Saturday, September 7, 2019

Baltimore Activist Alert – September 7 to 22, 2019


Baltimore Activist Alert – September 7 to 22, 2019

"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 BNC, 325 East 25th Street, Baltimore, MD 21218.  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] Lawyers Against War
5] SUPPORT AMAZON WORKERS OF CONSCIENCE
6] The Warmth of Other Suns – through Sept. 22
7] Preparing for 2020: Advocating for Rights, Justice, and Freedom Canvass -- Sept. 7-8
8] Explore the Forest at Chapman State Park – Sept. 7
9] Farm Volunteer Day -- Sept. 7
10] Maryland's first Lynching Historical Marker Sept. 7
11] Reform Maryland’s criminal justice system – Sept. 7
12] Coffee and Conversation with Our Revolution Baltimore – Sept. 7
13] Meet Me in the Middle meeting – Sept. 7
14] RepresentUs Maryland meeting – Sept. 7
15] DRONE DEATH WALK/VIGIL – Sept. 7
16] Wagging Tales with Maryland SPCA – Sept. 7
17] Screening of “The House on Coco Road” – Sept. 7
18] US-Cuba Relations: The Path Forward – Sept. 7
19] Palestine: A New Approach Sept. 7
20] Feeding the Homeless & Hungry – Sept. 8
21] Wild About Elephants – Sept. 8
22] “Baltimore Must Throw Out Incineration” – Sept. 8
23] Guest preacher Rev. Dr. William J. Barber – Sept. 8
24] The ERA Call – Sept. 8
25] SHUT IT DOWN – Sept. 8
26] Protest the Pentagon – Sept. 9
27] Food Rescue – Sept. 9
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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] – Jeff Ross, an attorney in Maryland, is interested in gathering with other lawyers to discuss ways in which the legal profession and the law generally can be conceptualized as a peace-building and war-resisting institution and redirected to these ends. Areas to explore might include: 1) ways in which this group could support with legal analysis/writing those lawyers who are representing peace-builders/war-resisters in criminal prosecutions; 2) ways in which, from a more theoretical perspective, the law might be grounded in an ethic of non-violence; and 3) ways in which law students and young lawyers might be exposed to a non-violent vision of the law. All religious, philosophical, and critical perspectives on the law are welcome. The group might want to call itself Lawyers Against War. Jeff can be reached at 443-690-6872 and jross50@hotmail.com.

5] -- SUPPORT AMAZON WORKERS OF CONSCIENCE.  We are in a deep struggle to support conscience within the high tech community, which may be the only way to prevent a major leap into artificial intelligence warfare that we see the beginnings of in the expanding global U.S. drone war system.  This may be of particular interest to Johns Hopkins' Navy-funded researchers, some of whom have been working on swarming drone technology.

These are not major asks and can be a powerful reinforcement of conscience at an extremely critical moment.  Please consider circulating this link to your lists encouraging people to sign the linked RootsAction petition - https://www.knowdrones.com/blog/2019/3/6/support-amazon-workers-who-dont-want-to-work-for-war and leafletting Whole Foods in your areas. This is a link to the leaflet -- https://gallery.mailchimp.com/dd110b000ca250d868d4f419b/files/107fc695-8af9-4f7e-a523-ecd1d1dfd28f/Wholefoods_Leaflet.pdf. Should you have interest in circulating the links and possibly leafletting, contact Nick Mottern at  nickmottern at gmail.com.

6] – The Phillips Collection (TPC) in Washington, D.C. has a dedicated mission of addressing contemporary social justice issues of global significance. The museum has recently undertaken an extraordinary exhibition on the urgent topic of immigration and the global migration crisis entitled: The Warmth of Other Suns: Stories of Global Displacement. This important exhibition presents 75 historical and contemporary artists—from the United States as well as Algeria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Brazil, Egypt, Ghana, Iraq, Lebanon, Mexico, Morocco, Syria, Turkey, UK, Vietnam, and more—whose work poses urgent questions around the experiences and perceptions of migration, internal and cross-border displacement, and the current global refugee crisis. Check out https://www.phillipscollection.org/events/2019-06-22-exhibition-the-warmth-of-other-suns.

   In conjunction with the exhibition which is on view through Sept. 22, the museum has also created a slate of dynamic programming including artist talks.  Contact Phillips Director of Communications Miriam Magdieli at MMagdieli@phillipscollection.org for complimentary passes, or to RSVP for Phillips After 5. If you have a group she can also help to arrange a tour with museum staff.  The Phillips Collection is eager to engage in partnerships with organizations working with migrant communities, whether by advocacy, direct action, or support for migrants here in DC.

