by Mark Aurand We received this as a widely-disseminated email from Greater Good Legal, based in South Bethlehem. Greetings from Greater Good Legal! You likely have heard or read the following quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward Justice.” This quote is credited to Martin Luther King, Jr., but has been repeated by many, … [Read more...] about Bending the Arc Of Justice
Community & Culture
Strong communities allow more sustainable practices to empower the people to create a more sustainable society.
Working together on common interests creates opportunities for both personal and community growth, promotes involvement in the arts and local government, and fosters equality.
Thacker Pass project — another travesty
Thacker Pass is a project to mine Lithium on sacred lands of the Shoshone & Paiute in Nevada — and it is a serious threat to the native people's health, culture, and environment. The Bureau of Land Management should never have approved it, but the administration pushed hard for its approval and is defending it in court. The Thacker Pass project not only fails the basic … [Read more...] about Thacker Pass project — another travesty
Recognizing the Rights of Nature
One path towards real environmental justice (EJ) is the growing movement to recognize that nature — encompassing plants, animals, and the air, land, and water — is not property, not something to own and exploit, but entities that have their own rights to exist and thrive. All too often EJ deals only with environmental racism and not the rights of all current and future beings … [Read more...] about Recognizing the Rights of Nature
Plastic-Free Giving
Beyond Plastics has a handy reminder sheet on how to avoid plastic during the holiday gift-giving season. A lot of it is common sense, of course — but the reminders are welcome! You'll find the online plastic-free giving guide online at https://www.beyondplastics.org/green-gifts Beyond Plastics is a nationwide project based at Bennington College in Bennington, Vermont. … [Read more...] about Plastic-Free Giving
Backyard chickens?
Lehighvalleylive / Express Times recently ran an editorial ['Bird-brained plan to bring chicken coops to Bethlehem should be plucked'] opposing current efforts to allow backyard chickens again. This caught my attention because it seems to completely miss the point that raising backyard chickens is a simple way for folks at all income levels to enjoy fresh, nutritious eggs — … [Read more...] about Backyard chickens?
Schmo Munchkin v. Ida
Raymond Nat Turner Ida: Hello, SchmoMunchkin:I’m the most powerful politician in the most powerful deliberative body in the most powerful country in the worldand who the hell are you? Ida:Who the hell do you think I am, Mr. MuthafrakkkerFossil Fuel-Big Pharma-errand boy?I’m Ida, Sister of Sandy, Daughter of Katrina andAlcohol, Geritol, protocol puppets like you don’t … [Read more...] about Schmo Munchkin v. Ida
Defining Racism: Individuals and Institutions, Systems and Structures
Robert Jensen We are at a dramatic point in the racial history of the United States, perhaps the most important moment since the civil rights and more radical black/brown/indigenous movements of the 1960s and ‘70s. Two dramatically different currents in American life are gaining strength: White supremacy has reasserted itself in the mainstream of public life, and at the … [Read more...] about Defining Racism: Individuals and Institutions, Systems and Structures
SouthSide Film Festival
Bethlehem's annual beloved SouthSide Film Festival (SSFF) is back after a year off due to the Corovirus pandemic. The filmmakers showcased their new films across many venues in the five-day event (June 15-19, 2021), including Charter Arts High School, NMIH, and Touchstone Theater. The First Night Begins The festival kicked off this past Tuesday at 6:30 pm with a lively … [Read more...] about SouthSide Film Festival
Connecting the Dots (2)
PBS recently republished a column by Rusul Airubail titled 'Why educators still need to talk about 9/11 — and Islamophobia'. I think this applies equally to adults and is actually very closely related to current experiences of racism and violence. It is still critical to provide safe spaces for children and adults to discuss the wave of Islamophobia that swept the US, with … [Read more...] about Connecting the Dots (2)
Sturgis & Coronavirus
In my recent post ['60+ Years of Assault on POC'], I mentioned the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally: The latest iteration of the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally, which is in some ways a celebration of white supremacy and (White) individuals’ ability to ignore the law, was tacitly welcomed by the government and businesses of South Dakota." Some of the Lakota nations … [Read more...] about Sturgis & Coronavirus