A Message from Project Unity

Message from Project Unity Founder, Richie Butler

Together We Dine: Registration Now Open for Virtual Event on Feb. 23^rd

The community is invited to attend our upcoming virtual Together We Dine event on Tuesday, February 23, 2021 from 5:30 – 7:00pm. Our Together We Dine virtual events offer the opportunity for participants to have safe conversations on race and relations, discuss their experiences and learn about the experiences of others. Conversations are guided by a facilitator.
 
Join us by registering online today. Registration closes at noon on Monday, February 22.

Together We Dine Facilitator Training via Zoom

Project Unity is hosting its next Together We Dine Facilitator Training via Zoom on Thursday, February 18. To become a facilitator you must have participated in at least two dine events - either in-person, virtual, or a combination of both. If you are interested in signing up for the training, please email Charlene by Tuesday, February 16. The Zoom information will be sent to participants as a confirmation for the training after you sign up. Please view the details below:
 
WHEN: Thursday, February 18
TIME: 5:30 - 7:00 PM
WHERE: Via Zoom! You will be emailed the information after you sign up. 

Together We Can

Are you ready to embark upon your own journey to make personal and societal change from the inside out? Looking for an answer to what you can do to help make a change? Register to join Together We Can. The program is geared to help educate, enable and empower you to have a lifestyle of mindfulness and action against racism. Join as an individual or as an organization or company. For more information visit www.TogetherWeCan.one.  

2021 Virtual Black History Month Celebration Event

"The Fierce Urgency of Now"

Hosted by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center          

Opportunities to expand your knowledge and participate in Black History Month activities

Dallas Children's Theater YOUTH CHATS for SOCIAL JUSTICE
YOUTH CHATS for SOCIAL JUSTICE will launch on Monday, Feb 22nd during Black History Month. The project encourages churches, school PTA's, youth organizations, and corporate groups to hold individual chat sessions focused on social justice plays written by Idris Goodwin. The event culminates virtually with a facilitated dynamic Community-Wide Conversation March 11th at 7:00 pm. with Ambassadors from each of the individual CHAT groups. Go online to watch DCT’s Social Justice Productions.

Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
Special Exhibition – The Fight for Civil Rights in the South
February 19 – May 31, 2021
The exhibition is available to view virtually and in person (Covid safety measures). Tickets are available. A breathtaking online photo exhibit is also featured showing photos captured by Spider Martin which tells the stunning photojournalistic story of the March from Selma to Montgomery and the 1961 Burning of the Freedom Riders Bus. For more information visit the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum Special Exibit.

Zoom Event! Franchise: The Golden Arches in Black America
by Marcia Chatelain (Author, Georgetown University)
February 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
From civil rights to Ferguson, Franchise reveals the untold history of how fast food became one of the greatest generators of black wealth in America.

Often blamed for the rising rates of obesity and diabetes among black Americans, fast food restaurants like McDonald’s have long symbolized capitalism’s villainous effects on our nation’s most vulnerable communities. But how did fast food restaurants so thoroughly saturate black neighborhoods in the first place? In Franchise, acclaimed historian Marcia Chatelain uncovers a surprising history of cooperation among fast food companies, black capitalists, and civil rights leaders, who―in the troubled years after King’s assassination―believed they found an economic answer to the problem of racial inequality. With the discourse of social welfare all but evaporated, federal programs under presidents Johnson and Nixon promoted a new vision for racial justice: that the franchising of fast food restaurants, by black citizens in their own neighborhoods, could finally improve the quality of black life. Synthesizing years of research, Franchise tells a troubling success story of an industry that blossomed the very moment a freedom movement began to wither. 

“Pioneer Series” hosted by Thrivent
Thrivent will honor foundational trailblazers in our nation during Black History Month. These events will be “24-hour on demand”. As the link becomes available at 11am on the respective days, you’ll have 24 hours to view the webinar at that time. These events are open to the public. Feel free to share. Pre-event registration is required to receive the tune-in link(s). Plan to register for any or all three events by clicking their respective links below.

• Dr. Mae Jemison | Wednesday, February 10th - First Black Woman in Space & Former NASA Astronaut; National Women's and International Space Hall of Famer. She became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. We’ll hear about her journey, and what it took to get there.
• Misty Copeland | Wednesday, February 17th | REGISTER HERE - Principal Dancer with the American Ballet Theatre & Author. In 2015, Copeland because the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. Join Thrivent for this exclusive online opportunity to hear Misty's story. From her first ballet class on a basketball court at the Boys & Girls Club to the most prestigious dance stage, Misty Copeland has proven that with determination, the right guidance, and community support anything is possible.

• Chris Gardner | Wednesday, February 24th | REGISTER HERE - Businessman, author, speaker and award-winning film producer of "The Pursuit of Happyness". We’ll hear from Chris Gardner, the author and producer of critically-acclaimed Movie and Best Selling Book, “The Pursuit of Happyness,” which is  based on his life. He’ll share his story and discuss the importance of a sound financial plan.

Covid 19 - It's Not Over!

Project Unity encourages everyone to continue to stay safe. While the vaccine is here and being administered to categories 1A and 1B, this is not an all-clear to return to normal. Please continue to practice safety - stay socially distanced, wash and sanitize your hands often, wear your mask around others, refrain from crowds, limited your outings to necessity, and keep to your family bubble. If you feel sick, consider getting tested for your sake and that of your family. Click here for a list of current Covid-19 testing locations.  

If you are in the 1A and 1B categories, please click here to get on the list for the vaccine or call 1-855-466-8639. Stay safe.