Westerly Anti Racism coalition newsletter for 4.24.

2022

REMEMBER

by Joy Harjo (1951- ) First Native American US Poet Laureate, playwright, musician, author,
and member of the Mvskoke Nation.

“Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath. You are evidence of her
life, and her mother’s, and hers. Remember your father. He is your life, also. Remember the earth whose
skin you are: red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth. Remember the
plants, trees, animal life who all have their tribes, their families, their histories, too. Talk to them, listen to
them. They are alive poems. Remember the wind. Remember her voice. She knows the origin of this
universe. Remember you are all people and all people are you. Remember you are this universe and this
universe is you. Remember all is in motion, is growing, is you. Remember language comes from this.
Remember the dance language is, that life is.
Remember.”

PRAY FOR UKRAINE

Sunday’s Protest update

On Sunday, April 17 we gathered on the Westerly Post Office steps from 11am-1 pm. It was Easter
Sunday and many of our faithful supporters were there to continue our vigil for racial justice and peace
in our community and our country. Thank you to everyone who continues to support our efforts each
week. We have been gathering on these steps since May 2019 and believe we may be the longest running
protest group in New England. We are so grateful for you and for your dedication and determination.
(The longest protest group in the US may be the Solidarity Sing Along in Madison, WI who have been
gathering weekly in the Capitol rotunda since 2011 to protest Republican-controlled legislation ending
collective bargaining rights for public employees. We’ll keep you posted on our status as a protest group.)

Sunday protest’s Coming events

EARTH DAY CELEBRATION

Earth Day is 22 April, but we will celebrate it this Sunday, 24 April and our monthly Children's Day. Sing
along with our friend and fabulous folk musician Geoff Kauffman as he sings songs about garbage not really
being garbage and how we all need water. In addition, the Westerly Library will offer books about the
environment. Refreshments will be served. Come join the fun as we honor and celebrate Mother Earth.
Geoff will also be performing Sunday afternoon at 4 pm at Christ Church, 7 Elm Street, Westerly with songs
of the sea, the earth and the spirit. Please join us for another event celebrating Earth Day.

Westerly Area Peace and Justice will also join our Sunday rally with more songs and an opportunity to pledge a
personal commitment to saving the Earth. Immediately following the rally, all are invited to walk with us
across the Pawcatuck River to Donahue Park to pick up trash and tidy up the Park. Please bring a garbage bag
and gloves and join us!

Arc calendar of events

Date presenter
1 May 2022 Historian Zachary Garceau will share interesting local history and stories
8 May 2022 Mother’s Day Celebration
15 May 2022 Jennifer Lima, from T.A.N.K./Toward an AntiRacist North Kingstown will give an update
on the important work this group is doing.

Mobile Library
Ery Caswell will be back with the Mobile Library on Sunday, 1 May 2022. Come browse and borrow one of
the many books they have on social justice topics. If you have books to return you can bring them to any
Sunday protest and give them to one of the ARC organizers. Volunteers are still needed for the Library. See
Ery, Leslie Dunn or the attached link for more information.

https://www.beyondthestacks.com

Educate, Embrace and empower

One of the best tools we have to stay informed about our local community and advocating for change is
attending Westerly School Committee and Town Council meetings. School Committee meetings are held
Wednesday evenings at 5pm, and Town Council meetings are held on Monday evenings at 5:30pm. Both
committees meet in the Council Chambers, 2nd Floor, of the Westerly Town Hall, 45 Broad Street. Attached
are links to meeting schedules and agendas. ARC is committed to attending these meetings regularly, but we
need more volunteers to attend with us. Please let us know if we can add your name to our list of weekly
attendees.

westerly.k12.ri.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=70
https://clerkshq.com/westerly-ri

A special thank you to ARC’s Advocacy Group - Kevin ‘Big Lux’ Lowther, Ayana Melvan, Peter Ogle, and
Allison Robinson, who will be providing us with weekly town council and school committee meeting updates
which we will start sharing in our newsletters beginning next week. Much gratitude to our Advocacy Group
for attending these meetings and keeping us educated and informed.
Black Voices Film Series at United theatre, westerly
Westerly ARC, in collaboration with United Theatre, Westerly, presents the Black Voices Film Series, a monthly
event held on the last Tuesday of every month at 7 pm to recognize films from great black storytellers working
in film and television. Please join us for the next film, One Night in Miami, directed by Regina King, on
26 April @ 7pm. Check out the link below for more information on this series and spread the word to family
and friends.
www.unitedtheatre.org

mark your calendars for these events

● Meta Peace Team (www.metapeaceteam.org) and Pax Christi USA (www.paxchristiusa.org) is offering a
FREE ½ day training by Zoom on Saturday, 14 May on Violence De-escalation Skills Training. Check
out the Meta Peace link and spread the word on this important event. All are welcome.

Pearce,

Westerly arc