The Diversity Projekt
Empowerment for All People of Color
Loving Day
“We loved each other and got married,” she [Mildred Loving] told The Washington Evening Star in 1965, when the case was pending. “We are not marrying the state. The law should allow a person to marry anyone he wants.”
Mildred Loving fought for her right to marry someone of another race in 1960’s Virginia. More than 40 years later we are still fighting for true marriage equality.
Stay tuned…..recap of Philadelphia’s First SwirlPhilly Loving Day events to come!
Related Stories:
Matriarch of Inter-Racial Marriage Dies
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24468808/The Huffington Post Interview with Loving Day Founder
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jennifer-gandin-le/loving-day-its-not-a-hall_b_51358.htmlVillage Voice Interview with Loving Day Founder
http://www.villagevoice.com/2006-06-06/people/love-actually2006 Washington Post Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061201716.htmlSwirlPhilly Hosting Loving Day Celebration @ The Franklin - RACE Exhibit Discussion
SwirlPhilly is celebrating Loving Day this year by hosting a trip to see the RACE exhibit at the Franklin. We will meet after the viewing to participate in a discussion on the exhibit and Loving Day. Community dinner to follow!
This is a family friendly event. Bring your children, spouses, parents, etc.!!
Date: Saturday, June 13, 2009
Time: 1:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: The Franklin
Street: 20th and Ben Franklin Blvd
City/Town: Philadelphia, PAPhone: 215.776.1162
Email: kathrini@swirlinc.orgRSVP requested as we are receiving group museum rates!
The Loving Day name comes from Loving v. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage in the United States.
Loving Day’s mission is to fight racial prejudice through education and to build multicultural community. It is a global network of annual celebrations you can host or attend, as well as an educational campaign that you can be a part of every day. Swirl partners with Loving Day every year as it’s mission is central to our work. We are a national organization with 11 chapters focused on challenging society’s notions of race through community building, education and action.
New Chapter for New Beginnings
A passionate advocate, a “pesky” reporter and a few blog posts, and the Bensalem Township School Board decided to “reconsider” it’s ruling to cut the New Beginnings Program at Bensalem High School. The trade off - 700 service hours in the upcoming fiscal year instead of 1000.
I learned something new today about Patti’s program. Not only are these young parents graduating from high school at phenomenal rates, but many go on to lead incredible lives. Two of her former students addressed the Board tonight - one is graduating community college and will soon enroll in a nursing program, and the other is currently working at Jefferson.
Well done! Thank you for your comments (on and off site) and your prayers!
The School Board will most likely need to re-address funding issues surrounding New Beginnings sometime during the new fiscal year. Seeking alternative funding streams is most likely going to be a necessity, since the long-term repercussions of tonight’s cut in capacity will not go unnoticed by the community in need of these services.
ACTION ITEM! Please keep your eyes open for private (or government) grants that will fund direct services and/or advocacy for teen pregnancy/parenting.
On a side note - tonight was the first time in years that I really felt a part of a community. Perhaps it was the mission-orientedness of it all. My hunch, it was the people. Several Wellians came out in solidarity and support of Patti and her kids. Some of us went to Rita’s afterwards to celebrate. Yeah, Evan - I finally had Rita’s after more than 7 years.
“New Beginnings” at Risk
As many of you know, I have been attending The Well in Feasterville, PA, since January of this year. While my transition from the Orthodox Church to an evangelical Protestant church has been challenging at times, I have begin to make some connections that are important to me. The people at The Well are what have made my transition a little less painful.
Patti is one of those people.
Recently, Patti shared with me that her program at Bensalem High School that provides vital support to teen parents who struggle with staying in school while raising children was in danger of being cut due to the economic budget crisis. This past Sunday she informed us that the program’s closing was eminent unless the School Board was convinced otherwise. I do not live in Bucks Co., PA, so I cannot address the School Boad directly. But I do have this blog and people who continually return to learn about the issues that I care deeply about.I have asked Patti to share with us a little bit about her job at “New Beginnings”, and why cancelling this program will have a detrimental impact on the young parents that have come to reply on their services.
I encourage you to attend the School Board meeting on Wednesday May 27 at 7pm at 3000 Donallen Drive, Bensalem, PA 19020, and if you are a Bucks Co. resident, please consider speaking in support of the continued operation of this program!
TDP: Tell me about your job and how you were lead to your work?
Patti: 16 years ago, when I was ready to re-enter the work force I was looking for a job that would allow me to make a difference in my community while working with the youth population. As a mother of young children, I also wanted a work schedule compatible with my children’s schedules. The pregnant and parenting teen coordinator position at Bensalem High School was the perfect combination of all those requirements.
In my 16 years as coordinator/counselor, the program has expanded to include a fatherhood component that provides support and information for teen dads. We also developed a summer camp program with an emphasis on parenting skills while simultaneously helping students address issues (day care, homelessness, etc.) that may interfere with a return to school in September (camp was always funded by an external grant and has never been paid for with school district monies). Bensalem Township has partnered with the other Lower Bucks County School districts to apply for State grant funds that offset a portion of the cost of the New Beginnings program.
In my part-time position as coordinator/counselor, I provide direct services, access to community services, educational and group support, and advocacy support within the school system and the community for student participants. The number of students varies from year to year, but has been gradually increasing for the past four years and has peaked at 27 students at this point in time. Eleven of those students are due to graduate, which means that there will be at least 16 pregnant or parenting students expected back in the fall.
New Beginnings has maintained a graduation rate of over 90% throughout the 16 years I have been here. That is an excellent standard that will be impossible to maintain without specialized support.
TDP: What is the recent school board decision?
Patti: The school board voted in the proposed budget to completely cut the New Beginnings Program, along with 4 teachers, a secretary, and a non-teaching assistant (a discipline position). All of these positions are at the high school, so the general cuts will create a higher student/staff ratio, meaning there is less all around support for the high school population within our district, not to mention the complete loss of specialized support for pregnant and parenting teens.
TDP: How does it impact the students in your program?
Patti: The students in my program will be left with no specialized support to assist them in the process of accomplishing graduation from high school. As these students navigate the maze of pre-natal care, day care and day care subsidy, health insurance, health complications (for themselves & their children), three-generational living, financial stressors, educational pressures, and the list goes on; there will be no one within the school district to be sure that these kids get access to the supports that they need in order to succeed. Inevitably some of this population will fall through the cracks, drop out, and struggle to find a way to support themselves and their families.
TDP: What do you think are the long-term repercussions if the school board’s decision stands?
Patti: Long term, the consequences of a higher drop out rate will inevitably lead to a higher rate of welfare dependence for a longer period of time. Today’s teen parents will struggle to help their children succeed educationally because they’ve been left without adequate support to accomplish the goal themselves. There will also be a toll of a higher incidence of crime, drug & alcohol abuse, and other less appealing alternatives because good choices may seem out of reach for these kids.
TDP: How can people help? What are some action items?
Patti: Let the decision-makers know that you believe in paying a small amount of tax money now to prevent the large financial, personal, and societal cost that will ensue if we don’t. Voice your support at school board meetings ~ the next school board meeting will be held at 3000 Donallen Drive, Bensalem PA 19020 on May 27th, 2009. The final budget will be voted in at the board meeting on June 10th, 2009.
You can also express your support for the New Beginnings Program (the support program for pregnant and parenting teens at Bensalem High School) by emailing the school board members as follows:
Harry R. Kramer, President - hkramer@bensalemsd.org
Eugene A. Rothenberg, Vice President - erothenbe@bensalemsd.org
James A. Bodnar - jbodnar@bensalemsd.org
Dr. Lewis J. Brandt - lbrandt@bensalemsd.org
Rose Jacobs - rjacobs@bensalemsd.org
Carol T. Jones - cjones@bensalemsd.org
Carol L. McGuire - cmcguire@bensalemsd.org
Heather D. Nicholas - hnicholas@bensalemsd.org
Dr. Stephen C. Nowmos - snowmos@bensalemsd.org
And, you can contact the Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent and Acting Director of Pupil Personnel as follows:
Dr. James D. Lombardo, District Superintendent - 215-750-2800Ext. 4100 email: jlombardo@bensalemsd.org
Dr. William J. Gretzula, Assistant Superintendent - 215-750-2800 Ext. 4103 email: wgretzula@bensalemsd.org
Ms. Tammy Wood, Acting Director of Pupil Personnel - 215-750-2800 Ext. 4108 email: twood@bensalemsd.org
MIA for a good cause…
I just came up for air and realized that TDP has been MIA for several weeks. A combination of work and extra-curricular social justice activities are to blame.
NSC is gearing up for several events over the next 6 months:
World Refugee Day
June 20Networking for a Cause (benefiting NSC)
July 92009 Global Tastes (annual fundraiser)
September 30Stay tunes for more on these events!
