From the Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony
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"One day our descendants will think it incredible that we paid so much attention to things like the amount of melanin in our skin or the shape of our eyes or our gender instead of the unique identities of each of us as complex human beings." ... Franklin Thomas (1934- ), philanthropist, administrator, lawyer, head of the Ford Foundation; U.S.-born son of a family from the West Indies.
Herb and Ann
We wish you the happiest of holidays! "In the Community" will return Jan 2, 2012.
This information is provided by the Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony; Events list is also posted on the website www.harmonyalliance.org To learn more about ACEH, see us on Facebook: ACEH- Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony or website or call 396-2201.
Please consider becoming an ACEH member as we head into a New Year. Individual memberships are $20 for one year ($35 for two years); family memberships are $30 ($50 for two years); nonprofits $40 per year; businesses, $75 per year. You can join at the website www.harmonyalliance.org and click Join Us, paying through PayPal; or send a check to ACEH, c/o Treasurer Bin Lim, Box 3007, Holland, MI 49422-3007; or join at any ACEH meeting or social event. Dues support programs, publications, outreach, and advocacy in the community.
Tues, Dec. 27, 5 pm to 7 pm: Kwanzaa Family Celebration. Celebrated worldwide, Kwanzaa focuses on family, community, creativity, and the cultural traditions of the African Diaspora. Presented here by The Center of African American Art and History (CAAAH), the celebration will include music, dance performance, art workshop, arts and crafts marketplace, and more. At CAAAH, 21 West 16th St, Holland.
Wed, Jan 4, 6 pm to 8 pm: First of four free weekly classes for first-time homebuyers; sponsored by Community Action House. Participants must attend all four weeks to earn a certificate of completion. Photo ID and income verification required. Covers budgeting and property taxes (Week 1), credit and affordability (Week 2), real estate and home inspections (Week 3), and mortgages and insurance (Week 4). Call Andrea Fantin at (616) 738-1170, ext. 113 or Gwen Robles, (616) 738-1170, ext. 123, or go online at http://cahjan2012fthbclass.eventbrite.com At Macatawa Resource Center, 665 136th Ave, Holland.
Mon, Jan 9, 4 pm: Deadline to sign up for Jan 12 Partners for a Racism-Free Community Lunch and Learn Series: "Attracting and Retaining Persons of Color, Part II, Building a framework for creating the right environment" with guest speaker Faye Richardson-Green. $25 per person, including lunch. Register online at prfc-gr.org or for more information, call (616) 466-6187. Event is Thurs, Jan 12, from 11:30 am-1:30 pm at Dominican Center at Marywood, 2025 East Fulton, Grand Rapids.
Fri, Jan 13, 7 pm: General meeting of the Alliance for Cultural and Ethnic Harmony (ACEH): Presentation, "Passport to Vietnam," by Ngoc Mong Pham, including historical and current Vietnam, the royal families, cultural traditions, food. Everyone is welcome. At Center for Women in Transition, 411 Butternut, Holland.
Sat, Jan 14, 9 am until 11 am: Sign up for winter/spring dance classes in the All For One Dance Program. First day of class is Sat, Jan 21, 2012. $35 for the semester. For information, email moonchild1993@yahoo.com At Holland Area Arts Council, 150 East 8th St, Holland.
Mon, Jan 16: Grand opening of The Center of African American Art and History (CAAAH) (the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr). The museum will feature exhibits and commemorations of history-making events; Dr. King and his life story; history of African Americans in Holland; the underground railroad; replicas of a slave ship and life on a cotton plantation; what African Americans are contributing today, and much more. The CAAAH is seeking charter members at various contribution levels. Please call director Ruth Coleman at (616) 836-8559 or go to www.caaahholland.org At 21 West 16th St, Holland.
Mon, Jan 16, 5:30 pm (candlelight march); 6 pm (memorial service): Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Candlelight March and Memorial Service: "Breaking the Silence" keynote address by Pastor E. Wayne Coleman; music, litany, poetry. A community potluck will follow; please bring a cultural dish to share. A freewill offering will benefit The Center of African American Art and History. For information, call (616) 392-2919. Candlelight march begins at Rosa Parks Green, East 19th and College Ave, and ends at Imagine Fellowship, 167 West 20th St, Holland.
Tues, Jan 17, 5:30 pm volunteer fair; 7 pm, film: Documentary film, "Freedom Riders" followed by Q&A and conversation with producer Stanley Nelson; the film tells "how a civil rights group challenged segregation in interstate transport in the South in 1961." Organized by West Michigan AmeriCorps Collaborative, Celebration Cinema, and Radio in Black and White and others to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr and to "continue the conversation on racial restoration." Free with donation of a school supply item. Call (616) 799-7819 or email wmacollaborative@gmail.com At Celebration Cinema North, 2121 Celebration Dr, NE, Grand Rapids.
Wed, Jan 18: Staff from the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan will be available at the Immigration Assistance Program in Kalamazoo to review documents and fill out applications for passports and registrations for people who need to go to the Mexican Consulate in Detroit but who don't have transportation. (A bus will travel from Kalamazoo to Detroit on Thurs, Jan 26.) To make an appointment, call (616) 742-0200. At Immigration Assistance Program, Old EPS Building, 219 North Westnedge, Kalamazoo.
LOOKING AHEAD
8-Week Institute for Racial Healing, Tuesdays, Feb 28 through Apr 24, 3 pm to 5 pm. Through facilitated dialogue and activities, participants learn, share, and process within a multicultural group and examine the inheritance of our history, institutionalized racism, contemporary bias, and ways to be an ally in healing racial divides. $100 per person; financial hardship scholarships available on request. Register by phone at (616) 846-9074 or online at www.ethnicdiversity.org Sponsored by Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance. At GVSU Meijer Campus, 515 South Waverly, Holland.
