Blog archive
August 2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
1619 Wide Ranging Interests
08/19/2024
First Anniversary
08/19/2024
Alexandra Leaving by Leonard Cohen
08/16/2024
Muse des Beaux Arts by W. H. Auden
08/16/2024
The God Abandons Antony by Constantinos P. Cavafy
08/16/2024
Ch – Ch – Ch –Changes
08/15/2024
Cultural Activities Team offers an ‘embarrassment of riches’
08/15/2024
Engaging in Pasadena Village
08/15/2024
Future Housing Options
08/15/2024
Message from the President
08/15/2024
There Are Authors Among Us
08/15/2024
Villagers Welcome New Members at the Tournament Park Picnic
08/15/2024
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas
08/14/2024
A narrow Fellow in the Grass by Emily Dickinson
08/13/2024
Haikus
08/13/2024
One Art by Elizabeth Bishop
08/13/2024
Poem 20 by Pablo Neruda
08/13/2024
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
08/13/2024
Trees by Joyce Kilmer
08/13/2024
July 2024
Alma Stokes, The Struggle in Pasadena
07/25/2024
A Poetry Gathering: Liberating Experiences Available
07/19/2024
Civil Rights Movement Series
07/19/2024
Happy Hours in Pasadena: A Villager’s Perspective
07/19/2024
Pasadena Village and the National Dialogue on Villages and Healthy Aging Research
07/19/2024
President's Message
07/19/2024
The Kern River Rafting Caper
07/19/2024
The Village Artists Group creates creative camaraderie
07/19/2024
An Example of Inherent Racism
07/14/2024
Current, Upcoming Events
07/04/2024
June 2024
No Real Recourse For Discrimination
06/30/2024
A Personal Statement of Strength and Well-Being
06/25/2024
Juneteenth Reflections
06/24/2024
Reflections on 2023-2025
06/21/2024
Reactions and Reflections Re: Juneteenth
06/19/2024
As Our Organization Grows, Villagers Recall Personal Highlights
06/17/2024
From the Outgoing President
06/17/2024
Letter from the Incoming President: Beginning Our ‘Lagniappe’ Year
06/17/2024
The Editorial Team Looks Back: Creating the Voice of the Village
06/17/2024
This Year's Resource Fair was the Most Successful Ever
06/17/2024
Telling the Whole Story
06/12/2024
Nashville
06/10/2024
May 2024
Emergency Preparedness: Are You Ready?
05/28/2024
Farewell from the 2023/24 Social Work Interns
05/28/2024
Gina on the Horizon
05/28/2024
Mark Your Calendars for the Healthy Aging Research California Virtual Summit
05/28/2024
Meet Our New Development Associate
05/28/2024
Putting the Strategic Plan into Practice
05/28/2024
Washington Park: Pasadena’s Rediscovered Gem
05/28/2024
Introducing Civil Rights Discussions
05/22/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2417
05/14/2024
Rumor of Humor #2418
05/14/2024
Springtime Visitors
05/07/2024
Freezing for a Good Cause – Credit, That Is
05/02/2024
No Discussion Meeting on May 3rd
05/02/2024
An Apparently Normal Person Author Presentation and Book-signing
05/01/2024
Flintridge Center: Pasadena Village’s Neighbor That Changes Lives
05/01/2024
Pasadena Celebrates Older Americans Month 2024
05/01/2024
The 2024 Pasadena Village Volunteer Appreciation Lunch
05/01/2024
Woman of the Year: Katy Townsend
05/01/2024
April 2024
Rumor of Humor #2410
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2411
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2412
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2413
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2414
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2415
04/28/2024
Rumor of Humor #2416
04/28/2024
Stimulated by "Caste"
04/22/2024
Tulsa reparations, Religion and Politics
04/09/2024
March 2024
Trumps War with Black Women
03/31/2024
Addressing The Needs of Older Adults Through Pasadena Village
03/25/2024
Coming Soon: More Resources for Older Americans, Online and in Person
03/25/2024
Community Building Locally and Nationally
03/25/2024
Preparing for the Future with Ready or Not
03/25/2024
Volunteering is at The Heart of the Village
03/25/2024
Women's Liberation: Then and Now
03/25/2024
Writing Memoirs Together
03/25/2024
Current Views on Current Events
03/20/2024
Unchained
03/18/2024
Rumr of Humor issue # 2409
03/10/2024
Blacks Portrayed by European Artists
03/03/2024
Rumor of Humor #2408
03/03/2024
February 2024
Caring for Ourselves and Each Other
02/27/2024
Doug Colliflower Honored
02/27/2024
Great Decisions Connects Us to the Worldwide Community
02/27/2024
Letter from the President
02/27/2024
Pasadena Village's Impact
02/27/2024
The Power of Touch
02/27/2024
Villages as a New Approach to Aging
02/27/2024
Addressing Gang Violence in Pasadena-Altadena
02/21/2024
Rumor of Humor Issue 2407
02/19/2024
Thank You For Caring.
