news and updates
JustArts Call & Response Community Art Project: Round 2 Outdoor Screening!
our JustArts working group invited artists to channel their creative energies by participating in Round 2 of the JustArts Call & Response Project, and they will be showing an outdoor video screening of the completed project on Tuesday, May 11!
community members are invited to join the JustArtists for a physically-distanced video screening outside at the Creamery Building, located at 1251 9th Street in Arcata. folks are encouraged to arrive at 8 pm, and the video will be shown after sunset for optimal viewing. be sure to dress for the cold and bring a blanket or lawn chairs if you have them. face coverings are required.
this project was initiated in November 2020 as a way for local artists to connect and get to know each other through various forms of artwork, and participating artists featured in Round 2 of the project are Laura Muñoz, Amy Uyeki, Patty Yancey, Patty Saito Hecht, Zoe Ziegler, Ali Ong Lee, Oscar Nava, Karla Kaizoji Austin, Annette Makino, Jackie Dandeneau, Gary Ronne, Emily-Ann Hopkins, Alia Brookshire, Conrad Calimpong, Julie McNiel, Leslie Kenneth Price, Daryl Ngee Chinn, Frannie Martin, Kay Sennott & Jane Cipra, Alme Allen, Claire Hsu Accomando, Ali Freedlund, Brenda Perez, Terry Uyeki and Dave Woody.
State of the City of Arcata
Humboldt State University student members of the equity arcata collective presented at the Arcata Chamber of Commerce’s virtual State of the City of Arcata event on Tuesday, February 9. to view a recording of the presentation, please click here.
Ongoing Learning Opportunities for the Community
equity arcata’s Ongoing Learning Working Group is excited to offer the community opportunities to engage in conversations surrounding racial equity.
members of the community who identify as white are invited to participate in equity arcata’s virtual Whiteness Accountability Space held every Thursday from 12 to 1 pm. the purpose of holding this space is to mitigate harm caused to BIPOC community members when white people participate in conversations on these topics in diverse spaces. these weekly conversations are led by white facilitators who are members of the equity arcata collective. to participate, email equityarcata@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
Welcoming Businesses Working Group Update
click this link view the latest welcoming businesses newsletter. for more workplace ongoing learning resources for businesses, click here. the next welcoming businesses working group meeting is on wednesday, may 19 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm. email chuckjpowell@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
are you looking for ways to support the local Black community? check out the organizations below:
are you looking for ways to support the local Indigenous community? check these links out:
equity arcata collective statement on COVID-19
as COVID-19 spreads and the public health emergency intensifies, equity arcata calls on local governments and institutional leaders to pay special attention to the impact that this disease and their response to its spread may have on people of color.
we call for an approach that provides accurate information and advances policies based on science. we call on decision-makers to act with compassion and provide comprehensive medical and social services for those most vulnerable to exposure. we are all only as safe as those members of our community who are most at risk.
Race Forward’s statement on racialized disparities reminds us:
“while we know that anyone can contract the virus, we also know that the impacts on communities of color could be severe. people of color are disproportionately likely to be in low-paying or hourly-wage jobs that make them unable to provide care or interrupt work. they are also more likely to have limited access to affordable healthcare, childcare, and transportation. people of color are more likely to face unsanitary conditions inside prisons, jails, and detention centers. funding disparities in communities of color have led to hospital closures; shortages of frontline doctors and nurses; higher incidences of chronic conditions, such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease; housing overcrowding; and lack of quality elder care.” in Humboldt County, we see this applies especially to our Native and immigrant residents.
historically, government responses to urgent health concerns have been shaped by implicit and explicit bias. this public emergency has already harmed Chinese and Asian American community members through increased acts of bigotry and discrimination. emergency planning must consider that health inequities and racialized fears may exacerbate infection rates through the misallocation of time and resources, creating additional impacts and problems to solve.
equity arcata strongly urges all leaders and decision-makers to actively dispel myths and racist misinformation, and to collectively work to create a system-wide response needed to end the spread of this communicable disease. local leaders must address the needs of the most marginalized populations in our community while stamping out stigma and blame. all of our health security is at stake.
*adapted from Race Forward Statement on the Coronavirus Emergency, Official Response and its Impacts on Communities of Color, www.raceforward.org.
please click here to find COVID-19 resources.
please click here to read our housing working group’s open letter to landlords & property managers
to help Humboldt State University students experiencing food insecurity as a result of COVID-19, our home away from home working group is raising funds to benefit HSU’s Oh SNAP! student food program. please click here to learn more about Oh SNAP! and how the program is providing students safe access to culturally appropriate and nutritious food. please click here to make a donation to this much-needed program.
for more information regarding equity arcata, send us an email at equityarcata@gmail.com. or call 707-822-5953.
