~~ April 2021 Newsletter ~~ Taking Care of Each Other & the Earth

A Message From Our Co-CEOs Our Mountaintop Moment They say, “April showers bring May flowers." I remember hearing that so often as a child at the burgeoning of Spring. Winter, from its cold dark tomb, opened to birth new beginnings in full vibrant color after weeks of rain. And in a child’s way, I also remember that day in April 1968 when everyone I knew ran through the streets wailing, “King is dead! King is dead.” For days, it seemed to rain as people wept. Yet we prepared for Easter, laying baskets of white lilies on the graves of loved ones and in my church, my second-grade classroom and beside the bible that always sat open on our living room table. It was the season of mourning martyrs. But when the rain stopped and the showers of April gave way to the flowers of May, our elders raised their heads to the sun and bowed them no more. The lilies in the pulpits shook, rattled by the call to action from our pastors. Prayers led to preparation. Neighbors gathered - talking, planning, strategizing about the movement that must continue. Long live The King.  Years from now, just as history remembers April 4, 1968, we will remember where we were during the pandemic. We will recall how we mourned, how we gathered virtually with some and distanced from others. We will never forget the months of quarantine, the “I can’t breathe” summer, the tumbling of monuments, the global cry for justice and the pantheon of new-age martyrs that emerged - George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery. We will remember the end of NORMAL and the beginning of what we hope to be the second birth of this nation, bursting with the promise of equity and civil justice. But getting there requires ACTION. Ask yourself: “What can I do to ensure that this movement continues?" At the table, we have sown new relationships and grown a vision that acknowledges truth and steers toward healing and repair - that’s our promised land. AND this is our mountaintop moment. Your moment. The combined leadership of CTTT-RVA invites you to look over and see the future. Through deliberate action and concerted effort, we can be the future. Happy Spring, family! Danita Rountree Green, Co-CEO "The lilies in the pulpits shook, rattled by the call to action from our pastors." That's what caught my attention in Danita's reflection. I want to know more lilies and more people rattled by pastors right now... I want pastors calling a strong welcome to confession and lament. Calling for apology. Calling for repayment of what was stolen. Thundering demands for justice and gentle telling of hard truth are both needed. I am thankful to those who are bold enough to bluntly name what blocks our path to Beloved Community and lead the way out of it. I want to see and hear more friends, neighbors, AND people of strong faith, finding they can, with full attention and openness, welcome changes in heart, identity, and priority. I want them to know they can safely let go of some of the legacy they inherited. Changed hearts see the world in new ways. Changed hearts expand in hope that blossoms into new vision, new action. Seeing and hearing what is true is liberating for all of us. MLK's words have been relevant far too long. So have the calls for justice and peace written in all the sacred texts. Let them finally shake us to our foundations. Let the people say "Ase!" and "Amen!" Marsha Summers, Co-CEO April CTTT - RVA Family Gathering Taking Care of Each Other & the Earth A Conversation on Environmental Justice and Race Equity Tuesday, April 20 6:30 - 8:30 pm ET (3rd Tuesday Gathering) Join us for a conversation taking place in Virginia concerning issues of climate change and environmental hazards which has far-reaching justice and moral implications for all of our Richmond communities. The pandemic has forced us to recognize our partnership with the planet and the need for healthy food and clean water and air to lead a harmonic existence. Our special guests are Kendyl Crawley Crawford and Rev Dr Faith Harris from Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, which brings together all faith communities to mobilize a religious response to climate change through energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. Learn how we can be better stewards of our environment and support marginalized communities traditionally challenged by environmental harm. Let's do our HOMEwork to create equitable conditions that promote healthier lifestyles for ALL of our communities!  Register Now! Education For Action Book Circle (2nd Thursday of the Month) Thursday, April 8th Via Zoom 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET Throughout 2021, the Education For Action Book Circle will be taking a deep dive into: Black Reconstruction in America, 1860 - 1880 by W.E.B. Du Bois In preparation for our April circle, we are reading Chapter VI, "Looking Backward." Du Bois’ game-changing reading of the vital role of the enslaved liberating themselves and taking up arms in the ending of the Civil War should be required reading especially for anyone living in the South. Join us as we continue to mine Du Bois’ analysis of the first reconstruction period for indispensable insight about how we understand and act in this Third Reconstruction moment. Contact Darren for more information. Movie Circle (4th Monday of the month) Taking Care of Each Other & the Earth Monday, April 26, 2021 Conversation via Zoom 6:30 - 7:30 pm ET In honor of Earth Day (April 22), we have chosen an exciting and controversial selection of movies and videos for our Movie Circle. We have divided our selection by interest area and encourage you to watch what resonates with you.  