I spent this Juneteenth thinking about what my family would have been like if my great-great-granddaddy Griffin Henry Belk hadn’t walked off that plantation when he did. I expect it would have made a huge difference, because when Griffin Henry Belk left, he was able to travel (searching for his parents), purchase land (160 acres for $11 in Ozan, Arkansas), and generally prepare to provide for his wife and five children to come.
So I woke up Juneteenth morning and told my daughter about her great-great-great-granddaddy. Even though she’s only two, I expect it resonated with her, or will soon. But when I wished Kwadjo a Happy Juneteenth, I thought, “How is this holiday - my favorite one - relevant to him?” But thinking about Griffin Henry Belk made me realize how Juneteenth is relevant to each of us.
See, Griffin Henry Belk was enslaved, but he didn’t need the Emancipation Proclamation to know that he was free. He was already free in his mind. and since it’s most important to recognize and cultivate your own freedom, in honor of all those everywhere who struggle to be free, I declare June 19th World Free Your Mind Day! Now that’s something we can all celebrate with pride!
O happy day!
"There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." - Edith Wharton
Showing posts with label Arkansas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arkansas. Show all posts
Friday, June 19, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Bank Southern.
I don’t watch a lot of old movies (or movies in general, for that matter), so I saw It's a Wonderful Life
for the first time fairly recently. Many of you already know the story - a guardian angel shows a depressed and suicidal banker how much worse his community would have been without him and helps him value his life and the positive difference he makes in the lives of others. I remember being struck by the beneficial role the bank played in the small town. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but the bank was a community development financial institution.
When my family and I decided to move to Arkansas (where I grew up), I took the opportunity to look for a position that made my interest in and commitment to social justice an asset. I consider it a blessing that I found meaningful work at Southern Bancorp.
Southern Bancorp is a community development financial institution and is the largest rural development bank in the United States. Southern channels profits from three community banks (with more than 40 locations) into three nonprofit affiliates. The nonprofits work with residents in the bank service areas to help them improve their communities. This model of social entrepreneurship is making a real difference for the people in the communities we work in, some of which rank among the poorest in the nation.
Southern excites me for two main reasons. First, our work focuses on rural areas in southern Arkansas and the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi. Because my mom is from southern Arkansas and my dad is from the Delta, I have family all over the region we serve. So it’s personal. More importantly, Southern is implementing an ambitious and innovative community development model that is proving to be effective, scalable, and reproducible. Southern’s rural hub development strategy is revitalizing communities by educating children, helping their parents find jobs and homes, and creating a myriad of good reasons for people to stay in or return to the towns they love. It’s helping turn dying towns into vibrant places to live.
If this work and these ideas inspire you as they do me, here’s how you can get involved:
* Open an account at a Southern bank branch in your area. By banking at Southern you’ll be supporting your community.
* Open a Certificate of Deposit at Southern. Your FDIC-insured investment will earn interest and support community development work. You can even choose to donate a portion of your interest earnings to the Southern nonprofits.
* Donate to Southern’s direct service nonprofit, Southern Good Faith Fund. Remember, your contribution is tax deductible.
* Search the web through GoodSearch and select Southern Good Faith Fund as your nonprofit. Every search generates a donation to Southern, so search often.
* Shop online through GoodShop for Southern Good Faith Fund. Every purchase results in a donation to Southern.
* Learn more about Southern. Start by perusing the website. You can also watch Delta Dreams. This 2007 documentary focuses on Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, where Southern first implemented its innovative community development strategy. And you may want to read Doing Development in Arkansas
for an early history of Southern. It's important to note that Southern's development model has been significantly refined in the years since this book. It is this new strategy that is creating the real results we are seeing now.
*Spread the word. If you are from Southern Arkansas or the Delta or know someone who is, let them know about the many ways to support or participate in Southern’s community development work.
Isn't it nice to read a good story about a bank? Especially these days. Now you know why I'm proud to bank Southern.
