Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar
Week of Mon June 22nd through Sun June 28th, 2020
About the Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar

The purpose of the Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar is to connect the Black Community of CSU Monterey Bay with the local Black Communities of the Greater Monterey Bay Area. The Calendar is edited by Steven Goings, MSW and is entirely voluntary and looking for institutional support. To submit an event for possible inclusion, please send to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com. The plan is to send out the Calendar every Monday at 9 AM for those who wish to receive it. The deadline for Monday submissions is midnight of the previous Thursday.
Steven's Take
Looking Forward
&
Getting Organized

In my Black History Month article for the Monterey County Weekly, I wrote that we have "a couple of dozen black leaders throughout the Monterey Peninsula, all in their 70s and 80s, holding together a half-dozen organizations through sheer force of will and indomitable spirit." As much as this was about expressing gratitude for the ceaseless work of our elders, it was also a call for members of my generation -- and those that have come after me -- to do more.

One area in which I believe we could do much more is internet and social media infrastructure building. Wouldn't it be nice for any Black person who moves into the area to where are our historically predominantly Black churches? Or where they could find soul food, or hair products? Wouldn't it be nice to know if there are non-profit agencies in the area for whom we are a primary constituency?

In this time of increased awareness of anti-Black racism throughout the country, wouldn't it make sense for community members and leaders to coordinate the pursuit of donor and grant dollars to fund the priorities of the Black community?

I think so.

Over the course of the next 6 months or so, one of the functions of the Black Folks Calendar will be to provide links to -- and gather input for -- various community projects.

Here are a few links to get us started:

  • Here is something the Monterey County Branch NAACP is working on. You can send your entries directly to lbogene@yahoo.com

  • Check out the list and add your bio and photo to it.

  • We all know the so-called criminal justice system treats our folks much more harshly than others, sometimes just having community members show up at court can make a difference in how things turn out.

  • Check it out or add your favorite to the list

  • With so few African Americans working in our K-12 and higher education systems, our kids have too few opportunities to see professionals and role models who look like them. We are looking for Black community members and professionals who can be called on to be occasional guest speakers in local classrooms.

Black Voices and Photo Portrait Project
  • Local photographer Nic Coury has launched this Black Portrait Project and looking for subjects. If interested in posing for a professional picture message him on Facebook or send me (africanquazar@gmail.com) your contact info for me to forward.

  • Just the basic public contact and position info

  • Click on this google document to share your thoughts about what is needed in the Black community. We will prioritize them for further action.

  • Check out the current list of churches, update existing entries or add new ones.


A Look Back...



"Keeping your enemies close is advice that has been offered by real people and fictional characters through the ages. That way you know what they’re doing and thinking and can react accordingly.That advice came to light Saturday during a discussion by a panel of local activists on recent demonstrations and violence associated with white supremacist groups in the country..."

Click Here to read the rest of the Monterey Herald article. Racial divide exists in Monterey County, Panel Finds
Sign Up for the Black Folks Emergency Response Team

Local Black folk by way of The Village Project are establishing an emergency response/crisis team so that people of African ancestry in need of support going to court and are in crisis can receive community support. The idea is to place your name and phone number on the list in case you are needed to show up to court. We need White allies, as well, especially ones that can write letters and show up when needed.

Black Voices and Photos

Photographer Nic Coury has launched a new portrait project highlighting the voices of Black people in Monterey. He does a photo shoot while asking the subject how they are doing in light of the George Floyd killing and recent protests.

If you would like to participate in this project, message Nic Coury on Facebook. If you aren't on Facebook, you can email me (Steven Goings) at africanquazar@gmail.com and I will forward it to him.

Above is Nic's photo of new-on-the-scene activist Nate Sawyer who responds to Nic's question:

“I’m numb to it. As an African-American man, I see this stuff all the time. I’m tired of seeing people like me get shot in the street like dogs," says Nathaniel Sawyer, the Human Trafficking Services Coordinator at YWCA Monterey County, “People automatically assume we are aggressive, or uneducated, and I want to see a different perspective..."
In the Spotlight:
Princess Killens & House of Prayer Ministries

Princess Killens has been teaching and educating for over 25 years. A local product of the Monterey Bay, she was raised, and has resided in Seaside, CA for most of her life. The youngest of 7 siblings, and the only girl, Princess is able to bring a unique and relevant perspective to her audience. Her unique and effective style of teaching allows her to “meet each person, no matter the age, right where they are".

Ms. Killens attended U.C. Berkeley, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. After receiving her undergraduate degree, she returned to Seaside, California, where she accepted the position of Director of Education with the Boys & Girls Club of the Monterey Peninsula. She currently resides in Salinas, California.

Princess has held numerous youth development, youth leadership, and teaching positions throughout her career. She is currently employed in Salinas, as a Grade Level Release Teacher. Prior to serving at House of Prayer Ministries, Princess was a dynamic and dedicated Youth Leader for 9 years. She currently teaches Youth Bible Study at House of Prayer Ministries of the Monterey Peninsula, where she has served in that capacity for the past 3 years.

House of Prayer Ministries is a multi-cultural, multi- ethnic Church, with both a multi-cultural and multi leadership, and laity .

CSU Monterey Bay gets funding to support Center for Black Student Success, Super Saturday, the Black Folks Calendar, Black themed workshops and community forums!

Our first Black Town & Gown Forum will be over zoom on July 6 from 6 to 7:30 PM. Contact Steven Goings at AfricanQuazar@gmail.com for zoom link and password.


LGBTQ Month Profile Link:

JAMES BALDWIN

... Although he spent a great deal of his life abroad, James Baldwin always remained a quintessentially American writer. Whether he was working in Paris or Istanbul, he never ceased to reflect on his experience as a black man in white America. In numerous essays, novels, plays and public speeches, the eloquent voice of James Baldwin spoke of ...

Click here for link to the JameBaldwinProject.org biography page..
Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar 
Submit to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com