7] – On Sat., Sept 7 at 9 AM to 5 PM, participate in Preparing for 2020: Advocating for Rights, Justice, and Freedom, hosted by the American Friends Service Committee at 3825 Wisconsin Ave. NW, WDC 20016-2907.  Tickets can be had at secure.afsc.org.  The gathering continues on Sun., Sept. 8 from 9 AM to 5 PM.  Presidential election years present new opportunities for grassroots advocacy, whether at town hall meetings, primary caucuses, or party conventions. Join other activists, organizers, and policy experts as we explore ways to engage in effective advocacy for justice and equality in Israel and Palestine in 2020.  Focus on current campaigns to advocate for Palestinian children’s rights, end the blockade of Gaza, and to protect our rights to support BDS and engage in economic activism at the city, state and national levels. Share best practices and skills for advocating with elected officials and how to engage across movements to build solidarity and power. Participants will also have an opportunity to engage with and hear from movement experts and leaders about their experiences pushing forward these conversations and work.


8] – Explore the Forest at Chapman State Park, 3452 Ferry Place, Indian Head 20640, on Sat., Sept. 7 from 9 to 11:30 AM, organized by the Sierra Club Prince George's County Group.  Contact Janet Gingold at jgingold3@gmail.com or (301) 814-1223. Stretching from the Potomac River to Mattawoman Creek in Charles County, this park includes habitats ranging from flooded wetlands to dry sands, including 1000 acres of forest. The walk will be about 3 miles and will take about 2 hours. This walk is best for adults and children 8 years old and older.  Each participant should read the waiver and register individually. Parent/legal guardian must sign waiver for minors. Wear long pants and sturdy, close-toed shoes. No flip-flops. Bring insect repellant and sunscreen, a water bottle and a pocket-sized snack. Binoculars are a plus.

9] –   On Sat., Sept 7 from 10 AM to noon, catch up with a Farm Volunteer Day hosted by Strength to Love 2, 1875 Lorman St., Baltimore 21217.  Join Fair Farms for a morning of work.  Then stop by Well Crafted Kitchen at Union Collective on Saturday or Sunday to enjoy 50% off pizza as a reward for your hard work.

Strength to Love farm is a community based urban farm that provides hands-on agricultural training and job opportunities for citizens returning from incarceration while also addressing the neighborhood’s food apartheid issue. The farm is a visible symbol of transformation in the community that has successfully converted vacant land into an operational farm by growing organic produce for local consumption. See https://www.facebook.com/events/3467915566568100/.

10] – On Sat., Sept 7 from 10 AM to 2 PM, get over to Historical Marker Remembrance Dedication Ceremony, hosted by Connecting the Dots, Calvert St, Annapolis 21401. This will be the dedication ceremony to unveil Maryland's first Lynching Historical marker in partnership with EJI (Equal Justice Initiative) with sponsorship from the Maryland Lynching Memorial Project. The ceremony will take place across from the Arundel Center. Special Guests and Speakers include County Exec. Steuart Pittman, Honorable Carl Snowden, Reverend Dr. Carletta Allen, Delegate Josephine Pena-Melnyk, a Representative from the Equal Justice Initiative and more.

   In addition to dedicating the historical marker, see the award winners of the RACIAL JUSTICE ESSAY CONTEST.  The Equal Justice Initiative in partnership with Connecting the Dots: Remembrance and Reconciliation Project is pleased to announce a scholarship contest open to 9th–12th grade students attending public high schools in Anne Arundel County during the 2018-2019 school year. Prizes totaling at least $5,000 will be awarded to winning participants. To Learn More about Participating in this Contest, see the Eligibility and Essay Guidelines at https://sites.google.com/eji.org/annearundel-essaycontest/eligibility-and-guidelines.  There will be an after ceremony discussion with light refreshments at Asbury United Methodist Church on West Street. Email ctdaaco@gmail.com to RSVP for your attendance for refreshment count or for more information. Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/350190122584864/.

11] -- On Sat., Sept. 7 at 11 AM, join Progressive Maryland and 2018 Gubernatorial nominee Ben Jealous in Prince George's for an organizing conversation on the issues in our criminal justice system, mass incarceration and the current realities of structural racism in our legal system. The event is called “When They See Us: An Organizing Conversation” and will focus on ways to reform Maryland’s criminal justice system, particularly in Prince George’s County, using the Netflix series When They See Us to guide the conversation. It’ll be held at ATU 689’s Union Hall in District Heights, Maryland.  RSVP at  https://secure.everyaction.com/9FTPxh9E8ESBRvs8k7oVCQ2?fbclid=IwAR16wqX3qxQDE7B9fYpFq1cFQDoUcWZFhVyUB8-z9Lp7El_iM55WtZzS-CA.

