The Multicultural Council is thrilled to present the 8th annual Day of Inclusion on Saturday, December 8, 2018  from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Cesar Chavez Community Center in Riverside.  This year’s theme is “Memories of Migration:  Diverse Journeys.”  This is a broad and exciting theme.  The Multi-Cultural Council wants the December 8th program to “kick off” the theme of migration and immigration to the Inland region.  The Inlandia Institute and Riverside Art Museum are serving as Day of Inclusion co-sponsors this year.  Inlandia  facilitated a writing workshop on September 30th using inspirations by the Tlatilco exhibition.  On November 18th, Inlandia will present a workshop focusing on Codex Rodriguez-Mondragon and Refugee Stories as a spark for writing migration stories. We hope there will be more such examples of collaboration.

The Keynote Speaker is Karthick Ramakrishnan.  He is a professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside and a founding director of the Center for Social Innovation. He is a board member of the California Endowment and  the Chair of the California Commission on APIA (Asian and Pacific Islander Americans) Affairs.

In 2009, California Assembly member Mike Eng authored Assembly Concurrent Resolution 76 designating December 17 as the “Day of Inclusion in the state of California to remember, learn from and celebrate our diverse immigrant heritage.  Riverside Mayor Rusty Bailey has committed to proclaim December 17, 2018, as the Day of Inclusion in Riverside.

This event is free and family-friendly.  Light refreshments and crafts will also be available.  Please join us for this very special and timely event.

We are having a yard sale to raise funds for support of programs of the Riverside Metropolitan Museum.  Lots of unique items for sale–furniture, jewelry, and whatever else we can find.  Come early for best pick.

In order for the Riverside Museum Associates to align with the new vision of the Museum, we are embarking on a journey to develop our own strategic plan. Our first step has been taken with the completion of a visioning session on April 18, attended by active volunteers of the RMA. This strategic planning workshop was a series of exercises in which the participants brainstormed to define who we are and where we excel and who we want to be and what we want to do. It was an active and productive afternoon showing our solidarity and strengths. Armed with the results of this workshop, we now move on to the next step of gathering together a committee to take a good look at the RMA, envision what we want the RMA to be and do, and develop a Strategic Plan.

In order to do this right, we need a committee of lovers of the museum and the RMA membership to help us. We need caretakers of memory, visionaries, planners, detail-oriented people and those who can help us connect all these skills in our working group. If you want more information or are interested in working with us in this important process, please contact Peggy Barnhart (peggybarnhart19@yahoo.com) or Robin Whittington (desertair@sbcglobal.net). We will endeavor to answer your questions and to share with you our enthusiasm for this growing opportunity.