Black History Month in the US
Watch & discuss this powerful new video from the M4BL
Eastside For All News –
Here are some announcements from our East King County community.
First, if you're not already following the Right to Breathe Committee, please go to their page, take their pledge, and enter your info on their contact page to stay informed. RTB spent many months working closely with city officials on actions to ensure safety and respect for Black people. They've published their first progress reports for the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, and Issaquah > RTB Dashboard
Each of those cities has community engagement efforts related to policies they've developed or are in the process of creating to advance racial equity. Here are some of the city initiatives we're following:
Bellevue: Draft Use of Force Review - The City hired a consultant, the Office of Independent Review Group, to review police use of force policy in Bellevue. They're inviting community members to review the report and provide comments at the Engaging Bellevue site through Feb. 19th. "Results will be forwarded to the OIR Group as they prepare the final report and prepare to present their finding to the City council." (Date TBD - get Bellevue news alerts here.)
Kirkland: The City passed Resolution R-5434 Ensuring the Safety and Respect of Black People in August and now has updates on a range of initiatives. Community members can schedule a group meeting with city representatives. The current outreach effort to guide initial action steps is scheduled to conclude in April.
Issaquah: In August the City passed the Issaquah Police Accountability, Equity and Human Services Action Plan. At the end of January and early February, Issaquah's Human Services commission hosted two community convenings to discuss the role of residents in the City's equity initiatives and to brainstorm the creation of a new Board/Commission on equity. Follow updates here.
Redmond: The City's Community Equity Action Team is accepting new members. "In 2018 the Redmond Police Department formed a new committee to act as an advisory council on issues of equity, transparency and community relations." The City hosted a "Conversation Toward Inclusion and Belonging" in November, facilitated by consultant Chanin Kelly-Rae. See the summary.
Don't see your city on the list? Reach out via your city's government website and ask for the contact person overseeing racial equity initiatives. No such person? Email your City Council and urge them to take action.
Registration is Open for Kirkland Talks: Inclusive Dialogue on Race and Racism
Saturday, Feb. 20th, 10-11:30am | Zoom event
Space is limited. Please submit your registration and if you're confirmed, we'll send you the details. Everyone, including those on the waitlist, will get access to all the materials. This event is a collaboration between Eastside For All and Nura Adam, Founder of the Immigrant Women's Community Center. The dialogue series is sponsored by the City of Kirkland.
Eastside Participation in King County's Coalition Against Hate and Bias
This is a community-led initiative to address hate and bias incidents by strengthening and networking communities who experience racist and bigoted treatment and all forms of oppression. Community members who want to share their experiences can contact Eastside For All or one of our partners. Your name and private information will not be included or shared if you choose to participate in the survey. Gathering information about local incidents helps us communicate the need for resources and identify solutions to support our community.
Lastly, I want to remind you about our COVID-19 Resource Directory with a focus on race and social justice implications. There are multilingual resources throughout and more information coming soon regarding vaccination. Please help us keep the directory up to date > submit corrections and suggestions here.
Thank you!
Debbie Lacy, Founder/CEO
Eastside For All
Your donations support community forums, racial equity advocacy initiatives, and work to combat hate and bias in East King County. Thank you!
350.org News -
February marks Black History Month in the U.S. which began as a week of education in February 1926 by Carter G. Woodson at his organization, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. This time was designed to encourage “people of all ethnic and social backgrounds discuss the black experience” (ASALH). Congress passed “National Black History Month” into law in 1986, proclaiming that “the foremost purpose of Black History Month is to make all Americans aware of this struggle for freedom and equal opportunity” (Library of Congress). As the Movement for Black Lives has pointed out, "It was, and continues to be an expression of Black autonomy, not officially recognized by the U.S. government until 1986."
350.org is beginning our commemoration by sending our staff a copy of the critically acclaimed book “Black Futures”, by Jenna Worthman and Kimberly Drew, and we will create space to discuss the book and share with each other.
We are also putting together materials to share on social media. Watch for these on our IG, Facebook & Twitter accounts.
While we are excited to commemorate Black History month we also understand that moving through this month like it’s merely a learning opportunity misses the mark. Education and commemoration are essential, but we have to also take targeted actions to change and address anti-Blackness within the climate movement. We invite everyone in the 350 network to use this month to (thanks to Anti-Racism Daily for these suggestions):
Give.
Donate monthly to organizations that center Black wellbeing. Prioritize organizations that have Black executive leaders and Black board members (Non-Profit Quarterly). Think beyond traditional 501c3 to local, grassroots initiatives – including mutual aid networks. You can also donate physical goods (like food or clothing) or your time (skills-based volunteering, transportation, etc.).
Mentor.
Invest in the next generation of leaders through a fellowship or mentorship program. You can do this individually or create/enhance a program at your workplace. Remember that mentorships are a two-way relationship. You likely have as much, or more, to learn from your mentees or fellows.
Rally.
Change is movement. Continue showing up at protests and other demonstrations on and offline, as you’re able. This can also include consistently sharing action items on social media and defending protestors through advocating for legislation and donating to bail funds and other emerging needs. More resources for supporting protests can be found here.
Pay reparations.
Reparations are necessary for achieving racial equity (Brookings). On an individual level, pay it forward to creators you learn from on social media or organizers in your community. On a local level, find the local or state initiative advocating for reparations and support for their work. In addition, complete the Reparations Now Tool Kit created by the Movement for Black Lives to create a comprehensive plan.
Books/movies/documentaries/events -
https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/list/share/209743155/805471157
https://www.naamnw.org/events/list
http://www.pbs.org/black-culture/explore/10-black-history-documentaries-to-watch/#.XFnAK1xKg2w
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/02/01/movies/28-essential-films-black-history-month.html
350 Eastside General Meeting – Wednesday, February 17th @ 7:00pm
Special guests:
Duck Long Soldier, Oglala Lakota Environmentalist & Water Protector will join us and share an Indigenous philosophy about the protection of Water, Air, Earth and Spirit. We'll also be joined by Chelalakem Pamela Bond, Fish, Wildlife, and Environment Director of the Snohomish Tribe of Indians, and Founder of People of the Confluence, an Indigenous led, non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational and cultural opportunities that will empower Indigenous youth to protect the Water, Air, Earth and Spirit of the Skykomish and Snohomish watersheds.
Zoom registration link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArc-2tpjgjHdyp92OaG4IqYAdBPObr51bO
fb event: https://fb.me/e/14TWl7zE7
Stay safe,
Emily, Marilyn, Phil, Lin, Lynn, Sara
350 Eastside
