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Cheryl’s Corner
Hello dearest friends + family,
I hope this finds you in great spirits for the giving season. As is tradition in African American families and in America generally, tomorrow marks a day when most of us reflect on how grateful we are for whatever we count as our blessings. On behalf of us at Santa Cruz Black, we are especially proud of our community of supporters, blood family + chosen family members. I am extending my deepest gratitude for the continuing support, joy + love to all of our Santa Cruz County extended family.
Growth says nothing like being the founding director of an emerging startup nonprofit organization whose kernels emerged from community activism. And when I say growth I mean touch every aspect from assets + liabilities, to stretching the intellectual + emotional boundaries which leads to total exhaustion and finally strength. The last eight months have been the most intense journey yet determination + love stayed the course. We’re still here folks because our community’s dreams are embedded in our DNA. The Joy is in the Resistance.
Historically speaking Thanksgiving has been celebrated by enslaved Africans since the Continental Congress gave a decree to the 13 colonies. For the American Black community, the Thanksgiving expression began as a faith based/church based tradition. Pastors would give sermons about struggles, fears, hope and victories. Before Thanksgiving became an official holiday in 1863 signed into the legislation shortly after the Emancipation Proclamation it was a time when enslaved Blacks would attempt to escape due to the end of the crop season. It is my hope and prayer that you will support us Tuesday, November 29 which is Giving Tuesday by supporting us in the vital work that we’ve been doing over the last two years and validate the sustainability of our organization. We are grateful to have been selected for the 2022 Santa Cruz Gives campaign. This campaign ends on December 31. So yes, folks we have plenty of opportunities to support Santa Cruz Black and help our organization strengthen our sustainability. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️$100 enables us to provide a stipend for local youth in our Melanated Makerspace program $250 supports the cost of videography for video assets and helps us amplify our messaging. $500 ensures we are able to cover the cost of transportation for our youth cohort outside of to events within the region. $1000 supports us in helping us cover the cost for honorarium for mentors and professionals who will work with our youth cohorts.
Always in Peace, Power + Love Cheryl M. Williams Founding Director santacruz.black
We are living, working and meeting on the unceded territory of the Awawas-speaking Uypi tribe and the Amah Mutsan Tribal Band.
We recognize that this land was colonized and occupied by Spanish colonization of the Central Coast. Our acknowledgement of this land is one small effort to recognize the efforts of the descendants of the Amah Mutsan Tribal Band to restore traditional stewardship practices to this land and to heal from the historic trauma.
Our acknowledgment this evening is also about cultivating awareness of this reality and to align with/and to support truth telling efforts that feed into the resistance movements that are challenging the ongoing impact of colonization.
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