This month, AFSC celebrates 104 years since our founding in 1917. Throughout our history, AFSC has often been on the forefront of social change movements, carrying out work that many considered experimental and sometimes taking unpopular stands on controversial issues.
As an AFSC alum, you are part of our work for peace and justice around the globe. I thank you for your support of AFSC and your dedication to creating a world where the rights and dignity of all are respected.
With deep appreciation,
Tonya Histand
Alumni Director
Alumni news & notes
Tarana Burke worked for AFSC as a grant writer but is best known as the founder of the #MeToo movement. She recently signed a deal with CBS studios to produce documentary content with a goal of telling the stories of people who have long been underrepresented.
After the end of the Vietnam War, Jacqui Chagnon worked in Laos with AFSC as part of the organization’s effort to educate Americans about the devastation of U.S. cluster munitions. Today she sits on the board of the War Legacies Project, which documents the long-term effects of Agent Orange and provides humanitarian aid to its victims—work that was recently profiled in The New York Times magazine.
Following decades of protests from indigenous activists, state Sen. Jo Comerford, who directed AFSC's western Massachusetts program, supported a successful bill that will create a commission to recommend a new state seal and motto for Massachusetts.
Last year, Christian Ramirez, who served as national coordinator for AFSC’s immigrant rights programs, started a mutual aid stand in his front yard to distribute produce from his garden. Now, with the help of volunteers, the “Table of Hope and Justice” operates seven days a week and provides produce, canned goods, and personal protective equipment to about 300 families a week.
Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, who worked for AFSC for 23 years, was recently part of a group of international readers who recreated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic “Beyond Vietnam” address at the Riverside Church.
Olivia Zink worked for AFSC's Governing Under the Influence project in New Hampshire and served on the New Hampshire Program Committee. Recently she was recently appointed as interim mayor for the city of Franklin, New Hampshire.
Do you have news to share? Email us today!
Archive dive
In April 1963, when Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” on scraps of paper in his cell, his supporters turned to AFSC to publish the letter in its entirety. It was widely distributed in advance of the March on Washington.
AFSC today
It’s time to stop wasting our taxpayer dollars on war and militarism and invest in our communities. Each year, about two-thirds of the United States' budget is spent on militarized responses to problems—including the Pentagon, immigration enforcement, and policing. This money could have a transformative impact on things that make our communities healthy, safe, and strong—like education, universal health care, and peacebuilding. Tell Congress: Stop spending our tax dollars on weapons and war and reinvest in our communities!
Reports of anti-Asian violence and harassment are once again on the rise—including the horrific murders of six Asian women in a mass shooting in Atlanta. Today it’s as critical as ever that we do all that we can to stop it in its tracks. Read the perspectives of AFSC staff who share their experiences on being Asian in the U.S.—and their hopes for moving forward in working to stop anti-Asian violence.
And check out this resource on how you can help respond to racism and build the safe and peaceful communities we all deserve.
More ways to take action and connect with AFSC
Register for our webinar series exploring how communities across the U.S. are working toward a future where we rely less on police—and ensure community safety for all.
Join us every Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT for our weekly Facebook Live events. Each week, AFSC staff members share updates on our work and how you can take action with us. Click this link to join the livestream on Thursdays.
Visit our Get Involved page for action alerts, upcoming events, and more.
Are you interested in receiving life income while supporting AFSC? A gift annuity is easy to arrange. Reach out to GiftPlanning@afsc.org or visit us online.
Thank you for reading our AFSC Alumni Newsletter! To learn more about our Alumni Network and connect with former friends and colleagues, visit our webpage and Facebook group. You can also email me questions and suggestions.