Baltimore Activist Alert - November 11, 2015

26] Protest missile “defense” – Nov. 11

27] Israel’s occupation – Nov. 11

28] Captive Nation – Nov. 11

29] Dreadlocks Rock 'n Roll and Human Rights – Nov. 11 - 15

30] End racism, poverty and violence – Nov. 11

31] WPC mailing party – Nov. 11

32] We Too Sing – Nov. 11

33] 350 D.C. meeting – Nov. 11

34] The death pf Natasha McKenna – Nov. 11

35] Letter writing night – Nov. 11

36] Peace Academy courses -- Nov. 11

37] Valley of Fear discussion – Nov. 11

38] Harvard’s hidden history – Nov. 11

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26] – Join members of the Pledge of Resistance in protesting a misguided and wasteful missile defense project on Armistice Day, Wed., Nov. 11 at noon at Aberdeen Proving Ground, 2 Halls Cross Roads, Aberdeen, MD 21005.  In 2014, a ridiculous missile “defense” project was installed at the Aberdeen Proving Ground. It was a classic case of Pentagon waste, fraud and abuse This project costing $2.7 billion consisted of two blimps aimed at preventing a cruise missile attack on the northern United States, including Maryland.  Rather than protecting U.S. citizens, one of the balloons involved in this cockamamie protect recently got loose and traveled 150 miles into Pennsylvania. Miraculously no one was killed, but power lines were damaged until the blimp had to be shot down. Members of the Pledge intend to protest this boondoggle.  World Beyond War is calling for demonstrations on Armistice Day.  So the Pledge decided to get involved, and it was clear where to hold the demonstration.  This bogus surveillance system built by Raytheon was to look out for a cruise missile attack.  This boondoggle is just one of many orchestrated by the Pentagon, and is a classic example of wasteful military spending.  Money needed for social services is wasted on a pet project for certain members of Congress.  To the credit of the Army, it wanted to kill the project.  Contact Max at 727-543-3227 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

27] –   Join Dr. Rebecca Stein for a discussion about how Israel's occupation has been transformed in the social media age at the Palestine Center, 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC 20037, on Wed., Nov. 11 from 1 to 2 PM.  Over the last decade, military rule in the Palestinian territories grew more bloody and entrenched. In the same period, Israelis became some of the world's most active social media users. In Israel today, violent politics are interwoven with global networking practices, protocols, and aesthetics. Israeli soldiers carry smartphones into the field of military operations, sharing mobile uploads in real-time. Official Israeli military spokesmen announce wars on Twitter. And civilians encounter state violence first on their newsfeeds and mobile screens.

Across the globe, the ordinary tools of social networking have become indispensable instruments of warfare and violent conflict. Dr. Rebecca Stein traces the rise of Israeli digital militarism in this global context - both the reach of social media into Israeli military theaters and the occupation's impact on everyday Israeli social media culture. Today, social media functions as a crucial theater in which the Israeli military occupation is supported and sustained.  RSVP at http://www.thejerusalemfund.org/ht/d/EventDetails/i/54870.

28] – Historian Dan Berger will give a lecture “Prisons, State Violence, and the Organizing Tradition" on Wed., Nov. 11 at 6 PM in the Batza Room, Athenaeum Library, Goucher College.  Berger’s most recent book is “Captive Nation: Black Prison Organizing in the Civil Rights Era,” and he will explore some of the themes in the book.  However, he will speak more broadly about his research and organizing.  People in prison played a central role in the civil rights and Black Power movements of the mid-twentieth century and continue to influence racial justice campaigns today. They challenged the endemic racism of U.S. prisons long before the War on Drugs gave the United States the world's largest prison population. In this talk, the historian traces the long arc of black campaigns against prisons and police violence. He shows how these activists transformed prisons into sites of organizing and how their efforts inform contemporary activism against police violence and mass incarceration.

 Berger is an assistant professor of comparative ethnic studies at the University of Washington Bothell and an adjunct assistant professor of history at the University of Washington Seattle. He studies race, prisons, and social movements in U.S. history. A widely published author, Berger’s most recent book won the 2015 James A Rawley Prize from the Organization of American Historians. He is a co-founder of Decarcerate PA, a campaign working to end mass incarceration in Pennsylvania, and an active member of the Critical Prison Studies Caucus of the American Studies Association. California.  Call 410-337-3036.

29] – Ron Kipling Williams will perform Dreadlocks Rock 'n Roll and Human Rights at the Charm City Fringe Festival! It is happening at the Mercury Theater, 1823 N. Charles St. The following are the performance dates and times: Wed., Nov. 11 at 6:15 PM, Fri., Nov. 13 at 7:30 PM, Sat., Nov. 14 at 8:45 PM and Sun., Nov. 15 at 2 PM. For more information on tickets, festival passes, and buttons, visit www.charmcityfringe.com.

