Support More than Hope: Celebrate Humanity

My name is Leslie Ebert and my husband is Jay Green, and we are the lead organizers of our Third Annual "More than Hope" Dance/Music/ and Spoken Word Concert in Support in support of Immigrants, Refugees, and Asylum Seekers. The concert is a multicultural performance event in support of the millions of refugees and asylum seekers fleeing war torn countries, poverty, and/or violent persecution. We feel for the pain and suffering of our fellow humans and we recognize the perilous journey made to reach safety and their hopes for a better life.

The music and dance performances will incorporate what it means to flee one’s home, and what does home mean? We will touch on issues of belonging, assimilation, resettlement, financial and employment adjustments, cultural differences, what it means to belong, social injustice, and societal attitudes towards “others”.

The event is a community celebration of Hope, Connection and shared Humanity!

This years event is very timely and we seek to present a positive welcoming and inclusive narrative in opposition to the incoming administrations dehumanizing narrative.

We hope this event will increase public awareness and spark individual and community action to address the dire needs of refugees and asylum seekers.

We received a MD. Arts Council grant last year to pay the performers but funds have not been guaranteed this year.

The event will take place on Sunday, Feb 23 at 5:30pm at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center in Columbia, Maryland. We are seeking donations mainly to pay our fabulous performers and DJ and emcee, immigrant speaker, and cost of rental of the venue. This is a secular and non political event.

We will donate proceeds from ticket sales to Luminus Network for New Americans.

https://www.beluminus.org/getinvolved/more-than-hope/.