AMHERST — Amherst’s efforts to make reparations to those of African ancestry will be the focus of a Mojuba, also known as a “we give reverence to” event, on Sunday afternoon.
Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Unitarian Meetinghouse, 121 North Pleasant St., Bridge4Unity, a regional multiracial bridging group, will stage the event, which will include an opening ceremony to honor African ancestors in the tradition of the Yoruba people.
Among those who will be remembered are the 78 Black residents of Amherst in 1860 and Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
Amilcar Shabazz, a Bridge4Unity member who is helping to organize the event, says he hopes it will leave a footprint on the path to a genuine shrine to Black ancestors in Amherst. He adds this is likely the first public event in Amherst to incorporate an honoring of Black ancestors.
Bridge4Unity members Rose Sackey-Milligan and Trevor Baptiste will lead reverential libations and prayers at an improvised altar while accompanied by drumming and dancing, and the initial portion of the event ends with songs from the Amherst Area Gospel Choir.
Then there will be a brief history of the efforts to establish Black reparations in the United States. Shabazz will moderate a panel of the town’s African Heritage Reparations Assembly, who will review and discuss efforts to study and develop reparations proposals. Following this, members of Bridge4Unity will lead small groups of the audience in facilitated dialogue about reparations to explore ideas and answer questions, before concluding with next steps.
Bridge4Unity was founded in 2017 by Deborah Snow and friends, along with Karuna Center founder Paula Green.
Residents who will be voting in person on Tuesday in the Massachusetts election will have to go to their regular polling locations, which will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Following are the precincts and locations in Amherst:
Precinct 1A, North Zion Korean Church, Church Hall, 1193 North Pleasant St.; Precinct 1B, Immanuel Lutheran Church, 867 North Pleasant St.; Precincts 2A, 3A, 4A and 4B Amherst Regional High School, 21 Mattoon St.; Precinct 2B, Fort River School, 70 South East St.; Precinct 3B, Crocker Farm School, 280 West St.; Precinct 5A, Bangs Community Center, 70 Boltwood Walk; and Precinct 5B, Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St.
A breakfast to honor veterans will be held Nov. 11 at 9:30 a.m. at the Bangs Community Center, followed by a ceremony on the North Common to recognize those who have served in the armed forces.
The Salute to Veterans breakfast will be free for veterans, while tickets for guests are $7.
The first breakfast, with a meal prepared by students at Smith Vocational and Agricultural School in Northampton, was held in 2019 and coordinated by Central Hampshire Veterans Services and the Amherst Senior Center, but had to be put off the last two years during the pandemic.
Dorothy Cresswell and Katie Tolles will be the special guests at the next Song & Story Swap, being held in person at the First Congregational Church, 165 Main St., or via Zoom and YouTube, Saturday at 7 p.m.
To listen to the folksingers online, go to https://pvfs.us/register-for-swap and https://pvfs.us/livestream-swap.
The monthly Song & Story Swap, in its 27th year, is sponsored by the Pioneer Valley Folklore Society of Western Massachusetts.
The Beneski Museum of Natural History at Amherst College is holding its seventh annual “Identify It Day” on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.
There is no admission to the event, on the second floor of the museum, where experts will look at fossils, seashells, rocks, meteorites, feathers, leaves and photographs of mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, flowers and insects. As they attempt to identify people’s discoveries, specimens in the collection will be shown.
MONDAY: Local Historic District Commission, 3 p.m.,and joint meeting of Town Council, School Committee and Jones Library trustees, 7 p.m.
TUESDAY: Public Shade Tree Committee, 5 p.m., hearing on removal of red maple at 479 West St.
THURSDAY: Community Preservation Act Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals, both at 6 p.m.