President’s Message
I wasn’t sure we would make it to 2021. What a year we just endured.
Being hunkered down for so long, there has been a lot of time for reflection, idealizing and just plain dreaming. I think I now know how to make the world perfect.
Like many of you, I had my ancestry researched a few years ago. Nothing was really surprising. On my mother’s side, we have always known (thought) that we were descended from a signer of the Declaration of Independence from Finland (John Morton—has anyone ever heard of him)? So, not surprisingly, there is Scandinavian background in my family, along with European, East Asian and Native American. So, what does that tell me??
Well, I just received an update from 23andMe with information about my maternal haplogroup. In case you’re not familiar with the term, AncestralFindings.com defines it like this: “At its essence, a haplogroup is an ancestral clan. Some clans are the Vikings, Native Americans (all tribes), Celts, Aboriginal Australians, and other such groups. Your haplogroup tells you where your ancestors came from deep back in time.” My haplogroup shows the migration of my maternal line. It seems all of us females can trace our line back to one woman who lived in eastern Africa 150,000 to 200,000 years ago. From there, our descendants wandered to the tip of the Arabian Peninsula. My haplogroup continued to Eurasia, southern Europe or the Middle East. Finally, as recently as 13,500 years ago, we ended up in northern Europe. Whew, no wonder I’m tired.
As a companion to this new information, I happened to be reading Charles Mann’s bestseller 1491. Actually, I should say that I was wading through it. It’s about the Americas before the arrival of Columbus (pre-Columbian). It is amazingly well researched and traces Paleo-Indian migration to the Americas. There’s a lot of talk about haplogroups as well. The impact of the arrival of Europeans and these earlier civilizations is addressed in great detail.
I’m providing all this background to get to this point: We all have common roots. We share basic human needs and instincts. Our Founding Fathers set forth their best thoughts about how to address, honor and preserve the principles we all stood for back in the 18th century. So, why can’t we step back, agree that we all agree on most of these very basic ideals and walk forward together, careful not to leave anyone behind and together choose how our country can regain its mantra, “land of the free, home of the brave?” It’s a new year, a new start. The election is over, but our democracy is still at risk until we can come together to keep it strong. Let’s remember the League of Women Voters’ continuing goal: “Make democracy work.”
There is a lot of work for us to do in 2021. I hope you will be involved as we walk forward together.
In League and Unity,
Debbie
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LWV Proportional Representation Conversation with Q & A, TONIGHT, Dec. 29, 7 p.m.; register below |
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Click on the flyer to download.
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All Member Meeting January 12
Join us for the All Member Meeting via Zoom on Tuesday, January 12, at 7 p.m. We will be presenting information about an Ohio League of Women Voters’ study on arming school personnel. The study was in response to a question at the 2019 Ohio state convention: “Why are Ohio schools allowed to arm their teachers without informing the community?” A loophole in Ohio law allows this to happen. The information presented at the AMM will address questions about some of the related issues.
Leagues across the state have been asked to respond to review the research about relevant topics related to the study and then respond to five groups of questions posed by the study committee. We will present the research and questions at AMM on January 12. Please mark your calendars and join us.
New Member Orientation at 6 p.m. See below for details!
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 815 7555 3346
Passcode: 535614
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Meeting ID: 815 7555 3346
Passcode: 535614
We'll be sending out the Zoom link several times before the meeting, including the hour before the session starts.
And while you’re at it, also mark these AMM dates on your calendar:
- Wednesday, February 17, 7 p.m. – The Census: What Now?
- Wednesday March 17, 7 p.m. – Topic to be announced
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Attention, new members!
New Member Orientation begins begins at 6 p.m.!
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Join Membership Chair Sherry Rose for all you need to know about getting the most out of your LWV Kent membership. She also will answer any questions you may have. To join the New Member Orientation (followed immediately by the AMM), click here.
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Saturday, February 6, 9 a.m. - Annual Positions and Priorities meeting
Thursday, March 18, 7 p.m. - Consensus meeting on the Arming School Personnel Study
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League of Women Voters of Ohio releases Health Equity Position
The League of Women Voters adopted and released its 2020 Health Equity Position in November, capping months of research and input from local Leagues throughout the state. Each local League was asked to study information provided by the state League, engage members in a discussion of the issues and reach a consensus on a set of questions. Advocacy by the League of Women Voters is the result of this grassroots process. Input from local Leagues ensures that the adopted position has been carefully considered by a broad range of members.
Click here to read the new position in full.
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Thanks to the Health Study Committee for coordinating our local League’s input on the LWVO’s Health Equity Position. The committee does important work, and you can be part of that effort. New members are welcome—and needed. To sign up, click here. For more information about the committee, click here.
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LWVK Education Committee renews call for action after Ohio
General Assembly runs out of time to pass new bipartisan
funding formula for public schools
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Thanks to all LWVK members who joined the Education Committee's letter-writing campaign urging members of the Ohio House and Senate to approve House Bill 305. The bipartisan legislation would have rewritten Ohio’s K-12 funding formula to include both property values and family incomes, eliminate exceptions to the formula known as “caps” and “guarantees,” increase funding for busing and economically disadvantaged students and pay charter schools directly.
