Baltimore Activist Alert - January 31 to February 1, 2018

21] Free Ahed – Jan. 31

22] Save Our System – Jan. 31

23] “Beyond the Capitalist Enterprise” -- Jan. 31

24] Bystander Training – Jan. 31

25] Fossil Free Watch Party -- Jan. 31

26] The Fossil Free Fast – Jan. 31

27] Tree Team – Feb. 1

28] Rally for 100% Clean Energy – Feb. 1

29] Courageous Conversations with Bobby Seale – Feb. 1

30] A staged reading of There is a Field -- Feb. 1

31] See the film THE MAN – Feb. 1

32] See the film “The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer” – Feb. 1

33] Real Causes of Depression – Feb. 1

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21] – On Wed., Jan. 31 from 5:30 to 6:30 PM, be at Free Ahed: Jewish High School Students Speak Out, hosted by IfNotNow DC at the Embassy of Israel, 3514 International Dr. NW, WDC 20008.  On Jan. 31, Ahed Tamimi, a 16-year-old Palestinian girl will be put on trial for twelve counts of assault against Israeli soldiers — that day is also her 17th birthday. Ahed was detained after armed soldiers raided her house in the middle of the night, just days after her 15-year-old cousin was shot by an Israeli soldier with a rubber bullet at close range, and had to undergo surgery to remove part of his skull. Multiple Israeli politicians, including Naftali Bennett, have publicly stated that she — as well as her mother and cousin (both detained at the same time as Ahed, though her cousin is now free) — should never be released. 

Fight back against these extreme threats and show Ahed that the American Jewish community stands with her. Show those who dehumanize Ahed that there is a global movement that will fight until all Palestinian teenagers like Ahed don’t have to spend their childhood facing the brutal reality of the Occupation on a daily basis. No child should have to be subjected to the daily atrocities of the Occupation, let alone the dehumanization of military court and prison. But unfortunately, Ahed is just one of over 300 Palestinian children in Israeli detention facilities. Go to http://www.wherevent.com/detail/IfNotNow-DC-Free-Ahed-Jewish-High-School-Students-Speak-Out.

22] – On Wed., Jan. 31 at 6 PM at 600 5th St. NW at WMATA headquarters, Jackson Graham Building, there will be a WMATA Budget Hearing on FY2019 budget. Join riders and members of Save Our System testifying for a safe, reliable, and affordable public transit system.  Meet at 5:30 PM outside to sign up to testify and get an SOS t-shirt. Visit http://www.savemetro.org/.

23] -- On Wed., Jan. 31 from 7 to 8:30 PM, hear a talk by Prof. Richard Wolff – “Beyond the Capitalist Enterprise - The Movement for Worker Co-ops (And What You Can Do!)” The event hosted by Democracy at Work DC will take place at St. Stephen & the Incarnation Episcopal Church, 1525 Newton St. NW, WDC 20010.  Find tickets at www.democracyatwork.info.  This event is free to the public, however RSVPs are required. Go to http://bit.ly/RDWolffDC to RSVP.

Capitalism is failing around the world and what many of us are looking for is the solution, the fix, and a way forward. Dr. Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and author of many books including “Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism,” will discuss how the movement for Worker Coops represents a way to build a more just and sustainable economy for the future.

24] – On Wed., Jan. 31 from 7 to 9 PM, come to Beth Am Bystander Training, 2501 Eutaw Pl., Baltimore 21217.  The Training will be facilitated by CASA. From the termination of DACA to unjust detentions and deportations of our neighbors, this moment requires preparedness to stand with and advocate for our immigrant communities in Baltimore.  The Training will include information on immigrants' rights, the current political context, and what YOU can to do as an ally. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/519197438437813/.

25] –2017 was the second hottest year on record, and had the greatest number of billion-dollar climate disasters in United States history. From Trump’s revival of Keystone XL to climate disasters in Puerto Rico, Houston, Florida, California and beyond, the need for a nationwide climate mobilization has never been greater. As a nation of climate disaster survivors, it’s up to us to bring the polluters and their allied politicians to justice.

The Climate Stewards of Greater Annapolis are hosting a Fossil Free Watch Party on Wed., Jan. 31 at 7:30 PM at the Annapolis Friends Meeting House, 351 Dubois Road, Annapolis 21401.  RSVP at https://actionnetwork.org/events/climate-stewards-of-greater-annapolis.

