Happy Birthday Adelaide Sanford!

Thanks to googling Rowena Stewart's name, I found this excellent website, HistoryMakers, and learned that today is the birthday of Ms. Adelaide Sanford.

http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=928

Here is the entry for Rowena Stewart:
http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/biography.asp?bioindex=1382&category=EducationMakers&occupation=Museum%20Director&name=Rowena%20Stewart

Thank You

Rowena R. Stewart's Letter to Rhett Jones

Rhett,

I am so sorry I can not be here tonight for you. But in
all honesty, I
doubt if you would have wanted to attend any such event
yourself - being as
anti-sociable as you were. Parties were your least
favorite thing to do and George's
parties were what you dreaded most! I can hear you
now, protesting
attending. I also recall that three people, myself, Rowena
Stewart, George Bass,
and you, Rhett Jones, the most visionary, started out
wanting to make sure
that citizens understood the contributions of those
Africans who arrived on the
shores of this nation, first as free blacks and later as
enslaved laborers
and craftsman. We wanted all people to know and understand
the significance of
what Africans and African Americans contributed to the
development of the
nation. Each of us in our own unique way made lasting
contributions to the
academy. I am particularly aware of four of your major
contributions
1) You initiated the research and scholarship of African
American history in
the region, forming the New England Coalition of Scholars
to assist the
museum in interpreting
African American history. You exposed an incredible array
of scholars to the
Rhode Island Black Heritage Society including Robert
Cottrell, J. Coultry,
Moses Wilson, Alice
Myrtle Glascoe, Gary Puckrin, and Jim Deetz. Your
outstanding scholarship
shone in the exhibits like the award winning Creative
Survival exhibition.
2) You began a network of scholars that you encouraged to
become involved in
the African American Museum movement. I think the world
needs to know that
the organization was formed right here, at Brown
University in Churchill house
in September of 1978.
3) You began the research for performance technique. Under
your guidance
Rights and Reasons Theater used scholars research as the
basis for the creation
plays by famous playwrights like P. J. Gibson. These
plays based on the
scholarly research brought ordinary people into the
theater, thirsty to learn
their own communities history, leaving satisfied after
attending these
gratifying and historically accurate productions. You
helped scholars and museum
people understanding that through theatre we
could use history and bring it to people who would
otherwise be unaware of
this important history and uninterested in theater.
I am thinking of history based theatrical productions such
as Providence
Garden Blues (Providence citizens surviving segregation in
a northern city) and
Free to Die (black solders in the revolutionary war)
4) You, perhaps as your most lasting contribution, helped
African American
Museums
directors to understand that they should not fear research
by non-African
Americans in the field of History and to understand that
it made our cause
more solid.

Rhett, I must chuckle picturing you here with us. But
alas, you must
attend the biggest social event of your life, joining
George and your beloved wife
at the event we will shall all eventually attend. On the
we attend that
event of our lifetimes, each of us will be recognized for
the accomplishments we
have left behind. This night we humbly do attempt to let
the world know
what a forward thinking warrior in the fight for the
recognition of the
accomplishments of the people of African descent in this
nation you truly were.

Sincerely,
Rowena R. Stewart

Thank you, Dear Rowena Stewart for this tremendous, wonderful letter.

Ciara Durkin Toy Drive

There is a new facebook group called Ciara Durkin Toy Drive

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=37305287443

I tried for 20 minutes to copy the flyer onto this blog. No luck...If this link doesn't work. oy vey...ooh I may have done it!..

First People's Native American Film Festival in Newport RI

First People's Native American Film Festival

November 24th - 26th

6pm at The Edward King House

35 King Street in Newport, Rhode Island



Honoring Our Own Power (HOOP) a Native American nonprofit is holding a groundbreaking film festival right here in Newport, RI. Come join us in honor of National Native American Month, when HOOP presents the best in local and National Indigenous filmmaking.



Rich-Heape Films a Native American owned company which has created films that have aired on ABC and PBS, will be screening their latest feature films that include such stars as Wes Studi and James Earl Jones. Another featured partner of the festival event is WGBH/PBS' "ReelNatives" project to provide premiere screenings of short films made by Natives of this area, and finally Honoring Our Own Power has expanded collaborations to include the New England premiere of "When Your Hands Are Tied," the film that includes former Governor of Nambe Pueblo (of Tewa Indians) Tom Talache, produced by Boccella Productions & The Harber Charitable Trust. An amazing depiction of Native Americans in a modern day world. All of these films are a must-see, and the event is sure to be the highlight of the month for local film festivals.

Sponsors for this event include the Rhode Island based, internationally renowned Tijer Lily Co, "A Native American Arts and Entertainment Company."