Of course there are tons of other projects in between those dates. I feel extremely blessed to be in such an extraordinary position. I still pinch myself sometimes. I recently interviewed a refugee who has been in Philadelphia for a little more than 3 months. He is absolutely amazing - his spirit and determination is mindbogglingly. I cannot wait to share his story with everyone.
Swirl Events:
Swirl is coordinating Loving Day events with all of its chapters. This will be the first (of many) events where all chapters are coordinating around the same theme. Lots of exciting things going on with Swirl these days. I lost a co-organizer, but I am still excited about the momentum that we established here in Philadelphia. We have several individuals who are interested in a more active role in chapter activities.
It is definitely past my bedtime, so I am off. I am definitely back and will be posting more often in the days and weeks to come.
Swirl’s Mission - Front and Center
As many of you know, Alexis Jeffcott and I recently launched the Philadelphia Chapter of Swirl. We host a monthly Pot Luck, a time for swirlies and allies to get to know each other in a relaxed atmosphere. Several exciting events are in the works as well. We are hosting a fieldtrip to the “America I Am” Exhibit at the National Constitution Center.
Another conversation we have been having - Loving Day events. In the past, Swirl Chapters have functioned autonomously from each other and from Swirl National. We hold monthly calls to keep each other informed about local activities and idea sharing. In an effort to build our holistic capacity, we began discussing the possibility of coordinating Loving Day activities and possibly entering into collaborations with local organizations. In short, capacity building.
Loving Day is an educational community project. The name comes from Loving v. Virginia (1967), the landmark Supreme Court decision that legalized interracial marriage in the United States. Loving Day celebrations commemorate the anniversary of the Loving decision every year on or around June 12th.
Mission Statement:
Loving Day’s mission is to fight prejudice through education and to build a sense of community among people who engage in meaningful interracial and intercultural relationships.
As we were pondering options, the shocking reality of Swirl’s relevance once again reared its ugly head! While creating community is of utmost importance, challenging convetional notions of race and combating prejudice, racism and bigotry is our central aim.
We have Obama as president, yet still live in an America where racism and racial violence - HATE CRIMES - run rampant! Last week, a California woman was the victim of race and bigotry because she had two children with a Black man. Swirl posted a solid public statement about this atrocity. I have posted it below.
Stay tuned for a Philadelphia Loving Day announcement!
RECENT HATE CRIME SHOULD PROMPT US TO SEE THE REALITY OF RACISM
Jen Chau, Founder and Executive Director of Swirl, Inc.
April 10, 2009Imagine swastikas and racial epithets spray-painted on your car right outside of your home. It’s scary and very upsetting.
This describes precisely the recent hate crime committed against an interracial family in Los Alamitos, Calif., two days ago (Gleeson, 2009). As frightening and disconcerting as this is, it is important that we shake off our blinders and acknowledge the reality of racism today. We can wonder how something like this would happen in a “nice” neighborhood. We may question why these things are still happening when we have an African-American president of mixed heritage. And we could ask ourselves why people still see color.
Or we can use our time instead to try to understand how racism continues to function in our lives in this country.
Many of us don’t want to admit that this overwhelming problem still exists. Many declared that racism was dead in the days after Obama’s presidential win. Though change and progress are exciting, we cannot believe that racism has completely disappeared. Sometimes it is subtle and sometimes it is dormant, but we cannot be fooled into thinking it no longer exists. The shock that some of us display when a hate crime occurs is evidence that we as a people exist in severe denial. Yes, President Obama is in the White House; and we still have a huge battle with institutional racism ahead of us (e.g. the huge achievement gap in our urban public schools hasn’t magically disappeared yet; a byproduct of institutional racism).
We must hear this terrible story and feel challenged to realistically acknowledge and think about our problems with racism on the individual, cultural and institutional level. The shock that hate crimes still happen doesn’t help us to confront the problem because we are so busy thinking about the incident as a strange occurrence or an outlier. If we believe that these types of crimes don’t happen in certain areas, we don’t feel compelled to address them. Why spend time problem-solving around oddities? However, if you look at the amount of hate crimes that we experience in a year across the country, you begin to see that strange occurrence after strange occurrence adds up to a very real pattern. In 2006, there were nearly 8,000 reported hate crimes (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2007). The truth and the reality remains that racism continues all around us, still. We need to confront this truth honestly and realistically instead of lulling ourselves into believing that racism happens in pockets and doesn’t have a real hold on us.