"House Bill 305 was clearly supported in the House, but the Ohio Senate won't consider a new school-funding plan this year that was OK’d 84-8 by the House," said LWVK Education Committee Chair Deborah Austin Sanders. In the New Year, she added, the committee will be redoubling its efforts regarding HB 305 and counting again from League members to be sure the bill is passed in the next legislative session. "Join us to make our voice heard and get the work done," said Austin. "The General Assembly needs to pass this critical legislation. With everyone's help, we can make it happen."
Ready to send your letters, postcard and emails now? Click here to go to the November newsletter with contact information for area state senators.
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Real Talk program on diversity, equity and inclusion
set for February 17 and 24
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The Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee (DEIC) continues to participate in Real Talk Diversity Equity and Inclusion Program planning meetings. Real Talk is a multi-League (LWV Hudson, LWV Akron Area, LWV Kent, LWV Canton, LWV Greater Cleveland) diversity, equity and inclusion program designed to fully examine, dissect and dismantle systemic and institutional discrimination and oppression based on race, sexual orientation and gender identity, mental and physical ability, socioeconomic status, gender and age.
The next topic will be hosted by the Greater Cleveland League. The February 2021 two-night program will focus on the Ohio State Board of Education’s Resolution to Condemn Racism and to Advance Equity and Opportunity for Black Students, Indigenous Students and Students of Color. The first night of the program, February 17, will focus on the history and content of the resolution. Presenters are the four authors of the resolution. The second night of the program, February 24, will focus on how individual school systems are implementing the resolution. The Real Talk planners are finalizing which school systems will be participating and who will moderate the program.
Information about registering for the events will be in upcoming LWVK communications.
Kent LWV will host the next Real Talk series of events in April, which will focus on health care. We will incorporate the LWV Ohio’s new Health Equity position. If you are interested in joining the DEI Committee, participating in planning for the February Real Talk programs, or helping with the April Real Talk program, contact one of the following League members: Sally Saltzman, Amie Cajka or FayAnn Sebaly.
Real Talk is hosted by League of Women Voters of Ohio in partnership with the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition, Common Cause, All Voting Is Local, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, OhioVotes, the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, LWV Hudson, LWV Greater Cleveland, LWV Akron Area, LWV Kent, LWV Canton Area and LWV Oberlin Area.
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LWVK is a co-sponsor of the annual event on Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. Expect to be among hundreds who come out for the prayer breakfast to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. We will share the Zoom meeting link in upcoming communications.
Click on the flyer to download.
DYK?
Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the oldest and largest civil rights organization in the United States. The mission of the NAACP is to ensure the political, educational, social and economic right of all persons and to eliminate racial hatred and racial discrimination.
The organization focuses on six issues: economic sustainability, education, health, public safety and criminal justice, voting rights and political representation, and expanding youth and young adult engagement. For information about the Portage County NAACP, click here.
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Voter Service Committee wraps up another year
of educating, empowering voters while laying
the groundwork for an LWVK observer corps
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Happy holidays to all of you from Voter Services Co-Chairs Jill Hazelton and Jen Kinney! We want to wish you well going into the new year but also give a big thank you for your creative and undeterred efforts to register, educate and empower voters in 2020! Thanks to everyone who volunteered at events, passed out materials, made connections with local businesses and organizations, packed voter information packets, distributed packets, registered voters and helped voters cast absentee ballots. Your efforts truly impacted the community and demonstrated the power of democracy is stronger than any pandemic. Thank you!
As we head into next year, we want to keep the momentum going and line up some voter service volunteer opportunities. One such idea is the formation of an observer corps, a group of volunteers that attends local government and planning meetings and reports to the League membership on what was discussed and/or voted on. Observer corps bring transparency to local government, help keep the public informed and help to hold elected officials accountable to their constituents. With many committees and councils going virtual, this could be a way to volunteer from the comfort of your own home.
The Voter Services Committee would like to see what the interest is in serving on an observer corps, initially focusing on Kent City Council meetings and Portage County Commissioner meetings. If you are interested in volunteering or learning more, click on Jill or Jen's names to email them.
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As a reminder, we will be restarting our Voter Service Committee meetings in February, continuing with the virtual format. More information to follow on dates and links! |
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Book club sets meeting
for Jan. 6 to discuss Kendi's
How to be an Antiracist
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The next book club meeting will be Wednesday, January 6, at 1:30 p.m. via Zoom; however, with COVID-19 vaccines slowly rolling out, the countdown is beginning until we can all be together again. We are reading Ibram Kendi's How to be an Antiracist.
If you would like to join, click on Jane Preston Rose's name to email her and she will send you a Zoom link.
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Join the League of Women Voters of Ohio for an in-depth discussion with Ohio Rep. Stephanie D. Howse (D) District 11. What are Rep. Howse’s priorities for 2021… gender pay equity, employment, etc. Click here to find out more about Rep. Howse.
WHEN: January 11, 2021 at Noon
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Connect with us by email . . . and |
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