| Volume 2, Issue 3 | September, 1999 |
Table of Contents |
| Welcome Address | |
Dear Friends,
Boy did we ever have such a dry and hot summer!. Most lawns were brown throughout the summer, though that was probably a relief for those who have to mow them. I hope you all have enjoyed your summer and now that the summer is essentially over 4C/IRL are back in full swing. We have some exciting things planned for the remainder of 1999 in which we hope you will participate. See you at the meeting on the 25th.
Sincerely,
Lisa, Kelly, Dave and Willete
| Meetings | |
Guest Speaker: Tanya
Caesar (Rescheduled from our March '99 meeting)
Date: Saturday, September
25, 1999
Place: Plainsboro Public Library
Time: 12:30pm to 3:00pm
Please come out and show your support
Please bring a dish to share (not mandatory)
| Alabama Interracial Marriages Ban Vote Delayed | |
ATLANTA (Reuters, 6/23/99) -- A legislator in Alabama, the only U.S. state that still has a constitutional ban on interracial marriages, was told that it would be more than a year before residents could vote on eliminating that prohibition. The actual state law barring marriages between blacks and whites was rendered void when the U.S. Supreme Court struck it down years ago, but language remains in the Alabama constitution. A bill passed easily by the state Legislature called for residents to vote to revise the state constitution, but the measure conflicted with legal technicalities since it failed to specify a date for the vote. Lawmakers had thought it would be on Oct. 12, when residents vote on whether the state will have a lottery. But the Secretary of State's office ruled that, according to procedure, the vote must wait until the general election in November 2000. Legislator Alvin Holmes has asked Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor to interpret the referendum law in a way that would enable the vote the vote to proceed on Oct. 12. However, Pryor stated that the only way the marriage ban referendum could be decided in on that date was for Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman to call a special session to legislature.
| Election Time | |
Did you know that 4C has a Board of Directors? It’s a requirement for being incorporated. The first Board members were appointed from the executive committee for reasons of expediency, and somewhat out of necessity. We are recommending a slate of candidates for appointment, but we’d like to open up the floor for nominations also. There are five seats. Elections will be a ballot vote, with the recommended slate of candidates and space for write in votes also. Ballots are enclosed, and should be returned by October 15, 1999. Thanks!
| Birthday Celebrations (July - September) |
|
Mike Horn-Mitchem - September 28th
Willette Seibel - September 25th
Lydia Joels - August 26th
Patricia Canning - August 25th
Paul Miguel - August 8th
Roxy Horn-Mitchem - July 26th
Dave Seibel - July 24th
Ursula Miguel - July 21st
Tamara Batiste - July 13th
Emma Crowell - July 13th
Lisa Rasinski - July 13th
Robert Miguel - July 11th
Join our birthday corner. If your birthday is in July, August or September, tell us so we can include you in our birthday celebration corner.
| Congratulations |
|
Congratulations to James and Kelli Coulthard,
who celebrated their wedding anniversary on July 27th.
Best wishes also to Richard Kapes and Sharon Nelson, who tied the knot Labor
Day weekend.
| 1999 Annual Holiday Gathering |
|
Mark your calendars the 4C/IRL Annual Holiday Date has been changed
to Saturday December 4th. Everything else is remains the same lots of
food, music and games for all. So please come out and join us.
As we get ready for the Annual Holiday Gathering I am asking any volunteers
to assist with this event. Essentially, I need help with planning the
activities/games, music, food, decorations, prizes etc. Any interested parties
please contact Lisa Edwards or Willette Seibel. Lisa's email is [email protected]
or call her at (609) 275 - 9352 or Willette can be reached (732) 390-7316. Any
ideas you may have you can email or call me. The committee will meet in
mid-October.
P.S. : At the last holiday gathering the children informed me that I better come up with some new games because they were tired of playing the same old games. So folks I need help!!!!!!!!
| Special Thanks |
|
We would like to this opportunity to thank the following individuals/families for their dues payments and contributions. Your prompt response, help and support is most appreciated, and allows us to operate more efficiently, a great asset to continued growth of our organization!! Again many, many thanks!!
Chis & Liz Aranosian
Willie & Victoria Batiste
Donna & Nicholas Bayliss
Jim & Patricia Canning
Jim & Peggy Connolly
Allison & Tom Crowell
Jean Harrington
Jeff & Charley Hitchcock
Bobbi Joels & Family
Wayne & Ursula Miguel
Linda Oppenheim & Robert Karp
Nanet A. Peterson
Lisa & Edward Rasinski
Dave & Willette Seibel
| Quarterly Highlights |
|
June 1999
In lieu of our scheduled monthly meeting, we decided on a day of family fun. We
chose to sponsor a trip to see a minor league baseball game in nearby Trenton.
