Calendar

KPFA Radio 94.1 FM & Marcus Books present

Michael Eric Dyson is one of America’s premier public intellectuals. The author of last year’s outstanding bestseller, “Tears We Cannot Stop,” Dyson is University Professor of Sociology at Georgetown University, a frequent contributor to the New York Times, and an editor of The New Republic. Ebony magazine named him one of America’s 100 most influential African-Americans. In addition, Dyson is a uniqely outstanding public speaker, employing exceptionally deep knowledge with a talent for Immediacy, terrific wit, and an extraordinarily rich voice.

His new book, What Truth Sounds Like: RFK, James Baldwin, and Our Unfinished Conversation About Race in America deftly explores the tense intersection of the conflict between politics and prophecy— of whether we embrace political resolution or moral redemption to fix our fractured landscape. Dr. Dyson examines key players today, from Jay-Z to Jordan Peele and LeBron James, from Ta-Nehisi Coates to Kamala Harris. He ends with a paean to Makanda, the all too mythical nation celebrated in the film “Black Panther”.  “If James Baldwin and his glorious crew could gather again, they could hardly have a better place to reconvene and let the beautiful momentum of blackness eash over them as they sought to make America truly great. For the first time.”

What Truth Sounds Like reveals how every big argument about race that persists to this day got a hearing in a crucial meeting convened in 1963 when Robert F. Kennedy invited James Baldwin and a few of his friends to discuss Black America’s rage: disdain for black dissent, the belief that black folk wallow in the politics of ingratitude and victimhood, and that they lack hustle and ingenuity.

Kevin Cartwright has been a radio producer, media trainer and music programmer for Pacifica Radio station KPFA-FM since 1994.  He has produced and contributed to a number of local and national public affairs programs that have included Living Room with Larry Bensky, Democracy Now, the KPFA Evening News, and The Morning Show. Kevin is a communications strategist who continues to work with a number of social change organizations across the country to help improve their overall communications.

KPFA benefit

Tickets: brownpapertickets.com
Marcus Books, Pegasus Books (3 stores), Books Inc (Berkeley), Moe’s, Walden Pond Bookstore, East Bay Books, Mrs. Dalloway’s

Combating Hate in the East Bay

Former white extremist Christian Picciolini will speak on Uniting Against Hate Picciolini will share his experience in addressing hatred and discrimination through empathy and conversation that can result in a more inclusive world.  He will be introduced by Holocaust camp survivor, Ben Stern, who led the 1978 fierce public battle against Nazis in Skokie, Illinois, and neo-nazis at the 2017 Rally Against Hatred in Berkeley, California. The event is sponsored by the ACLU, the Alameda Labor Council, Indivisible Berkeley, Not in Our Town, the Wellstone Democratic Renewal Club, Berkeley Citizens Action, and the Berkeley Progressive Alliance.

Christian Picciolini is an award-winning television producer, a public speaker, author, peace advocate, and a former white-supremacist skinhead. After leaving the hate movement that he helped create during his youth in the 1980s and 90s, he began the painstaking process of making amends and rebuilding his life. Since abandoning white-power ideology, Picciolini has been dedicated to helping others overcome hate. He now leads the Free Radicals Project, a global extremism prevention and disengagement platform, helping people exit hate movements and other violent ideologies.

Picciolini has spoken all over the world, including Berkeleyside’s Uncharted conference and on the TEDx stage, sharing his unique and extensive knowledge, teaching all who are willing to learn about building greater peace through empathy and compassion.

Tickets may be ordered through Eventbrite and cost $12.  Costs may be waived–please contact MargotS999@aol.com. All are welcome, wheelchair accessible.

“Divest From War” is an action-focused event featuring beloved author and eco-philosopher Joanna Macy, Codepink Co-founder and world renowed peace activist Medea Benjamin, musician Betsy Rose, brief presentations on active divestment campaigns from Idle No More SF Bay, Indivisible Berkeley Economic Justice, Fossil Free Calif., Public Bank of Oakland, as well as an organic vegetarian potluck dinner @ 6:30pm, live music, and a dessert reception with homemade pies, tea and wine to benefit Codepink Women for Peace Golden Gate Chapter.

Medea will sign copies of her new book Inside Iran.

Cosponsored by Codepink Golden Gate Chapter and the BFUU Social Justice Committee

An action of UNITY is taking place in OAKLAND this SATURDAY June 16✊️10-12PM – Meet at The Arches

Come Join #HandsAroundLakeMerritt with us!

