Don’t Expect Much Diversity From “President” Romney

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Author and political analyst

Sooner or later, presumptive GOP presidential nominee frontrunner Mitt Romney will have to publicly answer which Romney will show up on the issue of race and diversity if he indeed gets the GOP nomination and snatches the White House in 2012. Will it be the Romney that claimed in an interview on Meet the Press in 2007 that he got teary eyed when he heard that his Mormon church’s ruling elders publicly declared that blacks would no longer be barred from the Mormon priesthood? Romney didn’t directly say it but he strongly hinted that the moment stirred strong emotions in him because he never went along with his church’s decade’s old racial bar.

“I was anxious to see a change in my church…. My faith has always told me that and I had no question that African Americans and blacks generally would have every right and every benefit in the hereafter that anyone else had and that God is no respecter of persons.”

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Feed Hungry Kids

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This photograph is something I felt you’d like to see. At Rogers High School in Spokane, we recently launched our School Pantry pilot. It’s an inspiring attempt to feed more hungry kids without breaking the bank. If all goes well, Second Harvest will be able to reach more hungry kids in the coming year.

The response from one young lady at that first distribution in October makes me hopeful. She picked up a box of donated groceries after school on a Friday afternoon. “My mom is going to be so excited,” she said. “We haven’t had spaghetti in a long time. I’m going to make dinner tonight.” Spaghetti is one of those things that earn a spot on many scribbled grocery lists. Who would have expected so much enthusiasm for something so common?

I’m always very grateful when simple ideas bring good results. We made a difference for that Rogers High student and 250 of her school mates in need. We’re continuing to sort out ways to do as much good as possible with our limited means. I suppose our grocery list isn’t always as long as we’d like it to be either.

We need to raise $400,000 by Dec. 31 to provide more than 60 truckloads of food to area food banks, meal sites and even our fledgling School Pantry this winter. We hope you will send your gift by clicking here to donate securely online. Your donation is always appreciated. Thank you.

Take care,
Jason L. Clark
President and CEO

“VICTORY: Justice in Cook County

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Thanks to the activism of 65,000 ColorOfChange.org members and the tireless legal work of our friends at the Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth and the Innocence Project, the Englewood 5 are free–bringing justice for some who’ve waited nearly 20 years.1

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Miss Devine

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Cousins James Ransom and Cherie Johnson recall their fearsome Sunday school teacher, Miss Lizzie Devine, the only woman who had more power than their grandmother. Set in the small Florida town of the cousins’ memories, this animation resounds with the joy of sharing stories with family.

Directed by: The Rauch Brothers
Backgrounds: Bill Wray
Producers: Mike Rauch & Isaac Kestenbaum
Animation: Tim Rauch
Audio Produced by: Katie Simon

Essay Contest!

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Announcing…

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration Essay Contest!

Download the poster.

Download the guidelines.

Download the press release.

Download the cover sheet.

