All posts for the month March, 2013

Peace, Racial Equality and the US Embargo of Cuba

Bob Brown and Robin J. Hayes facilitated a Convergence Assembly at the 2013 World Social Forum in Tunis, Tunisia

Bob Brown and Robin J. Hayes facilitated a Convergence Assembly at the 2013 World Social Forum in Tunis, Tunisia

On our last day at the World Social Forum, we co-hosted a Convergence Assembly with PanAfrican Roots, the Cuban Institute for Friendship Among the Peoples (ICAP), the African Awareness Association and InterOccupy. The goal of the Convergence Assemblies is to create specific calls to action and find ways for communities from all over the world to build solidarity around issues that affect us as a group. Essentially, they allow for World Social Forum participants to digest the conversations, information and excitement of the last three days into concrete plans they can take home with them and implement.

We were excited to be a part of this aspect of the Forum because it gave us the opportunity to share the activism that is currently happening in the United States against the US embargo of Cuba as well as to promote an international conversation about the impact of US foreign policy on Black people around the world. The assembly offered us a unique opportunity to share parts of the film Black and Cuba with an international audience and gain their input. Bob Brown, formerly of the Black Panther Party and the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, gave an informative, engaging presentation about PanAfrican activism.  We were thrilled to have a full house with representatives from Belgium, Cuba, Egypt, Canada, Kenya, the United States, Palestine, Tunisia, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Algeria and France.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 31, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 31, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/31/peace-racial-equality-and-the-us-embargo-of-cuba/

Are Reparations the Path out of Colonization?

Members of the "From Colonization to Reparations" panel. From left to right: Jean-Jacob Bicep, the interpreter and Mireille Fanon-Mendès

Members of the “From Colonization to Reparations” panel. From left to right: Jean-Jacob Bicep, the interpreter and Mireille Fanon-Mendès

Day three of the World Social Forum gave us the opportunity to participate in a meaningful discussion about colonization and reparations hosted by the Conseil Représentatif des Associations Noires de France (Representative Council of Black French Associations, or CRAN) and the Fondation Frantz Fanon (Frantz Fanon Foundation). While many of the panel and audience members were native French speakers – from France, Tunisia, Algeria, Martinique, Guadeloupe and Quebec, Canada – the Forum had a translator who helped break down the language barrier and enabled us to participate fully. Engaging with people throughout the diaspora about colonialism is helpful to our grassroots organizing in the United States because it showed us that there are international successes and obstacles that we can learn from.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 30, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 30, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/are-reparations-the-path-out-of-colonization/

The Combahee River Collective

A picture of the Combahee River from the realtor Plantation Services which sells property along the river.

A picture of the Combahee River from the realtor Plantation Services which sells property along the river.

As Black feminists we are made constantly and painfully aware of how little effort white women have made to understand and combat their racism, which requires among other things that they have a more than superficial comprehension of race, color, and Black history and culture. Eliminating racism in the white women’s movement is by definition work for white women to do, but we will continue to speak to and demand accountability on this issue.

From The Combahee River Statement

Throughout the mid-70s and early 1980s, a group of Black women gathered for weekly meetings in Boston to discuss Black feminism. Their Combahee River Statement has become a key document in the principles of contemporary Black feminism. While reading the statement, I was reminded of the poem And When You Leave Take Your Pictures With You by Jo Carrillo.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 30, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 30, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/30/the-combahee-river-collective/

Secrets of PanAfrican Unity

Black and Cuba at the World Social Forum

On day two of the World Social Forum, we were excited to attend a discussion called “Building PanAfrican Unity in the 21st Century” hosted by the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. This event was of particular interest to us because even though the forum is being held in Africa, there are only a few programs that directly discuss race, PanAfricanism and the African diaspora – including a program on the ideas of Thomas Sankara and a workshop for Black Tunisians.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 29, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 29, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/secrets-of-panafrican-unity/

Finding our Revolution

A Tunisian woman holds up peace signs at the Women's Assembly at the 2013 World Social Forum

A Tunisian woman holds up peace signs at the Women’s Assembly at the 2013 World Social Forum

Progressive Pupil is excited to be at the 2013 World Social Forum in Tunisia, and to have met so many inspiring activists.

Originally organized in 2001, the World Social Forum provides,

a space for democratic debate of ideas, deepening reflection, formulation of proposals, exchange of experiences and articulation of social movements, networks, NGOs and other organizations… that are opposed to neoliberalism, domination and any form of imperialism…

Nearly 40,000 people and 5,000 organizations are registered to attend—from nations throughout Africa, Asia, the Middle East, South & Central America, Europe, and North America. 1,800 different activities, forums, and discussion ideas have been submitted which provide a springboard for attendees to join together and collaborate on topics ranging from food systems to anti-capitalism in the Global South to cross-continental land struggles.

We will be co-hosting a convergence assembly called “Peace, Racial Equality and the US Embargo of Cuba” with InterOccupy and PanAfrican Roots. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on this assembly and in the meantime, check our Twitter and Facebook pages for updates of our adventures at The World Social Forum!

by Lauren Silver

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by Progressive Pupil on March 28, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 28, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/finding-our-revolution/

Why Bury The Ratchet?

Image Activist Michaela Angela Davis encourages us to "bury the ratchet."

Image Activist Michaela Angela Davis encourages us to “bury the ratchet.”

