Social Justice

Touring poets and creative curators Chelsea Tadeyeske and Edie Roberts are dropping in for one night only as they head to the Cincinnati Art Book Fair. Come hear their confessional, tender poetry. Also featuring local poet Tasha Chopra.

Chelsea Tadeyeske is a poet, performer, and bookmaker from Milwaukee, WI. She is the founding editor of pitymilk press, publishing short-run chapbooks and journals both online and in physical form. Her work sits in the the intersections of shame, trauma, and desire that are rooted in femininity trying to pin down the destructive reverberations of societal expectations and affectations. She has released many chapbooks including her most recent works of poetry, if you bend it backwards nothing really happens (Rabbit Catastrophe, 2016) and we were all born with the right to be angry (bathmatics, 2016). She is currently performing work from a series of short stories titled Princess Diana, due out on bathmatics in Spring of 2019. By tracing comedic edges around uncomfortable and private tragic experiences both on the page and in performance, Chelsea teases out the feels and makes a soft weapon of vulnerability. Her work can be found online at Pretty Owl Poetry, Delirious Hem, Smoking Glue Gun, and Leopardskin & Limes, among others. She is a Virgo sun/Libra rising/Aquarius moon born in the year of the snake.

Check out her brainchild: https://pitymilkpress.wordpress.com/

Edie Roberts is a rabbit with a hat. A genderqueer mouthpiece ponied up to bat, cheeks fat with american anxiety and morale relay. They reside in Detroit, Michigan where folks still talk with you in the grocery line; the hive humming about experiments with cooperation, the skeletons of capitalism, the dream of another way. They believe in self-publishing and making things for yourself. Their work is their own and they own the means of their own production for the most part. Titles include The Roof is On Fire pt.1&2 (2012/2016), The Heel and The Face (2016), Little Book of Shit (2016) and Everywhere You Go (2019). They lend hands and eyes and heart at pitymilk press and run a hapdash production site called bathmatics when there is time and purpose bubbling. More than summarized here at: https://edieroberts.wordpress.com/

Check out edie’s book, The Heel and the Face: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3vssYqYStdnMzRCRVR1bGZzWmM/view

Tasha Chopra is a poet, visual artist, and graduate student pursuing her masters at Herron School of Art and Design. She is the co-founder and media editor for Turnpike Magazine, an online publication dedicated to positive themes and marginalized voices. She also is a part of Indy Symposium, a group that holds bimonthly open mics and poetry slams at Black Circle Brew. Her poetry focuses on themes of family, identity, and human connection, and some of her work can be found in Genesis Magazine.

Check out Turnpike: https://turnpikemagazine.com

Tags: Touring poets and creative curators Chelsea Tadeyeske and Edie Roberts, poetry, spoken work, writing, the words, social justice

DVN is excited to announce that on December 12th we will be hosting the Indianapolis screening of the documentary film “PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” at the Clowes Auditorium at the Central Library. The event is free but tickets are limited so reserve yours today!

Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools is a feature length documentary, based on the book by the same name by Monique Morris Ed.D. The film takes a deep dive into the lives of Black girls and the practices, cultural beliefs and policies that disrupts one of the most important factors in girls’ lives – education.

The documentary underscores the challenges Black girls face with insight from experts across the country who have worked extensively in the field of social justice, gender equality and educational equity. These experts give context to the crisis and provide a roadmap for how our educational system and those who interact with Black girls can provide a positive rather than punitive response to behaviors that are often misunderstood or mis-represented.

While the challenges facing Black boys in this country have garnered national attention, absent from that conversation was how girls of color, particularly Black girls, are being impacted. PUSHOUT addresses that crisis.

The documentary focuses on challenges Black girls face, emphasizing first-person narratives from girls. We hear from them as young as the age of seven and as old as 19. They describe navigating a society that often marginalizes and dismisses them.

At the same time the documentary lays out how adults and policy makers can address the needs of these young girls and women with positive responses that can short circuit the pervasive over punishment of Black girls.

***Please arrive at the Central Library between 5:30-6pm as the screening will begin in the Clowes Auditorium promptly at 6pm. Following the screening there will be a panel discussion with Indianapolis area activists, educators, lawmakers and community advocates. For more information or questions about the event please email Youth Program Coordinator Colleen Curtin at [email protected]

Tags: screening of the documentary film “PUSHOUT: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools” at the Clowes Auditorium at the Central Library, nonprofit, social justice, Domestic Violence Network (DVN)

Join us at the Indiana State House on November 29th to demand action on the climate crisis.

Tags: Climate Action, Climate Crisis, Extinction Rebellion, activism, social justice

Homes For All Indy CLT Coalition meets the 2nd Friday of every month at 1pm. Open to the public, the group meets to discuss and explore the use of Community Land Trusts as a way to provide and maintain permanent affordable housing for low-income individuals and families. Please enter at the double doors close to the playground on the south side of the building. There is a daycare at the church so the doors are all locked. We will let you in. If you arrive late and no one is there to let you in, you can buzz in at the office door. If you are driving, the parking lot to the east or street parking is available.

Tags: Homes For All Indy CLT Coalition, Community Land Trusts, Social Justice, nonprofit

Free!

Explore the literary legacy of Toni Morrison at a screening of the documentary film about the acclaimed novelist and champion for the arts, who passed away August 5, 2019.

In 1993, Morrison received the Nobel Prize in Literature, making her the first African-American, and eighth woman to be selected for the award. Morrison’s writing has influenced generations of scholars, readers, and writers.

We would like to honor her contributions by coming together to watch the film, followed by a discussion of her literary eminence.

Sponsored by The Indianapolis Public Library and the Indiana Writers Center.

Held in the Central Library Auditorium. Tickets are not required to attend, but RSVPs are appreciated!

Tags: Toni Morrison, literature, writing, writers, art, social justice, Indiana Writers Center

Brunch, networking, training and discussion on Building Community Wealth through Social Capital!

This session will feature:

– FREE brunch & chance to meet new people
– Training session on telling stories that create the future by long-time Kheprw community member and filmmaker Keenan Rhodes
– Discussion on the meaning of “community wealth” facilitated by Diop Adisa and Rasul Palmer.

Participants will learn tools and skills for building community wealth through social capital. Let’s eat good food and build it out together. Come connect and learn with other community builders!

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This is part of a monthly third Saturday series leading up to the launch of the Kheprw Entrepreneurial Incubator. The incubator is a collaboration of Kheprw Institute, KI NuMedia, Scarabys Consulting and others to create an engine to build community wealth through social capital in Indianapolis. Learn more at http://incubator.kheprw.org.

Tags: Building Community Wealth through Social Capital, nonprofit, social justice, Kheprw Institute

On September 20th, three days before the UN Climate Summit in NYC, young people and adults will strike all across the US and world to demand transformative action be taken to address the climate crisis.

We want to answer the young people’s call to take action and ensure lives of opportunity for them and generations to come.

We are inviting people from Indianapolis and from Indiana to join us for a peaceful protest and a show of solidarity, love and caring with and for our children and for all the children of the world, of all species.

Let’s demand urgent action from decision-makers to solve the climate crisis in our city, our state, our country and the world. Let’s make September 20th, 2019 the day humanity turned things around and put itself and the whole biosphere on a sustainable path.

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We will gather at the Indiana Statehouse on the South Lawn at 11:00 am for a rally. Please bring signs with messages of your choice or use for inspiration the following:

Art Kit

Rally agenda:

11:15 am – welcome and agenda

11: 20 am – 1:20 pm – speeches, interaction with the coalition partners, media availability

1: 20 pm – select the delegation that will deliver the US Youth Climate Strike platform to the Governor, the legislature and the offices of Senator Todd Young and Senator Mike Braun.

Youth Climate Strike Platform

1:40 pm – reading of the US Youth Climate Strike platform by a group of organizers

2: 30 pm – delegation leaves

2: 45 pm – thank you and future plans for the Indiana climate coalition

3:00 pm – end of the rally

The event is rain or shine, but we will adapt our schedule if the weather makes it difficult to be outside for four hours.

Please do your best to make this event fossil-free, if at all possible, and share with all of participants your solution for that day, so we can amplify it and make our city fossil free.

Please contact us for any questions and suggestions you might have. If you would like to help as a volunteer, please let us know. We are grateful and happy to be with you on September 20th, 2019.

Tags: 350 Indiana – Indianapolis, US Climate Strike, March, Protest, Action, Climate, Activism, Social Justice

It can’t be denied: capitalism is one of the most powerful forces humans have created. As such, it can and should be used for good—and as we well know, profit has been the primary measure of our success for way too long.

