Baltimore Activist Alert - November 18, 2016 - January 20, 2017

40] RootsCamp – Nov. 18 - 20

41] Peace vigil at White House – Nov. 18

42] WIB peace vigils – Nov. 18

43] Release Aging People in Prison meeting – Nov. 18

44] Rally for Single Payer Health Care – Nov. 18

45] Black Lives Matter vigil – Nov. 18

46] What’s Going On? – Nov. 18

47] Virtual Palestine – Nov. 18

48] Bridging the Americas – Nov. 18

49] Ballroom Dancing – Nov. 18

50] Adopt an animal – Nov. 19

51] West Chester peace vigil – Nov. 19

52] Peoples Power Assembly meeting – Nov. 19

53] Wage Peace, Not War! – Nov. 19

54] Protest the AltRight – Nov. 19

55] 19th Annual Human Rights Potluck Dinner – Nov. 19

56] Protesting Trumpism meeting – Nov. 21

57] Film THE GREAT INVISIBLE – Dec. 2

58] Resist Trumpism – Jan. 20

59] Need photos of the antinuclear vigil in front of the White House

60] Sign up with Washington Peace Center

61] Donate books, videos, DVDs and records

62] Do you need any book shelves?

63] Join the Global Zero campaign

64] Join the Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil

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40] – Progressive activists and organizers from across the country are gathering for RootsCamp, an annual "unconference" for the progressive movement that will serve as a space to debrief what just happened with the election, as well as plan ahead. Register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rootscamp-2016-tickets-22743397113?refcode=g-rootscamp1115.d-20161116.m-8652.s-27198. RootsCamp 2016 will begin on Fri., Nov. 18 at 9 AM through Sun, Nov 20 at 5:30 PM at Walter E. Washington Convention Center, 801 Mount Vernon Place NW, WDC 20001. The cost is from $45 to $325. 

RootsCamp isn’t your everyday gathering; it’s an “unconference.” Instead of pre-set presenters with predictable PowerPoints. Participants design all sessions and decide the agenda. The idea is to bring together progressives of all stripes as equals, and have an honest exchange of ideas. When we learn from one another, we take away new ideas, make new connections, and strengthen our work. Wellstone Action is able to offer a limited number of scholarships (from free admission up to $300 in travel reimbursement) for folks who need financial assistance in order to attend. Go to https://wellstone.typeform.com/to/CztNBR.

41] – On Fri., Nov. 18 from noon to 1 PM, join the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in a vigil urging the powers that be to abolish war and torture, to disarm all weapons, to end indefinite detention, to close Guantanamo, to establish justice for all and help create the Beloved Community! This vigil will take place at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW. Contract Art @ artlaffin@hotmail.com or at 202-360-6416. 

42] – On Fri., Nov. 18 from noon to 1 PM, join a Women in Black peace vigil. A vigil will take place in McKeldin Square at the corner of Light and Pratt Sts., and another will take place outside Roland Park Place, 830 W. 40th St., across from the Rotunda.  Stay for as long as you can. Wear black. Dress for who knows what kind of weather. Bring your own poster or help with the "NO WAR IN MY NAME" banner.  When there are others to stand with, you don't need to carry the burden alone. Do this to be in solidarity with others....when everything around us says “Be afraid of the stranger.” Carpool and parking available at both locations. Just send an email that you need a ride [mailto:wibbaltimore@peacepath911.org].  Peace signs will be available. 

43] – Attend a DCRAPP (Release Aging People in Prison) Coalition Meeting at the BF Senior Wellness Center, 3531 Georgia Ave. NW, WDC 20010, on Fri., Nov. 18 from 3 to 4:15 PM. RAPP will share a bit about their work to get aging prisoners back to their families and communities. Come out to the next coalition meeting to learn more about this issue; and how you can help advocate for the release and return of aging people in prison to their families and communities. DCRAPP plans to usher in change. Email dcrappcampaign@gmail.com or go to www.rappcampaign.com.

44] – Rally for Single Payer Health Care at the White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., Nov. 18 at 4:30 PM. Demand the president-elect hold hearings on single payer! Go to http://www.pnhp.org/.

45] – There is usually a silent vigil on Fridays, from 5 to 6 PM, sponsored by Homewood Friends and Stony Run Meetings, outside the Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St.  The next scheduled vigil is on Nov. 18. Black Lives Matter.

46] – What's Going On at Dance Place, 3225 8th St. NE, WDC, on Fri., Nov. 18 from 6 to 9 PM. ONE DC will be hosting Dance Place’s very special Marvin Gaye-inspired performance: “What’s Going On? Life, Love & Social Justice.” In Dance Place’s first full-length production, taking inspiration from 1971’s inimitable What’s Going On, Marvin Gaye’s insights into life, love and social justice are given fresh perspectives with new choreography by Vincent E. Thomas, Ralph Glenmore and Sylvia Soumah. The evening-length work features Modern, Jazz and West African dance and seeks to spark conversations to ignite change in each community it touches.  Dance Place has generously dedicated the performance of “What’s Going On” to be a night of fundraising for ONE DC. The evening will begin with a reception at 6 PM, followed by the performance, lasting until 9 PM. See http://www.onedc10thanniversary.org/?utm_campaign=danceplace_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=onedctrac.

