Wayne Action for Racial Equality

02/11/2026

The 2026 Timothy Barber Memorial Scholarship Applications are been accepted. DEADLINE is APRIL 24TH, 2026. Link to application on the WARE webpage - QR code and
https://www.wayneaction.org/scholarship/info

Information:
The Timothy L. Barber Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to three graduating high school seniors who identify as Black or African American and who recognize that racism is a detriment to human development and are using their talents and capabilities to ensure the equal rights of all to achieve their potential.

ELIGIBILITY: High school seniors in Wayne County who identify as Black or African American and have plans to attend an institution of higher learning (2 or 4-year college, trade, technical or professional school).

AWARD: A one-time scholarship will be given to three selected high school seniors upon receipt of their acceptance letter from an institution of higher learning. There will be two awards of $1,500.00 and one award of $1,000.00.
Please mail or email to the address below on or before April 24, 2026.
• Application
• Letter of recommendation
• Acceptance letter from your institution of higher learning

Wayne Action for Racial Equality
C/O Timothy Barber Memorial Scholarship Fund
P.O. BOX 324
SODUS, NY 14551
Email: [email protected]

01/26/2026

Anyone have pictures or videos from this year's Dr martin Luther King Jr Commemorative March? If so, please send them to us here on FB or to Joey Young (info in comments).

We thank all the hearty souls who came out and created such an exhilarating and unified Dr Martin Luther King Jr Commemorative March this year!

01/26/2026

MLK Celebration Part 2: The Community Meal

The Community Meal is a wonderful tradition that has become an important part of the MLK Celebration each year. Redeem Bethel Church of God allowed us to utilize the annex building for this part of our celebration; we are grateful!

Sodus Pride Lions Club members joined our meal planning committee members in helping with set up, serving and clean up for the meal; thank you to Chris Gedney, Lynda LaForce, Eve Beck, Debbie Beckens, Carolyn Wetherby, subcommittee members Denise DeValk, Patty Paprocki and Pat Hall.

We were assisted in the actual serving of the food by some fine young men from My Brothers Keepers and Joy; thank you to Thales, Dexcel, Bryan, Eduardo & Jerick.

Bad to The Bone provided the pulled pork, BBQ Chicken, and Macaroni & cheese; the food was delicious and we thank you for working with us. Scrumptchies of Sodus provided us with a donation of 40 individual butter cakes; if you have never tried her butter cakes you are missing out!

Reliant Credit Union, Sodus Pride Lions club, Sodus Lions club, and Paton’s Marketplace all contributed funds/gift card to support this community meal; we are so very grateful. WARE remains the main sponsor of this all-day event and we are grateful for their support and leadership; they continue to model, and champion equality for all.

We were able to provide a meal for 85 people; truly food for thought, sharing ideas and providing sustenance...

01/26/2026

2026 Wayne county Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Dance performance from Keynote speaker Jermaine Barber

There is power in the name of Jesus.This praise dance took place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, a day that reminds us of faith in action, justice,...

01/26/2026

01/25/2026

01/23/2026

Kathryn Jackson, a longtime member of WARE, passed away last Saturday (1/17). Calling hours and services will be held this Saturday (1/24) at Redeem Bethel C.O.G.I.C.

WARE honors Kathryn and thanks her for the many years of dedicated service she gave to our organization, as well as for the countless crochet items she lovingly made and donated. These items were raffled to help raise funds for the Timothy Barber Memorial Scholarship Fund.

WARE sends its heartfelt condolences to Kat’s family and remembers her as such a loving and special person. We will miss her here on Earth, and we honor her spirit above.

View Kathryn Jackson's complete obituary, share memories, and explore 2 tribute posts from the community.

01/19/2026

Today, we celebrate the life, honor the causes, and renew our commitment to the principles of a civil rights icon and a force for good.

Dr. King did not offer the Dream as poetry or motivation alone. He offered it as the destination — and as the standard by which every step of the journey must be judged. The Dream was not separate from the work; it was the purpose of the work, and the way the work could be accomplished. In its moral clarity, courage, and insistence on human dignity, this work stands as a masterpiece — not only for what it sought to achieve, but for the beauty with which it demanded justice.

Happy birthday in heaven to a saint within our own time who helped bring transformational change to America. But as he reminded us, this work must not be considered finished until the Dream is achieved.

We can only get there together as this is the home of all of us - beautiful and powerful when every one of us join together in unity.

01/19/2026

Happy Celebration Eve to you all!

We are excited to welcome everyone tomorrow as we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday and share in an uplifting and energizing time together.

Wayne Action for Racial Equality is proud to announce two additions to tomorrow’s program:

• We are proud to announce the addition of a member of the North Star Poets Collective, winner of the Empire State Poetry Slam, as part of the Unspoken Word Poetry Festival. We are honored to welcome spoken word poet, Lyon's own Matthew Edward Van Scott !

• An uplifting and creative presentation of the ABCs of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., performed by the empowered and distinguished young ladies of Wayne County’s GlowUp Girl !

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2026 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
📅 Monday, January 19, 2026
📍 Williamson, NY-
(see flyer and comments for details)

Featuring uplifting contributions from Mathew Edward Van Scott, Corey Comer and Jermaine Barber, a collection of Wayne County’s most inspiring community talents.

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”
— Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.