02/12/2024
Rumor of Humor 2405
02/11/2024
Curve Balls
02/10/2024
Sylvan Lane
02/10/2024
Rumor of Humor 2404
02/09/2024
Larry Duplechan, Blacks in Film
02/03/2024
January 2024
Pasadena Village Joins Community Partners in Vaccination Campaign
01/29/2024
Rumor of Humor #2403
01/28/2024
Pasadena Village Joins Two Healthy Aging Resource Projects
01/25/2024
Decluttering: Do It Now
01/24/2024
Village Volunteers Contribute to the Huntington Magic
01/24/2024
Villagers Creating Community
01/24/2024
Villagers Reflect on Black History Month
01/24/2024
Walk With Ease, 2024
01/24/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Wide Ranging Discussion on Current Issues
01/22/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2402
01/21/2024
Rumor of Humor # 2401
01/15/2024
Re- Entry Programs, a Personal Experience
01/08/2024
Alma Stokes, The Struggle in Pasadena
By Richard MyersPosted: 07/25/2024
Notes by Sharon Jarrett
The 1619 Lingering Imprint Discussion Group met on July 19, 2024 at 12:00 PM PST. The group had a guest speaker, Alma Stokes, a Pasadena resident of many decades. The meeting was recorded and is available on the Pasadena Village YouTube channel.
Mrs. Stokes has been a teacher and social activist in the community for many decades. She and her husband came to Pasadena in 1953. They both grew up in San Bernardino and felt there was more opportunity in Pasadena. Over time she moved from working for the postal service to being a teacher at Washington Elementary School. She became a teacher following her husband's passing. They had four children and the school system offered her options, although limited, particularly in the school where she was assigned.
She began her social justice work by starting a program to assist abused children and families. The focus of this program was understanding the state, city and community programs and services available to families.
The daughter of an AME pastor, Mrs. Stokes attended St. Barnabas Episcopal, Brown Memorial and Scott Methodist churches over a period of time. She is currently a member of the All Saints Episcopal Congregation. She responded to questions about the current process of coming together and healing in process between St. Barnabas and All Saints. This was necessitated by the history of separation of the two churches based on racial separation.
Dick Myers then asked Mrs. Stokes if she had seen progress over time in terms of race and equality. Mrs. Stokes referenced Allensworth, CA and Tulsa, OK and the destruction of these communities compared to the present time. She believes people work hard and desire to see their lives improve. There are opportunities for people of diverse backgrounds and these people are meeting one another. While all that is true, she indicated the schools are more segregated currently. She is hopeful good educational programs will bring more families into the schools and end this.
When asked by an attendee what participants could do to help this coming together, Mrs. Stokes stressed the need to foster connections in the community, promote understanding between diverse people and learn history. She concluded with sharing her belief that individual stories are critical to fostering understanding. She suggested participants in Pasadena join the Pasadena Educational Foundation, find ways to help the schools, volunteer with Young and Healthy and support programs like Union Station.
The participants and Pasadena Village members will follow up on these suggestions.
The next meeting of the Civil Rights Movement Discussion Group, hosted by Jim Hendrick, will be in the office on Wednesday, August 28 at 1pm and registration for members only is required. We will celebrate the 61st anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom and hear Martin Luther King, Jr give his “I Have a Dream” speech.
The last meeting of this group ended with a very interesting discussion about the difficulties in values of meetings between blacks and whites and the natural inhibitions to speak frankly. This is the kind of discussion that is particularly hard to hold.
In our September 20th meeting, we will have a special guest, Betty Kilby, who previously spoke to us about her book, Cousins. This presentation was about two branches of a family rediscovering one another and coming together. Betty was very much a part of the integration of Virginia schools and her upcoming presentations will focus on those events rather than no her family relationships. We look forward to hearing her again.
In our only August meeting, on August 16th at 12pm Pacific, we would like to talk about the current situation at that point of the campaign for the presidency. It’s hard to predict the nature of the conversation at this point except that it will certainly involve issues of race. We look forward to continuing these discussions with the hope of improving the world we live in.
As always, we welcome guest so if you have friends who might be interested, feel free to pass this info on to them.