The shows are scheduled for Friday, February 3, at 7 p.m. at the Richmond Public Library’s main branch (free), 101 E Franklin St, and Saturday, February 4, at 2 p.m. at the Science Museum of Virginia (free with museum admission). The Friday show is being presented as part of First Fridays Artwalk. The Saturday performance is presented in conjunction with the Science Museum’s exhibit, Race: Are We So Different?
Generation Dream 2012 features talented youth performers from throughout the Richmond metropolitan area. Performers include Minds in Motion Team XXL; Taaluma African dance; Indian dance and music from Apsaras Arts Dance Group and Gandharva North America. dance from Rave’ Williams and the Noelle Connect Dancers; instrumental music from Pranay Vissa and Seth Vickers; songs from Krista Olson and Nyenda Diamond Anderson; rock and roll from the Firehawks Band; and spoken word by Angelica De Jesus and Vibha Patel. The young performers will be supported by local professionals Ezibu Muntu (Saturday only); Theresa G and– as always–Drums No Guns.

The Richmond Youth Peace Project (RYPP) is a program of the Richmond Peace Education Center, along with Drums No Guns.

For more information on Generation Dream 2012, or any other RYPP program, contact The Richmond Peace Education Center 3500 Patterson Ave, Richmond 23221
804-232-1002
rypp@rpec.org
www.rpec.org

Open House opportunities will also be held on March 24, April 14, and May 5. Please call the Office of Admissions at 434-848-1877 today to reserve your spot.

The Richmond Chapter of the National Caucus and Center on Black Aged, Inc. Presents:

The Seniors Program
Fifth Baptist Church, 1415 West Cary Street. Richmond, VA
Contact: Mrs. Saundra Rollins 231 – 9306

Thursday, January 12th
6:30 p.m.

The Dr. Grace Pleasants Memorial Dinner
Cedar Street Baptist Church of God, 2301 Cedar Street, Richmond, VA
Contact: Mrs. Goldie Settles 262 -1982

Friday, January 13th
7:30 a.m.

The Community Leaders Breakfast
Richmond Downtown Marriott
Speaker: Reverend Richard Wills, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Hampton, VA
Contact: Ms. Claudia Wall – (804) 257-5814

Saturday, January 14th

The Youth Leadership Forum, Virginia Union University
A Day of Empowerment for Youth Grades 5-12
Contact: Mr. William Hicks (804) 536-2255

Monday, January 16th
10:00 a.m.

Mass Meeting
Good Shepherd Baptist Church, 1200 N. 28th Street, Richmond, VA

Featuring a play presented by Mike Wiley, Professor of Fine Arts at UNC Chapel Hill
based on the true story of Henry Box Brown, a slave from Louisa County who mailed himself to Freedom

Monday, January 16th
1:00 p.m.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Worship
Sharon Baptist Church, 22 Leigh Street. Richmond, VA

Speaker: Dr. George Lyons, Pastor, Gillfield Baptist Church, Petersburg, VA
Contact: Mr. Willie Williams, III – 329-7800

Sunday, January 22nd
4:00 p.m.

“Sing Out For Freedom-Pray For Peace”
Congregation Beth Ahabah, 1111 W. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220
Contact: Annie L. Bornstein – 358-6757

Friday, February 3rd
7:00 p.m.

The Richmond Peace Education Center presents the Youth EduConcert
“Generation Dream 2012”
Richmond Main Public Library, 101 E. Franklin Street, Richmond, VA

Contact: Mr. Paul Fleisher 232-1002

Saturday, February 4th
2:00 p.m.

The Richmond Peace Education Center presents the Youth EduConcert
“Generation Dream 2012”
Science Museum of Virginia, 2500 West Broad Street, Richmond, VA

Contact: Mr. Paul Fleisher (804) 232-1002

RRHA seniors will benefit from informational, educational, health, advocacy, community service programs and opportunities through the new partnership, which will be active in the various RRHA senior living communities.

“Our elderly community members are gems that we strive to take care of every day by providing quality, affordable housing, as well as services that will enable them to continue to enjoy their experience in our communities,” said Maxine Cholmondeley, Interim CEO for RRHA. “Our goal is to ensure that they not only receive good housing, but ways to help them develop in areas of health, finance, education and their overall quality of living.”