47] – Virtual Palestine, videos and images from an existing reality, can be seen at 2425 Virginia Ave. NW, WDC, on Fri., Nov. 18 from 6 to 8 PM.  Palestinian artists, especially those in Gaza, face enormous difficulties in having their work seen.  In this exhibition there will be short films and images from them, as well as from artists in the diaspora and beyond, to create a Palestine of the mind and heart in Gallery Al-Quds.

48] – Here about BRIDGING THE AMERICAS: BLACK LIVES MATTER FROM COLOMBIA TO THE US on Fri., Nov. 18 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201. Buenaventura, Colombia, considered one of the world’s most violent cities, is a place of ongoing nonviolent civilian resistance and resilience. Faced with deadly attacks and ongoing threats, a courageous Afro-Colombian community is taking a stand against the illegal armed groups that had controlled their daily lives for over 15 years. In the United States, an African-American is killed every 28 hours, and the Movement for Black Lives has vividly drawn national attention to an epidemic of state violence against Black communities.

Join this face-to-face exchange with Black community leaders from Colombia and the U.S. demanding respect for their lives, lands, and rights. Learn what strategies other communities are implementing to uproot the systemic barriers and injustices that prevent us from gaining the resources, leverage, and capacity needed for our communities to be self-sufficient. Bring your experience and wisdom to share strategies about how communities can more effectively organize to confront and take control of policing as well as to transform decision-making processes for greater community control. Call 443-602-7585.  Go to http://www.redemmas.org.  

49] – There is an opportunity to participate in ballroom dancing, usually every Friday of the month, in the JHU ROTC Bldg. at  8 PM.  Turn south on San Martin Dr. from the intersection of Univ. Parkway and 39th St.  Drive on campus by taking the third left turn. The next dance will be Nov. 18. Call Dave Greene at 410-599-3725.

50] – Join the Maryland ASPCA at White Marsh Mall, 8200 Perry Hall Boulevard, Baltimore, 21236, on Sat. Nov. 19 from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM for Adopt 'Till You Drop! Adoption fees for ALL animals will be waived, including the $25 required ID package.  All adoptions are first-come, first served and regular adoption procedures for each shelter still apply. Potential adopters should bring a valid photo ID. Out-of-state residents are eligible to adopt. Adoptable animals will go home with their new families the day of the event. All pets will have been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped. The first 150 attendees will receive goodie bags filled with coupons, pet treats and toys. Call 410-235-8826.

51] – Each Saturday, 11 AM – 1 PM, Chester County Peace Movement holds a peace vigil in West Chester in front of the Chester County Courthouse, High & Market Sts. Go to www.ccpeace.org. Email ccpeacemovement@aol.com.

52] – On Sat., Nov. 19 at noon, there will be a meeting of the Peoples Power Assembly, 2011 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218.  Shut It Down! No work - no school -- no business as usual on Jan. 20, 2017 at the Trump inauguration. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/1269644926411203/.

53] – Wage Peace, Not War! This is happening on Sat., Nov. 19 from 2 to 4 PM at Adelphi Friends, 2303 Metzerott Rd., Adelphi 20783.  Go to http://adelphifriends.org/. The gathering is hosted by Maryland United for Peace and Justice, the B-gifted Foundation, and Little Friends for Peace.  Visit their web sites: www.mupj.org, www.lffp.org and B-Gifted www.b-gifted.org.  Andrew Green will talk about the work of the B-gifted Foundation with the former child soldiers of the Civil War in Sierra Leone.  This multimedia presentation presents Andrew's journey of hope to make a difference in the lives of children and youth scarred by war in Sierra Leone. MJ Park will talk about the Little Friends for Peace program "How to develop a peaceful tool box so you can live and teach peace by what you say and do." Refreshments will be served, and donations will be accepted. RSVP at 410-747-3811 or (Paulette Hammond).

54] – Stand up to the AltRight: Stop the National Policy Institute. Go to the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, WDC, on Sat., Nov. 19 from 12:30 to 3:30 PM.  This is a Call to Action by the DC Anti-Fascist Coalition.  We must defeat Trumpism. We must defeat Trump’s “Alt Right” base and the racist, sexist, and anti-immigrant hate which threatens all of us. Trumpism is powered by groups like the National Policy Institute (NPI), a white nationalist “think-tank” that has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. They will be holding their white supremacist conference in DC the weekend of November 18th-20th, 2016. A coalition of activists will be protesting in the streets.  Gather at the intersection of Pennsylvania Ave. and 13th St. NW. Show up as close to 12:30 PM as you can. Show numbers to the media who will be attending NPI's press conference. Make noise, chant, and be generally disruptive.