  • Open to students in 3rd to 12th grades enrolled in a greater Spokane area public school or home school group.
  • All submissions are due by 4 p.m. on Dec. 16, 2011 to
  • All submissions must
    • have a cover sheet attached
    • be legible
    • be original
    • be an individual effort
  • Contest winner/s will be announced Jan. 4, 2012; top prize winners in each age category will be invited to share their work at an MLK Day Celebration event
  • Grades 3-4
    • Essay topic/theme: “How my family and I celebrate Dr. King and live his dream.”
    • Minimum of 10 sentences
    • One submission per student
    • Hand-written preferred
    • Winner receives $50 gift card
    • Runner-up receives $25 gift card
    • The judging committee reserves the right to choose no winner or to award additional prizes.
  • Grades 5-6
    • Essay topic/theme: “Dr. King wanted everyone to be treated with equal respect. Do you think this has happened in your school? Why or why not? If not, how do you think we can make this change?”
    • Minimum of 4 paragraphs
    • One submission per student
    • Hand-written or typed submissions accepted
    • Winner receives $50 gift card
    • Runner-up receives $25 gift card
    • The judging committee reserves the right to choose no winner or to award additional prizes.
  • Grades 7-9
    • Essay topic/theme: “Dr. King wrote about overcoming conflict to gain cooperation. Discuss ways in which you have overcome conflict and cooperated and ways in which our community might be able to as well.”
    • Minimum of 2 pages; maximum of 4 pages (typed, double spaced pages in Times New Roman size 12 font)
    • One submission per student
    • Winner receives $100 gift card
    • Runner-up receives $50 gift card
    • The judging committee reserves the right to choose no winner or to award additional prizes.
  • Grades 10-12
    • Essay topic/theme: “Interview someone you admire who has overcome instances of prejudice. Write their story and discuss why it is powerful to you and how our community might learn from it.”
    • Minimum of 3 pages; maximum of 6 pages (typed, double spaced pages in Times New Roman size 12 font)
    • One submission per student
    • Winner receives $200 gift card
    • Runner-up receives $100 gift card
    • The judging committee reserves the right to choose no winner or to award additional prizes.

Thanksgiving 2011 ~ Assistance List

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This information is provided as a community service. Spokane County United Way does not manage or administer these programs or services.  We have attempted to provide as accurate information as possible as it was received from the community agencies. Anyone having questions about any of the information listed below should contact the agency directly, at the phone number provided with the agency listing.

 

This list may also be viewed on our web site at www.unitedwayspokane.org.

The City Gate, 170 S. Madison, 455-9670.  Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Wednesday, November 23rd, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Gonzaga University, Sodexo Food Services and St. Aloysius Parish, 429 E. Boone Ave.         A free community Thanksgiving Dinner will be served on Thanksgiving Day, November 24. The event is scheduled from 12:00 Noon until 1:30 p.m. at Cataldo Hall, on the Gonzaga Campus. For more information call 313-7001 or 313-7004.

Mid City Concerns, 1222 W. Second, 456-6597.  Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, at 11:30 a.m. for seniors; and 12:30 p.m. for the general public. All are welcome.

 

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church, at Tum Tum Community Center, 6424 Highway 291, Tum Tum, WA, 509-276-5566.  Dinner will be served on Saturday, November 19, from 2:00 – 5:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Salvation Army, 222 E. Indiana, 325-6821.  Thanksgiving Turkey Baskets (frozen turkey & fixings) will be distributed on Tuesday, November 22nd, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. (two days before Thanksgiving). Everyone is welcome. Proof of income, ID and residency are required.

Spokane Valley Partners Food Bank, 10814 E. Broadway, 928-7769, 927-1153.  Food baskets will be provided to those Valley residents who sign up for them.  Sign-ups will be accepted on 11/9, 11/10, 11/16, 11/17 (Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Thursdays by appointment 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.). Please call for appointment.  Food distribution will be Nov 21 & 22 by appointment for those who have signed up. Recipients must be a Spokane Valley resident, have identification, proof of household residents, i.e. utility bill, mail with name/address on it, school record, or Medicaid card.

The Union Gospel Mission, at Spokane Convention Center,  334 W. Spokane Falls Bl., 535-8510.  Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Wednesday, November 23rd from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Spokane Convention Center.  Enter the doors in the breezeway between the INB Performing Arts Center and Convention Center) ~  Doors open at 3:40 pm. ~  TICKETS ARE REQUIRED. Tickets are available through SNAP, Spokane Mental Health and House of Charity. Everyone is welcome.

VFW Post #1435, 212 S. David St, Spokane Valley (near Thurman/Appleway), 535-9315.

A Thanksgiving community dinner will be served on Saturday, November 19, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Women’s & Children’s Free Restaurant – at Rogers High School, 1622 E. Wellesley, 324-1995 ext 300.  Thanksgiving dinner will be served on Saturday, November 19, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome, no reservations required.