” Just a minute — just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was...Why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why...Here, you're all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You...you said...What'd you say just a minute ago?...They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait! Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken-down that they...Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about...they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be! - George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
for the first time fairly recently. Many of you already know the story - a guardian angel shows a depressed and suicidal banker how much worse his community would have been without him and helps him value his life and the positive difference he makes in the lives of others. I remember being struck by the beneficial role the bank played in the small town. I didn’t recognize it at the time, but the bank was a community development financial institution.When my family and I decided to move to Arkansas (where I grew up), I took the opportunity to look for a position that made my interest in and commitment to social justice an asset. I consider it a blessing that I found meaningful work at Southern Bancorp.
Southern Bancorp is a community development financial institution and is the largest rural development bank in the United States. Southern channels profits from three community banks (with more than 40 locations) into three nonprofit affiliates. The nonprofits work with residents in the bank service areas to help them improve their communities. This model of social entrepreneurship is making a real difference for the people in the communities we work in, some of which rank among the poorest in the nation.
Southern excites me for two main reasons. First, our work focuses on rural areas in southern Arkansas and the Delta region of Arkansas and Mississippi. Because my mom is from southern Arkansas and my dad is from the Delta, I have family all over the region we serve. So it’s personal. More importantly, Southern is implementing an ambitious and innovative community development model that is proving to be effective, scalable, and reproducible. Southern’s rural hub development strategy is revitalizing communities by educating children, helping their parents find jobs and homes, and creating a myriad of good reasons for people to stay in or return to the towns they love. It’s helping turn dying towns into vibrant places to live.
If this work and these ideas inspire you as they do me, here’s how you can get involved:
* Open an account at a Southern bank branch in your area. By banking at Southern you’ll be supporting your community.
* Open a Certificate of Deposit at Southern. Your FDIC-insured investment will earn interest and support community development work. You can even choose to donate a portion of your interest earnings to the Southern nonprofits.
* Donate to Southern’s direct service nonprofit, Southern Good Faith Fund. Remember, your contribution is tax deductible.
* Search the web through GoodSearch and select Southern Good Faith Fund as your nonprofit. Every search generates a donation to Southern, so search often.
* Shop online through GoodShop for Southern Good Faith Fund. Every purchase results in a donation to Southern.
* Learn more about Southern. Start by perusing the website. You can also watch Delta Dreams. This 2007 documentary focuses on Helena-West Helena, Arkansas, where Southern first implemented its innovative community development strategy. And you may want to read Doing Development in Arkansas
for an early history of Southern. It's important to note that Southern's development model has been significantly refined in the years since this book. It is this new strategy that is creating the real results we are seeing now.*Spread the word. If you are from Southern Arkansas or the Delta or know someone who is, let them know about the many ways to support or participate in Southern’s community development work.
Isn't it nice to read a good story about a bank? Especially these days. Now you know why I'm proud to bank Southern.
” Just a minute — just a minute. Now, hold on, Mr. Potter. You're right when you say my father was no business man. I know that. Why he ever started this cheap, penny-ante Building and Loan, I'll never know. But neither you nor anybody else can say anything against his character, because his whole life was...Why, in the twenty-five years since he and Uncle Billy started this thing, he never once thought of himself. Isn't that right, Uncle Billy? He didn't save enough money to send Harry to school, let alone me. But he did help a few people get out of your slums, Mr. Potter. And what's wrong with that? Why...Here, you're all businessmen here. Doesn't it make them better citizens? Doesn't it make them better customers? You...you said...What'd you say just a minute ago?...They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait! Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken-down that they...Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about...they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him, but to you, a warped frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be! - George Bailey, It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Keep your land.
I’ve written before about my great-great-grandfather Griffin Henry Belk. He had been enslaved and after his freedom was acknowledged, he spent several years searching in vain for his parents. Eventually, he settled on 160 acres of land in Ozan, Arkansas that he purchased for $11 (that’s right, eleven dollars). His descendents still own the land we call the Belk Estate. My mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother were born there. Now that I’m back in Arkansas, I look forward to visiting this spring. I haven’t been there since I was a child, though I clearly remember the pond and forests that cover much of the land. My grandmother always talked lovingly of the five acres she grew up on.
