I have a few questions for you.

More than 2,000 men and women have served as Senators in the United States Senate, how many of them have been black?
Do you know what percentage of African Americans voted in the 2008 election?
Our nation’s election history is inspirational and remarkable. But today, we’re exploring some of the lesser-known facts from our more than 200-year history of elections and voting.
Test your knowledge of our electoral history. Take our This is My Vote Elections Quiz today:
http://action.naacp.org/take-our-quiz
We’ve compiled some interesting pieces of trivia about elections in America. Some answers are inspirational, others shocking, but all demonstrate the importance of exercising our right to cast a vote in every election.
We celebrate the electoral process because voting gives us a voice, and because generations of NAACP members and supporters have fought to allow those voices to be heard. Yet in recent months, we have seen aggressive attempts to silence our voices and suppress our votes.
So if you think you know what group of people got the right to vote when the 26th Amendment was passed, or the last time voter turnout for a Presidential election reached 60%, take our quiz and test your knowledge!
http://action.naacp.org/take-our-quiz
Thank you,
Jotaka Eaddy
Senior Director, Voting Rights Initiative

COMING SOON!

State Gang Prevention & Intervention Grant – Request for Proposals

The RFP will be release Friday morning, May 25th.

Governor Gregoire signed the 2012 Supplemental State Operating budget which includes a proviso for the State Gang Prevention & Intervention Grant Program.  As a result, the Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice (WA-PCJJ), Office of Juvenile Justice, DSHS will be releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Funds will be used to offer services to prevent the expansion of criminal street gang membership or support criminal street gang membership intervention to a targeted population through:

·        one or more evidence-based or research-based programs, as defined in RCW 71.36.010

·        The use of one or more innovative culturally relevant practices.

ESTIMATED TIMELINE:
·        Release RFP by May 21, 2012

·        Applications due June 29, 2012

·        Recipients selected by July 13, 2012

·        Contracts begin August 1, 2012 for an 11 month period.

Eligible entities:  Coalitions composed of, at a minimum, one or more local governmental entities and one or more nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations that have a documented history of creating and administering effective criminal street gang prevention and intervention programs may apply for funding.

Funding:  WA-PCJJ anticipates funding 2-4 projects: the maximum award amount is $105,000.

Applications must demonstrate:  a significant criminal street gang problem exists in the jurisdiction or jurisdictions.  Factors that may be considered in determining whether a significant criminal street gang problem exists include, but are not limited to:
·        Crime statistics that are coded as gang-related

·        Gang-related incidents-  including graffiti and gang-related criminal activity

·        Offenders residing in a jurisdiction that are under supervision of the department of corrections or DSHS and are known active gang members

·        School or community surveys indicative a substantial level of gang activity in schools or the community

·        Previous or ongoing gang intervention activities in the jurisdiction



Applicants must demonstrate that addressing the impact of criminal street gangs is a high priority in the jurisdiction seeking the grant.

Lisa Wolph
Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Coordinator
Washington State Partnership Council on Juvenile Justice
Office of Juvenile Justice
Department of Social & Health Services
lisa.wolph@dshs.wa.gov
360-902-0874
Fax: 360-902-7527
Click here for more infromation www.juvenilejustice.dshs.wa.gov <http://www.juvenilejustice.dshs.wa.gov>

“Morris, Pamela (CAA)” PMorris@caa.wa.gov

Democracy Now: A daily independent global news hour

If privacy is of concern, you may be interested in the following interview: http://www.democracynow.org/2012/4/23/more_secrets_on_growing_state_surveillance

Thanks Ed

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

Asian Pacific Americans, a term that encompasses many ethnic groups, worked tirelessly to build a national railroad infrastructure, paving the way for western expansion.  The first Asian Pacific Heritage Week was celebrated in 1979, in response to little or no recognition of this population in the 1976 bicentennial celebrations.  By 1990, the celebration was a month long and then made official in 1992.  For more information visit http://www.capaa.wa.gov/.  For a time-line of selected dates and events for Asian Pacific American’s history visit the following website located on the State of Washington Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPPA) http://www.capaa.wa.gov/data/timeline.shtml.

