Happy Lunar New Year to those who celebrated & Happy African American History Month! This month and every month, let’s celebrate, educate, honor, grapple with, and immerse ourselves in the African American experience, perspective, artistry, culture, and history.
We cannot send out this newsletter without adding our voice to the outcry over the death of Tyre Nichols at the hands of five police officers in Memphis, TN. Click here to learn about Demanding Uniformed Police Reform. Click here to learn about the NAACP efforts. Click here to see Tyre’s wonderful photography.
Please scroll down for meaningful, educational, and entertaining experiences for you and your family to LISTEN, DO, READ, & WATCH.
-Your Day FORJ Committee
LISTEN:
CNN One Thing podcast: Are Florida Students Getting the Full Story, which examines “how students, parents and teachers are reacting to this new era of partisan education” in the wake of Florida’s rejection of a proposed Advanced Placement course on African American Studies.
DO:
Pick up a delicious bite at Che! Empanada at 795 Washington Street in Newtonville, (617) 916-0005, www.cheempanada.com. To read about this adorable and yummy local gem, check out this Boston Globe article.
Donate to the Intertribal Youth Day Ski Trip 2023 organized by Indigenous Peoples Day Newton. “Help our Indigenous youth experience a new relationship with the land this winter season! Youth of color face a greater disparity in access to winter sports. For Indigenous youth in particular, this lack of access impacts their special relationship with the land that has been fostered for millennia with, and through, their elders and ancestors.” In collaboration with local tribes, Indigenous Peoples Day Newton is looking to raise $4,250 by 2/15 to offset some of the costs of transportation, food, and rentals for 20 Indigenous youth to participate in a no cost, day-long ski trip.” Donate Here.
Wednesday, February 1 – Sunday, February 12: Made in China, 2.0 at the Emerson Paramount Theatre, 559 Washington Street, Boston. “Wang Chong is recognized around the world as one of Beijing’s most creative, provocative theatre directors, celebrated for his visionary experiments with classic and contemporary plays. In Made in China 2.0, he takes audiences on a journey deep inside his personal experiences of creating theatre around the globe, unpacking stereotypes of the global expectations of what China brings to the world. An immersive, funny, brilliantly crafted one-person-tour-de-force, Made in China 2.0 reveals an illuminating portrait of family, pop culture, and the role of the artist and provocateur in uncertain times.” Purchase Tickets Here.
Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 pm: Register Here for Before Busing: A History of Boston’s Long Black Freedom Struggle. Online or In Person at the Harvard Countway Library, 10 Shattuck Street, Boston. Dr. Zebulon Vance Miletsky, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Stony Brook University, tells the story of the men and women who struggled and demonstrated to make school desegregation a reality in Boston, revealing the legal battles efforts and battles over tactics that played out locally and influenced the nation Black freedom struggle, as well as unsung Black organizers, parents, and children who fought long and hard battles for justice.”
Wednesday, February 8-Sunday, March 5: See August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Hibernian Hall, Boston. “Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, Seven Guitars is fifth in Wilson’s theatrical saga. Part elegy, part mystery, and infused with bluesy lyricism, this bawdy comedy takes an intimate look at seven African-American characters and the events leading up to the untimely death of an up-and-coming blues musician.” Purchase Tickets Here.
Tuesday, February 7, 7:00 pm: Register Here for Before Busing: A History of Boston’s Long Black Freedom Struggle. Online or In Person at the Harvard Countway Library, 10 Shattuck Street, Boston. Dr. Zebulon Vance Miletsky, Associate Professor of Africana Studies at Stony Brook University, tells the story of the men and women who struggled and demonstrated to make school desegregation a reality in Boston, revealing the legal battles efforts and battles over tactics that played out locally and influenced the nation Black freedom struggle, as well as unsung Black organizers, parents, and children who fought long and hard battles for justice.”
Wednesday, February 8-Sunday, March 5: See August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Hibernian Hall, Boston. “Nominated for a Pulitzer Prize, Seven Guitars is fifth in Wilson’s theatrical saga. Part elegy, part mystery, and infused with bluesy lyricism, this bawdy comedy takes an intimate look at seven African-American characters and the events leading up to the untimely death of an up-and-coming blues musician.” Purchase Tickets Here.
READ:
How to Be a (Young) Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi & Nic Stone. “Based on the adult bestseller by Ibram X. Kendi, and co-authored by bestselling author Nic Stone, How to be a (Young) Antiracist will serve as a guide for teens seeking a way forward in acknowledging, identifying, and dismantling racism and injustice.”
WATCH:
The Boston Globe Black History Month Film Festival honors and celebrates “the lives, culture, and creativity of Black Americans through film. Both classic and new works will be made available for virtual viewing throughout the month. Each screening will be followed by a virtual panel event to provide insight and context for these stories of strength, joy, and love.” Sign Up Here.
If you are interested in getting involved with Day FORJ to help build an anti-racist community or if you’d like publicize any future events, recommend videos, movies, podcasts, or books, please email forj.faday@gmail.com.
FORJ Mission: To build an antiracist city through education, action, and systemic reform with Newton families, schools, community members, and civic leaders. Empowering residents to stand up for racial justice and build a network of support for racial equity.
Check out forj.org or www.facebook.com/FORJNewton to learn more about FORJ Newton. To receive the monthly, district-wide, FORJ email that includes information about lectures on race and diversity, discussion groups, community events, and Newton Public Schools updates, please email forjnewton@gmail.com.
