Social Justice Cannabis Museum Chief Speaking at Thursday’s BLM Vigil

The chief of staff for Jamaica Plain's marijuana dispensary, Seed, and the Core Social Justice Museum, will be the guest speaker at Thursday's Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter. Tomas Gonzalez is a 15-year veteran of local government and politics, longtime organizer and advocate for social and economic justice, including being a founding board member for Raise Up Massachusetts. Raise Up Massachusetts is the state's largest social justice coalition. Gonzalez is also the chief of staff for Seed, which opened earlier this year as Jamaica Plain's first marijuana dispensary. Following his remarks there will be a call and response reading of the names of victims of racist violence, and a 20-minute standout along Centre Street.

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June Vigil in Support of Black Lives Mattera

Please join us for the June Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter on Thursday evening, June 3, from 5:30-6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, JP. The guest speaker will be Stacey Borden, Founder and Executive Director of New Beginnings Reentry Services, Inc., an organization that works to empower incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women by providing advocacy and services to women who are reentering local neighborhoods and communities. Following Ms. Borden’s remarks, there will be a call and response reading of names of victims of racist violence and a 20-minute standout along Centre Street. We ask all participants to follow the state face covering guidelines that went into effect on Saturday, advising non-vaccinated people to continue to wear face masks and physically distance. We encourage all vaccinated participants to take the precautions with which you are comfortable.

Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

Please join us for the May 6 Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter, from 5:30-6:30 pm on the Lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain at 633 Centre Street. Our guest speaker will be Sashi James from Families for Justice as Healing, an organization working to shift power and resources from policing and incarceration into Black and Brown communities to address systemic and racist abandonment and criminalization. Following her remarks, there will be a "call and response" reading of names of victims of racist violence and a 20-minute stand-out along Centre Street. Important Safety Protocols for the Vigil:  We ask all individuals to observe current safety protocols for large outdoor gatherings, maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings. Save for a two-month pause for COVID-19, the Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain has taken place every month since December 2015 because we recognize that systemic racism and injustice are woven into the fabric of our society, with tragic results for people of color.

Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

The April Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter will be held Thursday evening, April 1, from 5:30-6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, with guest speaker Chukwuemeka (BJ) Osuagwu, Program and Events Coordinator at the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute, sponsors of the Annual Mother's Day March for Peace. BJ is a 2020 graduate of Gordon College, where he co-founded the college's first Black Student Union and helped facilitate conversations on race and reconciliation among Gordon staff and Students of African descent. His remarks will be followed by a "call and response" reading of names of victims of racist violence and a 20-minute stand-out along Centre Street. The Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain has taken place every month since December 2015 (save for a 2-month pause for COVID-19) because we recognize that systemic racism and injustice are woven into the fabric of our society with tragic results for people of color. We stand in witness for racial justice and human rights and against racist violence and white supremacy.

Jamaica Plain Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

In light of current state guidelines that restrict outdoor gatherings to no more than 25 people, the Thursday, January 7 Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter will have no opening or closing program at our usual gathering spot on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, JP. Rather: supporters of the Vigil are invited to stand out in silence in front of and across from the church, along both sides of Centre Street down to Pond Street, between 5:30 and 6 pm that evening, with faces covered and socially distanced, to continue our monthly witness for racial justice and human rights and against racist violence and white supremacy. Everyone is welcome.

December Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain

The December Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain will be held Thursday evening, December 3, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, with guest speaker Karlene Griffiths Sekou, a lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Boston, international movement builder, public theologian, and anti-imperial, anti-colonial culture worker. All participants are asked to wear face coverings and "socially distance." The December 3 event marks 5 years of monthly Vigils, and is an occasion we observe with both sadness and hope. The Vigil has taken place every month since Dec. 2015 (with a 2 month pause for the COVID-19 pandemic) because we recognize that systemic racism and injustice are built into the fabric of our society with tragic results for people of color.

November Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

The November Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain will be held Thursday evening, November 5, from 5:30-6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, with guest speaker Michael Curry, Esq., civil rights leader at the local, state, and national levels of the NAACP, and community health centers executive. After his remarks, there will be a "call and response" reading of the names of victims of racist violence, followed by a twenty minute stand-out along Centre Street, final announcements, and the Black Lives Matter chant. We invite everyone to join us to stand in peaceful witness for racial justice and human rights and against racial violence and white supremacy. All participants are asked to wear face coverings and practice social distancing. For further information, contact Bonnie McBride, bonlynmcbride@yahoo.com, or Penny Wells, pennywells@aol.com

October Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain

The October Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain will be held Thursday evening, October 1, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street, with speaker Corey Stallings, Program Director of the South Street Youth Center. We ask all participants to wear face coverings and practice socially distancing and we encourage everyone to bring their own signs as we have a limited number. The Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain has taken place every month since December 2015 (with a 2 month pause for the pandemic) because we recognize that systemic racism and injustice are built into the fabric of our society with tragic results for people of color. We invite everyone to come stand with us in witness for racial justice and human rights, and against racist violence and white supremacy. For further information, contact Bonnie McBride, bonlynmcbride@yahoo.com, or Penny Wells, pennywells@aol.com.

September Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain

The September Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain will be held Thursday evening, September 3, from 5:30 – 6:30 pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church in Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre Street. Our speakers will be Toiell Washington and Hodan Hashi, two of the co-founders of Black Boston, a community organization that strives toward the uplifting and support of Black Bostonians, with the goals of fighting to prevent racial inequities and to promote Black creativity and solidarity within the Black community. We ask all participants to wear face coverings and socially distance by standing at least 6 feet from the next person. We encourage everyone to bring their own signs as we will have a limited number of extra signs to share. The Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain has taken place every month since Dec. 2015 (with a 2 month pause for the COVID-19 pandemic) because we recognize that systemic racism and injustice are built into the fabric of our society with tragic results for people of color.

Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter

The August 6 Vigil in Support of Black Lives Matter in Jamaica Plain will remember The Honorable John Lewis. In lieu of a speaker we will honor the life of John Lewis by reading short passages about his life , or excerpts from his works.  We invite participants to bring something to share as time allows.  Following the remarks, there will be a "call and response," reading of names of victims of racist violence and a 20 minute Silent Vigil along Centre St. to witness for racial justice and human rights.  Everyone is invited to attend and participate in this monthly event, which takes place from 5:30-6:30pm on the lawn of the First Baptist Church of Jamaica Plain, 633 Centre St.