The kickoff event took place at RRHA’s Calhoun Family Investment Center on Thursday, Dec. 15 where dozens of elderly RRHA community members gathered to celebrate the partnership launch, along with other partner agencies such as the Greater Richmond Chapter of the American Red Cross, GRTC, and the City of Richmond’s Senior and Special Needs Initiative. Dr. Thelma Watson, Executive Director at Senior Connections signed the Memorandum of Understanding with Cholmondeley, RRHA Interim CEO.

The new partnership between RRHA and Senior Connections represents another opportunity to provide Richmond elderly residents with resources to live a long and healthy life in RRHA communities.

In a news release from the Petra Foundation, the 2011 Petra Fellows were recognized for their innovative work on behalf of pregnant and parenting teens; low-wage restaurant workers; prison inmates and their families bearing the brunt of “tough on crime” political posturing; and the indigenous people of Guam, whose 30-mile-long island is about to be swamped by a $15-billion U.S. military build-up.

“Without personal privilege, and in the face of enormous obstacles, these leaders are not only improving the lives of those in their communities but they are working to bring about the changes that will add up to shared prosperity and opportunity in America,” said Petra director Meg Fidler. “We are honored to have them join us and thrilled by the warm welcome they have received in Cambridge, where the foundation first launched 23 years ago.”

Keynoter Michael Patrick MacDonald, peace activist and author of All Souls, his award-winning memoir of growing up in South Boston, also paid tribute to the honorees: “Petra Fellows stand as a challenge to us to pay attention to the violence of poverty and injustice and to transform that pain into healing and hope. Their achievements do not allow us to simply applaud, but they call on each of us to act, as citizens of the world, to effect change wherever we are.”

From Richmond, Virginia the Petra Fellows selected Lillie Branch-Kennedy, co-founder of the Community Restoration Campaign and founding director of Resource Information Help for the Disadvantaged. The Community Restoration Campaign has taken on the full range of hardships encountered by prisoners and their families, from supporting children of incarcerated parents to lobbying for restoration of parole and voting rights and against the practice of filling Virginia’s “supermax” cells – and state coffers – by importing prisoners from as far away as Hawaii.

To see videos of all of the winners, you may visit www.youtube.com/thepetrafoundation.

Over the years, the project has grown from a gift of food during the holiday season to granting wishes. Through the Holiday Gift Basket Project, they state that they have assisted seniors with obtaining mattresses and box springs, winter coats and other clothing, televisions, radios, and emergency preparedness items. These special gifts have greatly enhanced their quality of life. The gifts have helped seniors who often had to choose between paying utility bills, purchasing medications and food or taking care of the rent or mortgage. The special gifts have helped more than ever during the recent years of economic recession.

This year many seniors have been impacted by the economy. Senior Connections is responding to calls from additional seniors seeking assistance. Therefore, they are pleased to announce their continued partnership with the City of Richmond Office on Aging and Disabilities. The partnership allows Senior Connections to reach and assist more seniors who are in the greatest need throughout the metropolitan Richmond area. They are asking the community for support.

The Holiday Gift Basket Project is accepting donations through Friday, December 9, 2011. Individuals and local organizations, including civic, nonprofit, faith and corporate, wishing to donate items may drop them off at the Richmond East District Center, 701 N. 25th Street or Senior Connections, 24 E. Cary St., Second Floor, Richmond, VA 23219. Donations needed are non-perishable food items, canned goods, toiletries, paper products, emergency preparedness items and gift cards for grocery stores and pharmacies. In addition to items for the gift baskets, other emergency needs may be met through monetary contributions from individuals and area businesses interested in supporting the Project. Please make checks or money orders payable to Senior Connections, write “Holiday Project “on the memo line of your check and mail to SC/CAAA, 24 E. Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23219. Donations are tax deductible.

Dick Gregory is eternally relevant and a beacon for social justice. He personifies resilience in the fight for equality and has been steadfast in his commitment to change the racial and economic climates in America. Dick Gregory was on the frontline in the sixties during the Civil Rights Era; today he continues to be a “drum major for justice and equality.”

Like Mr. Gregory, the Urban League of Greater Richmond serves as an advocate for all underserved individuals, families, and communities. Where there are service gaps in our communities, the Urban League strives to fill those gaps.

Tanya Free is a blogger, columnist and radio personality striving to tackle issues that are thought provoking, relevant, and practical. Tanya is the Executive Producer and Host of the “Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show,” a platform for social and political straight talk originating from WCLM 1450AM in Central Virginia and simulcast on the Charlotte, NC based Black Talk Radio Network based and online at TanyaFree.com. Her nationally syndicated “Question of the Week” can be heard weekly on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio and The Big John Trimble American Music Network.

Win a pair of tickets to an “Evening with Dick Gregory”. Email Tanya at info@tanyafree.com to register and qualify for the ticket drawing. Put the password UVTF (Urban Views Tanya Free) in the subject header. Winners will be posted on TanyaFree.com Thursday, November 10th 2011. All tickets winners’ names will be registered at the “WILL CALL” booth at the Byrd Theatre and tickets may be collected on the evening of the event.

Petersburg, not Patagonia, is the site of an art show focusing on Peter Pan. The Haase Open Door Gallery, 246 N. Sycamore Street, hosts “Second Star to the Right” through September. The show was inspired by Bruce Hanson’s summer release, Peter Pan on Stage and Screen, 1904 – 2010 and features regional artists’ musings and revisionings of the beloved children’s story.

That story has indeed been played and replayed ever since J.M. Barrie first introduced The Little White Bird in 1902. The original character, who flew out of his nursery window one night and waited too long to return home, joined the creatures of the forest. He lived on a mud island in the Thames River and was called a “betwixt and between,” because he was neither fairy nor bird.

As Peter grew and developed, so did the adventure. Porthos, from the original narrative, becomes caretaker rather than companion, and is re-gendered and renamed Nana. A cruel schoolteacher, Pilkington, becomes Hook, and two shipwrecked youngsters serve as the prototype for the “lost boys.” Neverland is also a transposition, developing from that tiny mud island in Covington Gardens, into a make-believe island, Patagonia, with a Robinson Crusoe-like colonial appeal and aspect, into the final full-blown fantasy realm.

Peter Pan is indeed the ultimate British imperial fantasy, and asking what Peter Pan is in the American imagination may bring a moment of reflection. Asking who Peter is in the African American imagination may bring an even greater pause.

Surely both questions bring to mind Michael Jackson’s ranch. Disney’s Peter Pan (1952) and Robin Williams’ Hook (1991) may also still dominate the American imagination, but a lesser known contribution to the Peter Pan canon, Charles Frye’s The Peter Pan Chronicles, explores those very questions.

The 1989 novel, from The University of Virginia Press, explores the underbelly of the Pan mythology, the shadow side, if you will. Set in the United States in the sixties, the story traces the career of black agent-provocateur, Ray Parker, who may or may not have betrayed his best friend, Tommy Rollins.

The short novel depicts an adult world and a political system fostered by a Peter Pan mentality. It tropes–not freedom and fun–but containment, restraint, and oppression within a surveillance society and consciousness. Betrayal and entrapment run rampant. Escape becomes escapism: madness, drug hallucinations and/or institutionalization. One character openly laments that the “Forest sojourn had become the psychohistory of modern man” (91).

Frye’s is one of the most critical and probing books of the Pan legacy. It is not lighthearted fare, but it is worthwhile reading. The gallery offers both carefree and somber interpretations and another chance to commune with the sprite.

by Camisha L. Jones

A volunteer sorts canned and boxed food items at the Food Bank, where more than 19 million pounds of food was distributed last year.

What are you willing to do to ensure that others are not hungry this month? What are we all willing do to make certain that all people – including those with the least financial resources — have healthy food in their refrigerators? These are the kinds of questions we are asked to consider this September during Hunger Action Month.

Hunger Action Month was created in 2008 by Feeding America, the nationwide network of U.S. food banks. “Hunger Action Month is a nationwide call-to-action effort to get citizens involved with ending hunger in America,” says Kim Bridges, Communications Coordinator of Feedmore. Feedmore is the umbrella organization in Richmond consisting of the Central Virginia Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and the Community Kitchen. Bridges describes the month as “a time when we ask everyone in America to take action to fight hunger in their community, all month long. Whether it’s by advocating and raising awareness, making donations, or volunteering, individuals can find the way that’s right for them to make a difference during Hunger Action Month.”

A picture of hunger in the U.S. is captured each year in a report released by the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service entitled “Household Food Security in the United States.” The report defines food security as having “consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living.” According to the report released earlier this month, 48.8 million (16.1%) people experienced food insecurity in 2010 including 16.2 million (21.6%) children and 2.3 million (7.9%) households with seniors. Prevalence of food insecurity is highest among households with income below the poverty line, families with children headed by single women, black households and Hispanic households.

