| Volume 1, Issue 1 | March, 1998 |
Table of Contents |
| Welcome Address | Meetings |
| Help Wanted!!!!! | New Books |
| Alliance with Interracial Life | 4C Highlights of the Past Year |
| Welcome Address | |
Dear Friends,
Hello! For those of you who don’t know me already, my name is Lisa Edwards, and I am a black woman who is happily involved with Kelly Giblin, a white man of mixed ethnicity. Together, we founded 4C: Cross Cultural Couples and Children in April 1997, a support group for others in interracial relationships, as well as adults and children of mixed racial backgrounds.
As we near the first anniversary of the group’s existence, we would like to welcome you to view the first edition of our latest venture, 4C:Happenings!, a newsletter for our membership and others interested in our mission that we hope to publish on a quarterly basis. We hope that you enjoy our inaugural issue, but also want you to know that your input is invited in future issues… any good ideas about content, style, issues, etc., are welcome. So don’t be shy, let your voice be heard too! Enjoy!
Lisa & Kelly 
| Meetings | |
The group usually meets on the last Saturday of the month. Agenda and/or guest speaker will be announced in a flyer before the meeting.
This month’s meeting will be held on:
Date: Saturday, March 28, 1998
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Place: Plainsboro Public Library
Topic: A forum on issues facing parents and prospective parents of biracial children.
| New Books | |
Secret Thoughts of an Adoptive Mother
by Jana Wolff
Riverhead, $24.95
In this engrossing tale, two sisters growing up in Boston are so close that they share a secret language, Elemeno, named after their favorite letters of the alphabet. But they don’t share the same skin color or hair texture, and so when their parents’ interracial marriage breaks up, Birdie, the light one, goes with their white mother; Cole, the older, darker sister, goes with their Black father. Senna finds the perfect-pitch voice for Birdie that blends innocence, wry humor and straight-out pain.
Lady Moses
by Lucinda Roy
Harper Flamingo, $24
This epic tale of Jacitha Louise
Buttercup Moses, the London-raised daughter of a white English mother and an African
American father. This is an ambitious first novel, and the themes of family, parenting,
race, identity, artistry and love are occasionally given short shrift. But Roy does hit
some moments dead-on.
| Help Wanted !!!! | |
To help carry out the tasks of our growing organization, we are looking for individuals willing to carry out the responsibilities for the following positions:
Corresponding Secretary – to respond to group mail, send thank you notes, etc.
Treasurer/Fundraiser – to collect/deposit dues, write checks, keep records.
Publicity – arrange press releases for Cable TV, newspapers, Bulletin Boards and Online.
| Alliance with InterRacial Life | |
4C has actively participated in common events with other interracial support groups throughout the state, but our closest affiliation has been with InterRacial Life, a group based in East Brunswick, NJ. Over the past several months, our groups have sponsored joint meetings, a holiday party, and a bowling outing. It is our belief that the continued success of both groups can be enhanced by this alliance, through the sharing of ideas and resources. In that spirit, we present below the mission statement of InterRacial Life, developed by its founders Dave and Willette Seibel:
InterRacial Life (IRL) is an association of interracial and intercultural individuals, families and couples whose purpose is to create a social environment where we are accepted, cherished and respected. IRL provides a place where we do not have to justify our multiracial values and lifestyle: where identity is a personal choice with a rainbow of possibility: and where we may laugh at the frustrations of living in a society of separate races and cultures. We welcome others to learn share and grow with us and to enjoy a feeling of community and belonging that nourishes our souls and uplifts our spirits.
Although our means and methods may differ somewhat, we are working toward common goals, and it is our hope that the two groups can continue to pool our collective resources in this effort.
| 4C Highlights of the Past Year | |
May 1997
4C members participated in a panel discussion regarding the "Multicultural Category for the US Census" at the Statewide Multicultural Outreach Day in Montclair, NJ.
Later in the month we held our first official meeting at the Plainsboro Public Library.
June 1997
4C members were treated to an international perspective on interracial relationships from Canadian Richard Desormeau and girlfriend Anne Lafont of Paris, France. The group discussed the question "Do you think being in an interracial relationship is better than being in the same race relationship." A photographer from the Home News & Tribune came and took photos for a featured article in July.
July 1997
Summer Break – no meeting was held. 4C was featured in the Home News & Tribune on July 14th. The title of the article was "Group Helps Bridge Racial Gap." This article introduced 4C to New Jersey.
August 1997
4C co-sponsored the Statewide Multi-Cultural picnic at Ocean County Park in Lakewood, NJ. Attendance consisted of over 200 people from interracial support groups throughout the state and those who supported the cause. People came from the tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania). The support groups supplied the BBQ chicken, ribs, burgers and beans which all enjoyed from noon to dusk. For the little ones, we had pie eating contests, 3-legged races and a water balloon toss. A table was setup to distribute literature on all the groups and their objectives. The Asbury Park Press was in attendance and later reported the picnic as a featured story. It was a day full of sharing, caring and fun.
September 1997
For this meeting, the topic of discussion was "Do you feel you lose your own racial identity being in an interracial relationship?" This was a very informative meeting. The question opened the eyes and minds of all in attendance.
October 1997
"How do you feel in group situations dominated by members of your partners race" was the topic for this meeting. At this meeting we noticed an increase in attendance and generated more press coverage.
November 1997
No meeting – GOBBLE, GOBBLE Time !!!!!!!!!!
December 1997
Merry Christmas!!!! Cross Cultural Couples & Children and Interracial Life held a joint Holiday Gathering Celebration at the Plainsboro Public Library. We thought we would take a break from the normal meeting format and do something for the holidays. All members were asked to prepare a dish that reflected their cultural heritage. We all enjoyed the variety of foods prepared, personality and Christmas Carol games, and holiday music played. It was a golden opportunity for us to all share our holiday traditions.
January 1998
In our second joint meeting with Interracial Life, guest speaker Saundrah Clark Grevious, M.E., educator, curriculum consultant and author of Multicultural materials joined us for educational experience we will never forget. She discussed Multicultural Education issues, identity, labeling and much more. Also in attendance was Caroline Calogero from the Princeton Packet. She interviewed various members and guests for an article in February.
February 1998
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Members of 4C and Interracial Life gathered at Midstate Lanes in East Brunswick for an afternoon of bowling and family fun. We were also featured in the Princeton Packet on February 13th. The article was titled "Managing Interracial Families." Featured this month on ABC was a two part series titled "The Wedding" by Dorothy West. For those of you who missed it I have on video!
Future Events
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This page was last updated on November 18, 1999 |