Calendar

May 14, May 21, May 28, June 4, June 11, June 18, June 25, 1-5pm

Using news photographs, memorabilia, reconstructed objects, documentary fragments, and original documents, contemporary artist Kate Haug re-tells the story of the 1968 Poor People’s Campaign, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s last monumental social protest prior to his assassination. The exhibition features images and objects culled from Haug’s extensive research in the archives of the Associated Press, the popular press, and eBay, which have not been seen together before, bringing to life the complex ambition of King’s vision.

King began organizing the Poor People’s Campaign (PPC) in 1967 to unify America’s poor across class rather than racial lines, believing that economic parity was key to African American equality within the United States. The PPC culminated with a 3,000 person shanty town named Resurrection City, constructed on the National Mall in Washington DC. Resurrection City drew people from all over the country, was the nineteen sixties version of the 1932 Bonus March and a predecessor to “Occupy”. The exhibition time frame for this show mirrors many of the actual dates of the campaign, tracing the Resurrection City’s opening day to its final destruction.

The PPC echoes aspects of current social movements such as Black Lives Matter, Fight for Fifteen, and Our Walmart. In San Francisco, a city with one the highest rates of income inequality in the United States, King’s work asks pointed questions about the contemporary social contract and the democratic promise of America.

News Today: A History of the Poor People’s Campaign in Real Time runs from April 9, 2016 to June 25, 2016.

Gallery Talks:
Sat May 14, 2pm:
Justin Gomer Ph.D., Lecturer, American Studies, UC Berkeley
A discussion of the images in News Today as they relate to the shifting political landscape in the years after 1968.

Sat May 21, 2pm:
E.C. Feiss, Ph.D. Student, Art History, UC Berkeley
The Politics of Display

Bernie Socialist Workshop
The History of Socialism in America
from Robert Owens’ utopian experiment in 1825
to Bernie’s political revolution of 2016.

A slide presentation by Eugene Ruyle,
Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Cal State, Long Beach

As a democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders is leading a political revolution to transform a political system run by the billionaire class into one that represents working and middle class Americans and creates more opportunity for everyone. This workshop will take a closer look at Bernie’s socialism by placing it within the global context of two centuries of struggle against the capitalist system. This will allow a better understanding of how Bernie has adapted socialism to the United States in the Twenty First Century

Join us on Saturday May 28th at 6pm for an evening of food, speakers and music to support long term Political Prisoner, Romaine “Chip” Fitzgerald, and to build solidarity around US Political Prisoners.

Join David and Cindy to mark the publication of the new, 2nd edition of War is A Lie, a thorough refutation of every major argument used to justify wars, countering the theory that war is an inevitable part of human nature and drawing on evidence from numerous past wars, especially those wars that have been widely defended as just and good. This is a handbook of sorts, a manual to be used in debunking future lies before future wars have a chance to begin. Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org.

Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie, When the World Outlawed War, Daybreak: Undoing the Imperial Presidency and Forming a More Perfect Union, The 35 Articles of Impeachment and the Case for Prosecuting George W. Bush, and Tube World (a childrens’ book). He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.
Cindy Sheehan has authored five books, including Peace Mom: A Mother’s Journey Through Heartache to Activism and Revolution, A Love Story, her latest, a love note to Venezuela. Cindy’s oldest child, Casey, was killed in Iraq on April 04, 2004 in a war that neither she nor he supported. Cindy garnered international notoriety in the summer of 2005 when she camped out at George Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Tx. Cindy is mother to three surviving children and four grandbabies. She divides her time between writing, traveling to work for peace and justice, playing with her grandchildren, and hosting The Soapbox radio show http://cindysheehanssoapbox.blogspot.com/

Autographed Copies of War Is A Lie will be for sale.

"Questioning Common Enrollment in Oakland" w/ @ShanthiGonzales & @ProfessorJVH @ @RaceForward May 31, 6pm. pic.twitter.com/BFd7N1Ppg3

— annswin (@annswin) May 13, 2016

Join us for the San Francisco theatrical premiere of Killing Them Safely, an explosive 2015 Tribeca Film Festival documentary selection on the controversy over police use and misuse of Tasers.

Following the screening, stay for an important discussion featuring filmmaker, Nick Berardini, and San Francisco Public Defender Jeff Adachi about the film and its implications for the upcoming decision of the San Francisco Police Commission to possibly start outfitting SFPD officers with Tasers.

