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RUSTINCENTER.ORG
RUSTINCENTER.ORG
Robt Seda-Schreiber, Chief Activist
Welcome to the
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
We need to teach in the classroom, inspire in the streets & be a force in our communities.
We will be a true community Center in every sense of the word:
A place wherein all our people can come & move forward together- galvanizing each other to be & to do our best, to be our most loving & most understanding selves, both individually & collectively.
A concrete manifestation of a
voice for the voiceless, a friend to the friendless~
protecting, respecting & loving all our folks:
LGBTQIA; immigrant families; our brothers & sisters from all economic, cultural, & spiritual backgrounds: community members of every color, gender (or lack thereof), religion (or lack thereof), national origin, & physical or mental abilities...
those who are marginalized, forgotten, bullied or otherwise underserved by the present systems in place.
This will be accomplished thru focused after-school, evening, weekend & full-day summer programs concentrating on civics, community activism & cultural instruction. Our vision is to educate, enlighten & inspire by presenting a variety of classes & workshops, guest speakers, film screenings, activist meetings, support groups for kids & adults alike, advocate trainings, art happenings, social events et al.
Finally bringing all our folks & all our diversity under one roof, both literally & figuratively.
The Center is now offering programs in conjunction with other community organizations,
plan to be fully open to the public in our own space in mid-summer, &
indeed begin our full agenda shortly thereafter.
plan to be fully open to the public in our own space in mid-summer, &
indeed begin our full agenda shortly thereafter.
& we are & will always be non-profit ourselves (unless one counts the karmic rewards!).
We are a 501(c)(3) as designated by the IRS
Tax ID # 82-4434634
Social Just-Us
Robt Seda-Schreiber
Chief Activist
Chief Activist
After 25 years in the classroom & upon winning the NEA Social Justice Activist of the Year, I have decided to move forward with my experience, my knowledge, & my passion, to bring my service to a greater platform—
to serve & defend our community.
I want every individual- whether it be in a school, in a workplace, or in everyday life- to feel safe, to feel protected, & indeed to feel loved.
A brief bio in the form of some of my achievements & accolades throughout my storied thirty year career:
- Awarded NEA Social Justice Activist of the Year, 2017
- Keynote speaker at NEA Conference on Racial & Social Justice
- Speaker on LGBTQIA rights at NJEA Minority Leadership & Recruitment Conference
- Formation & guidance of school Gay Straight Alliance’s, including the first in a middle school in NJ
- Senate Proclamations, 2003; 2017
- Kenneth Cole Courageous Class, 2016
- New Jersey State Champion of Equality, 2014
- Teacher Who Makes Magic, 2014
- Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar to Japan, 2005
- Princeton University Teacher as Scholar, 2005
- East Windsor Regional School District Teacher of the Year, 2004
- Created mural program, Kreps Middle School, 2003-2017
- Founded & ran The Creatures of Awareness Theatre Co., a non-profit community theatre group which raised over $10,000 for AIDS foundations & support groups, 1989-1994
- In addition to the above, as an artist & activist, I have continued whilst teaching to create many works of art, the vast majority of which were in the form of donations for various causes & organizations in which I believe & want to support.
Some examples of such can be seen aquí: Very Secret Monster Things
BOARD of DIRECTORS
(our Social Justice League!)
(our Social Justice League!)
Carol Watchler (Co-Chair of
GLSEN CNJ) was a schoolteacher for thirty-seven years, during which she
received the NEA Virginia Uribe Award for Creative Leadership in Human Rights
as well as the NJEA Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Award, & continues
after more than twenty-five years to work on sexual orientation & gender
identity concerns in the school environment & the greater community. Carol
was an early leader in the movement- her dedication to safe spaces for LGBT
people in education going back to the start of the National Education
Association Gay & Lesbian (now GLBT) Caucus in the 80’s where she was the
first female co-chair. She continues to be involved in workshop presentations
for educators & community groups to ensure safe & welcoming schools for
all persons whose lives are affected by LGBTQIA issues. She helped to found
& was president of Youth Service New Jersey, a statewide organization
working to support community service learning in school & works to educate
herself on cross cultural awareness as well by looking at ways to eliminate
racism by her participation in the White Aspiring Allies to People of Color.
Carol is a proud & strong paddler on the Machestic Dragons, Breast Cancer
Survivor Dragon Boat Team, which encourage & empower people to face their
dragons with an indomitable spirit.
Jeffrey
E. Joyner (Senior Counsel within the Office of General Counsel, US Department of Commerce) graduated from Princeton University (AB, Political
Economics) & the University of Notre Dame Law School – International
Program (South Bend, IN, & London, England) & received his Masters of
International Public Health from the George Washington University School of
Public Health, with a concentration on LGBT Health Issues. Jeff served several
years on the Board of Directors & Executive Committee of the Whitman-Walker
Clinic (as Board Secretary), a non-profit community health center in the
Washington, D.C. metropolitan area with a special expertise in HIV/AIDS &
LGBT healthcare. He has also worked at the United Nations in Vienna, Austria
(UNCITRAL) & in the DC office of a Chicago-based, multi-national law firm.
