UMass Alliance for Afro-American Cultural Education - AACE

Please join us THIS SATURDAY 4/1 from 2-4pm for our Virtual Reparations Summit! This event will feature reparations and historic preservation advocates from across the country who are pushing the issue of justice for Descendants of US Slavery. You won't want to miss this!

RSVP HERE: https://bit.ly/3YsCLjc

Community members are encouraged to attend or tune in virtually to a special hybrid meeting of the African Heritage Reparation Assembly in Amherst TODAY at 6:00PM. Members will discuss the vision of the AHRA and the launch of a community survey. Please note: there will be no public comment period.

In person: Town Room, Amherst Town Hall
Virtual: https://amherstma.zoom.us/j/84233825712

Interested UMass Amherst undergraduates please join us NXT Thursday 1/26 at 6pm for our E-Board Meet & Greet on zoom. Learn more about the organization mission and available E-Board positions!

Fill out the interest form 👇🏽 or send us a message to get the link!

Interest form link: https://bit.ly/3GipIdb

Are you a UMass Amherst undergraduate looking for a leadership opportunity? We are seeking new members to add to our E-Board! If interested in any position, please complete this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfxV6W9fhxGhno00tYN1c_Wq_Z3rNgiq6YjQj4PPiHaT4ZbuA/viewform

Please email [email protected] with any questions and for position descriptions!

DID YOU KNOW? This year marks the centennial of the Rosewood Massacre, which lasted from January 1-7, 2023, and potentially days after, obliterating the prosperous Black American town of Rosewood, Florida and it's about 200 residents. After a Black man was falsely accused of sexual/assault, a white mob estimated up to 1500 descended into the town from nearby Sumner, FL, surrounding counties, and even out of state.

The number of dead is still unconfirmed, and survivors were forced off their land and property, never to return. Descendants have yet to receive full restitution for the lives, land, and homes that were lost, as the land has been illegally parcelled and sold to others.

The 1997 film "Rosewood," directed by John Singleton, brings this horrific massacre to life.

In the Black American cultural tradition, New Year's Eve is sometimes called "Watch Night" or "Freedom's Eve," originating from the late night gathering in churches and homes on December 31, 1862, where free and enslaved Negroes passed the night in anticipation of the Emancipation Proclamation being signed on January 1, 1863. Watch Night services are common among Black Americans to this day.

Traditional cuisine includes: "Hoppin John," a one pot dish of rice, pork, and cowpeas which are typically found in the South Carolina low country. Black eyed peas are also served to bring health and prosperity for the new year.

Green and golden foods are served, such as collard greens and cornbread, which are said to bring wealth. You may also see some fried fish on the table. Food customs vary depending on the region or state.

While the Emancipation Proclamation was only intended to free those held in Confederate states, and not all those enslaved, it is still an important commemoration.

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Join UMass SoCA for Karaoke tonight!

Come join SOCA for our last GB meeting of this semester ‼️ Come bring you inner Vybz Kartel out at our karaoke night🎤 It’s in the Campus Center room 803 tomorrow November 30th from 6-7:30

Are you interested in the AfroAm major or minor? We're hosting a mixer with food and drinks on Thursday October 26th!