~~ December 2020 Newsletter ~~
A Message from our Co-CEO's
~~~
On Waiting Well...
Dear CTTT - RVA Family,

Eves and Advents are times of waiting. We anticipate Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, expecting good things - even miracles - because of the stories of the past, told and retold to give meaning, rhythm, and hope in our current lives. 
 
Waiting expectantly goes against our “make it happen” and “please distract me” traits. So the wonderful quote about making space for depth to find me - well, it has stayed on the refrigerator for years, reminding us how we skim the surface instead of going deep. But not quite kicking us in the seat enough to make us sit up and pay attention.

This year, we are forced to notice, to stop, to hope fervently. 
 
We are in an Advent time, expecting (not necessarily assuming) 
  a peaceful transfer of power in our political life.

We are in an Advent time, expecting vaccines to stop 
  the worldwide bells tolling pandemic death.

We are in an Advent time - a hope-full anticipation bordering on expectation - for racial justice in this country. 
 
We say “Asé and Amen and May it be so” to all these long awaited advent promises. 

  • The politicians will work to make the transfer of power peaceful.
  • The scientists will work to finish the testing of vaccines.
  • And we will continue to learn and work toward racial justice and healing - TOGETHER. 

However long it takes to come. 
 
May all our Advents be blessed with hope - followed by renewed commitment to make it so.
 
With all love and good wishes for peace and joy in your world and our world in this season,

Marsha Summers, Co-CEO Danita Rountree Green, Co-CEO

REPARATIONS 101
via Zoom

December 8, 2020
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
After this conversation, not only will you gather a deeper understanding of reparations and why it is important, you will also have more tools for confident conversations with others about why reparations to Black Americans are necessary.  



Education for Action Book Circle
(2nd Thursday of the Month)

Thursday, December 10, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Via Zoom

We Still Here: Pandemic, Policing, Protest, and Possibility
by Marc Lamont Hill
In the midst of loss and death and suffering, our charge is to figure out what freedom really means—and how we take steps to get there.

“In the United States, being poor and Black makes you more likely to get sick. Being poor, Black, and sick makes you more likely to die. Your proximity to death makes you disposable.”

The uprising of 2020 marked a new phase in the unfolding Movement for Black Lives. The brutal killings of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, and Breonna Taylor, and countless other injustices large and small, were the match that lit the spark of the largest protest movement in US history, a historic uprising against racism and the politics of disposability that the Covid-19 pandemic lays bare.

In this urgent and incisive collection of new interviews bookended by two new essays, Marc Lamont Hill critically examines the “pre-existing conditions” that have led us to this moment of crisis and upheaval, guiding us through both the perils and possibilities, and helping us imagine an abolitionist future.

National Day of Racial Healing
Via Zoom
Tuesday, January 19, 2021

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Save the date
for this annual event that was established in 2017!

Coming To The Table - RVA is planning an impactful MUSICAL event and all 43+ national chapters are invited!
Stay tuned for details!

December 2020 Movie Circle
(Returning to 4th Mondays of the month in 2021)

Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey
The CTTT Movie Circle will NOT meet in December, and we suggest instead a family movie for your enjoyment during the holiday season!

JINGLE JANGLE: A Christmas Journey was released on November 13, 2020 and is currently available on Netflix.

"An amazing world comes to life in a holiday tale of an eccentric toy maker, his adventurous granddaughter and a magical invention that has the power to change their lives forever."

Stars in the film include Forest Whitaker and Phylicia Rashad. It is written, directed and produced by award winning African American filmmaker, David Talbert.

We hope you'll have an opportunity to view the film while relaxing during this joyous season.

Blessings,
Barbara and Julie
CTTT - RVA Movie Circle Co-Conveners

Our next Zoom movie conversation is scheduled for Monday, 1/25/21 at 6:30pm. Be on the lookout for the upcoming title in the January Newsletter, that will be emailed to you on January 4th, 2021.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT TO PASS HR 40

Please consider adding your voice and energy to passing the HR 40 bill. This landmark piece of legislation would establish a commission to fully study the impacts of slavery and other racist laws and practices and recommend proposals to provide reparations for redress and repair. The passage of this bill would help pave the way for a full and truthful reckoning and accounting for past and present harms.
Tis the Season...
This is a holiday season much unlike those we have seen in our recent past. We are unable to gather in ways we have before and we may not have the resources to give readily available. But our hearts still desire to show others we care and are thinking of them.

To that end, we would like to suggest ways that you can be intentional in your giving and support.

  1. Think Small Business
  2. Think Sharing Food
  3. Think About Our Community

Also, there are many local organizations in Richmond looking for assistance during this season. Find it in your heart to reach out, be the bridge and make a difference!

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS

(RVA): CTTT - RVA Event
(NAT): CTTT - National Event

(ONLINE)
Reparations 101 via ZOOM (RVA) Contact Tina to be added to mailing list.

Thursday, Dec 10th
6:30 - 8:00 pm
(ONLINE)
Book Circle: Education for Action (2nd Thurs.) via ZOOM
Contact Darren to be added to mailing list. (RVA)

(Live ONLINE; also recorded)
CTTT Guided Meditation via ZOOM (NAT)

Tuesday, December 15
We will miss seeing you for our 3rd Tuesday gathering...See you in 2021!

