AMHERST — A panel display taking people through the evolution of democracy in the United States is on the walls throughout Town Hall, the product of work done by Amherst’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department.
“United States Democracy: 250 Years in the Making” is the title of the exhibit that will be up through the end of July.
DEI Assistant Director Philip Avila told the Human Rights Commission at its July meeting that the information presented focuses on voting and constitutional rights, describing how these have impacted various groups throughout American history.
Part of the display is a timeline, which begins in 1142 with the Iroquis Confederacy, founded by the Great Peacemaker, making it the oldest participatory democracy in the world, and continues with the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation and various Supreme Court cases.
Other panels focus on specific groups, such as the rights for Black Americans, Asian Americans, Latine Americans, Native Americans, women, those with disabilities and youth.
For those who can’t get to Town Hall, the digital version running 22 pages is at: https://www.amherstma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/87415/4th-of-July-Panels-24-x-36_Updated?bidId=.
New church pastor
Goodwin Memorial A.M.E. Zion Church, located on Woodside Avenue, has a new permanent pastor with the recent appointment of the Rev. Janet Davenport.
Davenport was named to the position by Bishop George D. Crenshaw this spring, allowing her to stay on in the ministry she had previously started at the church.
“I am deeply honored to be entrusted with this sacred responsibility and to continue serving in a calling that has shaped and sustained my life path,” Davenport wrote in a Facebook post. “I offer heartfelt appreciation to Bishop Crenshaw for this opportunity, and to the Presiding Elder of the Hartford District Moses Harvill for his steadfast leadership, love and support.”
Davenport succeeds the Rev. Mary Smith-Gomes, who died in December and served Goodwin for five and a half years. Pastor Mary, as she was known, had guided the church in its mission through support of the Amherst Survival Center, the Women, Infant & Children Nutrition Program and clothing for people in Haiti.
In 1910, Goodwin opened the building it continues to occupy, making it the oldest African-American congregation in the northern Pioneer Valley.
Staff recognition
Two members of the town staff, Avila and Rome Cabrera, were recently recognized by the Massachusetts Municipal Association to further their professional development, according to a recent report from Town Manager Paul Bockelman.
Cabrera, who works in the Recreation Department, graduated from the MMA Certificate in Municipal Leadership and Management program in conjunction with Suffolk University.
Avilla was awarded the Nancy Galkowski Legacy Award, which can be used to assist with defraying the costs of professional development, training and mentoring opportunities. In 2019, Brianna Sunryd, the former director of communications and civic innovation who now chairs the Cable Television Advisory Committee, received the same award.
West African Drumming
A West African drumming workshop will be held at the Munson Memorial Library, 1046 South East St., Saturday at 3 p.m.
Jafar Manselle and the Wendell Warriors will begin the session by playing a short set of West African rhythms, and discuss the origins and meanings of the songs. Participants will then be shown basic hand placements to create the drum sounds and given drums to practice the basic sounds. The group will then explore a couple of songs together, playing main rhythms and supporting parts.
This program is for participants ages 14 and up, with instruments provided, though people are welcome to bring a drum. To register, call 413-259-3096 or send email to programs@joneslibrary.org.
At-home HIV tests
Chang Liu, associate professor in the Riccio College of Engineering at the University of Massachusetts, is receiving a $1.3 million award from the National Institutes for Health to advance proof-of-concept work toward commercialization of at-home HIV tests.
The idea is for people to be able to access at-home tests sensitive enough for early diagnosis that is comparable to, or exceeding, lab standards.
This could help get to 95% of people worldwide living with HIV to know their status. Currently, it is 87% of people who know their status, meaning that roughly 5.3 million individuals are unaware of their infection.
Liu, the primary investigator of the research, said lack of awareness is more serious in areas with limited resources, such as rural areas of the United States. “This population serves as a silent reservoir of transmission,” Liu said.
