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Progress Palooza in Davenport on January 20, 2024 - PACG Events

12/31/2023

Progress Palooza
Saturday, January 20th from noon til midnight

The Village Theatre
2113 E 11th ST
Davenport, IA 52803 (map)

PACG, QC NOW, AAUW

ProgressPalooza will gather everyone working on social justice issues like housing, food insecurity, reproductive freedom, racial inequity, LGBTQIA+, disability, education, book bans, public health, etc. for a mini-festival at the Village Theatre in Davenport on January 20, 2024.

We will host a day of workshops from noon until 5:00 pm that are a mix of fun, creative things like yoga, circus, and printmaking along with talks and panel discussions with leaders in our community working on social justice issues. Starting at 6:00 pm there will be a variety show and other festivities.

We believe that our appealing, exciting activities will draw a wider crowd than we might usually see at activist events, allowing people to reach out to new people, provide information on issues, and find people who might want to get involved. It will also be an opportunity to network with other organizations and individuals working to make our community a better place to live. We are striving to create a joyful, celebratory atmosphere for the day, and are hoping that the event will also energize all of us doing this difficult but important work.

Suggested donation for attendance is $5 but no one will be turned away for lack of funds. PACG is a cosponsor of this event.

Lara Paxton and Alta Price

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PACG Book Club - "Prequel", February 2024

12/30/2023

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PACG Book Club - Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow
Monday, February 19th at 5:15 pm via Zoom

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

PACG Book Club

For February we will read and discuss Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow. I listened to Rachel Maddow's podcast Ultra which covers similar material. I had no idea this had even happened in our country. It is very relevant to current political events!

If you are coming in via Zoom, click on my name at the end.

Here is more about the book from Goodreads:

"Rachel Maddow traces the fight to preserve American democracy back to World War II, when a handful of committed public servants and brave private citizens thwarted far-right plotters trying to steer our nation toward an alliance with the Nazis."

"Inspired by her research for the hit podcast Ultra, Rachel Maddow charts the rise of a wild American strain of authoritarianism that has been alive on the far-right edge of our politics for the better part of a century. Before and even after our troops had begun fighting abroad in World War II, a clandestine network flooded the country with disinformation aimed at sapping the strength of the U.S. war effort and persuading Americans that our natural alliance was with the Axis, not against it. It was a sophisticated and shockingly well-funded campaign to undermine democratic institutions, promote antisemitism, and destroy citizens’ confidence in their elected leaders, with the ultimate goal of overthrowing the U.S. government and installing authoritarian rule."

"That effort worked—tongue and groove—alongside an ultra-right paramilitary movement that stockpiled bombs and weapons and trained for mass murder and violent insurrection."

"At the same time, a handful of extraordinary activists and journalists were tracking the scheme, exposing it even as it was unfolding. In 1941 the U.S. Department of Justice finally made a frontal attack, identifying the key plotters, finding their backers, and prosecuting dozens in federal court."

"None of it went as planned."

"While the scheme has been remembered in history—if at all—as the work of fringe players, in reality, it involved a large number of some of the country’s most influential elected officials. Their interference in law enforcement efforts against the plot is a dark story of the rule of law bending and then breaking under the weight of political intimidation."

"That failure of the legal system had consequences. The tentacles of that unslain beast have reached forward into our history for decades. But the heroic efforts of the activists, journalists, prosecutors, and regular citizens who sought to expose the insurrectionists also make for a deeply resonant, deeply relevant tale in our own disquieting times."

Contact me by clicking on my name below for the Zoom link.

Alta Price

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PACG Book Club - "Looking for Jane", January 2024

12/30/2023

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PACG Book Club - Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Monday, January 15th at 5:15 pm - hybrid meeting

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

PACG Book Club

Note: Our PACG Book Club discussion will start 15 minutes later as another group now uses the room at the church until 5 pm.

For January we will read and discuss Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall. The book is set in Canada in current times, but follows the lives of the characters in earlier decades before abortion was legal in Canada. Although abortion is a theme, there is more emphasis on mothers, daughters and relationships. I would consider it historical fiction.

Here is more about the book from Goodreads:

"A debut about three women whose lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother’s love, and a secret network of women fighting for the right to choose—inspired by true stories."

"2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane."

"1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for “fallen” women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption—a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had."

"1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates “Jane” and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network’s ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her."

Our February book will be Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow. Read more about the book at this PACG Blog post.

Hope you can make it! Click on my name for a link to the Zoom meeting.

