M.A.R.C.H Newsletter: December 2025
This e-newsletter shares what the MLK Association and its Community Outreach Providing Empowerment (COPE) Program is doing and offers other news, events, and stories that align with its efforts. Below are some items that are noteworthy.
As always, feel free to share any or all of these items or the entire e-newsletter.
Friends,
Many of us blame Donald Trump for what is going on, saying his words and actions open the door to the chaos of the world. We must remember that he gets validation for those things not only from those who actively support him but also from those who silently watch.
In his 1967 speech “Beyond Vietnam – A time to break silence” Dr. King admitted to realizing the truth of the statement “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”
He pointed out that “the truth of these words is beyond doubt, but the mission to which they call us is a most difficult one. Even when pressed by the demands of inner truth, men do not easily assume the task of opposing their government’s policy. . . Nor does the human spirit move without great difficulty against all the apathy of conformist thought within one’s own bosom and in the surrounding world.”
Today, our country and our communities are being stifled under a blanket of fear, anger, and confusion. This is a time where and when our neighbors quietly watch or loudly celebrate masked men roaming the streets grabbing men, women, and children with dark skin because they “appear” not to be Americans.
That this truth is hypocritical to our claim of being a nation of freedom, opportunity, and equality must not only be acknowledged, but also rectified. Dr. King reminded us in that speech, “We are called to speak for the weak, for the voiceless, for the victims of our nation and for those it calls ‘enemy,’ for no document from human hands can make these humans any less our brothers.”
In this holiday season, this season of lights, of hope, of love, of joy and peace, we must work to make these feelings an everyday everlasting reality of our lives and the lives of others. Love can and will prevail, but only if we stay committed to climbing up the rugged mountain of hate. As Congressman John Lewis told us, in the fight against injustice we need to get into “good trouble.”
And though Dr. King was speaking in 1967, his message in “Beyond Vietnam – A time to break silence” is just as timely now as it was then: “We can no longer afford to worship the god of hate or bow before the altar of retaliation. The oceans of history are made turbulent by the ever-rising tides of hate. And history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations and individuals that pursued this self-defeating path of hate.
As Arnold Toynbee says: “Love is the ultimate force that makes for the saving choice of life and good against the damning choice of death and evil. Therefore, the first hope in our inventory must be the hope that love is going to have the last word.”
We are now faced with the fact, my friends, that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now.”
I pray that you and your loved ones have a safe holiday and may you all be blessed with a spirit of rest, renewal, and reward in 2026!
Jonathan McCoy
VP of the MLK Association
Editor of the M.A.R.C.H newsletter
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Annual Prayer Breakfast
Saturday, January 17, 2026
Doors Open: 7:30 AM
Program Starts: 8:30 AM
Location: Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Dr., Asheville
Speaker: Mike Kelly
Purchase Tickets
To purchase a table (10 tickets) email Mrs. Sarah Thornburg at sthornburg@mwblawyers.com
Candlelight Service
Sunday, January 18, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM
Location: Trinity Episcopal Church, 60 Church Street, Asheville
The 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Awardees will be recognized for their outstanding service.
Speaker: Mary D. Williams
Peace March & Rally
Monday, January 19, 2026
Time: 11:30 AM
St. James A.M.E. Church
Location: 44 Hildebrand St.
