Category: I Am The Future - PACG - Progressive Action for the Common Good

Congratulations Abdur Howard! - A Message from the Board

3/17/2025

Congratulations to Abdur Howard!

A Message from the Board

(Abdur Howard and his mother Daneca)

We are happy to announce that AbdurRahmaan "Abdur" Howard is one of 20 Davenport Community School District students who were awarded the John Deere Scholarship from the University of Iowa! From Davenport Community Schools: This $6.6 million partnership between John Deere, the University of Iowa, and the Davenport Community School District is a testament to our community's commitment to making higher education accessible for all. Each scholarship covers 90% of the total cost to attend the University of Iowa. The remaining 10% will be covered by additional funding sources, such as work study.

Abdur acted as the moderator for the PACG Black History Month 2022 project, I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past. He was only 13 when we first met him and he did an incredible job with the entire project. Not only did he moderate the event but he participated in the numerous presentations that we held throughout the Quad Cities. Now he is off to the U of I to study neurobiology! Congratulations, Abdur!

Project Renewal youth show "I Am the Future" video - Of Interest to Our Members

2/20/2024

Project Renewal youth show I Am the Future video - After Action Report

Kids from Project Renewal left to right in photo are Masion Powell (black t-shirt), Olivia Buxbaum-Lara (red shirt), Joan Vazquez (red shirt) and Tamera Phillips (blue t-shirt)

Project Renewal (PR) students who attended the PACG presentation at the Figge Art Museum had their interest piqued after watching the I Am the Future film. They especially like learning about the local residents in the Quad Cities experiences and how their actions and this history makes a difference in our current lives and our future.

The PR students wanted to introduce and share this film with the rest of the kids at Project Renewal one day after school. Glenda Guster was invited to help facilitate this presentation and discussion. After viewing the film, our PR students, Masion, Olivia, Joan and Tamera led the Q & A with some questions: Did they recognize anyone in the film? Do you know what activism is? What do you do or can you do to help others? Other comments included how no matter your age, skin color, ethnicity, etc., in order for change it takes all kinds of people. An action call concluded our gathering with the importance of voting for our representatives and to encourage adults in our lives to vote.

Ann
Project Renewal
O: 563-324-0800
C: 563-940-0809

Project Renewal youth to show "I Am the Future" - Of Interest to Our Members

1/25/2024

Project Renewal youth to show I Am the Future
Wednesday, January 31st at 4:00 pm

Project Renewal
506 W 5th ST
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Board of Directors

We were thrilled to have four of the youth from Project Renewal attend our showing of I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past at the Figge Art Museum earlier this month.

A few years ago Project Renewal in Davenport was a recipient of the Dick Fallow Endowment for Social Justice that we help administer. As a reminder, "Project Renewal provides educational, recreational and social activities for children during the school year and summer in a safe, loving environment."

After our showing Ann Schwickerath from Project Renewal reached out to PACG to ask if their youth could show our film at an upcoming event of their own. This idea came from the youth who attended the evening at the Figge! And those same kids want to emcee and lead their own discussion about issues raised.

Of course we loved this idea! Please attend if you are available. Our little video is really getting around and we could not be more proud.

Glenda Guster

"Rustin" on Netflix - No Hate In Our States

1/24/2024

**Watch Rustin on Netflix**

No Hate In Our States

Rustin is the true story of charismatic civil rights activist Bayard Rustin who had a falling out with some in the movement because he was a gay man. He went on to organize the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom which we at PACG have been talking about in conjunction with our I Am the Future film. Take the time to watch this film and see what happened behind the scenes to make that important march a reality. (Update: Colman Domingo has been nominated for an Oscar for his portrayal of Bayard Rustin. This is only the second time that an openly gay man has earned the nomination for playing a gay character.)

“I Am the Future” at the Putnam! - PACG Event

10/12/2023

I Am the Future showing at the Putnam Museum!
Sunday, October 22nd from 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Putnam Museum and Science Center
1717 W 12th ST
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG, WQPT, WVIK and the Putnam Museum and Science Center

Our video, I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past will be shown at the Putnam Museum and Science Center in Davenport on Sunday, October 22nd at 2:00 pm. The personal stories of local Quad City residents who fought for civil rights in the early 1960s were recorded and woven together into a powerful portrayal of their struggles and triumphs. The film serves as an inspiring call to action for all those who believe in equality and justice. The video was graciously updated this year by WQPT PBS, who will join PACG and the Putnam in sponsoring this family-friendly, free event.

