Saturday, October 24th, 2020
This is a critical time, and we know this especially because our website is regularly being hacked. Someone doesn’t want us to do what we need to do, so we want to alert you all since it has affected our posts, including our event calendar. Please note that the upcoming event times listed below are correct, but are not currently accurate on our website calendar. If you have any questions about what you are seeing on our site, feel free to email assistant@wnypeace.org.
We would also like to take this as another opportunity to thank all of you, our members and supporters, for participating in the Women’s March last weekend as well as recognizing the WNYPC as People’s Choice for the Buffalo Spree’s Best Activist Group. We know that this has been a difficult year for so many, and through all of that, we recognize the peoples’ part in this important work and are so grateful for your support.
TODAY IS THE DAY! Early voting begins in New York, so if you haven’t already, now is the time to make your voting plan! All active registered voters are eligible to cast an early voting ballot at any of the thirty-seven (37) designated early voting locations in Erie County or two (2) locations in Niagara County. Election Inspectors now use Electronic Poll Books and Ballot-on-Demand systems to facilitate early voting, so it is as easy as walking right in with your ID! For a full list of locations, dates, hours, and more details about early voting in WNY, visit bit.ly/wnypeace-gotv2020.
If you are voting today, you can join the Souls to the Polls CommUNITY Early Voting March hosted by a variety of groups including 1199SEIU, Open Buffalo, Coalition for Economic Justice, Voice Buffalo, etc. The rally kicks off at 12:30PM at Community Access Services, 3297 Bailey Ave., Buffalo 14215. We will then march to cast our ballots at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center, 3424 Main St.
On Sunday, Colored Girls Bike Too presents their Halloween Family Bike Ride. Please note that all CGBT events are intended for Black women (cis, trans) and/or Black gender nonconforming individuals to create safe-er spaces. If you received an invite are not a Black woman or GNC Black person, please extend this invite to support the cause and invite someone who is! Please see below for more details.
Lastly, the WNY Peace Center’s 53rd Annual Fundraiser: An Evening with Dr. Cornel West is now just about two weeks away! Visit bit.ly/wnypeace_cornelwest for all of the details and to purchase your tickets! Due to circumstances related to the public health crisis, we are no longer offering the theater broadcast option, so please join us on Zoom! (For those of you who purchased theater tickets, we will be contacting you via email shortly regarding conversion or refund options.) As with our previous annual events, we will offer a basket raffle, auction, and program book – only this year we are going virtual! We are in need of submissions for the auction items and baskets as well as program ads, so please contact assistant@wnypeace.org if you would like to donate! If you would like to submit an ad, visit the event page above.
Please see details and much more below, including special and regularly scheduled events this week, plus campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Sunday, October 11th, 2020
The WNY Peace Center’s 53rd Annual Fundraiser: An Evening with Dr. Cornel West is now less than a month away! Please join us – visit bit.ly/wnypeace_cornelwest for all of the details and to purchase your theatre and/or Zoom tickets! As with our previous annual events, we are also planning to hold our auction and basket raffle – only this year we are going virtual! We are in need of items for both the auction and baskets, so please contact office@wnypeace.org if you would like to donate! (Please note that to accommodate the school year, our new office hours have changed and are M/T/R from 2-4pm.)
We would also like to make a note about the upcoming WNY Women’s March on October 17th. With health and safety being our top priority, we may consider splitting into smaller simultaneous gatherings across downtown if the main group becomes too large at Niagara Square. We hope you will join us for this rally to stop violence against women, BIPOC, and the planet! We will feature speakers, musical performances, and more! We welcome and appreciate your input – email assistant@wnypeace.org if YOU are interested in being a peace keeper/marshal or cosponsor.
We will also emphasize early voting at the Women’s March. Just a reminder that all active registered voters in Erie County are eligible to cast an early voting ballot – you do not have to do anything more! Starting 10/24, there will be 37 early voting locations in Erie County which you can just walk into to cast your vote (bring your ID just in case). If you are concerned about voting in person, please see more details here on requesting an absentee ballot – there is still time! And if you or someone you know is interested in becoming a poll worker, find more information here.
We also want to mention that the deadline for the 2020 Census has again changed. If you were not able to complete it by the 5th of this month, it’s not too late – you (again) have until the end of the month*! Please take advantage of the return of this extension, and let your friends and family know! (*Note: The Trump administration has filed an appeal to try to halt this latest extension, so please get your responses in ASAP!)
Lastly, two of the Kings Bay Plowshares 7 (Fr. Steve Kelly and Patrick O’Neill) are scheduled to be sentenced on October 15th and 16th this week. Please sign the petition here to dismiss the charges against against these antinuclear activists facing 25 years! Four others were granted continuances until November 12th and 13th due to COVID-19 – you can follow the updates here.
Please see details and much more below, including special and regularly scheduled events this week, plus campaigns, fundraisers, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
October 6th, 2020
Dear Friends,
We are writing again to announce two amazing victories already this week:
- The WNYPC received Buffalo Spree’s Best Activist Group award! We couldn’t be more grateful and proud; thanks to all allies and friends! Harambe/Juntos/Together! See details and more Best of WNY 2020 here.
- State Supreme Court Justice Frank Sedita denied the request by police and fire unions to protect certain disciplinary records from release! Read more here.
We also want to share a corrected location for two events mentioned in the most recent WNYPC Weekly News. Both Cariol’s Celebration (12 PM) and the Collective Nonviolent Direct Action (CNDA) Study (3 PM) on Saturday, 10/ 10 will take place at MLK Jr. Park, Buffalo – not at Niagara Square. We hope you will be able to join us for a full afternoon of celebrating and learning together!
Lastly, we want to take this opportunity to highlight a few additional events and campaigns. ***Please be sure to check the Event Calendar regularly as we add events as we hear of them – often the day prior or even day of! ***
- The WNYPC is proud to participate in Cellino Plumbing’s October Nonprofit Contest! Click here to nominate us once daily until Thursday, 10/15 at 4PM. Then vote once per day between Friday, 10/16 at 8AM and Friday, 10/23 at 4PM EST. Please nominate & share!
- Wednesday, 10/7 at 1 PM – Emergency Press Conference re: March 2020 Eaton Case. At the Erie County District Attorney’s Office (Erie County Court), 25 Delaware Ave, Buffalo. Show up and tell John Flynn to charge the three BPOs involved in the crimes committed against Mark Eaton. Read more details about the injustices of this case here.
- Thursday, 10/8 at 1:30 PM – Webinar: World Says No to War on Yemen. On Zoom – register here. October 8 marks the 4-year anniversary of a Saudi-led coalition airstrike on a funeral ceremony in Sana’a, Yemen, killing at least 100 people and wounding more than 500. Recently the bombing and blockade of Yemen — with western participation — has only gotten worse. As we all deal with the pandemic, which has exacerbated the suffering of people in Yemen, now is the time to connect and recommit ourselves to stopping participation in this disastrous war. Co-Hosted by National Action War, Yemen Alliance, Voices for Creative Non-Violence, Code Pink, and Western New York Peace Center.
- Thursday, 10/8 at 6:30 PM – Free the People Open Meeting. At the Belle Center, 104 Maryland St, Buffalo, 14201. With masks and social distancing, please join us for an open discussion of issues related to the criminal justice system. There may be special attention to committees working on issues in the City of Buffalo; in the County of Erie; and in the State of NY. Free the People is a statewide group and has had a number of victories, including in Buffalo. Join us for a learning and brainstorming session.
As always, please see much more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity, and yes – love!
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
#UNITEtheStruggles | #OneLove | #WeShallOvercome | #SiSePuede