Please bring a non-perishable food item to support the St. James community pantry
Fellowship Service Begins: 11:30 AM
Speaker: Elder Alfred Blount
Peace March Begins: 12:30 PM
Route: From St. James A.M.E. Church to Pack Square Park
Rally: 12:50 PM–1:20 PM in Pack Square Park
Speaker: Jonathan McCoy
*Also on Monday*
St. James Annual Fish Fry & Brunswick Stew Fundraiser 11am – until
More information can be found at https://mlkasheville.org/tickets-donations/
Observances This Month
“The First Eight: A personal history of the pioneering Black Congressmen who shaped a nation”
National News
- Early in its strikes on boats from Venezuela the Trump administration said war law doesn’t apply. article Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth denies he gave orders to “kill everybody.” article It seems like the White House is using an admiral as a shield for Hegseth’s questionable orders. article
- European Union distrust in sharing intelligence information with the US is growing. article
- 3 judges with the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court ruling that Alina Habba is unlawfully serving as US attorney for New Jersey. article
- A federal judge dismissed the criminal cases against former FBI Director James Comey and NY Attorney General Letitia James. article
- The DOJ Miami office preparation to go after a number of Trump’s enemies has caused chaos inside the office. article
- The Supreme Court rejected a call to overturn its 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision that legalized same-sex marriage. article
- The Supreme Court will decide whether federal laws prohibit states from continuing to count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. article
- Democrat gains in red districts and swing states show Trump’s popularity is slipping. article
- Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is the latest Trump loyalists to fall out with the President and then decide to resign from office. article
- The Trump administration has revived family separations in its attack on immigration. article
- Following urging from Pope Leo, US bishops issue a historic rebuke of Trump’s immigration crackdown. article
Local News
- Amid Asheville and Buncombe residents’ concerns over recent ICE and border Patrol actions, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement. article Know your rights article
- The shrinking Black population of Asheville is real and on-going. The Asheville Watchdog is taking a deep look at this issue in a series of four articles entitled “Losing our soul”. Here are the four articles: article 1 article 2 article 3 article 4
- AdventHealth Hendersonville has added a self-service kiosk to connect veterans to vital resources. article
- Some folks are boycotting Rep. Edwards’ McDonald’s over his support of cutting SNAP. article
State News
- Federal judges upheld the US House districts the NC GOP redrew in 2023 that helped them to the 10-4 advantage they now have. article
- NC Senate leader Phil Berger is being primaried by popular Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page in a battle over who supports Trump more. article
- The NC State Board of Elections is supposed to be neutral but its hiring of new staff with Republican ties, the fear is that it will become overwhelmingly partisan. article
- A report by Retirement Living ranks North Carolina third in the country as a place where people want to move too. article
Issues in Education
- Cornell University made a $60 million deal with the Trump administration to restore its federal funding. article
- The Department of Education is giving their responsibilities to other federal agencies. article
- The Department of Education plans to limit access to student loans, which will drastically affect students pursuing graduate degrees in several professional fields. article
Remembering Viola Ford Fletcher
Race
- Viola Ford Fletcher, the oldest living survivor of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, has died. She was 111 years old. article
- Trump has assembled the least diverse US government in the 21st century. article
- The US Coast Guard had a mind-numbing debate over prohibiting hate symbols. article
- Trump’s DOJ argues that parts of the 1964 Civil Rights Act do not apply to federal workers. article
- A new lawsuit claims IBM fired Black executives to ‘appease” Trump. article
- Two Black mothers in labor, one in Indiana and one in Texas, were both denied medical care article The doctor and nurse in the Indiana incident have been fired. article
- The white supremacist history of off-year gubernatorial elections. article
- Paul Ingrassia withdrew his nomination to head the Office of Special Counsel because of racist tweets. He’s now become the deputy general counsel at the General Services Administration. article
- Officials in the Netherlands rebuked the Trump administration over the removal of Black WWII vet memorials. article
- The 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the 2022 hate crime convictions of the three white men who lynched Ahmaud Arbery in 2020. article
- A study finds that Instagram is being used to sell “hate merchandise.” article
- A Black woman was wrongfully jailed for charges meant for a white woman with the same name. article
- A member of Arizonia’s Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community was held in jailed and almost wrongly turned over to ICE. article
- Two men from North Texas planned an illogical coup of Haiti’s Gonave Island. article
Justice work begins with truth-telling.
This Is What Made Me is my journey through survival, reclamation, and healing — a reflection on the systems we fight and the futures we deserve.
If you’re looking for a powerful read for the new year, you can get your copy here.
https://aishajohnsonadams.com/this-is-what-made-me/
***Reparations***
- Feeding the soul: Creating a lifeline for families in hard times
The Racial Justice Coalition of Asheville, Inc., has dissolved and donated its assets to the Reparations Stakeholder Authority of Asheville (R.S.A.A.) Press Release
Monthly Community Events
Get ready to show off your tackiest holiday sweater at the Ugly Sweater Day Party – it’s going to be a blast with the Asheville Divine Nine!