You don’t have to read much of this blog to recognize that I generally think it’s better that resources are spread among many people rather than being concentrated among just a few. For that reason, I am a big promoter of people keeping their family land. It can be a challenge as families grow in size and members move away and lose contact and interest in the land and the taxes associated with it. But given the history behind the land and its value, it can make even more sense to keep it and make it useful. Here are some resources to help you do just that:
* Get in touch with land preservation organizations like the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund or the Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation that can help you keep your land. They may be able to help you use land trusts, and other legal tools to help maintain your interest in the land.
* Visit the Forestry Service (or similar office) in your state. Many of them have programs designed to help people develop uses for their land (cutting timber, starting an organic farm, opening a campground, etc.) that can provide income to pay the taxes.
* Talk to your neighbors. If you all are in similar straights you may be able to work together to keep your land. For example, the members of the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society were able to get zoning regulations instituted that favored them keeping their land as homesteads rather than allowing massive development on their high value (and gorgeous) land.
* Talk to your relatives. Some of them may not even know about the land. Others may have interesting ideas about how to use it. I know of a family in Arkansas that built several cabins on their land. They use them for family vacations and rent them out to others who want to visit or have a gathering. You may be surprised at the options. Be sure to talk about them all before you sell, because it’s hard to get it back once it’s gone.
Land is a limited resource, so it would probably be better if no one owned it. But since that's the model we're using, it's better that many of us have a share and that we use it wisely and sustainably.
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - Mahatma Gandhi
You don’t have to read much of this blog to recognize that I generally think it’s better that resources are spread among many people rather than being concentrated among just a few. For that reason, I am a big promoter of people keeping their family land. It can be a challenge as families grow in size and members move away and lose contact and interest in the land and the taxes associated with it. But given the history behind the land and its value, it can make even more sense to keep it and make it useful. Here are some resources to help you do just that:
* Get in touch with land preservation organizations like the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund or the Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation that can help you keep your land. They may be able to help you use land trusts, and other legal tools to help maintain your interest in the land.
* Visit the Forestry Service (or similar office) in your state. Many of them have programs designed to help people develop uses for their land (cutting timber, starting an organic farm, opening a campground, etc.) that can provide income to pay the taxes.
* Talk to your neighbors. If you all are in similar straights you may be able to work together to keep your land. For example, the members of the Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society were able to get zoning regulations instituted that favored them keeping their land as homesteads rather than allowing massive development on their high value (and gorgeous) land.
* Talk to your relatives. Some of them may not even know about the land. Others may have interesting ideas about how to use it. I know of a family in Arkansas that built several cabins on their land. They use them for family vacations and rent them out to others who want to visit or have a gathering. You may be surprised at the options. Be sure to talk about them all before you sell, because it’s hard to get it back once it’s gone.
Land is a limited resource, so it would probably be better if no one owned it. But since that's the model we're using, it's better that many of us have a share and that we use it wisely and sustainably.
"Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony." - Mahatma Gandhi
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Invest in your community foundation.
One of the sponsors of National Public Radio on KUAR is the Arkansas Community Foundation. I love their slogan - "For Good. For Arkansas. For Ever." but I didn't know much about the work of community foundations. Once I found out, I had to spread the word.
According to the Council on Foundations community foundations are "tax-exempt public charities serving thousands of people who share a common interest — improving the quality of life in their area." They make grants, promote charitable activities, identify current and emerging regional issues, direct resources in ways that address community needs, and help their local area prepare for the future.
Community foundations are found in every state. Just enter your zip code and use this community foundation locater to find one near you. There are over 700 community foundations in the US, so you're sure to find one in your area. Once you do, here's how you can get involved:
* Donate. You will support the work of the foundation, charitable agencies near you, and the life and development of your community.
* Volunteer. Perhaps you can serve on the Board of Directors. Or maybe you can offer your services to the agencies your community foundation supports.
* Apply. If you run a locally focused charitable non-profit, you may be eligible to apply for support from your community foundation. You can then use the fund to improve your community.
So learn more about community foundations and see how you can help. As they say, charity starts at home.
"Our power is in our ability to decide." - R. Buckminster Fuller
According to the Council on Foundations community foundations are "tax-exempt public charities serving thousands of people who share a common interest — improving the quality of life in their area." They make grants, promote charitable activities, identify current and emerging regional issues, direct resources in ways that address community needs, and help their local area prepare for the future.
Community foundations are found in every state. Just enter your zip code and use this community foundation locater to find one near you. There are over 700 community foundations in the US, so you're sure to find one in your area. Once you do, here's how you can get involved:
* Donate. You will support the work of the foundation, charitable agencies near you, and the life and development of your community.
* Volunteer. Perhaps you can serve on the Board of Directors. Or maybe you can offer your services to the agencies your community foundation supports.
* Apply. If you run a locally focused charitable non-profit, you may be eligible to apply for support from your community foundation. You can then use the fund to improve your community.
So learn more about community foundations and see how you can help. As they say, charity starts at home.
"Our power is in our ability to decide." - R. Buckminster Fuller
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sankofa: Learn from the past to build the future.
Sankofa is an Akan symbol that represents the concept: "Remember the past to build for the future." For me, Sankofa is particularly relevant this month because this is the 50th Anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, my alma mater. I had such a good experience at Central but it would not have been possible without the work and sacrifice of many brave and dedicated people, including the Little Rock Nine:
* Minnijean Brown
* Elizabeth Eckford
* Ernest Green
* Thelma Mothershed Wair
* Melba Pattillo Beals
* Carlotta Walls LaNier
* Terrence Roberts
* Jefferson Thomas
* Gloria Cecelia Ray
There are many others, of course, including Daisy Gatson Bates who served as organizer for the integration effort. To all of those who worked and continue to work to ensure that all children have access to good public education, THANK YOU. I will do my best to give to others what you all have so generously given to me.
"In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." - Thurgood Marshall
* Minnijean Brown
* Elizabeth Eckford
* Ernest Green
* Thelma Mothershed Wair
* Melba Pattillo Beals
* Carlotta Walls LaNier
* Terrence Roberts
* Jefferson Thomas
* Gloria Cecelia Ray
There are many others, of course, including Daisy Gatson Bates who served as organizer for the integration effort. To all of those who worked and continue to work to ensure that all children have access to good public education, THANK YOU. I will do my best to give to others what you all have so generously given to me.
"In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." - Thurgood Marshall
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Free your mind.
Happy Juneteenth! My favorite holiday, Juneteenth, celebrates the 19th of June, 1965, when enslaved black folks in Arkansas and Texas finally found out about the Emancipation Proclamation, even though the document had theoretically taken effect more than two years earlier on January 1, 1863. I wrote before about my great-great-granddaddy, Griffin Henry Belk, and how he responded to the news of his freedom. His actions - immediately walking off the plantation, freeing the mule, and going to search for his parents - suggest he was, in fact, already free. He needed no official Proclamation to free his mind. Neither do we. We too can live our lives striving to be free.
* Free yourself from fear.
* Free yourself from guilt.
* Free yourself from anger.
* Free yourself from worry.
* Free yourself from shame.
* Free yourself from blame.
* Free yourself from jealousy.
* Free yourself from insecurity.
* Free yourself from frustration.
* Free yourself from oppression.
* Free yourself from judgmentalism.
* Free yourself from other people's expectations.
* Free yourself from other people's issues and baggage.
And if you need some help, check out these resources on
* Faith and spiritual health
* Mental health
* Addiction
* Love
On this Juneteenth, free your mind. Who knows what wonderful things you'll be able to accomplish! Happy Juneteenth!
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
"Free your mind, and the rest will follow." - En Vogue, paraphrasing George Clinton of Funkadelic
* Free yourself from fear.
* Free yourself from guilt.
* Free yourself from anger.
* Free yourself from worry.
* Free yourself from shame.
* Free yourself from blame.
* Free yourself from jealousy.
* Free yourself from insecurity.
* Free yourself from frustration.
* Free yourself from oppression.
* Free yourself from judgmentalism.
* Free yourself from other people's expectations.
* Free yourself from other people's issues and baggage.
And if you need some help, check out these resources on
* Faith and spiritual health
* Mental health
* Addiction
* Love
On this Juneteenth, free your mind. Who knows what wonderful things you'll be able to accomplish! Happy Juneteenth!
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann Wolfgang van Goethe
"Free your mind, and the rest will follow." - En Vogue, paraphrasing George Clinton of Funkadelic
Sunday, June 19, 2005
Take someone with you.
Spring 1865, Southwest Arkansas (Hempstead County?)
Griffin Henry Belk wiped his brow as he looked up at the hot Arkansas sun. That stubborn mule he's driving (or trying to drive) simply refuses to pull the plow. Finally, the mule decided to move. "Good," Griffin thought. "Maybe I'll be able to finish up before sundown." Just then, a white man on horseback approached. The man slowed and Griffin stopped the mule. The stranger spoke, "You know, you don't have to plow like that." Griffin looked at the man with confusion. "You're free," he said, "All y'all are free!" Ahh. The words Griffin had always wanted to hear. As the white man rode off, Griffin unleashed the mule and told the mule, "You go your way, and I'll go mine". And with that, he and the mule went free.
On this, the 19th of June, I remember, among others, Griffin Henry Belk, my great-great-granddaddy. This day is Juneteenth, my favorite holiday. Juneteenth started in Galveston, Texas in 1865, and is the African American Emancipation Day, commemorating the end of legalized enslavement in the US. My grandmother, Fanilla Suttles Cobb (Griffin's granddaughter) told this story often, but my father, Olly Neal, pointed out an important fact: not only did Griffin Belk free himself, he freed the mule! He went above the call of duty and took someone (albeit a mule) with him on his road to freedom. On this Juneteenth consider the ways you can take someone with you as you work to improve your life.
Today is an excellent day to consider the ways you can improve your life and help others:
* Be a volunteer.
* Live ethically.
* Work for economic justice.
Celebrate Juneteenth and the end of enslavement in this country. And as you rise, don't forget to take someone with you. Happy Juneteenth!
Griffin Henry Belk wiped his brow as he looked up at the hot Arkansas sun. That stubborn mule he's driving (or trying to drive) simply refuses to pull the plow. Finally, the mule decided to move. "Good," Griffin thought. "Maybe I'll be able to finish up before sundown." Just then, a white man on horseback approached. The man slowed and Griffin stopped the mule. The stranger spoke, "You know, you don't have to plow like that." Griffin looked at the man with confusion. "You're free," he said, "All y'all are free!" Ahh. The words Griffin had always wanted to hear. As the white man rode off, Griffin unleashed the mule and told the mule, "You go your way, and I'll go mine". And with that, he and the mule went free.
On this, the 19th of June, I remember, among others, Griffin Henry Belk, my great-great-granddaddy. This day is Juneteenth, my favorite holiday. Juneteenth started in Galveston, Texas in 1865, and is the African American Emancipation Day, commemorating the end of legalized enslavement in the US. My grandmother, Fanilla Suttles Cobb (Griffin's granddaughter) told this story often, but my father, Olly Neal, pointed out an important fact: not only did Griffin Belk free himself, he freed the mule! He went above the call of duty and took someone (albeit a mule) with him on his road to freedom. On this Juneteenth consider the ways you can take someone with you as you work to improve your life.
Today is an excellent day to consider the ways you can improve your life and help others:
* Be a volunteer.
* Live ethically.
* Work for economic justice.
Celebrate Juneteenth and the end of enslavement in this country. And as you rise, don't forget to take someone with you. Happy Juneteenth!
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
Each one teach one.
I expect that each of us has at least one teacher who made a positive impact on our lives. I fondly remember learning from Bruce, Mrs. Brooks, Mr. Watson, Mrs. Steadman, and Miss Holmes, to name just a few. And though I didn't know her, I am grateful to my grandmother, Willie Beatrice Jones Neal, who was also teacher (and taught my dad in the classroom and at home.)
Today is National Teacher Day, "a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives." As a former Arkansas teacher myself and as the beneficiary of the work of numerous Arkansas teachers (including my mother and grandmother), I am pleased to note that the first work to initiate National Teacher Day was done by an Arkansas teacher in 1944.