55] – On Sat., Nov. 19 from 6 to 9:30 PM at the Bain Center, 5470 Ruth Keeton Way, Columbia 21044, come to the 19th Annual Human Rights Potluck Dinner with live music . Celebrate 30 years of solidarity work with Latin America. The program will feature music of the Andes by RUMISONKO along with an overview of activities carried out by Howard County Friends of Latin America. This event is FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, but donations are appreciated. Bring a MAIN DISH TO SHARE!! Unfortunately RUMISONKO’s new CD will not be available until the end of the year, but orders will be taken.  Go to www.friendsoflatinamerica.org.

56] – The Pledge of Resistance-Baltimore will meet on Mon., Nov. 21 at 7:30 PM at Max’s residence.  The agenda will be about resisting the Trump Administration.  For example, we could plan a demonstration in Baltimore ASAP.  And we will discuss the upcoming resistance action scheduled to take place during the inauguration. RSVP at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski at verizon.net to get the address of the meeting site.

57] –  The Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration Committee, Baltimore Quaker Peace and Justice Committee of Homewood and Stony Run Meetings and Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility are continuing the FILM & SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS DVD SERIES.  The DVDs will be shown at Homewood Friends Meetinghouse, 3107 N. Charles St., Baltimore 21218, usually on the First Friday.  After the Black Lives Matter vigil, there will be a potluck dinner. At 7:15 PM, from September through December, a DVD will be shown with a discussion to follow.  There is no charge, and refreshments will be available.  The series theme is REACTING TO WARS ON CONSTITUTIONAL PROTECTIONS, PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT.

On Fri., Dec. 2 see THE GREAT INVISIBLE [USA, 2014.] directed by Margaret Brown.  It is a documentary about the oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico.  On April 10, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded, killing 11 workers on the rig, and dumping what amounted to almost 5 million barrels of crude into the gulf. The leak continued without interruption for 87 days, devastating the Gulf coastline, its wildlife, its beaches and its entire fishing industry (the main source of income for many in the bayou). BP's lack of response to the initial spill brought ferocious criticism to the company, and there was a possibility of fines of up to $18 billion. Brown's documentary personalizes the well-publicized event, bringing us close to those affected by it, fishermen, survivors and seafood workers: the "invisible" victims of the massive catastrophe. Call 410-366-1637 or email mobuszewski [at] verizon.net for further information

58] – Join the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance in an Inaugural Action on January 20, 2017.  According to Forbes Magazine, Nov. 9, 2016, “President Trump Is Likely To Boost U.S. Military Spending By $500 Billion To $1 Trillion.” So we need a strong presence in D.C. for the inauguration to call for an end to all warfare, including drone warfare.  NCNR is organizing an action of nonviolent civil resistance on the day of the inauguration, Friday, January 20.  Some of us will be risking arrest, and we need others there in support and solidarity.  We will meet in the lower level food court at Union Station at 10 AM on the day of the inauguration for our final planning meeting.  We will have a final planning meeting knowing we have to keep things fluid because there is no certainty as to what will happen that day.

 The idea will be to process as near as possible to a checkpoint and make us visible to the crowds.  Then perhaps we can do a die-in.  We will have model drones, coffins, signs, banners, and leaflets to get our message across.  If you have ideas on messaging, please share over email.  Again, this will be a very fluid experience, and we will come together and make decisions as we go along. Contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski at Verizon dot net.

59] – Ellen Thomas [et@prop1.org or 202-210-3886 (cell and text)] sent this message: Hi, good friends and (hopefully) fellow photographers! There are so many great stories in the photos of the antinuclear vigil in front of the White House from 1981 to 2016 - see my growing collection at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B0FRCou5r5zOQk5JbHlTWWYwbHc.  If you have any photos or stories you think should be added, please send them to me <et@prop1.org> or post them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/Thomas.Memorial/. 

60] -- The Washington Peace Center has a progressive calendar & activist alert! Consider signing up to receive its weekly email: info@washingtonpeacecenter.org.

61] -- If you would like to get rid of books, videos, DVDs or records, contact Max at 410-323-1607 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

62] -- Can you use any book shelves? Contact Max at 410-366-1637 or mobuszewski at verizon.net.

63] -- Join an extraordinary global campaign for the elimination of nuclear weapons: http://www.globalzero.org/sign-declaration. A growing group of leaders around the world is calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons and a majority of the global public agrees.  This is an historic window of opportunity.  With momentum already building in favor of Zero, a major show of support from people around the world could tip the balance. When it comes to nuclear weapons, one is one too many.

64] – A Peace Park Antinuclear Vigil takes place every day in Lafayette Park, 1601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 24 hours a day, since June 3, 1981. Go to http://prop1.org; call 202-682-4282.

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/.

“One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. It may or may not be possible to turn the US around through nonviolent revolution. But one thing favors such an attempt: the total inability of violence to change anything for the better" - Daniel Berrigan