With the help of supporters like this one, FeedMore obtains donated and purchased food to distribute to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia.

Feedmore programs tackle the problem of hunger by collecting and distributing food and grocery products, providing meals to seniors and supplying nutritious snacks and meals to children after school as well as during the summer, weekends and school breaks. In its last fiscal year, Feedmore provided 352,166 meals to senior citizens, 926,259 meals to children, and over 20 million pounds of food to families and adults.

Addressing the issue of hunger is not just about having access to food. It is also about the quality of food to which you have access. Healthy food is often not as cheap or as easy to access as the options that clog arteries, boost blood pressure and, ultimately, increase overall medical bills. This is particularly true for families that do not own a car. This is an issue Duron “Brother Manifest” Chavis is very familiar with. As a community activist concerned with sustainable food systems, the idea of Hunger Action Month resonates deeply with him.

Noticing the number of urban communities that were, in his words, “trapped in food deserts,” Chavis started the Happily Natural Community Sustained Agriculture Program in 2010. Through the program, people in Richmond can purchase 20 pounds of chemical-free fresh fruit and vegetables for only $20 from Salim Farm, a black-owned farm in Freeman, Virginia. “Dozens of families every week participate in this project where they’re able to cut cost on their grocery bill, feed their family in a healthy way with…squash, potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes…We got the basic stuff that’s locally grown,” says Chavis.

Community Kitchen volunteers work hard every weekday to prepare healthy, home-delivered meals to elderly and homebound clients through the Meals on Wheels program.

The market is set up at Battery Park Community Center each Saturday from 11am to 3pm. “Our goal has been to address the health disparities in urban communities by bringing the solution to the community and removing the financial barrier from the equation because everyone should be able to access good food regardless of their financial status or class position,” says Chavis. Anyone can purchase food through the Community Sustained Agriculture (CSA) program during the growing season which usually goes until the end of October. Soon, CSA expects to not only accept cash and credit cards but also food stamps.

“Good nutrition equates to optimum wellness,” says Chavis. “Our community is already plagued by a litany of diseases directly attributable to diet.” Because he believes educating the community about food, healthy cooking demonstrations are available on the Happily Natural Day website and offered during the event — which by the way has been rescheduled for October 22nd and 23rd due to Hurricane Irene.

Providing healthy food options is also a priority for Feedmore. Every meal they supply is designed with the expertise of their Community Kitchen chef, registered dieticians and the USDA and Virginia Department of Aging nutritional guidelines in mind. The organization makes it a priority to collect and distribute fruit, vegetables and healthy protein options like peanut butter and canned meats.

“Hunger is not a distant problem in far-away lands,” says Faye Lohr, CEO of Feedmore. “It can and does impact our neighbors in all walks of life. But we are a generous community and by working together, we can fight hunger and reduce the negative impacts it has on our citizens.

To learn more about Feedmore programs including how you can get help feeding your household or be a part of their fight against hunger, visit www.feedmore.org or call 521-2500.

To purchase food through the CSA project, visit http://csa.happilynaturalday.com/ or visit the Battery Park Community Center at the intersection of Dupont Circle & Moss Side Avenue on Saturdays from 11am to 3 pm. More information is also available by calling 804-397-1465.

The 21st Annual Down Home Family Reunion explores a full spectrum of music, dance, stories, food, shopping and enrichment in this Celebration of African American Folklife. It’s a heritage festival that takes attendees on a folkloric journey from West Africa through the Caribbean and into America. Of course, Virginia is at the historic epicenter of the latter movement.

On Saturday, August 20, the 21st Annual Down Home Family Reunion presents the Family Festival, 4 – 11:00 p.m., at Abner Clay Park, Belvidere and West Leigh Streets, downtown in Historic Jackson Ward. Elegba Folklore Society invites Virginians and visitors to activities designed to link West African and African American cultural traditions and to demonstrate ways these practices have been absorbed by the American South.

