photo by: Nick Gerik

The Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St., is pictured Tuesday, July 16, 2019.

The longtime host of a monthly poetry event for artists of color will pass the mic to two new leaders this weekend.

Jameelah Jones will host her last Mic Supremacy event from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St.

“Jameelah is moving away, so this is her retirement from the event,” said Danny Caine, owner of the Raven.

photo by: Contributed photo

Jameelah Jones will be hosting her last installment of Mic Supremacy, a free monthly poetry event for artists of color, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Raven Book Store, 6 E. Seventh St.

Jones, who is moving to Georgia, said she’s glad the event she started in 2017 has grown and touched the lives of so many local artists.

“I wanted Lawrence to know there were specific things that could be done for people of color,” Jones said. “… I always thought poetry was something that could bring people together, but I’m shocked every time at how well it goes. I’m also amazed that we’ve had a new reader during open mic every time.”

After Jones leaves, two new hosts will take over the event: Tamiah Coffee and Paola Ramirez, both students at the University of Kansas.

Church rummage sales on Vermont Street

photo by: Joe Preiner

Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St., is pictured in a photo from December 2009.

Each year, during the first week of August, two downtown Lawrence churches work together to host huge garage sales.

First United Methodist Church, 946 Vermont St., has hosted rummage sales in August for the past 27 years, and Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont St. decided to get in on the act 10 years ago. This year’s sales began Thursday and will be taking place through Saturday.

The churches’ sale committees collaborate to make sure they focus on different kinds of items, sale organizers said.

Plymouth’s sale will be focusing on furniture, appliances and housewares, said Barbara Holland, business administrator at Plymouth. And Kathy Pribbenow, an event organizer at UMC, said her church’s sale will offer antiques and more unusual items.

All of the proceeds from the Plymouth sale and most of the proceeds from the UMC sale go toward charities and social service initiatives, the organizers said. Pribbenow said UMC keeps a portion of its proceeds for its women’s programs.

The Plymouth garage sale will take place from 1 to 7 p.m. Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The UMC sale is from 1 to 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday.