Art Church: Social Justice Workshops Come to Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Downtown Fredericksburg has been a witness to intense scenes in history.

One can never really divorce the forces of the past in a city built on Native Land, built by the labor of enslaved Africans. Remnants of the past, well preserved through the city’s history bring an unusual amount of economic revenue by way of selling confederate imagery, antiques and through Racism Tourism, that is, people traveling to our city only to visit the Confederate Cemetery, the plantations which use romanticized language to white wash the horrors of slavery, to jeer and take photos at the auction block and treat Fredericksburg residents of Color poorly.

Just like the horrible history of white supremacy exists in Fredericksburg, so does the rich history of the amazing activists that have called Fredericksburg their home from James Farmer to Gaye Adegbalola and every fighter since them, Fredericksburg has movingly mobilized to call out hate in our community and grow to be more inclusive.

Artists, community activists and faith leaders are coming together this Saturday September 14th from noon to 3pm for a Free and informative workshop on how to be an ally to immigrant communities.

Focusing on our area first, we will hear presentations from local organizers doing immigrant justice work in our city and beyond, activists like DACAmented immigrant Aide Sanchez, who arrived in New York City in October of the year 2000, at the age of 13. She graduated from our local high school in 2005 with dreams of going to college; However, because she lacked legal status, Aide did not know how to make those dreams happen. In 2006 she started attending a local community college paying out of pocket and at an out-of-state tuition rate. She obtained her associate degree in 2012, and had plans to transfer to George Mason University, but when her partner was detained by ICE and under deportation proceedings this forced the family to use their savings to pay for legal fees, phone bills, and all the expenses one incurs while in detention plus taking care of their 3-year-old child. Thanks to theDream.US scholarship Ms. Sanchez was able to start again on her dream of going to college in the fall of 2015, going to school full time while working full time at FAHASS. She graduated in 2017 from George Mason University with a degree in Neuroscience. While working at FAHASS she has been tasked with reaching out to the Latinx community in our area, and as part of that outreach, she and other Latinxs from different organizations in the Fredericksburg area are planning a Latinx festival called “La Rumba en Fredericksburg”. La Rumba will be a festival celebrating Latinx culture, while also providing the community with free health screenings and resources for their well-being. There will be live music, a DJ, traditional food from a variety of countries, as well as craft vendors and resource tables. We will learn more about this event and Aide's work and learn more on how to support a local NOVA lawyers group traveling to the border to provide legal services to asylum seekers arriving at the border.

Church World Services state advocates will teach us about Sanctuary from historical church practice to modern times movements and give time for faith leaders in the area to ask questions. Information on how to get involved in the State as well as the local level will be provided by Saint Solaris Strategies, a creative consulting agency aiming at facilitating “Uncomfortable Conversations that Create Change.”

This free to the public workshop will be held this Saturday, September 14th from noon to 3pm at Liberty Town Arts Center, in the upstairs studio. Bring your pastor and a friend!