All posts for the month September, 2012

After Incarceration, Democracy?

Every year, about 5.85 million Americans are locked out of the vote. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Approximately 5.85 million people that have paid their debt to society and are productive citizens, aren’t allowed all the privileges of full citizenship. These people are not guilty of voter fraud or any crimes that may warrant this type of punishment. Legislation in forty-eight states, with the exception of Maine and Vermont, exclude convicted felons from voting and the ability to regain this right varies from state to state. Individuals affected by this policy mirror the population found in our prisons and are mainly African American and Latino, effectively barring about 1 out of 13 African Americans from the polls.

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8 Comments

by Progressive Pupil on September 28, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Activists, Allies, Prisoners

Tagged All of Us of None, Election 2012, Elections, Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Movement, Nicole Johnson, Obama, Project Vote, Romney, The Sentencing Project, Vote, Voter Disenfranchisement

Posted by Progressive Pupil on September 28, 2012

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2012/09/28/democracy-after-incarceration/

Black Panther Party Film Festival

Produced by the Black Panther Commemoration Committee, NY in conjunction with Maysles Cinema. Artwork on display by Sophia Dawson

We want education for our people that exposes the true nature of this decadent American society. We want education that teaches us our true history and our role in the present-day society.

The box office is open for advance ticket purchases Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday, 12 – 6 pm, and one hour before the start of all events. If the door is locked during these hours, knock on the store front window. Ticket-holders arriving 15 minutes before showtime are guaranteed a seat inside the theater. Overflow seating available for sold out shows.

Tickets: $10 suggested donation, unless otherwise noted.

Members only: Reserve your seat at reservations@mayslesinstitute.org

Full schedule of events after the jump.

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To be Counted, We Must be Heard

Ella Baker, official of the Southern Conference Educational Fund. January 3, 1968. Photograph courtesy of the Associated Press.

Without exercising one collective voice, we are unable to influence policies and laws that impact our lives.

-Ella Jo Baker

Access to basic human rights is the lesser of the two evils. But what happens when you don’t exercise those basic rights? Consequently, you forfeit the privilege to participate in the conversation.

Ella Josephine Baker (December 13, 1903 – December 13, 1986) is known for her behind-the-scenes contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Her efforts to organize voter registration drives and raise educational awareness were significant in the 1958 and 1960 elections. With a career as a civil and human rights activist that spanned five decades, Baker strongly believed “voting was key to freedom.”

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16 Comments

by Progressive Pupil on September 25, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Activists, Allies, Prisoners, Teachers

Tagged Courtney Locus, Ella Baker, FairVote, Formerly Incarcerated and Convicted Peoples Movement, The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, The League of Women Voters

Posted by Progressive Pupil on September 25, 2012

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2012/09/25/to-be-counted-we-must-be-heard/

Power and Soul

James Brown and The Fania All-Stars were some of the renowned Latino, African American and African musicians that were brought together in Kinshasa, Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) for a 3-day music festival in 1974. The planners had approached Don King to combine the event with the title fight between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman. Although the events were linked, the fight was pushed back to October. The footage filmed was originally to create the Academy Award Winning boxing documentary When We Were Kings. Hours of footage had previously remained unseen until Jeffrey Levy-Hinte released the film Soul Power in 2008.

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6 Comments

by Progressive Pupil on September 22, 2012 • Permalink

Posted in Artists, Black Resistance Screening List

Tagged Celia Cruz, George Foreman, James Brown, Megan Cleary, Muhammad Ali, Rumble in the Jungle, Soul Power, The Fania All-Stars, When We Were Kings, Zaire

Posted by Progressive Pupil on September 22, 2012

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2012/09/22/power-and-soul/

Principal Organizer Robin J. Hayes, PhD at the Free University

Progressive Pupil’s Principal Organizer, Robin J. Hayes will be leading a teach-in on the topic of Capitalism and the limits of pragmatism today from 4-5:50 PM at the Free University in Madison Square Park, New York City. Some of the questions that will be discussed include: