Celebrate Black history, families, and futures!
We are so energized to bring you and your family two special programs this Black History Month. We celebrate Black history, Black people, and Black culture every month, and we are also honored to share these offerings with you here and now.
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Join FOCS & Etienne Cakpo and Gansango Music + Dance to honor and celebrate the many ways we speak love to our youth as Black parents, caregivers, youth and families! This year, we consider our bodies and the stories we tell through our movement. What love languages do Black people speak when we dance? How did our ancestors speak love to each other through music and movement, and what are the ways we continue passing down these love legacies in our families, with our children? Come share and learn together as we encounter traditional and modern dance from Benin and beyond!
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WHEN
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; February 15 - 17 @ 2 - 3 pm
WHERE⠀
Online via Zoom video conference. Please register for meeting information. Contact programs@focseattle.org if you have questions.⠀
🏾 FEE
Free! Participants are welcome to donate to support us if able.⠀
Join us for any or all sessions!
- Session 1: Monday Feb 15 from 2-3pm - Introduction: Basic African dance moves, learning the “drum call”, names and types of different African drums. Demonstration of “Abada” traditional dance from Benin
- Session 2: Tuesday Feb 16 from 2-3pm - Improving your dance movements, tempo, rhythm games with children and family. Demonstration of “Kete” traditional dance from Benin
- Session 3: Wednesday Feb 17 from 2-3pm - Putting it all together: transitions between movements, faster tempo, creating your own movement. Demonstration of “Zehli” traditional dance from Benin⠀
🖤 Black Love IS is funded through City of Seattle Neighborhood & Community Arts
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Revive + Reclaim: A BIPOC youth and family centered virtual cooking class centered on ancestral culinary uses of plants for healing and restoration in this season. Thanks to Tilth Alliance and the EPA Environmental Education grant for funding this special offering!
This month, we will be joined by Chef Tarik Abdullah of Feed the People, who will teach the preparation of a special dish with healing properties. families will be able to pick up free food bags with ingredients for this meal with sign up, thanks to Ujamaa Food Circle (a collaboration of Black Star Farmers + Seattle BIPOC Organic)!
WHEN
Saturday, February 27* @ 11 am - 1 pm
*optional food bag pickup @ Rainier Beach Urban Farm on 2/26 from 1 - 4pm with sign up; masks and social distancing required
WHERE
Online via Zoom video conference. Please register for meeting information. Contact programs@focseattle.org if you have questions.
🏾 FEE
Free! Participants are welcome to donate to support us if able.
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Please register today so we can contact you as soon as dates and times are finalized. All groups are offered for free! Please note that we can't guarantee that the final date/time will work for all registrants, as groups are subject to Parent Educator availability. Thank you for understanding!
Don't see the group you're looking for? Please use the same registration form to indicate your interest in future groups!
Questions? Email us at parentgroups@focseattle.org
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Pregnancy and the COVID-19 Vaccine
Our friends at The Maternal Coalition have released a COVID-19 Birth Rights and Education Toolkit
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From The Maternal Coalition, a local BIPOC-led nonprofit ensuring all pregnant and parenting people have access to just and equitable healthcare:
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We’re looking for a few talented and conscientious volunteer board members who can contribute time, thoughtfulness, and leadership skills! Our dedicated FOCS board strives to be a model of governance performance. The ideal candidate is dedicated to enhancing women of color leadership; and has a deep understanding of our FOCS community and its need, passion for our mission, willingness to commit time for board meetings, committee meetings, and special events.
Board members are expected to serve a minimum of one (1) two-year term on the Board, with option to renew. They also serve on at least one Board committee.
Typical duties expected of a board member include:
- Attends regular board meetings (every other month)
- Serve on a board committee and attend its meetings (every other month)
- Attends full-day annual board retreat in the Fall
- Reviews monthly financial statements of the organization
- Participates in fundraising
- Makes an annual monetary contribution to FOCS, in an amount that is personally meaningful
In addition to the standard roles and responsibilities above, our board members are active advocates and ambassadors for the organization and are fully engaged in identifying financial resources and partnerships with other organizations necessary for FOCS to advance its mission.
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Black Minds Matter | Community Care Plan
Black youth-led mutual aid network aimed at funding Black organizers, Black-led organizations, and Black community members! Find information and links to contribute and receive here.
Colorful Pages | Black History Month: 28 Picture Books for 28 Days and Beyond!
Books about general history and multiple Black leaders, a specific Black leader in history, and about specific historical periods & events. Uplift this month and integrate into your curriculum, homes, and libraries for the rest of the year, too.
Powerful Voices | 4th Annual Revolutionary Community Care Day
Saturday, February 27 @ 12 - 4 pm. This free event is a day for and by girls* and women of color. We will be following COVID protocols to ensure everyone’s health and safety, so come masked up! Folks can come through to pick up groceries, hot meals, and “shop” through a free closet of donated clothing, hygiene products, hair care items, makeup, and more.
*a girl is anyone who identifies as one
Global Perinatal Services | Virtual Father to Father Support
Meets Fridays at 3pm on Zoom. Follow them to learn more!
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Ujamaa Food Circle | Order by Feb 11!
Ujamaa Food Circle is providing Black and Indigenous families monthly healthy organic food boxes that nourish and educate, while honoring the foods of our ancestors. They hav a new order form this month that let’s you customize what is in your box! They are moving from a 100% free model to a donation based model. Please know that donations are completely optional and they want to get organic food to people regardless of their economic standing. Orders are filling up fast and will close this Thursday the 11th.
Casa Latina | Ready for Snow? Hire a Casa Latina member!
Casa Latina advances the power and well-being of Latino immigrants through employment, education, and community organizing. You can hire a Casa Latina member to shovel snow off of your sidewalks. Call the workers center before 10 a.m. and a member will be over that same day. Call (206) 956-0779 x3 or hire online here.
Open Arms Perinatal Services | Join a Virtual Lactation Lounge
Parents and caregivers can drop in during any stage of their lactating journey to ask questions and discuss challenges surrounding feeding. From pregnancy to introducing food, and the entire weaning process – Lactation Support Peer Counselors are here for YOU!
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