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UNLIMITED BOOK CLUB CELEBRATING DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND UNDERSTANDING IN COOS COUNTY VIA LITERATURE! The Unlimited Book Club is a joint venture of the Coos Bay Public Library and the North Bend Public Library, formed to encourage awareness and foster community discussions on equity, diversity, and inclusion through reading and thoughtful conversation. The Unlimited Book Club meets every third Thursday of…

BEGIN BLACK HISTORY MONTH BY READING AND LEARNING SOMETHING NEW READING AND VIEWING SUGGESTIONS FOR BLACK HISTORY MONTH, FOR ADULTS, YOUNG ADULTS, AND CHILDREN  By jazcAll ITEMS ARE AVAILABLE AT OR THROUGH THE BANDON LIBRARYDescriptions from the Bandon Library catalogue unless otherwise noted FOR ADULTSBlack history: a retrospective.  Mill Creek Entertainment. 2009.This DVD features the life, culture, and accomplishments of some…

Learn, Develop, Grow During Black History Month  By jazc I was born and raised in the Downriver area of metropolitan Detroit.  I’ve shared this previously in terms of my journey as an individual in coming to appreciate diversity.  As I continue to contemplate my life’s journey, I also see more clearly the societal forces at work in my life.  This…

Why We Continue to Demonstrate By MF   Since June 3rd 2020 when one young woman stood on the corner of Highways 42-S and 101 in protest of the murder of George Floyd, members of the Bandon Inclusivity Group have continued to demonstrate for social justice and human rights. The other day as I stood on that corner, in the pouring…

Come Celebrate Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, Jr. “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.” (MLK, Jr.) King based his demonstrations on the style of Gandhi: peaceful protests of injustice.  The large numbers who joined the…

Racism and Immigration Policy By jazc Images of Black Haitian immigrants being confronted by U.S. Border Patrol on horseback with whips.  Haitian immigrants being flown back to Haiti by the U.S. government.  You may remember these events from 2021. Why the desperation on the part of the Haitians?  Wasn’t there a benefit concert that raised millions to help Haitians get…

“Listening to Understand” Intro/Demo We hope you’ll enjoy this introduction and demonstration of a communication tool known as “Listening to Understand”. In it, two people take turns sharing their view point and beliefs on a contentious topic. While one person speaks, the other engages in active listening, mirroring back what they hear the other person saying and genuinely being present…

Book Notes: Listening to Understand Continues By Jazc • See No Stranger:  A Memoir & Manifesto of Revolutionary Love by Valarie Kaur.    Unrealistic idealism or the gift of imagination that is required to allow us to survive? In recognition of the International Day of Tolerance celebrated on November 16 and as a great follow up to BIG’s October 29…

International Day for Tolerance Nov. 16   By MF “Tolerance is respect, acceptance and appreciation of the rich diversity of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human.”  -UNESCO’s 1995 Declaration of Principles on Tolerance   What exactly is tolerance? Some believe that being tolerant of another person’s belief results in giving up something of yourself,…

NOTICE OF CHANGE WITH BIG’S WEEKLY DEMONSTRATIONS AT THE INTERSECTION OF HIGHWAY 101 and 42s  Please be aware that as of this December, 2022, demonstrations by BIG at this corner will be happening only on Wednesdays and Fridays.  The demonstration times will still be Wednesdays from 3:30pm – 4:30pm and Fridays from 2:00pm – 3:00pm.  Please join with BIG at these times in support…

MISSED THE CANDIDATE FORUM?  WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED! If you were not able to join the Bandon Inclusivity Group (BIG) on Saturday, October 15, for our first candidate forum, do not despair! Just click HERE for video of the forum.  See the three candidates presenting their priorities and answering questions prepared by the BIG core group and audience participants.  The three…

Invitation to BIG Book Club By ATC BIG Newsletter Subscribers, Website Readers and Friends, We would like to invite you to join our Book Club starting this Fall season. We wish to create a safe, trustful and peaceful environment during our discussions of select book titles; primarily focusing on racial injustice towards Black Americans in the U.S., but remaining open…