Baltimore Activist Alert – January 17 – 18, 2021

Baltimore Activist Alert – January 17 – 18, 2021

"I speak as an American to the leaders of my own nation. The great initiative in this war is ours. The initiative to stop it must be ours." -Martin Luther King Jr.

Friends, this list and other email documents which I send out are done under the auspices of the Baltimore Nonviolence Center.  Go to www.baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com. 

If you appreciate this information and would like to make a donation, send contributions to Max Obuszewski, BNC, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Max Obuszewski can be reached at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net.

1] Books, buttons and stickers

2] Web site for info on federal legislation

3] Get involved with NCNR   

4] Volunteer with a Catholic Worker house  

5] Free Prakash Churaman  

6] Virtual screening of "Baltimore's Strange Fruit” -- Jan. 17

7] “1619 and 2021: Where We Were and Where We are Going” – Jan. 17

8] Adoption Event at Petco – Jan. 17

9] Julian Assange and Press Freedom – Jan. 17

10] Weekly Seekers' BLM Witness – Jan. 17

11] Audubon Afternoon -- Jan. 17

12] Healthcare Emergency Town Hall – Jan. 17

13] The Letter from Birmingham -- Jan. 17

14] Peacemakers Salon – Jan. 17

15] Beloved Community – Jan. 17

16] How US Policy is Hurting Hondurans and Nicaraguans – Jan. 17

17] Pentagon Peace Vigil – Jan. 18

18] Annual MLK Day Celebration – Jan. 18

19] Black Lives Matter caravan – Jan. 18

20] Food Rescue – Jan. 18

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1] – Buttons, bumperstickers and books are available.  “God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions” stickers are in stock. Call Max at 410-323-1607.

2] –To obtain information how your federal legislators voted on particular bills, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/.  Congressional toll-free numbers are 888-818-6641, 888-355-3588 or 800-426-8073. The White House Comment Email is accessible at http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/.

3] – THE ORGANIZING LIST will be the primary decision-making mechanism of the National Campaign of Nonviolent Resistance [NCNR].  It will be augmented by conference calls and possibly in-person meetings as needed.  It will consist of 1 or 2 representatives from each local, regional, or national organization (not coalitions) that wishes to actively work to carry out the NCNR campaign of facilitating and organizing nonviolent resistance to U.S. wars.

To join the ORGANIZING List, please send your name, group affiliation, city and email address to mobuszewski2001 at Comcast dot net.  Different local chapters of a national organization are encouraged to subscribe.  

4] - Suzanne Fontanesi and Jeff Ross are in the beginning stages of renovating the basement of their house for purposes of bringing in a volunteer (targeting young adults in discernment mode), starting next fall. They are trying to grow a Catholic Worker House in Irvington (West Baltimore). In a nutshell, there is a lot that a volunteer could do in that neighborhood/Baltimore, in addition to prayer and daily community living and in addition to plugging into all the good work that people are already doing in and around Baltimore (and beyond).  If you think you might know of anyone who might be interested in starting a conversation with them about becoming such a volunteer/community member, please contact Jeff/Suzanne at 443-690-6872.

5] – Prakash Churaman was 15 when he was arrested and accused of murdering his best friend. NYPD detective Barry Brown coerced him into making a false confession over the course of hours in an interrogation room. He was convicted and sentenced to life in prison by Judge Kenneth Holder, a former prosecutor. That conviction was overturned this summer and now for the first time he has a chance to come home if money can be raised for his bail. Here is the link to a video which tells his story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FStlvKjTt4&t=7s. Here is the link to Gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/freeprakashchuraman and another one to a petition: https://www.change.org/p/freeprakashchuraman.

6] – On Sun., Jan. 17 from 10 AM to 12:30 PM EST, Jews United for Justice will host a virtual screening of "Baltimore's Strange Fruit: A Story of Food Apartheid and the Struggle for Sovereignty" in observance of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. It will be followed by a talk-back with the filmmaker, Eric Jackson. The film explores the intersections of food, land, and race and class politics through personal narrative and social commentary. The film journeys through the historical woes and triumphs of people of African Descent within the food system, while highlighting contemporary efforts to address the complex nature of food apartheid in Baltimore.  Contact Jillian Manko at jmanko@baltimorehebrew.org. RSVP at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0a4eaba82caaf58-bhcjustice.

7] - Usually, the Baltimore Ethical Society, 2521 St. Paul St., Baltimore 21218, meets on Sundays, and generally there is a speaker and discussion at 10:30 AM.  On Sun., Jan. 17, hear about “1619 and 2021: Where We Were and Where We are Going.”  This talk will be a brief summary of the 1619 Project and a more in-depth analysis of the project’s place in our contemporary society. The literary and artistic works of the 1619 Project can be used to foster conversations and tangible work about redress for economic and social wrongs that have been committed against African-Americans in America. Rick McCray is a father of three sons, a husband, a son and a brother.  He is a graduate of Duke University with two degrees in History and African & African-American Studies and a graduate of Howard University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate. Email PRESIDENT@BMORETHICAL.ORG for the ZOOM LOGIN INFORMATION.

