President’s Message
Happy new year to all you Kent Leaguers! I don’t know about you but I am very glad to put 2021 in the rear view mirror and hold out hope that 2022 will be a great improvement.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day is rapidly approaching. I feel a special connection with this amazing man. My freshman year at Ohio Northern University was a year of introduction to lots of famous people I may or may not have heard of. Carlos Montoya, a world famous classical guitarist, was in concert. I’ll never forget his performance of Malaguena when he picked the notes on his guitar with both hands.
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Then we had Charles Aznavour, whom I had never heard of but learned that he was the “Frank Sinatra of France.” He was the protégé of Edith Piaf, with whom I was acquainted. I know, my age is showing….
But the biggest impression on me was the speech on campus by Martin Luther King Jr., his famous “I have a dream” oratory. Wow! That man was a powerful speaker and he had a presence that drew you in. Shortly thereafter, Dr. King was assassinated, and I will never forget the shock that this could happen to such an exceptional individual in the United States of America.
Next Monday our country will observe Dr. King’s birthday. This brings to mind a recent statement by the Reverend Al Sharpton, “If the Senate cannot pass the voting rights act before the King holiday, they are making a mockery of the holiday. If you can find a way to pass infrastructure, you can find a way to deal with the moral structure of this country, and that is the Voting Rights Act.”
I don’t know about you but I’m really sick of our legislators paying lip service to voting rights for Americans. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, in 2021, 19 states have already passed 34 laws restricting voter access. More than 440 bills have been introduced in 49 states and 88 restrictive voting bills are being carried over into 2022. This includes in Ohio. These knee jerk reactions are the result of state legislators responding to The Big Lie. Our democracy and our rights are under attack. And don’t forget about the gerrymandering lawsuits that are currently before the Ohio Supreme Court.
Two bills have passed the House of Representatives that will block the assault on free and fair elections in our country: the Freedom to Vote Act (click on the title to learn more about the bill) and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act (click on the title to learn more about the bill). They continue to wait for action by the Senate. Our charge, as the League of Women Voters, is to “make democracy work.”
How do we do that right now? Start writing and calling your senators. Urge them to support these two very important bills. The vote in the Senate may come on or before Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17. Your voice is urgently needed. How to get started:
Click here to go the LWVUS website page with a contact support form for the Freedom to Vote Act.
Click here to go the LWVUS website page with a contact support form for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Call the Senate offices of Rob Portman at 202-224-3353 and Sherrod Brown at 202-224-2315. Or email them by clicking here.
In League and Unity,
Debbie
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Diversity, equity and inclusion is topic of January 13 All Member Meeting |
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Our first meeting of 2022 is brought to you by the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee of LWV Kent on Thursday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. via Zoom.
The committee is busy putting together a program that will focus on allyship, or how to be an ally and what that means in terms of religion, sexual orientation and economic discrimination.
Allyship is sort of like friendship. But instead of being a friend, you're an ally. Being an ally means . . .
- Supporting equal rights for everyone—regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender or religion
- Doing what you can to call out discrimination and to fight for equality
- Trying to make the world a better place
Be sure to join us to learn more about how you can be an ally to all. We'll be sending out a reminder email Thursday, Jan. 13, about 6 p.m. with the link.
Topics & Times:
New Member Orientation, 6 p.m.
All Member Meeting, 7 p.m.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 315 527 2635
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Meeting ID: 315 527 2635
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ATTENTION, MEW MEMBERS!
New Member Orientation 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 at 6 p.m. If you need to join the meeting via phone, see the contact information above.
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Jan. 6 Day of Remembrance and Action
candlelight prayer vigil held in downtown Kent
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More than a dozen LWV Kent members joined the Jan. 6 candlelight vigil at the gazebo in downtown Kent. The event was sponsored by the Portage County NAACP, the Kent Interfaith Council and the League of Women Voters of Kent.
Local officials from both political parties were invited to speak and share their perspectives on the day one year ago when the U.S. Capitol was attacked as many in our nation watched in horror.
