Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar Week of Mon June 8th through Sun June 14th, 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 I have had an interesting week personally. I took advantage of the continuing call from Mel and Regina Mason to join their daily Emotional Emancipation calls for the Black Community. Over the last few days of the call, we have been focused on supporting some local folks who have cases before the court in which black folks were the victim of white assaults but are not being treated fairly by the system. I will say more when I am at liberty to do so. Friday, I launched a Facebook group, "The Monterey Bay Black Folks Calendar" to supplement the weekly calendar I send out through Constant Contact. This is more interactive and people can post their Black related content directly there -- some of which may make its way into the official calendar. Saturday, I was contacted by former Monterey County Weekly photographer Nic Coury for a project he has launched photographic local African American activists and getting their reactions to the Floyd unauthorized state execution and the subsequent protests. Sunday, I also had an opportunity to co-facilitate the Soul Power Hour on Sunday with one of my favorite people in the world Ms. Asya Guillory. We had a score of people on the call from the Bay Area down to L.A. I may not be happy about the reason that there is increased energy and focus on the Black community, but I am very pleased that there is increased energy and focus and that we are using this latest tragedy to bring our people closer together.

Monterey Bay Black Folks Calendar Facebook Group Launched!! Check out our new Facebook Group: "Monterey Bay Black Folks Calendar". When you join the group you can directly post happenings of interest to the local Black Communities of Monterey Bay. Local activist Nathaniel Sawyer recently posted a link to one of the local protests he was leading. Check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/nathaniel.sawyer.735/videos/305397293959197/

Black Voices and Photos Photographer Nic Coury has launched a new portrait project highlighting the voices of Black people in Monterey. He does a photo shoot while asking the subject how they are doing in light of the George Floyd killing and recent protests. If you would like to participate in this project, message Nic Coury on Facebook. If you aren't on Facebook, you can email me (Steven Goings) at africanquazar@gmail.com and I will forward it to him. Here is a link to the shoot on Steven Goings on Instagram I will add others to the Black Folks Calendar as they become available.

In the Spotlight: Monterey County NAACP Executive Director Yvonne Thomas Current Monterey County NAACP President Josh Stewart appointed Yvonne Thomas to the position of Executive Director of the branch in April, 2020. As ED, Ms. Thomas oversees and assists all branch committees and chairpersons. Ms. Thomas reports, " I am pleased to utilize my 30+ years of senior management experience in the field of television post production, including 20 years as a business owner, to help the Monterey County NAACP continue to fulfill its vision of ensuring a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race. Seaside is my home, and I am very excited to have this opportunity to work with and give back to this community that is so very dear to my heart.” Yvonne Thomas is a veteran journalist, media professional, and the founder and CEO of both Precision Creative Services and YGolf Magazine. She is a native of Seaside, attended Ord Terrace elementary school, King Jr. High, and Seaside High School. Yvonne was the first African American student at the University of Southern California to graduate with a degree in Sports Information-Broadcast Journalism. Her career highlights also include working at ABC Sports, CBS Sports, the Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League, and as the Editor of the City of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation newsletter.

Yvonne's Take: "The Time for Change is Now!" Speaking as a Black person and citizen of Monterey County -- not as a spokesperson for the NAACP -- Ms. Thomas wrote an opinion piece for the Voices of Monterey Bay, "The Time for Change is Now!" In it she writes, "Looking outside as the sun rose over the Monterey Bay this morning, the feeling in the air was a little melancholy. The calm and idyllic view of the beautiful ocean is the exact polar opposite of the civil unrest shaking the world right now like a global earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale. But this is no natural disaster. This unsettling feeling was the byproduct of a global pandemic caused by man over the course of the last 400 years. George Floyd’s murder by law enforcement officers in Minneapolis on May 25 was just the most recent tremor. Today, his name is..." Click here to continue reading the Voices of Monterey Bay article.

The Village Project Emotional Emancipation Calls Continue Monday June 14th - Friday June 19th at noon. Strictly for Black / African American identified people, these daily check-in calls are based on their emotional emancipation group counseling program.  To receive the zoom id and password contact The Village Project, Inc. at 392-1500 or send your email address to Steven Goings at AfricanQuazar@gmail.com with the subject line "Juneteenth".

CSU Monterey Bay gets funding to support Center for Black Student Success, Super Saturday, the Black Folks Calendar, Black themed workshops and community forums! Our first Black Town & Gown Forum will be over zoom on July 6 from 6 to 7:30 PM. Contact Steven Goings at AfricanQuazar@gmail.com for zoom link and password.

NAACP Monterey County Black Business Directory: The Monterey County Branch NAACP continues to collect entries for the Black Business Directory that they intend to release later this month. If you would like to submit to the Black Business Directory please submit directly to: lbogene@yahoo.com.

It is LGBTQ Pride Month! What do you get when you cross Black Folks with LGBTQ+ Pride? Black Queer Town Hall of course! Check out this YouTube description of the event: https://youtu.be/0FnRZYYdgJI

LGBTQ Month Profile Link: ALICIA GARZA ...A s a queer Black woman, Garza's leadership and work challenge the misconception that only cisgender Black men encounter police and state violence. While the tragic deaths of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown were catalysts for the emergence of the BLM movement, Garza is clear: In order to truly understand how devastating and widespread this type of violence is in Black America, we must view this epidemic through a lens of race, gender, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Click here for link to the Black Lives Matter Co-founders page and to continue reading Ms. Garza's biography.

Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar  Submit to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com