Our occasional e-newsletter, usually published once or twice a month, with links to events, articles, videos, websites, & more relating to racism & racial justice.
THE POOR PEOPLE’S CAMPAIGN: A NATIONAL CALL FOR A MORAL REVIVAL
– Poor People’s Campaign launch video
– 50 Years Later, A New Poor People’s Campaign, an interview with co-chair Liz Theoharis by Eleanor J. Bader at Alternet
– “America Will Be” Video Series, from the Poor People’s Campaign
– A new Poor People’s Campaign wants to change how society defines morality , by Katrina vanden Heuvel at the Washington Post
– Everyone! Poor People’s Campaign says, Add your name now if you’re ready to join our movement to transform the political, economic and moral structures of our country
– Franklin County MA area: If you want to get involved, click here. More info coming soon – bookmark this page for updates
– Franklin County, MA area planning meeting: Monday, 4/9, 2-4 p.m. in Greenfield Room at Greenfield Public Library, 402 Main Street. Enter through library’s rear door. Contact Ruth if you plan to come or if you have questions.
– Western MA regional group (based in Springfield) based at Arise For Social Justice
– Massachusetts group based in eastern MA
RACIAL JUSTICE RISING’S ACTIVITIES
Free monthly programs
Saturday, April 7, 2018: Youth Speak Out
FREE! 10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, 43 Silver Street, Greenfield MA
A panel of area teens will talk about their hopes and concerns, in their lives, in their schools, & in our society. Topics may include school shootings, our education system, difficulties faced by marginalized groups, environmental issues….
Open to the public. Youth and educators especially welcome.
Saturday, May 5, 2018: 50 People, 40 Questions
More info coming soon
Help wanted – Seeking a volunteer to help out with our sound system and projector at our monthly Saturday morning programs. Contact us to learn more… or come to our next program and say hi!
Vigil for Racial Justice

The weather is finally better – please join us!
Every Saturday, 9-10 a.m.
on the Greenfield Common
Sponsored by Racial Justice Rising
and the
Visioning Bear Circle Intertribal Coalition
ARTICLES, WEBSITES, & OTHER RESOURCES
Gun Violence, Racism & Activism
– 11 Year Old Naomi Wadler Speaks Up For Black Girls , video & story from CNN
– Let’s Not Forget What Happens When Students Walk Out To Save Black Lives, by Michael Harriott at The Root
– Some Students Won’t Settle for Gun Control. They Want Community Transformation, by Kelly Hayes at Truthout
– The Gun Reform Debate Has Largely Ignored Race, by P.R. Lockheart at Vox
– A Racial Justice Framework For Talking About Gun Violence, by MIV Canada at Medium
– Violence in Schools, A Systemic Part of Life For Black Students, by at William C. Anderson at Rewire News
– Parkland Survivors Call Out Media For Ignoring Gun Violence In Black Communities, by Hayley Miller at U.S. News
– BLM Cofounder On Why We Herald Parkland Survivors But Criminalize Black Activists, a video of Patrisse Khan-Cullors at Huffington Post
– Black Students At Stoneman Douglas Want Solutions To Address Police Violence, by Anne Branigin at The Root
This just in – help fire victims in Springfield MA
Activism/Organizing
– 7 Women of Color Activists Who Are Making History, by Evette Dion at Bitch
– Sustainable Agriculture Movement in Puerto Rico, by Jhoni Jackson at BESE
Art
– Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers, from Souls Grown Deep
Criminal Justice and Injustice
– How Segregation Shapes Fatal Police Violence, by Gene Demby at NPR
Education/Youth
– American’s Mass Incarceration Crisis Begins In Our Schools, an interview with Anna Deveare Smith, by Naveen Kumar at Vice
– Your Toddler Knows About Race, by Elizabeth Lepro at Times Online
Indigenous
– 13 Year Old Anishinaabe Girl to Speak To United Nations by Rheannon Johnson at CBC
– 5 Ways the Government Keeps Native Americans In Poverty, by Shawn Regan at Forbes
Latinx
– Massachusetts Latinos Face Intense Inequality, by Kate Johnston at the Boston Globe
– Ten Books You Should Read By Latina Authors by Barbara Gonzalez at Latina
Reparations
– South Africa: Taking Farms From Whites Is Justified Because ‘It’s Not Really Their Land,‘ by Joe Wallen at The Independent
OTHER GROUPS’ EVENTS
Friday, March 29, Northampton MA: Documentary Screening: The Take! to benefit the Pioneer Valley Workers Center’s Solidarity Fund
April 4-7, 2018, Grand Rapids MI: WPC 19, the 2018 annual White Privilege Conference
April 4 – May 21, various MA locations: The Importance and Meaning of the Indigenous Ceremonial Stone Landscape
April 5 & 6, Amherst MA: Resist! Five College Native American and Indigenous Studies Symposium
Saturday, April 7, Quincy MA: Massachusetts Poor People’s Campaign first mass meeting
Thursday, April 12, Boston MA: Spotlight Series On Race, Millennials Respond: Boston Millennial Town Hall
Thursday, April 19, North Adams MA: True Conviction, film and discussion. More about the film
April 19-21, Springfield MA: Undoing Racism Workshop for Youth and Adults Working with Youth
Sunday April 22, Boston MA: Walk Against Genocide
Wednesday, April 25, Northampton MA: Poor People’s Campaign: Intro to 1968 and 2018 Movements
May 3-4, Windsor CT: Anti-Racism Workshop with National Council for Community & Justice
Saturday May 6, Greenfield MA: All Souls Church’s Annual Antiracism Film Festival, 399 Main Street. Free, with childcare. Facilitated discussions following each film.
1:30: Whose Streets? Facilitator: Carl McCargo
4:15: I Am Not Your Negro. Facilitator: Momodou Sarr
6:30: Supper, sliding scale $4-10; no one will be turned away
7:30: Wind River. Facilitator: Strong Oak
May 9-12, Toronto: White Privilege Conference – Global
May 13 – June 22, U.S: Poor People’s Campaign’s 40 Days of Action
June 8-10, Northampton MA: Undoing Racism Workshop with the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond, organized by UROC of Western MA.
November 8-10, Detroit MI: Facing Race, A National Conference, from ColorLines
Email us your announcements of racial justice-related events and we will include in our listings if possible
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. And 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.