Food and Health "What the Health" (2017 1:31) free on Netflix A controversial film that critiques the health impact of meat, fish, eggs and dairy product consumption on ourselves and our planet. Clean Water  "Tapped" (2009 1:16) streaming on Amazon Prime, YouTube, iTunes, Apple TV and other streaming services This film examines the financial and ecological impact of our bottled water industry, including the toxic byproducts of manufacturing plastic water bottles. Our Land "The Fight for America's Public Land" (2020 1:38) Free on Patagonia via YouTube This Public Trust Feature film explores the threats facing our public lands from Alaska, Montana and Minnesota. If you are short on time or want to add extra - check these out: "Is the Environment Racist too?" (2021 6 minutes) Free on YouTube or Facebook. Comedian and commentator Samantha Bee discusses this very topic with humor and insight. "What is Environmental Racism?" (2020 13 minutes) Free on YouTube. How systematic racism derails our efforts to save our planet and highlights behavior in the US and UK. Please watch what you can and come prepared to participate in facilitated small group breakout sessions. Registration is limited and the registration deadline is April 24th. Register Here RAW Truth Session #3 Wednesday, April 28th Via Zoom 7:00 – 8:30 pm ET Thad Williamson, PhD ~~~ Racism At Work in Economics and Community Wealth Building ~~~~~~~~~~~ Suggested Readings: “Voices: The New Richmond Busy Being Born” Thad Williamson, (Cheats Movement RVA Blog / July 19. 2020)   “The Almost Inevitable Failure of Justice” Thad Williamson, (Boston Review / February 22, 2018) ~~~~~~~~~~~   Summary of RAW Truth Session #2 with Rev Ben Campbell on Richmond’s Unhealed History.   What Is RAW? Racism At Work (RAW) Truth Sessions allow participants the opportunity to explore how the social constructs of race and racism have been intentionally and systematically woven into the very fabric of American society in general, and Richmond in particular.    Upcoming RAW Truth Sessions May 26: Racism At Work in Housing and Personal Wealth Building - Martin Wegbreit, Director of Litigation, Central Virginia Legal Aid Society    Future RAW Truth sessions explore: Racism At Work in: / Education / Healthcare/ Social Justice / Politics / Media and Entertainment / Employment / Sports and more. For more information email our working group! Register Now Reading For Change Book Circle (4th Thursday of the month) The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett Thursday, April 22nd Via Zoom 6:30 – 8:30 pm ET Come join us to discuss the fictional book about the paths of a set of twins separated by choice, but whose destinies cannot be changed. “The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect?  Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing. Looking well beyond issues of race, The Vanishing Half considers the lasting influence of the past as it shapes a person's decisions, desires, and expectations, and explores some of the multiple reasons and realms in which people sometimes feel pulled to live as something other than their origins." Email our co-conveners team to be added to our Book Circle mailing list to receive an invitation and Zoom details. Reparations Circle Reparations Blueprint: What Evanston's Move Means for... Evanston has become the first city in the country to offer reparations for Black residents. Last week, aldermen voted to distribute $10 million over the next 10 years, using tax money from the sale of recreational marijuana. We discuss the local... Read more news.wttw.com Explained - The Racial Wealth Gap ...on Netflix   To view previous versions of the Reparations Circle Update CLICK HERE Let's Be BOLD... Building Our Legacy Daily (Theme for the 2021 CTTT Virtual National Gathering!)  Save the Dates CTTT National Gathering - Virtual! June 24 - 27, 2021 Please save the dates and plan to join your friends across the country at the Table! There will be multiple presentations, breakout sessions (Saturday), a focus on Local Affiliate Groups, mindfulness, and wonderful opportunities to connect with others and learn together.  Though we won’t be together physically, this virtual gathering will allow many more members to participate from wherever they live in the world… no travel, accommodations nor food costs to face, just a registration fee. Keynote speaker, Dr. Joy DeGruy, is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator and author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome. Her research focuses on the intersection of racism, trauma, violence and American chattel slavery. More exciting details to come! Rev. Dr. MLK's "Mountaintop" Speech (excerpts) “...Something is happening in our world. The masses of people are rising up. And wherever they are assembled today, whether they are in Johannesburg, South Africa; Nairobi, Kenya; Accra, Ghana; New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; Jackson, Mississippi; or Memphis, Tennessee — the cry is always the same — 'We want to be free.' And another reason that I'm happy to live in this period is that we have been forced to a point where we're going to have to grapple with the problems that men have been trying to grapple with through history, but the demand didn't force them to do it. Survival demands that we grapple with them. Men, for years now, have been talking about war and peace. But now, no longer can they just talk about it. It is no longer a choice between violence and nonviolence in this world; it's nonviolence or nonexistence.  