We don’t need to wait on legislation to tell us it’s time to do the right thing. We already know what to do: change the status quo.

But change is hard. Systemic change? Even harder. That’s why we need help from the pros—which is why we organized the People-First Economy Summit.

Click here to register FREE ▶

During this FREE 10-day summit, you’ll learn from the architects of the new economy—top business leaders, authors, and activists like:

• John Mackey, Co-founder and CEO, Whole Foods Market — “Q&A with John Mackey”
• Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield, Co-founders, Ben & Jerry’s — “The Ben & Jerry Interview: Using Business as a Force for Good”
• Jay Coen Gilbert, Co-founder of B Lab (the nonprofit behind the B Corp Movement) — “The Need for a Capitalist Reformation”
• Dr. Tiffany Jana, Founder, TMI Portfolio; Author, The B Corp Handbook, Erasing Institutional Bias, and Overcoming Bias — “Putting People First at Work: Managing Organizational Diversity and Bias in a People-First Economy”
• Raj Sisodia, Professor of Global Business and Co-founder/Co-chairman, Conscious Capitalism Inc. — “Conscious Capitalism: Moving Towards a People-First Economy”
• And more!

Interested? Join us September 17th—26th for the People-First Economy Summit where you’ll learn how to:

• Build stronger, more authentic relationships with employees, customers, partners, and community
• Create an atmosphere of inclusivity and belonging in your organization
• Discover real-world solutions for driving equitable, sustainable, and profitable organizations
• Transform your organization for the better using strategies that you can put into practice today
• Lead change and maximize your impact, even when you aren’t in charge

Click here to register FREE ▶

Together, we have the potential to transform the way business is done all over the world.

We hope to see you there!

Sincerely,

The Berrett-Koehler Team

Tags: Business, Environment, Social Justice, Online Summit, Free, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Workshops, Speakers

The Indiana Cooperative Development Center is hosting a special 1-day workshop: How Co-ops Can Help Fix A Broken Food System.

Join us for a day of learning and discovery as we discuss the components of the food system – from growers and producers to farmers markets and grocery stores – to envision how the cooperative business model can help rebuild the local food system.

Find out more information online at www.icdc.coop.

Cost is $25 per person and spaces will fill quickly, so register today!

Tags: Indiana Cooperative Development Center, 1-day workshop: How Co-ops Can Help Fix A Broken Food System, Social Justice

Study Session!! We are now in the phase of studying specific pieces of material and then condensing it into usable information. We will post the materials to read before the event. This meeting is to discuss and strategize for a community based rapid response team for those experiencing a mental health emergency. Childcare will be provided for those who need it, but please let us know in advance so we can provide adequate care. This building is accessible to all bodies. All community members are welcomed as their whole selves in this space.

Tags: Social Justice, IMPD Transparency, Mental Health Task Force

Data is most powerful when you understand its limits. This module will give you the knowledge to think critically about data, making you aware of what can cause noise in data and how to use data effectively despite these limitations.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators), Module 2E: Avoid Data Pitfalls, comprehensive, up-to-date statistics on housing, education, crime, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Now that you know what you want to accomplish with data, you can use that as a framework for choosing the right dataset. We cover the strengths, weaknesses, and costs of readily available data sets, including SAVI, so you have the information you need to locate the data that’s right for you.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assetts and Vulnerabilities Indicators), Module 2A: Find Existing Data, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Before you can begin using data to inform decisions, identify what you are trying to accomplish and determine how data can help you get there. This will determine what kind of data you need.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assetts and Vulnerabilities Indicators), Module 1A: Frame the Problem, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Join local organizers for #upwrite, a letter writing project to build community with and support incarcerated women, trans, and nonbinary people. At this month’s event, we are corresponding with folks we have previously written to in order to maintain connections. If you haven’t written to them before, no worries – it’s great to be able to send them letters from new folks as well!

All ages and genders are welcome.

For more information, contact [email protected]

Tags: letter writing project to build community with and support incarcerated women, trans, and nonbinary people, Rabble Coffee, Social Justice

20 organizations telling their stories of using sociocracy.

People interested in self-governance will come together in an online conference to connect and share their experiences with each other.

