Racial Justice :

WESPAC Foundation supports the work of the Anti-Racist Alliance which is the lead group in Westchester that explores the ongoing harm of institutionalized and systemic racism in our country today. We have honest discussions in a mixed group of how white privilege impacts both people of color and white folk in Westchester County in the form of excessive police force, access to quality education, employment and housing and many other areas. We listen to the range of experience that people of color have to endure in a society that continues to disproportionately benefit white people . For more information, visit antiracistalliance.com

How Israel is working to remove Palestinians from Jerusalem

Posted on April 1, 2019 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Militarism and Foreign Policy, Racial Justice

Statement of Solidarity on the Anniversary of Kristallnacht

Posted on November 9, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Militarism and Foreign Policy, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Statement of Solidarity on the Anniversary of Kristallnacht

by Howard Horowitz, member of the WESPAC Foundation Board

Tonight, we will commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Great Pogrom, which the Nazis euphemistically dubbed ‘the Night of Crystal’ – Kristallnacht. This anniversary comes at a moment in history when anti-Semitism is still prevalent, and we are still plagued by evil and hatred (Rabbi Josh Weinberg).

At WESPAC Foundation we remember Kristallnacht and the Holocaust with a message of “solidarity” with all those struggling for justice in these dark times. Solidarity is uplifting, meaningful and a call to action. In our thinking about this, let me share with you an excerpt from a post by Robert Herbst of Larchmont, a civil rights lawyer, a peace and justice activist and who identifies as Jewish:

“In the wake of Pittsburgh, there is no Jewish future in turning inward, either physically, spiritually, or politically, here in the United States, or in the Middle East. The insecurities of the nation and world we have made and live in since the Second World War are widely shared by all except those who have accumulated the money and power to escape them. Rather than locking ourselves away, it is to the Others we must turn – white, black and brown, Christian and Muslim, poor, working and middle class – if we are to have any hope of Tikkun Olam.”

There is an urgent and immediate need for a statement of solidarity. Echoing Charlottesville, there are those among us already muddying the waters claiming “there are bad guys on all sides—left and right.” We reject anti-Semitism in all its forms and expressions wherever and by whomever it is expressed. What happened at Tree of Life is Trump-supported, right wing white nationalism, plain and simple. It has nothing to do with left or anyone else and certainly not anywhere in the struggle for justice in Palestine.

Our struggles are bound up with the many communities facing violence and oppression during these dark times, and we call your attention to just a few of the statements of solidarity that are so needed as we commemorate Kristallnacht.

Out of Our Silos: To Defeat Anti-Semitism, Jews Must Unite With Others Targeted by White Supremacy (Hannah Sassaman, In These Times)

Amy Goodman Interviews Rabbi Ari Lev Fornari of Kol Tzedek synagogue

Palestine Legal Statement on Tree-of-Life-Synagogue

Jewish Voice for Peace: Together We Heal, United We Fight

Art Journaling at WESPAC

Posted on July 19, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Susan Sheppard’s class at WESPAC has begun!
Quote from Roger: “I want to say: Today’s class was truly amazing, fun, healing, relaxing and a lot of other positive things!
I absolutely loved this and really suggest this to anyone that can make it. Susan was incredible! Thank you so much for guiding us today.”
It is not too late to sign up!
Art Journaling Class at WESPAC every Wednesday with Susan Sheppard alternating start time 6pm or noon. Next Wednesday, July 25th, the class starts at noon. Please contact Susan with all questions and to register [email protected]optonline.net . $20 per class towards WESPAC – no one turned away:

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.

Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing in Westchester County

Posted on July 5, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing in Westchester County

Community Forum on the Racial Impact of Marijuana Policing
in Westchester County
Thursday, July 26th at 7pm
White Plains Library Auditorium
100 Martine Avenue in White Plains, NY 10601

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 those arrested for marijuana possession relative to their presence in Westchester’s population–despite data showing similar rates of use across populations. While only 14 percent of the County’s residents are Black, Black people comprised over half (52 percent) of those arrested for marijuana possession. Latinx people have also been disproportionately impacted, comprising just 17% of residents, but 34% of arrestees.

This massive increase of Westchester residents involved with the criminal justice system has had significant reverberations. A marijuana arrest creates a permanent criminal record that can easily be found by employers, landlords, schools, credit agencies and banks.