26] – On Wed., Jan. 31 at 8 PM, the day after Trump’s first State of the Union, Sen.  Bernie Sanders, 350.org co-founder Bill McKibben, Rev. Lennox Yearwood from Hip Hop Caucus, Jacqueline Patterson from the NAACP, Cherri Foytlin from BOLD Louisiana, Varshini Prakash from the Sunrise Movement, and others will unveil a clear roadmap for the movement. The Fossil Free Fast event will take place at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium. Hundreds of people from across the D.C. Metro area will be coming together to defend our planetary future against the profiteering of big oil. RSVP to get a ticket at https://gwutickets.com/online/seatSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=1F424896-2189-48BB-B292-278F115EA706.  General admission tickets are being offered at a pay-as-you-can sliding scale from $5 to $50.

27] –  On Thurs., Feb. 1 from 9 AM to 4 PM get over to TreeTeam Green Up, hosted by Blue Water Baltimore at 2631 Sisson St., Baltimore 21211. Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a Lorax for a day? Join TreeTeam for this unique one-on-one volunteer experience, where you will learn all about how to properly care for the urban forest. You will work in partnership with expert staff to care for forestry projects all throughout Baltimore City and County. Activities may include pruning, weeding or general beautification.  You are welcome to join for a full or half-day experience. All are welcome from the novice to the experienced TreeKeeper! Sign up for the morning shift: https://www.bluewaterbaltimore.org/events/treeteam-green-up_3/ and/or sign up for the afternoon shift: https://www.bluewaterbaltimore.org/events/treeteam-green-up_4/.

28] – There is a Bill Introduction & Rally for 100% Clean Energy on Thurs., Feb. 1 at noon at College Ave,, Annapolis 21401, organized by the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. Contact Veronica Poklemba at ronnie717@comcast.net or 301-277-7111.  Join for a rally and press conference to officially introduce the bill that will move Maryland to 100% clean energy! This is the strongest climate bill ever introduced in Annapolis, so we need to show up and show our support.  After the rally, stick around to visit your elected officials’ offices and ask them to support the bill! You can get instructions and materials to use. Speakers will include activists and environmental advocates, along with our champions in the legislature. RSVP at https://sierra.secure.force.com/events/details?formcampaignid=7010Z000001P68zQAC.

29] –  On Thurs., Feb. 1 at 5:30 PM be at a Courageous Conversations with Bobby Seale, hosted by University of Maryland College of Arts and Humanities at the Orem Alumni Hall,  Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center, 7801 Alumni Drive, College Park 20742. Tickets are available at www.arhu.umd.edu. Hate and bias are persistent global problems. What does it look like to engage in courageous conversations that speak to these difficult realities across personal, political, and historical frames? This year’s UMD College of Arts and Humanities (ARHU) Dean’s Lecture Series (DLS) is an opportunity for the campus to join together for provocative conversations about these issues across disciplines. Join ARHU for the second DLS Courageous Conversations: ARHU Resists Hate & Bias, focused on 'The Historical’, with famed author, founding chairman, and national organizer of the Black Panther Party, Bobby Seale. Mr. Seale will present “Resistance: From the Sixties to Trump,” followed by a book signing and reception.  Admission is FREE, but registration is required. RSVP at atgo.umd.edu/seale or email arichers@umd.edu. See https://www.facebook.com/events/127215348082317/.

30] – On Thurs., Feb. 1 from 7 to 9 PM catch a Staged Reading- “There is a Field on Palestine & Black Solidarity,” hosted by Jewish Voice for Peace - DC Metro and Gilda Papoose at the Sandovan Restaurant & Lounge, 4809 Georgia Ave. NW, WDC 20011.  Tickets are available at https://goo.gl/forms/Q7E8I2wK1cKdmcf52.  Attend this transformational work which leverages theater as a way to engage people outside and within the carceral system, impacted by and bearing witness to police violence, from DC to Palestine, in order to better enable Black and Palestinian people to survive and thrive. This project will bring an infusion of funds to the DMV Black Mama’s bailout and a critical mass of support to the new DC campaign to end the deadly exchange of policing between the US and Israel. Sign up at www.jvpdc.org/deadly-exchange/. 

