Calendar

*** Register here: http://bit.ly/2SrWFOt ***

Did you know? The historic Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center is where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. addressed 7,000 East Bay residents in 1962 on the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Now, Orton Development proposes to rehabilitate and adaptively reuse the center as a performing arts venue and office space for arts and non-profit organizations.

Join Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas 4 Oakland and Laney College Facilities Planning Committee to hear plans from Orton and share feedback and questions about the project:

Please message tkang@oaklandca.gov if you need childcare or translation.

Join Haiti Action Committee for an eyewitness report  about the unstoppable fight of Haiti’s people for liberty and justice. Since February 7^th, which was the anniversary of Jean-Bertrand Aristide’s 1991 inauguration as Haiti’s first democratically elected president, hundreds of thousands of Haitians have been demonstrating in the streets of cities and towns throughout the country. When thousands are in the streets in Europe, we see live coverage. Not so with Haiti. The U.S. and the Haitian elite are afraid of the mobilization of the poor. Media silence and disinformation are weapons of empire to marginalize the struggle of the Haitian people.

Chanting “we are hungry, we can’t take it anymore,” protesters demand that the totally corrupt and fraudulently (s)elected president, Jovenel Moise, resign immediately. Police and paramilitary forces have killed at least 12 people, with many more wounded. Protests have come in waves ever since Moise was announced the winner of the sham electoral process in late 2017. Moise refuses to step down, and ominously threatens to “clean up the country.” Similar threats by government officials in the past have been followed by police killings. One such instance was the November 2018 state-sponsored massacre in the La Saline neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, during which Haitian police working with weaponized gangs ruthlessly murdered more than 77 men, women and children. Numerous rapes brutalized young women and further traumatized the entire community.

Oil supplied to Haiti through PetroCaribe, Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution project, lies at the heart of the protests. Through Petrocaribe, Venezuela sells oil at a discounted rate to a country out of solidarity, with the expectation that the oil will be sold at market rate and the profit used for economic development of the country. In Haiti, a new report by a government watchdog group documents $4.2 BILLION of this profit has disappeared, unaccounted for. The report lists a number of companies that have received the money, two owned by Moise, with no accounting for how it was spent. Meanwhile, teachers have not been paid for months, and sanitation services are nil. High inflation makes even the basics unaffordable for many people. Haitians throughout the country demand to know what happened to the money, while police and members of Moise’s PHTK Party attack demonstrators with impunity, reminiscent of the Duvalier ton-ton macoutes death squads.

Even if the mass demonstrations force Moise to leave, the international corporatocracy and the Haitian elites will try to force a caretaker government to do their bidding, rather than one that supports the demands of the demonstrators, so this will be a protracted struggle.

Join Haiti Action Committee to hear an eyewitness report about these events and about the unstoppable fight of Haiti’s people for liberty and justice.

Indigenous Red Market is this Sunday!
Make sure to get all of your Indigenous Goodies! pic.twitter.com/qrm1SUZGbU

— Native Health (@7Gen1D) February 28, 2019

HOT CHOCOLATE FOR PEACE / CHOCOLATE CALIENTE POR PAZ
Since our first Hot Chocolate/Churros stand last Sunday, Lily & Lauren (Age 10) have raised $8500 To Reunite Immigrant Families.

JOIN US this Sunday, hosted by the First Unitarian Church of Oakland, from 1-3:30 p.m. All donations will support RAICES, whose mission is to “help separated families, detained families, unaccompanied minors, and others who are seeking asylum in the United States.”

The girls decided to host the chocolate and churros stand as a response to the 7 year old boy in Austin, TX, whose hot chocolate stand raised more than $5,000 to support building the wall between the US and Mexico. Lily and Lauren could not accept this, when families are still being separated, with children being caged, illegally adopted and parents unable to be reunited.

Lily is an integral member of the GRAMMY nominated kids hip hop group Alphabet Rockers, who will provide music at the event. Lauren’s mom own’s Jennys Churros, who will supply the hot beverages and churros for the fundraiser.

Volunteer support will be generously provided by teenagers from Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula Keystone, the premiere teen character and leadership program. Grateful for the leadership support from the church, special shine on: Pastor Jacqueline Duhart and Stefan Schneider, Director of Joyful Noise Band.

