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Conference

Law Advocates Book Club group
Folks from Law Advocates are interested in beginning a new bookgroup. For those who are interested, call Sofia @ 734-9761

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ACCESS TO LEGAL HELP FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOME AND LIMITED ENGLISH LANGUAGE SKILLS.
Wed, Feb 23, 2005 - noon to 1:30
SPEAKER: Court of Appeals Judge Mary Kay Becker
Justice - Access for All?
Details: Judge Becker, a Bellingham resident since 1969, served on the Whatcom County Council and in the legislature before joining the Court of Appeals in 1994. She has completed a study for the Court on Access to justice for low income residents .

MORE INFORMATION: cityclubonline.com
LOCATION: Northwood Hall
(360) 671-8311
3240 Northwest Ave
Bellingham, WA 98225

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T.J. MARTIN SPEAKING IN BELLINGHAM
" Capturing Black: Blackness in the Face of the Media"
Wednesday, February 16, noon-1:30 pm

All are welcome!
T.J. Martin, award winning filmmaker and multi media artist from Seattle (graduate of Fairhaven)will be analyzing and addressing the commodification of blackness through his documentary film: Black Commodification. Using hip-hop videos as a case study, the documentary explores how popular portrayals of African American entertainers are celebrated as examples of multi-culturalism yet maintain narrow and racial notions of what it means to be black in America.

Through his experiences filming on location in Tanzania, Jamaica, and Cuba, he will also address the complexities in not perpetuating stereotypes, myths, and lies about the trans-international Black experience.

LOCATION: Fairhaven College Auditorium
INFORMATION: 650-2309.
LINKS TO TJ MARTIN INFO: VOICES IN WARTIME , Clinton's Theatre, Long Island University
Sponsored by Fairhaven College and the Ethnic Student Center.

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13th Annual Black History Month Celebration
February 12, 2005 5:30P-8:30P
WesternWashington University's Multipurpose room.
The evening will include a soul food dinner, musical entertainment, art presentation, African Diaspora: A Movement

Mr. Aaron Dixon - featured guest speaker
Some info on Mr. Dixon [here]

Tickets are $10 students and $12 non students available through the WWU's Performing Arts Center box office.
Contact the BSU @ 650.7277 with any questions.

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WWU’s Ethnic Student Center Presents:
The14th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Saturday evening, January 15, 2005 - 6 to 9pm
Sehome High School

For more than ten years now Western Washington University’s Ethnic Student Center has held an annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration to honor this important civil rights activist and celebrate his great dream of equality and social justice.

This year the ESC has selected, “Affirming Identity, Building Community, and Cultivating Leadership” as our celebration’s theme and will feature a keynote speaker, art, music, poetry, dance, and other creative performances exemplifying this message as well as the message and legacy of Dr. King himself. We are currently working very hard to build community both on and off of Western’s campus this year, collaborating with WWU’s Peace Resource Center, the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, and Bellingham Public Schools. We are encouraging all campus and community members to share their creative talents at this wonderful event.

Participants in the ESC’s Art & Creative Writing Contest for k-12 students will also be honored at the event. The top 10 submissions from each category will be recognized with a small token for their accomplishments and contributions. The 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place submissions of each category will also receive a gift certificate to honor the youth's efforts by providing them with tools and supplies to further develop their talents and encourage future involvement.

FREE and OPEN TO ALL
Contact:
WWU Ethnic Student Center
Stephany K. Hazelrigg: (360) 650-7613 / AS.ESC.Grad.Assistant@wwu.edu

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7th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Human Rights Conference
Saturday, January 15, 2005
location: Sehome High School, located along Bill MacDonald Parkway near Western Washington University.
The theme for this year's conference is Tools for Change: Beyond Education to Advocacy.
[please see full details on our "conference page"]

The conference is free and open to all.
Lunch will be provided by local vendors.
Clock hours are available to teachers attending this year’s conference.
Accommodations include free childcare and parking.
Sign language interpreters provided upon request.
info: (360) 733-2233 or
email us at whrtf@whrtf.org.

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TRAINING FOR INTERVIEWERS: LAW ADVOCATES
January 12, 2005, Wednesday- 3:30 - 5:30
WHRTF,Whatcom Civil Rights Project and Law Advocates work in concert to advocate for people who feel their civil rights have been violated. The first step in the process is holding an interview with the parties who have been harmed. A WHRTF volunteer and WCRP volunteer conduct that interview together.

There is an initial training session for interviewers. The first one will be held Jan.12 at Fairhaven College. The interviews average about 1 1/2 to 2 hours and are generally held at Fairhaven College. They are generally held in the late afternoon. If we had more volunteers from our task force, they could be held during the day at the task force office as well.

The work is fascinating, you get to know beginning law students and sit in on attorney panels where local attorneys make decisions about whether or not the cases have legal standing. It's educational and eye-opening in many ways. Confidentiality is required and practiced. Here's your
opportunity to help seek justice for all people in our local community. We attempt to insure that those without many resources can receive legal help.
Join us today. Call 733-2233.

VOLUNTEER TRAINING @ FAIRHAVEN COLLEGE, WED. JAN 12 3:30-5:30
Get parking ticket from info booth
information:
    WHRTF office: 733-2233 whrtf@whrtf.org
    whatcom civil rights project: wcrp@whatcomcivilrightsproject.org

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VOTER’S FORUM JANUARY 8TH
Saturday, Jan. 8 - 10 a.m. to noon
Whatcom Educational Credit Union Education Center, 511 E. Holly.

WHRTF joins a broad spectrum of non-partisan organizations and political parties to host a public forum on replacing Whatcom County’s punch-card ballot with a Vote-by-Mail (VBM) system.
County Auditor Shirley Forslof, who is scheduled to present the VBM proposal to County Council Tuesday, Jan. 11, will speak first. A presentation on concerns about the proposal will follow as will questions and discussion.

Under Washington’s Help America Vote Act plan, the state must eliminate punch-card ballots by 2006 or lose federal election funding. A pro and con analysis of Vote-by-Mail, prepared by Whatcom Fair Voting, is available online at http://NoLeakyBuckets.org (select Publications).

In addition to the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, cooperating sponsors include the county Democratic, Republican and Libertarian parties, and the Whatcom County Democratic Women’s Club as well as the non-partisan organizations, Community to Community Development, the League of Women Voters, Whatcom Fair Voting and the Whatcom County Rainbow Coalition.

Free child care and refreshments will be provided.
For additional information, contact Robbi Ferron, 715-9588 (rferron@comcast.net), Jo Ann McNerthney, 738-3858 (joannmcn@qwest.net) or Marian Beddill, 738-3151 (info@noleakybuckets.org).

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