30] –  Come to OpenGov Hub, 1110 Vermont Ave. NW, Suite 500, WDC, on Wed., Nov. 11 from 6:30 to 9 PM for a panel discussion featuring three distinguished guests: Anita Shelton (Chair of the DC Coalition to End Violence), Ron Hampton (Retired MPD Officer) and Trayon WardEight White (Ward 8 Community Leader) for a discussion about violence and police-community relations in D.C.; how they connect to racism and poverty; multifaceted and community-oriented approaches to ending violence; the Mayor's new crime proposal; and how we as community activists can get involved.  DC for Democracy political director Jerry Clark is the moderator, and Kendrick Jackson of General Assembly will also say a few words to introduce the location and General Assembly's community engagement activities. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/900402950039803/.

31] – Join the Washington Peace Center mailing party at 1525 Newton St., WDC, on Wed., Nov. 11 from 6:30 to 9 PM.  Help send letters to the donors who help sustain the organization and support the larger grassroots movement in DC! Come hang out and meet local activists and get free food! RSVP to Darakshan Raja at Darakshan@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

32] – On Wed., Nov. 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at Busboys & Poets Brookland, 625 Monroe St. NE, WDC, come out to welcome Deepa Iyer's book, “We Too Sing America: South Asian, Muslim, Arab and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future.” After the book talk, there will be a discussion with local community activists, and a book signing.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/782015205254904/.

33] – Join 350 DC at 1 St. Matthew's Court NW, WDC on Wed., Nov. 11 at 7 PM for a meeting to plan Washington DC's action for the Global Climate March.

34] – At 3421 Franconia Rd., Alexandria, VA, on Wed., Nov. 11 at 7 PM hear the story of Natasha McKenna, a 37-year-old mother who was killed by Taser at Fairfax Adult Detention Center in February. Come learn what local organizers are doing to seek justice for Natasha McKenna and find out how to get involved. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/133023553720886/.

35] – On Wed., Nov. 11from 7 to 9 PM at Potter's House, 1658 Columbia Rd. NW, WDC, DC Stampede will host a letter writing night.  This happens the second Wednesday of every month. This month, they will write people who are in prison for their involvement with indigenous peoples' movements and land sovereignty. All the materials will be provided, as well as a quick “how to” for anyone who would like some guidance. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1510760475905594/.

36] – The Peace Academy had four course offerings ranging from family peace-keeping strategies to nonviolent communication tactics. Each was to be conducted at The Perry School, 128 M St. NW, WDC, or interested parties can arrange a course at their particular sites. Registration can be completed online at www.lffp.org or by contacting MJ Park at mjpeace@gmail.com or 240-838-4549. Details for the last course are listed below.

On Wed., Nov. 11 from 7 to 8:30 PM, you could attend Course IV: Resolve Conflicts -- Session I: Using the Peace Train on Wed., Nov. 11, from 7 to 8:30 PM. Session II Using the Peace Table is on Wed., Nov. 16 from 7 to 8:30 PM. The cost is $45 per session.

37] –Attend the first meeting of the Labor History Book Club on Wed., Nov. 11 at 7 PM in the Free School Classroom. This informal group--open to everyone-- will gather regularly to discuss various books about labor history, with an emphasis on Baltimore. The first book is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Valley of Fear, in which Sherlock Holmes investigates a brutal murder related to the Molly Maguires. A unique novel, anti-immigrant and anti-union, and provocative. This book is available on-line in many editions. The participants will select future books. Contact Bill Barry at billbarry21214@gmail.com.

38] – On Wed., Nov. 11 at 7:30 PM @ Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, George Katsiaficas presents "Verita$: Harvard's Hidden History" by Shin Eun-jung. A critical examination of Harvard’s monumental but disconcerting global influence and power, this book examines aspects of Harvard’s history not generally known. The “hidden history” announced in the book’s title begins with analysis of Harvard’s involvement in the Salem witch trials and the trial of Sacco and Vanzetti. Similarly disquieting, Harvard provided students as strikebreakers in both the 1912 Bread and Roses textile workers strike and the 1919 Boston police strike. Harvard administrators and scientists promoted eugenics in the early twentieth century and had a deep impact on Nazi Germany’s race theories. Its contemporary ties to U.S. foreign policy and neoliberalism are also profound. Harvard’s management of Russian economic reform left nightmarish memories, and the university was compelled to pay more than $26 million after the U.S. government sued it. The book also examines Harvard’s investment policy for its massive endowment, its restrictive labor polices, and its devastation of the adjoining Allston-Brighton neighborhood into which it is expanding. 

Harvard’s motto is “Veritas,” which means “truth” in Latin. As the author reviews Harvard’s history, she questions the real meaning of truth and changes the letter “s” to “$” to emphasize the ways that Harvard has pursued money and power above its quest for truth. Shin Eun-jung was born in Gwangju, South Korea, in 1972. Her hometown’s historic uprising in 1980 had a profound effect on her life. A student activist, she later worked as a television news writer for nine years. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org. 

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-366-1637; Email: mobuszewski [at] verizon.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs