FORJ CITY-WIDE EVENT hosted by Newton South High School FORJ
FORJ Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) Solidarity Night
Wednesday, April 14th 7-8:30pm, with open discussion until 9pm

RSVP HERE to receive the Zoom Link

Come join parents, students, teachers, and community members to support our Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community through an evening of learning and connection!  Sponsored by FORJ NSHS (Families Organizing for Racial Justice @ Newton South)

You will learn about:

• the historical and systemic roots of violence and discrimination against AAPI communities
• how AAPI communities are suffering in terms of mental health and how to help
• ways to support our young people, family members and friends during this difficult time

Special Guest Facilitators: Michele Leong and Charlene Beh from Newton North High School
Will offer breakout rooms for participants to connect with each other in small groups.

FORJ SCHOOL CHAPTER MEETING
Thursday, April 29th 7:30pm- 9pm
RSVP HERE to receive the Zoom Link

School-based FORJ groups will come together (over Zoom) after a long while since they last met to learn about the work happening at the different chapters.  Please join us on April 29th to discuss the new FORJ Chapter “Playbook”, which provides additional details on how to run a successful FORJ Chapter.  The group will also meet with grade level cohorts (elementary/middle/high schools) to discuss ideas and connect.  This meeting is open to anyone interested in running a FORJ Chapter, all welcome and definitely bring a friend 😉

The Monologue Project: Common Threads
Saturday, April 10th at 8 PM
Directed by Edie Pike and Valerie Goldstein
Click here to reserve your pay-what-you-can ticket

Log on at 7:45 to enjoy live music by Lasya before the show.

Our next virtual production celebrates the voices of Asian American girls and women in the Newton community.  Directed by Edie Pike and Valerie Goldstein, the show brings together a group of Asian American girls and women to share their stories and experiences.  The stories, from a population that has been continuously silenced throughout history, explore both hardships and celebrations of how Asian American women have been able to navigate their identity and break through stereotypes.  The show will include original monologues written by cast members as well as performances by local artists.

Mark your calendars for upcoming FORJ City-Wide Meetings:

Thursday, April 15, 6PM – Boston School Desegregation through the Rearview Mirror, Mass. Historical Society
Monday, April 22, 12pm – The Impact of Increased Exposure to Diversity on Suburban Students’ Outcomes: An Analysis of the METCO Voluntary Desegregation Program
Tuesday May 25th 7:30pm-9pm – Looking at the how and why of advocacy and how to avoid common pitfalls. More information to follow.
Wednesday June 16th 7:30-9pm – End of the year celebration
May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate
From Stop AAPI Hate Crimes

5 Things to Consider When Experiencing Hate

1. Safety First: Trust your instincts and assess your surroundings.  If you feel unsafe and you are able to, leave the area.

2. Stay Calm: Take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language.

3. Speak Out (If you can do so safely): In a calm and firm voice establish physical boundaries, and denounce their behavior and comments.

4. Seek Immediate Support: Ask bystanders for support or intervention.

5. Seek Emotional Support: Once you feel safe, take time to recover and reach out to someone to talk about what happened.  Remember this is not your fault, and you are not alone.

5 Ways to Help If You Witness Hate

1. Take Action: Approach the targeted person, introduce yourself, and offer support.

2. Actively Listen: Ask before taking any actions and respect the targeted person’s wishes. Monitor the situation if needed.

3. Ignore Attacker: Using your discretion, attempt to calm the situation by using your voice, body language, or distractions.

4. Accompany: If the situation escalates, invite the targeted person to join you in leaving.

5. Offer Emotional Support: Help the targeted person by asking how they’re feeling.  Assist them in figuring out what they want to do next.

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Listening Circle 
FORJ Peirce
Sunday March 21st at 8pm
RSVP HERE

As members of Families Organizing for Racial Justice (“FORJ”) at Peirce, we are saddened by the recent shooting in Atlanta where several Asian Americans were killed.  We know that there has been a rise in attacks against people of Asian descent and are concerned that this is the latest in such attacks.  Nearly 3,800 hate incidents targeting Asian-Americans have been reported in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., since last March.  We wanted to reach out to our families and offer support in whatever way we can to come together and acknowledge that targeting any group is wrong and reprehensible and a hate crime against all.  For those who want to process in community, we are also offering a listening circle.  A listening circle is a means of creating and maintaining authentic connection through a safe space to share our truths, and to deeply listen to others.

Violence Against Asian Americans: How Do We Support the Children?
EmbraceRace
Wednesday March 24th, 2021 at 8:30 pm
RSVP HERE

The murders of eight people at massage parlors in the Atlanta area, most of them Asian American and women, marks only the most awful, recent contribution to a year-long spike in violence against Asians and Asian Americans in the US.  The advocacy group STOP AAPI [Asian American Pacific Islander] Hate received some 3,000 reports of assaults against group members between March and December 2020 alone, many of them targeting women and seniors.