This public discussion will examine the long-term costs and consequences of unequal enforcement of marijuana prohibition in Westchester, solutions to address the harms caused to communities, and efforts to legalize marijuana in New York State while creating a diverse and inclusive industry.

Sponsored by: Drug Policy Alliance, WESPAC Foundation, Westchester Coalition for Police Reform, NYCLU, VOCAL-NY, and more

RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/events/2128989074044735/

Is Westchester Ready for Police Accountability

Posted on June 12, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Frontpage, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Is Westchester Ready for Police Accountability?

Saturday, June 30th at 5pm (refreshments starting at 4:30pm)
The Rev. Shelton Doles Community Center Theater
250 South Sixth Avenue
Mount Vernon, NY 10550

Join Bridge to Africa 360, African Family Unity Forum and the Westchester Coalition for Police Reform for a community conversation about the value of civilian oversight of law enforcement as well as an update on the status of the Mount Vernon Civilian Review Board and the Right to Know Act that is gaining momentum around New York State.

Panelists include:

Mount Vernon City Council member Delia Farquharson
Mount Vernon Police Commissioner Shawn Harris (invited)
Panel moderator is Mount Vernon CCRB Steering Cte member Geoff Munroe

This event is free and open to the public and is co-sponsored by the Mount Vernon Recreation Department.

Westchester Social Justice Forum 2018!

Posted on March 15, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Immigration, Militarism and Foreign Policy, Movement Building, Racial Justice

For all details please visit: https://www.westchestersocialforum.org/

An Evening to End Solitary Confinement at WESPAC

Posted on March 13, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Movement Building, Racial Justice

New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement

Tuesday, April 10th, 6:30pm to 8pm
at WESPAC, 77 Tarrytown Road, Suite 2W, White Plains, NY 10607

We will be joined by Cynthia Williams, a 2015 Beyond the Bars of Justice Fellow at Columbia University, who spent time in a federal facility and who will speak about how arbitrary and dehumanizing the system is, how she coped and how people end up in solitary confinement. She will also speak about the New York Campaign for Alternatives to Isolated Confinement and will inspire us to get involved and to effect positive change.

This event is free and open to the public. WESPAC has 10 copies of the book Hell is a Very Small Place: Voices from Solitary Confinement in our office that are available now ahead of the event for people to read and become more familiar with this issue. Please call to arrange pick up. The United Nations has defined solitary confinement as a form of torture. Free will offerings to support Cynthia and this work will be requested. For more information, call 914.449.6514 or email [email protected].

Please do not remain silent about Solitary Confinement while 80-100,000 human beings are trapped and remain invisible each year for infractions as minor as possession of too many postage stamps. Create an opportunity for others to learn the truth about solitary confinement. SWASC Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement has created two 8 minute videos that encapsulates what people need to know.

Take Action. We need everyday people, like you and me, to show these videos to our informal and formal networks. Use your smart phone. Keep it Simple. Discussion will automatically follow from these provocative and thoughtful presentations.

Johnny Perez: Three years in Solitary

https://youtu.be/ijqRUgroK-k

Mary Buser – The Helping Professions & Solitary Confinement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dumJHGRmy7I&sns=em

We also created a petition for people to sign asking the governing commission to reconsider current practices we believe to be unethical and human torture.

Www.end-Solitary.com

Website Resource: Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement

http://www.socialworkersasc.org/

We have a monthly newsletter.

http://www.socialworkersasc.org/newsletters/

National Networking Conference Call on the third Monday of the month at 7pm EST.

Conference call number (515) 739-1015 PIN. 455-445-570#

One hour zoom presentation:

Zoom presentation

Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement: Undoing Racism in the Criminal Justice System. (2/18)

This video (1hour) offers a brief U. S. history of structural racism and discussion of solitary confinement and specifically the issue of dual loyalty for mental health professionals.

Sandra Bernabei, LCSW is a co-convener and steering committee member of SWASC as well as a community organizer and a social worker in private practice in Westchester and NYC. She is the past-president of NASW-NYC.

Sandy is the founding member of the Antiracist Alliance.