In this moment, let’s follow Teri Barber’s lead - if she is willing to leave her vandalized car in the street for all to see, we should be able to confront the truth of racism along with her.
References:
Federal Bureau of Investigations (2007, November 19). Hate crime in the U.S.: New stats and a continuing mission. Retrieved from http://www.fbi.gov/page2/nov07/hatecrime111907.html
Gleeson, G. (2009, April 8). Epithets painted on mixed-race family car. Retrieved from http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=6752164
My Hero….and my munchkin!
So, as many of you know, my dad was home on leave a week or so ago! He is currently stationed in German. He initially retired from the U.S. Army in the early 90s and has since been working for the federal government. He re-upped a little over a year ago and has been stationed in Germany ever since. We returned stateside for training and had a little over a week leave. I spent a long weekend with the family in Jax (Florida).
Here are a few pictures taken while he was on leave:
Christina is definitely Opa's girl!
A few with the munchkin! My dad still looks good in uniform! Although I did not completely understand his reasoning for returning to the military, I sure am proud of him. My dad is the best person I know!
Christina continues to grow - far too quickly! She is an amazing little kid. She actually said “Love you, Kakrin” today! Close enough, right?!
She is absolutely fearless! I hope that doesn't change any time soon!
And, she is definitely my sister's kid! She loves playing in dirt!
This kid cracks me up!
ACTION ALERT: Take Action In Support of the DREAM ACT (Re-Introduced in House and Senate!)
This month, the “Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act” will be (re)introduced in both the House and the Senate. The DREAM Act would restore states’ rights to determine residency requirements for in-state tuition and establish a path to legal status and eventual citizenship for undocumented youth. These measures would address significant barriers to the success of hardworking immigrant students who were brought to this country at a young age and desire to fully contribute to American society.
Please sign the DREAM ACT 2009 Petition!
Please contact your Senators and State Representative:
- Urge your Representatives and Senators to co-sponsor the DREAM Act.
- The DREAM Act is a bipartisan piece of legislation that would allow our country to retain promising and hardworking immigrant youth.
- Our country would reap great benefits from the DREAM Act. Passage of the act would encourage immigrant students to pursue higher education, allowing them to fully contribute to our economy.
- These youth have grown up in America and become part of our communities. They have embraced our country’s values, maintained upstanding lives, and aspire to become full participants in American society.
Citizenship Weekend April 18, 2009
My mother and I are immigrants. We received our Permanent Resident Card (”Green Card”) upon first entering the U.S. When I say “received” I mean just that. It was simple, painless, inexpensive, and only minutely time consuming. My father (her husband) is a natural born U.S. citizen (and at the time U.S. Army soldier). We received our Green Card shortly before we moved to Selfridge, Michigan where my dad was station for a short period of time. The military filed the paperwork for us and I think even paid the fees. My mother naturalized a few years ago. She did not have to struggle to pay the USCIS fees (almost $800 at this point) and for the most part was merely a procedural process. I have chosen to re-new my Green Card until the German government allows me to maintain dual status. We are the lucky ones! My family’s situation isn’t typical. Most individuals face considerable struggles in their quest to immigrate to the U.S. The financial burden alone has become too great for many to overcome without assistance And then there are others who wont ever have the opportunity to become U.S. citizens.
April 18 and 19, 2009 is Citizenship Day, a national event where private immigration attorneys partner with local non profit organizations to provide free legal help in applying for citizenship to low income Legal Permanent Residents (Green Card holders). This year we have added two new sites - Allentown and Carlisle (just past Harrisburg), in addition to Philadelphia. We know that citizenship has become increasingly expensive, and many families are struggling. As a result, this year in Pennsylvania we will be offering assistance to eligible individuals in applying for a fee waiver, in addition to application assistance. Details on sites, times and registering are below.
Pennsylvania Citizenship Weekend is a collaboration between the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC), the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Nationalities Service Center (NSC), and HIAS and Council Migration Service. The Center for Immigrants’ Rights at Penn State Dickinson School of Law is co-sponsoring and hosting Citizenship Day in Carlisle. Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown is co-sponsoring and hosting the Allentown location. A number of organizations are co-sponsoring the Philadelphia event, and are listed on the attached flyer.
