tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76639078247957288882026-07-30T13:06:08.468-04:00Cultural observations after the first cup of coffee in the morning.Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.comBlogger415125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-83379937720139138302021-07-19T12:16:00.002-04:002021-07-19T13:16:01.353-04:00

The Colored Conventions Project is an exciting online archive that brings to life the formal gatherings of black folks committed to equal rights and uplift from the antebellum era through post-Reconstruction America. In addition, a number of digital exhibits provide context and content regarding these conventions, which were designed to mobilize the African American community and its white allies

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-61041562030356692182021-06-02T13:58:00.007-04:002021-06-02T14:02:29.749-04:00

This Saturday, June 5 from 9:00 - 11:30 AM, the Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation will once again host the Family Fishing Derby at Cedar Brook Park. I have attended the derbies in the past--the kids always have lots of fun, and they enjoy the prizes. No license is necessary on this free day of fishing, but children must be accompanied by an adult

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-10621245530540562562021-05-29T18:04:00.005-04:002021-05-29T18:06:10.643-04:00

 Today marks the one year anniversary of Dan Damon's death. Along with a host of other friends, family, colleagues, and comrades, I miss Dan. If I had a chance to tell him once more, I would say it very simply: "You were a good friend." Dan was the person who encouraged me to blog...I haven't had the time to do so in several months, but today seemed fitting. I hope he

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-65243692724554909952020-10-06T15:46:00.001-04:002020-10-06T15:46:14.697-04:00

This past Saturday, Union County held another food distribution event at Cedar Brook Park in Plainfield, co-sponsored by Community FoodBank of New Jersey. I joined a small army of volunteers, along with my Freeholder colleagues Chairman Alexander Mirabella and Freeholder Andrea Staten, to distribute food boxes to residents (drive-up and walk-up) who are experiencing food insecurity due to the

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-58115024441430721082020-04-01T13:23:00.000-04:002020-04-01T14:54:12.432-04:00

The Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation has teamed up with the Plainfield Public School District's Food Services Director Dre James of Maschio's Food Services' Inc. to ensure that children have an opportunity to participate in a "take home" Easter Egg Hunt. Recreation has prepared special kits for families to have their own egg hunt at home. Each bag includes 10 candy-filled Easter eggs

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-49069648481430141412020-03-20T10:41:00.001-04:002020-03-20T10:41:12.745-04:00

Cross-posted on https://freeholderrebecca.blogspot.com As we move to contain COVID-19, Union County is providing additional support services to our constituents during this stressful time. Please read the press release below about these services. As noted below: "Comprehensive information and guidance about COVID-19 is available online at nj.gov/health. For updates on Union County

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-8632743250114345512020-02-24T00:30:00.000-05:002020-02-24T00:30:08.127-05:00

Author Octavia E. Butler, 1947 - 2006. #journeythroughblackness

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-5212839278340709392020-02-23T00:01:00.000-05:002020-02-23T00:01:11.370-05:00

#journeythroughblackness Black Reconstruction/Begins with radical thought/Followed by action.  W.E.B. DuBois, (1868-1963), by Van Vechten, 1946.

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-19527737072032196262020-02-22T00:01:00.000-05:002020-02-22T00:01:09.667-05:00

“We want more soul, a higher cultivation of all spiritual faculties. We need more unselfishness, earnestness, and integrity. We need men and women whose hearts are the homes of high and lofty enthusiasm and a noble devotion to the cause of emancipation, who are ready and willing to lay time, talent, and money on the altar of universal freedom.” --Frances E.W. Harper, The Anglo-African

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-84676571409917367402020-02-21T00:01:00.000-05:002020-02-21T00:01:02.149-05:00

Malcolm X was assassinated on February 21, 1965. I would urge folks to watch the new documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X?, now showing on Netflix. It is an absorbing, 6-part series that has raised enough questions to prompt a new look at the case by the Manhattan district attorney. Click here for an article on the series. #journeythroughblackness Malcolm X proved that Intellect is a potent

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-3373207026579897872020-02-20T00:01:00.000-05:002020-02-20T00:01:08.749-05:00

Frederick Douglass, born ca. 1818, d. February 20, 1895. #journeythroughblackness If we must speak of heroes Let us remember Douglass Abolition’s soul.

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-60862305218043424032020-02-19T00:01:00.000-05:002020-02-19T00:01:10.795-05:00

Several years ago, I started posting images of prominent African American artists (writers, performers, dancers, painters, sculptors, etc.) from the Van Vechten archive at Yale University. Many of the portraits were newly digitized back then, so they had not been seen in volume prior to that time. For Black History Month, I thought I would revisit some of these images. This first one is of

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-28548393725982334832020-02-18T00:02:00.000-05:002020-02-18T00:02:02.539-05:00

Author Toni Morrison, born February 18, 1931 - d. August 5, 2019. #journeythroughblackness

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-5659128906619712382020-02-17T13:56:00.003-05:002020-02-17T19:46:13.162-05:00

Last month, my Journey Through Blackness took me to Frances Harper's house in Philadelphia, and then to Eden Cemetery where she is buried. The cemetery was closed, so I will have to go back on another day.  #journeythroughblackness Today's Journey through Blackness culminated at Cooper’s Point Ferry (pictured below) on Camden's waterfront, which has now been marked as one

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-23261963212429056862020-02-07T10:37:00.000-05:002020-02-07T10:37:52.132-05:00

Today is National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, held annually on February 7. This year's theme is “We're In This, Together.” Here in the United States, even as we have seen some decreases, the statistics remain alarming for African Americans. Black people continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS, and today is a day that we can

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-15383882050539318722020-01-15T10:07:00.000-05:002020-01-15T10:07:50.202-05:00

I wanted to take a moment to wish everyone a very Happy New Year! I have been so busy over the past couple of months that I have not posted to my blogs. I am excited about what this new year will bring, and I hope you are as well.  This year, I want to focus more on writing about cultural events, literature, and film, but I will continue to post information about (mostly) local

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-397215401856637162019-11-04T03:26:00.001-05:002019-11-04T03:48:20.321-05:00

Why I am Running for Freeholder  By Rebecca Williams  About Me:             I am a full-time faculty member of the English Department in the Division of Humanities at Essex County College. As a Freeholder, I serve on the following committees: Chair, Policy and Administrative Code Committee; Member, Open Space, Recreation,

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-23920785803968466182019-10-23T12:26:00.004-04:002019-10-23T13:38:21.461-04:00

This Friday and Saturday (October 25 and 26), the Plainfield Rescue Squad (located at 700 West 7th Street in Plainfield--corner of Spooner Avenue) will host the PRS Cadet and Explorer 2nd Annual Haunted Rescue Squad and Harvest Festival! Last year, on a rainy and eerie night, the squad played host to hundreds of Plainfielders who came out in support of this fundraiser. I was one of those

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-45736307724313198022019-10-23T11:23:00.001-04:002019-10-23T11:23:12.736-04:00

Tomorrow, Thursday, October 24, beginning at 6:30 pm, the City of Plainfield will be co-hosting, with Address Yourself, a first-time home buyers workshop. The workshop will be held in the City Hall Library at Plainfield City Hall, 515 Watchung Avenue. Learn the ins and outs of purchasing and maintaining a home. Among the topics covered will be budgeting, credit repair, down payment

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-79163136474756106132019-07-30T12:16:00.001-04:002019-07-30T13:10:02.439-04:00

Many of you are probably aware that Plainfield will be using the new Express VoteXL voting machines beginning with the fall election on November 5, 2019. As your freeholder, I made a special request that Union County have a machine (along with staff) available at this year's National Night Out event on Tuesday, August 6 at Plainfield City Hall. The hands-on demonstrations of the new machines

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-45875490550330323372019-07-02T16:05:00.000-04:002019-07-02T16:05:26.011-04:00

Plainfield Hunger Heroes and Summer Food Service Program Coordinators Sharon Slater and Carolyn Thomas from the Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation continue to remind everyone that the program, in partnership with the Plainfield Public School District, is providing free summer meals to children (18 and under) at three sites: Hannah Atkins Playground, Rushmore Playground, and Seidler

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-25931389343780175042019-06-28T08:12:00.000-04:002019-06-28T08:15:18.048-04:00

Saturday, June 29 (that's tomorrow, folks) from 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, Plainfield will host "Pride in the Park," at the Parkside Picnic Area at Cedar Brook Park. This free, family-friendly event, presented by the Plainfield Pride Committee and the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation, and co-sponsored by the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders, will offer music, food,

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-31251510816514198222019-06-12T15:16:00.002-04:002019-06-13T09:47:45.042-04:00

I want to thank everyone who came out to our fantastic Plainfield Pride Flag-Raising and Block Party event last Thursday, June 6, and to our Union County Pride Flag-Raising on Friday, June 7. It was my honor and pleasure to serve as the Emcee for these wonderful events. But...Plainfield is not finished acknowledging and celebrating our LGBTQ community during this month of Pride! Please

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-18296102343352861882019-06-06T16:40:00.000-04:002019-06-13T09:47:53.199-04:00

I want to just take a moment to thank all those Plainfielders who came out in support of me, Assemblywoman Linda Carter, and the Plainfield team. Your faith in the work the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders has been doing held strong. I am grateful for your support, and I am thankful that my Freeholder colleagues, Chair Bette Jane Kowalski and Sergio Granados,&

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7663907824795728888.post-54572747252408536852019-05-24T13:04:00.001-04:002019-05-25T02:58:22.209-04:00

Once again, the Plainfield Division of Parks and Recreation will open the Hannah Atkins Pool on Memorial Day weekend, as the division has done in the five previous years. As noted in the flier below, the pool will be open on weekends, starting tomorrow, Saturday, May 25. It is only open on weekends until June 22, when the regular summer hours kick in. The other pools, at&nbsp

Rebecca Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02535860908030251931noreply@blogger.com0