Marguerita Johnson Tolson BSW, CASAC-T is a graduate student at Fordham University Graduate School of Social Services. She is completing an internship with Social Workers Against Solitary Confinement.

https://youtu.be/cHT6WFw8Dgk

“We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” Martin Luther King Jr

Separate and Unequal

Posted on February 27, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Economic and Human Rights, Racial Justice

https://www.thesunmagazine.org/issues/506/separate-and-unequal

WESPAC Middle East Committee invites you to participate in Palestine book reading together

Posted on February 1, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Director's Blog, Militarism and Foreign Policy, Movement Building, Racial Justice

Yesterday the WESPAC Middle East Committee met and discussed plans for this year’s 70th Nakba Commemoration with the Westchester Palestinian Community.

To gear up for a larger event later this Spring, we will be reading together Susan Abulhawa’s very fine novel “Mornings in Jenin” to better understand the Palestinian narrative. The committee would like to invite members of the broader social justice community to join with us in this book reading.

We will read a third of the novel by the end of February (first 100 pages), and will convene at WESPAC on Tuesday, February 27th at 7pm to discuss the first third of the novel. The book is available both at local libraries as well as online. Please let us know if you will be joining us.

Reviews

“Every now and again a literary work changes the way people think. Abulhawa…has crafted a brilliant first novel about Palestine… [This] intensely beautiful fictionalized history… should be read by both politicians and those interested in contemporary politics.” – Library Journal

“This complex story is beautifully told… The perspective is brutal, yet ultimately not without hope… [Abulhawa] draws us into the nightmare of her heroine’s existence with convincing passion.” – Historical Novels Review

“Illuminating and deeply moving, Abulhawa’s epic resonates with compassion…You can’t ask more of historical fiction.” – Brooklyn Rail

“Abulhawa’s pathos and mastery enables the reader to taste, smell and grasp the chronicles of Palestine as if one is actually there… Lovely and heartrending, this story is a must-read for those who wish to not only understand the catastrophe of the Palestinians with their heads but with their hearts.” – Palestine Chronicle

“Winner of the USA Book News Best Books Award” –

#FREEnewyork Westchester Town Hall

Posted on January 19, 2018 by

Nada Khader Posted in Blogs, Communities & Focus Areas, Criminal Justice, Director's Blog, Frontpage, Racial Justice

Explore WESPAC

4 days ago

Workshops being offered at March Social Forum! Register here: donorbox.org/westchester-social-forum
Workshops at Westchester Social Forum 2020
Poor People's Campaign

Willie Baptist is a formerly homeless father of three who came out of the Watts uprisings and the Black Student Movement. He has 50 years of experience educating and organizing amongst the poor and dispossessed including working as a lead organizer with the United Steelworkers, as an educator and organizer with the National Union of the Homeless and as the Education Director of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union for 10 years, and as a lead organizer and educator for the Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign. In this workshop, he will share his work with the Poor People's Campaign in challenging systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and our nation's distorted religious nationalism.
Climate and Conflict Refugees: What we can learn from Westchester County's Native American History
In this workshop, Native American historian and descendant of the Mi'kmaq nation, Evan Pritchard will guide us through a history of Native Westchester County, including the migrations of the Weequaskeck of the Yonkers area, the Amawalk and Tenkitakes who moved from Southern Westchester to Northern Westchester, the Quarropus of White Plains who moved to Wickerscreek to avoid conflict with the English and a northern tribe. In each case the western tribes were warmly welcoming the conflict and climate refugees. What can we learn from Native American history to better prepare ourselves for future migrations of people due to conflict and climate change?
Moving Beyond Politics and Positions – How to engage in productive dialogue when there is controversy and polarization

Name an issue and there are multiple opinions and strong emotions – immigration, climate change, healthcare, housing, criminal justice, the economy, abortion, and the Middle East are some examples.
This interactive workshop will engage participants to practice listening and coalition building skills with people who have diverse points of view. Come prepared to connect and practice using issues that are close to your heart.
Offered by Stephanie Low, the National Coalition Building Institute
(Be prepared to practice skills that can be applied to activism and conversations with neighbors and friends.)
Housing Crisis in Westchester County

There is a housing crisis in this country and Westchester County has not been immune. Every day, people are evicted, displaced and pushed out of their homes due to lack of protections for many renters. The #HomesGuaranteed platform by the HJ4A (Housing Justice for All Coalition) has a platform to address this issue in our state. Please join us to learn about the housing issues that many low income folks experience in Westchester County and how this platform can address them though universal rent control, an investment in social housing and taxing the rich. Local organizations including Make the Road NY and VOCAL NY will be part of the panel.

