Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar
Mon Jan 4 to Sun Jan 10, 2021 Edition
Editor's Note:
Throughout this newsletter, Blue Underlined copy (including above!) indicates a searchable link.


Steven's Requests (in RED) for 2021: Utilizing the Black Folks Calendar (BFC)
The purpose of the Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar is to connect the Black Community of CSU Monterey Bay with the local Black Communities of the Greater Monterey Bay Area. The idea for the calendar came out of the community forums organized as part of CSUMB's annual Super Saturday Black student recruitment events. The BFC is edited by Steven Goings with new editions being released just about every Monday.

In addition to the weekly calendar sent through Constant Contact, there is also a BFC Facebook Group that you can join and directly post anything related to the local Black Community yourself. The Facebook Group is "Monterey Bay Black Folks Calendar". The direct link is https://www.facebook.com/groups/1066964070490506.

There are a couple of ways To submit an event to the BFC for possible publication, click on this link: BFC Event Submission Form
2) To submit a "My Take" article, send a word document (NOT pdf!) along with your name and email address to sgoings@csumb.edu
3) To submit a "In the Spotlight" biography and picture of a community leader, send to a word document and digital picture to sgoings@csumb.edu


Black Folks Calendar Features

In addition to serving as a bulletin board for events by, about or for Black Folks, the BFC is also a celebration of local Black history and excellence.

"In the Spotlight" features short bios on CSUMB and local community leaders as well as visiting luminaries. If you know of community leaders (including yourself!) you feel should be spotlighted in 2021 please let me know. To submit a "In the Spotlight" biography and picture of a community leader, send to a word document and digital photo to sgoings@csumb.edu.

Persons featured "In the Spotlight" in 2020 included:
Akin Miller Alana Myles Danny Bakewell, Jr. Darchelle Burnett Darryl Choates Debbie Anthony Helen Rucker Ibram X Kendi J. P. Mackey January Brown Jennifer Eberhart Jerome Baker Jimmy Panetta Joe Watson John Wineglass Joyce Beatty Justin Cummings Kamilah Majied LaVerne McLeod Matt Murphy Mel Mason Miriam Smith Nathaniel Sawyer Pastor Ronald Britt Paul Richmond Paula Carter Regina Mason Princess Killens Rev Anthony Dunham Rev Eugene Jones Ruthie Watts Tania Vargas Edmund Umi Vaughan Vanessa Lopez Littleton Victoria Lee Vivian Waldrup-Patterson Wes White Yvonne Thomas

"Steven's Take" and other "takes" features either my or a community member's take on a current event as a guest editorial. If you would like to submit a column on a subject this year, please let me know. To submit a "My Take" article, send a word document (NOT pdf!) along with your name and email address to sgoings@csumb.edu

2020 "My Take" Guest columns were provided by
Mel Mason, January Brown, Alana Myles, Dr. Umi Vauhan, Regina Mason, Dr. Vivian Waldrup-Patterson, Nathaniel Sawyer, and Danny Bakewell, Jr.

"Truth Be Told" was a recurring column featuring the musings of local inspirational speaker and activist Dirrick Williams often featuring content from his video and podcast channels:
Tok2Me.tv: https://tok2me.tv/

"Heritage Months"
Like all other communities, Black communities are intersectional. During the various Heritage Months, the BFC often includes contents related to Black Folks from those communities.

Anticipated 2021 Heritage Months include:
Black History Month (February), Women's History Month (March), Jazz History Month (April), Asian & Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May), LGBTQ+ History Month (June), The Village Project Fundraising Month (July), The NAACP Support Month (August), Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15 - Oct 15), Disability Awareness Month (October), Native American Heritage Month (November)

Historically Black Church Virtual Tour
Each academic semester, interested CSU Monterey Bay community members are encouraged to visit our local Historically Black Churches. Due to COVID-19, the CSUMB campus is still closed for the Spring 2021 semester. Starting in February, each week during the semester a link to the streaming service of one of our Historically Black Churches as well as (when available) a history of the church, pastor and 1st lady will be provided in the Monday calendar for the church we encourage the CSUMB community to check out the following Sunday. When possible, a link to the Sunday Service recording from the previous week will be included in the BFC. The tentative church tour schedule for Spring 2021 is as follows:

(Click on linked churches for website or Facebook page)



"Candidates Corner"
As an presidential election year, the BFC included pitches from local Black candidates seeking political (and civic) office. These included:
  • Ian Oglesby for Seaside Mayor
  • Jon Wizard for Seaside Mayor
  • Debbie Anthony for MPC Board of Trustees
  • Vanessa Robinson Salinas City Council
  • Regina Mason for Seaside City Council
  • Tinisha Dunn for Seaside City Council
  • Audra Walton for MPUSD Trustee
  • Miriam Smith for MPUSD Trustee
  • Annalisa Mitchel for (local) NAACP President
  • Yvonne Thomas for (local) NAACP President

Although 2021 is not a national election year, there may local civic organizations that have candidates running for offices within those organizations. If you know of Black Folk running for offices in our local organizations this year, please send a bio and photo to sgoings@csumb.edu for possible inclusion in a "Candidate's Corner" column.

"Useful Links"
The second-to-last column in each BFC contains useful links to the Black community including links to Black themed websites, local Historically Black Churches, the contact info for the Black Staff and Faculty of CSU Monterey Bay, and a Black Business Directory. If you have ideas about other useful links we should include please send suggestions to Steven Goings at sgoings@csumb.edu


Obituary
William R. Watts,
Beloved Husband of Mrs. Ruthie Watts

Mr. William R. Watts, Sr. departed this life at Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula on December 23, 2020. He was 87 years old.

Watts was born on February 9, 1933 from the union of the late Cinnis Watts and Nannie Louise Hefner Watts of York, South Carolina where he grew up. He joined the US Army, and married Ella Ruth Douglas, also of York. Together they raised two children—Melbra and William, Jr—during his tours of duty in Japan, Korea, Massachusetts, Germany, Utah, Vietnam, and California. The Watts Family settled in Seaside and he retired after 20 years. He went on to work at Soledad State Correctional Facility where had a progressively successful career and retired after 27 years.

Watts was a golfer and jazz enthusiast, and enjoyed watching Westerns on TV, playing cards, and spoiling his pet dog, Sodapop.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Ruthie Watts; children Melbra Watts and William Watts, Jr.; granddaughter Chelsy Smith; nieces Ora Corley and Gail Mobley; nephew Carey Watts; numerous grand-nieces and grand-nephews; brother-in-law Louis Douglas; and dear friends. We will all miss him.

A private graveside service will be held at Mission Memorial Park, 1915 Ord Gove Avenue, Seaside, CA on Thursday, January 7th at 11am.

The family will hold a celebration of life at a later date.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William R. Watts please visit our Tribute Store.

Click Here to see picture of Mr. Watts on the official Mission Mortuary Obituary Site.
In the Spotlight:
Dr. Bettina Love

Dr. Bettina L. Love is an award-winning author and Athletic Association Endowed Professor at the University of Georgia. She is one of the field’s most esteemed educational researchers in the areas of how anti-blackness operates in schools, Hip Hop education, and urban education. Her work is also concerned with how teachers and schools working with parents and communities can build communal, civically engaged schools rooted in intersectional social justice for the goal of equitable classrooms.

For her work in the field, in 2016, Dr. Love was named the Nasir Jones Hiphop Fellow at the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. She is also the creator of the Hip Hop civics curriculum GET FREE. In April of 2017, Dr. Love participated in a one-on-one public lecture with bell hooks focused on the liberatory education practices of Black and Brown children. In 2018, Georgia’s House of Representatives presented Dr. Love with a resolution for her impact on the field of education.

Dr. Love is a sought-after public speaker on a range of topics, including: antiblackness in schools, Hip Hop education, Black girlhood, queer youth, Hip Hop feminism, art-based education to foster youth civic engagement, and issues of diversity and inclusion. In 2014, she was invited to the White House Research Conference on Girls to discuss her work focused on the lives of Black girls. In addition, she is the inaugural recipient of the Michael F. Adams award (2014) from the University of Georgia. She has also provided commentary for various news outlets including NPR, The Guardian, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