12] –   Get with Coffee and Conversation with Our Revolution Baltimore on Sat., Sept. 7 from 11 AM to 1 PM at the R House, 301 W. 29th St., Baltimore 21211.  Email ormdbaltimore@gmail.com. Back on the job and need a break from the work grind? Formal meetings aren't your style? Just want a place to talk politics and activism? Have a question about or idea for OR Baltimore? If any of these apply to you, or you just want a cup of coffee on a Saturday morning, then come to the monthly Coffee and Conversation with OR Baltimore. 

13] – Communities United is hosting a Meet Me in the Middle meeting on Sat., Sept 7 at 120 N. Front St. from 11 AM to 1 PM. Email jessi@communitiesunite.org.

14] – On Sat., Sept. 7 from 11:15 AM to 12:30 PM, RepresentUs Maryland will hold a Chapter Meeting at The Hideaway Restaurant, 1439 Odenton Rd, Odenton 21113. RepresentUs members in the Odenton area are hosting a community meeting to fight corruption in Maryland, and you're invited! RepresentUs Maryland is working with local volunteers to build a grassroots network, connect with other reform groups, and host events to educate the public and activate new volunteers. Join Audra Peddicord and the rest of Represent Maryland for a chapter meeting to connect with other local anti-corruption leaders and activists, and learn about our strategy to fight corruption. Look at https://volunteer.represent.us/md_meeting_090719?akid=35163.680940.unKjOz&rd=1&t=14.

15] – On Sat., Sept. 7 Center City Phila. DRONE DEATH WALK/VIGIL from 11:30 AM to 12:45PM Meet-up at 12th & Arch Streets.  Wear BLACK in public mourning. Organizers will bring plain white masks, banners, and signs.  Call Marge Van Cleef at 203-804-3013

16] – On Sat., Sept 7 from 1:30 to 2:30 PM, get with Wagging Tales with Maryland SPCA - Adopt, Don't Shop!  This is hosted by Port Discovery Children's Museum, 35 Market Place, Baltimore 21202.  Tickets are at tickets.portdiscovery.org. Each child participant will also receive a stuffed dog or cat along with a ‘certificate of adoption’!  Learn about the important differences between a puppy shop and an animal shelter or rescue group. The Maryland SPCA encourage adoption to provide loving homes to animals in need. Hear the touching story of how a little girl and a dog end up saving each other.  Look at https://www.facebook.com/events/2159906134064786/.

17] – The ANSWER Coalition encourages you to attend a screening of “The House on Coco Road,” as part of the Black Liberation Series on Sat., Sept. 7 at 4 PM at the Justice Center, 617 Florida Ave. NW, WDC.  Use the Shaw Metro (Yellow/Green Lines).  RSVP at https://www.facebook.com/events/655099968308353.  The film chronicles the journey of Fannie Haughton, an Oakland activist who fled to Grenada with her family just prior to the U.S. invasion in 1983. Light refreshments will be provided. Donations of $5to $10 will be accepted via cash or card at the door, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

18] – On Sat., Sept 7 from 6:30 to 9 PM, hear about US-Cuba Relations: The Path Forward, hosted by Friends of Latin America at the Owen Brown Interfaith Center, 7246 Cradlerock Way, Columbia 21045.  In 2014, President Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced that they were moving to normalize diplomatic relations, raising hopes in both countries. After five decades of an embargo, trade and travel restrictions began to relax. What has happened since?

  The speakers are Miguel Fraga, First Secretary of the Cuban Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Mavis Anderson, a Senior Associate at the Latin America Working Group in Washington, DC.  Enjoy refreshments at 6:30 PM.  The presentations and discussion will begin at 7 PM. Contact Leslie Salgado at cuba_is_hope@comcast.net or 410-381-4899. Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/2360694310819896/.

19] – On Sat., Sept 7 from 7 to 10 PM, get caught up with Palestine: A New Approach,  hosted by American Muslims for Palestine which includes a benefit dinner at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City at National Airport, 2799 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Arlington 22202. Tickets are at ampalestine.ticketspice.com.  The dinner will featuring the grandson of the late Nelson Mandela, Zwelivelile Mandela, and former CNN analyst, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/889948621351774/.

20] – On Sun., Sept. 11 from 10 AM to noon, Neighbors Without Walls:  Feeding the Homeless & Hungry at the Terra Cafe Bmore, 25th and St. Paul Sts., Baltimore. Homelessness is by far one of the largest issues that plague our city and there is something, no matter how small, we all can do to about it. Terra Cafe is the proud sponsor of Neighbors Without Walls. On the 2nd Sunday of each month at 10 AM Terra Cafe and a group of volunteers, prep, package and distribute meals, water, clothing and care packages to homeless residents of Baltimore City. Our "Neighbors" come to expect our giving and support. Terra Cafe is grateful to be in our 10th year of giving back to our Community! Thanks everyone, for your generous support. Together, we really can make a difference. Love offerings and donations are welcome. See https://www.facebook.com/events/447127372744434/?event_time_id=447127382744433.

