In context, Detroit has the largest concentration of Arabs outside of the Arab World. Detroit also has one of the highest foreclosure and unemployment rates in the country:
http://organize.ussf2010.org/ws/building-arab-and-black-solidarity
Important Community Forum that WESPAC is co-sponsoring on the racial impact of marijuana policing in Westchester County. Please save the date:
Marijuana Policing and Criminal Justice in Westchester
eventbrite.com
In a state where racially biased policing is the norm, Westchester County stands out as one of the worst offenders. Between 2013 and 2017, Black and Latino people were vastly overrepresented among tho...Nick has suggested that we organize a day long vigil in solidarity with the HVCC Caravan to DC and as a means to collectively express our outrage regarding the human rights violations that are taking place at the border (United Nations Convenant on the Rights of the Child) and here in Westchester County (children losing parents in ICE raids). We have consulted with Luis and are moving forward. It is short notice but we are asking people to commit to one hour slots tomorrow Wednesday in front the of the Federal Courthouse on 300 Quarropas Street in White Plains where HVCC organized a rally a couple of weeks ago. We will be checking in with the Caravan in DC during the day and will be sending them our love and solidarity as they meet with representatives for family reunification both here and at the border. I will bring placards but please feel free to bring your own. For those with health conditions, it should be cooler and cloudy tomorrow.
Please fill out the google doc here:
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1o5GC1owSGO8VQhj4UfdrXOjcj0rr5GLw2vhQ04jAKeE/edit?usp=sharing
Nick and I will be sending off the Caravan of Hope tomorrow at 5am at the Sleepy Hollow Senior Center (55 Elm Street) and Vitalah and Helen will be part of the welcome home crew at 9pm in the same place. I believe there is also a rally in Tarrytown at 7:30pm tomorrow for those unable to make day time slots (details to follow).
We are living in intense times. Solidarity and Love.
Vigil in Solidarity with HVCC Caravan for Family Reunification - Wednesday, June 20th, 2018 in front of Federal Courthouse, 300 Quarropas Street in White Plains
docs.google.com
Sheet1 8am to 9am, 9am to 10am, 10am to 11am, 11am to 12pm, 12pm to 1pm, 1pm to 2pm, 2pm to 3pm, 3pm to 4pm, 4pm to 5pm, 5pm to 6pm Nick Mottern, Nada Khader, Nada Khader Nada KhaderHello all,
The news from the border is very distressing regarding children being forcibly separated from their parents.
Here in Westchester County, children continue to be separated from their parents in ICE raids.
Luis Yumbla with the Hudson Valley Community Coalition is organizing a Caravan of Hope, Solidarity and Freedom to reunify families both at the border and here in Westchester County. They will travel to Washington, DC, this Wednesday, June 20th. He is bringing seven local families who have family members detained by ICE to meet with our Senator Gillibrand in her DC office and to also meet with other representatives.
He is asking for us to gather at 5am on Wednesday at the Sleepy Hollow Senior Center located at 55 Elm Street in Sleepy Hollow with signs: KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER to help with the morale of the families boarding the bus to DC. I will bring the signs from the WESPAC office and will help with media outreach. Please join me, either for the send off or to get on the bus if you can. There are seats available on the bus if people would like to travel down with the family members.
Funds are also still needed to pay for the bus.
Luis also says that calls to our Congressional representatives should continue (Nita Lowey, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand) to stop this massive violation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).
I hope to see many of you on Wednesday early morning. It really helps the families not to feel so alone. There should also be a welcoming crew when they return around 9pm that same day. Let us know if you would like to bottom line the evening welcoming crew. Luis can be reached at [email protected] .
Art Journaling at WESPAC to Combat "Outrage Fatigue" with Susan Sheppard:Art Journaling at WESPAC to Combat "Outrage Fatigue": Based on Gayle Dunkelberger's successful sketching and water colors at WESPAC, the board would like to continue this type of programming at our social justice center to compliment community forums and planning meetings. Susan Sheppard spent her career with the Greenburgh Central School District as a teacher and has also taught art to teachers at Mercy College. This class will take place once a week for a 90 minute session starting in July. If you are interested, please RSVP to [email protected] by Monday, June 18th and I will then send out a doodle poll to all interested participants so that we can schedule the day and time of the week for this art series based on people's availability. $20 per class. All contributions to support WESPAC and no one will be turned away for lack of funds:
From Susan: An art journal is a “visual diary.” In addition to (or maybe in place of ) words, the journal keeper uses visual images to portray his/her thoughts and feelings. During these very stressful times an art journal can serve as a little haven in a world of madness.
My vision of this class is having the participants create an art journal over a series of workshops with or without the guidance of prompts combined with a variety of art techniques. For example, for the first class I would like to prepare the first few pages for future work and creating a self-portrait using collage. The prompt would be “The Me Nobody Knows.” The class would occur over several weeks depending on interest. Each participant would have to provide a “journal” (water color pad, composition book, or a hard cover book) , magazines and images that appeal to them, and writing tools of their choice. I would provide other tools and materials.
Some techniques are collage, printing, stenciling, drawing, painting, Zentangle, etc. The prompts can be whole class , personal to the participants, or pulled from a jar.
Dear Nada,
Here are a few photos. It is hard to see the “moving parts” from photos. The first one is a cover, the others are pages. There are pockets, niches, and pull outs to hold secret thoughts.
