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The new version of "I Am the Future" at the MLK Center - After Action Report

3/5/2023

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WQPT PBS viewing of I Am the Future - After Action Report

Civil Rights Forum
​

One year after the creation of I am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past, PACG’s 2022 Black History Month film project, was updated with the help of local PBS affiliate, WQPT. As a small nonprofit organization, PACG could not have done this on our own. Lora Adams, WQPT Director of Marketing and Local Content, worked with her team for two months to make this possible.

In celebration of the updated version of the film and Black History Month 2023, PACG
held a special showing at Friends of MLK Interpretive Center in Davenport, on Thursday, February 23rd, for an audience of 20 people. Three of the interviewees were present to watch the video with community members: Rev. Gabriel Barber III, Dr. Henry Brockington, Attorney Catherine (Kitty) Alexander, along with film moderator, AbdurRahmaan Howard. Unable to attend the event was interviewee Mayor Bill Gluba.
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In 1963, some residents of the Quad Cities attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. The film highlights their first hand accounts and how their connection with Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired each of them to become civil rights leaders in our community. As young men and women in the 1960s and beyond, Gabe, Bill, Henry and Kitty would have thought of themselves as the future. This is their story. We are grateful to them in so many ways.

As PACG President and I am the Future creator, Glenda Guster says, "I am benefiting now from these past acts of courage and sacrifice. I made sure my children knew this, and my grandchildren know now they are standing on bent down backs that were not broken by racism. I believe this video gives local civil rights activists an opportunity to tell their story about their involvement in the March on
Washington and meeting Dr. King. We hope this updated version proves to be both educational and inspirational, not only for Black History month, but throughout the year
and for years to come.”

Our project title came from a phrase that Glenda's church often uses when speaking of their  children: "I Am the Future." (This phrase is from the Whiney Houston song The Greatest Love Of All.)

We would like to thank our panelists, Gabriel, Henry, Bill, and Kitty, Moderator, Abdur, PACG President and film creator, Glenda Guster, WQPT’s Lora Adams, the PACG Civil Rights Forum, Friends of MLK Interpretive Center, and everyone else who has supported this project
.

You may view our updated video here. For those of you who attended our viewing, Lora Adams shared this version of We Shall Overcome sung by Cordova High School Concert Singers from Memphis, Tennessee. This music is used in our video.

Maggie Davis, Office Manager

P.S. 
Have you donated to PBS this year? Do it now.
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Holiday Party 2022 - After Action Report

12/11/2022

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2022 PACG Holiday Party - After Action Report

Holiday Party Committee

Over 85 people sat down to a wonderful dinner catered by Maria Lopez of Tamales for Hope on Saturday, December 3rd at the Progressive Action for the Common Good (PACG) Holiday Party at The German American Heritage Center in downtown Davenport. We were delighted to hold this annual event for the first time in two years.  And more than 40 guests committed to our initiative to get involved with PACG in 2023! 
 
The PACG Holiday Party is also the platform to announce 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. local activist and union member. Each year, the endowment issues grants to organizations that fulfill his mission by working in the areas of labor/economic justice, environment/sustainability and/or democracy/human rights.
 
This year, the $2,500 grant was awarded to the team from Cafe on Vine to support their work in the QC Community. Waunita Sullivan, Executive Director of Cafe on Vine, accepted the award. Cafe on Vine is operated by an independent Board of Directors with members from across the Quad City area and receives daily support and help from volunteers from throughout the community. Cafe on Vine will use this endowment to continue to provide free, nutritious meals to the needy of the community 365 days each year. They serve two meals per day, Monday through Friday (breakfast and lunch), a luncheon service on Saturdays, and an evening meal on Sundays. It is the only meal site in the Quad Cities to do so. ​
 
Forum leaders also spoke about each of our current 4 forums: Civil Rights, Environmental, Gender Equity, and Health Care Reform and their community organizing work and accomplishments during the past year. 
 
The PACG Holiday Committee thanks you for coming and for celebrating another busy year:
Allison Ambrose, Alta Price, Ann McCluskey, Caryn Unsicker, Ed Broders, Glenda Guster, Susan Leuthauser, and Maggie Davis. 
 