21] – On Sun., Sept. 8 from 10 AM to 4 PM, Weis Markets presents: Wild About Elephants, hosted by The Maryland Zoo, 1 Safari Place, Baltimore 21217.  Tickets are at www.marylandzoo.orgWhat animal has the largest brains in the animal kingdom, live about as long as humans, and can weigh up to 15,000 lbs? Elephants, of course! Please join us on September 8th to learn about challenges that elephants face in the wild and what you can do to help the Earth’s largest land mammal! Bring all your elephant questions and talk to our Zoo experts about the daily care they provide for the elephants here at the Zoo. This event is FREE with Zoo admission or membership! This event is FREE with Zoo admission or membership! Check out https://www.facebook.com/events/365648274148630/.

22] – 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., Sept. 8 hear about “Baltimore Must Throw Out Incineration.”  Baltimore’s trash incinerator(s) have for many years been the paramount polluter of our air. Ownership has changed but the incineration industry has not; it profits at the expense of residents it claims to serve. At what point does bending truth become flat out lying? Impartial scientists know that among all trash disposal industries (and among all power generation industries) incineration pollutes the most, generates the least, and employs the least. Trash is worth more when recycled so by incinerating, larger society actually pays to increase the toxicity of its environment and cost of its medicine. That is neither environmentally, economically, nor socially sustainable. No more – Baltimore’s future in waste reduction, repair, reuse, and recycling or RRRR (that includes composting) begins now!

Kevin Kriescher (MS Physics) has held sundry academic roles (adjunct professor, college tutor, textbook editor, online K-12 math teacher, high school track/field coach, etc.) but his real calling – the one with no paycheck – is environmental conservation. He has lived in Baltimore 14 years and currently serves the MD Chapter of the Sierra Club as executive committee member for the Greater Baltimore Group. Call 410-581-2322 or email ask@bmorethical.org

23] – You are invited to attend a Field Organizer’s 2nd church anniversary where the guest preacher will be Rev. Dr. William J. Barber, II, Co-Chair of the Poor People’s Campaign. This is not a PPC sponsored event, but all are welcome to be there on Sun., Sept. 8 at 3 PM at St John Baptist Church, 9055 Tamar Dr., Columbia. Email maryland@poorpeoplescampaign.org.

24] – On Sun., Sept. 1 from 4 to 5 PM, get on The CALL - ERA Education Program at Katrina's Dream, PO Box 32003, WDC 20007.  Tickets are at www.katrinasdream.org.  Please come each Sunday and help build the groundswell. The collaboration of grassroots organizers, lobbyists, and professionals is dedicated to promoting and educating folks across the United States of America to empowering women around the world.

The CALL IN NUMBER is 563.999.2090, the CONFERENCE NO: 898879#.  Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1710130249022424/?event_time_id=1710130255689090.

25] – On Sun., Sept. 8 from 4 to 6 PM, go to the book event about “Shut it Down” with Lisa Fithian, hosted by Resist This at the Eaton Hotel, 1201 K St. NW, WDC 20005.  This is a veteran activist’s guide to direct action and strategic civil disobedience as the most radical and rapid means to social change.  For decades, Lisa’s work as an advocate for civil disobedience and nonviolent direct action has put her on the frontlines of change. Described by Mother Jones as “the nation’s best-known protest consultant,” Fithian has supported countless movements including the Battle of Seattle in 1999, rebuilding and defending communities following Hurricane Katrina, Occupy Wall Street, and the uprisings at Standing Rock and in Ferguson.

  She shows how movements that embrace direct action have always been, and continue to be, the most radical and rapid means for transforming the ills of our society. The book is filled with instructions and inspiration for how movements can evolve as the struggle for social justice continues in the Trump era and beyond.  Go to https://www.facebook.com/events/934612670224189/.

2] – 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 Sept. 9, 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.

27] – On Mon., Sept. 9 at noon, there will be a Food Rescue at Land of Kush, 840 N. Eutaw St., Baltimore 21201. Food Rescue Baltimore is honored to partner with The Land of Kush each and every Monday to bring access to free vegan/plant-based food in the community. Bring a bag. Take what you want from noon to 1PM or while supplies last. No purchase is necessary to take advantage of the Food Rescue Baltimore give away. Items from The Land of Kush's menu are not included in the give-away but will be available for sale. See https://www.facebook.com/events/415842178868197/.

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

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