The game at scenic Waterfront Park, located on the banks of the Delaware River
in New Jersey's state capital, involved the Trenton Thunder, a Double-A
affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the Erie (Pa.) Sea Wolves, an affiliate of
the California Angels. Unfortunately, Erie right-hander Paul Morse scattered six
hits over seven innings and teammate Shawn Wooten hit two home runs as the Sea
Wolves defeated the Thunder, 8-3 in front of 6,613 fans. Two of the Thunder's
runs came on a home run by Wilton Veras, his 20th of the season. The other
scored on an infielder single by Raul Gonzalez, his second of two hits. The Sea
Wolves opened the scoring in the second inning when Wooten hit the first of his
two home runs to make it 1-0. Later that inning, Erie’s Fausto Tejero stepped
to the plate and blasted a two-run home run to left that made it a 3-0 game. For
the Thunder, Morgan Burkhart had three hits in the game. Though it was a
blistering hot day (to say the least), the 4C/IRL members in attendance toughed
it out, and the stadium was well equipped with all kinds of goodies to quench
our hunger and our thirst. We had good seats (along first base) to view the
game, and those of us who did not know much about baseball before the game
became experts by the time the game was over. All in all, it was a wonderful way
to spend time together with friends and family, and we look forward to another
such outing in the future.
Ju
ly 1999August 1999
The Annual Statewide Picnic was scheduled for the first
week in August, but had to be cancelled because of the summer-log drought.
Park Officials revoked picnic permits and would not allow any BBQ grilling
due to the fire hazard brought on by the dry conditions. Of course, it ended
up raining that day anyway... The camping outing scheduled for the end of
the month was also cancelled, primarily due to logistical reasons. Better
luck next year…
| New Books |
|
Sun Dance at Turtle Rock
When 12 yr. old Cody comes to visit his late father's dad
for the summer, they both feel uncomfortable. Cody is certain that his white
grandfather is ashamed of his brown skin, and the town is clearly
unacquainted with African Americans. But his cousin Jemma proves a fun
companion, and eventually Cody and his grandfather learn to trust each
other. The negligible plotting culminates in a confrontation with a bear,
but the small episodes are drawn with humor and warmth. The feelings
Viglucci depicts are real and complicated, and she tackles racial issues
with sensitivity and honesty.
The Window
By Michael Dorris, Ken Robbins Ages 9-12, ISBN:0786803010
Rayona is an 11 yr. old who is abandoned by her Native American mother, and
shuffled from place to place by her African American father. Rayona spends
time in two foster homes before she ends up with her father's mother, sister
and grandmother. Wherever she goes, Rayona has an effect on the adults --
they grow and change while she stays the same.
Edgar Allan
By: John Neufeld Ages 9-12, ISBN:0451167759
When the Ficketts decide to adopt Edgar Allan, they are
sure they are doing a good thing--or so Reverend and Mrs. Fickett think.
They don't see the small boy as a ticking time bomb. But he is--because he
is black, they are white -- and their neighbors are determined to stop them.
They are faced with threats, angry phone calls, a burning cross on the lawn,
and an ultimatum from their oldest daughter. 12-year old Michael Fickett is
a witness to the town's racism…and his life is changed forever.
| Poetry Corner |
|
MY FAMILY
By Traci Nelson ([email protected])
My dad is dark
My Mom is light
I am in between
My sister's are light.
We have a house
And on our street
There are different people
We often meet.
We go to church
We go to school
We mind our manners
And obey the rules.
Sometimes people smile
Other times they stare
That's okay
Just treat us fair.
We are a family
As you can see
It makes no difference
What color you might be.
| Lawsuit Challenges Racial Balance Law |
|
LYNN, MA. (Boston Globe,
8/31/99) -- Rhonda Campbell's young biracial daughters have the same creamy
mocha skin tone, but in their Lynn public school classrooms they are
considered two different races: Ke'Ana is white; Ke'Arra is black. And those
designations, said Campbell, are preventing her from enrolling the girls in
a school closer to home. Ke'Ana, 7, can go to the neighborhood school,
officials told Campbell, because it needs more white children. Ke'Arra, 8,
can't because school officials say there are already enough blacks there.