Oakland is about unidad & protecting one another and we do I️t with love. @APTPaction @CatsCommentary @MusicNegrito @EastBayExpress pic.twitter.com/Ia0d4auUh0

— Gina Madrid (@RawwG) June 14, 2018

The housing crisis in the Bay Area and beyond is a wholly preventable disaster, created and maintained by the notion that housing is a commodity and not a human right.

Join us for CPF's Community Celebration for Human Rights and Dignity event. June 16th 12;30 to 4:30 at Ogawa/Grant Plaza in downtown Oakland.
Invite your family and friends and help us get the word out. pic.twitter.com/qQ1FoQLTD2

— California Prison Focus (@CAprisonfocus) June 1, 2018

This campaign is committed to building our platform in partnership with the community. We don’t want to reinvent the wheel. We want to uplift the amazing progressive grassroots work that is already happening.

Over the next few weeks, we will host People’s Assemblies on everything from public safety to education. Together we will imagine an Oakland with housing security, true public safety, sanctuary for all, and create a plan to get us there.

Our next People’s Assembly will focus on housing, and the crisis of affordability that is displacing Black communities and forcing thousands of long-time Oakland residents into the streets. We believe public land should serve the public good – not generate profit for developers. Join us to dream about an Oakland where housing is a human right, and displaced Black families have the right to return to the communities from where they were displaced.

It's a big day for #PeoplePower @ #LakeMerritt in #Oakland!
10 AM: Oakland Hands Around Lake Merritt—Lake Merritt Arches
1 PM: People's Assembly on the Housing Crisis—Lake Merritt Amphitheater
Join APTP, #CatBrooksForMayor, SURJ, & more to uplift our community & imagine together! pic.twitter.com/DErbUTf4W5

— Elizabeth Fitzer (@ItsBethFitzer) June 16, 2018

The City of Berkeley holds it’s Juneteenth Celebration on Sunday, June 17, from 11am to 7pm. This cultural event celebrates African American culture and traditions, as well as promotes community diversity.

The event – featuring music, food, health screenings, historical exhibits & art for children – takes place along Adeline Street, from Ashby to Alcatraz in Berkeley.

I don’t see any better way to celebrate father’s day than by protesting the immoral separation of families.

I cannot in good conscience be a good father without teaching my children compassion and to fight for what is right. There was no way I could celebrate while families are being cruelly torn apart.

While searching for a way to make this day more meaningful, my friend Megan proposed the idea of the protest at the ICE detention center.

Yes, it’s last minute and 100% grassroots, but I hope you will join me in making this a meaningful Father’s Day for all of us.

As the Declaration of Independence says: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

If we do anything less, we are no longer Americans.

Please share widely!

NOTE: During the Plague Year of 2020 GA will be held every week or two on Zoom. To find out the exact time a date get on the Occupy Oakland email list my sending an email to:

occupyoakland-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway near the steps of City Hall. If for some reason the amphitheater is being used otherwise and/or OGP itself is inaccessible, we will meet at Kaiser Park, right next to the statues, on 19th St. between San Pablo and Telegraph. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. (Note: we tend to meet at 3:00 PM during the cooler months from November to early March after Daylights Savings Time.)

On every ‘last Sunday’ we meet a little earlier at 3 PM to have a community potluck to which all are welcome.

OO General Assembly has met on a continuous basis for over six years, since October 2011! Our General Assembly is a participatory gathering of Oakland community members and beyond, where everyone who shows up is treated equally. Our Assembly and the process we have collectively cultivated strives to reach agreement while building community.

At the GA committees, caucuses, and loosely associated groups whose representatives come voluntarily report on past and future actions, with discussion. We encourage everyone participating in the Occupy Oakland GA to be part of at least one associated group, but it is by no means a requirement. If you like, just come and hear all the organizing being done! Occupy Oakland encourages political activity that is decentralized and welcomes diverse voices and actions into the movement.

General Assembly Standard Agenda

Welcome & Introductions
Reports from Committees, Caucuses, & Independent Organizations
Announcements
(Optional) Discussion Topic

Occupy Oakland activities and contact info for some Bay Area Groups with past or present Occupy Oakland members.