Alta Price

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Meet Our Legacy Panel - "I Am the Future" at the Figge

12/29/2023

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Introducing our Legacy Panel Speakers - I Am the Future at the Figge
Thursday, January 11th from 5:00 to 7:30 pm

Figge Art Museum
225 W 2nd Street
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Board of Directors

PACG has been working hard to coordinate our showing of I Am the Future at the Figge Art Museum in Davenport on Thursday, January 11th at 5:00 pm. Social hour with light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be from 5:00 to 6:00. Young musicians will serenade us with soothing music. Then we will move to the auditorium to view the film, followed by a Legacy Panel discussion.

Here are our Legacy Panel members:

MacArthur Cotton is our featured Legacy Panel speaker. He was a student at Tougaloo College (a private historically black college) and one of the original 1961 Freedom Riders. He is a veteran of the Mississippi civil rights movement and participated in sit-ins at lunch counters in the South. "He was arrested and put on death row for 39 days for trying to buy a bus ticket on the white side of the bus station. In Jackson, he was also arrested for distributing civil rights leaflets 'without a permit.'"

"Mac" Cotton began working with SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee) while a student at Tougaloo College.... [he] helped establish a Non-Violent Action Group on campus. This campus group helped prepare each of these students as they later become SNCC field secretaries. Cotton left school for a time to organize with SNCC in literacy and voter registration efforts. He was one of the first SNCC organizers in Wathall County in dangerous Southwest Mississippi. Read this important article about Mr. Cotton called "Raised in Mississippi."

Aubrey (Aubs.) Barnes is presently a 4th Grade teacher at Rivermount Collegiate School in Bettendorf. He has a nonprofit organization where he teaches youth about writing, poetry and the importance of the use of the spoken word. In addition to being an author he performs as a spoken-word artist and a battle rap enthusiast. When Aubs. isn’t on stage or in the classroom, where he often works with at-risk children, he contributes to The Black Thoughts Podcast, as its co-founder and host. Here's a great article about Aubrey.

Avery D. Pearl II is the Assistant Director at TMBC at the Lincoln Resource Center. He is a public speaker and author. His book is 100 YEARS of Anti-Black Policing. He lives in Davenport.

Of course the speakers in our film will be available for the Legacy Panel's discussion, although they will not be sitting on stage. See the latest version of I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past here. You can read the bios of our film stars on this blog post.

We encourage everyone to join us in this fun evening. We have a lot in the works and look forward to seeing you there.

Glenda Guster

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QCTA success! - Of Interest to Our Members

12/27/2023

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Quad Cities Interfaith Award justified!

PACG Board of Directors and Holiday Party Committee

As you may know, Quad Cities Interfaith (QCI) was a recipient of the Dick Fallow Fund for Social Justice at our PACG Holiday Party in December. This year, a $1,500 grant was awarded to Quad Cities Interfaith, a coalition of congregations and community groups that have come together to address issues such as civil rights, immigration, social justice and housing in the greater Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. Of particular interest this year was QCI's partnership with the Quad Cities Housing Cluster to form the Quad Cities Tenant Alliance (QCTA). Since 2021, QCTA has been actively helping residents living in substandard housing to know their rights, advocate for them with landlords and local politicians and register them to vote.

Here is a recent update from QCI about QCTA: We got HUD!

88 supporters flooded the inboxes of H.U.D. representatives, and it worked: we got HUD! On Monday, November 27th, the regional Director for the Kansas City Hub Tanya Burgin, and the Iowa and Illinois Field Directors Steven Eggleston and Kimberly Dannae visited Davenport to meet with Quad Cities Interfaith. A technical issues with our email system prevented us from updating you sooner, but we are eager to celebrate with our base!

We set the agenda: safe, decent, and affordable housing for all Quad Citians. Leslie Kilgannon of the Housing Council and Dennis Platt of the Quad Cities Tenant Alliance presented research on the housing crisis and Ronda Wilson, a directly affected tenant, shared her story. Thank you to the countless community members who advised and contributed to this presentation--we could not have done it without you! Click here to view the slideshow.

This meeting marks the beginning of a fruitful partnership with HUD. Let's celebrate the WINS! Because of our community organizing,

1. HUD is beginning a compliance review of Davenport. We look forward to hearing the results of that review.
2. HUD has contacted the Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) based on our Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) findings
3. HUD has promised to educate our local elected officials on funding sources and creative solutions to promote safe decent and affordable housing. We are especially interested in the Green and Resilient Retrofit Program, nonprofit receiverships, Community Land Trusts, and employer-assisted housing.

Please consider attending our next Quad Cities Tenant Alliance meeting: Tuesday December 19th at 6pm at St. Anthony's Grace Center 130 W 5th St., Davenport. Let's build a Quad Cities were we all can live. Visit qctenantalliance.org to learn more!

