Tag: asheville

Action

South Asheville Cemetery Events

Ami W

Here are flyers for two events this week related to the South Asheville Cemetery – a history presentation and a work day.  “For nearly 100 years — from the 1840s until it was closed in the mid-1940s — South Asheville Cemetery was the primary place of burial for African-Americans in the city. No one really knows how many people are buried there; estimates run from about 1,500 to as many as 5,000 graves.” (Mountain Xpress, If Stones Could Talk, 1998). Continue reading South Asheville Cemetery Events

Action

Black History Month Free Breakfast Program in Hillcrest

Ami W

Announcement from the Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation: A Free Breakfast will take place every Saturday in February at Hillcrest’s Carl E. Johnson Community Center from 9 am until 11 am. This program is in celebration of Black History month and honors the original Free Breakfast Program that was begun by the Black Panthers during the height of the Civil Rights era. They offered a free hot meal to the children of their communities in the morning, preparing them for the day nutritionally, and empowering their minds and spirits through education while they ate. The community leaders educated the children … Continue reading Black History Month Free Breakfast Program in Hillcrest

Action

Diversity Through Laughter

Ami W

Here is an article I wrote for this week’s Mountain Xpress: Asheville likes to celebrate diversity, and we’ve got the bumper stickers to prove it. But when it comes to actually experiencing diversity, that’s another story. “I come from Miami, and I’m so used to seeing a diverse group of people, all kinds of people, hanging out,” says Tiffany Gill of The Color ME Brown Project. “I’d like to see more of that here in Asheville.” Victoria Blount, the nonprofit’s creative director, puts it this way: “If you’re in a certain demographic, there’s a ton for you to do. But … Continue reading Diversity Through Laughter

Action

Mix & Mingle this Saturday

Ami W

Over the holidays, Major Mayfield of #MajorMoments and his friends organized a sneaker giveaway and day of activities for children in the Shiloh community. By all reports, the event was a great success. Mayfield is also involved in organizing a series of networking events called Mix & Mingle. The team putting on this event includes Sheneika Smith of Date My City, Melting Pot Asheville and more. The second Mix & Mingle will be this Saturday, January 4th from 6 to 10 pm at the Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Avenue. On his Facebook page, Mayfield gave a call out to … Continue reading Mix & Mingle this Saturday

Action

Braving Controversy to Promote Diversity

Ami W

I recently received the following email from the Center for Diversity Education, a wonderful organization whose vision is to “help build relationships across differences to create a more inclusive and equitable community.” Specifically, the CDE “celebrates and teaches diversity in order to foster conversation and respect among cultures.” I applaud the CDE for their work, much of which happens in the public schools. This story highlights the importance of this type of programming: “Every year someone has objected to an observance in the Center for Diversity Education program Festivals of Light. Sometimes it is Kwanzaa because of the founder’s political ideology … Continue reading Braving Controversy to Promote Diversity

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CHIVA – Transporting Opportunities to People (TOP) Project

Ami W

Here is a piece I wrote for the Xpress website about CHIVA, an innovative organization that is holding an event this Saturday evening. CHIVA mobile outreach bus reflects on its first year We are trying to contribute to the inclusion process of the new face of WNC,” says Carolina McCready of the CHIVA – Transporting Opportunities to People (TOP) Project, a social entrepreneurial endeavor that she helped to start a year ago with Sarah Nuñez and Victor Palomino. Specifically, the CHIVA is a school bus that has been turned into a mobile outreach space. The CHIVA TOP Project is designed … Continue reading CHIVA – Transporting Opportunities to People (TOP) Project

Action

The Color of Asheville

Ami W

The Color of Asheville (colorofasheville.net) is a new website created by Sasha Mitchell. Sasha is a family and community historian, among other things. The site is described as “a network of connection serving and celebrating Asheville’s African American Community.” Specifically: “This site was formed to meet the need for connectivity between members of Asheville’s African American Community and our need to support our locally owned businesses, professionals and community happenings. We will include activities and events, a directory of Black-owned businesses, professionals, service providers and clubs. In addition, we will include articles about Asheville’s African American history to document and … Continue reading The Color of Asheville

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Liberation Through Cooperation

Ami W

This is an online story I wrote for the Mountain Xpress about a great group: The Ujamaa Freedom Market, which promotes “Liberation through Cooperation,” is a worker-owned cooperative mobile market which brings fresh local foods to underserved communities in Asheville. According to its website, Ujamaa “promotes social, economic, environmental and food justice by serving as a model for self-sufficiency while educating and inspiring healthy relationships with food in order to strengthen the quality of life and health and well-being of the community.” Co-owners Olufemi Lewis and Calvin Allen have been operating a weekly booth on Depot Street, selling locally grown … Continue reading Liberation Through Cooperation

Action

A Celebration of Hillcrest

Ami W

Here is an announcement from the Women’s Wellbeing and Development Foundation about an opportunity for Asheville locals to connect with neighbors who live in public housing: “On Saturday, November 23rd, from 5:00 – 7:30 pm at Hillcrest’s Carl E. Johnson Community Center (100 Atkinson Street), we are hosting the third annual Party for the People, in which Hillcrest residents come together with supporters and collaborators from all over the Asheville community to celebrate the accomplishments of the year, enjoy each others’ company, and build new connections. Party for the People will be a love donation based potluck event, featuring local food, children’s activities, raffle prizes, a resident awards ceremony, and … Continue reading A Celebration of Hillcrest

Action

The Spirit of Rural Studio

Ami W

Next Tuesday November 26, at 7 pm, V I L L A G E R S in West Asheville will be screening the documentary Citizen Architect: Samuel Mockbee and the Spirit of Rural Studio. I highly recommend this film. I first watched it after meeting the director/producer, Sam Wainwright Douglas, at the Doo-Nanny a few years back. Citizen Architect touched me deeply. Sam Mockbee was a compassionate visionary who left behind a very positive legacy. He questioned the way architecture is taught and forged his own path as a teacher by leading his students in creating beautiful spaces for people … Continue reading The Spirit of Rural Studio