Our occasional e-newsletter, usually published once or twice a month, with links to events, articles, videos, websites, & more relating to racism & racial justice.
Racial Justice Rising’s activities:
Monthly programs
Our FREE monthly programs are almost always held at the First Congregational Church of Greenfield, 43 Silver Street, on the first Saturday morning of the month.
However…WE WILL NOT HAVE A PROGRAM IN JULY
Our next program will be on Saturday, August 26, on the intersection of racism and education with presenter Marianna Islam, Director of Programs and Advocacy for the Schott Foundation for Public Education. More info coming soon.
Photos, video, and links from recent programs
The Real Story of American History, June 3rd with Naimah Muhammad and Kathleen Anderson
Racial Justice in the Courts, May 27 with Buz Eisenberg
Have You Seen My Childhood, May 6 with Karmen Smith
Info and photos from other past RJR programs here
Videos of our programs and more on Racial Justice Rising’s YouTube channel
Vigil For Racial Justice
Every Saturday, 9-10
on the Greenfield Common
Please join us!
Sponsored by Racial Justice Rising and the Visioning Bear Circle Intertribal Coalition
Articles, websites, and other resources:
Activism
– Self Care Means Acknowledging That Structural Racism Exists, by Doretta Lau at Huffington Post
– The Love Report with Tem Blessed and Cita Light at #LoveArmy
– Bystander Intervention Training More Important Than Ever, by Christina Cauterucci at Slate
– Jewish Activists Form Barrier Around Muslims As They Protest Around Trump Tower, by Katie Forster at Independent
– Join livestreams and view videos of past events with Reverend Barber at Repairers of the Breach
Black/African American
– Retracing Slavery’s Trail of Tears: From the Tobacco South to the Cotton South, by Edward Ball at The Smithsonian
– Green Book Mobile App for Traveling While Black, by Michael Harriot at The Root
– BLM Co-Founder’s Ode To Black Women, by Taryn Finley at Huffington Post
– Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome and Intergenerational Trauma, by David Love at the Atlanta Black Star
– African Americans Have Lost Untold Acres Over Last Century, by Leah Douglas at The Nation
Criminal Justice/Injustice
Cultural Appropriation
– What Cultural Appropriation Is and Why You Should Care, by Shree Paradkar at The Star
Decolonize
– Returning Communities, A Reparative Justice Project of Land Return and Remembrance, from Awakening the Horse People
– Indigenous Systems Are Resistance, from Indigenous Motherhood
Education
– Learning About Slavery Can Teach Us About Ourselves, by James C. Loewen at Teaching Tolerance
– Why Teaching Black Lives Matter Matters, by Jamilah Pitts at Teaching Tolerance
General
– Anika Nailah’s keynote at Walking The Talk for Racial Justice: A Youth Conference, held in Greenfield MA on 5/20/17; see more links at bottom of that page.
Immigration
– When Crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border Was Not A Crime, by Kelly Lytle Hernandez at Yes Magazine
– Safe Communities Act in Massachusetts
– LA Police Chief Endorses Sanctuary State Bill, by Jazmine Ulloa at the LA Times
– As Immigration Increases, Violent Crime Decreases, by Kenrya Rankin at Colorlines
Western MA related
– Springfield Church Becomes Sanctuary for Undocumented Residents, by Erin Fitzsimmonds and Samara Abramson at WesternMassNews
– ICE Agents Visit Northampton As Part of “Routine Enforcement Activity,” by Amanda Drane in the Daily Hampshire Gazette
– ACLU Immigrant Protection Project of Western MA
Indigenous
– The 3/5 Clause And Indian Removal, by Michael McLean at We’re History
– Revoke the Doctrine of Discovery, from the Romero Institute
– 8th Fire Dispatches: Aboriginal Peoples, Canada, and the Way Forward, films by a team of Aboriginal storytellers from CBC
Instititutional Racism
– A Forgotten History of How the U.S. Government Segregated America, an interview with Richard Rothstein on Fresh Air at NPR
– Growing Food Is The Most Impactful Thing You Can Do In A Corrupt Political System, by Alex Pietrowski at realfarmacy.com
Latino
– Ten Ethnic Studies Books Arizona Doesn’t Want You To Read, by Yara Simon at Remezclez
Whiteness
– No I Won’t Stop Saying White Supremacy, by Robin DiAngelo at The Good Men Project
– White Privilege Explained In Five Minutes, a video by ArchDuke
– That Scary Brown Man and White Privilege, by Gyasi Brown on Kuow
Other Groups’ Events:
June 28, July 5, July 12, Northampton MA: Racism discussion circles with SURJ
Around the first week of July: Look for a reading of Frederick Douglass’ famous speech, “What To A Slave Is Your Fourth Of July” in your area. Here is a reading by James Earle Jones, a couple of years ago, on Democracy Now. Here are some related events in Massaschusetts.
July 7-8-9, Amherst MA: Jimmy and Lorraine, a play about James Baldwin and Lorraine Hansberry
Saturday, August 5, Turners Falls MA: Pocumtuck Homelands Festival. Racial Justice Rising will be there!
Saturday, September 9, Washington DC: March for Racial Justice
Through September, North Adams MA: Mass MOCA Exhibit Wants You To Do More Than Just Talk About Race and Violence
Thursday, September 21, Chicago: Building Racial Equity Training with Race Forward
Thursday, October 19, Washington DC: Building Racial Equity Training with Race Forward
The members of Racial Justice Rising are ordinary people who are troubled by the persistent racism that plagues this country. Believing that the damage caused by racism must be repaired before our society can be whole, we work for just and respectful treatment for all. We share a vision of a multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, and multi-faith community.
Our mission is to:
- Help build the movement for racial justice by contributing to a deeper understanding of systemic racism and racial justice.
- Engage in restorative activities that help to heal the racial divide and bring justice for people targeted by racism.
While much of our work is focused in our local area, Franklin County, MA, we reach out to and are connected with the broader movements in our region and the nation.
Thank you, readers who send us information for these newsletters! We welcome links to articles, videos, event listings, and other resources.
Shen
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