Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar
Week of Mon March 30th through Sun April 5th, 2020
About the Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar

The purpose of the Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar is to connect the Black Community of CSU Monterey Bay with the local Black Communities of the Greater Monterey Bay Area. The Calendar is edited by Steven Goings, MSW and is entirely voluntary and looking for institutional support. To submit an event for possible inclusion, please send to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com. The plan is to send out the Calendar every Monday at 9 AM for those who wish to receive it. The deadline for Monday submissions is midnight of the previous Thursday.
Steven's Take:
 The Church and COVID 19

When Jesus returns from praying at Gethsemane only to find Peter, John and James sleeping instead of keeping watch, he laments, "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

From a Christian point-of-view, there are times when we are forced to acknowledge the weakness of our flesh while maintaining the strength of our connection to spirit. The Church during the COVID 19 pandemic is one of those times... Click Here to Continue Reading

Streaming Church Services Online Links

Emmanuel Church of God in Christ:
·       Website : https://www.emmanuelcogic.org/
·       Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EmmanuelSeaside/
·       YouTube:  EmmanuelCOGIC
·       Dial-In Conference Line:   425-436-6390; Access Code: 479491
·       Online Offerings/Donations:   Givelify (Emmanuel Church of God in Christ)
 
Greater Victory Temple COGIC:
·       Website:   h ttps://greatervictorytemple.org/
·       YouTube:  Greater Victory Temple of Seaside CA
·       Online Offerings/Donations:  PayPal or Givelify
 
Friendship Baptist Church:
·       Website:  https://friendshipseaside.org/
·       YouTube:  Friendship Baptist Church Seaside
·       Online Offerings/Donations:  PayPal or Givelify
Video Messages from Local Pastors
on Church Services and COVID-19:


Rev. Eugene Jones; Emmanuel Church of God in Christ: https://www.facebook.com/845741335502809/videos/516953179255713/

Messages from
Monterey County Branch NAACP
Health Chair Victoria Lee

Will We Not Experience Humanity Until We've Seen Our Own Mortality?

I'm Victoria Lee, [Health Committee] chairperson for the Monterey County NAACP. I've spoken with individuals within our community who are sick, have a cough, and are lethargic. They haven't been tested. They are concerned, one individual actually went to the ER at CHOMP and was told he had all the symptoms but, they didn't have enough tests, that he should go home and rest... Click Here to Continue Reading.


At Home During a Time of Crisis...What To Do

"Remember This is Only Temporary"
Instead of feeling angry, sad, and depressed I decided to see the positive aspect of being in isolation with only my immediate family for company... Click Here to Continue Reading.

In the Spotlight:

Victoria Lee,
Monterey County NAACP Health Chair


Victoria Lee is the current Health Chair of the Monterey County Branch NAACP. She is also the Executive Director at Vicky's Art School. The following bio is taken from the Vicky's Art School website (https://www.vickysartschool.org )

Vicky's​ Art School
Art Heals
Relax . Create . Repeat


Hello I'm Vicky Lee
Thank you for joining me, let's Create!

“I am here for children in our community who for some reason or another do not fit in to the "Normal".  I'm Sharing my gift of creativity to enhance the lives of children affected by learning disabilities, physical challenges, economical and social disadvantages.”

I'm a mom to 3 beautiful children including one cancer warrior that's a 2x brain tumor survivor. I have first hand experience with how challenging it can be to celebrate a child that doesn't fit in with everyone else's normal. 
Before creating our art school, I enjoyed interacting with my community as an outreach coordinator and educator at Jacob's Heart Pediatric Cancer Support Services and at the present time I'm a peer to peer mentor at the Brain Tumor Foundation in Los Angeles. I have worked with children and families with learning disabilities for 20 years and utilize the positive parenting model. Additionally, I'm certified in applied behavioral analysis (ABA), meditation, visualization and stress reduction techniques all while homeschooling my daughter for nearly 7 years.

I Love Art and the tranquility that it's brought me during difficult times throughout my entire life. I also enjoy fundraising, organizing community events, and I've had the privilege of living in Monterey County for 18 years.
I hold a Bachelors of Science in Psychology with a minor in Child Development and, a focus on applied behavioral analysis.
NAACP Covid-19 Resources
  • the NAACP has stepped up and is doing whatever it takes to protect our communities:We released a guide to help officials responsible for addressing health, economic, and other impacts, in remediating some of the issues that are disproportionately affecting communities of color. The full guide is available to download here.
  • We hosted an emergency tele-town hall featuring a panel of faith, medical and political leaders who addressed how our community members can protect themselves along with safety measures the federal government is taking to mitigate—and ultimately end—the pandemic. More than 21,000 concerned citizens tuned in live to this must-hear discussion. But if you missed it, we have provided the full audio here, and I strongly encourage you to take the time to listen to it now.
  • And our team of policy experts are advocating tirelessly and relentlessly for increased access to childcare in at-risk communities, provision of food assistance to families enrolled in the free meal program via mobile delivery and food vouchers, and immediate cessation of efforts to mislead and divide the public for personal political gain—especially by falsely suggesting that persons of certain nationalities are responsible for the spread of the virus.
Exploring Interdependence
through the Lens of Blackness

A webinar with Ruth King and Kamilah Majied

This engaging webinar, open to all people of all ethnicities, invites us to deepen our understanding of interdependence and contemplative dialogue by exploring the wondrous ways in which our lives have been enriched by the resilience, creativity, and leadership of Black people. Through meditative reflections, we bring to awareness the Black threads in our lives that have inspired a tapestry of reverence, connection, and healing.

Meet the Presenters

Dr. Kamilah Majied is a mental health therapist, clinical academician, and internationally engaged consultant on inclusivity and contemplative pedagogy and practice.
Ruth King is an international teacher in the Insight Meditation tradition, serving on the Teacher’s Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, CA.
Ongoing Community Call for bios & pictures of local Black Community leaders and organizations for permanent archive, please send to africanquazar@gmail.comm

Jazz Appreciation Month Profile Link:
Louis Armstrong

The 20th century produced no shortage of legendary instrumentalists and vocalists but Louis Armstrong is the only figure who completely changed the way people played music on their instruments and he completely changed the way people sang. Perfecting the concept of the improvised solo, popularizing the use of scat singing, defining the concept of swing–those are just some of the ways Louis Armstrong changed jazz, and American popular music–during his lifetime.

Click here for link to read story at The Louis Armstrong House website.
Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar 
Submit to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com