Thursday, Jan 14th
6:30 - 8:00 pm
(ONLINE)
Book Circle: Education for Action (2nd Thurs.) via ZOOM
Contact Darren to be added to mailing list. (RVA)

Tuesday, Jan 19th 7:30 - 9:00 pm
(ONLINE)
National Day of Racial Healing
Special Musical Event via ZOOM (RVA)

(ONLINE)
Movie Circle (4th Monday) via ZOOM (RVA) Contact Barbara to be added to mailing list.

(ONLINE)
Book Circle (4th Thursday) via ZOOM (RVA)
Follow our movie series with First Presbyterian Church
Check out the true story based upon the relationships of Ron, a successful art dealer, his wife Debbie and a homeless man named Denver. Over time, a heartwarming and inspiring friendship grows and leaves one to wonder, who grew more.


"We who believe in Freedom cannot rest."

~~ Ella Baker

Check out our Website for book suggestions for gift giving this season.

Based in downtown Richmond, Virginia, the Elegba Folklore Society is proud to be our resource for African World cultural arts. Dance, Art and History. The society allows one to explore the richness of Mother Africa's gifts to us through interactive artistic, cultural experiences. Come check out the Real Black Friday Sales.
When you are trying to figure out how to handle those inevitable discussions that will arise this season, check out this resource:

The White Folks' Guide to Uncomfortable Family Conversations
Thank you to all of our generous donors in 2020, including contributions on the recent Giving Tuesday!

You are supporting racial healing, truth telling, greater interracial understanding and the dismantling of systems of oppression in Richmond, VA and beyond!
Check out what else is coming up in 2021!

Education for Action Book Circle
(2nd Thursdays)
Throughout 2021, the 2nd Thursday Book Circle will be taking a deep dive into W.E.B. Dubois’ Black Reconstruction in America. Each month we will look at a chapter or two and discover together why this has become such an influential text for so many scholars, activists and everyday people. Many people say we are in a Third Reconstruction moment. Dubois’ analysis of the first reconstruction period offers indispensable insight for how we understand and act in this kairos moment.

Contact Darren for more information.
‌
Racism at Work (RAW)
...for a Deeper Understanding of Systemic Racism
Mark your calendar for the very first introductory sessions
via Zoom

January 27, 2021 7:00 – 8:30 pm ~ Sabrina Dent, PhD
Racism and Systemic Racism: What Are They and How Do They Relate?

February 24, 2021 7:00 – 8:30 pm, Rev. Ben Campbell
Richmond’s Unhealed History: Racism in the Belly of the Beast

CTTT-RVA is launching a new program called Racism At Work (RAW) to give members the opportunity to have a more in-depth conversation on, and build a deeper understanding of, systemic racism.

RAW will consist of a series of presentations by, and conversations with, well-known and highly authoritative Subject Matter Experts. In each session, participants will drill down into how the artificial social constructs of race and racism have been systematically woven into the very fabric of the many cultural and economic sectors that stitch America together.  

RAW will include sessions on Racism At Work in a wide variety of sectors, including: Politics and Political Access; Healthcare; Media and Entertainment; Employment and Career Opportunities; Property Rights and Family Wealth Building; Law and Social Justice; and Education, among others. This monthly, year-long program will be conducted on Zoom initially, and may eventually move to an in-person venue, depending on pandemic-related circumstances.
Contact Clarence or Jerry with any questions.

January 2021 Book Circle
(4th Thursdays of the month)
Via Zoom

Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home
by Richard Bell 
Per goodreads.com: "A gripping and true story about five boys who were kidnapped in the North and smuggled into slavery in the Deep South—and their daring attempt to escape and bring their captors to justice, reminiscent of Twelve Years a Slave and Never Caught.

Philadelphia, 1825: five young, free black boys fall into the clutches of the most fearsome gang of kidnappers and slavers in the United States. Lured onto a small ship with the promise of food and pay, they are instead met with blindfolds, ropes, and knives. Over four long months, their kidnappers drive them overland into the Cotton Kingdom to be sold as slaves. Determined to resist, the boys form a tight brotherhood as they struggle to free themselves and find their way home...

Impeccably researched and breathlessly paced, Stolen tells the incredible story of five boys whose courage forever changed the fight against slavery in America."

Join us in the new year on Thursday, 1/28/21 6:30 - 8:30 pm on Zoom. Email ctttrvareads@gmail.com to be added to our Book Circle mailing list to receive an invitation and Zoom details.
 Sign Up to become a Coming To The Table national member
We encourage all CTTT - RVA members to also become members of Coming To The Table at the national level. Our local chapter is part of a big family all across our nation, under a collective umbrella.

As a member of Coming To The Table, you become part of a nationwide community committed to truth-telling, transformation and liberation. 

There's no membership fee to join Coming To The Table, but the ability for CTTT to meet ever-growing needs, including providing support to our local chapter, DOES depend on the generous financial support of our members. So we hope you will contribute financially, as you are able!
Make your 2021 resolution to
take action!
Become a CTTT - RVA volunteer!

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future,
and renders the present inaccessible.”

~~ Maya Angelou

Coming To The Table - RVA