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| Recommitting to End Racism |
| Join us in 2016 for a training series to move each of us forward in leadership for racial and social justice! |
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NCBI Facts
23
years in Monterey County
50 – 60
students participate in Diversity Leaders Training each year
900 -1000
students attend Welcoming Diversity workshops each year
100+
community members participate in workshops, on-site organization trainings and other NCBI events each year
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NCBI Board & Leadership
Asya Guillory
Vice-President
Benjamin Bruce
Treasurer
Cecilio Aviles-Mejia
Alexandra Richardson
Jesse Tamayo
Sue Parris
Chapter Director
Michael Frederiksen
Chapter Administrator
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NCBI Monterey County has had a banner year.
We welcomed a new board member, Alexandra Richardson, and cheered as Evelyn Kahan and JT Mason returned to head up committees. Regretfully, Dan Shafer had to step down, but not before he produced a wonderful slide show for our Anniversary celebration and helped craft our recent grant applications. Speaking of grants we have been awarded grants from Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation in support of our work with young people. We also received a grant from the Seaside Mayor’s Youth Fund. With this new funding we will be adding local middle schools to our school program.
We were also honored to be selected to participate in the Monterey County Gives Campaign. Our Big Idea is “Recommitting to End Racism,” a series of community trainings inspired by the tragic murders in Charleston and sadly so many other racially based deaths. Our kick-off event will be an encore presentation of the successful, “Coming Together for Racial and Social Justice” workshop, which will be held on January 30th from 2-5 PM at Oldemeyer Center. Together, we will identify key racial and social justice issues in Monterey County and have a conversation about how to be an effective Ally to address those issues. Please consider supporting our Monterey Gives campaign with a donation of any size. Go to:
www.montereycountygives.com/
to make your tax-deductible contribution This year we celebrated our “20ish” Anniversary at a gathering featuring a keynote speech by founding member Ann Jealous. The silent auction brought in over $4,000. Thank you to all who attended and participated in the auction. It was great to celebrate with old and new friends.
We look forward to seeing you in the coming year and working together to end oppression throughout Monterey County.
With gratitude and determination,
Sue Parris, Chapter Director Elena Loomis, Board President
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Community Comes Together
November Workshop Starts an Important Conversation
by Alexandra Richardson
On Saturday, November 14, NCBI, along with co-sponsors NAACP Monterey and Monterey Peace & Justice Center, held the workshop
Coming Together for Racial & Social Justice at Seaside’s Oldemeyer Center. About 50 participants were diverse with regards to age and economic status, race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, and more. Participants introduced themselves and had a chance to identity their backgrounds during NCBI’s well-known “up/down” exercise. They later paired off to talk about white privilege, following a powerful conversation on the same topic between Ann Jealous and Caroline Haskell. As the afternoon drew to a close, attendees had the chance to meet with representatives of local community groups including NAACP, #BlackLivesMatter Seaside, SWAG, Veterans for Peace, The Village Project, Monterey Peace & Justice Center, and Whites for Racial Equity and NCBI.
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Recommitting to End Racism
Training Series to Start in 2016
Following recent and ongoing violence against African Americans and other people of color, in particular the killings in Charleston, South Carolina, our local community came together at a vigil where participants were exhorted to “recommit ourselves to doing WHATEVER it takes to turn the tide and stamp out racism once and for all and to support local organizations that fight for the elimination of any and all forms of oppression and discrimination.” In response, NCBI will present a series of workshops addressing racism and other forms of oppression. We will provide a space for people to heal from the wounds of discrimination and generate action steps that they can take to help end racism. That action might take the form of working with youth, interrupting and being a witness when injustice occurs, or being an ally in the fight to end oppression. Our kick-off event will be an encore presentation of our successful, “Coming Together for Racial and Social Justice” which will be held on January 30th from 2-5 PM, at Oldemeyer Center. Registration will open soon. Please make sure you are on our email list in order to receive announcements and Follow us on Facebook for updates..
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2015 Diversity Leaders Training
Young Leaders Making a Difference!
The annual 2-day Diversity Leaders Training (DLT) training was held in October at Marina High School. Students from Marina, Seaside, Palma and Camel High Schools and CSU Monterey Bay joined together to learn and practice important leadership skills for Welcoming Diversity on their campuses. The DLT was expertly led by Sue Parris and two alums from the Seaside High NCBI team, Fadi Aridi and My Pham. Many thanks to Marina HS for hosting and to the NCBI Board and community volunteers for making the event a success!   |
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Donate to NCBI
Still time to make a contribution though the Monterey County Gives Campaign
NCBI has launched a Monterey County Gives! fundraising campaign to raise $2000 by December 31st, 2015. We will be using these funds to support a new project we’re calling “Recommitting to End Racism.” (See above.) We will offer this series of workshops beginning in January. To get our project off the ground, we need your help in two ways:
Heartfelt thanks to those of you who have already made contributions to this project!