Special thanks to Remezcla and LatinLive for lifting up the work of these girls, and to Berkeleyside, The Daily Californian and NBC Bay Area for covering us last week (see story here): https://www.facebook.com/alphabetrockers/videos/2248272052111108/

You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/mexican-hot-chocolate-stand-for-raices-texas
or Venmo @alphabetrockers – with note #hotchocolateforpeace #chocolatecalienteporpaz

#hotchocolateforpeace #chocolatecalienteporpaz
#alphabetrockers #jennyschurros

PRESS: Beth Blenz-Clucas / Sugar Mountain PR beth@sugarmountainpr.com
EVENT: Alphabet Rockers Jennys Churros

The interwoven story of two of the most significant workers’ rights struggles of our time: the 2011 weeks-long fight by public employees in Wisconsin, and the long struggle by teachers in Chicago to win quality public schools and democracy in their union, culminating in a 2012 teachers strike. Working class struggle is analyzed through union history and a radical critique of the Democratic Party.

Panel with Oakland’s striking teachers after the screening

free admission

free snacks and popcorn

Liberated Lens Film Collective is screening the move Schoolidarity at the Omni Commons in support of the striking Oakland Unified teachers on Sunday, March 3rd at 5 PM.

Omni Commons 4799 Shattuck Ave Oakland

The interwoven story of two of the most significant workers’ rights struggles of our time: the 2011 weeks-long fight by public employees in Wisconsin, and the long struggle by teachers in Chicago to win quality public schools and democracy in their union, culminating in a 2012 teachers strike. Working class struggle is analyzed through union history and a radical critique of the Democratic Party. Panel with Oakland’s striking teachers after the screening Free admission Free snacks and popcorn Trailer

We’re still playing every Monday that it doesn’t rain!

Occupella organizes informal public singing at Bay Area occupation sites, marches and at BART stations. We sing to promote peace, justice, and an end to corporate domination, especially in support of the Occupy movement.

Music has the power to build spirit, foster a sense of unity, convey messages and emotions, spread information, and bring joy to participants and audience alike. See spirited clip of an action at BART. Check out the actions calendar and come add your voice. There are lots of ways to participate and everyone is welcome.

Accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible entrance and restrooms

Required Readings

See the readings that we’ll be discussing after a brief introduction from our members.

Ad Hoc Committee on UASI

Wednesday March 6th, 2019 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

125 12th street, 4th floor, Hayward Room (STE 400)

Oakland CA 94607

• Opening (15 min.)………………………………………………………………………………………………………Chair
  • Roll call.
  • Meeting purpose and deliverables / Direction from the Board of Supervisors.
  • Agenda review.
• Review of Board Actions (30 min.)………………………………………………………County Counsel / Chair
  • Review actions taken by the Board of Supervisors at their 2/26/2019 meeting.
  • Review recommendations passed in BOS Motion 1.
  • Review recommendations passed in BOS Motion 2.
• Review of BAUASI Funding Guidelines (30 min.)…………………………………………………BAUASI/ACSO
  • Review funding guidelines for UASI.
  • Review recommendations not in compliance with UASI guidelines.
• Funding Compliance Discussion (120 min.)………………………………………………………………………ALL
  • Identify Committee recommendations that may not comply with the funding guidelines.
  • Review recommendations passed in BOS Motion 2 that are deemed as “non-compliant”, including reason for the classification.
  • Propose and discuss modifications that could bring non-compliant recommendations into compliance.
  • Identify points of consensus.
• Public Comment……………………………………………………………………………………………………….Public
• Report to the Board of Supervisors (15 min.)…………………………………………………………………Chair
  • Identify how best to jointly presents a response to the Board of Supervisors.
• ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..fin

A lecture: “Stamped From the Beginning: How the Ideology of Race Shapes Education and Society”

For details, call 510.642.3726.

What is Democracy?

View trailer

Grand Lake Theater

One Night Only!

Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Main auditorium at 7:15pm

Astra Taylor in person with philosopher Wendy Brown, moderator Anasuya Sengupta and other special guests

Coming at a moment of profound political and social crisis, What Is Democracy? reflects on a word we too often take for granted.