Join us for a conversation about the resulting toll on Asian and Asian American people and communities and about how these communities are pushing back.  How are parents, family members, teachers and other caregivers supporting children at a time when physical safety is all but impossible to guarantee?  How can the rest of us meaningfully support our Asian and Asian American family members, friends and neighbors?

Please bring your experiences, insights and questions as you join us for this important conversation.

The Monologue Project: Common Threads – original monologues from Asian American girls and women who live in Newton
Newton Theater Company
Saturday April 10th at 8pm 
RSVP HERE

Our next virtual production celebrates the voices of Asian American girls and women in the Newton community.  Directed by Edie Pike and Valerie Goldstein, the show brings together a group of Asian American girls and women to share their stories and experiences.  The stories, from a population that has been continuously silenced throughout history, explore both hardships and celebrations of how Asian American women have been able to navigate their identity and break through stereotypes.

The show will include original monologues written by cast members as well as performances by local artists.

FORJ NSHS Asian American Pacific Islander Solidarity Night 
FORJ NSHS
Wednesday April 14th at 7pm
RSVP HERE

Join us for our upcoming FORJ NSHS Asian American Pacific Islander Solidarity Night on Wednesday, April 14th @ 7pm!  This will be a night to learn specifically how to support our AAPI students as well as to offer affinity spaces for YOU — AAPI students and allies who are parents, guardians, faculty and community members.  We realize this is one of the first nights of Ramadan, and hope that our Muslim friends can join us for at least part of the evening.  Please register for the event HERE.

We plan to offer an opportunity to learn about:

• the historical and systemic roots of violence and discrimination against AAPI communities

• how AAPI communities are impacted in terms of mental health and how to help and get help

• how best to support our young people, family members and friends during this difficult time

Through breakout rooms, we will offer affinity spaces by age and racial identities in addition to random groups to allow people to learn from each other and offer each other support.  We look forward to seeing you!

FORJ AAPI Affinity Space
TIME TBD
RSVP HERE 

FORJ is looking to start a FORJ AAPI Affinity Group for adults.  If you are interested in finding out more about the group, please fill out this form.  This will be a monthly or bi-monthly meeting for folks who identify as AAPI.  Affinity group spaces are healing and affirming of individuals’ identities by connecting people so they can witnesses each other’s stories.  Sharing experiences that resonate with others releases fears fed by isolation while moving participants into a space of self-compassion and awareness that is grounding for all involved.

Safety Tips for Those Experiencing or Witnessing Hate
From Stop AAPI Hate Crimes

5 Things to Consider When Experiencing Hate

1. Safety First: Trust your instincts and assess your surroundings.  If you feel unsafe and you are able to, leave the area.

2. Stay Calm: Take a deep breath, limit eye-contact, and maintain neutral body language.

3. Speak Out (If you can do so safely): In a calm and firm voice establish physical boundaries, and denounce their behavior and comments.

4. Seek Immediate Support: Ask bystanders for support or intervention.

5. Seek Emotional Support: Once you feel safe, take time to recover and reach out to someone to talk about what happened.  Remember this is not your fault, and you are not alone.

5 Ways to Help If You Witness Hate

1. Take Action: Approach the targeted person, introduce yourself, and offer support.

2. Actively Listen: Ask before taking any actions and respect the targeted person’s wishes. Monitor the situation if needed.

3. Ignore Attacker: Using your discretion, attempt to calm the situation by using your voice, body language, or distractions.

4. Accompany: If the situation escalates, invite the targeted person to join you in leaving.

5. Offer Emotional Support: Help the targeted person by asking how they’re feeling.  Assist them in figuring out what they want to do next.

METCO & FORJ: Segregation and Suburban Schools
Wednesday, March 10th at 7:30pm

REGISTER FREE (https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpf–rrT0uHND5ZFXAyxElaqQGEJUqm9Y2)

FORJ is delighted to partner with METCO Headquarters, as we find joint cause in grappling with the troubling truths on our segregated schools in MA, as described in this Boston Globe article we’ll discuss at our March event: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/12/11/opinion/massachusetts-public-schools-are-highly-segregated-its-time-we-treated-that-like-crisis-it-is/

Resources:

• Recording of Newton FORJ Housing Committee meeting on March 2
• Slide Deck from March 2 FORJ Housing meeting
• Newton Zoning Redesign website
• Historic Myrtle Baptist Church Documentary
• U-CHAN Ward 1 and Ward 2 candidate forums
• U-CHAN Housing 101 series
• Searching for the Promised Land: The Great Migration, Newton History Series presented by the Newton Free Library and Historic Newton

Actions:

• Vote on March 16! More information here. To complete a mail-in ballot request by March 10, view here.
• Join Engine 6 and attend their next meeting on March 3
• Join Uniting Citizens for Housing Affordability in Newton (U-CHAN)
• Support the West Newton Armory Affordable Housing Development at the next meeting of the Newton Community Preservation Committee on March 9.
• Attend and participate in Newton Zoning and Planning (ZAP) Meetings on the second and fourth Monday of each month.
• Learn about persistent school segregation in the Boston area by attending this METCO-sponsored event on March 10

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Tuesday, Mar 2, 7:00-8:30pm
FORJ Housing Committee Meeting
RSVP HERE

The FORJ Housing Committee asserts that housing is a racial justice issue.  As an antiracist group, the FORJ Housing committee supports policies that will redress racist redlining policies and the entrenched segregation in housing they have produced in Newton.  The mission of the FORJ Housing committee is to educate FORJ members and the public in general about antiracism in zoning and housing and to organize families around this issue.

Everyone is welcome!  Whether you are new to thinking about housing, or have been working on the issue for years, we warmly invite you to join this discussion!  Here are our discussion norms to make sure everyone is heard and valued.

There is a severe housing crisis in our region-
What role does antiracism play in how Newton should address it?  Hear from community members who have personal experience with the fallout of racist housing policies.
Learn about some of the ways we can increase attainable housing in Newton.

Newton Fact:
Newton is less racially diverse than Massachusetts as a whole:
Only 3.1% of our population is Black or African-American (vs. state’s 6.7%), and only 5.5% is Hispanic or Latino (vs. state’s 11.2%).
2019 Greater Boston Housing Report Card

To prepare for the meeting, watch this 17 minute video,
Segregated by Design based on The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein.
What role does antiracism play in how Newton should address it?

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Family Friendly FORJ Live ZOOM Concert
FEBRUARY 17th, from 6:30 pm – 7:30 pm

RSVP HERE!

BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION with Dan and Claudia Zanes

In honor of Black History Month, FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is inviting Grammy award-winning children’s performer Dan Zanes and Haitian-American music therapist/jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes for a family-friendly FORJ event.

Dan and Claudia perform songs in folk tradition, with a focus on community, hope, and light.  They plant the seeds for families to have discussions about race, and their music introduces kids to important leaders like John Lewis.  They focus on progress and inclusion and all of their concerts are sensory-friendly.

When a national state of emergency was declared in March 2020, Dan and Claudia started their Social Isolation Song Series.  For 200 days, to stay connected and uplift others, they performed a different song every day.  This series of videos is in the Library of Congress.

Dan and Claudia released an award-winning songbook entitled Dan Zanes’ House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury in 2018.  In 2017 they were commissioned by the Kennedy Center to create a theater piece for young audiences which was called Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera.

To learn more, visit Dan and Claudia Zanes’ website at https://www.danandclaudia.com/

Zoom link will be sent out the day of the event!

RESCHEDULED: Newton Schools Foundation Presents Social Justice Warrior & Newton Police Task Force Chair Sonja Spears

On Tuesday, February 23rd, at 7 p.m., Newton Police Task Force Chair Sonja Spears will give an on-line talk exploring how her own experiences inform her work as a social justice advocate and give her hope in the restorative powers of justice.

To register for the free presentation, visit https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_TiWIrtf5TXSIk6v2r1FP6w

This talk is part of the 10th annual Newton Inspires: A Celebration of Ideas and Community, a fundraiser for Newton Schools Foundation.  Once a month Newtonians — present and former — share their interests and passions via Zoom.

While a judge in New Orleans, Spears was wrongfully targeted for criminal prosecution. After two years of investigation, no wrongdoing was discovered so she was cleared and never charged, but the impact of this experience was devastating personally and professionally. After retiring from the bench, she re-dedicated her life to issues of racial justice and equity and now works as the chief equity and inclusion officer at Boston Health Care of the Homeless Program and teaches part time at Tufts University.

Happy Black History Month and Black Lives Matter Action Week!
If you’re looking for conversation and context for discussions with your family and community, have a look at these compilations provided by the FORJ City-wide initiative:

Black History Month Resources

Black Lives Matter Resources

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT!
Talking to Kids About Race and Racism: A Conversation with Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, President Emerita of Spelman College, moderated by Tiziana Dearing, Host of WBUR’s Radio Boston.  The recording from the January 27th, 2021 talk is now available on YouTube with additional resources.  Dr. Tatum combines lived experience, parenting, and research to help us understand how to broach conversations about race and racism with children and youth.

FORJ is looking for the next City-Wide FORJ Coordinator

For the 2021-2022 year, Newton Public Schools authorized a stipend to hire a FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) Coordinator.  For information regarding FORJ, please visit www.forjnewton.com.  Applications are due to FORJ by February 12, 2021.