Looking for other assistance for programs or services in Spokane County?

GET CONNECTED!! Call 2-1-1! Trained specialists are available to

help you find a number of programs or services in Spokane, Ferry,

Pend Oreille and Stevens Counties.

   From a land-line or cell — just dial 2-1-1. That will connect you.

2-1-1 operates Monday through Friday during the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. After hours, or on weekends please call “First Call For Help” at (509) 838-4428.

**********************************************************************************

IS YOUR AGENCY LOOKING FOR  VOLUNTEERS?  Please utilize our Volunteer Solutions Database online. It is a great way to secure volunteers for the holidays or anytime. Just go to www.unitedwayspokane.org and click on the link for  “Volunteer Now”. You have to register first. Then, it’s easy to input your request for those special volunteers anytime you need them!

DO YOU WANT TO VOLUNTEER?  If you want to volunteer your time during the holidays or other times during the year, just go to www.unitedwayspokane.org and click on the link for “Volunteer Now”.  There are many volunteer opportunities listed throughout the year

Revised 11/2/11

From our Washington D.C. area connection

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Seen Around Town Exhibits – by ichoosethesun

As a resident of the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia), it’s easy to take all that the city has to offer for granted. Seen Around Town will be a series of posts where I will share information about various events in the DMV area.
Saturday was a beautiful day in DC so I decided to head downtown to catch a couple of exhibits that have been on my to-do list. The first was:

The Black List exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery.
From the website:
Historically, “blacklist” denotes a group of people marginalized and denied work or social approval. In an effort to redefine the term, these portraits of 50 African Americans reclaim the term “blacklist” to be affirming, influential and powerful.
Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Elvis Mitchell worked together to develop a list of people whom they thought would represent the African-American experience in the 20th century. Greenfield-Sanders created large-format fine-art photographs, and Mitchell interviewed the subjects on film; the portrayals provide insight on the struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in the United States.
This exhibit is visually stunning and there were several people on the “list” that I had no prior knowledge of.  The interviews are funny, candid and inspiring. The Black List reminds us of the infinite number of contributions African-Americans have made to the world beyond the “usual suspects”. This is a FREE exhibit and family-friendly. The Black List will be at NPG through April 22, 2012.  For more information including hours and directions, visit the website here: http://www.npg.si.edu/exhibit/exhblacklist.html .

The second exhibit was 30 Americans at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. ………. More

We in the Spokane area have contacts and connections that reach beyond our borders. We welcome input from your relatives, friends and associates wherever they are, that can share experiences relevant to African American interests and issues. Send it to us at the Spokane African American Voice at info@4comculture.com.

Hate is alive

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A post found on a Facebook wall. If you saw this what would you do? If your kids knock on this neighbor’s door on Halloween will they get a treat?

Lawrence A Burnley: Greetings Sisters and Brothers

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I’m writing to make you aware of a wonderful opportunity to engage African American history and the experiences of African American women through the artistic gifts of actress Adilah Barnes. Ms. Barnes is bringing her One-Woman Show I Am That I Am: Woman, Black to the Cowles Auditorium at Whitworth on October 26th at 7:00 pm.  Please circle this date on your calendars. You don’t want to miss this!  Download Poster   ACAF Barnes poster2


Here’s a sneak preview of her performance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0ogUVr1afY

Blessings to All,  Dr. Lawrence A. Burnley

We’re Back!

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The Spokane African American Voice

The African American Voice is back to provide a place for communication and culture.  We will bring you not only the news and issues of the day but we will also connect you to the cultural context of our community and provide a place to talk about it.

We will be bringing to you information about local artists, writers, musicians, actors and sports figures. We will be covering business people and entrepreneurs. We will be talking about those who contribute to the social welfare of the community – social workers, educators, counselors – those serving your community. And we won’t forget our community icons past and present.

Remember, we do not speak for you. We are a place for you to speak out. We will only be as successful as your participation.

Under construction – watch for future developments.