We are very pleased and excited that Rev. Dr. Michael Eric Dyson will be our keynote speaker at our “ISAAC Virtual Banquet” on Thursday evening November 11th at 6pm! Dr. Michael Eric Dyson is a Georgetown University sociology professor, an ordained clergy member, a New York Times contributing opinion writer, and a contributing editor of […]
We made powerful progress together despite the pandemic! See our ISAAC Annual Report 2020
On June 9th community members were invited to join survivors, to pray for peace, and to join efforts together to end gun violence in our community for the 7th Annual Gun Violence Remembrance Vigil.
Racism against our Asian American and Pacific Islander family members is nothing new. History and present day offers painful stories of racism, dehumanization, internment camps, violence and other incidents of covert and overt racism. White Supremacy has painted the false narrative of the Model Minority Myth to create false hierarchies and dissension among People of […]
ISAAC Tribute to Eileen Scamehorn 2/9/21 The laughs we had and the ways we were inspired are captured in this video of ISAAC leaders remembering Eileen Scamehorn. Don’t miss this lovely tribute to her and the impact she had on ISAAC and on Westwood United Methodist Church’s important role in ISAAC: Words in Remembrance of […]
ISAAC GEM Testimonies – Listen as ISAAC Family Members share their stories and why they are ISAAC GEMs!
The Anti-Racism Task Force has responded to voting rights opportunities and threats by mobilizing community members in support of HR 1/S 1, the For the People Act, and HR 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and against the 39 voter suppression bills introduced into the Michigan Senate (SB 273-311). Stop Voter Suppression Federal […]
“me and white supremacy” by Layla F. Saad. 10 white members of the ISAAC Leadership Committee are meeting monthly to do the necessary work to better understand our white privilege and take ownership of our participation in the oppressive system of white supremacy. We practice “ubuntu”. In his book, No Future Without Forgiveness, Desmond Tutu […]
“I love this ordinance! I’m a big fan!” said Sara Jacobs, Director of the Kalamazoo Continuum of Care (COC), at the Housing Equity Ordinance Workshop we gave in March to explain Kalamazoo’s new ordinance for officials from municipalities surrounding the City. Sara Jacobs and Heather Morgan presented “RentAble”, the COC’s new initiative to support both […]
Pastor Nathan Dannison has been passionate about justice and mercy in his eight years as Senior Pastor of First Congregational Church, one of the founding members of ISAAC. And all of us in ISAAC already knew he would be, before he even went to seminary, because he was an ISAAC Community Organizer! He worked closely […]
On May 8th the Walk a Mile in My Shoes event to uplift Women in Kalamazoo County was held at Ferrell Park. Black Women have been trailblazing & doing the work, specifically the Black Women & also Black Mothers who sadly make up the largest population of homeless people in Kalamazoo County. This event lifted […]
Numbers and statistics do not tell the whole story of what continual gun violence does to families and the community as a whole. Too many dreams have been permanently deferred due to gun violence. Hopes are being crushed by gun violence. Living with persistent gun violence is the equivalent of living in a war zone. […]
ISAAC
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.