Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Baltimore Activist Alert -- June 17 - 18, 2020


45] Gardening to Feed our Neighbors – June 17
46] Food Pantry Pick-up – June 17 - 18
47] Maryland Workers Protest for Unemployment June 17
48] Political Organizing Amid the Pandemic – June 17
49] Food Rescue – June 17
50] JusticeForGeorgeFloyd – June 17
51] Virtual Sustainability Commission – June 17
52] AFL - CIO Virtual Town Hall June 17
53] Meet a progressive candidate – June 17
54] Why has student debt cancellation been ignored? – June 17
55] Mobtown Live conversation – June 17
56] South Korea’s COVID-19 Experience – June 17
57] Jewish Voice for Peace First TELETHON -- June 18
58] Photographers capturing the spirit of refugees – June 18
59] Advocate against excessive use of force – June 18
60] Interview with Medea Benjamin – June 18
61] Misinformation in times of crisis – June 18
62] Maximize the impact of the 75th anniversary of Hiroshima/Nagasaki June 18
63] Emergency Election Protection 2020 Town Hall -- June 18
64] Meet Ben Jealous – June 18
65] Progressive Maryland Zoom Conference – June 18
66] Education of Black children in Baltimore – June 18
67] Public Citizen’s 2020 Virtual Gala June 18
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45] – On Wed., June 17 and 24 from 10 AM to 3 PM, be at Farming Hope: Gardening to Feed our Neighbors, hosted by Maryland Presbyterian Church and North Baltimore Presbyterians - Ministry Group. This is happening at Rockrose City Farm, 3800 Clipper Road, Baltimore 21211. You’re invited to garden this summer to help feed people experiencing food insecurity. Derrick Weston from the Mission team at Ashland Presbyterian Church, and staff member at Hope Springs, will be gardening at the Rockrose City Farm, located at 3999 Clipper Road, Baltimore, MD, 21211. Folks will gather each Wednesday from around 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM. All of the food grown will be donated to various food pantries in our area. Please be in contact if you would like to volunteer. This is a great socially distanced, outside activity, but please bring a mask, and water. Derrick can be reached at Dweston@HopeSprings.org 410-443-5867.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/261101788435840/?event_time_id=261101805102505.

46] –   On Wed., June 17 and Thurs., June 18 from 11 AM to 1 PM, and continuing July 15 and 16, there is a Food Pantry Pick-up at Saint Wenceslaus Roman Catholic Church, 2111 Ashland Ave., Baltimore 21205. The Lucielle Fitzgerald Outreach Center is open to provide food to those in need.  Due to COVID-19 concerns, please come to the handicapped entrance on Duncan St. This will continue until Dec. 21 and 22. Look at

47] –  On Wed., June 17 from 11 AM to 1 PM, Maryland Workers Protest for Unemployment, hosted by Susannah Sack and Yasemin Jamison at 1100 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore 21201-2201. Maryland workers unite in protest against the state's broken unemployment system. Raise public awareness to the Department of Labor's negligence and demand change from Governor Larry Hogan and Labor Secretary Tiffany Robinson.  Look at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xvzjINBKSYD7MlO9wrpU-KIl8Rkzgq_DVc33mMyAov4/edit?usp=sharing. Sign the petition at https://bit.ly/ui-petition.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1178952222441949/.

48] – Streets coast to coast filled with marchers again this week to protest systemic racism and the police state. Join The Nation on Wed., June 17 at noon ET for a critical conversation about the protests, police violence and political organizing amid the pandemic with Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza and Nation Editorial Director and Publisher Katrina vanden Heuvel.  The title of the interview is Political Organizing amid the Pandemic. A powerful advocate for racial justice in the media, Alicia Garza also serves as the special projects director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nation's leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States. As communities of color fight for justice, Garza's singular voice and grassroots activism is more important than ever. Go to https://secure.everyaction.com/iYTAg3GirkGkPm3lkAko6w2?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_campaign=nation-event-garza&sourceid=1062152&ms=EMM061120201A&utm_content=EMM061120201A.

