Co-authored by @20somethingggg and @anonblogger24
Over the summer the Harrisonburg City Council approved a rezoning for the West Mosby Road property that will allow the Beverley J. Searles Foundation to build an 80-unit multi-family housing development and an 84-unit senior living facility there. The HRHA stands for Harrisonburg Redevelopment & Housing Authority, and they plan to issue revenue bonds to a developer for West Mosby Road for the two units. Bonds will provide tax exempt funding from the VA department of housing & community development to go to construction of the projects. This would provide more affordable housing in the area. “I think it’s a real opportunity for us to be able to address or put a dent in the housing challenges within our local community. A specific need is one-bedroom units and both of the developments will provide access to that,” said HRHA Executive Director Michael Wong. This is exciting news for more affordable housing in the Friendly City of Harrisonburg, VA!
The Women’s Convention is a weekend of workshops, strategy sessions, inspiring forums, creative expression, and intersectional movement building. It will be a place where cause, community, and creativity intersect. The MomsRising organization are a transformative on-the-ground and online multicultural organization of more than a million members and over a hundred aligned organizations working to increase family economic security, to end discrimination against women and mothers, and to build a nation where both businesses and families can thrive The MomsRising had a booth at the convention to promote the program (known as “New Beacons” or “New Beacon Leaders”) committed to developing their leadership and organizing skills as they take action and help build the MomsRising movement in their communities. A valuable quote to support their message is from Audre Lorde, she said: “There is no such thing as a single-issue struggle because we do not live single-issue lives.”
For our second national piece we discussed the passing of former first lady Rosalynn Carter. Although Carter was in the White House a long time ago, she fought for many issues that are still relevant today. Carter was an advocate for mental health, feminism, and most importantly the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). In class we discussed the many standpoints that surround the ERA including divorce, alimony, and women having to register for the draft. We also discussed what role we believe the first lady (or first man) should play in today’s nation.
Our global piece surrounded women’s rights in Russia. The New York Times article that we discussed in class talked about the many ways that the Russian government is attempting to suppress feminism. The article specifically talked about how two women, Svetlana Petriychuk and Zhenya Berkovich were arrested for play “Finist, the Bright Falcon” that they created. The arrest is just one of the many ways that the Russian government is currently trying to silence feminist movements. In class we discussed the many issues that an influential nation like Russia can pose on the rest of the world.
ShoutOut! James Madison University 