Legendary R&B stars Blue Magic headlines Saturday’s Family Festival. Emerging out of Philadelphia’s soul music scene in the 1970s, Blue Magic signed with Atlantic Records in 1973. The rhythm and blues vocal quintet scored numerous hits on the R&B charts. They hit it big on the Top 40 R&B singles chart with their first three records before breaking through and crossing over with their best-known hit Sideshow. It went gold and soared the charts to become a Top Ten pop hit. Their next single, Three Ring Circus, made the R&B Top Ten and the pop Top 40. Blue Magic would become known for their lulling smooth ballads.

Internationally-acclaimed Tobey Foyeh and Orchestra Africa is a multi-talented ensemble, whose music is a melting pot created out of a unique fusion of traditional Nigerian Yoruba music with Afro-beat, Highlife, Jazz and Latin elements. Foyeh began performing music at an early age in Ibadan and Lagos, Nigeria and, although he essentially is a self-taught musician, has studied music at the Berklee College of Music and
Howard University.

Foyeh composes, arranges, produces, and sings music interpreting the traditional and contemporary sounds of Africa. Orchestra Africa with Foyeh’s exciting guitar and multi-instrumental performances, feature vocalists and such traditional African instruments as the gangan (talking drum) and the Kalimba (thumb piano). His backing female singer-dancers, in African dress, add a spice of traditional Africa in their call-and-response style of chorus singing with African dance.

Seen as guardians of African tradition and culture, Toby Foyeh and Orchestra Africa has released two successful albums including Jalolo and Here I Come with two hit singles, Ore mi and I’m on Fire. A new album, Lagos-Ilu Eko will be released this summer on the Kameleon label. The group is currently on tour in the United Kingdom and has performed in Europe, Japan, Canada and throughout the United States.

The performance of local group, A Touch of Charm, will take many on a trip down memory lane with silky smooth sounds. Inspired by crooners of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s, their tight harmonies and heartfelt ballads combine to bring classic soul to audiences everywhere they perform.

Richmond’s own Lady E & the Blues Sensations will accent the main stage with their special brand of down home blues. Get on board to take a ride on an emotional journey experiencing joy, pain, sorrow and hope.

The Tunji Band, will contribute its unique jazzy-reggae sound to the Down Home Family Reunion.

Elegba Folklore Society’s exciting and culturally enriching performance company will appear with a colorful and interactive program of African dance, music and the oral tradition that celebrates the oneness of the African Diaspora. This performance is designed to engage audiences no matter the age or background. “In a way that perhaps you will expect or in a way that is totally spontaneous, your energy will blend beautifully with ours, closing the gap between performer and audience. Participants find themselves swept up in the oneness of movement and rhythm that links them with the global significance of this timeless art form,” says the group’s artistic director, Janine Bell.

Cheick Hamala Diabate, a diali and an ngoni player (a lute) from Mali, West Africa is a featured guest artist.

People in the park will revisit and participate in a variety of cultural traditions. As a highlight of the 21st Annual Down Home Family Reunion attendees will have the chance to participate in two Interactive Folkloric Demonstrations. Attendees can appreciate their own creativity through the Mojo Hands exhibit as it magnifies the beauty of creating art and instruments from natural elements and powerful simplicity.

The second invites attendees to a vicarious visit through the annals of African American history and art on postage stamps. The Ebony Philatelic Society shows collections of USPS stamps showing black profiles, bios and portraiture.

Events for children and teens are focused in the Annie Tyler Memorial New Skool Pavilion and include take-home craft making, moon walking, performances on the New Skool Stage and more.

A captivating Heritage Market will offer an assortment of art, hand-mades and imports for browsing and purchase.

Food is a familiar way to continue the celebration of shared traditions, and it continues to be a centerpiece for the Down Home Family Reunion. This year’s selections will include Southern style chicken, corn-fried fish, an assortment of down home vegetables, frozen fruits and mouth-watering desserts that are African-inspired and Southern favorites.

21st Annual Down Home Family Reunion Event Schedule
Saturday, August 21 – 4:00 – 11:00p.m.

4:00 A Touch of Charm
Silky Smooth Crooners

5:00 Toby Foyeh & Orchestra Africa
Traditional Nigerian Yoruba Music with Afro-beat & Highlife

6:30 Lady E & the Blues Sensations
Attendees can enjoy a focus on the offerings of the two
interactive site demonstrations.

7:30 The Tunji Band
Jazzy Reggae

8:45 African Dance & Music with Elegba Folklore Society
Featuring Cheick Hamala Diabate
Come into the Village!

10:00 Blue Magic

11:00 Event Closes