What's Happening
Join the Mystic Valley Area NAACP branch for a community discussion on 'Exploring Local History on American Freedmen." on April 25th at 7:00 PM at the Malden Public Library. The program will begin with a Converse Art Gallery tour of the current exhibition, “Modern Sojourner – Sojourner Truth in Malden” at 6:30 PM, and the community discussion will begin at 7:00 PM
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Leading us in conversation is human rights advocate, Saskia VannJames, who will be giving a historical guide on American Freedmen, the 4 million emancipated people from chattel slavery within the U.S. and their descendants. During this presentation, you will learn about the impact of the federal Freedmen's Bureau Act of 1865, later dismantled in 1872, and how Massachusetts failed to address many harms including the loss of sovereign homeland after the American Freedmen communities were emancipated from chattel slavery through the infamous 40 acres and a mule promise. Attendees will walk away with a historical context of how cycles of harm continue to impact our communities through today and ways to support cycles of repair in order to achieve solidarity in Malden and across Massachusetts.
The Mystic Valley Area NAACP is proud to partner with the AdMeTech Foundation in bringing awareness to Prostate Cancer and the Prostate Cancer Equity Program.
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In case you missed the virtual event you can view it and find more information about the resources available through the Prostate Cancer Equity Program for Massachusetts residents.
Ways to Support Families in Need This Season
The Association of Black Citizens of Lexington, ABCL, is supporting various family needs in Lexington.
Sheltered families help needed:
They are in urgent need of the basics, warm clothing and coats. A consortium has set up a fund to provide for this immediate need.
“Please indicate this is for the “Sheltered Families Fund.”
In the longer term, there will be a need for ESL lessons and activities for kids, an ask for books, toys, clothing donations from the community. If you can help please fill in this form Lex-Refugee-Help.There is an Amazon gift list for consumables which will continue to be updated.
The Town of Arlington Assistance Funds, are currently providing support in three ways to families:
Migrant Families Relief Fund
Holiday Help
Emergency Assistance Fund
Call to Repair: Justice, Healing and Reparations in Massachusetts
Sunday, Dec. 3, 2-4 pm
Hosted by the Reparations Interfaith Coalition
The Reparations Interfaith Coalition will host Call to Repair: Justice, Healing and Reparations in Massachusetts. This event is a virtual Interfaith Reparations Gathering bringing together organizations, communities and congregations across Massachusetts to learn and discuss how the reparations movement is progressing locally and how we can move it forward. At this event, national and local Black leaders in the reparations movement will speak to our shared sense that reparations are not a transaction but rather a spiritual and ethical practice. This event is open to all those interested in building their understanding of and work towards reparations. This is the first event among more to come from the Reparations Interfaith Coalition, a new and currently a predominantly white group of faith and ethically based communities dedicated to moving reparations forward in MA. We hope to leave you with action ideas for education, advocacy, and ways to make material reparations. This event is part of a national Sacred Reparative Season launched by the Grassroots Reparations Campaign.
Registration: https://tinyurl.com/MAInterfaithReparations
The return of the Annual Freedom Fund Breakfast was a success!
Thank you to all of our sponsors!
Check out the
2023 Freedom Fund
Program here!
Highlights of our speakers, branch history and all of our gracious sponsors.
AdMeTech Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ending the prostate cancer crisis by advancing early detection and treatment, and is a supporter and partner of the NAACP New England Area Conference (NEAC). Dr. Faina Shtern, President of AdMeTech Foundation, presents the Prostate Cancer Equity Program in Massachusetts.
Cheers to 50 Years Clean Water Action's 50th Anniversary and Annual Fall Celebration in MA
Clean Water Action received the Clean Water Champion award at CleanWaterMA 's 50th Anniversary and Annual Fall Celebration on October 6th. In case you missed the event, check out the program here and the video recording below!
Recent Releases
BRANCH HAPPENINGS
The newly established Environmental Justice Committee partnered with the Clean Water Fund, to host #Get The Lead Out, a hybrid program to educate community members that there is no safe level of lead- not in drinking water, nor in the human body. If you weren't able to attend, check out the recording!
In Spring 2021, the Reparations Committee called more than 400 members of Congress, including every member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, during the lead up to their historic markup of H.R. 401. The committee continues to engage legislators through Chapter Conversations. In June 2021, the committee had a Chapter Conversation with Assistant Speaker, Congresswoman Katherine Clark, who serves the Fifth District of Massachusetts, on A Political History of America's Black Reparations Movement.
SUPPORT THE MYSTIC VALLEY BRANCH
We are grateful for the support of our members and others who want to help us pursue social justice.
Your donation helps ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of rights of everyone in our community.
Mystic Valley Area Branch is a 501(c)(4) organization. Gifts and contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions. However, a portion of your dues is passed on to the NAACP National Organization, and these payments are tax deductible. Please contact them to obtain the applicable tax deductible amount.
For general inquiries, please contact us at info@mva-naacp.org