49] – On Wednesdays, at noon, get with a Food Rescue at Umar Boxing, 1217 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21217-3535.  This will continue through Nov. 11. Bring a bag, take delicious, high quality, and nutritious free food! Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/446288255935427/?event_time_id=446288312602088.

50] - On Wed., June 17 from 12:30 PM to 5 PM, get with JusticeForGeorgeFloyd, hosted by Keishla De Leòn at 3000 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224. This event is to highlight police brutality and systematic oppression whilst memorializing the lives lost in the fight against social justices.  The event's purpose is to heal the traumas stemming from racism and to give Black people and their allies a place to mourn lives lost like George Floyd. Wear face masks and abiding by social distancing measures. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/547132182644740/.

51] –  On Wed., June 17 from 4 to 6 PM, get over to the Virtual Sustainability Commission, hosted by Baltimore Office of Sustainability, 417 E. Fayette St., Floor 8th, Baltimore 21202. THIS MEETING WILL BE HOSTED ON WEBEX:  https://bmore.webex.com/bmore/j.php?MTID=mf8b9a8f134e1762c5e97e9c905fc5f06. The Commission will discuss Transportation COVID and beyond (MTA, Director Sharkey and more) as well as receive updates from Holly and Abby on food distribution.  Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/269471257597886/.

52] –  On Wed., June 17 from 6 to 7 PM, Metro Baltimore AFL - CIO will host a Virtual Town Hall.  Check out https://www.facebook.com/MBAFLCIO/. Join Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO President Jermaine Jones and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen as they discuss issues facing working people during the Covid-19 pandemic.  Topics for the town hall will include the AFL-CIO's 5 Economic Essentials, support for the Heroes Act and how Congress and the AFL-CIO & workers can work together to address the social and economic injustices facing many communities of color which have been highlighted by the current public health crisis. See https://www.facebook.com/events/628864377978323/.

53] – On Wed., June 17 at 6 PM ET, meet Mike Siegel, the progressive fighter running to flip the Texas 10th Congressional District from red to blue. This is BoldProgressives.org’s "Meet the Candidates" Zoom video call. RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMudeGuqDwpHtBqQPySczzVwoBLbVmVt65s. Mike is running to unseat Republican incumbent Michael McCaul, who votes with Trump 96.4% of the time. In the primary earlier this year, Mike came in first, but advanced to a runoff against a Dem who has called Medicare for All and the Green New Deal "fool’s gold" and "selling false hope."

54] – Why has student debt cancellation been left out of COVID-19 relief? Join a Zoom Q&A with young leaders on Wed., June 17 at 7 PM ET. One in five US households has student debt payments on top of grocery bills, rent/mortgage payments, and other basic necessities. People are looking for relief, but recent legislation hasn’t addressed the scale of the student debt crisis.  Sign up for a LIVE Q&A with special guests from Freedom to Prosper, Young Invincibles, and Student Action.  RSVP at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/1315900059681/WN_uCM4QFUnR2Gi71VTfZ4pwQ?link_id=2&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-zoom-cancel-student-debt&email_referrer=email_833499&email_subject=wednesday-on-zoom-cancel-student-debt.

55] – On Wed., June 17 from 7 to 8:30 PM, hear a Conversation with Aqeela Sherrills, hosted by Mobtown Ballroom.  Mobtown Live is a weekly public access style live stream featuring artists, business owners, government officials, experts, and cool people. Part serious and part goofy, Mobtown Live is meant to bring in money for artists, industry workers, and organizations impacted by covid-19; keep the Ballroom’s feeling of community alive during the shut downs; and bring both levity and information to the viewers. Legendary activist and political organizer, Aqeela Sherrills will discuss alternatives to policing, conceptions of safety, and what the data says about diverting police funding. At the end of the interview, Aqeela will take audience questions from the chat.  Following our talk with Aqeela, Mobtown Live co-host and tech miracle worker. (Hachi) Matthew Reid will be joined by Chris Uehlinger to discuss his latest play, Shattered Space, an online, fully interactive, three-dimensional show delivered directly to you and your friends over the internet. Visit http://shatteredspace.live/.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/254001229034631/?notif_t=plan_user_invited&notif_id=1592243734023669.

