An amazing evening was attended by 525 people on May 18, with “Hold Fast to Love and Justice” as the theme of the annual gathering supporting ISAAC’s work and celebrating the Beloved Community. Keynote speaker Mee Moua, racial healing circle practitioner and WK Kellogg Foundation consultant, inspired us with her story as a refugee from […]
We had amazing partners, members and leaders to honor this year, as always! 2019 Awards: 2019 Award Recipients: Click on any photo to enlarge it.
Thank you to EVERYONE who donated items or purchased items at the Silent Auction at our Annual Banquet. What a pleasure it was to receive your wonderful donations of stepping stones, homemade cakes and hats, fishing trips, afghans, handmade jewelry, etc. The silent auction offered more than 40 items and raised $1700+ for the ISAAC Beloved Community […]
ISAAC leaders Amy Peterson and Rick Johnson took fabulous photos, as always! Click on any photo to enlarge it.
“As a member of People’s Church, I have been a part of ISAAC since it organized in Kalamazoo in 2002. Being on the Housing Task Force until last year has been important to me as we have effectively improved access to affordable housing by working closely with other local agencies. The Vote Yes for Kids […]
Rev. Rachel Lonberg concluded the Banquet program with this closing prayer, from the anthem “Go Out,” sung recently by People’s Church choir: “Go out into the highways and by-ways and give the people something of your new vision. You may possess only a small light, but uncover it and let it shine. Use it to […]
ISAAC presents “Hold Fast to Love and Justice”, this year’s Banquet celebration and you are invited to participate! You know ISAAC—Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy and Action in the Community—and they want you to sign up today. It’ll be held on Saturday, May 18th at the WMU Bernhard Center. Keynote speaker is Mee Moua, a former Minnesota state […]
This Banquet is not-to-be-missed! Dr. Charlae Davis, Executive Director, knows the keynote speaker personally from Racial Healing Circle work, and Dr. Charlae is beaming with happiness that Mee Moua said yes to speaking at our Banquet! Don’t miss the May 6 deadline: You save $10/person if you get your Banquet tickets by Monday, May 6! […]
A homemade red velvet cake! A five-pound box of organic blueberries! Olive Garden gift cards! Confections with Convictions gift cards! PFC Natural Grocery & Deli Gift Cards! A custom flower arrangement! Handmade jewelry! Hand knit items! Voice Lessons! Fishing trip gift certificates! A meditation retreat gift certificate! An autographed copy of “Gus” written by Al […]
Child care is available at this year’s Banquet, right in the Bernhard Center, just down the hall from the Banquet—if it’s arranged in advance. Certified child care givers will be taking care of children of all ages, but child care must be arranged in advance, so we have enough child care givers for the number […]
Welcome to Coalition for Common Ground: Reducing Gun Violence Together & Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, the newest member of ISAAC! They work very closely together, so they have joined ISAAC as a partnership. ISAAC has co-sponsored and helped lead their annual Service of Remembrance & Action honoring Kalamazoo victims of gun […]
The community began streaming through the doors at Galilee Baptist Church beginning at 3:30pm on Sunday February 17– carrying memories, stories and photos of loved ones taken by gun violence. The 6th Annual Service of Remembrance and Action was the second gathering that weekend. Students for Gun Legislation hosted a memorial event Saturday, February 16 […]
Ed Genesis is an artist, poet, musician, organizer, entrepreneur, and community leader. Born and raised in Gary, Indiana and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan permanently in his early 20’s, his love of art/music, his passion for his people and community, and his gift of creativity are evident in all areas of his work. In October 2018 Ed Genesis released a song to accompany the campaign he was working on around school push out, entitled Junior High, which was distributed nationwide including on his own iHeart radio station, Spotify, and iTunes.
In 2017 Ed Genesis created Poetic Justice, a monthly open-mic that was hosted/led by 5 local poets. He has performed as well as hosted several events such as the Black Arts Festival, the Kalamazoo Poetry Festival, and the National Day of Racial Healing.
Ed Genesis is Lead Mentor and head of community relations at Speak It Forward where he teaches youth at Lakeside Academy, Starr-Commonwealth, and the Kalamazoo County Juvenile home healing through music and art. In 2017, he started WE ACTIVE! a community organization aimed at fighting against mass incarceration and the school to prison pipeline. The organization was recognized by the State of Michigan and presented with a Special Tribute by Representative Jon Hoadley for its work on Criminal Justice Reform and Mass Incarceration in the Kalamazoo Community. Ed Genesis has been a panelist and featured speaker in Washington D.C., Chicago, and Milwaukee. He has and continues to collaborate with artists local to Kalamazoo, youth included, to create music to address social justice issues. In 2018 Ed Genesis joined Truth Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT). He leads the Racial Healing design team with a focus on healing justice and is also part of the Law Design Team.
ISAAC