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 for 2023.
 
Happy Holidays and thank you all for fighting for social justice throughout our community.
Maggie Davis
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"I Am the Future" Showing - After Action Report

11/10/2022

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Black History Video of I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past - After Action Report

Rock Island Library
Rock Island, IL
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PACG Board
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On Tuesday, October 25th we gathered together to watch the PACG Black History Video I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past. Despite the rainy day, over 35 people were in attendance! Gabriel Barber spoke as one of several interviewees that were featured in the video. And this was his 95th Birthday! Many of his family and church members joined us for this event.

The following interviewees were in attendance: Bill Gluba, Dr. Henry Brockington, Catherine Alexander, and AbdurRahmaan "Abdur" Howard. There was a lot of positive feedback from the audience. There were questions from several young people that attended in support of Abdur Howard.

The Rock Island Library requested the link so it can be included in their reference video collection. Several attendees requested a link to the video which is on our PACG YouTube Channel (link above).

The video will be shown again in 2023 at the Davenport Library, Fairmount St. Branch on Saturday, February 11th from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. We will be asking the Moline and Bettendorf Libraries to host viewings of the video for Black History month.

Glenda Guster
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Civil Rights Legislative Visit - After Action Report

10/26/2022

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Legislative Visit - After Action Report

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​Civil Rights Forum
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Members of the Civil Rights Forum visited with staffers from Congresswoman Miller-Meeks' office regarding family based immigration.  We advocated that she commit to supporting language in the FY23 Homeland Security Appropriations bills that recapture Visas and end Green Card waste, and that she consider co-sponsoring H.R. 7374, the Jumpstart Act. These requests deal with the large Visa backlogs that have accumulated in the recent past, which keep family members apart. Ultimately, our group would like to protect, preserve, and strengthen the family based immigration system and promote an immigration system informed by empathy and justice.

Our requests were well received and the Congresswoman's Chief of Staff from Washington happened to be at the meeting. He assured us that she was sympathetic to our requests and would discuss them with her and let us know her response. The group felt very good about the meeting and energized from participating in this type of advocacy on behalf of civil rights!

Allison Ambrose
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PACG Picnic & Pie Auction a Great Success! - After Action Report

9/26/2022

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Tenth Annual Picnic & Pie Auction a Great Success! - After Action Report

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Sunday, September 11 noon to 3:00 pm
Longview Park Rock Island
PACG Picnic Committee

Despite the rain, and 60-degree weather, seventy-five people joined us at Longview Park to enjoy food catered by the Taste of Ethiopia and music by Chris Dunn. This year, we were fortunate to have Kate Holsen sing the Star-Spangled Banner, which was a nice tribute to the legacy of 9/11, on which the deadliest terrorist attack in American history occurred.

Once again, Jen Broders, assisted by her husband, Ed, officiated our famous Pie Auction, which is designed to help fund the many activities of our very active Civil Rights, Environmental and Health Care Reform Forums, as well as our brand new Gender Equity Forum. We heard short reports from our forum leaders on the work they're doing to advance progressive issues during a time when we are being challenged as never before.  
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the picnic afforded a chance for everybody to just relax, and visit with other progressive-minded folks!

Thanks to all who were able to join us this year! It is heartening to see so many members come together, and this traditional gathering was a testament to the great work PACG does, and will continue to do in our community.   

The PACG Picnic Committee
Glenda Guster, Susan Leuthauser, Loxi Hopkins, Julie Ross, Caryn Unsicker, Maggie Davis
​

We had pies!

Star Spangled Tribute and other music

Announcements and Forum Updates

Food and Socializing

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Gender Equity Forum Meeting - After Action Report

7/24/2022

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Gender Equity Forum First Meeting - July 19th - After Action Report

Gender Equity Forum

The Gender Equity Forum held its first meeting on Tuesday, July 19th at the Bettendorf Library. Thirty-five people were in attendance. 
While we normally won't share a forum meeting update as an After Action Report, this was our first one and we were very pleased with the turnout.

