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| November, 1996 | ||
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Street Sounds For Milk Day
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Pend Oreille Arts Council and the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force are pleased to present Street Sounds in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Idaho Human Rights Day. The group will perform at the Panida Theater on Friday, January 17, 1997 at 8:00pm.Street Sounds is an a cappella quintet committed to performing traditional, contemporary, and original music that embodies the rhythms, history and influence of Africa on world music.Their music travels through various cultures, creating a delightful mix including African chants, blues, jazz, civil and human rights songs, gospel, rap, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, and traditional and contemporary rhythms and sounds.Street Sounds presents a performance combining elements of entertainment and songs with a message regarding peace and social justice among all cultures of the world.In addition to the performance on January 17, the group will present Freedom Sounds: songs from the Civil Rights movement in the U.S., with related discussions. Check the local papers for the time and venue for this additional presentation. "Honoring the voice as the first instrument and the breath as the first and last sound we make as human beings, we use this precious and powerful tool (the voice) to celebrate, uplift, bring news, honor ancestors, protest, motivate and inspire." - Street Sounds We're looking for more ideas and volunteers for other celebrations and projects for Martin Luther King, Jr. / Idaho Human Rights Day - January 20, 1997. Do you have an idea that 'just might work?' Is there something we (or someone else) has done before that you would like to see done again? Please contact the board at 263-0275 and share your thoughts! Once again the Task Force produced a blue ribbon fair booth.Stretching the fair theme just a bit, the booth designers followed the idea of 'Variety from our gardens, diversity in our lives.' The brightly colored booth displayed a wide variety of vegetables, from purple potatoes to yellow peppers; a hand-drawn poster promoting diversity; wonderful student artwork from the 1995 Art for Tolerance project; and items the Task Force had for sale.Bob Ward donated a bird feeders for us to raffle off during the fair. Thanks, Bob! And congratulations to the lucky winner, Debbie Ford!We'd also like to thank the crew who set up the booth and helped staff, including: Chet Bartlett, Joan and Mike Chevalier, Jane Clark, Masai Jones, Eddie Sue Judy, Jeanette Lucas, Nancy Renk, Pete Robinson, Barbara Veraniam, Gretchen and Bob Ward, Kevin Watson, and Elizabeth Willey. Winter is just beginning, but by the third week in January, the doldrums will have hit. Why not beat those blues by helping out with the Task Force's entry in the Winter Carnival Parade?This is a project which is in the very early thought stages and we are checking to see if anyone would be interested in helping or participating. Call the Task Force at 263-0275 to help. Last year, public television aired the award winning program "Not in Our Town." It is the inspiring story of the power of community, and the important role played by ordinary citizens, organizations, and the media to stem the growth of hate crimes and intolerance in Billings, Montana.Not in Our Town II travels to communities across the nation which were inspired by the people of Billings. It is set air on Monday, December 23 at 10:00PM. See KUID and KSPS listings at that time. The stories in this program include:Bloomington, Illinois: "Not in Our Town" has become the community mottoSouth Carolina and Louisiana: laborers help local citizens rebuild burned churchesMedford, Oregon:citizens joined together to respond to hate inspired murdersKokomo, Indiana: local newspaper found a new approach to covering the first KKK rally in 15 yearsColumbus, Ohio: state employees opened workplace discussion about intolerance through "Not in Our Agency" events. The Tenth Annual Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment Conference was held in October in Spokane Washington. Task Force members made up part of the 600 present. The conference featured three days of workshops, dinners, and keynote speakers.Local members who attended tried to ensure that a variety of workshops were covered, but they found that there were just too many they wanted to attend!Congratulations to the Coalition for a rejuvenating, educational, and inspiring conference! The Task Force is in need of some storage space.Our collection of supplies such as mugs and T-shirts, is spread around various members' spare rooms.It would be helpful to have all of the inventory and supplies together in a place which ban be accessed easily. Do you have such a space, or an idea for one? If so, please call the Task Force at 263-0275 1996 has been another busy year for the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force.January: