This Community Event Will Feature Black History Education, Civic Engagement, Voter Registration, Organizational Resources, and a School-Supply Giveaway
Community Members of All Ages are Encouraged to Attend, Learn, Connect With Local Organizations
YONKERS, N.Y. — On Friday, August 28, 2026, at 6PM, the Yonkers Branch of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), VOCAL-NY, Popular Democracy, and the Release Aging People from Prison (RAPP) Campaign will host a community learning and resource event titled “Black August Matters: Remembering Our Past, Organizing Our Future.”
WHAT: Black August is an annual, month-long observance dedicated to honoring Black freedom fighters, remembering political prisoners, and highlighting the continuing struggle against racial, colonial, and systemic oppression. The program will feature a presentation by Professor Tony Van Der Meer, Professor of Black Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Representatives from each participating organization will also discuss their respective missions, programs, and opportunities for community involvement. Additional activities will include refreshments, tabling from community-based organizations, voter registration, and the distribution of school supplies.
WHO
- Professor Tony Van Der Meer, Professor of Black Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston
- Kisha Skipper, President of NAACP-YONKERS
- Dequi Kioni Sadiki, former Black Panther and Release Aging People from Prison (RAPP)
- Melita Corselli, Release Aging People from Prison (RAPP)
- Gaye Corselli, VOCAL-NY Westchester chapter
- Jawanza Williams, Popular Democracy
WHEN:
Friday, August 28, 2026
6:00PM – 8:00PM
WHERE:
Sarah Lawrence College Center for the Urban River at Beczak
35 Alexander Street, Yonkers, New York