Occupy Oakland Web Committee: (web@occupyoakland.org)
Strike Debt Bay Area : strikedebtbayarea.tumblr.com
Berkeley Post Office Defenders:http://berkeleypostofficedefenders.wordpress.com/
Alan Blueford Center 4 Justice:https://www.facebook.com/ABC4JUSTICE
Oakland Privacy Working Group:https://oaklandprivacy.wordpress.com
Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity: prisonerhungerstrikesolidarity.wordpress.com/
Bay Area AntiRepression: antirepression@occupyoakland.org
Biblioteca Popular: http://tinyurl.com/mdlzshy
Interfaith Tent: www.facebook.com/InterfaithTent
Port Truckers Solidarity: oaklandporttruckers.wordpress.com
Bay Area Intifada: bayareaintifada.wordpress.com
Transport Workers Solidarity: www.transportworkers.org
Fresh Juice Party (aka Chalkupy) freshjuiceparty.com/chalkupy-gallery
Sudo Room: https://sudoroom.org
Omni Collective: https://omnicommons.org/
First They Came for the Homeless: https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-they-came-for-the-homeless/253882908111999
Sunflower Alliance: http://www.sunflower-alliance.org/
Bay Area Public School: http://thepublicschool.org/bay-area

San Francisco based groups:
Occupy Bay Area United: www.obau.org
Occupy Forum: (see OBAU above)
San Francisco Projection Department: http://tinyurl.com/kpvb3rv

First we will have a report-back from folks who attended the June 9-10 Meeting of the Green Party of California, in Stockton.   Then, we will have a free-ranging discussion on the current state of electoral politics. Let’s talk about topics such as:

** June 2018 election results (both local and wider): How did Green and Progressive candidates and measures do? Can we improve their campaigns? Comments on our Voter Guide?

** California’s top-two “Open Primary” (both local and wider): Can it occasionally help us, such as our Congressional race? OTOH, have we moved any closer to its abolishment?

** Green candidates: How can we develop a pool of potential candidates and candidate staff, in advance of the 2020 election?

** Vote-by-mail-only: It’s moving across the country. Is it coming to Alameda County? Is that a good or a bad thing?

** Green voter registration, voter turnout, other burning topics?
Please come with your thoughtful questions and answers!

Moderators: US Congressional Candidate Laura Wells, and GPAC County Councilmember Tina Kimmel

SPONSOR: Green Sundays are a series of free programs & discussions sponsored by the Green Party of Alameda County and are normally held on the 2nd Sunday of each month. The monthly business meeting of the County Council of the Green Party of Alameda County follows at 6:45 pm; council meetings are always open to anyone who is interested. Please visit our website: https://acgreens. wordpress.com/

https://acgreens.wordpress.com/
Express your green ideas and “like” us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenpartyofalamedacounty/

Participation and/or donations appreciated!  https://acgreens.wordpress.com/donate/
FLIER to print, post, distribute please:
https://acgreens.files.wordpress.com/2018/01/gpcaac_gs.png

Please join us to watch the award winning documentary ‘Gods In Shackles’. Bring along your favorite vegan dish (enough for 6-8 people)

6:00 to 6:15: Mingle with attendees and enjoy the delicious food
6;15 to 7:45: Screening of ‘Gods in Shackles’
7:45 to 8:00 PM: Call for donations and Q-A with Seema Vaid

Details about the film:
Gods in Shackles is a feature-length documentary film, an exposé revealing the dark side of the southern Indian state of Kerala’s glamorous cultural festivals that exploit temple elephants for profit under the guise of culture and religion.
By exposing the abhorrent torture suffered by India’s heritage animal, Gods in Shackles offers hope to the thousands of endangered captive and wild elephants in India through heightened awareness that will inspire key stake holders and policy makers to enhance the living conditions of these highly social animals.

By film maker Sangita Iyer (B. Sc., M.A. PGD Journalism), Filmmaker born and raised in Kerala, India

Event Co-ordinator: Seema Vaid, Volunteer, Voice for Asian Elephants Society a non profit organization that has the following vision:
“Creating sustainable communities through caring for, and protecting endangered captive and wild Asian elephants”

Note: This event is free but donations would be much appreciated. Funds will go towards, creating a safe havens for temple elephants rescued from the endless abuse and cruelty in Kerala.

We document current events, make films together, steward an editing suite and share a film equipment library. We also host film screenings, often with local directors, and put on an annual short film festival for independent Bay Area filmmakers. Our goal is to make the digital filmmaking accessible – no overpriced college degree or certificate program required!