Speakers urged the 80 individuals who attended to continue to actively and urgently voice support for voting rights and fair districting. They challenged listeners to keep talking to the Senate about passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act to ensure equal access to the ballot for all Americans.
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Frank Hairston, publicity officer for the Portage County NAACP, participates in the Jan. 6 candlelight vigil in downtown Kent.
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About 80 citizens, including more than a dozen LWV Kent members, lit up the downtown Kent gazebo for the Jan. 6 candlelight remembrance vigil in downtown Kent. League of Women Voters of Ohio President Iris Meltzer spoke.
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If you were unable to attend the vigil, here are two videos from the event. To view more videos from the event, click here.
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"Candlelight Prayer Vigil Remembering Jan. 6, 2021; Citizens Gather in Kent, Ohio" by John Reynolds, 24 minutes.
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"Candlelight Prayer Vigil Remembering Jan. 6; Speaker Iris Meltzer." (LWV Kent member and LWVO president.) 3 minutes.
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Timothy Moon, Elizabeth Moon, Ryan Moon and Evangeline Newton.
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Book Club opens a new year with a book about hope |
In January, the LWV Kent Book Club met on Zoom. The group will decide the appropriate format month-to-month. Meetings are scheduled for the first Wednesday of each month at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome to join. Contact Jane Preston Rose for details about the meetings. Click here to email her.
Here are the selections for the next three months:
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February 2 – The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times by Jane Goodall and Douglas Carlton Abrams
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March 2 – Dressed for Freedom: The Fashionable Politics of American Feminism: Women, Gender, and Sexuality in American History by Einav Rabinovitch-Fox
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April 6 – Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds by Huma Abedin
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Read the latest from the LWV Kent Observer Corps. Click here. Interested in an outreach activity that puts in the rooms where it happens? Click here.
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You are invited to the Second Annual NAACP Virtual Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, January 15, at 10 a.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Windham High School NAACP Youth Chapter. The keynote speaker will be the Rev. Dennis Richey Sr., Senior Pastor, Winfield Church of God in Christ. Richey is an original member of the first Equity and Inclusion Task Force for the Ravenna School District and a member of the United Way Board of Directors. He is a Silver Life-Time member of the NAACP and a member of the National Action Network and People United to Save Humanity.
First register by clicking here. Then pay with PayPal, debit card or credit card, click here. The event is $10 for students, $25 for adults, and $50 or other amount, if you choose. Proceeds from the breakfast are used to supports scholarships for college-bound students.
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"They say it's her birthday!"
Thanks, Barb Hipsman Springer!
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Kent League member Barb Hipsman Springer challenged her Facebook peeps to dig deep and help her raise funds for LWV Kent. And they did! Her fan base donated more than $3,000 toward our efforts to reach voters this year. Thanks, Barb!
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Click on the image for a birthday song! |
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Attend the Feb. 9 All Member Meeting to have an impact on LWVUS positions and priorities |
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Although this may sound very dry and uninteresting, it is really important for all of our members to understand where we stand on these important issues.Especially since this is a mid-term election year, knowledge of the official League positions in light of candidates' positions should be very useful in evaluating prospective elected officials.
Please plan to join us on Feb. 9 for this online discussion.
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Six-year-old Kenna Fantone is the artist who designed and created our holiday benefit brunch bags. Many thanks to her and to all of you. With your help, LWV Kent donated $1,000 and two boxes of non-perishable goods to Kent Social Services.
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SAVE THE DATE...
Jan. 13, 2022 | Thursday | 6 p.m. | New Member Orientation | Online
Jan. 13, 2022 | Thursday | 7 p.m. | All Member Meeting | Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee Presentation | Online
Jan. 15, 2022 | Saturday | 10 a.m. | Second Annual NAACP Virtual Prayer Breakfast | Online
Feb. 9, 2022 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | All Member Meeting | Positions & Priorities | Online
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Connect with us by email . . . and |
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