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
Free monthly programs
Saturday, December 2, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Race and Religion
With Tim Bullock, Abrah Dresdale, Gloria Matlock, Asima Silva, Ted Todd. Speakers may share thoughts about the intersection of oppressions, solidarity, interfaith collaborations, & more; as well as their experiences in traditions including the Black church, Buddhism, Judaism, Anthroposophy, earth-based spirituality, and the Episcopal church.
Saturday, January 6, 10:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
13TH, a documentary by Ava Duvernay
In this extraordinary documentary, an in-depth look at the U.S. prison system offers a history of the country’s history of racial inequality.
Photos, video, and links from recent RJR programs
– The Doctrine of Discovery: Unmasking The Domination Code, October 7, film with conversation facilitated by Strong Oak
– Voices of Dissent, Music of Activism, September 2 with Gloria Matlock, Adam Matlock, Licia Sky, Arjuna Greist, and Marcia Gomes
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

Do Black Lives Matter To You?
Please join us.
Every Saturday, 9-10
on the Greenfield Common
Sponsored by Racial Justice Rising
and the
Visioning Bear Circle Intertribal Coalition
OTHER GROUPS’ EVENTS
Thursday, November 23, Plymouth MA: National Day of Mourning with the United American Indians of New England
Tuesday, November 28, online: Can We Raise Inclusive Kids In Segregated Neighborhoods? Webinar: from Embrace Race, a free conversation with Dr. Bridgette Vittrup
Thursday, November 30, Holyoke MA: James Baldwin on Film, on the Page, and In The Classroom, part 2
December 8-10, Rowe MA: Where Does It Hurt? Overcoming the Pain of White Supremacy, with Ruby Sales
Wednesday, December 6, Amherst MA: Shaun King Speaking At Amherst College
Saturday, December 9, S. Deerfield MA: Basketmaking With Jennifer Lee, sponsored by Visioning BEAR Circle
2018
May 9-12, Ryerson, ON, CA: White Privilege Conference – Global
Email us your announcements of racial justice-related events and we will include in our listings if possible
ARTICLES, WEBSITES, & OTHER RESOURCES
THANKSGIVING
Have A Courageous Conversation This Thanksgiving, from #FoodforThought at Color of Change
Lesson Plan: Thanksgiving Through the Lens of Native Americans Today, from PBS, featuring Wampanoag perspective in articles, videos, etc.
Native American Girls Describe The REAL History Behind Thanksgiving, by Philip at Teen Vogue
National Day of Mourning with the United American Indians of New England
***
African American
Memorial to Victims of Lynching To Open This Spring, from EJI
Criminal Justice/Injustice
Black Men’s Sentences 20% Longer Than White Men’s for Similar Crimes, by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman at Huffington Post
The Criminal Justice System Still Stalks Black People Like Meek Mill, by Jay-Z, at the New York Times
Education
Responding To Hate And Bias At School, a new publication from Teaching Tolerance
Latinos Say Applying To College Was Not Discussed With Them, by Shereen Marisol Miraji at NPR
Grammar
Should I Use The Adjective “Diverse”? by Alex Kapitan at RadicalCopyEditor.com
Hate Crimes
FBI: Jews Subject to 54% of Religiously Motivated Hate Crimes in U.S., by Yair Rosenberg at Tablet
Health
We’re Sick of Racism, Literally, by Douglas Jacobs at the New York Times
African Americans Don’t Sleep As Well As Whites, an Inequality Stretching Back To Slavery, by Benjamin Reiss at the LA Times
Decolonizing Empathy, by Sherronda J. Brown at The Black Youth Project
Flint’s Lead-Poisoned Water’s Horrifyingly Large Effect on Fetal Deaths, by Christopher Ingraham at the Washington Post
How, As A Doctor, I’ve Contributed To The Racial Gap In Infant Mortality, by Nana Matoba at Statnews
Housing
Racial Zoning Endures: White Baltimore’s War Against Black Lives 100 Years After Buchanan vs. Warley, by Lawrence Brown at Medium
Indigenous
LaDuke: I’m Tired of Being Invisible to You All, by Winona LaDuke at InForum
Dear Settlers, Before Using Our Medicine, Be Aware of Your White Privilege, by From An Indigenous Perspective
Latino
100 Years of Colonialism: How Puerto Rico Became Easy Prey for Profiteers, by Joel Cintron Arbasetti, * Carla Minet at Centro Periodismo Investigativo, and Alex V. Hernandez, and Jessica Stites at In These Times, from In These Times
Local News – Western MA
Updates from Pioneer Valley Workers Center – how you can help local immigrant workers
Hundreds Walk Out At Westfield State University To Protest Racism On Campus, by Hope E. Tremblay at MassLive.com
Racism
Why Insidious Racism Is Much Harder To Navigate, by Reni Eddo-Lodge at LitHub
Whiteness
Ways White People Can Process Emotions Without Bringing On White Tears, by Jennifer Loubriel at Everyday Feminism
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.
– We welcome your feedback!
– Please share with others who might be interested.
– To be removed from this email list, please reply with “remove” in the subject line.