DEI

It’s Women’s History Month and our Thank Her feature is live for two more weeks. Parents, do you have a woman trailblazer you would like to see included in our feature? Send in the name and a short description.
 
Thank Her: Shonda Rhimes, television writer, director, and producer. Rhimes turned up the heat on Thursday night television with her huge hits, Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal. And then there is Bridgerton. Her casting is some of the most diverse on television, and her characters are attractive, ambitious, and deeply loyal. Rhimes dramas take us out of our everyday lives and let us live in places that are intriguing, suspenseful, seductive and full of bad decision making for a few hours. Grab your popcorn and wine and press play!
 
It is a busy time for spiritual observances and cultural festivities. Here are a few underway or starting soon: There will be celebrations for Nowruz (Persian New Year) on Mar 20, and the holy month of Ramadan begins Mar 22. Those observing Lent started in February and will conclude Apr 6. Passover starts Apr 5 and concludes on Apr 13. And Easter takes place Apr 9.
 
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It’s Women’s History Month and our Thank Her feature is taking off. We had a couple of parents write in about women they admired…keep the suggestions coming! Send in the name and a short description of a woman change-maker you admire. Local tie-ins are always appreciated!
 
Thank Her: Two authors, Judy Blume and Amy Tan, have had a profound impact on the lives of our peers. Judy Blume’s rich collection of novels make adolescents – including many female youth of the 80s – feel seen. Her ability to portray teenage issues with frankness and humor made her relatable reads extraordinarily popular. The New York Times writes that many of Blume’s books are now being turned into films. 
 
Oakland native, Amy Tan, had a breakout hit with The Joy Luck Club in 1989. Her novels, short stories, and essays are filled with intimate details about growing up as a first generation American and about what it is like to be both separate and a part of Chinese culture. Fun facts- Tan started out as a successful business writer and her novel, The Bonesetter’s Daughter, is also an opera!
 
Upcoming Event: Lift Your Voice with Angela Harrelson, TOMORROW, Mar 13 at 7pm, Town Hall Theater
Angela is the aunt of George Floyd and has written Lift Your Voice about how her nephew’s murder changed the world. Tickets to this special event are available at townhalltheater.com.
 
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In honor of Women’s History Month, we are adding a Thank Her feature to our weekly communications throughout March. Contribute to the celebration by sending in a name and short description about an influential woman you admire. Bonus points for someone local or an alum of Acalanes.
 
Thank Her: Do you use Facetime or Zoom? Thank prolific inventor Marian Croak, owner of 200+ U.S. patents. Croak was one of the first two Black women to be inducted to the Inventors Hall of Fame. She is best known for developing Voice Over Internet Protocols (VoIP), technology that converts your voice into a digital signal. Among her inventions is the text-to-donate function which has helped to raise millions of dollars for disaster-relief efforts.
 
Happy Holi! And, chag Purim sameach! IYKYK
 
Don’t miss this important event happening Thursday night!
Repairing the World: Stories From The Tree of Life
Thursday, Mar 9, 7-9pm, Del Valle Theater in Walnut Creek
This is a documentary film on Pittsburgh’s powerful community response to hate in the aftermath of the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in U.S. history, showing what it means to be “stronger than hate.” Please join community members for this free film event sponsored by Campo DEIB. Screening will be followed by a special Q & A with the director.  Register forthe event here.
 
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In response to our call out for input, we received this Black Excellence highlight from a fellow parent and proud Cal alum:
“The LA Times puts a spotlight on O’Neil Ray Collins, a UC Berkeley professor who resided in Orinda and his kids went to Miramonte, in their article about 5 Black innovators who made significant contributions to the fields of horticulture and botany. Read the article here.”
 
Upcoming Events
Being Heumann: Acclaimed Memoir of a Disability Rights Advocate
Tuesday, Feb 28 from 6-7:30pm, Orinda Books
Join Facing History to discuss Judith Heumann’s life, her landmark civil rights activism, and how we can all be upstanders and advocates in our communities today. An RSVP is encouraged if you’d like to attend.
 
Get to Know Acalanes DEI
Informal meet-up to get to know one another. We will also be available to answer questions and talk about the past, present and future of our work. Sweet treats, savory sips and wonderful people provided. Email us so we can send you the exact date and location. We are targeting early March for this gathering.
 
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Things we are loving this week: Black Excellence Month. As we honor the contributions and influence of Black Americans in our culture, we want to put a spotlight on the autobiographical works of two master storytellers. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates and A Most Beautiful Thing by Arshay Cooper were enormously popular in our parent book clubs and worth sharing again. Both are TBR worthy.
 
Do you have a recommendation or highlight to share about Black Excellence Month? Please chime in and we will do our best to share it!
 
Upcoming Community Conversations & Events:  Get to Know Acalanes DEI
Date TBD – planned for late February or early March
Informal meet-up to get to know one another. We will also be available to answer questions and talk about the past, present and future of our work. Sweet treats, savory sips and cool people provided. Email us so we can send you the exact date and location.
 
Being Heumann: Acclaimed Memoir of a Disability Rights Advocate
Tuesday, Feb 28 from 6-7:30pm, Orinda Books
Join Facing History to discuss Ms. Heumann’s life, her landmark civil rights activism, and how we can all be upstanders and advocates in our communities today. An RSVP is strongly encouraged if you’d like to attend.
 