 Jewish American Heritage Month

In 2006, President George W. Bush designated May as the month to teach about Jewish history and culture and to recognize the important contributions of Jewish Americans to U.S. history.  For more information visit http://www.jewishheritage.us/.

 

Complete May Cultural/Diversity Events Calendar

From Yvonne Montoya-Zamora, Community Colleges of Spokane

Serious Play: Photographs from Ghana

Full of the spirit of fun and play that children everywhere share

Spokane Nonprofit connects NorthWest and West Africa through Serious Play

Mmofra means “children” in one of the major languages of Ghana, West Africa. Spokane-based nonprofit Friends of Mmofra shares with its international partner organization Mmofra Foundation, a mission to promote culture, play and site stewardship for the benefit of children within community.
Exhibition and Catalogue Launch:

Friends of Mmofra and the Brickwall Gallery will host the exhibition Serious Play: Photographs from Ghana from May 4- June 3 at the Brickwall Gallery, 530 Main Street, Spokane, on the skywalk level. The opening reception is on May 4, 2012, 4-9pm, with live music, light snacks, educational play stations, and information on how to support the Friends of Mmofra, Spokane.
The occasion serves as the inaugural public event of Friends of Mmofra, as well as the release of the first in a new series of catalogues from a unique collection of historic black and white photographs of Ghana taken between the 1950’s and 1970’s. They constitute a compelling visual medium through which Friends of Mmofra intends to spark positive cultural engagement in both the Pacific Northwest and West African communities.
This year the nonprofit will focus on two projects with its partner in Ghana, Mmofra Foundation: the continued restoration and public use of the Willis Bell Photo Archive, and advocacy for the purposeful design of open, urban playspace. Images of children in Ghana from the archive serve as the meaningful intersection between these projects.
“While there have been decades-long business, educational and church links between Ghana and Spokane, Friends of Mmofra represents an era of fresh and mutually rewarding engagement with a part of the world we are far more likely to think about in terms of charity rather than parity”, states the organization’s president Amowi Phillips, adjunct professor and cultural consultant, in a presentation at the March 2012 TEDxStGeorgesSchool forum. The nonprofit has spearheaded innovative approaches to voluntary service with student groups in a number of area institutions including Gonzaga Law School, Mead High School, Spokane Falls Community College, St Georges School and Whitworth University.
Photographer: Ex-patriated American Willis E. Bell (1924-1999) was a leader in documentary and commercial photography in Ghana in the 20 years after its independence from Great Britain. There is a regional connection through Bell’s father, William Bell of Moscow, Idaho. The Bell parents were missionaries in Burma where the photographer was born, and later in India. Willis Bell was educated at Woodstock School, India, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Yale University. He traveled widely before settling in Ghana.

 

Contacts: Jennifer Compau, (509) 475 2454 / Amowi Phillips (509) 464 0296 / Barbara Loste

(509) 869 8880   Friends of Mmofra: formmofra@gmail.com

FREE tango sessions / practices : LEMONGRASS FRENCH ASIAN CUISINE

309 E. Lakeside C DA ID., Tuesdays, 6-9 PM;

Community Building  35 W. Main, Spokane WA., Saturdays, 2-7 PM.

For more tango events/info, visit

www.in-tango.com or spokanetango.com or Carol at caroltrask@netzero.net.

Be well … see you on nearby dance floor ~ David

Nectar Tasting Room
120 North Stevens
Spokane, WA
This Thurs., Apr. 5th

 I’d like to invite you to a Thursday Evening Milonga at the Nectar Tasting Room In Downtown Spokane. I’ll be your Lady DJ from 7:00-10:00 with traditional Argentine Tango Music.

David Parker recently found this wonderful venue for all of us to enjoy each other’s company & dance tango.  If you haven’t been there yet, you’ll want to come! It’s a fun time for all levels of dancers!
This event is free, but a way you can support our hosts is with a purchase of their delicious wines or a meat/cheese plate.

Carol (509) 868-1262 or caroltrask@netzero.net  mailto:caroltrask@netzero.net