The First People's Film Festival

at the historic Edward King House,

35 King Street, Newport, RI



Capacity: 100 people per night



Tickets: $9.00


Reservations: honoringourownpower@threehoops.com
Donations: http://fi­rstgiving.org



Tickets are already being reserved for each night - seats are filling up fast, so call 401-835-4806 or email honoringourownpower@threehoops.com to reserve your seat now.





Mon, November 24th @ 6pm

Opening: Paulla Dove Jennings, Narragansett



"ReelNative" Short Films

PEANTAM ("Prayers"), by Linda Morceau, Chief Woman Sachem of the Chappiquiddic Tribe (MA)

Exile, by Robert Peters, Mashpee Wampanoag (MA)

Untitled, by Courtney Leonard, Shinnecock (NY) - currently being screened nationally at the National Museum of the American Indian, Washington, DC



Feature Film

"Trail of Tears: A Cherokee Legacy" by Rich-Heape Films

This multi award winning and moving documentary features Wes Studi with narration from James Earl Jones



Closing Short Film

Indigenous Invisibility, by Wanda Jean Lord, Cherokee/Choctaw




Tues, November 25th @ 6pm

Opening: Gary Goodman, Dine/Navajo



ReelNative Short Films

Survivor, by Bruce Curliss, Nipmuc (MA)

Hope Bigger than 16 Seconds, by Keely Curliss, Nipmuc (MA)

Caleb's Legacy, by Raquel Chapa, Lipan Apache/Yaqui/Cheroke­e



Feature Film

"Our Spirits Don't Speak English" by Rich-Heape Films



Closing Short Film

Indigenous Invisibility, by Wanda Jean Lord, Cherokee/Choctaw





Wed, November 26th @ 6pm

Opening: Gary Goodman, Dine/Navajo



1st Feature (1 hour showing)

Tales of Wonder, by Rich-Heape Films



2nd Feature Film

"When Your Hands Are Tied" by Boccella Productions & The Harber Charitable Foundation

This visual adventure tells and shows the tale of modern and well known Native Americans in their quest to live in a modern world with traditional values and what it takes to achieve this and so much more.



Closing Short Film

Indigenous Invisibility, by Wanda Jean Lord, Cherokee/Choctaw



and



Special screening of: Casino Indian, by Rebecca Levy, Pequot/Narragansett (CT)





Native Art, Jewelry, Music & Film Vendors:

Deborah Moorehead, Wampanoag - Art

Kerwin Davenport, Meskwaki

Honoring Our Own Power - Films



Four Native Vendors spaces available at no fee for more info call 401-835-4806

Capacity: 100 people per night

Tickets: $9.00


Reservations: honoringourownpower@threehoops.com
Donations: http://fi­rstgiving.org



Tickets are already being reserved for each night - seats are filling up fast, so call 401-835-4806 or email honoringourownpower@threehoops.com to reserve your seat now.


Sponsorship Inquiries: Call 401-835-4806



Location: The Edward King House, 35 King Street, Newport, RI

For more information visit their website www.edwardkinghouse.com



For more information on WBGH's "ReelNatives" project visit: www.pbs.org/amex/weshallremain



For more information on the multi award winning company Rich-Heape Films visit: www.richheape.com



For more information on the multi award winning film "When Your Hands Are Tied" visit: www.whenyourhandsaretied.org



For more info on Honoring Our Own Power's work visit: http://threehoops.com



When you arrive don't forget to thank our Volunteers!



Gary Goodman, Dine (Navajo)

Don Blake, Assonet Wampanoag

Lucas James Xavier Kolasa

Sabrina Arruda



and special thanks to HOOP Board Member



Eden Lahr

for her sponsorship of 10 teens from the Newport Boys & Girls Club to attend the Tuesday, November 25th film screenings.



Honoring Our Own Power

21 Burdick Avenue
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
401-835-4806

Richard Silverstein Makes Sense

Clinton State Department: Arab-Americans Need Not Apply

Posted using ShareThis

This Life by Grace Paley

My friend tells me
a man in my house jumped off the roof
the roof is the eighth floor of this building
the roof door was locked how did he manage?
his girlfriend had said goodbye I'm leaving
he was 22
his mother and father were hurrying
at that very moment
from upstate to help him move out of Brooklyn
they had heard about the girl

the people who usually look up
and call jump jump did not see him
the life savers who creep around the back staircases
and reach the roof's edge just in time
never got their chance he meant it he wanted
only one person to know

did he imagine that she would grieve
all her young life away tell everyone
this boy I kind of lived with last year
he died on account of me

my friend was not interested he said you're always
inventing stuff what I want to know how could he throw
his life away how do these guys do it
just like that and here I am fighting this
ferocious insane vindictive virus day and
night day and night and for what? for only
one thing this life this life

See:
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/grace_paley/poems/19518

Social Justice Day -- 11/22

Social Justice Night or Day

Social Justice Saturday

November 22nd, 2008
Noon-4pm
AS220
115 Empire St.
Providence, RI

The topic of our discussion at AS220 is going to be accessible community healthcare.

