Call with Will Calhoun
Thank you again to all who participated in our call with Will Calhoun last week. What a great discussion. We recorded the session and you can find the link on our resources page.
Will spoke about his experiences both growing up in the Bronx and traveling the world as a musician and student of life. He is curious and perceptive and insightful about people and has always been a person interested in learning the true history of a people and a nation so he can better understand why things are how they are. He was challenged as a youngster to learn more and he passed on that challenge to us. To read and learn the history of our nation in order that we might better understand how we got here. And what we need to do to make real change. We generally kept it on the lighter side, talking about childhood memories and the songs and experiences of Living Colour (leave it to Ryan Smith to have seen an exciting concert of theirs years ago and be able to recount the escapades!)
We asked Will about books he would recommend to our group. Here is the list he provided:
They came before Columbus-by Ivan Van Sertima
The New Jim Crow-by Michelle Alexander
Caste-by Isabel Wilkerson
White like Us-by Tim Wise
Dear White America-by Tim Wise
Everyone is African- by Daniel J. Fairbanks
Things Fall Apart-by Chinua Achebe
Black Reconstruction in America-by W.E.B. Du Bois
I hope we have to opportunity in the future to delve more deeply with Will, and others, into the real challenges we face in dealing with racial inequality. Our group has grown organically out of a shared passion to be part of the change. A calling to put our belief that we are Men and Women for Others into action. I am moved at how many of my fellow alums have shown interest, and joined the calls, and expressed interest in helping…mentoring, donating, creating internships, and more. When we started this discussion earlier this year, I had no idea what would happen in such a short time. Or that I would be sitting here in December telling you that we will continue with our monthly meetings in 2021 and that we want to grow this group and raise money and awareness for the students of color on the HC campus so their experience can be better than those who came before.
We hope that you will continue on this journey with us. We encourage you to share your ideas of what you would like to see this group do and accomplish in 2021.
So for today, we want to say THANK YOU to those that have already donated to our groups collective contribution to the Bishop Healy Fund. A fund that helps students of color with unforeseen expenses during their time on the hill. In the week since our call, we have raised over $7,000 from 15 donors. If you have not already donated, I encourage you to do so. The number of donors will be significant to the message sent to the administration about our commitment to the cause, so no donation is too small!!!
We will be in touch to share updates from the College regarding our group donation. And will info about our first meeting of 2021 which will be Tuesday, January 12, 20201 at 8pm EST.
In the meanwhile, enjoy the recording of our December call. Here is the link to that video.
https://sgc.egnyte.com/dl/i54R9fwL9r
Merry Christmas! Stay well.
All the best,
Maria, Kerri, Amy, Kona, Fred, Phyllis and Len
