SONG RVA Black August Screen Printing

Sunday, August 27th 2017, from 2-4pm, at the Soft Web Studio Collective (3110 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA), Richmond's chapter of SONG (Southerners On New Ground) is holding a screenprinting fundraiser for their Black August bail action. From the fundraising page:

"More than often, people are sitting in cages because they cannot afford to pay bail. At its very essence, Black August emphasizes honoring and upholding Black community. We can think of no better way to commemorate the history of Black August than to bail out as many Black women, broadly defined, and Black trans people across the South as we can."

Entry is $5-10, all proceeds to the RVA Black August Bail Fund. Shirts will be available to screen-print and take home, but you can also bring your own fabric.

For more info and to RSVP, see this link.

SONG Black August Bail Out: Care Package & Art Party

Monday, August 28th 2017, from 6-9pm in the Comm Room (3110 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA), Southerners On New Ground and the Virginia Anti-Violence Project are holding an event to make care packages for people released from jail as part of the Black August Bail Out action. From the event description:

"Black August has long been a month of resistance for Black folks. At its very essence, Black August emphasizes honoring and upholding Black community. We can think of no better way to commemorate the history of Black August than to bail out as many Black women, broadly defined, and Black trans people across the South as we can. As we center Black leadership and communities, we ask you to donate to SONG to help us connect Black families and loved ones, highlight the human costs of inhumane and destructive bail practices, and support local base building on the frontlines of mass incarceration."

VAVP will also be hosting a conversation on violence in the LGBTQ community.

The event is free, but donations to the bail out action are appreciated. For more info and to RSVP, see the link. 

Faith & Community: The Role of the African American Church in Richmond

This Thursday, August 17th 2017, from 12-1pm at the Library of Virginia (800 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), there will be a panel discussion titled "Faith & Community: the Role of the African American Church in Richmond." From the event description:

"The 150th anniversary of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church (The Mount - Richmond), one of Richmond’s most historic congregations, is the inspiration for this discussion of the African American church’s role and impact—both historical and current—on Richmond’s culture. Moderator Samantha Willis, arts and entertainment editor for Richmond Magazine, will lead this conversation with community historian Elvatrice Belsches, Reverend Tyrone Nelson of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, and Dr. Andrew White, a senior minister with ties to Virginia Union University and the Baptist General Convention of Virginia. Cosponsored by Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church."

Free, open to the public. For more information, contact Catherine Wyatt at catherine.wyatt@lva.virginia.gov or (804) 692-3999. For more info and to RSVP, see the link. 

Community-Informed Study, Memorialization, and Reburial: the Remains in the the East Marshall Street Well

Tuesday, March 28th 2017, from 5:30-7:30pm, at the Hermes A. Kontos Medical Sciences Auditorium (1250 East Marshall Street, #8, Richmond VA), VCU is hosting a panel titled "Tapping the Well: Community-Informed Study, Memorialization & Reburial," with members of the East Marshall Street Well Project Family Representatives Council. 

The panel concerns what is to be done with the human remains that were discovered discarded in a well beneath the VCU Medical Campus in 1994, during construction of the Kontos building. Analysis has since revealed that the remains belonged to at least 53 people, most of them of African descent, and were discarded in the early half of the 1800s. It is now understood that the remains were cadavers stolen from Black cemeteries to provide anatomical specimens for medical students. 

Free, open to the public. For more info and to RSVP, see the link. 

Powerful Sista: Celebrating LGBTQ Women of Color Gathering

Tomorrow, Tuesday February 28th 2017, from 7-8:30pm, at Diversity Richmond (1407 Sherwood Avenue. Richmond VA), Rev. Lacette Cross and Chevelle Moss-Savage are holding a Black LGBTQ History Month event, "Powerful S.I.S.T.A.: Celebrating LGBTQ Women of Color Gathering." From the event description: 

"Come and share an evening of conversation, celebration and community. Participants will explore what it means to be Serious, Intentional, Supportive, Transformed and Anchored in the uniqueness of our identities and lived experiences." 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

ICE Out of RVA: City Council Rally/Santuario para Todxs Demostración

Monday, February 13th 2017, from 4:30-5:30pm, at City Hall (900 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), ICE Out of RVA is holding a rally and press conference in support of establishing Richmond as a true sanctuary city. From the event description:

"On Monday, January 30th, over 400 Latinx, Black, Muslim, LGBTQ+ individuals, and allies from Richmond came together to send a message to local, state, and federal government that we, The People, stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to craft and support policies that create true Sanctuary Cities for ALL."

There will be an area designated for sunset prayer. For more info and to RSVP, see this link. 

Screening of Ava Duvernay's "13th"

Saturday, February 18th 2017, from 2:30-5pm in Room 1107 of the VCU Academic Leaning Commons (1000 Floyd Avenue, Richmond VA), there will be a screening of Ava Duvernay's documentary film, "13th." From the event description: In this thought-provoking documentary, scholars, activists and politicians analyze the criminalization of African Americans and the U.S. prison boom."

Free, open to the public. The venue is wheelchair accessible with accessible bathrooms. 

For more information and to RSVP, see this link. To add this event to your Google Calendar, click here. 

Upcoming LGBTQ Black History Month events

Black and Bold: RVA's Unsung Black LGBTQ Community Gala— Friday, February 3rd 2017, 8pm, at Diversity Richmond (1407 Sherwood Avenue, Richmond VA). Formal attire, hors d'oeuvres served. DJ Derrick St. Clair will provide the tunes, and there will be an unveiling of a photographic exhibit recognizing the lives and contributions of self-disclosed Black LGBTQ RVA community members. 

United Voices: Raising Awareness through Song & Word: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day— Tuesday, February 7th 2017, 7pm, the Black History Museum (122 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA). "United Voices will add a voice and face to those living with HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. In their own words, persons living with and affected by HIV/AIDS will share stories of triumph and overcoming adversity." 

The State of Black LGBTQ America: Lecture & Dialogue With Dr. Ravi K. Perry— Wednesday, February 15th 2017, 7pm, the Black History Museum (122 West Leigh Street, Richmond VA). Dr. Perry will facilitate a discussion on the lived experiences of Black LGBTQ communities in the 21st century.

All three events are free and open to the public. For more info, contact Diversity Richmond Program Coordinator Rodney Lofton at rodney.lofton@diversityrichmond.org or (804) 622-4646 ext. 203.

United for a Sanctuary City for All– Press Conference and Rally

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Monday, January 30th 2017, from 5:30-7pm, at the Federal Courthouse Building (701 East Broad Street, Richmond VA), ICE Out of RVA is hosting a press conference and rally in support of making Richmond a sanctuary city for all. From the description:

"Latinx, Black, Muslim, LGBTQ+ individuals, and allies from across Virginia are coming together to send a message to local, state, and federal government that we, The People, stand together in solidarity and expect elected leaders to craft and support policies that create true Sanctuary Cities for ALL.

We are coming together in strength, love and resistance, to create Sanctuary communities where we protect and support each other."

For more information and to RSVP, see this link. 

Estate Planning in the African American Community

Tuesday. November 15th 2016, from 12-1pm, at the Main Branch of the Richmond Public Library (101 East Franklin Street, Richmond VA), the African American Heritage Association of Virginia (AAHAVA) is holding an information session titled "Estate Planning in the African American Community," as part of their Lunch & Learn lecture series. Attorney Melanie Lee, of the Lee Law Office, will be the speaker. 

Free, open to the public. 

For more info and to RSVP, see this link.