Co-sponsored by ACLU of Northern California, San Francisco Public Defender’s Racial Justice Committee, Coalition on Homelessness, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus, National Lawyers Guild SF Bay Area Chapter, 48 Hills.
Hundreds of deaths. Zero oversight. In the early 2000s, brothers Tom and Rick Smith revolutionized policing by marketing the Taser to law enforcement agencies. This supposedly safe alternative to handguns was supposed to curb the use of deadly force—so why have over 500 people died from Taser-related injuries since? At a time when questions about police methods are at the forefront of the national dialogue, Killing Them Safely brings together startling archival footage and eye-opening interviews with experts on both sides of the debate to shed much-needed light on an urgent issue.

Directed by Nick Berardini. 2015. USA. 100 min.

#savemidtown #rentcontrol rally. MOH wants to codify rent increases designed to drive out long term Black community from the #Fillmore#blackhomesmatter

Calling the OAKLAND community to join as we let our voices be heard and demand affordable housing now. Be here!!

Advocates from the #SupportMalonga coalition, the Black Arts District, Chinatown, and labor allies just finished a 2-hour meeting with Wood Partners, and they disrespected our community by coming with almost no tangible commitments and details on our very specific set of meaningful community requests below.

Even though their investors, CBRE Global, earn $9 billion annually and Wood Partners as a national firm owns over $8 billion in developments across the country, they tried to pretend like they didn’t have the resources to build an inclusive development that can meet the neighborhood’s needs, and absolutely refuse to contribute to the city’s affordable housing goals, even as they stand to make over $70 million in profit on this project.

We really need to turn out at least 20-30 speakers tomorrow to ask the Planning Commission to postpone decision on the project for at least another 2-4 weeks to allow for more serious mediation, and to not approve the development without significant community benefits, so please come if you can!

5:30pm > Community Check-In In Front of City Hall
6:00pm > Sign-up to Speak at City Council Chambers
6:30pm > 226 13th Street Agenda Item Open for Comments

Each speaker gets 2 minutes each, and those who sign-up can cede their time for an additional 1 minute for a speaker who needs more time.

If you can’t make it, please send a quick e-mail to Planning Commissioners sharing why Oakland needs development without displacement:

jmoore.ocpc@gmail.com, nagrajplanning@gmail.com, amandamonchamp@gmail.com, jmyres.oakplanningcommission@gmail.com, pattillo@pgadesign.com, EW.Oakland@gmail.com

(And CC lailan.huen@gmail.com so we have a copy!)

Community Requests:

1) Target Affordable Housing as designated by the Lake Merritt Specific Plan goals for 15-28% affordable units in all new housing for low and moderate income tenants, including the need for affordable family housing with at least 3 bedrooms.

2) Include affordable retail space on 14th Street for the Black Arts Movement and Business District to have a visible presence, including a black arts collective gallery and shop, space for childcare and nonprofits, and black-owned businesses such as a bookstore and cafe that will help to bring the BAMBD to life.

3) Public open space that is accessible to members of the public and Chinatown and Black Arts Movement Business District communities. The Lake Merritt Specific Plan calls for publicly accessible open space in any development larger than half a block, this one is an entire block, and this development was designed to exclude the public from the open space.

4) A commitment to direct the Public Art Fee to support artists working with the Black Arts Movement Business District, the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts, and Chinatown to honor African-American and Chinese heritage and history in Oakland.

5) Include 25 parking spaces for Malonga and Starlite staff and residents to lease, or make a $50,000 contribution to the Parking Mitigation Fund to mitigate the fact that this development will take away about 225 parking spaces currently accessible to the public for visiting the Malonga Center, an internationally renowned city-run arts institution.

6) Good Neighbor Contributions to Local Projects that will work to prevent displacement of Chinatown and the Black Arts Movement Business District and strengthen the neighborhood and its existing residents.

7) Commitment to a labor agreement that includes 50% local hire, hiring minority contractors, sub-contractors and staff, at living wages.

Today at 5:30pm, at @SFCity_Hall, let's show them how we feel about tasers.. #Frisco500 pic.twitter.com/KS3trB932Y

— Equipto (@EQUIPTO) June 1, 2016

Vigil for #AmilcarPerezLopez at Mission Police station 6 pm every Wed til @GeorgeGascon announces if #sfpd charged pic.twitter.com/TiyAAbsH6F

— Steve Rhodes (@tigerbeat) May 19, 2016

The Other Barrio, is a wonderful movie that takes on gentrification in San Francisco in a Noir setting.