8] - On Sun., Jan. 17 from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM EST, there is an Adoption Event at Petco, hosted by Lovepaws.  Meet Nala, Pranzer, Ally, and Miss Tea Pot at the Rockville Petco, 1507 Rockville Pike, Rockville 20852.  Folks will be outside the store all masked up and spaced apart in compliance with the CDC guidelines and showing off adorable adoptable pups! Visit https://www.facebook.com/lovepawspg/.

9] – On Sun., Jan. 17 at noon Eastern Standard Time for a Forum on "The Trial of Julian Assange and its Implications for Press Freedom" with UN Special Rapporteur Nils Melzer, and former CIA Russia analyst Ray McGovern. Ray warned that he appears rather disheveled; as he has let his hair grow in solidarity with Julian Assange. Get the Zoom link or call-in phone number at https://uumilwaukee.org/event/the-trial-of-julian-assange-and-its-implications-for-press-freedom/ or watch it live on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/wWhGfQq_wTQ.  Contact Ann Batiza at 414-238-3903 or annwisc@gmail.com.

10] – On Sun., Jan. 17 from 12:30 to 1:30 PM ET, join the Weekly Seekers' BLM Witness at the Seekers Church, 276 Carroll St. NW, WDC 20012. Visit https://www.facebook.com/seekerschurchDC/. Since last spring, Seekers have been witnessing weekly for Black Lives Matter in front of Seekers Church, accompanied by a musical background of stirring peace and justice songs. It is a wonderful opportunity to show up for racial justice and experience unity as passing drivers and pedestrians of all races and ethnicities wave and raise fists. Cars honk, bicyclists ring their little bike bells, and sometimes passers-by ask for a sign and join in.  This will continue through Jan. 24.

11] – On Sun., Jan. 17 from 3 PM to 4:30 PM EST, enjoy an Audubon Afternoon with Dr. Sahas Barve, hosted by the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia. Learn how birds stay warm in cold weather and extreme elevations. Sahas is an avian evolutionary ecologist and currently a Peter Buck Fellow at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where he studies how birds stay warm in the high Himalayas. He is also an avid birder and hopes to see 6000 bird species by the time he is 60. Learn more about him at his website www.sahasbarve.com. Look at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/audubon-afternoon-with-dr-sahas-barve-tickets-126576492697?aff=efbeventtix&fbclid=IwAR1n-InLeImOyT8puZXFqvcpioYZw5OPuIN7EGB964znI699iRMtCVtVMxE.

12] – COVID-19 is a Giant Wake-Up Call for Medicare For All.  Join the Progressive Democrats of America Healthcare Emergency Town Hall on Sun., Jan. 17 at 4 PM ET.  PDA has recognized #COVID19 as a giant wake-up call for #SinglePayer expanded and improved #MedicareForAll and the #GreenNewDeal since the very beginning of the pandemic, precisely because #UniversalHealthcare where ALL of the people get ALL of the care is so clearly what we need to beat this national and international scourge. Our traditionally under-served communities have been hardest hit, especially those in the “Healthcare deserts” of our inner cities and rural regions, and especially most unjustly in our BIPOC communities who had been struggling disproportionately even before COVID-19 with the existential threats of poverty, systemic racism, climate change, and political corruption throughout US history. The simple fact is that the only way everyone will get ALL of the testing, contact tracing, and treatment, including effective and timely vaccinations for COVID-19, is if it’s in the control of We the People not they the commercial for-profit interests of Big Insurance and Big Pharma. RSVP for secure log-in by sending an email to mikefox@pdamerica.org.

13] – On Sun., Jan. 17 at 4 PM and again at Mon., Jan. 18 at 4 PM EST, get with a Prophetic Call to the Church: The Letter from Birmingham.  This Online Event is organized by the Metro D.C. Synod, ELCA and African Descent Lutheran Association. On Good Friday, April 12, 1963, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested in Birmingham, AL after violating an anti-protest injunction and was kept in solitary confinement. During this time, Rev. Dr. King penned the “Letter from Birmingham Jail” on the margins of the Birmingham News, in reaction to a statement published in the same newspaper by eight white clergymen condemning the protests.  Honor Rev. Dr. King’s dedication to reforming the Church and American culture by listening to the African-American voices of rostered leaders of the ELCA, once again asserting a call for action to the Church by reading the very words written by Rev. King. Go to https://www.facebook.com/metrodcelca/.

