Stand Together: February Edition
- Emily Grant
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Words from Emily Grant, curator of the Stand Together list serv
Each month the Dismantling Racism Task Force sends Stand Together, a curated list of local events, books, podcasts & movies to help us learn, grow and celebrate the beautiful and complicated diversity of this community! In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing the February edition of Stand Together. If you would like to receive this monthly (sometimes more) email office@wrpc.org
It's Been a Month...
Between the whirlwind of news and the whirlwind of weather, it feels pretty cold out there. It's hard to know where to begin. Reflecting on the month of February...the month of celebrating Black History, St. Valentine, Presidents Washington and Lincoln, and this year Ramadan and Ash Wednesday...we can stay rooted in truth, love, leadership, reflection, and standing together as the complicated, diverse, and imperfect community we are.
So let's begin...
...perhaps with prayers for peace exemplified by the group of Buddhist monks passing through with purpose or and at free Yoga for Peace at WRPC, 9:30 am Wednesday mornings through the first week of March, with any donations going to a peace project.
...perhaps with meditation and reflection
like this one by Cameron Trimble recommended by Sarah Rand: Trust Your Eyes, Not the Lies
or this one by Rev Barber recommended by Karen Jo: A Man Was Lynched Yesterday
or this essay by David Cecelski: What is There to Fear?
or this interview by Ezra Klein suggested by Liz Cilem: James Talarico’s Beautiful Answer to Christian Nationalism | The Ezra Klein Show
...perhaps by study and action
by downloading a Black History Month Toolkit 2026 | NC AAHC
or the PW Justice and Peace Calendar: Click here to download the PDF
or being sure you are registered to vote: Review your registration to make sure it's accurate, and make sure you're not on the Registration Repair list (February 6, is the last day to register if you want to vote in person on March 3, Election Day for the spring primaries. If you miss the deadline or want to vote before Election Day, you can register and vote on the same day during early voting, February 12-28.)
or contacting your legislators about what issues are important to you: Thank them for their service and remind them that they represent you. Tell them when you support what they are doing and when you don’t agree with their positions. Some examples:
...perhaps by community gathering for learning, celebrating, organizing, acting in faith at one or more of the events/opportunities listed below:
February 1-28 - Living in Color | Dix Park Curated by Raleigh Film and Art Festival and hosted in partnership with Dix Park, this riveting exhibit is a month-long display of visual art representing the experience of people of color living in the south.
Friday, February 6 @ 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. - A Taste of Black History: The Power of Story at the Cary Senior Center. Quilts from the collaborative project between WRPC and Wilson Temple "Portraits of Resistance & Resilience Exhibit" will be featured. Velma Boyd and Barbara Blackburn, two of the quilters as well as Willa Brigham, storyteller, inspirational and motivational speaker, and performing artist, will be part of the program.
Saturday, February 7 @ 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. Slavery and Freedom at Stagville: Free Tours. In honor of Black History Month, visit Stagville on February 7 for FREE guided tours exploring the history of slavery, freedom, and resistance in North Carolina. Stagville’s land and buildings reveal powerful stories of slavery and freedom. As you visit the site for Black History Month, we invite you to remember the enslaved and emancipated people who shaped Stagville and North Carolina. Guided tours last about 75-90 minutes, and include outdoor walking and driving. No reservations are required! Check in at the Stagville visitors center to join a scheduled tour.
Saturday, February 7, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. John Chavis Memorial Park, 505 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Raleigh, is hosting a Black History Month Celebration FREE
Monday, February, 6-8 p.m. A Century of Black History Commemorations” with Dasan Ahanu and Dr. Freddie Parker FREE | Drakeford Library Complex, Carrboro
February 11-14: Join members and friends of WRPC for a very powerful MORAL MARCH, organized by Repairers of the Breach. The March, called ‘This Is Our Selma’ will travel from Wilson to Raleigh, 2/11-2/13, from 9:00 am – 1:00 pm each day. The Mass People’s Assembly, called ‘It’s Time to Love Forward’ takes place in Raleigh on 2/14.
February 13-March 1: Pipeline — The Justice Theater Project. Nya, an African-American public high school teacher, sees struggling kids funneled from detention to suspension to expulsion to juvie. She’s enrolled her own son in private school in hopes of avoiding this pipeline, but he’s on the verge of being kicked out. A teacher–and mother–fights for her son’s future as the world pulls him away.
Friday, Feb. 20, 5-7 p.m. - Black Superhero Gallery @ City of Raleigh Museum. Learn the history of African American comic book superheroes then and now. Join Grady Bussey for a discussion and display of historic comic books.
February 21, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. - Echoes of Change: Resilience Against Oppression Walking Tour explores the NC State Capitol and NC Freedom Park as sites of resistance in North Carolina by examining how physical spaces and the people connected to them have shaped struggles for justice in the 20th century.
February 21-22 - Black History Trolley Tour | Raleighnc.gov
February 25, 6:30-8:00 p,m. - Dr. M.T. Pope House Presents: Evelyn’s Book Club | Raleighnc.gov
February 28, 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. 25th Annual African American Cultural Celebration North Carolina Museum of Art. This free festival features performances, panels, storytelling and more. It takes place inside and outside.
Theologies of Resistance Speakers: It’s weekly. It’s on Zoom. It’s free. The lectures + conversations will cover a wide range of theologies of resistance with spectacular lecturers and teachers--including Dr. Hanna Reichel who recently published, For Such A Time As This: An Emergency Devotional. There will be folks from across the country attending, and you can attend all the Zooms or just the ones that peak your interest. If you’re curious or want to know more, see the attached flyer and syllabus for the course. The Zoom link for the course is hyperlinked in the syllabus. Although the first few lectures have already happened, still some good opportunities to come!
Note: As refugees and immigrants continue to face unprecedented attacks and aggressive enforcement tactics, it is essential to understand what is happening and how you can take action.
Whatever you choose, this month, let us take a deep breath....pray, reflect, meditate, gather, learn, celebrate, act, stand together and show love. Let's begin...together! See you out there!