Hello! We hope you, and your family, friends, and colleagues are doing well. For the 10th and 11th consecutive weeks, the Ball State University Center for Peace & Conflict Studies (www.bsu.edu/peacecenter) has compiled a list of acts of kindness and peace, as a response to COVID-19 and the protests in the USA for equality and justice for Black individuals. Please share these stories. If you have stories of positive acts people/organizations are taking in the midst of our pandemics and you would like to share them, please email them to Aashna Banerjee at peacecenter@bsu.edu. You can follow the Peace Center on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) at bsu4peace.
Week 10
Yoga instructor offers donation-based community yoga with proceeds to the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial
Amy Forgarty of Yara Yoga in Duluth, MN is volunteering her services in a 10-session series of yoga with exploration of the yamas, or ethical principles of yoga focused on nonviolence, non-possessiveness, and truth. Amy connects these principles to the racism pandemic impacting all of us, provides guidance, and fosters community conversation around these issues. Donations go toward the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, a national memorial and nonprofit dedicated to fostering racial justice. The organization is named after three black men who were murdered by a mob nearing 10,000 people. The event is considered the most heinous lynching in 1920, and we acknowledge the 100th anniversary this June 15, 2020.
Sources: https://www.yara.yoga/; https://claytonjacksonmcghie.org/
Teen that cleaned up city for 10 hours after protest receives car and scholarship as a ‘thank you’
A high school senior from Buffalo, NY was dismayed to see the damage caused by protests in his hometown. He didn’t waste a minute more on worrying, though, and instead began cleaning it up—starting at 2 AM and continuing for 10 straight hours. Antonio Gwynn Jr. just wanted to make sure that people would have no trouble commuting to work the next morning. Now, his community is handsomely rewarding him for his good deed. Before this week, Antonio had intended to begin attending trade school in the fall, with the goal of saving up enough money for college. Now, he has been offered a full scholarship to Madaille College. Additionally, a local insurance agent has promised to cover the cost of Antonio’s insurance for a year, and a local resident has gifted Antonio a 2004 Mustang convertible.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2020/06/12/teen-worked-alone-clean-buffalo-streets-after-unrest-people-offered-him-car-college-tuition/
Drones will drop library books so kids in Virginia can keep reading, thanks to librarian’s bright idea
Kelly Passek, a middle school librarian in Virginia’s Montgomery County School District, is an early adopter of a drone delivery service for household goods in her town of Christiansburg. Launched by a Google spinoff company called Wing, the pilot project has been delivering her meals and household products for some time. It didn’t take long for Kelly to connect the dots, and see how this new technology could benefit the children in her district. “I think kids are going to be just thrilled to learn that they are going to be the first in the world to receive a library book by drone,” Kelly told the Washington Post.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/10/wing-library-book-drone-delivery/
Indiana students raise money for Feeding America
Here is a story which Harriet from Indiana sent us:
We are a group of students from Ball State University's Bassoon Studio leading a campaign called Bassoons Filling Bellies to raise money for Feeding America and support those facing food insecurity caused by the impact of COVID-19. Each week we are sharing music videos of our bassoon ensemble performances as a sort of virtual busking, spreading some musical fun in these uncertain times and supporting those in need. Donations can be made to our Feeding America campaign page here: http://help.feedingamerica.org/goto/BassoonsFillBellies. All of our performances are being posted to this page as well as to our Facebook page, @BassoonsFillingBellies. If you could help us to raise awareness for what we are doing, we would greatly appreciate the help in supporting Feeding America. Just a $5 donation to our campaign provides 50 meals to those hardest hit by COVID-19.
New York ensures that its residents still receive fresh produce
Here is a story which Arline from New York sent us:
In New York City, I serve on the Board of GrowNYC (Mayoral appointment). We oversee fifty farmers markets and the markets have introduced protective measures so that they can stay open. Farmers can still bring their produce to the city, despite the hardships of the pandemic. New Yorkers can still get fresh fruit and vegetables.
