The Tendaji Talks – Blacks and the UAW

The Tendaji Talks

June 7 – Blacks and the UAW

June 16 – Alchemy of the Soul: An African Centered Education

FLINT – June 1, 2016 – Neighborhoods Without Borders continues its Tendaji Talks series in June with conversations on Flint’s African American history and a close examination on racism.

Retired automotive employee Donald Talbert will talk about the UAW and its treatment of and impact on Black employees Tuesday, June 7. He will also talk about the changes in the union over his 30+ years on the job.

University of Michigan-Flint professor Joyce Piert, Ph.D., will offer a new educational model for children of color Thursday, June 16. Piert will explore this model with the audience that includes community, cultural and spiritual elements to offset the constant bombardment of racism. All lectures are free and open to the public.

The talks begin at 6 p.m. at the Flint Public Library in Flint.

The series includes two community conversations each month: Tackling Systemic Racism and the African American History of Flint. Tackling Systemic Racism conversations will take place the third Thursday of each month. The African American history series will take place the first Tuesdays.

The Tendaji Talks are sponsored by Flint’s Neighborhoods Without Borders (NWB), to commemorate the life and contributions of Tendaji W. Ganges, who died in 2015 after retiring after 20 years as director of the Office of Educational Opportunity Initiatives. Ganges was among the co-founders of NWB.

For more than 40 years including his time at UM-Flint, he dedicated over 40 years to pre-college and college level students by serving as a mentor and teacher. He served on numerous professional and community boards and committees including the Board of Directors of the Urban League of Greater Flint, membership on the Flint Big Brothers/Big Sisters Mentoring Task Force, the Flint Community Action Group, the Flint Community Leadership Summit and Planning Group, 100 Black Men of Flint, and the Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce.

NWB is a community-based network of residents who use an asset-based approach to work on critical Flint issues and their root causes. NWB works to dismantle systemic and institutional racism.

Funding to support this project has come from the Ruth Mott Foundation, C.S. Mott Foundation, Genesee County Health Department, UM-Flint School of Education and Human Services, MSU Center for Community and Economic Development, and Charlie Nelms. Additional community partners include the Flint Public Library and Metro Community Development, Inc.

Notes:

Neighborhood Without Borders Contacts:

Bob Brown
Associate Director
Center for Community and Economic Development – Flint
University Outreach and Engagement
Michigan State University
1615 E. Michigan Ave
Lansing, Mi 48912
Phone: 517-353-9555
Flint office and Cell: 810-845-1767
brownr23@msu.edu

or

Donna Ullrich, MA, JD
Leo Lecturer
UM-Flint Communications & Visual Arts
810-766-6679
cell: 810-730-1590
dullrich@umflint.edu