She is the author of the books We Want To Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom and Hip Hop’s Li’l Sistas Speak: Negotiating Hip Hop Identities and Politics in the New South. Her work has appeared in numerous books and journals, including the English Journal, Urban Education, The Urban Review, and Journal of LGBT Youth. In 2017, Dr. Love edited a special issue of the Journal of Lesbian Studies focused on the identities, gender performances, and pedagogical practices of Black and Brown lesbian educators.
Upcoming
CSUMB Event:
We Want to Do More than Just Survive


February 3, 2021
12:00pm — 1:15pm


Hosted by Otter Student Union, Otter Cross Cultural Center, and Service Learning, Dr. Bettina Love, author of "We Want to Do More than Just Survive," will give a keynote with Q&A to follow regarding educational justice inspired by the rebellious spirit and methods of abolitionists.
Upcoming
Community Event:
Anti-Black Racism:
Transforming Allyship

Wednesday, January 13, 2021 at 8:00 AM PST
-to-
Friday, January 15, 2021 at 12:00 PM PST

Note: This is a 3 day event, 8 AM - 12:00 PM each day.
Please plan to attend all 3 days.



Purpose: A forum for people of all racial identities to engage around ending structural and anti-Black racism. Join us for this opportunity to deepen understanding of racial domination, marginalization and subjugation. 
Outcomes:
  • Framing racism and its impact across the racialized continuum
  • Interrupting the "divide and conquer" pattern of structural racism
  • Learning and practicing conversation across racial identity
  • Examining patterns, practices and accountability
  • Building accountable allyship for Black and other racialized groups

This virtual three-day event will be led by: Joyce Johnson Shabazz, Founder of Evolution, LLC, a consulting practice that works with individuals and organizations addressing challenges to the relational dynamics of race in organizations and leadership. She also directs the International Black African Heritage Caucus and leads affinity work in partnership with the National Coalition Building Institute International. She is joined by Sue Parris, a consultant and trainer assisting organizations to increase awareness of racial and social equity issues and institute organizational equity and inclusion practices. Sue is Chapter Director for NCBI Monterey County and leads the NCBI International White Affinity Group. She is also a founding member of Whites for Racial Equity, a group of white people who are committed to dismantling racism.

Hosted by National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) Monterey County, and co-sponsored by California State University Monterey Bay, and Whites for Racial Equity of Monterey County. Special thanks to The California Endowment, Hartnell Foundation and Center for Nonprofit Excellence for their support. 

Partial list of Panelists:
  • Mary Ann Carbone, Mayor of Sand City, Chumash Healer
  • Brian Corpening Ph. D., Associate VP, Office for Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer CSU Monterey Bay
  • Michael Frederiksen, Chapter Administrator NCBI Monterey County
  • Caroline Haskell, LCSW, Author, Consultant & Trainer
  • Luis Xago Juarez, Artistic Director, Baktun12
  • Margaret Keith, Director, Student Disability Resources, CSU Monterey Bay
  • Stephanie Low, Leader, NCBI Intl. Jewish Affinity Group
  • Erika Matademas, Community Impact Officer, Community Foundation for Monterey County
  • Andrea Monroe, Associate Director for Service Learning, CSU Monterey Bay
  • Eric Mora, Public Policy graduate student, MIIS
  • Pamela Motoike, Ph. D., Professor, Service Learning Institute, CSU Monterey Bay
  • Francine Oputa, Ph. D., Director, Cross Cultural & Gender Center, CSU Fresno
  • Rosa Smith
  • Tyller Williamson, City Council Member, City of Monterey
 
Who Should Attend:
  • Educators (K12, Higher Ed)
  • Health Care providers
  • Nonprofit leaders
  • Students
  • Social Justice advocates
  • Anyone who wants to be more effective at ending racism

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED BY JANUARY 5.

Note: A limited number of partial scholarships are available for full-time students and for individual community members with low or fixed income. Center for Nonprofit Excellence has also provided scholarships, for a limited number of nonprofit organizations. Apply for a scholarship HERE.
Useful Links:

New! County Employment Opportunities: Monterey County Supervisor Elect Wendy Askew encourages community members to "register for job announcements from the County - and to apply for anything that seems interesting so that your resume gets into the system."


  • 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.

  • Just the basic public contact and position info

  • Check out the current list of churches, update existing entries or add new ones.
Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar 
Submit to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com