Congratulations and a special thank you to Mary Lewis for 12 years of dedicated service to ISAAC and to justice in our community. She has been an amazingly dedicated office volunteer as well as a very active leader on the ISAAC Housing Task Force and the “Vote Yes for Kids” Steering Committee. Thankfully for us, she […]
What a way to start the new year! We have just heard that our March 12 Banquet speaker cannot come after all, and we haven’t been able to find a strong replacement!
We are seeking to build a world where hope triumphs over fear, where God’s abundance meets the needs of all, where we live in sacred and beloved community. CELEBRATING 15 YEARS OF VISION, ACTION, & CHANGE TRANSFORM WITH US Fifteen years ago, a core group of clergy, lay people and community members were committed to […]
On the Christian calendar we are in the midst of the season of Advent. This is a season of Holy Waiting, a time when we take a posture of waiting in anticipation for what God will do.
Fifteen years ago, a core group of clergy, lay people and community members were committed to the hard work of creating a diverse and powerful organization in the Kalamazoo area.
Make sure that Saturday evening, March 12 is marked “ISAAC Banquet” in your 2016 calendar! Our theme is “Transforming our Community: Let Justice Roll Like a River”…
This group is on the move! On November 17th many of our task force members participated with over 40 others in a very successful Community Policy Discussion on Early Childhood.
How do you define racism? Having a common definition and language for racism is vital to being able to effectively organize as a task force.
Venessa Collins-Smith & Wendy Flora co-chairs The Youth Violence Prevention Task Force is currently discerning the way forward. Options include finding opportunities to prevent or stop bullying and being involved in the National Youth Violence Prevention week in the spring. The next task force meeting is Monday, December 14 at 6 p.m. in the St. […]
On January 1, 2016, Metro Transit will have available a new, 31-day unlimited ride bus pass available for purchase for $60.00. Using this pass, passengers can ride as frequently as they would like for a consecutive 31-days.
Youth Violence Task Force Report The Youth Violence Task force met and began what promises to be an exciting and purposeful action related to Youth Violence in Kalamazoo. The task force members shared their personal reason for joining the task force. The experiences and motivations were compelling. Co-chair Vanessa Collins-Smith and with Wendy Flora, shared […]
News from Early Childhood & Education (EC&E) Task Force A group of 15 wonderful people attended the first meeting of our new task force. New members are welcome! Our next meeting is Monday November 23rd at 5:30 at St. Luke’s. Please join us Tuesday November 17th at 4 PM for a community discussion about early […]
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.
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