Week 11
Pakistani truck artist paints George Floyd mural on his home
The news of George Floyd’s brutal killing by police in the United States reached Pakistan's southern Sindh province where a truck artist has painted a large mural of the slain African American on a wall of his home. The 40-year-old artist, Haider Ali, depicted Floyd surrounded by a colorful heart-shaped garland of flowers, with slogans such as #Black Lives Matter on one side and #justice and #equality on the other. “This is a message of peace and love to all,” Ali told The Associated Press on Friday, as he put the finishing touches on the mural. “It's not from an individual, this message of love is from all of Pakistan.” The mural stands out as a burst of color on Ali's porch wall in the southern port city of Karachi. On one side of the portrait, Ali painted candles burning in memory of Floyd and in the upper right-hand corner, an American and Pakistani flag next to one another.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/pakistani-truck-artist-paints-george-floyd-mural-on-his-home/2020/06/12/b8d1d0c8-acca-11ea-a43b-be9f6494a87d_story.html
Black protestor is a hero after carrying injured white counter-protestor to safety: ‘It’s not Black vs White’
A Black Lives Matter protestor is being hailed as a hero after he came to the rescue of a counter-protestor who was injured at an anti-racism rally in London. Patrick Hutchinson’s face has been featured on news outlets around the world since he was photographed carrying the far-right demonstrator to safety. After Hutchinson and his friends joined the rally, he witnessed the white demonstrator fall to the ground following a violent altercation between the protestors and counter-protestors. Since the man was surrounded by people, he was unable to get up from a fetal position. “His life was under threat,” Hutchinson recalled. “I sort of just thought, ‘well, if he stays here, he’s not gonna make it.’” As Hutchinson’s friends formed a protective ring around the injured man, Hutchinson hoisted him onto his shoulders and carried him away from the crowd. Hutchinson then passed the injured man off to nearby police officers who thanked him for his courageous actions.
Source: https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-minneapolis-police-protests-britain-i/a-picture-and-its-story-black-man-carries-suspected-far-right-protester-to-safety-idUKKBN23L0W5
New website “Pandemic of Love” connects 132,000 people in need of aid with those who can help
Local mindfulness teacher Shelly Tygielski launched her Pandemic of Love in Fort Lauderdale after seeing people around her losing their jobs. Worried not just about money, but also their health amidst the COVID-19 crisis, her social media feeds grew abuzz with fear and anxiety—and Shelly sensed an opportunity in the difficulty. When Shelly posted a video on her Instagram on March 14, she announced a new program aimed at connecting those with a need due to loss of income with those who are in a position of privilege and able to be of service. When she went to bed that night, she wasn’t sure how much good her efforts would do. By morning, she had received 400 requests for assistance and 500 offers of help. As of June 4, the platform had raised more than $13 million and has connected 132,000 people with the help they need. If you or someone you know is in need of support, or if you are in a position to give and would like to do so, please click here.
Source: https://www.pandemicoflove.com/
White officer takes to social media to thank Black women for their random act of kindness: ‘BLM, but so does yours!’
A white Tennessee police deputy was left awestruck earlier this week when he was surprised with an anonymous gesture of kindness from two black women. Deputy Jody McDowell of the Sumner County Sheriff’s Department had stopped at a Cracker Barrel for breakfast when the good deed took place. When it was time to pay for his meal, he discovered that the women had already taken care of the bill—and they left him a message that read: “BLM [Black Lives Matter], but so does yours! Thank you for your service. Breakfast paid.” Since McDowell posted the photo to social media, thousands of people have expressed their appreciation over the sweet message. “This post made me feel that there is hope for our country after all,” read one of the comments.
Source: https://www.newsbreak.com/news/0POe0NeG/white-officer-takes-to-social-media-to-thank-black-women-for-their-random-act-of-kindness-blm-but-so-does-yours