Boston Poetry Marathon 2021 Fundraiser!

It’s summer, which means it's...BOSTON POETRY MARATHON time again! And this year we are raising funds for three organizations that fight for racial justice.

Usually, donations to the Boston Poetry Marathon go to cover the operating costs for the event. However, because we are online again this year, we decided to forgo taking donations toward the event and once again make this event a fundraiser.

We stand firmly with the Black Lives Matter movement and recognize that words of support must also be accompanied by concrete and meaningful action. Last year's fundraiser for the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) and SISTA Fire RI was an overwhelming success. We are supporting these organisations again this year, and, in support of the AAPI community and #StopAsianHate movement, we are also including a third organization: the Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC). We denounce the staggering rates of hate crimes towards the AAPI community during Covid, especiall with the more vulnerable populations being disproportionately targeted, with women reporting 2.3 times more hate incidents than men, and the elderly at especially acute risk.  Racism is a virus.

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The Organizations

Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM): The Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (ULEM) is one of the oldest affiliates within the National Urban League movement. Its mission is to enable adults in Eastern MA to overcome racial, social barriers, economic inequities, sexual and domestic violence to employment and economic development opportunities. For 100 years, ULEM’s programs and services have given hope to participants and made a lasting, impactful statement in the community. 

More info: https://www.ulem.org/

SISTA FIRE RI: SISTA FIRE seeks to support and nurture women of color to come together to build our collective power for social, economic and political transformation. We aim to connect the patterns and practices of community strength from the past, building on the present, and–-with great intentions–-planting the seeds for the future. We take lessons from our grandmas holding it down in Black Lives Matter, our Indigenous aunties fighting for their own homelands here, our trans sisters who fight for their rights to be who they are, and our immigrant and refugee mommas demonstrating their strength with unrelenting love and profound sacrifices.

More info: http://sistafireri.org/

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC): Since 1969, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) has been a vital presence in Greater Boston and beyond, empowering Asians and new immigrants to build healthy families, achieve greater economic success, and contribute to thriving communities. They provide a broad range of innovative programs and services centered around education, workforce development, family support, and arts and culture, leaving a significant and lasting impact on the lives of more than 13,000 children, youth, and adults every year.

More info: http://bcnc.net/ 

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Donations in any amount are very much appreciated! Be sure to follow our social media for updates--including more information about the work being done by these organizations. When the event wraps in August, we will divide up all donations between the three. 

In addition to your own donations, please also share this Go Fund Me campaign with your friends and community. 

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

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About The Boston Poetry Marathon— this year we are once again going virtual! 

The Boston Poetry Marathon is a poetry festival in which 100+ poets read their work throughout an entire weekend. It's a great time of year to wrangle a bunch of poets, and their friends and admirers, together to celebrate poetry. We invite diversity from our readers and audience: in voices, identities, and narratives. We have a lot of fun. We listen to lots of poems. We hang out and have a great time!

There is a lot going on in the world right now, and although things are finally opening up and looking up, our venue, The Community Church of Boston, is still closed for at least the next few months. After careful thought, we have decided to hold the Boston Poetry Marathon online one more time for 2021. We love our community and want you to be safe, and we hope that next year we will be back to celebrating in person.

We will hold our virtual event on Friday and Saturday, August 6 and 7 online. This year’s online Boston Poetry Marathon is going to be a great event! 

See our social media for the latest news and announcements about the event and details about how to tune in! We look forward to “seeing” you! 

With Love from the Organizers,

Suzanne Mercury, Christina Liu,  Xtina Strong, and Bridget Eileen

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Social Media & Websites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bostonpoetrymarathon 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bostonpoetrymarathon 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bospoetrymara 

Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/bospoetrymara 

Website: https://bostonpoetrymarathon.com