14] – Maxine Garcia [maxine@codepink.org] is alerting us to the first Peacemakers Salon on Sun., Jan. 17 at 5 PM ET. CODEPINK co-founder Jodie Evans will host the Salon and share plans for Local Peace Economy and 1 Billion Rising Gardens, who are joining in Planting Seeds of Peace: a defiant creative call for revival, restoration and transformation. Jodie will be talking more about how tending a garden is inextricably connected to nurturing our communities.  Then, CODEPINK Divest campaigner Nancy Mancias will also be joining to discuss how BlackRock is infiltrating the Biden Administration and what we need to do about it. Meet the new Director of Cultural Strategy and Anti-Imperialism Ciara Taylor, Co-founder of the Dream Defenders, was Membership Manager at The Peoples Forum. Ciara will be discussing the new political education program that she is leading at CODEPINK. We hope you’ll be able to join us with your questions and concerns!  Go to https://www.codepink.org/peacemaker_salon_jodieevans?utm_campaign=peacemakers_salon_jodie&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink.

15] – On behalf of the 140 million poor and low-income people in the country, the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival – with 45 state coordinating committees, thousands of religious leaders and hundreds of supporting organizations – calls upon the nation to join in a season of prayer and action.  On Sun., Jan. 17 at 8 PM ET hear a "Prayer for Beloved Community in the Midst of COVID and Chaos, " which will be a 30-minute prayer service as a part of A National Call to Love, Light and Leadership.  Then on Mon., Jan. 18  at 1 PM ET, participate in a  MLK Moral Monday -- A National Interfaith Service of Love, Light and Leadership.  Build the beloved community with Love tied to Justice, Light grounded in Truth, Leadership rooted in a Moral Agenda for the Nation. Visit https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org/?link_id=1&can_id=4b9d4061aec5469758759317ac0f5285&source=email-building-the-beloved-community&email_referrer=email_1045720&email_subject=building-the-beloved-community.

16] – On Sun., Jan. 17 at 7 PM ET, check out a Webinar: How US Policy is Hurting Hondurans and Nicaraguans.  Experts on Honduras and Nicaragua will talk about the consequences of US policy. Vicki Cervantes began working in solidarity with Latin America movements in the 1970s. Magda Lanuza is a Nicaraguan Salvadoran feminist specializing in sustainable development. REGISTER at https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_w4Q79vNTSCKCbSkhy7fRfA?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=3dddfc56-5f0a-4d46-88e4-bd89ea415c42.

17] – There is a weekly Pentagon Peace Vigil from 7 to 8 AM on Mondays, since 1987, outside the Pentagon Metro stop.  The next vigil is Jan. 18, and it is sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker.  Email artlaffin@hotmail.com or call 202-882-9649.  The vigil will be outside the Pentagon's south Metro entrance and in the designated "protest zone" behind bicycle fences across from the entrance to the Metro.  By Metro, take Yellow Line and get out at the "Pentagon" stop. Do not go to the Pentagon City stop! Go up south escalators and turn left and walk across to protest area. By car from D.C. area, take 395 South and get off at Exit 8A-Pentagon South Parking. Take slight right onto S. Rotary Rd. at end of ramp and right on S. Fern St. Then take left onto Army Navy Dr. You can "pay to park" on Army Navy Dr.,  and there is meter parking one block on right on Eads St. Payment for both of these spots begin at 8 AM.  No cameras are allowed on Pentagon grounds. Restrooms are located inside Marriott Residence Inn on corner of S. Fern and Army Navy Dr.  

18] – Participate in the 37th Annual MLK Day Celebration on Mon., Jan. 18 from 9 AM to 5 PM.  Celebrate in the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in this day-long, virtual gathering that will include a historic tour, a convocation with panelists and a keynote speaker, community workshops, and opportunities to get involved in social justice work.  Focus the program on the theme of ‘Uniting the Beloved Community’. To join, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83743553639 on the day.

19] – Join the Immigration Outreach Service Center and many Faith Communities on Mon., Jan. 18 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM in a caravan in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.  Gather between 10:30 and 11 AM in the St Matthew Church rear parking lot on Woodbourne Avenue. Watch for the entrance sign. You’ll be directed to line up in specific lines facing the back of church and ministry building. The car caravan is planned to begin at 11:15 AM. Decorate your car and windows with expressions of MLK and BLM. Email or call Ryan at – ryansattler@comcast.net / 717-891-6156.

20] – On Mon., Jan. 1 from noon to 1:30 PM EST, participate in Food Rescue at Land of Kush, 840 North Eutaw St., Baltimore.  This Food Rescue will continue until Mon., Apr. 26. Food Rescue Baltimore is proud to partner with The Land of Kush each and every Monday to bring free vegan and plant-based food to the community. Bring a bag, take what you want, while supplies last. #KeepItFreshDay #MeatlessMonday. See https://www.facebook.com/The-Land-of-Kush-102096254517153.

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