President's Message
By Lynn Frazier
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February is now well underway as is Black History Month. Black History Month is a time to celebrate accomplishments, remember the past and take a good look at the challenges ahead. In 2018 the University of Florida Bureau of Economic and Business Research published the report, “Understanding Racial Inequity in Alachua County, FL.” The study revealed that Alachua County has a great deal more work to do in moving forward toward equity. The report provided a baseline of racial disparity data in the county, showing the differences between Whites, Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and Other. According to the report, Alachua County has the highest achievement gap in the state and a higher proportion of minorities living below the poverty level. Geographic segregation in Gainesville now is the worst it has been in 26 years.
Our League’s Local Issues Committee is studying affordable housing issues in our county and the Education Committee is looking at the educational achievement gap in local schools. We also work with other community partners to assure that all in our community are registered, informed voters. As a League member, please think about becoming active in some of the committees addressing our local issues of equity. It has never been easier to participate as all meetings are on Zoom, so you do not need to leave the comfort of your home. I hope to see you soon.
Lynn
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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion |
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The LWVUS has adopted a strong Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion statement that guides all Leagues. If you are interested in working specifically on diversity, equity, and inclusion at our local level, please contact our President, Lynn Frazier. |
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LWV Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy
LWV is an organization fully committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in principle and in practice. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to the organization’s current and future success in engaging all individuals, households, communities, and policy makers in creating a more perfect democracy.
There shall be no barriers to full participation in this organization on the basis of gender, gender identity, ethnicity, race, native or indigenous origin, age, generation, sexual orientation, culture, religion, belief system, marital status, parental status, socioeconomic status, language, accent, ability status, mental health, educational level or background, geography, nationality, work style, work experience, job role function, thinking style, personality type, physical appearance, political perspective or affiliation and/or any other characteristic that can be identified as recognizing or illustrating diversity.
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Candidate Forum for City Commission |
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LWVAC Hosts Virtual Candidate Forum on Sunday, February 21, 1:30 pm |
The League of Women Voters of Alachua County (LWVAC) is hosting a virtual City of Gainesville Regular Election Candidate Forum to be live-streamed to the LWVAC Facebook page on Sunday, February 21, 2021 starting at 1:30pm. |
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Candidates for City Commission District 1 and City Commission At-Large B, have been invited to participate in the forum. Come “see” your local candidates and hear their positions.
This program is free and open to the public. The link for the LWVAC Events Page for the forum is below. On the day of the forum, please click on the link below; doing so will take you to our Facebook page, where you can scroll down and click on the event. After the forum is over, a recording of it will be posted on the LWVAC YouTube channel and we will post a link to the recording under the "Video" tab on our Facebook page.
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The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization that
does not endorse candidates or support political parties.
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ELECTION DAY IS MARCH 16, 2021 |
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Hot Topics!
Free Speech, the First Amendment
& Social Media
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Zoom in on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 pm |
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Join us on Thursday, February 18 at 7:00 pm, to hear Professor Jasmine McNealy from the U.F. College of Communications and Journalism make a presentation and lead a discussion for League members, family and friends on the topic of free speech, the first amendment and social media.
Dr. McNealy is the Associate Director of the Marion B. Brechner First Amendment Project. She is a Telecommunications Associate Professor and has been named one of the 2021-100 Brilliant Women in Artificial Intelligence Ethics.
For the Zoom link, please email Hot Topics Co-Chair Mitzi Austin, if you have questions call Co-Chair Harvey Goldstein at: 352-378-5534
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Civics Classes: Spotlight on Kamala |
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Please join us for our Virtual Civics Class on Tuesday. March 9, from 2-4 PM for a special session led by two of our favorite speakers. Donna Waller, Political Science Professor Emerita from Santa Fe College (SFC), will open with an update on the political events since our December meeting. She will be followed by Barbara Oberlander, Professor of History Emerita, SFC who will present an exciting introduction to our new Vice President, Kamala Harris. You do not want to miss this program!
The Civics Classes are Sponsored by CCOA (Community Coalition for Older Adults) and hosted by the Alachua County Senior Recreation Center. We welcome all who would like to attend. Contact Nick Hauzer at the Alachua County Senior Recreation Center to register and receive your Zoom link.