56] – “Challenges of Reopening: South Korea’s COVID-19 Experience” is presented by The GW Institute for Korean Studies and the Jeju Peace Institute on Thurs., June 18 from 9 to 10:20 AM (EDT).  This is a Livestream event via Zoom.  As the U.S. is aiming at the next stages of reopening, the South Korean case would provide a rare example of a new normal in the coronavirus era, instituting both social distancing and other preventative measures. South Korea has led the world’s efforts to move toward the initial phases of reopening, after emerging as a successful model of flattening the curve of COVID-19. South Korea officially loosened social distancing guidelines and shifted to a more relaxed ‘distancing in daily life’ by reopening schools, museums, libraries, and resuming professional baseball and soccer leagues. Sign up at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/challenges-of-reopening-south-koreas-covid-19-experience-tickets-109006988838.

57] – Jewish Voice for Peace is holding its First TELETHON on Thurs., June 18 at noon ET.  An incredible array of artists will participate, including Wally Shawn, Eve Ensler and others. A generous donor has offered to match gifts up to $12,000 during this Telethon. Tune in https://www.facebook.com/JewishVoiceforPeace/videos/265295801414464?emci=83fc48eb-49af-ea11-9b05-00155d039e74&emdi=d68f1f87-56af-ea11-9b05-00155d039e74&ceid=237778.

58] – Meet the photographers capturing the spirit of refugees around the world. Photographs stop time, giving you a moment to think, to react, to feel, to soak in the details of complicated situations. USA for UNHCR uses the power of photography to share the stories of forcibly displaced people with you — since we know how much you care for refugees around the world.  On Wed., June 17 at noon ET, meet two photographers and hear their perspective on the power of photography in telling the refugee story: Lucian Perkins: two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner and former staff photographer at The Washington Post and Sebastian Rich: a long-time war and humanitarian photographer who has worked countless times with UNHCR, covering refugee crises around the world. Submit your questions for Lucian and Sebastian when you RSVP at https://www.unrefugees.org/behind-the-lens-rsvp-2020?utm_medium=email&utm_cid=0031K00002aKGG9QAO&utm_source=u4u-update&utm_campaign=US_PS_EN_CORE_UPDATE___200612&utm_content=fullfile&SF_onetime=7011K000001FnrhQAC&SF_monthly=7011K000001FnrmQAC.

59] –Through largely peaceful demonstrations in support of racial justice, protesters in the United States and elsewhere are calling attention to racism and violence at the hands of law enforcement, including the dangerous proliferation of crowd-control weapons (CCWs). Inadequate regulation, training, monitoring, and accountability have led to the widespread use and misuse of these weapons, resulting in injury, disability, and death. On Thurs., June 18 at noon EDT, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) will host a conversation on the role of health professionals and human rights activists in advocating against excessive use of force and offer a medical perspective on the misuse of CCWs and how people can protect themselves. Register at https://phr.org/issues/covid-19-pandemic/events-and-webinars/.  Submit questions for consideration at webinar@phr.org.

60] – On Wed., June 17 at 1 PM, Helena Cobban will discuss the prospects for global change with Medea Benjamin, co-founder of both CODEPINK and the human rights group Global Exchange. You can join this interactive conversation via either Facebook or Zoom. If you join on Zoom, you'll need to pre-register, here. If you already registered earlier for the previous session, you don't need to do so again.  In addition to being a feisty, always-creative activist, Medea Benjamin is the author of numerous articles and ten books, including “Drone Warfare: Killing by Remote Control and Kingdom of the Unjust: Behind the U.S.-Saudi Connection.” Her most recent book, “Inside Iran: The Real History and Politics of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” is part of a continuing campaign to prevent a war with Iran and promote normal trade and diplomatic relations.  See https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3NEiDcIXRiahcv9nGSAQJQ.

