To Heal and To Hope in June | |
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June represents the end of things and the beginning of things. As the seasons change, we welcome transitions revolving around home, school and work. Pack up! There are trips to take, and shady trees that beg us to stay. As we come and go this summer, CT-VA asks that you pause with us to observe a new yet very old holiday.
Juneteenth, a day that acknowledges when freedom came to the last enslaved bodies in America, calls us to both celebrate and mourn an important part of our shared history. Certainly my own. I am humbled when I remember that only four generations separate me from enslavement, only three generations separate me from The Great Migration and only one generation from possibly never having the right to vote.
My heart sings when I think of freedom and the privileges that come with it, and I hope our ancestors are witnessing how far we have come. Take a moment to read President Biden’s proclamation signed June 17, 2022. He describes an evolving nation, learning to heal, daring to hope and working to grow.
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A Proclamation on Juneteenth
Day of Observance, 2022
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“Juneteenth is a day to reflect on both bondage and freedom — a day of both pain and purpose. It is, in equal measure, a remembrance of both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, as well as a celebration of the promise of a brighter morning to come."
"On Juneteenth, we remember our extraordinary capacity to heal, to hope, and to emerge from our worst moments as a stronger, freer, and more just Nation.” To read more: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2022/06/17/a-proclamation-on-juneteenth-day-of-observance-2022/
I hope you join us for our 3rd Tuesday Gathering on June 20th celebrating Juneteenth! Morgan Avery McCoy will perform excerpts from her hit stage production “Evolution of a Black Girl”. Her story tells our story of the pursuit of freedom and democracy. Grab a hotdog or veggie burger and end the season with us as family. It’s gonna be evolutionary!
Bringing LOVE to the Fight for Freedom,
Danita
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3rd Tuesday Dinner Gathering
Tuesday, June 20th
6:00 - 8:30 PM ET
Ginter Park Presbyterian Church
Fellowship Hall
3601 Seminary Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227
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For the June 3rd Tuesday Dinner, we are celebrating Juneteenth with Morgan Avery McCoy, the CEO of M.A.M. Inc. She utilizes her unique storytelling ability to motivate audiences of all ages. Morgan’s mission is to empower, educate and entertain using drama and comedy to connect with people and expose social woes. She can be seen in the highly acclaimed Harriet and most recently on the Peacock Network in Finding Boaz. Don't miss this command performance featuring excerpts from her original production "Evolution of a Black Girl.". | |
The Grill Brothers 804 will be catering this event. They pour their heart and soul into every dish! Join us for an evening you will not forget.
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Summer Book Fundraiser
Donate books on race-related issues on June 2oth and purchase books as part of our Summer Reading Book Sale/Fundraiser! (Scroll down for article)
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JUNE SPOTLIGHT
Environmental Racism
Wednesday, June 14
6:30 - 8:30PM
The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design
2501 Monument Avenue
Richmond, VA 23220
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Coming Together Virginia is presenting a thought-provoking discussion concerning the impact of redlining as it pertains to environmental racism. Communities of color or communities with a large immigrant population were denied the opporutunity to pariticpate in the American Dream of home ownership. A systematic process of redlining these neighborhoods was developed and exist to some degree today. This in-person event will enable participants to discuss with field experts and community activists the impact of environmental racism. | | |
Donate - Purchase Books on June 20th! | |
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Summer Reading
Book Sale/Fundraiser
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YOU CAN HELP MAKE OUR JUNE Fundraiser and Friend-Raiser A BIG SUCCESS.
1) REGISTER and PARTICIPATE! Click the button below to Register.
2) BRING A FRIEND: We need new members participating in our gatherings, people who want to work toward our vision of a racially healed world of thriving, equitable and just communities!
3) DONATE GENTLY USED BOOKS & DVDs ON RACE IN AMERICA: Help get books off shelves and into the hands of readers--books that will educate & re-educate all of us on race in America.
Bring books to the June 20th
3rd Tuesday Dinner.
4) Buy books and raffle tickets. Stock up on your Summer reading and help support the race-related work CT-VA does all year long.
For more info email Bonnie Dowdy. ([email protected]) Proceeds benefit CT-VA.
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Education For Action
Book Circle
(3rd Thursday)
Thursday, June 15th
6:00 - 8:30 pm ET
In-Person
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A President's Views On Slavery | |
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Education for Action Book Circle will be meeting in person on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. We will enjoy a potluck dinner while reviewing some articles together and discussing President James Madison’s views on slavery. Madison opposed slavery even as he simultaneously was paternalist, anti-black, and owned enslaved people. We would love for you to join us for this discussion.
Please e-mail Cheryl Goode at [email protected] for this month’s location.
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Movie Circle
Discussion
(4th Mondays)
Monday, June 26th
6:30 - 8:00 PM ET
On Zoom
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In 2015 New Orleans took the first steps and removed its Confederate statues. In August 2017, Americans clashed in Charlottesville, Va., over the question of whether to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. The clash in Charlottesville was reminiscent of the Civil War that divided this country 150 years earlier, and comedian-cum-filmmaker CJ Hunt was there to witness the standoff.
Hunt’s alternately amusing and enraging essay film “The Neutral Ground” goes beyond the surface debates to examine why some Southerners are so attached to their Civil War heroes. In Richmond the process of removing the Confederate Statues began in 2020 ending with the last one removed in 2022. Lets discuss how we as a city and nation have been changed. Watch the movie on your own, then join us for the discussion.
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Reading For Change
Book Circle
(4th Thursdays)
Thursday, June 22nd
6:30 - 8:00 PM ET
On Zoom
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Gordon-Reed’s new, 144-page book is named for the holiday commemorating the moment when news of legalized slavery’s end in the U.S. finally reached African Americans in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 — about 2½ years after the Emancipation Proclamation. A blend of history and memoir, it shines a light on some of her early experiences in the segregationist South — she became the first Black student to attend a white school in her town — and how the country’s largest state “has always embodied nearly every major aspect of the story of the United States of America.”
Please join in the discussion of this book, even if you have not had time to finish it or read it. You will not want to miss this opportunity to expand your knowledge.
Doug Steele
RFC Book Circle Convener
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Become A Process Expert
Become a CT-VA Facilitator
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CT-VA has a structured training program that prepares you to fulfill this role competently AND COMFORTABLY. It includes two 4-hour weekend training sessions during the program year plus Facilitator Circle Trainings the second Thursday of each program month. If you desire, you can advance to LEVEL 2 training and become a CT-VA certified facilitator AND SUPPORT OUR EVENTS
IN THE COMMUNITY.
If there is sufficient interest, We will hold a 30-minute introduction to the facilitation program following our June 20th 3rd Tuesday Gathering (8:35-9:05 pm); we will share how you can get a head start over the summer. If you are interested HAVE QUESTIONS? Please email Dr. Bonnie Dowdy, the Coordinator of Facilitation and Training.
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Jonathan Davis, Marketing and Communications Manager
Hayat Bain, Coordinator of Communications & Partnerships
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