2022 DAYS OF ACTION (Tentative Calendar):
The first night of the the Days of Action, the One Human Race project will host a 6:30-8:00 p.m. watch party for Slavery by Another Name at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Austin. Contact: Teresa Turner
Next, for several months I (Jim) have led a weekly Zoom call on Thursday nights, doing a study of We Cry Justice: Reading the Bible with the Poor People’s Campaign. Our discussion from 6:00-6:45 Central time is followed on the same link by a 7:00-8:00 p.m. Action Hour of petitions, calls, and plans for future actions hosted by the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry. All interested folks are welcome to the study and the action hour, and no prep is required. Here’s the link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3330426480 .
On Friday, Sept. 23, we will have our regular vigil in front of the State Capitol, 4-5 p.m., with the day’s theme, “School Strike Solidarity & Intergenerational Climate Action.” Between now and then, we will reach out to students and teachers, inviting them to join us. That evening, at St. James’ Episcopal Church, Austin, Jazz at St. James’ is presenting a poetry reading with music, 7:30-9:00, open to the public. Here’s the link: https://stjamesaustin.org/calendar/voices-in-verse-a-tribute-to-loretta-diane-walker/
Saturday, Sept. 24, the North Austin Good Neighbor Fest (https://www.atxneighborfest.com/) is a perfect fit with our theme of “Mutual Aid, Neighborhood Potlucks, and End Poverty Actions.” It is hosted by (and the brainchild of) Nonviolent Austin member Eric Shaughnessy. I (Jim) will be manning a booth there, promoting nonviolence training and the remaining events of the Days of Action. The same day, others of our group are involved in a film festival focussed on the death penalty in Texas: https://austinfilmschool.org/upcoming-events/2022/8/24/a-day-of-art-amp-film .
Finally, again at St. James’ Episcopal Church, One Human Race will hold a workshop 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.: Contact: Teresa Turner
On Tuesday, Sept. 27, Interfaith Action of Central Texas (I-ACT) will host one of its Red Bench discussions, this one on “cancel culture,” at the Friends Meeting of Austin: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfzthVCjTGn2MZ5Mgb__JHLYOVyjEKlWRcZDWEgFF-QnaQSdA/viewform
Nonviolent Austin is in the process of putting together a combination watch party (of the Texas gubernatorial debate) and panel discussion on gun safety on the night of Sept. 30, to go along with our theme for the “Day of Action to End Gun Violence.”
Finally, on Oct. 2, the final day, we have planned a five-hour outdoor concert (in keeping with Nonviolent Austin’s history of honoring Austin’s love of music!). It will be on a beautiful backyard stage in South Austin, hosted by our active member, Lisa Rogers of the Therapy Sisters. The line-up of half-hour acts from 1 to 6 p.m. is David Clauss, Jon Dee Graham, Parker Woodland, Jonathan Horstman, Paul and Sharon Finley, Steve Brooks, Francisco Chavez, Stuart Hampton, Chip Bach, and The Therapy Sisters. We will have tables including art for kids (folding peace cranes), voter registration, and flyers for Nonviolent Cities and nonviolence training.