Joined Artists, Musicians & Singers, Inc. (JAMS) is organizing a cleanup around the 1400 block of South Avenue April 17. This area was specifically chosen because many of JAMS’ members have participated in Southwest Showcase Sundays, an annual summertime concert series held at the Spirit of Jubilee Park located amid the blocks. Organizer of the event Hollis Mathis, JAMS vice president who is also a singer and lives nearby, is a known advocate for keeping the neighborhood clean and can often be seen doing it on his own.

JAMS will meet at The Spirit of Jubilee Park starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 17. Organizers encourage other community members to participate. Anyone who is interested needs only to show up at that time. The trash bags, gloves and pickers will be handed out along with bottled water and other tokens of appreciation.

In addition to being an effort to clean and beautify the neighborhood, JAMS also intends to use the event as a platform to help raise awareness about its intent to build a permanent performance stage at the park.

Alliance of Communities Transforming Syracuse (ACTS) 2021 Spring Virtual Event Series "Seize The New Day for Social Justice" will be held April 19. Guest Speaker is the Rev. Kevin Agee,  presiding elder at Philadelphia District and at Washington-Virginia District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; former pastor at Hopps Memorial CME Church ,and past president of ACTS. Gospel Music will be performed by New Life Temple of Praise group, directed by Brian Moore. Presentation of The Rev. Dr. Nebraski Carter Clergy Leadership Award will go to Bishop Colette Carter-Mathews, Zion Hill World Harvest Baptist Church and past co-chair ACTS Clergy Caucus. Then, ACTS Program Report on the De-Incarceration Project will be given by DeWayne Comer, community organizer. Ticketing options range from free to $40. Zoom link to the event will be sent within 24 hours of the event. If you are registering for a congregation with multiple individuals or if you prefer to register offline, contact ACTS at officemanager.acts@gmail.com.

Onondaga Votes, a coalition interested in increasing voter turnout and voter participation within the South Side of Syracuse, will hold a meetings on civic engagement from 11:40 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, April 22, over Zoom. To receive the Zoom information, email onondagavotes@gmail.com.

The Syracuse Poster Project will hold the public unveiling of this year's posters online. Tune in at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 22, on the group's YouTube channel to see the combined work of local poets and artists come to life.

Join the Southside Tomorrow's Neighborhoods Today and the Syracuse University Office of Engagement Programs for an Earth Day cleanup and Lead Awareness extravaganza on April 24.

Onondaga Community College will hold a symposium on race and policing in America — “Change Is Going To Come" — at 1 p.m. Friday, April 30. The event is open virtually to the public.

The Southside TNT virtual public meeting will be held 6 p.m. Monday, May 3. It will feature a 
"Meet the Mayoral Primary Candidates" session. Each candidate will be given 5 minutes to introduce themselves. The moderator, Morgan Williams, will ask questions of the candidates; questions were selected from community submissions in advance. This session is not intended to be a debate.

Onondaga Votes, a community organization working to promote greater voter participation and education on the South Side of Syracuse, will hold a virtual meeting May 6, open to all.  Email Onondagavotes@gmail.com  to register and receive the Zoom link.

GreeningUSA’s 17th Annual Meeting:  The Virtual Big Tent: "Building a Sustainable Future" will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Friday, May 7, virtually with opening remarks by Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh. At this year's annual meeting, organizations are invited to briefly share: The primary mission and activities of their organization and how others can help as a community of advocates. This event is free and open to all, but registration is required. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/n7u2wjz6. A link to attend will be emailed prior to the event.

This virtual tribute features pre-recorded live performances by Trump Tight 315, Brownskin Band and UAD, as well as, a presentation of awards to local music pioneers who opened the doors for today's Black artists. Recipients include: Ernest Ringo, John Bowens, Marcus Curry, James "Gator Boutwell" and Robert "Bobby" Green. Event is hosted by Maria and Keenan Lewis and  sponsored by CNY Arts and JAMS (Joined Artists and Musicians of Syracuse). Run time 36 minutes.