Progressive Action for the Common Good, WQPT, WVIK and the Putnam are hosting this event to not only showcase this incredible film, but also to provide an opportunity for our community to engage in conversations about how we can all be activists for civil rights. Local civil rights organizations will be on hand along with the film’s stars to answer questions about what it means to be an activist. Children and families can participate in organized activities in addition to enjoying the museum.

We hope to see you and your family there!

Save the Date - IATF Showing at the Putnam on October 22nd, 2023

9/27/2023

Save the Date - I Am the Future showing at the Putnam
Sunday, October 22nd at 2:00 pm

Putnam Museum and Science Center
1717 W 12th ST
Davenport, IA (map)

PACG Board We will be working with the Putam to show our I Am the Future video and educate the community about the importance of being activists for civil rights. Look for more information soon. And if you are interested in helping with this fun event, please contact us at [email protected].

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

3/5/2023

**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.

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.

View the updated (2023) version of "I Am the Future" - A Message from the Board

3/2/2023

It's here! View I Am the Future online

A Message from the Board

PACG Board of Directors

We are honored that WQPT offered to update our Black History Month video from 2022! 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. Please enjoy it here. We hope to get it on our PACG YouTube channel as well.

For those of you who attended our group viewing at the Friends of MLK Center in Davenport on February, 23rd, here is the link to the video recording of We Shall Overcome. Part of this performance by high school students is featured in our video.

(P.S. Have you donated to your local PBS station? Do it here!)

Glenda Guster

"I Am the Future" gets a makeover! - A Message from the Board

2/14/2023

Announcing I Am the Future gets a WQPT PBS makeover!
Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00 pm

PACG Board of Directors

We are thrilled to let you know that our Black History Month video has been updated thanks to WQPT PBS! Please join us as we watch this together on PBS at the MLK Interpretive Center in Davenport on Thursday, February 23rd at 7:00. The show starts at 7:30 but we ask that you arrive early.

About a year ago when our new PACG president, Glenda Guster, took the helm of the organization, she had the idea of interviewing Quad City residents who had been personally impacted during the 1960s by Rev. Martin Luther King and the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Typical of PACG, we organized a committee to get this project off the ground and the result was a 12-minute video we named I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past. Read about the original project here. And you may view that video on the PACG YouTube Channel: I Am the Future - Standing on the Shoulders of the Past here.

You have read a lot about this project over the past year because Glenda - on her own - has reached out to various groups and libraries to show our video. She gathers all of our featured speakers and hosts a discussion with them, addressing questions from the audience, after each showing. These have been very popular events.

In the fall of 2022, Glenda contacted WQPT PBS in Moline about our video. Lora Adams, WQPT Director of Marketing and Local Content, was extremely interested in seeing all of the raw footage we had and meeting many of our participants. She volunteered to rework our video, adding more than 15 minutes of new material and made some additional changes that we had originally wanted. WQPT did this editing for free!! (Have you donated to PBS this year? Do it now.)

We are honored that PBS was willing to update our video, making it something they will show for Black History Month, 2023. We are really proud that a local news organization saw the value of not just our video but of PACG itself. And none of this would have happened without the hard work of our current president.

Thank you Glenda for your continued devotion to this project!

If you are unable to join us in Davenport, watch on WQPT from home! Record it on your DVR, share with your friends and family, and keep an eye out for further showings. Their outreach will really help spread the word about the common good that PACG continues to do for our community.

Allison Ambrose

Showing of "I Am the Future" - A Message from the President

9/27/2022

I Am the Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past showing and discussion
Tuesday, October 25th at 5:00 pm

Rock Island Public Library
401 19th Street
Rock Island, IL 61201 (map)

Civil Rights Forum

Join us on October 25th for a free showing of our Black History movie, I Am The Future: Standing on the Shoulders of the Past.

In 1963, some residents of the Quad Cities attended the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Hear their first hand accounts and learn how their connection with Martin Luther King, Jr. inspired each of them to become civil rights leaders in our community. We will have a discussion after the video.

For more information visit: https://www.rockislandlibrary.org/event/community-viewing-i-am-future-standing-shoulders-past-pacg

Glenda Guster