61] – A 26-minute conspiracy theory video about COVID-19 was viewed more than 8 million times over the course of one week.  Facebook and YouTube eventually removed the video for violating “misinformation policies” but by then, the video had gone viral. Fact-checking experts have never seen misinformation spread as quickly as it is now during the pandemic. This problem will only get worse, especially as we get closer to the November election. Join in a live webinar on Thurs., June 18 at noon ET with Media Matters for America: “Misinformation in times of crisis: how to identify, track and debunk”?  Sign up at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/2115922368925/WN_C4ndhXJwQEy8xyKUluk0CQ?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-misinformation-epidemic&email_referrer=email_832994&email_subject=misinformation-epidemic.

62] – There is a 75th Anniversary Working Group, which includes staff and volunteers from many of the national-level disarmament groups (Beyond the Bomb, Union of Concerned Scientists, WAND, and others) and some of the local ones as well (e.g.,  Tri Valley CARES, Boston PSR).  John Pope of ReThink Media convened the first of the Working Group Zoom calls and has facilitated these calls.   The next one is Thurs., June 18 at 2 PM ET, and you can join by Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81910655859?pwd=UWQ5MVFhMjYvMFJwclduYzlsbWovdz09.

63] – Join The Emergency Election Protection 2020 Town Hall, organized by the Progressive Democrats of America on Wed., June 17 from 3 to 4:30 PM ET.  RSVP With Mike Fox at mikefox@pdamerica.org.

64] – Join People for the American Way's member tele briefing on Thurs., June 18 at 4:30 PM to hear from the new president, Ben Jealous! Click here to sign up at http://act.pfaw.org/sign/rsvp-telebriefing-ben-jealous/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=aa&utm_campaign=benjealous-telebriefing&t=2&akid=15805%2E3302379%2E0Mpemu.

65] - Join Progressive Maryland at its statewide Justice Task Force Zoom Conference on Thurs., June 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. RSVP at https://secure.everyaction.com/sv_jC7xoA023kGLp_N6F9A2.

66] – Looking for a way to plug in to the work to fix decades of generational disinvestment in the education of Black children in Baltimore? Things are moving fast. Save your spot today for a virtual town hall on Thurs., June 18 from 5:45 to 7:30 PM. Hear from representatives from ACLU of Maryland, NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., Baltimore Algebra Project, Baltimore Teachers Union, and Arts Every Day to talk about a few things that could greatly impact education in Baltimore City. RSVP and you will be provided with Zoom and Facebook Live details after you register at https://action.aclu.org/webform/baltimore-city-education-town-hall?ms_aff=MD&initms_aff=MD&ms=200514_BradfordTownHallRSVP_&initms=200514_BradfordTownHallRSVP_&ms_chan=eml&initms_chan=eml.

67] –  The past few weeks have been even more intense as we’ve all reacted to the killing of George Floyd and the unprecedented uprising for racial justice his murder touched off. You are hereby invited to Public Citizen’s 2020 Virtual Gala on Thurs., June 18 at 8 PM EDT. RSVP at https://publiccitizen.salsalabs.org/virtualgala/index.html?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=26b2ef13-b4a3-47c9-a644-22be0fdfbd31#5.  The gala will include U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren.  For more than 3 weeks, protests have spread across the country and around the world rising up against police violence and systemic racism targeting Black people.  The Rainforest Action Network is hosting a webinar to be sure that you “know your rights” before you hit the streets. Legal workers will discuss your constitutional rights and how to assert them when interacting with police in various situations and settings. Join this webinar on Thurs., June 18 at 8 PM EDT at https://act.ran.org/page/20092/subscribe/1?ea.tracking.id=e_en&utm_medium=Email&utm_source=EngagingNetworks&utm_campaign=gen&utm_content=June+18+Webinar+Outreach+B&ea.url.id=498681.

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.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

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