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg, lanni_harris@yahoo.com

Coming in FEBRUARY: Family-Friendly FORJ Live Concert with Dan and Claudia Zane

In honor of Black History Month, FORJ is inviting Grammy award-winning children’s performer Dan Zanes and Haitian-American music therapist/jazz vocalist Claudia Zanes for a family-friendly FORJ event.

The two decided to sing together and, in the spirit of progress and inclusion, that they would work with presenters to try and make all of their concerts sensory-friendly.

Inspired by their artful modern-day all-ages folk music and their commitment to accessibility, the Kennedy Center commissioned Claudia and Dan to create a theater piece for young audiences. Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera premiered in October 2017 and has been performed several times since.

Their love of songs and communal music-making lead to a publishing deal with the Quarto Group USA and the result, an award-winning songbook entitled Dan Zanes’ House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury, was released in 2018.

When a national state of emergency was declared in March 2020, Dan and Claudia started their Social Isolation Song Series. For the next 200 days, in an effort to stay connected and uplift others, they performed a different song every day. This series of videos currently resides in the Library of Congress.

To learn more, visit Dan and Claudia Zane’s website at https://www.danandclaudia.com/  More information about the FORJ concert will be coming soon!

FORJ is looking for the next City-Wide FORJ Coordinator

For the 2021-2022 year, Newton Public Schools authorized a stipend to hire a FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) Coordinator. For information regarding FORJ, please visit www.forjnewton.com.  Applications are due to FORJ by February 12, 2021.

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg, lanni_harris@yahoo.com.

UPCOMING FORJ CITY-WIDE MEETING
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 27th, 7pm – 9pm
Discovery Speakers Series hosts Beverly Tatum: Talking to Kids about Race & Racism (Zoom) with FORJ Breakout Session

FORJ is canceling the City-Wide Meeting on the 21st and instead invites you to sign up to hear Beverly Tatum, who will be joining the conversation at the Discovery Museum 2021 Speaker Series.  FORJ will hold a 30 minute break-out session after the event.  You will need to fill out two RSVP’s to attend both parts of the program.

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president emerita of Spelman College, is a clinical psychologist widely known for both her expertise on race relations and as a thought leader in higher education.  Her thirteen years as the president of Spelman College (2002-2015) were marked by innovation and growth and her visionary leadership was recognized in 2013 with the Carnegie Academic Leadership Award.

The author of several books including the national bestseller Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? (now in a new 2017 20th anniversary edition) and Can We Talk About Race? and Other Conversations in an Era of School Resegregation (2007), Tatum is a sought-after speaker on the topics of racial identity development, race and education, strategies for creating inclusive campus environments, and higher education leadership.

A civic leader in the Atlanta community, Dr. Tatum is engaged in educational initiatives designed to expand educational opportunities for underserved students and their families.  She holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Wesleyan University, and M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Michigan as well as an M.A. in Religious Studies from Hartford Seminary.

More information and REGISTER HERE if you want to attend:
https://26033.blackbaudhosting.com/26033/Discovery-Museum-Speaker-Series-2021-Featuring-Dr-Beverly-Tatum

** If you want to attend this, you NEED to RSVP with the hosts so they can manage their event with info about participant interest and send you a Zoom link.

To sign up for the FORJ BREAKOUT SESSION, please RSVP HERE.

21 Day Racial Equity Habit Challenge

Reminder this month: check out Dr. Eddie Moore Jr’s “21 Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge”©: https://www.eddiemoorejr.com/21daychallenge/#act

As families, we are often working on doing for our kids or others.  This challenge is a chance to center ourselves in the work, learning and action against racism.  It’s something you can start any time – it’s not date specific, and the articles, podcasts and activities can be reviewed at your own pace.

FORJ is looking for the next City-Wide FORJ Coordinator

For the 2021-2022 year, Newton Public Schools authorized a stipend to hire a FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) Coordinator.  For information regarding FORJ, please visit www.forjnewton.com.

Applications are due to FORJ by February 12, 2021.

FORJ (Families Organizing for Racial Justice) is a coalition of school-aged families in Newton coming together to teach our children – and ourselves – how to stand up for racial equality. Our Lincoln-Eliot FORJ contact is parent Lanni Isenberg: lanni_harris@yahoo.com

L-E Kids FORJ Book Club Update

This month, the Lincoln-Eliot FORJ Kids Book Club met to discuss the book “Front Desk” by Kelly Yang.  About 10 L-E students, grades 3-5, joined the Zoom conversation, and some family joined, too.  Everybody in the discussion said they liked the book and would recommend it to others.  Thanks to our special guest, Lincoln-Eliot Librarian (hybrid) Ms. Selwyn, for her great contributions to the discussion, too!  Watch the PTO Newsletter for the next FORJ Book Club title and meeting date!