Director Astra Taylor’s idiosyncratic, philosophical journey spans millennia and continents: from ancient Athens’ groundbreaking experiment in self-government to capitalism’s roots in medieval Italy; from modern-day Greece grappling with financial collapse and a mounting refugee crisis to the United States reckoning with its racist past and the growing gap between rich and poor.

Featuring a diverse cast—including celebrated theorists, trauma surgeons, activists, factory workers, asylum seekers, and former prime ministers—this urgent film connects the past and the present, the emotional and the intellectual, the personal and the political, in order to provoke and inspire. If we want to live in democracy, we must first ask what the word even means.

Taylor was active in the Occupy Movement and was the co-editor of Occupy!: An OWS-Inspired Gazette with Sarah Leonard of Dissent magazine and Keith Gessen of n+1.^[18] The broadsheet covered Occupy Wall Street in five issues over the course of the first year of the occupation and was later anthologized by Verso Books

Agenda:

4. 5:15pm: UC Berkeley’s Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic – presentation of draft Privacy Principles; review and take possible action.
5. 5:30pm: Federal Task Force Transparency Ordinance – OPD – presentation of inaugural annual reports (FBI/JTTF, ATF, DEA, US Marshals task forces), review and take possible action.
6. 5:45pm: Presentation by Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Senior Investigative Researcher Dave Maas – use and risks of Automated License Plate Readers
7. 6:00pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – DOT – Automated License Plate Reader Anticipated Impact Report and draft Use Policy – review and take possible action.
8. 6:30pm: Surveillance Equipment Ordinance – OPD – Automated License Plate Reader Anticipated Impact Report and draft Use Policy – review and take possible action.
9. 6:50pm: Review of Old Business and take possible action

Refinery corridor residents and allies are busy organizing a community forum on Phillips 66’s very dangerous plans to expand tar sands refining at its Rodeo facility.  Increased use of tar sands in the P66 crude slate means vastly increased tanker traffic in the Bay, an increased risk of spills, and increased assaults on community health and our worsening climate.  This town hall is an opportunity to learn about the two linked P66 proposals—the first Environmental Impact Report drops soon—and what we can do to stop them.

Please come out to listen, learn, and offer support to impacted community residents.

Food and beverage provided!

Confirmed speakers:

Andres Soto, Communities for a Better Environment
Pennie Opal Plant [and or Alison Ehara Brown], Idle No More SF Bay
LaDonna Williams, All Positives Possible and Fresh Air Vallejo
Janice Kirsch, MD, 350 Bay Area
Janet Pygeorge, President, Rodeo Citizens Association
Greg Karris, Senior Scientist, Communities for a Better Environment

Sponsored by:

Rodeo Citizens Association, Crockett-Rodeo United to Defend the Environment, Fresh Air Vallejo, Sunflower Alliance, 350 Bay Area, Idle No More SF Bay, Communities for a Better Environment, and Stand.earth.

Watch Online: Visit facebook.com/standearth at 6:00 PM PST on Thursday, March 7th.

RSVP:  action@sunflower-alliance.org

The mid-2000s financial “crisis,” the spread of neoliberalism, and attempts by activists and artists to counter it.

Lyn Hejinian, with Trisha Low and Noah Warren

The Middle East Children’s Alliance & The American Friends Service Committee present Palestinian journalist and refugee, Ahmed Abu Artema –one of the original organizers of the Gaza Great March of Return. He will speak about his experience, the future of nonviolent actions in Palestine, and his vision for a just and lasting peace. He advocates for restoration of Palestinian rights, and his writings have appeared in the New York Times, the Nation, and more.

Ahmed will be joined by Jehad Abusalim, a Chicago-based activist/scholar from Gaza and AFSC Program Associate. This event is part of AFSC’s national speaking tour, “Hashtag to Headlines: How the Gaza Great March of Return Challenged the World”!!

Cosponsored by St. John’s Presbyterian Church, Mission & Justice Committee

Benefit for projects in Gaza

International Women’s Strike Speak Out – which protests gender violence, racism & imperialism – takes place  at Oscar Grant Plaza in downtown Oakland.  For details, visit facebook ‘international women’s strike Bay Area’ or email gabrielawomen@gmail.com