Jeff currently serves as a Senior Counsel within the Office of General Counsel,
US Department of Commerce, & has been a three-time recipient of the
Department’s Gold Medal, the Agency’s highest recognition of distinguished
performance characterized by extraordinary, noble, or prestigious contributions
that impact the mission of the Department of Commerce &/or one or more of
its operating units. Jeff was also a Silver medalist at the 2014 Gay Games,
Cleveland – Men’s Physique.
The Rev. Robert Moore (Executive Director, Coalition for Peace Action) is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. Since his
full-time peacemaking ministry began in 1978, Rev. Moore has played a
leadership role in major activities in the U.S. peace movement. He organized a
press conference at Three Mile Island the day after the nuclear accident; he &
CFPA played a major role in defeating the NRA’s attempt to rescind New Jersey’s
Assault Weapons Ban; & he pioneered the first Peace Voter Campaign in the
US. Rev. Moore co-organized the founding conference of the National Religious
Campaign against Torture under CFPA’s umbrella, spinning off to become an
ongoing major national interfaith group & he played a similar role in founding
the Interfaith Network on Drone Warfare. These activities are only a miniscule
sample of all the inspirational work that has allowed CFPA to become a model
for peace groups across the country. Starting as a single group with one office under Rev. Moore’s
leadership, CFPA has grown has grown to over 7,800 members & it is
recognized as one of the fastest growing & most effective grassroots peace
groups in the nation. Rev. Moore has received many honors in his personal &
organizational capacities & has traveled far & wide in his various
peacemaking ministry roles, including trips to Hiroshima & Nagaski, the
former Soviet Union, Germany, Scandinavia, Greece, Holland, Canada, &
Mexico.
David Sailer (Founder &
Owner of the Clarion River Group)
has worked with social justice organizations & leaders for more than 25
years. He learned his organizing skills
as a union organizer, leading campaigns with low-income workers across the
country as well as in Central America. David has also served in senior
leadership positions in labor, housing rights, & education rights
organizations- such as acting as the Director of Finance & Administration
at SEIU Local 32BJ & as the Executive Director of The National Housing
Institute among other pivotal roles. He has
served as a teaching fellow with the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute & as an
Adjunct Professor at the Cornell University ILR school. He has a BA from Wesleyan University & a
Masters in Organizational Development & Leadership from Fielding Graduate
University. Currently, through the
dynamic Clarion River Group which he founded, David trains new organizers,
coaches experienced leaders & guides organizational transformation work at
mission-driven organizations across the country.
Wey-Wey Kwok (Senior Attorney, Center for Medicare Advocacy) has spent her career as a
public interest attorney. Her practice
has included the areas of low-income & disability benefits, prisoners’
rights, juvenile dependency & delinquency, family law, domestic violence, elder
law, health care, & immigration.
She has worked as an
attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Hawaii, as a project attorney for
the AARP Foundation's National Training Project, & for the Public Defender’s office as
well as in numerous other public interest settings. Since 2002,
she has been with the Center for Medicare Advocacy, a nonprofit, nonpartisan
law organization that provides education, advocacy, & legal assistance to
help older people & people with disabilities obtain fair access to Medicare
& quality health care. She engages
in policy work & analysis, impact litigation, & direct client
representation. Wey-Wey holds a law
degree from Georgetown University Law Center, & a bachelor’s degree from
Yale, where she majored in American Studies.
Tom Haydon (Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist) worked as a
news reporter for more four decades, including 32 years at The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. He covered politics, state &
federal courts, police, crime, immigration & the environment. He also reported on local, county & state government in New Jersey. The winner of several journalism
awards, Tom was on a team of reporters that received the Pulitzer Prize for their incisive & exemplary work. His
work was honored by the Union County Human Relations Commission for achievement
by the media. Throughout his career, Tom worked
at numerous newspapers covering southern, central & northern New Jersey as
well as a stint as an
online reporter at NJ.com.
Alicia S. Rich (Executive Director, Morgan Stanley Wealth
Management | Field Strategic Services) is a Financial Services Executive with
20+ years of industry experience. She began her career as an Investment
Associate, helping families with wealth, retirement & education planning.
Alicia migrated to a corporate role where she led teams designing digital tools
that would ultimately support how Advisors, their staff & their clients
engage & manage their everyday finances. Her current position at Morgan
Stanley in Field Engagement & Adoption focuses on building digital
communities, training aides & other resources to support technical skill
development & self-education for support staff nationwide. Throughout her career, Alicia has participated in numerous
diversity & inclusion events, including being a panelist representing
Latina perspective for Conversations on Race & Gender, hosted by the
Multicultural Network, & most recently as a subcommittee lead for the
Women’s Executive Director Initiative, working to develop diverse talent &
prepare them for Executive Leadership. Alicia attended Rutgers University, concentrating in
Sociology & Women’s Studies.