On August 30th, Campbell and four other parents filed a lawsuit
against the Lynn school system in the U.S. District Court seeking to force
the city to stop using race when assigning students to schools. Chester
Darling, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, contends that the desegregation law is
antiquated and does not take into account the vast diversity of students in
the state's public schools. He said a lawsuit against several suburban
cities could lead to a dismantling of a 1965 state law urging districts (and
giving them financial incentives) to transfer students if they have a school
that is more than 50% minority. Currently, twenty-one Massachusetts school
districts follow such desegregation plans, called "voluntary racial
balance."
| Mavin Website Revamped |
|
MAVIN, the magazine that celebrates the mixed race experience has unveiled their re-vamped Internet site! Go to: www.mavin.net. There next issue (Fall 1999) will be out in October 1999. It's only $14.00 for a year-long subscription. MAVIN "celebrate the mixed experience." 805 Cherry Street; Suite 311, Seattle, A 98104. (206) 652-9760 (telephone) , (206) 269 -0324 (fax)
| Y2K. What Will You Be Doing on January 1, 2000? |
|
By: Mike Horn-Mitchem (4C Member)
So how serious is the Y2K crisis? One widely respected computer expert has set
up a solar-generated retreat in New Mexico, while a top government computer
executive promises to be flying in a commercial airliner at midnight. So what
should you be doing? The government's spin is that families should prepare for
Y2K as if a hurricane or major snowstorm is coming. This means you should have
a couple of day’s worth of food, water and cash handy. Store enough warm
blankets and batteries around to keep warm and make your own light during
power failures. Within a week life should be back to normal.
There's a good chance most people will find it even less severe. Still, my
family is preparing a stockpile to last three weeks or longer for the same
reason that leads us to pay hundreds of dollars for insurance policies. We all
fortify against an unlikely risk if its magnitude could be life-threatening.
While most of the country comes through without major inconvenience, maybe
here in New Jersey we might have the bad luck to experience the worst
snowstorm of the decade. Or, maybe a couple of nuclear plants overseas will go
Chernobyl and release a cloud that keeps us indoors for several days, like Los
Angelenos do now during a smog alert. Probably not…
But while writers, reporters, and their ilk focus on catastrophic failures,
they ignore an interesting scenario. What if the crisis isn't dramatic, but
drags on for weeks or months? Water service might not stop at midnight, but in
February a rash of gastrointestinal illnesses at area hospitals would tip us
off that the water filtration system was letting through tainted water. Planes
might not fall out of the sky, but a dramatic increase in near misses could
chill the air travel industry, making even frequent flyers reluctant to fly.
Banks might not collapse, but one to two million (out of fourteen million)
small businesses could fail by summer, starved for cash when billing and
collection must be done by hand. Just how does one prepare for any of that???
Here are a few ideas. For openers, decide how many days (or weeks) you want to
be prepared for. Now figure out the basics.
1. WATER - Put aside 4 gallons of water for each person per day. One gallon is for drinking, one for cooking, and two for hygiene. (A supply of wipes can help here.)
2. FOOD - Get a variety of canned and boxed foods. Skip the big containers -- once you open a five quart can of peaches you'll committed to eating it all. Remember that you cannot count on your refrigerator.
3. HYGIENE - Fill up a bathtub with water and you can flush for a couple of days. Plenty of plastic trash bags can help, too.
4. HEAT - Without heat, how cold will your home get
? Do not do anything foolish -- camp stoves and candles can kill you in an
enclosed place. Stick with blankets, thermal underwear, plastic over the
windows, and other simple, safe measures.
5. COMMUNICATION - If you have a bike for errands, your car's gas tank
won't empty so quickly. Get batteries for a radio and flashlights.
These are just starting points. I counted over a dozen Y2K titles at a nearby bookstore. If you're cheap, you can get the same information from your library (there are books, videos and magazine articles) or the Red Cross' web site. Maybe you'll buy something that you don't need or forget something that would have helped. The only real mistake you can make is to do nothing…
| Doctoral Dissertation Request |
|
White Mothers of Biracial, Black-White Adolescents:
A call for participants in a research study on the experiences of mothers of biracial children. Would you be willing, or do you know mothers who would be willing, to be interviewed about the challenges and joys of raising Interracial adolescents? Margaret O'Donoghue, Ph.D. candidate and adjunct professor at the New York University School of Social Work, will be conducting one to two hour interviews with ten to twelve women. The focus will be on how race and ethnicity affects the mothering experience and the specific parenting experiences of White mothers of Biracial adolescents. This research will be used for Ms. O'Donoghue's doctoral dissertation entitled " White mothers of Biracial, Black-White Adolescents: Negotiating the borders of culture, race and ethnicity."
She is looking for mothers, whose participation in this study will hopefully provide insight and understanding for other mothers of Biracial children, women contemplating becoming mothers and therapists who work with people of diverse cultures and ethnicity. Confidentiality will be meticulously protected.
Specific requirements:
1. You must be a White mother partnered with an African-American man;
2. You must be raising biological children from this union;
3. The children must be 12 years and older.
If you are interested in participating, or know someone who would be interested, please circulate this announcement and/or call Margaret O'Donoghue, 973 655 0544 or Email at [email protected].
| Future Events |
|
October Meeting - October 23, 1999
November Meeting - No Meeting Scheduled Gobble! Gobble!
Annual Holiday Celebration - December 4th, 1999
|
This page was last updated on November 18, 1999 |