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LWVAC Life Member Nancy Gilbert
Interview by Karen Seabury
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LWVAC is proud to have several Life Members—those who have been League members for 50 consecutive years! We’ve set out to interview them all. Here we talk with Nancy Gilbert.
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Nancy grew up in Illinois, and earned her bachelor’s degree in History/French at the University of Michigan. It was there she met her future husband Carter--the couple were married soon after in August of 1958. Nancy taught junior high school in Ann Arbor while Carter did his graduate work in zoology. The couple then moved to Washington, DC, where Carter studied sharks on a research grant from the Smithsonian.
In 1961 they came to UF. The springtime azaleas were in bloom, and Nancy loved Gainesville right away. Carter took a position as the Curator of Fishes at the Florida Museum of Natural History; Nancy earned her Master of Education with a major in social science. They raised their sons, John and Steve, both now electrical engineers living in the Chicago area with their families.
Nancy has been volunteering in ESOL since 1989, starting out at Williams Elementary, then working in adult classes in Cory and Maguire Villages. The program not only teaches English, but also gives local advice to the students, as well as providing them a chance to socialize. (The ESOL potluck lunches are famous for their culinary diversity!) Nancy has continued her ESOL work through the pandemic, now teaching her students via Zoom.
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When did you join the League?
Very soon after moving to Gainesville, I was invited by Margaret Pierce—later the president of the League—to attend a meeting. I was impressed by the women in the League. They grabbed your attention: they were talented, brilliant, fascinating, and passionate about the League issues. They were uncritical and very accepting of new people. I joined in the fall of 1961.
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What issues moved you the most?
The right to vote. I served on the Voter Services Committee. I feel that everything depends on voting, and that vehicles like the Voter Guide are critical in keeping the public informed on the stakes in elections.
What big changes have you seen in the landscape—political, the League, and in Gainesville?
Gainesville and the university have grown tremendously. When I began my master’s program at UF, there were 13,000 students and the tuition was $75 a semester. There have been many wonderful cultural additions like the Harn, the Performing Arts Center, and the Florida Museum of Natural History’s outreach programs to local children. We now have very good senior living at places like Oak Hammock and The Village, something we didn’t always have in Gainesville. Unfortunately, we have also seen many of our local shops and restaurants replaced with big-box stores.
In the League, there has been a positive movement in the use of technology. It’s now easy to attend state meetings through webinars. Our LWVAC website has given us a good sense of what’s going on in Alachua County. I’ve enjoyed the Hot Topics program. It’s a great way to learn something relevant, socialize with League members, and get a bite to eat.
What advice or lessons learned would you pass on to our members?
The League is a great organization. It’s well-run and well-managed. See what’s on offer and find something to engage yourself. Vote… and be as active as you can in promoting voting and informing the voters.
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LWV does not have the records to tell us who has become a Life Member (50 consecutive years in the League). Let us know if you are. Life Members pay no dues to the League. |
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Feb 10 Education Committee
Meets Monthly on the 2nd Wednesday from 12:00-1:30 pm (March 10, April 14)
For information about attending, please contact the chair: Karen McCann
Feb 16 Voter Services Committee
Meeting to be held at 1:30 pm.
For information about attending, please contact the chair: Debra Shimon
Feb 18 Hot Topics! Free Speech, the First Amendment & Social Media 7:00 pm
For the Zoom link, please contact Co-Chair: Mitzi Austin ;if you have questions about the event, please contact Co-Chair: Harvey Goldstein at 352-378-5534.
Feb 21 LWVAC Forum for City Commissioners at 7:00 pm.
Feb 24 Natural Resources Committee/Climate Action Team
Meets monthly on the 4th Wednesday from 5:30-7:00 pm (March 24, April 28)
For information about attending, please contact the Chair: Jay Rosenbek
March 4 Local Issues Committee
Meets monthly on the 1st Thursday from 5:30-7:00 pm (April 1)
For information about attending, please contact the chair: Jeff Shapiro
March 9 Civics Class 2:00-4:00 p.m.
March 10 LWVAC Board Meeting
Meets every six weeks on Wednesday from 2:00-4:00 pm (April 21, June 2)
For information about attending, please contact the President: Lynn Frazier
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President: Elizabeth Frazier
Vice-President: Wes Wheeler
Secretary Carole Fernandez
Treasurer: Fran Towk
Past President: Barbara Glass
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