Inspiring ideas from passionate thought leaders in the field.

How can tools like sociocracy change the world?

Presenters from 14 countries: Germany, Denmark, United Kingdom, USA, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Colombia, Argentina, Italy, Croatia, Netherlands, Spain and India!

Talks happen simultaneously in different zoom rooms.
All presentations will be recorded and will be available 2 weeks after the event.

Note: Presentations in Spanish are in >italics. 
All other talks are in English. 
Inspirational sessions will be bilingual or have Spanish subtitles.

(For other time zones, click on the link under UTC.)

Tags: webinar, conference, online, sociocracy, grassroots, democracy, social justice, worker cooperatives, ecovillage, schools, people store

There are a number of ways to collect data on your clients, your agency, your programs and your communities. If you are interested in exploring these options, this course will help you learn about the strengths and weaknesses of each choice.

Tags: SAVI Module 2B: Create and Use Client Data, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Get in, get culture, get out. This is the motto of Poets Attack. The last Wednesday of each month, for 90 minutes or less, Irvington Vinyl & Books hosts two talented local poets and pairs them with visiting writers from out of state. The goal is to connect Hoosier poets with writers from across the United States, and to build relationships between our local scene and the world outside. We believe poetry is meant for everybody; that’s why we keep our readings short and our admission free. Poetry For All.

Mitchell L. H. Douglas is the author of dying in the scarecrow’s arms, blak al-fə bet, winner of the Persea Books Lexi Rudnitsky/Editor’s Choice Award, and Cooling Board: A Long-Playing Poem, an NAACP Image Award and Hurston/Wright Legacy Award nominee. His poetry has appeared in Callaloo, The Ringing Ear: Black Poets Lean South (University of Georgia Press), The BreakBeat Poets: New American Poetry in the Age of Hip-Hop (Haymarket Books), Crab Orchard Review, and Ninth Letter, and among others. He is a cofounder of the Affrilachian Poets, a Cave Canem graduate, and Associate Professor of English at IUPUI.

The name is a truth, an interrogation both external and internal. How to be black, black enough, Too Black in a world built through black subjugation but not made for black people?

Too Black is a spoken word poet, traveling and teaching artist, and public speaker fusing together historical context, current events, creative practice, and interpersonal interaction on international stages.

Wendy Lee Spacek (WLS) is a 3rd year MFA student in poetry. She was born and raised in Indiana and received her BFA in poetry from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her first book, Psychogynecology, was published by Monster House Press is 2015. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming online at Poets.org, deLuge Journal, The Portland Review, TL;DR, and LVNG Magazine (Flood Editions). Honors include two Vera Meyer Strube Academy of American Poets Awards and a Guy Lemmon Award in Public Writing.

Chris Thibodeau is a queer mentally ill poet from Indiana, currently living in Muncie. Their work explores the intersections of those identities and their specific experiences. They continually strive to break down the stigma around mental illness. They have been featured in Nat Brut., thread, and The Broken Plate. In their free time, Chris plays roller derby and goes to therapy.

Tags: Poets Attack!, Mitchell Douglas, Too Black, Wendy Lee Spacek, Chris Thibodeau, Spoken Word, Poetry, Writing, Social Justice

SAVI (Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators — www.savi.org) is a free online information system that helps you map, compare and store data about 2,000 Central Indiana communities. SAVI’s comprehensive, up-to-date statistics on housing, education, crime, and much more help businesses and organization create the charts, graphs, maps, and other results to make data-informed decisions. This introductory class, to be held in the Computer Training Lab, provides an overview to help participants decide whether they want to learn more about how to use SAVI.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assets and Vulnerabilities Indicators), comprehensive, up-to-date statistics on housing, education, crime, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Now that you know what you want to accomplish with data, you can use that as a framework for choosing the right dataset. We cover the strengths, weaknesses, and costs of readily available data sets, including SAVI, so you have the information you need to locate the data that’s right for you.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assetts and Vulnerabilities Indicators), Module 2A: Find Existing Data, nonprofit, public policy, social justice

Before you can begin using data to inform decisions, identify what you are trying to accomplish and determine how data can help you get there. This will determine what kind of data you need.

Tags: SAVI (Social Assetts and Vulnerabilities Indicators), Module 1A: Frame the Problem, nonprofit, public policy, social justice