by WebPost | Sep 21, 2022 | Announcement
These quotes, by Steven Charleston, a member of the Choctaw Nation, are timely for the month that contains Indigenous People's Day, October 10. Note: Indigenous People's Day 2022 is a state observance in 30 states, including Maryland, and a state holiday in 3 states and 1 federal district.
From Ladder to the Light - An Indigenous Elder’s Meditations on Hope and Courage, by Steven Charleston, 2021, Broadleaf Books, p. 79
"One of the greatest challenges we face in our ascent to freedom is the fear of diversity. Throughout the centuries, oppressive cultures have invented scores of ways to pretend human beings are fundamentally different. They have invented the concept of race. They have developed elaborate caste systems. They have engineered class distinctions. They have economically separated people by gender. They have practiced religious exclusivity and intolerance. The list goes on, but the results have been the same. Humanity has remained fractured along imaginary fault lines created by fear and perpetuated for social control and domination.”
Charleston, a member of the Choctaw Nation, goes on to tell us how to climb the ladder: "In the kiva, we begin overcoming this fear. We begin to see the deeper truth of our own humanity. The higher we climb on the ladder, the more we realize the reality of our own existence. We are not different; we are the same. The light exposes these false divisions and helps us recognize one another for what we are: brothers and sisters in the great tribe of human beings."
This column is prepared by the BYM Working Group on Racism (WGR) and sent to the designated liaison at each local Meeting. The BYM WGR meets most months on the first Saturday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, currently via Zoom. If you would like to attend,contact the clerk at david.etheridge@verizon.net
by WebPost | Sep 5, 2022 | Announcement
Peace and Social Concerns committee offers Zatoun olive oil and soap for sale to help support farmers in Palestine and peace in the region. Olive oil is the primary source of income for about 75,000 Palestinian farmers.
Current prices are $25 for 25.4 oz bottle of olive oil and $6 for a bar of soap. The oil is exceptional quality and the soap is unscented, mild, and long lasting.
Please contact Julia Hebner to purchase.
by WebPost | Aug 25, 2022 | Announcement
This month’s column, with a passage from the book by Michael Eric Dyson, Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon To White America, 2017 and 2021 was contributed by Tronette Anochie of Sandy Spring Friends meeting. She also contributed the response.
“America is in trouble, and a lot of that trouble - perhaps most of it - has to do with race. Everywhere we turn, there is discord and division, death and destruction. When we survey the land, we see a country full of suffering that we cannot fully understand, and a history that we can no longer deny. Slavery casts a long shadow across our lives. The spoils we reaped from forcing people to work without wages and treating them with grievous inhumanity continue to haunt us in a racial gulf that seems impossible to overcome. Black and white people don't merely have different experiences; we seem to occupy different universes, with worldviews that are fatally opposed to one another.”
Response by Tronette Anochie: Where do we go from here? The BYM Working Group on Racism, the Growing Diverse Leadership Committee, the Reparations Action Committee, and STRIDE are seeking the way forward out of darkness. But everyone is needed as we move towards the Light. A Friend who likes simple prayers asks, “What is mine to do?” Each person should be asking themselves this question and then listening to the Spirit within for direction, guidance, love, and action.
This column is prepared by the BYM Working Group on Racism (WGR) and sent to the designated liaison at each local Meeting. The BYM WGR meets most months on the first Saturday, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, currently via Zoom. If you would like to attend, contact the clerk at david.etheridge@verizon.net.
by WebPost | Jun 3, 2022 | Announcement
Everytown for Gun Safety-Virginia Chapter will kick off Wear Orange Weekend on June 3, 4 and 5. Displaying Orange is to honor victims and survivors of gun violence. Orange was chosen because it is the color worn to prevent being hunted. They are asking for buildings to display orange outdoor lighting in solidarity.
Perhaps you would like to wear orange or put up orange lights at you home during that time period. Not being able to get this before Meeting in time for approval, we are not able to decorate the building.
Peace and Social Concerns wanted to share this information with Richmond Friends.
by WebPost | Apr 6, 2022 | Announcement
Intersections of climate justice and Quakerism
April 7, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Climate change has increased food insecurity. It has also fueled conflict over scarce resources and forced people to leave their homes and communities. Quakers have long recognized the moral responsibility of all to act now to address the ongoing threat of climate change to our world today. Join AFSC 's Peniel Ibe as she moderates a conversation with a panel of Quaker activists inspired by their faith to push for solutions with justice.
Black Quaker Lives Matter Film Festival
April 9, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT
Join us April 9 for the final installment of the Black Quaker Lives Matter Film Festival. The screening takes place on the birthday of Black artist and activist Paul Robeson and honors his life and 200 years of his Quaker ancestors.
Explaining the Israeli military detention system
April 12, 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT
Palestinian Prisoners Day is Apr. 17 and is the focus of this month’s No Way to Treat a Child webinar. We will discuss the current and historical practices used by Israeli forces to detain and imprison Palestinian children. We will also share ways to build support in Congress for supporting Palestinian human rights.
Gun violence and community safety
April 21, 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Many communities across the country have experienced an uptick in gun violence over the last 2 years. At the same time, we are having a robust debate around the role of policing in our society. How has or should the movement to divest from policing and invest in community be responding? This event is part of our webinar series “Community Safety Beyond Policing.”
Demilitarizing the budget
May 3, 7 p.m. / 4 p.m. PT
As the war in Ukraine adds to the many violent conflicts around the world, governments are responding by increasing military budgets and sending weapons to allies. They are also calling for escalatory measures against other nations. In this webinar, you'll learn why the United States' spending on weapons and war isn't keeping us safe. We’ll discuss how the budget and appropriations process works. We’ll also share how you can get involved in the call to move money out of militarism and into our communities!
Check out our AFSC events page for details.