“There Is A Field,” written by Jen Marlowe, tells the story of a 17-year old Palestinian boy (and a friend of Jen’s), Aseel Asleh, who was killed by Israeli police. Through Nardeen’s struggle to cope with the murder of her brother, the play offers an intimate view into the daily racism and violence faced by Palestinian citizens of Israel, and contributes to the vital conversation around the systematic devaluation of Black and Brown lives in the United States. With the solidarities and political convictions the play inspires, you can be plugged in to social justice campaigns in D.C. to put an end to the injustices the play exposes.

  Black women organizers, including this play’s director, Je Nae Taylor, came together to free Black mamas sitting behind bars because they couldn’t afford bail. They fundraised enough in order to bail out 10 mamas on Mother’s Day 2017, and 2 mamas for the March for Black Women, and 1 mama for Thanksgiving. For the Christmas holiday, one of the bailed out mothers gave birth (in freedom, outside the prison walls!), and they fundraised for her wish list for baby.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1301611179985041/.

31] –  On Thurs., Feb. 1 at 7:30 PM, tickets $10, $7 MEMBERS (+$3 at the door), see a screening of THE MAN  at the Creative Alliance at The Patterson, 3134 Eastern Ave., Baltimore 21224. Email info@creativealliance.org or call 410/276-1651.  An African-American senator (played by James Earl Jones) becomes President, after an accident kills the President of the United States. So the first black President attempts to end bigotry. 

Enjoy a Post-Film Discussion with Clayton Lebouef who is currently developing a feature-length documentary on Rod Serling (screenwriter of "The Man") and Katrina Bell McDonald who holds the title of Associate Professor of Sociology, and is the Co-Director of the Center for Africana Studies, and has served as the Associate Dean of Multicultural at The Johns Hopkins University.

32] – On Thurs., Feb. 1 from 7:30 to 9 PM, see a screening of “The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer,” hosted by Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland Library and City of Takoma Park - Municipal Government at the Takoma Park Community Center Auditorium, 7500 Maple Ave., Takoma Park 20912.  Hamer was a middle-aged sharecropper living in poverty in Mississippi before she rose up to become a pivotal civil rights activist of the 1960s. She helped organize the 1964 Freedom Rides through Mississippi that culminated with the brutal murders of three activists by a Ku Klux Klan lynch mob, prompting nationwide outrage and renewed support for the civil rights movement. Hamer herself was threatened, arrested and beaten during her work with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.  Robin Hamilton, an Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist, highlights Hamer’s neglected story in a free screening of her film “This Little Light of Mine: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer.” There is more info about the film at https://www.fannielou.com/.  After the film, Hamilton will discuss Hamer’s life and the ongoing fight for civil rights with José Morales, the community engagement and projects director for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee, which works to end gerrymandering across the country. The event is co-sponsored by the Friends of the Takoma Park Maryland. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/506949036358429/.

33] – On Thurs., Feb. 1 at 7:30 PM at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse, 30 W. North Ave., Baltimore 21201, turn out for JOHANN HARI PRESENTS "LOST CONNECTIONS UNCOVERING THE REAL CAUSES OF DEPRESSION – AND THE UNEXPECTED SOLUTIONS."   From the New York Times bestselling author of “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs,” a radical new way of thinking about depression and anxiety.

What really causes depression and anxiety - and how can we really solve them? Award-winning journalist Johann Hari suffered from depression since he was a child and started taking anti-depressants when he was a teenager. He was told that his problems were caused by a chemical imbalance in his brain. As an adult, trained in the social sciences, he began to investigate whether this was true – and he learned that almost everything we have been told about depression and anxiety is wrong.

Across the world, Hari found social scientists who were uncovering evidence that depression and anxiety are not caused by a chemical imbalance in our brains. In fact, they are largely caused by key problems with the way we live today. Hari´s journey took him from a mind-blowing series of experiments in Baltimore, to an Amish community in Indiana, to an uprising in Berlin. Once he had uncovered nine real causes of depression and anxiety, they led him to scientists who are discovering seven very different solutions – ones that work. Call 443-602-7585. RSVP at http://www.redemmas.org. 

To be continued.

Donations can be sent to the Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 325 E. 25th St., Baltimore, MD 21218.  Ph: 410-323-1607; 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