Join us for the holiday for an unforgettable Ugly Sweater Party hosted by the Asheville Divine Nine and the YMI Cultural Center. In an effort to transform the Asheville Divine Nine into a chapter of the NPHC, we are raising money for a good cause. Proceeds from the event will go to establishing the Asheville NPHC! Tickets are only $10, and people should feel free to bring all of their friends between shopping and other activities. DJ Tenezzee will be spinning. Cash bar available. We look forward to having you in Asheville at the oldest Black cultural center in America.
Get tickets
Hood Huggers offers a fun way to learn about the history of Black Asheville. They work on 17 different community projects as well as organizing volunteer opportunities at the Peace Garden 47 Bryant St. Assheville, NC 28806. There are regular Community volunteer days.
The Farm stand is open on Fridays from 3pm-7pm every week. Get details about how to book a tour, volunteering or taking part in their other community actions here.
Dr. George Washington Carver Edible Park Work Day
January 16, 2026
Come out and join us on Friday, January 16 from 2:30pm to 5pm.
30 George Washington Carver Avenue
No experience is necessary — we’ll provide tools, water, and snacks! Come learn about the food forest and the amazing edible plants growing right here in our city.
This event is a collaboration between Bountiful Cities, the City of Asheville Sustainability Department, and the East End/Valley Street Neighborhood Association.
Let’s grow community and food together! If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, please contact Kelly at kelly@bountifulcities.org.
Resources of Interest
Ways To Learn & Take Action
The Listing of Ways to Take Action and Be Informed was created to help proplr looking for ways to resist and oppose the efforts of those who are working to reverse the progress that has been made in the US over the years.
This saved document can then be viewed independently of these periodic e-newsletters. Since the listing is a google doc, changes will be updated as new actions and opportunities become available.
The Color of Asheville’s Black-Owned Businesses and Community Directory
- The NC African American Heritage Commission (AAHC) created in 2008, the commission works across the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources to achieve the mission of preserving, protecting, and promoting North Carolina’s African American history, art, and culture, for all people. website Subscribe to their monthly newsletter at https://mailchi.mp/dncr/ncaahc-newsletter
- The Freedom to Learn Network is a coalition of leading civil rights and social justice organizations; national teachers unions; education advocates; parents; students; and other interested parties across the nation and world focused on fighting against attempts to limit antiracist education in US schools. website
- The North Carolina State Capitol Historic Site has begun a “From Naming to Knowing” project. The goal of this project is to name and, as much as possible, share the stories of the enslaved men who built and maintained the State Capitol between 1833 and 1865. https://namingtoknowing.org/
- The National Museum of African American History & Culture has 500,000 pages of Freedman’s Bureau records available online. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/freedmens-bureau
- The Official mapping Police Violence database – https://mappingpoliceviolence.us/
Remembrance Projects Nationally & Locally
The Equal Justice Initiative (EJI) has been the important partner not only to Buncombe County but to all communities willing and working to address their history of racial injustice. As in each edition of this e-newsletter, we will continue to highlight several items from the EJI.
- EJI is currently working with nearly 100 communities to advance Community Remembrance Projects. More than half have erected historical markers. You can find out more about the communities that have erected EJI sponsored Community Remembrance Project markers here.
- You can view what is on each of the markers for Buncombe County, front and back, here as compiled by the Equal Justice Initiative. To see the markers, go to the following sites: for Mr. John Humphries – College & Spruce Streets; for Mr. Bob Brackett – Triangle Park; and for Mr. Hezekiah Rankin – Craven Street & Emma Road.
- The full stories about each of the three men who were lynched are captured in this document.
- The Equal Justice Initiative shared this webpage of the Historical Markers Installation Ceremony In Asheville on October 30th of 2021.
Please remember:
- Do you want to stay connected to the work of the Equal Justice Initiative? Sign up for updates about their work here.
- Every day of the year offers important racial justice history. If you want to get a daily reminder of that history, the Equal Justice Initiative offers this sign-up. Go here to get today’s reminder.
The NC Black Alliance offers this webpage with a page entitled – “Access to Healthcare: What You Need to Know” along with other pages that have articles and information concerning the Black community.