On this day, take the time to thank a teacher who helped you. Maybe she taught a class, maybe he was a mentor, maybe she taught you a life lesson. None of us makes it alone; someone taught us what we know and, in addition to being grateful, we have a responsibility to teach those around us. Consider these ways you can do this:
* Model the behavior you expect from others. As Mahatma Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in the world." We can all do this.
* Share what you know. We all are blessed with talents. Identify yours and teach someone else.
* Remember that we're all lifelong learners (or we should be). Perhaps you can teach an adult to read or be a mentor.
To all the teachers out there, I salute you! Thank you for the good and valuable work you do!
Today is National Teacher Day, "a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives." As a former Arkansas teacher myself and as the beneficiary of the work of numerous Arkansas teachers (including my mother and grandmother), I am pleased to note that the first work to initiate National Teacher Day was done by an Arkansas teacher in 1944.
On this day, take the time to thank a teacher who helped you. Maybe she taught a class, maybe he was a mentor, maybe she taught you a life lesson. None of us makes it alone; someone taught us what we know and, in addition to being grateful, we have a responsibility to teach those around us. Consider these ways you can do this:
* Model the behavior you expect from others. As Mahatma Ghandi said "Be the change you want to see in the world." We can all do this.
* Share what you know. We all are blessed with talents. Identify yours and teach someone else.
* Remember that we're all lifelong learners (or we should be). Perhaps you can teach an adult to read or be a mentor.
To all the teachers out there, I salute you! Thank you for the good and valuable work you do!
Monday, May 02, 2005
Improve your community.
Growing up, I spent many afternoons listening to the ACORN radio show on KABF in Little Rock. ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, was founded in 1970 and is "the nation's largest community organization of low- and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities." And they do a lot of good work. Right now, they have national campaigns in the following areas:
* predatory lending
* living wages
* better schools
* health care
* affordable housing
* community reinvestment
* utilities
Sound like something you can get on board with? Here are some ways to get involved:
* Join ACORN and be an active participant in the fight for social justice.
* Sign up for ACORN's weekly e-newsletter and stay informed about ACORN's work.
* Locate an ACORN office near you. They are all over the US and in several Western Hemisphere countries. And they are expanding.
Look around your community. Celebrate what's right about it. Improve what's wrong with it. ACORN can help. "Empower yourself! Empower your community!"
* predatory lending
* living wages
* better schools
* health care
* affordable housing
* community reinvestment
* utilities
Sound like something you can get on board with? Here are some ways to get involved:
* Join ACORN and be an active participant in the fight for social justice.
* Sign up for ACORN's weekly e-newsletter and stay informed about ACORN's work.
* Locate an ACORN office near you. They are all over the US and in several Western Hemisphere countries. And they are expanding.
Look around your community. Celebrate what's right about it. Improve what's wrong with it. ACORN can help. "Empower yourself! Empower your community!"
Friday, March 04, 2005
March forth!
A few years ago, a friend of my mother's told her that hers is the only birthday that is also a command: March 'Forth!' So in honor of my mother's birthday today, I'm asking the readers of 'So what can I do' to march forth out of the shadows, sort of a delurking day. If you would, please leave a comment and let me know you're out there. Today is also World Day of Prayer. So feel free to use the comment space to talk about what you'll pray for, make a suggestion for 'So what can I do', send a shout out to a friend, or even wish my mother, Janet, a happy birthday. Thanks for reading! I hope to hear from you.
Thursday, January 20, 2005
Visit and volunteer at National Parks
After visiting Brunswick, GA for a dance performance this weekend (Savage Jazz Dance Co was excellent! [see comments]), Kwadjo and I stopped by St. Simon's Island. We were on a mission to find Ebo Landing (see comments), but ended up visiting Fort Frederica National Monument. It was beautiful and I didn't even know it was there!
