Monica Washington Padula will be delivering the Land Acknowledgement for us at The Celebration of Community Poets. We could not be happier, not only for Moni speaking at the event, but also for helping educate us along the way. Please come out to support at hear her speak on April 24, 6:30pm at @@nacdkzoo You can find the FB event link at the top of our page! More about Monica Washington Padula- MONICA WASHINGTON PADULA is a mother of six and a 2008 and 2010 graduate of Western Michigan University, where she received aBachelor and Master of Music degrees in Classical Piano Performance with the aid of the Medallion scholarship and the Thurgood Marshall fellowship. Monica is a multi-genre pianist, organist, and saxophonist, with a background in Black gospel music and other forms of African-American popular music. Since graduating from college, she has maintained a piano studio (the Washington Piano Studio), and taught as a piano teacher for scholars of the Liepemann Scholarship Program provided by Mothers of Hope, the Gilmore "Keys to Education" school piano labs and summer camps, and serves as music director, pianist, and organist for faith institutions, community choirs, and theater organizations in the Kalamazoo area. She is the current keyboardist and organist at Portage United Church of Christ in Kalamazoo, MI. Monica, who identifies as Afro-Anishinaabe (descendant of the Saginaw, Swan Creek, and Black River bands of Chippewa) is also an activist and movement organizer mobilizing inside of the Black and Native communities. She believes that we all have the right to breathe, the right to be treated as human and without bias, and to be fairly represented in judicial proceedings when faced with police interactions. She also believes that by following the principles of the #landback movement, Indigenous sovereignty can be realized while restoring the state of the land to a healthier condition. (fb)

The Kalamazoo Poetry Festival week is coming up! Happy National Poetry Month! Fire Historical and Cultural Arts Collaborative Northside Association for Community Development- NACD (fb)