Berkshires Beat: 'White Privilege' Author Speaking in Lenox
Privileged: Anti-racism activist Peggy McIntosh will present a workshop on white privilege as part of the Multicultural BRIDGE annual Awards Celebration at Kripalu in Lenox on Thursday, Nov. 17. She will also give the evening's keynote address, "Coming to See Privilege Systems: The Surprising Journey." The celebration will include the presentation of BRIDGE’s inaugural Peggy McIntosh Equity and Justice Award.
McIntosh, founder of the National SEED Project on Inclusive Curriculum and a former associate director of the Wellesley Centers for Women, is best known for her classic 1989 essay, "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," in which she gives personal examples of her own privilege. Media outlets including the New Yorker, Daily Beast and Huffington Post have cited the essay, which as been widely reprinted and used in schools around the world. In the workshop, McIntosh will lead participants in an exploration of the impact of racial privilege and bias, the path of owning the inherited legacy of racism in the United States and then cultivating a way forward in allyship, urging authenticity and engagement while working toward healing, equity, and justice.
McIntosh Award was created to honor both McIntosh and local award recipients for their work in gender equity and as allies in the movement for racial justice. Inaugural recipients are the Rev. Natalie Shiras, Marcia Savage, and Eugenie Sills.
BRIDGE will also present its Cultural Competence Award to Wuane Johnstone, Dr. Jennifer Michaels, Marlena Willis, and Ty Jackson; the MaryAnn and Bob Norris Community Stewardship Award to Michael Wynn and John Bissell; the Young Activist Award to Alex Leonard and Elizabeth Orenstein; and the Multicultural BRIDGE Servant Leadership Award to Tommie Hutto-Blake and Nataly Garzon.
The event kicks off at 5 p.m. with McIntosh’s pre-ceremony workshop, and includes dinner, music and dancing with the Wanda Houston Band. Pre-event Kripalu yoga is also available, beginning at 4:15 p.m. A detailed schedule and ticket prices are available online. Register by calling 866-200-5203.
New voice: James Sklar is starting a radio show called "Afternoon Mashup" every Tuesday and Thursday from 2 to 4 p.m. on 107.1 in North Adams.
Sklar will talk about local politics/issues, entertainment and food and play music. Guests and local musicians looking to join him on the show should email him at james@wateroxmgmt.com.
Eat vegan: The Berkshire Vegan Network is holding its annual vegan "Living Thanksgiving" gathering from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, at United Methodist Church of Lenox on Holmes Road.
All seats MUST have a reservation; RSVP via email to veganpeace@verizon.net or call 413-458-3664. Reservations will be cut off at 80 people. The deadline for reservations is Friday, Nov. 18. Last minute reservations will be considered by emailing tcarlord@gmail.com. To offset costs, there will be a fee of $6 for adults and $3 for kids 3-12. Each person is asked to bring a dish that will serve 10. Please bring a vegan dish (free of all animal products, including dairy, cheese and eggs). Please attach a recipe card with ingredients. Also bring your own place setting and utensils. Hot and cold water will be available for drinks.
After the dinner there will be a voluntary share time for people to read a poem, tell a short story, or tell why they are thankful. The Berkshire Vegan Network is a non-profit organization which strives to educate, inspire, and empower people to move toward a plant-based diet, promote healthy people within a healthy planet, and to take compassionate action for all life on earth.
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Kicking it: Two local youth who participated in both the city of Pittsfield's NFL Punt, Pass & Kick Competition and the Sectional Competition hosted by the city of Westfield will advance to the New England Patriots Team Championship at Gillette Stadium Sunday, Dec. 4. Evan Roccabruna will compete in the 6-7 year old age group and Jaden Keefner will compete in the 12-13 year old age category.
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Evan just completed his first year of tackle football, where he played quarterback/linebacker for the Pittsfield Saints. In addition to football, he excels in basketball and baseball. Evan's dream is to meet Tom Brady and go to a New England Patriots game; through this competition, at least part of his dream will come true when he arrives at Gillette Stadium.
Jaden just helped his football team, the Pittsfield Bulldogs, win the youth football super bowl and is a three-time super bowl champion. This will be Jaden's second year in a row making a trip to the New England Patriots Team Championship. Jaden was the 2015 New England Patriots 10-11 year old Team Champion, and was ranked in the top 32 in the country.
Art in the library: For the month of November, the David and Joyce Milne Public Library in Williamstown will be displaying a small works show by artist dan Daniels called "Nature into Art" featuring original watercolors of local birds and animals.
All works are for sale. The library is located on Main Street at Field Park.