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Spotlight on: Jesse Tamayo, Board Member
Jesse has been at Marina High as Registrar since it opened on August 7th, 2006. He has been involved with NCBI at Marina High since 2007, thanks to former faculty advisor, Cheryl Joseph. He has been an NCBI board member since 2011. Here are some of his thoughts about NCBI:
In combination with freshmen workshops, DLTs, half day workshops and MLK/Diversity/Bullying assemblies we have trained hundreds of students in the Marina Community, and over 50 NCBI student leaders over the years.
We have had about 30 workshops throughout the nine years,including grade level Welcoming Diversity workshops, new student workshops that included half day workshops, MLK/Diversity Assemblies in the Marina Schools, Anti-Bullying Assemblies, Multi-Cultural Events for the school and for the Marina Community. W
e have hosted about 5 or 6 Diversity Leaders Trainings at Marina HS.
I have several NCBI favorite events, but the one that stands out is the anti-bullying assembly that my student leaders put together a couple of years ago. Watching them work together and create such an amazing assembly that talked about the zero tolerance for bullying and watching the student body engage and participate in this, was simply one of the best NCBI events for me.
A recent memory would be the 20ish Anniversary celebration of the Monterey County NCBI chapter. Listening to the stories of former board members and students, community members and current students was just amazing. NCBI has impacted and made a difference in many lives.
NCBI is and will continue to be the foundation of the wonderful accepting and welcoming culture at Marina High School. NCBI has created a better me. I have learned that I belong to many identity groups and that it’s ok to be different. We need to be proud of who we are. My experiences and or stories can help change people’s perceptions. I welcome all people and accept their differences and am committed in embracing diversity. Change starts with me.
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Spotlight on: JT Mason, volunteer
After retiring from 28 years in public radio, JT Mason is now focusing her energy on family and community organizing. She is an NCBI member, a diversity trainer and involved in organizing Whites for Racial Equity, a local group of people committed to doing anti-racism work. “NCBI’s dedication to diversity, inclusion and building connections ties in to my radio work and my faith as a Unitarian Universalist,” says Mason. “Systemic racism dehumanizes us all. We need to work together if we’re going to build King’s beloved community.”
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Re-Emergence of the Culture Share
Carrying on the NCBI Tradition
By Evelyn Kahan
What’s a culture share? It’s a warm and welcoming gathering of people who want to share bits of their heritage as well as folks who want to learn about the many cultures represented in the Monterey Bay area.
December 5, the too long absent Culture Share had its revival at the Unitarian Universalist Church, which so graciously opened its doors to NCBI for the event..
A kitchen island befitting Hearst Castle was covered with delicious foods from culinary traditions of Cuba, Eastern European Jewish, Sweden, and others. Thanks to the many people who brought such a delicious variety to our table.
After eating our fill the 2nd portion of culture sharing began with a good Jewish joke, Irish song and dance; a presentation of Jewish holiday ritual items and the traditions forged in the home of a religiously-mixed home. Interesting bits of Belgian and Cuban heritage were also presented.
Approximately 40 people attended and several said on their way out, “This was great. We should do it twice a year! Thanks to J.T. Mason, emcee, and the rest of the program committee of NCBI, we look forward to the possibility of another Culture Share.
Let’s get even more cultural groups to share their heritage with the community at the next opportunity.
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Thank You to Our Supporters
We couldn’t do what we do without you!
Alisa Fineman, An McDowell, Ann Jealous, Anne Helms, Anne Sanchez, Asya Guillory, Barbara Robinson, Ben Bruce, Bettina Aptheker, Bill & Mariam Meléndez, Bradley Zeve, Casey Castillo, Cheryl Trotter, Chris Myers, Colton Inn, Dan Shafer, Daniel Dolk, David Pacheco, Del Monte Café, Dina Stansbury, Donna Bessant, Doug and Peg Chandler, Elena Loomis, Evelyn Kahan, Fishwife, Fran Baca, Geraldine Anne Low-Sabado, Girl Scouts of the Central Coast, Gretchen Taylor, Guadalupe Arias, Il Vecchio, Jacquelyn Smith Woodward, Jane Altavilla, Janet & George Thomas, Janet Cohen, Joan Nattress, John Hain, Jonathan and Niclole Lyons, JT Mason, Julia Anongas, Kate Spacher, Katharina Harlow, Larise Baker, Laura Flanders-Roush, Linda Frederiksen, Lynn Stralem, Lynne Sexton, Maria Gitin, Mauricios, Mel & Regina Mason, Monterey Jazz Festival, Paul Pitman, Pebble Beach Co., Phillip Crawford, Piper Loomis, Renata Bruce, Richard Moss, Robert & Dianne Creasey, Rosi Edwards, Sallie Brun, Shelia & Ben Benson, Shirley Coly, Shirmaine Jones, Stefanie Kaku, Sue Hubbard, Sue Parris, Sunset Center, Sylvia Shih, UBS, Walt Beam & Carolyn Barber, Wayne & Jennifer Ross, Zab Zab Thai Cuisine.
Thanks also to Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, and the City of Seaside. |
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