A “Banquet” of food will be available in the weeks following Nov. 11, at local restaurants owned by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) who are donating part of their proceeds to support ISAAC. ISAAC wants to intentionally support our local BIPOC restaurants, and we invite you to support this effort. Watch for the dates […]
ISAAC long-sleeved T-shirts, hoodies, and other clothes that say “ISAAC: Grasping Change at the Root. Growing the Beloved CommUNITY” will be for sale soon on the ISAAC website. Check there for the colors, sizes and styles you’d like to order. Huge thanks to Mr. Kerria Randolph, ISAAC VP for Financial Development, for his creativity and […]
We are deeply grateful to all of our Virtual Banquet Sponsors to date. Is your congregation, organization or business on the list yet? If not, please become a Sponsor! To be a Sponsor just fill out this form: https://forms.gle/82trUbde4hJWX3J58 Thank you to all our “Growing the Beloved CommUNITY” Sponsors to date: Rooted Change Sponsor: Truth, […]
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 […]
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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