The National Park Service began in 1916 and administers 385 areas hosting 270 million visitors each year. There's something for everyone: National Battlefields, National Lakeshore, National Parkways, National Cemeteries. Hot Springs National Park, AR is part of a city, and I'm an alum of Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. These parks provide a wonderful opportunity to get out and learn something and enjoy nature, often for not much money. Consider visiting one. Even better, consider volunteering at one. Here are some of the opportunities that are available:
* The Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program offers a way for volunteers to "help in such a way that is mutually beneficial to the National Park Service and the volunteer." We met a lot of these friendly and helpful VIPs when we camped at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. One of them even taught me to catch a sand flea!
* The International Volunteers in Parks program offers "more than one hundred individuals from all over the world training in park management, wildlife research, environmental education, etc."
* The Artist in Residence program operates in 29 parks and "offers opportunities for two-dimensional visual artists, photographers, sculptors, performers, writers, composers, and craft artists to live and work in the parks."
We had a wonderful weekend, in part because of our visit to a National Park. The volunteers there were very helpful in locating information on Ebo Landing and clearly loved the work they did. Consider visiting and volunteering at a National Park. You're sure to have a ball!
The National Park Service began in 1916 and administers 385 areas hosting 270 million visitors each year. There's something for everyone: National Battlefields, National Lakeshore, National Parkways, National Cemeteries. Hot Springs National Park, AR is part of a city, and I'm an alum of Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site. These parks provide a wonderful opportunity to get out and learn something and enjoy nature, often for not much money. Consider visiting one. Even better, consider volunteering at one. Here are some of the opportunities that are available:
* The Volunteers in Parks (VIP) program offers a way for volunteers to "help in such a way that is mutually beneficial to the National Park Service and the volunteer." We met a lot of these friendly and helpful VIPs when we camped at the Gulf Islands National Seashore. One of them even taught me to catch a sand flea!
* The International Volunteers in Parks program offers "more than one hundred individuals from all over the world training in park management, wildlife research, environmental education, etc."
* The Artist in Residence program operates in 29 parks and "offers opportunities for two-dimensional visual artists, photographers, sculptors, performers, writers, composers, and craft artists to live and work in the parks."
We had a wonderful weekend, in part because of our visit to a National Park. The volunteers there were very helpful in locating information on Ebo Landing and clearly loved the work they did. Consider visiting and volunteering at a National Park. You're sure to have a ball!
Monday, October 11, 2004
Leadership for a Changing World Awards
The Leadership for a Changing World awards have just been announced. Among the winners are Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers, SisterLove, (both in Atlanta, and Boys, Girls, Adults Community Development Center (BGACDC) in Marvell, Arkansas.
Leadership for Change writes:
"Beatrice Clark Shelby [BGACDC] spreads hope and nurtures leadership in one of the most impoverished and isolated corners of the United States."
"Sandra Barnhill and Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers promote self-development, responsibility, and a better way of life for troubled families."
"SisterLove [Dazon Dixon Diallo] brings education, support, understanding – and love – to women of color caught up in the H.I.V./AIDS crisis."
It's nice to see this work get acknowledged. Their contributions are an inspiration. Congratulations to all the awardees, and thank you for the work that you do!
UPDATE (9/19/05): After my first visit to Sapelo Island last week, I am inspired and excited to include Carolyn Dowse and Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS) who "work to preserve and revitalize the last viable Gullah/Geechee community in Georgia's Sea Islands." Thanks for the much needed work that you do!
Leadership for Change writes:
"Beatrice Clark Shelby [BGACDC] spreads hope and nurtures leadership in one of the most impoverished and isolated corners of the United States."
"Sandra Barnhill and Aid to Children of Imprisoned Mothers promote self-development, responsibility, and a better way of life for troubled families."
"SisterLove [Dazon Dixon Diallo] brings education, support, understanding – and love – to women of color caught up in the H.I.V./AIDS crisis."
It's nice to see this work get acknowledged. Their contributions are an inspiration. Congratulations to all the awardees, and thank you for the work that you do!
UPDATE (9/19/05): After my first visit to Sapelo Island last week, I am inspired and excited to include Carolyn Dowse and Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS) who "work to preserve and revitalize the last viable Gullah/Geechee community in Georgia's Sea Islands." Thanks for the much needed work that you do!
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