Although there were technical issues with hooking up the computer to the Gilbert Room's system, the forum facilitators were able to "wing-it" in fine form. We began with a discussion of what we had planned for the meeting and then broke into two meetings to brainstorm ideas for actions to be taken in both Illinois and in Iowa.

Here's the PowerPoint presentation that we had hoped to share. You will probably see something similar to this in a future meeting.

Alta Price
Carolyn Martin
2022.07.19_gender_equity_forum_meeting.pptx
File Size: 166 kb
File Type: pptx
Download File

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Channel Cat Presentation - After Action Report

7/12/2022

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Channel Cat Presentation - After Action Report
Plastic Pollution on the Mississippi River 

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Environmental Forum

The Environmental Forum hosted a Channel Cat talk on July 5th and 7th for River Action. The 90-minute talks were well attended and described plastic pollution on the Mighty Mississippi. Attendees were encouraged to take the Plastic Free July Challenge to reduce your plastic footprint.

Lori McCollum
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WVIK Interview about Plastic Free July - After Action Report

7/12/2022

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WVIK Interview - After Action Report

Environmental Forum

​
A public service announcement was released about Plastic Free July after an interview with Lori McCollum, co-facilitator of the PACG Environmental Forum.

https://www.wvik.org/podcast/river-way-stories/2022-07-02/plastic-free-mississippi

Lori McCollum
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We Will Not Go Back! rally for Choice - After Action Report

6/27/2022

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We Will Not Go Back! rally - After Action Report
Sunday, June 26th in Davenport

PACG Women's Equity Forum and other groups

​
Sponsored by:
QC-National Organization for Women, PACG Women's Equity Forum, One Human Family-QC, Iowa Women United and others


We Will Not Go Back! the ​Davenport rally for Choice, attracted a huge crowd of members of our community who feel that the recent shameful ruling from the Supreme Court on abortion access is a devastating setback to anyone who can get pregnant - women and nonbinary individuals. We listened to speakers and then protested peacefully by walking around Vander Veer Park. Here's a link to the Quad-City Times report from the event, along with their pictures. 

Women and nonbinary people around the U.S. awoke late last week to the news that they have less reproductive freedom than their mothers did. A person's right to make her/their own decisions regarding pregnancy has been either taken away or is in grave danger of being abolished.

PACG has always had the ability to organize new issue forums to work on critical problems that arise in our communities and country. These Board of Directors-approved groups can be created and mobilized to address areas of interest and urgent need. This flexibility is part of the reason that PACG continues to be so successful - we meet the needs and demands put upon us. We can focus our outrage and frustration into positive action. We are better and stronger together!

PACG is proud that our new Women's Equity Forum was a sponsor of this rally - it was our first event! And we haven't really had a regular meeting yet!

Join our forum by contacting me (click on my name below for my email box). Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, July 19th at 7:00 pm at the Bettendorf Library. We have work to do! Let's go!

Alta Price
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Second Anniversary of Racial Equality Now! rally - After Action Report

6/22/2022

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Second Anniversary of PACG Racial Equality Now! Rally - After Action Report
Saturday, June 18th at 12:00 pm

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Civil Rights Forum

Members of PACG gathered to mark the second anniversary of the Racial Equality Now! rally started by Caryn Unsicker along with Glenda Guster. After George Floyd's death, Unsicker knew the local and national press coverage as well as all the huge rallies would die down and things would return to normal until the next black person was killed. She called her friend, Glenda, and others who agreed to help start a local rally that would go on indefinitely until racial inequality in our country is no longer an issue.  

The group has gathered from noon to 12:30pm almost every Saturday since June 13th of 2020. They have extra signs and always welcome anyone who wants to stand with them for racial equality.

Unsicker says she is encouraged by the many positive honks and waves from passersby of all races. It tells her that many people realize there is racial inequality embedded in our society and that they are willing to talk about it. 

WQAD8 (ABC) acknowledged our efforts on the news! Read the short article and watch the broadcast here: For 2 years, rain or shine, a local group has protested for racial equality

Caryn Unsicker
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