Post film discussion.

Justice 4 Jessica Williams
Community Press Conference
Thursday at 11 AM
Bayview Police Station
201 Williams St. SF@MaryMad

— LolaLolaLola (@Lola_Casanova) May 31, 2016

Transition Berkeley & the Ecology Center Present: “Occupy the Farm” film & discussion
6:30 refreshments, 7 pm event

Please join us to witness an incredible drama that took place in our own back yard in 2012 and that continues to unfold today. Occupy the Farm tells the story of 200 urban farmers who walk onto a publicly-owned farm in Albany, California and plant two acres of crops in order to save the land from becoming a real-estate development. This direct action set up a vibrant tent village on land destined to become condos, while their crops blocked the development plans of UC Berkeley.

Director Todd Darling will be present for Q&A, and the event will include updates on the current status of the farm and the developers. Copies of the DVD will be available for purchase at the event. Sponsored by: Transition Berkeley, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists Social Justice Committee, and the Ecology Center.

Bring: a local snack or refreshment to share at 6:30 pm if you like

This is the most important election in decades. The billionaire class, their media, and their two parties are trembling as the 99% rally around Bernie’s platform. Kshama Sawant, the Socialist Alternative Seattle city councilmember has launched a petition for Bernie to run independently through November and over 30,000 people have signed! We’re done playing their two-party game!

Join us to discuss questions like: can the Democrats help win fundamental change? Should Sanders run as an independent? Why are millions of people interested in socialism? Do we need a party of the 99%? What should we do next month if the Hill steals the nomination?

Speakers
Luci Riley – Movement4Bernie
Erin Brightwell – Socialist Alternative
Kevin McLoughlin – Socialist Party Ireland, General Secretary

Berkeley Post Office Defenders presents Jill Stein, Green Party candidate for US President.

In addition to Ms. Stein, there will be other speakers who will cover such topics as

–       Preservation of Berkeley’s main post  office and other public resources in the face of privatization manipulations by high profit corporations
–       Unified protection of union jobs as USPS  attempts to move postal services to Staples
–       Eco-wise use of common space resiliance after  destruction of our community information, clothing, book, plant and seed sharing Center
–       Access to the Berkeley Post Office Community  Garden -Remove the ugly metal postal police fence
–       Support for tiny houses initiatives as pro developer politicians criminalize homelessness
–       Postal Banking-  no more bail outs, debt  slavery,predatory lenders and private banking fraud
–      UPSURGING Political voice/action in the face of  corporate control of government and media
–       An update on Berkeley’s response to Department of Justice attempt to threaten the cities ordinance to protect historic commons
       –        An update of community garden with over the fence seed ball planting

Join us for MUSIC with Hali Hammer and postal worker and activist Dave Welsh

Speakers may include:
– Mike Wilson from Berkeley Post Office Defenders
– Shirley Taylor, from the APWU (postal workers’ union)
– Jesse Arreguin, Berkeley City Councilor whose district the downtown Post Office is in, and candidate for Berkeley Mayor.
– Mike Zint, First They Came for the Homeless

Come join us this First Friday for a beer or two and connect with other Bay Area restaurant workers on our ongoing struggle for worker justice.

Follow us on our bar hop!
5:00 – 5:30 = Meet at Soul Space & pick up banner
5:30 – 6:15 = Diving dog Brew House
6:15 – 7:00 = Beer Garden
7:30 – 8:00 = Hella Vegan Eats

The Communist Party USA (Oakland/Berkeley) invites you to a discussion of ‘An electoral process that goes beyond Bernie’. As background the following short articles are suggested reading.

John Bachtell, ‘Left Strategy in 2016: Building Real Political Independence’
http://www.cpusa.org/article/left-strategy-in-2016-part-1-grasping-the-key-link-of-struggle/

C. Hass, ‘The Other Progressive Challengers Take on the Democratic Establishment’
http://inthesetimes.com/features/bernie_sanders_democrats_political_revolution_candidates.html

Linda Burnham, ‘Notes on the Election’ http://portside.org/2016-04-25/notes-election

Reese Ehrlich, ‘Why the Left Should Support Trump’
https://reeseerlich.com/2016/04/26/why-the-left-should-support-donald-trump/