On October 12th, Marcus Shelby, Faye Carol and the MSJO quintet gave a stirring performance at an intimate reception with key allies and new friends at Millennium Park in Chicago.

For some, it was the first time they had heard of Marcus Shelby. For others, it was a welcome opportunity to hear a piece of the Harriet Tubman & Jazz oratorio up close and personal - a production which was recently featured at the San Francisco Jazz Festival.

One guest sent us the following congratulatory email:

The Equal Justice Society engages progressive allies in law, policy, and communications to facilitate strategic discourses throughout the United States among institutional gatekeepers and multidisciplinary experts seeking to achieve racial equity - and doing so with 21st century strategies. In addition to engaging such an agenda on an intellectual level, we believe it is imperative to collaborate with artists like Marcus Shelby to carry our vision in a profound and uplifting way.

We're sorry that you all couldn't join us in Chicago, but we hope you will join us for our upcoming annual Gala on December 14th - please visit our event website at www.equaljusticesociety.org/gala for more information and to purchase tickets.

To mention but a few of the highlights, you will be treated to a ballet performance honoring immigrants called "Unintended Consequences". During our awards program, we will honor Marcus Shelby for his commitment to use jazz as a vehicle to share a message of equality. Then the party really gets going when our very own Eva Paterson takes the stage to jam with some of our friends in the legal community and with Marcus!

If you think our previous events were not your typical "rubber chicken" affairs, you really must check out this year's celebration on December 14th!

The Open Society Institute Renews Funding for "Dismantling Intent"

The Equal Justice Society will be featured in an upcoming issue of OSI's newsletter, Open Society News with an article by Eva Paterson and Kimberly Thomas Rapp, "How the Intent Doctrine Put a Deep Freeze on Racial Justice". We are also happy to report that OSI has not only renewed its annual commitment to this core program, but has also increased the grant award.

The Wallace A. Gerbode Foundation Funds "Putting Race Back on the Table"

The Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation also continues to support the Equal Justice Society, specifically our "Putting Race Back on the Table" initiative. As articulated in our recent strategic plan, this initiative includes the Dismantling Intent program and our Race, Media & Popular Culture campaign.

We are grateful to OSI, Gerbode, and our other institutional funders who appreciate our multi-pronged approach to combating structural racism.

Major Donor Campaign Update

We are pleased to report that five major gifts thus far have been made toward matching the challenge gift of $100,000 made by Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan. We extend our utmost appreciation to:

Quinn and Wayne extended us even further support by hosting a fundraising mixer among social justice philanthropists and allies in their home on September 10th. Several guests in attendance have been great supporters for some time, and they were instrumental in reaching out to new allies for the Equal Justice Society - we extend heartfelt thanks to them as well.

Our major donor campaign has given our President, Eva Paterson, the opportunity to meet one-on-one with a number of our esteemed constituents as well as gather in small, intimate settings.

For example, on August 9 we hosted a Judges Reception at the Phillip Burton Federal Building which featured remarks from the Hon. Theodore Alexander McKee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

If you would like to consider including EJS in your giving portfolio, and join us for intimate gatherings like those mentioned above, please contact me at mgavaldon@equaljusticesociety.org or call my direct line at 415.288.8704