March 14, 2021 eVOTER
Williamsburg, James City County, York County
Please forward this eVOTER to friends who want to Make Democracy Work.
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LWV is proud to be nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties, but working on vital issues of concern to members and the public. Our mission is Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
DEI POLICY: The League of Women Voters is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
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HOT TOPIC OF THE MONTH
& on St. Patrick's Day!
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What You Need to Know About
Criminal Justice Reform in Virginia?
Do We Need Independent Civilian Oversight Boards?
Wednesday, March 17 (St. Patrick's Day)
7 PM
We have invited Jessica Sapalio, an advocate for racial justice and criminal legal system reform and a founding member of the WJCC Coalition for Community Justice, to update us on recent reforms in criminal justice that were just passed in Richmond. Jessica also runs the Williamsburg Court Watch program and the Journey to Asylum Program.
Prior to moving to Williamsburg, she lived in Australia and Northern Virginia and worked as Vice President at GMMB, a communications and marketing firm for social causes and liberal candidates, and for the American Red Cross Measles Initiative vaccination campaign in Africa and Asia. In her spare time, she tries to pass on her spirit of activism to her four kids and is a volunteer archaeologist on slavery-related historical sites.
Click here to read how the City of Williamsburg is forming a POLICE CHIEF'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE and how you can apply.
Save this link in your "Zoom Folder."
Topic: WJCC Coalition for Community Justice
Time: Mar 17, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 886 1001 5478
Passcode: 367187
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DEMOCRACY & CIVICS IN PERIL?
How do we teach civic responsibility?
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- Many Americans have lost confidence in our government and civic order.
- Hyper-partisanship and false information run rampant
At the federal level, we spend approximately $50 per student per year on STEM fields and approximately 5 cents per student per year on civics. Recent waves of federal education reform—from the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and the Race to the Top grants of 2009—have largely neglected these subjects. A lack of consensus about the substance of history and civics has been a major challenge.
300 academics, historians, political scientists, K–12 educators, district and state administrators, civics providers, students, and others just released their initiative--based on inquiry--to make civics and history a priority.
WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT:
Integrating Civics with History?
Providing Civic Education to Area Students?
Providing professional development to teachers?
WJCC Schools and Williamsburg Regional Library are interested in continuing and expanding their civic education partnership with our League (many members are retired teachers). Please email Jan Keady if you want to learn more about some initiatives we are planning.
SAVE THE DATE: Thursday, April 22; 4 PM
Civic Education in WJCC Schools
WJCC Schools Social Studies Coordinator, Steve Legawiec, will share with us how civics is taught in our local schools--followed by Q & A.
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Wednesday, March 31; 4 PM. We chose HOMEGOING, a novel by Yaa Gyasi that follows two sisters — one who is sold into slavery, and another who marries an Englishman. One of Oprah’s Best Books of the Year and a PEN/Hemingway award winner, Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed—and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.
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VISIBILITY & OUTREACH CAMPAIGN:
Share "LEAGUE PRIDE"
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In the last few months, our local League has been invited to describe the goals and history of the League or the history of women suffrage to various groups:
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October 2020: W&M Mason School of Business; Diversity Initiative--presented by Maryann Simpson & Sharon Owlett
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February 2021: York/Poquoson Democratic Committee--presented by Mary Ann Moxon
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February 2021: W&M and Williamsburg Regional Library's post-One Community Book series; Community Resources for Racial Reconciliation program--short "elevator speech" about our local League by Mary Ann Moxon
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March 2021: W&M "Branch Out" Student Group--presented by Sudie Watkins & Mary Ann Moxon
It is so easy--especially with Zoom-friendly presentations such as this "League 101" one can be custom-tuned to varied groups. Training will be provided!
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Outreach: ALL TOGETHER, NAACP & COMING TO THE TABLE
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Recommit to Loving Thy Neighbor, Recommit to Being Anti-Racist, a Public Meet & Greet with Guest Speaker Lawrence Gholson, York James City Williamsburg NAACP, Branch President, sponsored by All Together
Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 PM
The mission of All Together is to improve the quality of life of the community of Greater Williamsburg by bringing together people across racial, ethnic and cultural lines to communicate and engage in activities that foster unity, inclusiveness and equal opportunity.
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DID YOU MISS THIS? (3/13/21 Virginia Gazette)
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WANT TO BE A DELEGATE-or OBSERVER-at LWV-Virginia CONVENTION?
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Because we are the second largest local League in Virginia, we may have 14 Delegates and an unlimited number of observers.
Our local League Delegates and Observers will be reimbursed for their registration fee.
Workshop topics include Criminal Justice Reform, Voting Rights, Behavioral Health. . .
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- Donna Benson
- Virnell Bruce
- Gary Cusack
- Shirley & Rufus Harris
- Bobbie Hunnicutt
- Cristina Klee
- Elizabeth Niddleton
- Patricia Myles
- Ronda Roberts
Check out MEMBER CORNER at top of eVOTER for a "Member Handbook."
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EDUCATE - ADVOCATE - MOTIVATE
Recruit a Full-time students 16 or older:
No dues
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
all still on Zoom
March 16 & 23; 10:30 AM: Great Decisions
Wednesday, March 17; 7 PM: Hot Topic of the Month: What Do You Know about Police Reform in Virginia?
Tuesday, March 30, 6:30 PM: Recommit to Loving Thy Neighbor, Recommit to Being Anti-Racist, a Public Meet & Greet with Guest Speaker Lawrence Gholson, NAACP, sponsored by All Together
Wednesday, March 31, 4 PM: LWV Book Club; HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi
Thursday, April 22: Hot Topic of the Month, Civic Education in WJCC Schools
Thursday, May 27, 4 PM: Hot Topic of the Month, Immigration
*LWV-WA Board Meetings (still on Zoom) are always open to members;
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LWVWA POST -BOARD-MEETING (3/3/21) HIGHLIGHTS |
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- Appointed Sudie Watkins and Susan Bivins to Nominating Committee
- Appointed Nancy Bolash and ? to Budget Committee
- Agreed to volunteer hosting LWV-Virginia State Convention in 2023
- Reviewed "Speaking for the League" policy
- Agreed to address Fenton Mill rezoning project at 3/16/21 York Co. BOS Meeting
- Set local League meetings calendar for the rest of the League year
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Agreed to participate in DC Statehood postcard campaign (See video)
- Established a Funding Projects Review Committee
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BEFORE YOU GO . . .
Truth Decay from the Rand Corporation; 2018 but so true today
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2020-2021 LWV-WA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
(elected & appointed)
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The League has been an activist, grassroots organization since 1920. We believe that citizens should play a critical role in voter education & advocacy. |
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