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2023 Year End Summary for Green Drinks - PACG Events

12/27/2023

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Green Drinks Year End Summary - 2023

Environmental Forum

Green Drinks is an international organization for conservation and environmentally minded individuals to network, and learn about current issues. The Quad Cities Chapter is sponsored by the PACG Environmental Forum.

We just concluded our fourth year of Green Drinks. We met in-person, listened to interesting presentations, enjoyed good food and conversation!

We have an exciting year planned for 2024, meeting the first Thursday of the month. Next year we will go back to meeting on Zoom which allows us to include speakers from outside the Quad Cities Area. Our next meeting will be on January 4th. Keep an eye on the Progressive Action Update (PAU) for details. We look forward to having you join us in the new year.

Lori McCollum

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Our Holiday Party was a lot of fun! - PACG Events

12/23/2023

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PACG Holiday Party - After Action Report

Over 75 people sat down to a wonderful dinner catered by Maria Lopez of Tamales for Hope on Saturday, December 2nd at the Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) Holiday Party held at The German American Heritage Center in downtown Davenport.

The PACG Holiday Party is also when we announce the recipient of The Dick Fallow Endowment for Social Justice annual grant award. The Dick Fallow Endowment was established in 2013 to carry on the life work of the former PACG member, activist and union member. Each year, the Endowment issues grants to worthy local organizations that fulfill his mission of working in the areas of labor/economic justice, environment/sustainability and/or democracy/human rights.

This year, a $1,500 grant was awarded to Quad Cities Interfaith, a coalition of congregations and community groups that have come together to address issues such as civil rights, immigration, social justice and housing in the greater Iowa and Illinois Quad Cities. Of particular interest this year was QCI's partnership with the Quad Cities Housing Cluster to form the Quad Cities Tenant Alliance. Since 2021, QCTA has been actively helping residents living in substandard housing to know their rights, advocate for them with landlords and local politicians and register them to vote.

Tapestry Farms also received a $1500 grant from the Fallow Endowment for their work in helping provide fresh, healthy food to ten food pantries throughout the Quad Cities. The food they grow at their eight locations in the QCA is grown using organic practices. They also offer social services to and employ refugees in our community. With the leadership of talented staff members and approximately 300 volunteers, they grew and distributed 6,041 pounds of fresh produce in Iowa and Illinois this year.

PACG forum leaders also spoke about this year's community organizing and many other accomplishments of each of our four currently active forums: Civil Rights, Environmental, Gender Equity, and Health Care Reform.

For our party this year we partnered with Quad City Alliance for Immigrants and Refugees (QCAIR) to collect gifts for children 6 months to 12 years of age. Thanks to all of you that brought gifts! We were able to fill up four large boxes!

Thank you to our committee members Allison Ambrose, Ann McCluskey, Caryn Unsicker, Ed Broders, Loxi Hopkins, and Susan Leuthauser for working to once again make our holiday party a success, and to all of you who were able to attend.

Happy Holidays and thank you all for fighting for social justice throughout our community!

If you have not done so already, please sign up here for the PACG Progressive Action Update, our weekly email, to keep on top of our activities now and going forward into 2024.

Glenda Guster

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Progress Palooza in Davenport on January 20, 2024 - PACG Events

Progress PaloozaSaturday, January 20th from noon til midnight

PACG Book Club - "Prequel", February 2024

PACG Book Club - Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel MaddowMonday, February 19th at 5:15 pm via ZoomEdwards Congregational UCC3420 Jersey Ridge RdDavenport, IA (map)​PACG Book Club

PACG Book Club - "Looking for Jane", January 2024

PACG Book Club - Looking for Jane by Heather MarshallMonday, January 15th at 5:15 pm - hybrid meetingEdwards Congregational UCC3420 Jersey Ridge RdDavenport, IA (map)​PACG Book Club

Meet Our Legacy Panel - "I Am the Future" at the Figge

Introducing our Legacy Panel Speakers - I Am the Future at the FiggeThursday, January 11th from 5:00 to 7:30 pm

QCTA success! - Of Interest to Our Members

Quad Cities Interfaith Award justified!

2023 Year End Summary for Green Drinks - PACG Events

Green Drinks Year End Summary - 2023

Our Holiday Party was a lot of fun! - PACG Events

PACG Holiday Party - After Action Report

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Categories

Progress Palooza
Saturday, January 20th from noon til midnight

PACG Book Club - Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism by Rachel Maddow
Monday, February 19th at 5:15 pm via Zoom

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

PACG Book Club

PACG Book Club - Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
Monday, January 15th at 5:15 pm - hybrid meeting

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

PACG Book Club

Introducing our Legacy Panel Speakers - I Am the Future at the Figge
Thursday, January 11th from 5:00 to 7:30 pm