Rochelle Habeck The need for strengthening early childhood and education was strongly supported at the 2015 ISAAC Issues Convention and is one of three going forward! If you missed it, you can see the video we showed. Join us at our first meeting, Monday night October 26, 7:00 to 8:30 pm at St. Luke’s Church […]
Steve Barber The importance of “Jobs” in our world was presented. “Who you are” is often defined by what you do. Jobs are connected to a persons self-esteem, self-concept, etc. Unfortunately there are barriers that prevent good people, good workers from getting jobs. These barriers are misleading, prejudicial and related to assumptions regarding education, commitment, […]
Matt Weiler The energy in the room at this year’s Issues Convention was impressive to say the least. I was particularly delighted to see the positive manner in which the body responded to our adjustment with the voting process. One vote per person and one swift movement with no membership requirements attached only served to […]
Andrew Alm The film clip we showed talks about a line that many families struggle to keep themselves above. This line is the poverty line. In Kalamazoo County 17% of households fall below this line. But the poverty line alone does not tell the whole story. To better understand poverty, the United Way developed the ALICE […]
Rev. Linda MacDonald While public transit is no longer at the center of ISAAC work, the necessity for robust public transportation never lets up. Whether your issue is job creation, addressing poverty, ending racism’s terrible hold on the hearts and minds of you and your neighbors, access to public transit will create significant long term good for everyone in […]
Racism, early childhood education, and youth violence prevention are the three issues chosen Thursday evening for the 24 congregations and organizations in ISAAC to work on together for the next two years. After six issue presentations, including also housing, poverty and jobs, the 150 people present voted for the one issue most compelling to them […]
2015 Issues Convention Be part of the fun and lively democratic process to choose which three of these local justice issues ISAAC congregations and organizations will work on together for the next two years! Come to the ISAAC Issues Convention on Thursday, October 1st @ 7:00pm Tabernacle COGIC 3210 Virginia Ave Kalamazoo, MI 49004 (off […]
The community-wide Racial Healing and Action Service sponsored by ISAAC on September 2 filled Second Baptist Church with people from a wide array of congregations and ethnicities. They gathered to listen, reflect, acknowledge, heal, stand and act, in response to the long list of racist killings across the United States. The crowd enthusiastically stood in […]
Be part of the fun and lively democratic process to choose which three of these local justice issues ISAAC congregations and organizations will work on together for the next two years! Come to the ISAAC Issues Convention on Thursday, October 1, at 7:00 pm at Tabernacle COGIC 3210 Virginia Ave (off Mt. Olivet or Mosel) […]
A community-wide Racial Healing Service sponsored by ISAAC is taking place on Wednesday, September 2 at at 6:30pm at Second Baptist Church, 609 N. Rose St. in downtown Kalamazoo. The night of inspirational words, music, prayer, and action is designed to help people of all faiths and ethnicities listen, reflect, acknowledge, heal, stand and act. […]
Kalamazoo Community Stand United with ISAAC Against Racism September 2, 2015 at 6:30pm Second Baptist Church As so eloquently spoken by Ms. Sneha Patel, “The time is now!” Kalamazoo, September 2nd, 6:30pm at Second Baptist Church, please join ISAAC as we take a united stand and action against racism. We as a community have the […]
Kalamazoo Community Stand United with ISAAC Against Racism September 2, 2015 at 6:30pm Second Baptist Church A huge thank you to Shannon Sykes, Meyers Mayim, Rev. Dr. Randall Warren, Lauren Fitzmaurice, Fernando Ospina and Mark Campbell for your powerful voices!
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
