along with talking points that you can use to craft comments.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EVERYONE WHO READS THIS SUBMITS COMMENTS— This is our chance to hold NNSA accountable, and to show the court that will eventually decide our lawsuit that there is broad public concern about the UPF bomb plant.
Here are key talking points:
Worker and public safety first. Any plan that relies on using the 9215 Complex and Building 9204-2E for decades to come must make worker and public safety the highest priority—not cost or schedule or “mission need.” If the buildings can not be brought into compliance they can not be used. If the work can not be done safely (not as safely as possible, but safe—period.), it can’t be done.
Safety first means answer the safety questions before you start moving material from Building 9212 into the 9215 Complex. Safety first means answering fundamental questions about where work will be done before you commit irretrievable resources to a UPF design that relies on much of the enriched uranium work being done in out-of-compliance buildings.
If it turns out that Complex 9215 and Building 9204-2E can not be brought into compliance and are deemed unsafe by the experts and computer models yet to be designed, and the UPF is already 1/3 built, there is no going back to redesign the UPF to accommodate the rest of EU operations.
The NEPA process is a good one. It lays out a chronology for decision-making that requires horses to stay in front of carts, so that one decision follows from another in a rational sequence. To plunge forward with construction of the UPF before final decisions are made on EU operations is a direct contradiction to the requirements of NEPA. Decisions can not be segmented, neither can they leapfrog over NEPA requirements for the sake of convenience.
The existence of a second SA, less than two years after the first SA, is clear evidence that the 2011 Y-12 Site-Wide EIS had gaps that require preparation of a full Supplemental-EIS. The plans for Enriched Uranium Operations have changed dramatically, in ways that change the fundamental assumptions about the environmental impacts of the EU program. And new information—the 2014 earthquake hazard map updates of the US Geological Survey and additional information about historical seismic activity in East Tennessee—must be included in the new EIS and incorporated into design decisions.
It is never okay for a NEPA document to gloss over important environmental concerns with “we’re going to look at that soon, but for now we’re moving ahead with plans that can not be undone.” The point of NEPA is to force the analysis to be done before decisions are made.
The current SA relies on vague generalities at points that require solid answers. “It may be possible to upgrade both facilities…(p.19); “a reduction in the Material at Risk limit has the potential to reduce the accident consequences… (p.20).” “NNSA believes that it can continue to operate…in a safe manner…(p.20).” “It appears that those risks and consequences are lower…(p. 18)”
The Supplement Analysis also includes statements that are simply untrue. In discussing the challenges of cleaning up high-risk facilities in Oak Ridge, the SA says “EM [Environmental Management] schedules…are based upon priorities driven by potential for off-site environmental risks.” This flies in the face of the finding of the Department of Energy’s own Inspector General who placed Building 9201-5 (Alpha-5) at Y-12 at the very top of the Excess High-Risk Facilities top ten list. It is the worst facility in the country. It poses, in the words of the DOE Inspector General “an ever-increasing risk to workers and the public.” This is not speculative, it is not projecting into the future—it says there is a risk now, to workers and the public, and it is getting worse. But there is no funding to begin cleanup on Alpha-5 in the DOE’s more-than-$5 billion cleanup budget. Other, lower-risk, shovel-ready cleanup activities are being prioritized because they are easier and because DOE’s Environmental Management leadership wants to show some wins.
Finally, far from documenting that sufficient environmental analysis has been done for Complex 9215 and Building 9204-2E, the 2018 Supplement Analysis does just the opposite—it states that safety and performance models have not yet been developed that allow us to understand fully the environmental impacts of a significant event. This confirms the OREPA/NWNM/NRDC lawsuit’s claim that a new EIS must be prepared for the entire EU program before the UPF can be built.
The concern about the seismic performance of the aging facilities at Y-12 has been repeatedly confirmed by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board; among other things they found NNSA can not be certain that a design-basis accident in Complex 9215 and Building 9204-2E would not trigger a nuclear criticality event. NNSA’s response: “We will figure this out in the future,” is not acceptable; it kicks critical decisions down the road, placing workers, the public, and NNSA’s own mission capability at risk.
SUBMITTING COMMENTS
Your comments to the NNSA on the 2018 Supplement Analysis for the Site-Wide Environmental Impact Statement for the Y-12 National Security Complex (DOE/EIS-0387-SA-02) must be submitted by June 20, 2018. Comments sent after that date may be considered by NNSA, but it isn’t required to consider them.
Send comments to:
Jack Zanger, Attn: Y-12 SWEIS SA
P O Box 30030, Amarillo, TX 79120
You can also fax your comments to Mr. Zanger at 806 573 7108, or send them by email to jack.zanger@npo.doe.gov
If you want to read or download the Supplement Analysis, you can find it here: https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2018/05/f51/EIS-0387-SA02-2018.pdf.
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