Pamela Hall (Chief Operating Officer (COO), eCaring) is an entrepreneur with extensive start-up experience, launching over 30 companies both for clients & as an operations co-founder, realizing 10 significant exits averaging $143MM exit value, & two IPOs; seeing several of these companies from pre-institutional financing through exit. She brings close to 20 years of management & operational experience driving success for industry leading organizations & building innovative brands, & currently serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of NYC-based eCaring. Prior to joining eCaring, Pamela was Co-Founder & COO of United Preference, a leading health & wellness incentive administration & data analytics platform provider, directly partnered with Discover® Financial Services with clients that included some of the largest health plans in America. Pamela has been a long time advocate of issues that impact the LGBTQ community. She currently lives with her family in Princeton, NJ.Community Liaisons
Any movement that
is not all-inclusive is not a movement at all.
In fact, it is a step backward (& we have surely taken too many of those recently).
In that regard, we intend to have representatives from every & any communities that deserve our recognition & our respect, our love & our support.
We will fight to have all voices heard & to do so, we invite folks to serve as envoys of their people to share with us their hopes, dreams, concerns & best ways to represent them at the Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice.
We are so incredibly proud to have received the honor of using Bayard Rustin's name directly from his partner, Mr. Walter Naegle.
We plan to inspire our community & communicate our message of acceptance, respect & compassion by following the examples of both these fine men.
Good Works:
The BRCSJ has been on the road doing our good works, representing both locally & nationally as we work toward establishing our concrete HQ. In the past few weeks alone we have:
Events:
Art in the Park:
Art = Change Workshop
(for children)
The Ellarslie Trenton City Museum
Saturday 10 February 10-11:30 AM
The BRCSJ has been on the road doing our good works, representing both locally & nationally as we work toward establishing our concrete HQ. In the past few weeks alone we have:
- Fought to have a Gay Straight Alliance established in a Perth Amboy middle school & after many months of struggle & strife, these beautiful kids had their first meeting in early April! We are still engaged & will keep fighting for another GSA in central NJ wherein the school district is being very resistant but we will persevere.
- Helped a transgender student transition from elementary to middle school by advising & directing school administrators, guidance counselors & teachers on best practices.
- Shared our organizing skills & outreach in drive to name an elementary school in Rockville, MD. after Mr. Bayard Rustin in an ugly battle that saw much thinly-veiled homophobia & hatred but culminated in our success of the honorific being bestowed by the school board. Further it has inspired us in a greater capacity to work with the parent who spearheaded the campaign to create a nationwide campaign to name other schools across the country for deserving & under-recognized folks in the LGBTQIA community.
Events:
Art in the Park:
Art = Change Workshop
(for children)
The Ellarslie Trenton City Museum
Saturday 10 February 10-11:30 AM
This was a wonderful gathering of K-5 students who very much took to the idea of Social Change thru Art, creating inspiring works & communicating their hopes & ideals for the future. Thanks to Meagan Impellizzeri & the Ellarslie for their belief in our message & their support of our vision!
No DREAM Deferred
NJ Statewide Day of Action
On March 5th, Dreamers & Allies took back the day! The BRCSJ stood with them, rallying outside the ever-absent Rep. Chris Smith's office. Congress has failed to act. Dreamers will continue to rise up across New Jersey to demand a DREAM Act that does not criminalize our communities & separate our families. No business as usual. We're fired up as ever. Stand up, fight back.
Sunday 11 March
Princeton University
Stand Up Together, The Power of We
Connect, Engage, & Celebrate
In the Spirit of La Convivencia
In the Spirit of La Convivencia
Chief Activist Robt Seda-Schreiber spoke out on "Inclusivity" to a strong & passionate group of over a hundred folks.
Empowerment Through Community
This was a truly & wonderfully inspirational event as Chief Activist Robt Seda-Schreiber moderated for both the Educators' Track & the Parent-Child panels. The BRCSJ was proud to represent & bring our message of much love & respect to these dynamic young folks & their incredible families!
27 April
Invited to celebrate the Breaking of the Silence at middle school wherein we helped to found a GSA...
So beautiful to see the seeds of equality we sow bear such glorious fruit!
(& I know that no hats are allowed in school, but that's a GLSEN beanie!)
A final call to action:
We need to teach in the classroom, inspire in the streets &
be a force in our communities.
It may not seem like it, but these are our times. We will persevere, we will rise up,
we will come out the other side –
stronger, faster, better, with more folks on our side & at our backs.
Hold hands, lock arms, heads up, eyes clear, hearts full & minds wide open…
Boots on the ground.
Now and always.
If you have been invited to view our website, please do bear in mind that the
Bayard Rustin Center for Social Justice
is indeed a living, breathing, oh-so-amorphous & ever-evolving animal & in that very spirit, please do feel free to share thoughts, feelings, suggestions, inspirations & epiphanies that present themselves upon viewing.
We want to make this process as transparent as possible to the community so all can feel empowered & emboldened to create the non-profit facility that our children & our community so desperately needs.
You can reach us at socialjusticeindeed@gmail.com
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