With so many atrocities happening daily in the war on racism, we continue to hear these compelling stories of people standing up for justice. We are intrigued by the media outlets focusing on all the good and the bad things that are happening within our own country. Day by day and hour by hour. We ask ourselves what does being racist […]
Over the past months the Poverty Task Force has been gathering information from articles, documentaries and one-one interviews with leaders in Kalamazoo to help us understand who is impacted by poverty and who benefits from impoverishing people.
Two recent Mlive articles illustrate the success of ISAAC’s process of catalyzing public policy changes to build the Beloved Community. It was past efforts of our Housing Task Force that catalyzed the adoption in our community of both of these new housing strategies reported on MLive: Bronson Hospital Program Houses Frequent Emergency Room Visitors By […]
With a sad, but also loving and glad heart, we will soon say farewell to Rabbi Matthew Zerwekh, one of our fellow ISAAC Executive Board Family Members. Rabbi Matt, during a very troubling time in our society, we greatly appreciate you, your presence, gifts, wisdom and voice in ISAAC. Thank you for blessing and touching […]
Walk/Run/Roll for all ages! “ISAAC’s Walk/Run/Roll provides the opportunity to come together as a community in a new way! Our welcome is extended to the youngest to the oldest; to the observer to the more active participant; and to any and all community members as we continue to build the Beloved Community! Join us as […]
The photos tell the story of our joyful Annual Meeting on April 10. Public Safety Chief Karianne Thomas and three of her four Assistant Chiefs came to speak with us, and there was wonderful progress to celebrate in 2017. (see our April 6, 2018 news articles) Thanks to Amy Peterson for all these great photos!
Conversations with Emmet Till’s cousins, members of the Moses & Elizabeth Wright Family Writer’s note: History is a series of true stories and those stories can be life changing in awakening one’s mind and heart for the betterment of mankind. And so it was on my recent visit to Tallahassee, Florida to visit my oldest […]
“How is it going, discerning what change of housing policy you’ll advocate at the ISAAC Public Meeting in October?” “Can you come speak to our group about the policy changes you’re considering?” The Housing Task Force keeps getting these questions! The community is looking to us for leadership and is anxious to find solutions to […]
“A typical annual gift to a nonprofit? What’s your guess? The answer is $150. A typical legacy gift or planned gift to a nonprofit? $70,000!” That’s how Julie Loncharte from the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and Sabrina Pritchett-Evans from State Farm started their presentation at the ISAAC Supporters Supper on April 26. The power of legacy giving is […]
The Kalamazoo County ID is finally here! Come get your County ID at the County Administration Building. Getting your County ID is an easy way to help create opportunity and equity! ISAAC was one of many partners who worked to make the County ID a reality. The more of us who get the County ID […]
Six new congregations/organizations joined ISAAC in 2017! The Truth, Racial Healing & Transformation partnership continued with Kalamazoo’s First Annual Day of Racial Healing! An ISAAC Endowment Fund was created! Over 500 people attended our 2017 banquet! Our first ever Run/Walk was planned! Two ISAAC clergy were chosen for the Foundation for Excellence Board! Our Listening […]
Church Women United, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, Kalamazoo Friends Meeting, Lutheran Church of the Savior and Portage Chapel Hill United Methodist all joined ISAAC in 2017! That makes twenty-nine congregations and organizations that are now ISAAC Family Members! ISAAC is working in partnership so that Kalamazoo becomes a place in which our […]
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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