Repairing the World: Stories From The Tree of Life
Thursday, Mar 9 from 7-9pm, Del Valle Theater
What if your community turned a blind eye to acts of aggression and did nothing to speak out against hate? Please join Campo DEIB for this free film event depicting how the city of Pittsburg, PA has come together to fight hate and extremism in the aftermath of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. Moderated by Rabbi Jill Perlman of Temple Isaiah, there will be a Q&A session with director, Patrice O’Neill, after the film. Register for theevent here.
 
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It is that time of year for us…we are starting to outline our DEI goals and refresh our committee assignments. We would love your input and involvement and you can click here to share any thoughts that might help shape next year’s work.
 
The Day of Remembrance on Sunday, Feb 19 is an opportunity to reflect on the motivation behind, and the impact of, Executive Order 9066 signed in 1942 which led to the unjust, forced internment of more than 100,000 persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast during World War II. History may not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Join us in putting the lessons of the past into action today.
 
SAVE THE DATE Thursday, Mar 9 from 7-9pm: Campolindo Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging is excited to host the showing of Repairing the World: Stories from the Treeof Life, a Not In Our Town film depicting how the city of Pittsburg has come together to fight hate and extremism in the aftermath of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue. This will be a free event at Del Valle Theater on Thursday, Mar 9 from 7-9pm. ALL are welcome to attend. There will be a Q&A session after with Director Patrice O’Neill. More information is included with the link to RSVP/register. 
 
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Beyond the Binary: Helping Parents Support Their Kids With Navigating Gender, Tuesday, Feb 7 from 6-7pm over Zoom
This event, brought to us by AUHSD Wellness, will be presented by Rainbow Community Center and you can register here. Watch party? If you are interested in gathering with a small, supportive group to view this webinar, please email us.
 
Black Excellence Month is underway. Student-organized events are taking place throughout the month and all students are welcome to join. For parents, we point you to a letter by Dr. Brent Stephens. It is a good read.
 
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AUHSD honors Black Excellence Month starting Feb. 1. Can you name the scholar whose dedication to celebrating the historic contributions of Black Americans led to the establishment of Black History Month? If not, click here for the bio.
 
Events Happening this Month: 

• A Night in New Orleans – All Student Dance, Friday, Feb 3, 7-9pm in the Acalanes Gym

Let’s get our Dons to turn up for this unique, all schools dance! Have them tag a friend or two at another school. This is an excellent opportunity for our students to come together for a relaxed, non-competitive evening and connect with friends across the district. Thank you to the BSUs for hosting. Tickets are $10 on GoFan. Parent volunteers are also needed so please reach out if you can help.

• Black College Expo, Feb 4, 10am-5pm

This will take place at Oakland Marriott City Center and additional information and registration details can be found here. In addition, this article may be a good resource for students thinking about applying to HBCUs.
 

• Beyond the Binary: Helping Parents Support Their Kids With Navigating Gender, Tuesday, Feb 7 from 6-7pm over Zoom

This event is presented by Rainbow Community and you can register here. Watch party? If you are interested in gathering with a small, supportive group to view this webinar, please email us.
 
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Lunar New Year, the Year of the Rabbit, begins today, Jan 22. Did you know that San Francisco has celebrated Lunar New Year in some form since the Gold Rush era of the 1860s? If you haven’t heard of Chunyun, you might want to stream “Last Train Home” by Lixin Fan, an astonishing documentary about this annual migration during Lunar New Year and its human scale.
 
Upcoming Events and Announcements

• Asian/South-Asian/Asian-American Parents Happy Hour Jan 27, 5:30-8pm at Town Bakery & Cafe in Moraga: If you are a Walamorinda Asian, South Asian, or South/Asian-American identifying parent/guardian, please join us for an affinity space Happy Hour! Free light appetizers and drinks for purchase. Hope you can join us for this informal gathering (parents only event). Please RSVP here.
• Attention Parents of Athletes in Female Sports: The Voice In Sport Foundation (VISF) has introduced The Fair Play for Women Act that will strengthen TITLE IX through better education, stronger enforcement and greater transparency in data and reporting. Student athletes can join the VIS Advocate Program to receive FREE advocacy training and contribute to gender equity at your school. All advocates gain access to the VOICEINSPORT platform where they can meet with experts in sports psychology, nutrition, and talk one on one with their favorite college and professional women athletes!
• For Your Student: A Night in New Orleans Takes Over the Acalanes Gym

The district Black Student Unions (BSUs) are co-hosting a New Orleans-themed dance on Friday, Feb 3 at 7pm for all AUHSD students. More information is available in the Student Activities section below and will be available in the Daily Don. Tickets are $10 on GoFan.

Happy MLK Day! January is full of opportunities to engage, explore and support one another in striving to be our best selves. Highlighted below are activities ripe with potential to add value and enrich our lives.
 
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Jan 16: If you are still trying to find a local event to help you honor the life, legacy and impact of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his groundbreaking social justice and equity work, check out this guide.
 
January is Poverty Awareness Month: Several of the local elementary schools are recognizing the month by participating in the “Life through Another Lens” Book Challenge. If you would like to follow suit, Oxfam recommends these books to better understand poverty. Additionally, the US Census Bureau shares thought provoking data and statisticson American poverty for those who want to learn more.
 
Asian/South-Asian/Asian-American Parents Happy Hour Jan 27 5:30-8pm
If you are a Walamorinda Asian, South Asian, or South/Asian-American identifying parent/guardian, please join us for an affinity space Happy Hour! There will be free light appetizers and drinks for purchase. The happy hour will take place at Town Bakery & Cafe in Moraga. Hope you can join us for this informal gathering (parents only event).  Please RSVP here.
 
Questions, suggestions or feedback? Share here.