Black April 2025
On Wednesday evening, April 30th, 2025, at the San José City Hall Rotunda in San José, California, the Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) invites you to join our community for the 13th Annual Black April Commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.
Vào ngày 30 tháng 4 năm 2025, tại toà thị chính thành phố San José tiểu bang California, tổ chức Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) kính mời quý vị tham gia Lễ Tưởng Niệm Tháng Tư Đen được tổ chức hàng năm lần thứ 13 kỷ niệm 50 năm sự sụp đổ của Saigon.
SEEDS W1
Welcome & Orientation
Time: 10:00AM - 1:00PM
Location: Vietnamese American Cultural Center
Goals: Introduction and Welcome to the program, project-based learning objectives, issues brainstorming.
SEEDS W2
Refugee History & Immigration
Time: 10:00AM - 1:00PM
Location: Viet Museum
Goals: Learn about an contextualize the history of refugees and immigrants in the United States. Equip students with tools to uncover their own personal histories.
SEEDS W3
Political Power & Little Saigon Scavenger Hunt
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Grand Century Mall, Vietnam Town Mall
Goals: Reflect on the history and formation of Asian American an Vietnamese American community building.
SEEDS W4
Art & Expression
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Vietnamese American Service Center
Goals: Considering our “origin stories,” what are was that we express ourselves through art, and how we advocate through expression to preserve traditions and values through storytelling and creativity.
SEEDS W5
Professional Development
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Vietnamese American Service Center
Goals: What are the narratives that our food tell to the world? How do we understand the importance of sustainability through the lens of food and family recipes.
SEEDS W6
Solidarity Building Picnic
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Vietnamese American Service Center
Goals: Learn from Vietnamese American professionals about how to package and present yourself in the workplace and shape how to plan for life as a student/adult.
SEEDS W7
Storytelling for Sustainability
Time: 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: Vietnamese American Service Center
Goals: Explore anti-AAPI hate and its systemic root causes; consider what does allyship, action, and advocacy look like.
SEEDS W8
Each SEEDS participant will be invited to highlight their culminating project that centers on an issue in their local community. Open to the public, inclusive of the friends and family of the SEEDS students.
Event Five
It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Blooming Beyong Barriers
49th Annual Black April Commemoration | Lễ Tưởng Niệm Tháng Tư Đen 2024
The Fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975, also known as Black April, 49 years ago, marked the end of the Vietnam War and catalyzed the mass exodus of refugees from the Republic of Việt Nam (Việt Nam Cộng Hoà) and Southeast Asia across the world.
On April 30th, 2024, at the San José City Hall Rotunda in San José, California, the Vietnamese American Roundtable (VAR) invites you to join our community for the 12th Annual Black April Commemoration of the 49th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon: “Blooming Beyond Barriers.”
Lunch & learn: Racial equity & trauma informed training
Join us for a transformative Lunch and Learn session with Zulma Maciel, Director of Racial Equity at the City of San Jose, and Dr. Smita Garg, a meditation expert and certified healer.
Dive into the essentials of racial equity and gain practical insights in Part I. In Part II, experience trauma-informed training with a calming meditation—great for frontline heroes and those working with BIPOC and refugee communities. Don't miss this opportunity to educate, empower, and RSVP at https://bit.ly/jan6training
🌟Meet Zulma Maciel, Director of San Jose's Office of Racial Equity, with 20+ years of public service pioneering policies and managing a $15M grant portfolio for BIPOC communities. In 2015, she led San Jose's Office of Immigrant Affairs, championing inclusivity and belonging. Bicultural, bilingual, and binational, Zulma's impact extends beyond her roles—she's a hiker and Pilates enthusiast.
🌟Dr. Smita Garg, Ed.D., CHT, Bay Area's meditation expert and founder of Kinder Way Healing, brings 18 years of experience in mindfulness, healing trauma, and stress relief. As an advisory board member at Green Foothills, Dr. Smita is committed to holistic education and community activism.