Honoring 540WMain’s work

After nearly a decade, social justice organization 540WMain is ending operations due to health concerns of its founder, Calvin Eaton, his desire to do other work, and a changing sociopolitical conversation around anti-racism.

“It’s really been three years in the making,” says Eaton. “Even before I had these feelings of wanting to do other things for my career, I was having conversations with my board about: is the organization viable enough, from the financial perspective, to even have a conversation with me stepping down and passing the baton to another leader? Which then all lead up to last year’s election.

“The writing was on the wall that some shift was going to have to happen,” he adds.

However, as Eaton reflects on those years, his thoughts are drawn to historical legacy, rather than recent events.

“Instead of my perspective being, ‘Oh my god, I’ve failed because this is ending,’ I shifted it to, ‘Oh my god, look at this legacy,’” he says. “And 540WMain is a part of a long legacy of education and activism from Black, Brown, and historically marginalized people in Rochester. So many people who came before me, and now I add to that legacy.

“Not that I’m a martyr, but thinking about (Martin Luther) King; the seeds he planted did not bloom before he was assassinated. Susan B. Anthony dedicated her life to women’s suffrage, which we see literally in our backyard, and her fight was not realized in her lifetime,” Eaton continues. “540 is the same. The work may end or stop in this way, but its imprint will continue on.”

That legacy will be celebrated with “540WMain Legacy Exhibition: The Final Chapter,” a one-night-only event next month at the Yards Collective. The exhibit will include visual art and artifacts from the organization along with storytelling and reflective interactive elements.

Kristina Kaiser, director of the Yards Collective, says she first became friends with Eaton while working at the Susan B. Anthony House, just around the corner from 540WMain’s original location. His goal of providing social justice education with a grassroots and community-centered approach aligned with and complemented her goal of creating equity in the arts at the Yards. 

“Calvin always approaches things with a strong vision and end goal in mind with everything he does. So, when he told me he wanted to have an exhibit, we started talking about the timeline and all the iterations of 540,” Kaiser says. “We wanted to pay homage to that and honor the body of work Calvin and his team have created over the years.”

540WMain began in 2016, when Eaton returned to Rochester after living away for several years. It grew to a core staff of about six people and was supported by, and in turn supported, many other local nonprofits.

“The biggest highlight for me has been those connections. To be able to get people from Brighton or Penfield, some of whom had never been to that neighborhood, to come to 540 for a class, then to see them steward that work on their own, I just feel so blessed to have all those connections,” Eaton says, mentioning local activist Kelly Cheatle as an example.

During its operating years, 540WMain focused on promoting and educating about social justice, primarily anti-racism, with classes and accreditation in the subject. There were also workshops in environmental justice, accessibility, gardening, photography, cooking, and modern dance, as well as space for art exhibits, before it went virtual in 2020.

The 540WMain founder feels there has been a noticeable shift against concepts of social justice in recent years.

He saw anti-racism and justice work gain mainstream popularity in 2020, likely due to the Black Lives Matter protests and the COVID-19 pandemic. People became interested in educating themselves, and many companies launched their own versions of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.

Five years later, however, the mood has shifted, with the term DEI being used as an insult by President Donald Trump’s administration. Those same companies that rushed to create DEI programs have quietly rolled them back.

“Obviously, I’m not surprised as a historian and a scholar by that pendulum swing,” he says. “But it does make me feel angry, disillusioned, bitter, and demoralized. Because I know that it’s not new, but it does feel different when you’re living it.

“So, we’re still fighting for equal rights and liberation, but within that, there’s still celebration and hope and the need to continue the work,” Eaton adds.

“I’ll always be happy to support Calvin in his next chapter, whatever that is,” says Kaiser.

That continued work comes in the form of the Calvin Eaton Collective, which he describes as a “membership community for parents, educators, and allies who believe learning should feel human, inclusive, and grounded in real life.”

The official launch of the project is set for this month, but Eaton has already shifted much of his work to his own website, which includes materials from 540WMain and his food endeavor, “The Gluten Free Chef.” Eaton mentions he is working on a memoir about his activism as well.

“540WMain Legacy Exhibition: The Final Chapter” will be held on Dec. 12, starting at 6 p.m. Ticket registration can be completed online. The event uses a “gift economy” model, meaning attendees should choose based on their ability to pay, their desire to support the work, or what they consider a fair contribution. Ticket options include free, $30, and $60 to fund someone else’s ticket.

Jacob Schermerhorn is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and data journalist.

The Beacon welcomes comments and letters from readers who adhere to our comment policy including use of their full, real name. See “Leave a Reply” below to discuss on this post. Comments of a general nature may be submitted to the Letters page by emailing  [email protected]