Martin Luther King, Jr. / Idaho- Human Rights Day:- Mississippi Burning at the Panida- Video production of meaning ofhuman rights to local citizens- Participation with Marcy Peterson on observance program with Arthur Hart Mountain Sky Display agreed to display brochures from the Task Force in their Bonner County racks free of charge October through December. These racks are the attractive wooden brochure display shelves which are found in the region.Thank you to Patt and George Frazier, owners of Mountain Publishing, Inc. and Kevin Watson, who set this up. American Diversity, American Identity is a statewide program sponsored by the Idaho Humanities Council. It revolves around discussions of literature which invite us to examine who we are as Americans. East Bonner County Library, along with the Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce, The American Association of University Women, and Friends of the Library, is sponsoring five discussions. Two of these have already occurred:Oct. 20 - Walt Whitman chautauqua presentationNov. 19 - Book discussion on "Invisible Man"Jan. 21 - Book discussion on "Sometimes a Great Notion"Feb. 18 - Book Discussion on "Angle of Repose"Mar. 4 - Concluding Conversation.Complementing these discussions, Idaho Public Television is broadcasting a series of programs which explore the themes of identity and diversity:Voices and Visions: Walt WhitmanChicano: Quest for a HomelandChicano: The Struggle in the FieldsChicano: Taking Back the Schools11/24, 10pm: Chicano: Fighting for Political Power12/1, 11pm: Richard Wright: Black Boy12/8, 9pm: Thousand Pieces of Gold12/15, 10pm: Ishi: the Last Yahi12/22, 10pm: Sacred Journey of the Nez Perce(Note: the first four programs have already aired, but are listed so that you can watch for them as a re-broadcast.)For more information about this excellent project, contact the East Bonner County Library. When putting together your Christmas list, don't forget Task Force T-shirts:$12, mugs:$5, and blank Art for Tolerance note cards:$8! Call 263-0275. Do you know the symbol of a capital P with a horizontal line drawn through the middle?It is a symbol for the Phineas Priesthood, as is any showing of '#25'. Phineas priests believe they are justified in murdering people who disobey the priesthood's version of God's laws.They rely on the Biblical story of Phineas, told in Numbers 25, to add God's blessing to their heinous beliefs and violent actions.The recent Spokane bombers left behind markings of the Phineas Priesthood. Subsequent arrests in our area have involved people who profess to be Phineas priests. The Art for Tolerance cards are available again this holiday season. They are sold 12 to a pack for the price of $8. These cards were designed by students in the Bonner County School district last fall. The inscription reads: 'Wishing you peace and happiness from Northern Idaho.' The back of the cards describes the Art for Tolerance project and the artist. All proceeds from the sale of the cards go to the Task Force.The greeting cards can be purchased at the following locations:All Smiles: 100 CedarColdwater Creek: Cedar St. BridgeEve's Leaves:326 N. FirstFoster's Crossing:Fifth & CedarImage Maker:320 N. FirstKincaids Jewelry:316 N. FirstScandinavian Affar:319 N. FirstBe sure to thank these merchants for showing their support! And, thank you, Gretchen Ward, for setting up the displays. The Task Force Board sadly accepted the resignations of Mary Robinson Mohr and Chet Bartlett. We wish Mary well with her newly-expanded family, and we will miss Chet when he moves to his new home in Twin Falls. Both Mary and Chet are past presidents who have provided excellent leadership for us. Thank you.The Board welcomed Adrian Murillo to its ranks. Adrian has moved here from Oregon, where he was active in human rights issues. Welcome, Adrian!On November 2, the Board held an all-day retreat to debrief after the Conference, and to plan for the next year. Special thanks go to Ken and Sally Eyer for use of The Farm, and to Eric Ward of the Northwest Coalition, who facilitated the meeting. The Task Force survives on your donations. Ongoing costs of postage, phone, printing, and special projects- take their toll on our finances. Keep the Task Force in mind in your year end giving! Instead of looking at why Sandpoint has a bad image, let's look at-why Aryan Nations groups feel comfortable here,-why students feel it's OK to use derogatory racist and sexist terms, or-why the anti-gay initiative might be on the ballot again. I don't have the answers, but I know that a passive, apatheic attitude won't help.Nicole Baran, recipient, Stone of Hope Scholarshipfrom July 1996 letter published in the Spokesman Review.
The Rights Stuff is published "occasionally" by the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force. Helping with this issue were: Jane Clark, Brenda Hammond, Jeanette Lucas, Lela Lucht, Tammy Moikeha, Donna Parrish. The Task Force can be reached at 208-263-0275 and e-mail:
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