That is where we are today. And also in the human rights revolution, if something isn't done, and in a hurry, to bring the colored peoples of the world out of their long years of poverty, their long years of hurt and neglect, the whole world is doomed. Now, I'm just happy that God has allowed me to live in this period, to see what is unfolding...    I've been to the mountaintop...I've looked over and I've seen the promised land...”     - Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Excerpts from his “Mountaintop” speech in Memphis, Tenn. on April 3, 1968, the day before he was assassinated. Read the whole speech HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS (RVA): CTTT - RVA Event (NAT): CTTT - National Event Thursday, April 8th 6:30 - 8:00 pm ET Education For Action Book Circle via ZOOM. Contact Darren to be added to mailing list. (RVA) Saturday, April 10th 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET CTTT Guided Meditation via ZOOM. Contact Hayat w/questions after checking out above link (NAT) Tuesday, April 20th 6:30 - 8:30 pm ET Monthly CTTT - RVA 3rd Tuesday Family Gathering via ZOOM. Contact Hayat for more info. (RVA) Thursday, April 22nd 6:30 - 8:30 pm ET Reading For Change Book Circle via ZOOM Contact Book Circle Co-Conveners to be added to mailing list. (RVA) Monday, April 26th 6:30 - 7:30 pm ET Movie Circle Conversation via ZOOM. Contact Julie to be added to mailing list. (RVA) Thursday, April 28nd 7:00 - 8:30 pm ET Racism at Work (RAW) via ZOOM. Contact our team for more info. (RVA) “If you all could fix racism so that I can focus on fixing the planet that would be great - xoxo" ~Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson CTTT - RVA 3rd Tuesday Family Gathering Theme Calendar APRIL Taking Care of Each Other & the Earth MAY People Over Prisons ~ Freedom Fighters JUNE Making Room at the Table ~ Celebrating Inclusivity JULY Local Heroes ~ Celebrate Richmond AUGUST Sacred Ground ~ Preserve the Past SEPTEMBER Family Reunion ~ Art & Culture OCTOBER Monuments & Movements NOVEMBER Truth & Reconciliation ~ Remembering our Ancestors DECEMBER Giving Back ~ Reparations Click here to view all CTTT - RVA events DONATE Visit the website Want to get local to make environmental change in Richmond? ~~~ Building a healthy, equitable, and sustainable environment for all Check out this local community organization whose aim is to tackle environmental disparities by building green spaces, reducing pollution and increasing infrastructure assets to positively adapt to a changing climate. They are committed to improving the quality of life and wellness for communities in the Southside. Learn More “How can we expect Black Americans to focus on climate when we are so at risk on our streets, in our communities, and even within our own homes? How can people of color effectively lead their communities on climate solutions when faced with pervasive and life-shortening racism?" -Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Read More CTTT - RVA Family Reunion! CTTT - RVA has designated September as Annual Family Reunion month. It's an opportunity for us to gather, share and connect with others within and across racial lines to develop and deepen relationships. We would like to explore the possibility of providing an outside, in person, COVID-19 conscious event that will enable our collective family to gather, celebrate, laugh, heal, organize and re-energize. Act NOW to help plan this event! We'll be in touch soon! Yes Select No Select Podcast Spotlight Black Lives Matter and the Climate from Sept 24, 2020 Black Lives Matter is the largest movement in U.S. history, and it’s had environmental justice as part of its policy platform from the start. In this particular show, talk centers around why the fight for racial justice is critical to saving the planet, and what the broader climate movement can learn from the Black Lives Matter movement.  Listen Here Black people are significantly more concerned about climate change than white people (57 percent vs. 49 percent). Research suggests that people of color may be more concerned than Whites about climate change because they are often more exposed and vulnerable to environmental hazards and extreme weather events.  Read More If you would like to join the Reparations Circle to learn more about opportunities with which you can help, please join us. Read this powerful book on the Climate Crisis that uplifts truth, courage, & solutions for the climate crisis. “A mosaic that honors the complexity of the climate crisis like few, if any, books on the topic have done yet … a feast of ideas and perspectives, setting a big table for the climate movement, declaring all are welcome.” — Rolling Stone Building ⚡️power + ☀️ joy to support women leading on climate & to nurture a just & livable future.  Visit the website Dr. Joy DeGruy

How Does it ALL Come Together? What a banner year this has been Coming To The Table - RVA. We have grown, adapted and charted a vision as well as a path toward a just and truthful society that acknowledges and seeks to heal from the racial wounds of the past. YOU are a critical part of continuing on this path and we are glad to walk with you as we further commit to growing a community of truth-telling, transformation and liberation.  Click the Community Report to the left to read more! And while there is no membership fee to join Coming To The Table, our ability to reach our greater community depends on the generous financial support of our members. Currently we have one member who has challenged us with a matching grant! This partner will match all donations brought in this year up to $75,000! What a generous gift!! Can YOU be part of that matching gift? If so, please click the link below. Donate to the Matching Fund!

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