The Fight For Reproductive Rights and Health Care Access

The fight for reproductive rights and health care access, particularly over the past few years, has escalated, with the impact of changing policies and access disproportionately impacting communities with lower income, people of color and young people. As various fights continue, young people, specifically, are getting lost in the conversation as their right to sex education that is comprehensive as a tenet of sexual, reproductive, and overall health is overlooked or actively resisted. Currently, New York is behind most states, in terms of providing sex education requirements/guidelines, by only requiring HIV education for young people in public schools. The negative effects of this can be seen in the high rates of STIs, worse mental health outcomes and increased rates of unprotected sex in the high school population. Join Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic to learn about sex education advocacy, the effects of a comprehensive sex education program and the fight for reproductive rights for all.

HEALING IN THE FOOD SYSTEM: BUILDING EQUITY, INCREASING QUALITY WITH LOCAL FARMER DOUG DECANDIA
For 500 years, colonization has spread across this continent like a sickness, bringing with it ideologies of duality, exploitation and war that have seeped into the core of how we, as people, relate to each other and to the land. These ideologies have become the oppressive systems and institutions that surround us, none of which existed on this continent prior to European colonization.

To restore balance in this country and in the world, a change in how we grow food, and how we relate to each other and to the land, is necessary. This change not only necessitates a transformation in our systems, but also a transformation within ourselves, and within our movements. Join a discussion on what this transformation can look like, and how the Bionutrient Food community can support those who have been most marginalized by the long history of colonialism and white supremacy in this country.

How to Talk about Israel/Palestine
Led by Beth Schuman with Combatants for Peace
In today’s climate of intense polarization, how does one talk about Israel and Palestine? Often this is a difficult topic to approach, even within families - not to mention on the political stage. This workshop will walk you through tools and techniques that can be used to talk about this difficult topic, and introduce you to the stories of former fighters - on both sides - who have managed to put down their weapons and engage in meaningful dialogue and joint action, finding a way to work together, despite differences.
In 2006, Israeli and Palestinian former combatants, people who had taken an active role in the conflict, laid down their weapons and established Combatants for Peace. The egalitarian, bi-national, grassroots movement was founded on the belief that the cycle of violence can only be broken when Israelis and Palestinians join forces. Together they work to end the Israeli occupation and bring dignity, equality - and peace - to both peoples. Combatants for Peace is the only organization, worldwide, in which former fighters on both sides of an active conflict have laid down their weapons, choosing to work together in pursuit of a better future. They have been twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, 2017 & 2018.
Gun Violence Workshop led by local area high school students

Every day, 47 innocent American children are shot. Every year, 17,155 kids will contend with bullets rather than books. Gun violence is felt all over America, but people of color account for the majority of victims. Although 90% of Americans support gun reforms the issue has become exceptionally polarized and most attempts at reform are blocked. The time for action is now. We, the people, must make change.
Learn how YOU can help make gun safety legislation a reality. We will discuss how to pressure legislators, conduct community forums, organize grassroots organizations to spread the word, and get voters motivated about this issue.

Restorative Justice in Westchester County (description forthcoming)

The Solidarity Economy (description forthcoming)
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Greetings, all!

We are now accepting registrations for both individuals to attend the March 29th social forum as well as groups to register to table. Several organizations have already registered to table - we can only accommodate 50 groups so please register soonest if you would like to have a presence at this annual event, a highlight of the social justice community. You can find all details here including information about the workshops that are being offered this year.

Save the Date for the 2020 Westchester Social Forum!
Sunday, March 29th, 2020, from noon to 6pm at Eastview Middle School in White Plains! Opening Plenary with Evan Pritchard, Willie Baptist and the Truthworker Theater Company. www.westchestersocialforum.org/ ... See MoreSee Less

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www.westchestersocialforum.org

The 2019 Westchester Social Justice Forum will take place on Sunday, March 24th, in the Music Building at SUNY Purchase College, located at 735 Anderson Hill Road in Purchase, New York 10577. Please...

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