What is “ratchet” and why is there a campaign to end it? The phrase “ratchet” gained its popularity when the Ratchet Girl Anthem–an original song that was created by two young men–went viral in the spring of 2012. The word “ratchet” is a disparaging term used to describe “ghetto” women. According to Urban Dictionary “ratchet” is,

A diva, mostly from urban cities and ghettos that has reason to believe she is every man’s eye candy. Unfortunately, she’s wrong.

Image Activist Michaela Angela Davis is spearheading a campaign at Spelman College to increase consciousness and decrease the negative messages generated by many reality television shows and have become synonymous with women of color. In the process, “ratchet” has been launched into another realm as Davis moves forward with her campaign which has the goal of publicizing how people of color feel about the ways they are portrayed by large media corporations. Davis will be hosting a talk at Spelman College with community leaders and scholars on topics around African American women, culture and society this month. To learn about the various events that are planned, check out #MADFREE, Davis’ monthly newsletter.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 28, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 28, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/why-bury-the-ratchet/

What do You Think?

Two young women eating caramel apples, c. 1940–1945. Photograph by Charles “Teenie” Harris courtesy of Eyes on Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

Two young women eating caramel apples, c. 1940–1945. Photograph by Charles “Teenie” Harris courtesy of Eyes on Pittsburgh and the Carnegie Museum of Art.

This blog along with Progressive Pupil’s social media, internship program and the documentary Black and Cuba are all how we fulfill our goal to make Black studies for everybody and encourage participation in grassroots organizations. We want to help you be informed, empowered and supported.

Your input is essential to our success. Any Black studies questions you’d like us to answer? Any issues or organizations you want to see more of? Want us to spread the word about your great nonprofit or activist collective? Would you like to share your art, poetry or upcoming film? Get in touch with us so we can share what you need. You can reach us in the comments section of this post or by emailing us at progressivepupil@beautifulmes.com. You can also let us know what you think on Facebook or Twitter. We’re already excited to hear from you!

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by Progressive Pupil on March 26, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 26, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/26/what-do-you-think/

Claudette Colvin’s Revolution

Claudette Colvin at age 15. This undated file photo was taken around the year 1953. Courtesy of AP/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Claudette Colvin at age 15. This undated file photo was taken around the year 1953. Courtesy of AP/Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

As a substitute teacher at a New York City Charter School, I have the privilege of teaching a variety of subjects for 5th-8th graders. This week my coverage involved a 6th Grade History class. Once my scholars were working on their assignment, I took a break and asked the class, “Does anyone know who Rosa Parks is?” All twenty-two students raised their hands with confidence. I then asked the class, “Does anyone know who Claudette Colvin is?” One boy shyly raised his hand and questioned if it had anything to do with Black History. One girl raised her hand and stated, “She was a 15-year old girl who sat in the middle of the bus during the Civil Rights Movement and was arrested before Rosa Parks.”

If so many of our students are aware of Rosa Parks’ involvement in the Civil Rights Movement, why are so few familiar Claudette Colvin?

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by Progressive Pupil on March 23, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 23, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/23/claudette-colvins-revolution/

Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

Screen shot from the film Just Another Girl on the IRT.

Screen shot from the film Just Another Girl on the I.R.T.

As a young Black woman living in a low-income neighborhood in New York City with dreams of becoming a doctor, Chantel Mitchell had a lot of obstacles to overcome. The 1992 film Just Another Girl on the I.R.T., written and directed Leslie Harris, explores some of these challenges. Chantel is an outstanding student and outgoing woman who loves to speak her mind freely of the social injustices of African American people in her history class but her sharp tongue gets her into trouble in high school. She becomes romantically involved with a young man named Tyrone and the two teenagers become sexually active. Unfortunately, Chantel does not use her birth control properly and several weeks later she realizes she’s pregnant.

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by Progressive Pupil on March 19, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 19, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/19/just-another-girl-on-the-i-r-t/

Spring Into Action for “Black and Cuba”

Thanks to your support, this year Progressive Pupil has already made exciting progress on Black and Cuba. Enthusiastic audiences at work-in-progress screenings in Greenwich Village, San Diego, East Harlem and San Juan have given us informative and affirming feedback about the project. We have also outlined a plan to share the film with grassroots organizations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic Serving Institutions, places of worship and other community spaces throughout the US, Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe and Africa.

Classroom at Moncada Baracks, site of the first action of the Cuban revolution, now a museum and public school

Classroom at Moncada Baracks, site of the first action of the Cuban revolution, now a museum and public school

Our goals for this groundbreaking project remain the same: to increase participation in anti-racist organizing, end the US embargo of Cuba and raise awareness that racial discrimination and economic injustice are international human rights issues. Black and Cuba addresses concerns that are as relevant as ever.  Throughout the world, activists and their allies are demanding more peaceful communities, better public education, broader access to health care, police accountability and an end to the US government’s outdated and internationally condemned foreign policy toward Cuba. In addition, a new generation of diverse urban audiences is increasingly vocal about their desire to see humanizing representations of Black and Latino culture. Now is the time for Black and Cuba’s inspiring and enlightening message about how people from all walks of life can band together to create change.

Help make our vision a reality by making a tax-deductible donation today. Your participation will help us complete the film, continue our grassroots outreach and begin showing the documentary at film festivals. You can also show your support for Black and Cuba by sharing this post with friends, family and colleagues by liking us on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you for traveling with us on this important journey!

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by Progressive Pupil on March 16, 2013  •  Permalink
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Posted by Progressive Pupil on March 16, 2013

https://progressivepupil.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/spring-into-action-for-black-and-cuba/

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