Monterey Bay Black Folks Event Calendar
Week of Mon August 3rd through Sun August 9th, 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
Supporting the Monterey County Branch NAACP!

I first became involved with the NAACP when community legend Mrs. Helen Rucker summoned me to her office and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. "I would like to submit your name for the Executive Committee and I would like you to accept", she said.
I had sense enough to say "yes".
Being Black is not necessarily the same as being part of Black Community. Joining the Branch connected me not only to the local Black Community but through state and national conventions and national action phone calls to the greater Black Community as well.
One simply cannot overstate the value of belonging to a nationwide network of civil rights activists in a century old institution. That is deep history, deep know-how and deep access.
And of course there is the local pride in knowing that the youngest (and one of the most effective) person to lead the national organization as president and CEO was our own small town hero Ben Jealous.
But of course beyond the national speakers, fundraisers and events, there is the vital behind-the-scenes work on discrimination complaints brought by local community members and the pressure the branch is able to apply on local institutions and elected officials when necessary.
I can tell you from experience that the needs of the Black Community in particular and minority communities in general in the area of civil rights, equal opportunity and equal protection far outstrips the capacity of a few dozen or so ACTIVE members.
As the population of the Black community continues to decline in the Monterey Bay Area so does active participation in the Branch. This is something that MUST be turned around! It will be far harder to bring back the NAACP than to keep it in the first place. And that requires funding and volunteers.
This is the original Black Lives Matter organization. And like BLM, it is composed of volunteers from every race and ethnicity. You don't have to BE Black, you just have to care about Blacks! I implore readers of the Monterey Bay Black Folks Calendar to get involved. Visit the local, state and national websites. Join a committee. Donate.
I don't know if you have noticed, but the White Supremacist-in-Chief is actively bent on returning ALL minorities back to a state of second class citizenship and is sabotaging our democratic institutions. Its time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.





Know Your Local NAACP

Mission
The mission of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to eliminate race-based discrimination

Objectives
  • To achieve equality
  • To eliminate discrimination
  • To remove barriers of racial discrimination
  • To seek enactment of civil rights laws

Vision
The vision of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

History
The history of the National Association for The Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Monterey County involves the founding of two Branches of the NAACP – the Monterey Peninsula Branch and the Salinas Branch. The Monterey Peninsula Branch was founded in 1932 and its primary founder was the Reverend Wellington Smith, Sr. then Pastor of First Baptist Church of Pacific Grove, the oldest Black church in the Central California Region. The Salinas Branch was formed seven years later in 1939 and its primary founder was Mr. William Greenwell. The two branches were responsible for bringing awareness to the fact that racism and racial discrimination in all their forms were rife, virulent and institutionally entrenched. Under the leadership of these two bold Presidents barriers for Blacks and other minorities in housing and employment began to break down. Both branches took strong stands against racist police practices directed toward Blacks and others that often culminated in taunts, threats, beatings and wrongful incarcerations. Leaders of both branches, especially the two Presidents, endured long periods of threats to their persons as well as the lives of their families, but ...


Options for Contributing to the Monterey County Branch NAACP
Please donate to one of the following funds. Make your check out to the NAACP Monterey County Branch #1049 and send it to P.O. Box 782, Seaside, CA 93955. In the lower-left area of your check, please indicate which fund you want to donate.
Or click on one of the links below to pay via PAYPAL or with credit card.






Vicky's Take

NAACP Monterey County Health Chair Victoria Lee opines about national NAACP Health Team Webinar


Black people in America were hit the hardest during this pandemic, especially those with underlying health risks such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. We need to address poverty, and health disparities, according to Dr. Stephen Thomas professor of health at the University of Maryland. Our communities need policies that increase access to health care, ensure prisoners receive proper care, give frontline workers better access to protective equipment, and more testing sites for everyone. We need to work as a community to overcome this pandemic. Ask yourself, “What have you done to help your community during the pandemic?” There are some simple things.

We must vote so better policies can be implemented. We can get involved in grass-roots projects, helping to feed our community, protect our community by gathering PPE, and educating the community on how to keep safe. We also need to prepare for a possible vaccine. Will it be safe? And how do we make sure it is widely available? 



Support for Salinas Black Teachers

From Ms. Asya Guillory

Greetings to you all, 

As you can imagine, many teachers are anxious about starting the academic school year on a virtual platform in the midst of an International Pandemic. Black Educators are also coping with the aftermath and trauma from numerous killings of Black Americans due to police brutality and racial violence. 

Our local Black K-12 teachers are hit the hardest, having to navigate their classrooms virtually while simultaneously addressing Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter with adolescent students, families and colleagues. The Salinas Union High School District, serving over 15,000 students and families, has less than 30 self-identified Black Staffers and has yet to send a district-wide Black Lives Matter Acknowledgement. Although there are meetings taking place with the Superintendent to address pre- Carona racial incidents involving Black Students and Black Teachers, we want to uplift and support this minority group of educators working in the Salinas Valley. 

Join community members and Black Mothers who care in uplifting our Black Teachers in Salinas by writing a letter of encouragement, donating gift cards to local businesses or self care items by Tuesday, August 7th. Our hope is to shower our Black Educators with hope and love from the community as they embark on the 2020-2021 academic school year. 

Please send virtual letters to mobbmontereycounty@gmail.com for self care/gift card donations please text or call 831-578-6833 to arrange pick up. 

Thank you so much.

Truth Be Told w/ Dirrick Williams

I am making a formal request, asking that you personally (and or) organizationally support my proposal for a Bill to make law the flying of the African American Flag / Pan American Flag (Please see attached proposal).
 
I am asking you to read the proposal and that you (and or) your organization write a letter supporting the proposal. The letter will be forwarded to all parties of interest as the proposal goes forward in the hope of becoming law.
 
I am aware that this message is short and may leave you with questions, should this be the case, should you have any questions please, feel free to contact me “at any time” using the information below.
 
Thank you for your time in reading.



NAACP National Convention
Held Virtually: September 13 – September 26

The safety and security of our communities continues to be our utmost priority. We hope that you join us as we have imperative conversations discussions around COVID-19, voting and economic stability for Blacks.

The 111th National Convention will now be held virtually on September 13-18, 2020 .  
Regional Meetings for our members will take place September 21-26, 2020 .
  
Monterey County NAACP to choose delegates to NAACP National Convention soon. Watch this space!

Click here for a recap of the 110th National Convention

For more information about the 111th National Convention, visit https://www.naacpconvention.org/
Useful Links:


  • 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.
Monterey Bay Black Folks Weekly Event Calendar 
Submit to AfricanQuazar@gmail.com