We are also a good group to reach out to if you’d like to screen a film at the Omni. We can be reached at liberatedlens@lists.riseup.net

We usually meet in the basement, unless otherwise noted.

8am – Rally at Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse, 661 Washington Street (at 7th Street) in Oakland
9am – Support Comrades Awaiting Verdict in Department 109 (5th Floor)

The trial of the Berkeley 5 ended with the last two defendants taking the stand, as well as another witness for the defense, who had been at the protest in March. The prosecution’s case unraveled by the end of the day, and the prosecutor got increasingly vicious, which backfired and resulted in the judge dismissing the bogus weapons charge against one defendant.

The jury will begin deliberating Monday morning at 9am, and is expected back sometime after 10am. Please come out to support our antifascist comrades as we wait for the jury to deliver the verdict.

The Guardian published the following story about the case earlier this morning:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jun/15/police-pro-trump-berkeley-leftwing-activists-court-case

Let’s get organized against the housing market. Come through!
———-
We are a group of Bay Area tenants who are fed up with rising rents, evictions, and harassment at the hands of landlords. We are fed up with our neighbors having no option but to live unsheltered and at constant risk of police harassment. We want to stop landlords, developers, and cops from looting our communities.

A council is a group of tenants who work together to wield collective power against a shared landlord in order to improve their conditions. While, in general, councils may organize for more affordable, habitable, and safer housing, the issues that a council decides to organize around is ultimately dictated by its members. Councils can be powerful because they can directly apply their collective pressure on their landlord without the permission of city hall or other third parties.

TANC will help organize councils and bring them together as a network. While councils interface directly with their landlord, they can find support from other councils who rent from different landlords. We will assist in getting the word out to tenants and researching landlords. Neighbors will get to know each other during dinners, BBQs, and other events that TANC will support. We will compile complaints that are common across councils and aid in seeking their resolution. Councils will discuss and demand timely repairs, and support tenants threatened with eviction. Ultimately, the point is to reconfigure power dynamics of landlords and tenants in the Bay Area.

GET ON THE BUS TO PASS AB 931-Mobilization to Sacramento 6/19!

On Tuesday, June 19, AB 931 the Police Accountability and Community Protection Act, will be heard in committee for the first time! Please read below to RSVP and sign up for free travel and food.

We need to let the Legislature know that higher standards for police use of force is critical to save lives– they must pass AB 931 out of the Senate Public Safety Committee! AB 931 will make it more difficult for CA police to justify violent use of force against our communities. Show up to Sacramento on June 19 to pack the room and deliver a short ‘me too’ statement to the Senators to voice your support!

RSVP AND REGISTER HERE: www.bit.ly/RSVPJUNE19

**TRAVEL SUPPORT TO SACRAMENTO**

**NorCal: One charter bus will leave from Oakland on Tuesday, June 19 morning (Roughly 6am). NorCal bus will return on Tuesday, June 19.
*OAKLAND PICK UP LOCATION: Fruitvale BART,
3401 East 12th St, Oakland, CA 94601

Feel free to ask any questions here or on Twitter or Instagram: @YouthJusticeLA.

#NoCopOuts #ProtectThePeople #RightToLive

Hosted by White People 4 Black Lives / SURJ Affiliate Los Angeles, Anti Police Terror Project, more

Some activists reached out to us who are planning for an action, Tuesday, June 19, 1PM at ICE’s SF HQ. They’d like to remain anonymous, but asked us to publicize their call.

Please join in standing up to this moral horror of family separations and detention of immigrants and refugees at ICE’s SF headquarters, 630 Sansome, 1pm. #keepfamiliestogether #familiesbelongtogether

You can also share this on Twitter, https://mobile.twitter.com/treekisser/status/1008827830392647680

What to do:

1. Bring a bluetooth speaker or stereo
2. Use this link to play audio of kids in cages screaming for their parents:
https://www.facebook.com/propublica/videos/10156554134509445/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoncXfYBAVI
3. Play the audio through your bluetooth speaker
4. Let’s make ICE hear these kids!

This coming Tuesday, longtime socialist and labor activist Mike Parker will be joining East Bay DSA for a special event: a discussion of the rise and fall of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). June 19, 7pm, East Bay Community Space, Oakland pic.twitter.com/fPGhCfyfkQ

— East Bay DSA (@DSAEastBay) June 16, 2018