Volunteer Attorneys Needed for Citizenship Weekend
Volunteer attorneys are still needed to help provide legal assistance to applicants. Additional training sessions in citizenship procedure and fee waivers will be held on Friday April 3rd in Philadelphia (12pm - 2pm) and Allentown (2pm - 4pm). Please contact Jamie Johns at hiascitizenship@gmail.com or (215) 832-0922 regarding the Philadelphia training. Please contact Jill Freeman at jfreeman@wsklawyers.com or at (267) 350-6600 regarding the Allentown training.
Allentown Community Training on Citizenship March 29th
In preparation for April, PICC is holding a community training in Allentown this weekend, on the citizenship process. This workshop will provide an overview of the citizenship process, but please note that we will not be able to provide help for individual cases. Light refreshments will be served. For more information contact Hillary Blecker, 215-832-0895 or picc.organizer@gmail.com
Community Training on Citizenship
Sunday, March 29, 2009
2:00-4:00pm
First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, 3231 Tilghman StreetCitizenship Weekend Details - April 18th in Philadelphia and Carlisle, April 19th in Allentown
*There is no charge for this application assistance but individuals are responsible for filing fees, postage & biometrics*
You must register for these events in advance and receive an appointment time by calling:
(215) 609-1534 or (215) 893-8400 for John Thompson at Nationalities Service Center, 9am-5pm and Mondays until 7pm
OR
(215) 832-0900 or (215) 832-0922 for Jamie or Vilma at HIAS and Council, 9am-5pm and Tuesdays until 7pm
Philadelphia - Saturday April 18th
Time: 10 am - 4 pm
Location: Nationalities Service Center, 1216 Arch Street, 4th floor, Philadelphia, PACarlisle - Saturday April 18th
Time: 12 pm - 6 pm
Location: The Dickinson School of Law (Advantica Building) 1170 Harrisburg Pike, Carlisle, PA 17013Allentown - Sunday April 19th
Times: 10 AM - 4 PM
Location: Catholic Charities, Diocese of Allentown, 530 Union Boulevard, Allentown, PA 18109Fragments of Life Converge…..
When I was working in the corporate sector, I held a series of jobs. Strung together they constructed a fairly successful career. Yet, there was always something missing. I always ended my day feeling unfulfilled and drained. Never did I feel like I was making a positive impact on someone’s life. In fact, I often felt like I was harming others, perpetuating their exploitation. Yeah, I know. It sounds a bit “down with The Man”. You just see a lot of distasteful things in corporate immigration legal work, things that turn your stomach and make you question your own ethical foundation.
I am extremely grateful that God placed an “opportunity” at my feat last August. While the layoff was initially a shock, it has truly turned into a blessing far beyond my own comprehension. After several months on unemployment, I began to panic. I had placed 30+ job submissions for every position under the sun and became increasingly concerned with the lack of call-backs. I finally got a few call backs early November. I came across an extremely intimidating job posting was I was preparing for one of my interviews. My first reaction was to not apply even though the mission of the organization was something I had been long interested in. After some prodding and coaxing from friends (Monica and Alexis), I finally submitted my application. Less than 24 hours later I received a call from the office manager requesting an interview for the following Monday. Three weeks later I had a job offer.
So, here I am. My personal activism has blended with my professional activism. I have yet to figure out how much it should influence content on TDP. I’ve refrained from blogging about it too much, but I would like to. I’ve tended to blog more about my spiritual journey which resonates even less with this blog’s mission and themes. I have been struggling with maintaining some sort of consistency on TDP - primarily thematically. Blogging is a form of therapy for me. The fragmentation is a reflection of that. My life isn’t one dimensional - no one’s is. Perhaps the struggle for balance is futile as balance isn’t possible. I wonder if I have been trying to force a circle into a square peg (or however that saying goes).
My faith and sexuality is just as fair game as my racial or ethnic identity. In reality, TDP is about me, my life. So on a very basic level, everything is free game. I want to write more about my job - or rather, more about my reactions to what I am learning. I what to document my goals and successes (and failures) professionally, while also delving into my challenges of faith (not sure what else to call it). And of course I want to continue talking about race, ethinicity and culture - diversity, as that is what shapes such a large portion of my life. It may seem disjointed, but taken holistically, it tells a complete story….of me!
On some level I envisioned that this would evolve into a theme-specific blog. I am coming to realize that this particular model may not work for me - it’s far too constricting for a personal blog. So, I am not exactly sure where I am going with “The Diversity Projekt” - but I can say that it will show a bit more about who I am.
I hope that you will stick around to see what happens!
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