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The Reality of Project 2025-Of Interest to Our Community

4/29/2025

The Reality of Project 2025

Red Wine and Blue

A grassroots organization Red Wine & Blue has been keeping track of the implementation of 2025 projects. They also provide recommendations on how we can fight back. For more information go here,

You can contact them or subscribe to their email update here,

Red Wine & Blue

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PACG Book Club - "Just Mercy", June 2025

4/26/2025

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PACG Book Club - Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson
Monday, June 16th at 5:15 pm - in person

Edwards Congregational UCC
3420 Jersey Ridge Rd
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Book Club

In June we will read and discuss Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson. Stephenson started a law office in Montgomery, Alabama as a young lawyer to defend the poor, victims of mass incarceration, and especially those on death row, including a Black man clearly framed for murder. He is the founder of the Equal Justice Initiative.

There is also a movie, Just Mercy, based on Bryan Stephenson's memoir. Learn more both about the book and the movie at the Equal Justice Initiative website.

If you want to come on Zoom, contact me for the link.

Alta Price (she/her)

Here is more about Just Mercy from Goodreads:

"An unforgettable true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to end mass incarceration in America — from one of the most inspiring lawyers of our time."

"Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit law office in Montgomery, Alabama, dedicated to defending the poor, the incarcerated, and the wrongly condemned."

"Just Mercy tells the story of EJI, from the early days with a small staff facing the nation’s highest death sentencing and execution rates, through a successful campaign to challenge the cruel practice of sentencing children to die in prison, to revolutionary projects designed to confront Americans with our history of racial injustice."

"One of EJI’s first clients was Walter McMillian, a young Black man who was sentenced to die for the murder of a young white woman that he didn’t commit. The case exemplifies how the death penalty in America is a direct descendant of lynching — a system that treats the rich and guilty better than the poor and innocent."

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PACG Book Club - "Concrete Rose", May 2025

4/26/2025

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PACG Book Club - Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Monday, May 19th at 5:15 pm - in person

Edwards Congregational UCC
3420 Jersey Ridge Rd
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Book Club

In May we will read and discuss Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, the author of The Hate U Give. In November of 2018 we discussed The Hate U Give and saw the movie. The events in Concrete Rose are set 17 years prior and talk about the same family, with more focus on what life in that neighborhood was like for Black boys and men. I read this book for the Project Now book club. It is an interesting and fairly quick read and I really enjoyed it.

If you want to get a head start on the June book, it is Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson. Learn more at the Equal Justice Initiative website or at this PACG blog post.

If you want to come on Zoom, contact me for the link.

Alta Price (she/her)

Here is more about Concrete Rose from Goodreads:

"International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood."

"If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison."

"Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control."

"Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father."

"Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different."

"When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man."

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Anything for the Cause - PACG Event

4/17/2025

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Anything for the Cause
Friday, May 16th at 6:00 pm

Martin Luther King Center
630 9th ST
Rock Island, IL (map)

Multi-Generational Community Building (MGCB) Speaker Series

The MGCB Speaker Series announces a community gathering at the Martin Luther King Center in Rock Island. Guest speakers include former Freedom Rider and civil rights worker, MacArthur Cotton and the Executive Director of the African American Civil War Memorial Museum, Dr. Frank Smith. We will also view the movie Rock Island Prison 1864 about runaway slaves who had to guard Confederate prisoners of war.

We offer these gatherings as platforms in which community members can interact with two influential figures to discuss past and present struggles for equality. This event is free and open to the public. Contact me (below) or Dorothy Cotton (309-721-5177) with questions.

Glenda Guster

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Earth Day at the Farmers Market - PACG Event

4/14/2025

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Earth Day Every Day Celebration
Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Freight House Farmers Market
421 W River Drive
Davenport, IA (map)

Environmental Forum

Join us to celebrate Earth Day Every Day. Find out what local environmental groups are doing. Meet with like-minded folks and make new friends.

Susan Leuthauser (she/her)

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World Cultures Festival artwork - After Action Report

4/8/2025

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World Cultures Festival and Fines Arts Showcase - After Action Report UPDATE

Civil Rights Forum

The Immigration Coalition of the Quad Cities hosted a Fine Arts Showcase for Immigrant and Refugee students at the Rogalski Center at St. Ambrose University. Local art submissions were showcased as part of the QC World Cultures Festival. There were 12 submissions, including artwork, poetry and essays that were created by students from age 5 to 14. The winning submission was a poem, written by an 11-year-old, titled They Become which describes the journey of immigrating to the United States. More the 400 people attended the festival, with some expressing interest in joining the coalition. A QC Times reporter interviewed us about the Immigration Coalition and the article is available in the Saturday, April 5th edition. It's titled New Quad Cities immigrant coalition launches 'anti-dehumanization' campaign. This is a good way to spread the word that we are all neighbors!

We are honored to be able to add all of these submissions to our website! Take a close look below! From Immigration Coalition of the Quad Cities: Our “Immigrants Are Our Neighbors” Contest was wonderful! There were over 400 attendees at the Quad Cities World Cultures Festival, so there were lots of eyes on our contestants’ works! Check out all of the submissions below!

