Urban Action 3/29

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This week's calls to action include the following events and activities. (All are free and open to the public, unless otherwise noted.)

An immigrant's religious journey

The American Association of University Women will present a talk by Sabeeha Rehman, author and Wall Street Journal contributor, from 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, April 1, at 494 East Avenue. Rehman wrote "Threading My Prayer Rug: One Woman's Journey from Pakistani Muslim to American Muslim." She'll discuss women and Islam, the Quran, Sharia law, and the Shia-Sunni divide. Although Rehman's talk is free and open to the public, seating is limited and a RSVP is requested: [email protected].

Handling addiction

The Rochester Social Welfare Action Alliance will present "Addiction, Recovery, and the Failed War on Drugs: a Community Dialogue with Jose Benitez," at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, at the College of Brockport MetroCenter, 55 St. Paul Street, downtown Rochester. Benitez is a SUNY Brockport graduate and the director of Philadelphia's Prevention Point, founded in 1991 by ACT UP activists. The organization is recognized nationally for its advocacy of humane substance-abuse policies. Benitez will discuss the current opioid crisis and how people of color are disproportionately arrested and convicted of drug-related crimes.

Honoring three local notables

The Rochester Association of Black Journalists will hold a fundraiser to support a series of documentary films and children's books at 6 p.m. Saturday, April 1, at the Rochester Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue. The series kickoff, "Rochester Legends," focuses on civil rights activist Constance Mitchell; Walter Cooper, research scientist and co-founder of the Rochester branch of the Urban League; and David Anderson, a founding member of the Black Storytelling League of Rochester. Tickets: $50. Reservations: [email protected] or Richard McCollough, 442-3728.

Film examines local Muslims

"The Muslims I Know," a documentary film by Mara Ahmed, will be screened at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 30, in the RIT Interfaith Center. The film explores a Muslim-American community in Rochester through interviews with Islamic scholars and average Pakistani-Americans. Ahmed will answer questions after the showing. Sponsors are the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures and the Muslim Student Association.