Allison Ambrose

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Celebrate Earth Month in April - What You Can Do Now

4/7/2025

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Celebrate Earth Month every April - Take action to save the planet

Environmental Forum

It's up to us to protect our planet. We all need to do our part. It's not too late to start. Take action today and every day.

We will be celebrating Earth Day at the Farmers Market in Davenport, IA on Saturday, May 17th from 9 am to 1 pm so mark your calendars and join us then.

Susan Leuthauser (she/her)

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Hands Off rally has huge turnout - After Action Report

4/5/2025

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Hands Off! An estimated 2000 Quad Cities activists fight back

Mass Mobilization on Saturday, April 5th

PACG joined thousands of protesters at the "Hands Off!" Rally at Friends of MLK Park and Interpretive Center in Davenport, IA, on Saturday April 5th from 11 am to 1:00 pm. This is one of many such events held across the country opposing the actions taken by the president and his staff on human rights, employment, civil rights, immigration, education, the environment, and many other issues that affect the daily lives of all Americans. On this chilly morning, concerned citizens with signs and voices filled the park to listen to speakers and to rally the traffic on both sides of Brady Street from the bottom of the hill to the top. Cars driving by honked their support of the event. We are making an impact!

Twelve hundred rallies were organized by Indivisible and other groups, and every state in the union had at least one rally. We published this post about the plans for the Davenport rally earlier this week.

Here's the first bit of press about our rally: Hands Off rally draws big crowd in Davenport by Ed Tibbetts.

We are also using two videos by Stella Roeser. Here is the crowd driving up Brady. Here is a walking view of some of the crowd.

The images below were from Stella and Kyle Roeser and Ann McCluskey. Thank you!

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Introducing QC Civic Conversations - PACG Event

4/5/2025

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Introducing QC Civic Conversations
Friday, May 9th at 8:00 am

Scott County Community College
Urban Campus
101 W 3rd ST Davenport, IA (map)

QC Civic Conversations (OHF-QCA, PACG, ICAN and QCI)

Four progressive organizations are working in coalition to bring you QC Civic Conversations. One Human Family-QCA , Iowa Citizen Action Network, Quad Cities Interfaith and PACG are interested in offering one-hour civic discussions with various topics.

The first one is The State of Journalism Today: Exploring the deteriorating state of traditional journalism in a fragmented society offered on Friday, May 9th at 8 am at Scott County Community College in Davenport. A panel of journalists will make a presentation followed by a discussion with audience participation. This is a free event, including a continental breakfast, but registration is required and a small donation is always appreciated. Learn more and register here.

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Hands Off Mobilization - Action Alert

4/1/2025

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Hands Off! Quad Cities Fights Back Action Alert!
Saturday, April 5th at 11:00 am

MLK Interpretive Center
501 Brady St
Davenport, IA (map)

Indivisible QC POP People Over Politics (East Moline)

PACG encourages everyone to participate in this nation-wide April 5th Hands Off! protest. The East Moline Indivisible chapter, QC POP People Over Politics, is organizing the Quad Cities peaceful protest rally. You can find them at the Indivisible home page by scrolling down to Find A Group and searching for Indivisible QC POP People over Politics.

Make a Hands Off sign and come to the rally!

Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. Quad Cities is fighting back!

They're taking everything they can get their hands on - our health care, our data, our jobs, our services - and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨

Where: Friends of MLK Park and Interpretive Center, 501 Brady St, Davenport, IA

When: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. April 5, 2025

This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.

A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

This is the link for downloadable signs: handsoff2025.com There are signs in both English and Spanish. We encourage you to bring a sign but you do not have to.

This rally is for both Congressional District #17 for Illinois and District #1 for Iowa.

Alta Price (she/her)

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The Reality of Project 2025

PACG Book Club - Just Mercy by Bryan StephensonMonday, June 16th at 5:15 pm - in person

PACG Book Club - Concrete Rose by Angie ThomasMonday, May 19th at 5:15 pm - in person

Anything for the Cause Friday, May 16th at 6:00 pm

Earth Day Every Day Celebration Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

World Cultures Festival and Fines Arts Showcase - After Action Report UPDATE

Celebrate Earth Month every April - Take action to save the planet

Hands Off! An estimated 2000 Quad Cities activists fight back

Introducing QC Civic Conversations Friday, May 9th at 8:00 am

Hands Off! Quad Cities Fights Back Action Alert! Saturday, April 5th at 11:00 am

Archives

Categories

PACG Book Club - Just Mercy by Bryan Stephenson
Monday, June 16th at 5:15 pm - in person

PACG Book Club - Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas
Monday, May 19th at 5:15 pm - in person

Anything for the Cause
Friday, May 16th at 6:00 pm

Earth Day Every Day Celebration
Saturday, May 17th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Introducing QC Civic Conversations
Friday, May 9th at 8:00 am

Hands Off! Quad Cities Fights Back Action Alert!
Saturday, April 5th at 11:00 am