Sakinah is going to talk about dental care, Amber is going to talk about fermentation, Kim will prepare something about Farmacy since Mary can't make it until 2:30. Other topics to include/discuss: detox diets, what does accessible healthcare look like?

This will be the kickoff of a larger discussion and future event to organize a Community Response Network. Plans are in the works for a Farmacy fundraiser that will feature fine foods paired with homebrew from several different folks in Providence.

Free and open to all.

Contact:
Alex Svoboda for more info or to get involved:
wakeup_alex@hotmail.com

Sign up for email announcements:
http://lists.danky.com/listinfo.cgi/ppp-danky.com


Luke Kraffft luke@danky.com

Governor Palin Loves/Loses Turkey?

Dick Cheney and Alberto Gonzales: Indicted!

HOUSTON (Reuters) - A grand jury in South Texas indicted U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and former attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday for ''organized criminal activity'' related to alleged abuse of inmates in private prisons. The indictment...

read more | digg story

A New Breed of Colorblindness

A New Breed of Colorblindness

Posted using ShareThis

An Election Blessing

Barack atah Illinois,
Eloheynu melech ha'olam,
hoo-ray p'ri ha-electoral landslide.

Amen.


This was sent me yesterday by my Mom, "...you've probably seen this blessing over election results..." she wrote. I had not!

My searches only find t-shirts with the first line:
http://t-shirtsforobama.com/
But I would gladly give credit to the author(s).

Dear friends, please let me know so I can give credit!

Thank You, Yes People! "Iraq War Ends"

By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK, Nov 12 (Reuters) - A group of pranksters handed out more than 1.2 million fake New York Times newspapers mainly in New York City and Los Angeles on Wednesday with a front page story...

read more | digg story

December 10 -- International Human Rights Day

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS and please spread the word!!

On December 10, 2008, on International Human Rights Day, Union del Barrio and the Frente Contra las Redadas will be denouncing the United States government for its continued policy of Immigration Raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). We will first gather in front of the Placita Olvera Church and from there we will march together towards the Downtown Los Angeles Federal Building to hold a vigil in memory of all those who have died at the US/Mexican border, and to denouce the continued ICE terrorism against our communities.

We believe that the separation of families and the constant terror that is experienced by the migrant and immigrant communities are a direct violation of our Human Rights as outlined by the United Nations charter on Human Rights. We are calling on all honest forces; individuals and organizations to join us in sending a clear message to the next president-elect of the United States to STOP the ICE RAIDS immediately!

Please forward this to your contacts so that we can send this message loud and clear; STOP THE RAIDS NOW!!!

To endorse this action please contact us by emailing us at udbla@aol.com or by calling us at 323-602-3245.

In solidarity,

Ron Gochez

Social Justice Educator/Community Organizer

Union Del Barrio- Los Angeles

Base Tierra y Libertad!

Prop. 8 Passed -- Gay, 2nd rate citizens don't owe taxes!

Singer Melissa Etheridge rails against the passage of the gay-marriage ban in California--and she won't be paying the state a dime.

read more | digg story

Here is an excerpt:

Today the gay citizenry of this state will pick themselves up and dust themselves off and do what we have been doing for years. We will get back into it. We love this state, we love this country and we are not going to leave it. Even though we could be married in Mass. or Conn, Canada, Holland, Spain and a handful of other countries, this is our home. This is where we work and play and raise our families. We will not rest until we have the full rights of any other citizen. It is that simple, no fearful vote will ever stop us, that is not the American way.

Life goes on

I meant to cross-post this earlier, but what the hey!


This will be like the "Rachel Ray" post; quickly prepared, nutrilicious truthiness in under 5 minutes.

Obama got elected. Now we have to lay into OUR side to force them to do what's right for this nation, not their own interests.

We need to make it safe for women, gays, people of color and those who differ (even with those of who are self-aware and awesomely enlightened) to speak, love, live and strive in ALL of our nation's cities and towns. We must cease to pretend that it's okay for some areas of this country to be run as if they were not subject to the same constitution as the rest of us. AND we must figure out a way for the GOD bothers to have their eucharist--and eat it,too--without imposing their beliefs on the rest of us.

I'm done for today. I gotta get to work--and so do YOU!

Violins con dios!

S'okay, it was done, but then I decided to inflict a poem on you. I wrote it in 2004 and it's ostensibly about two people, but it's really about all of us.

The Half-life of Intolerance

The half-life of intolerance is a phenomenon of relationships.

That which was a ripple on the fabric of love,

Becomes the garment that chafes our hearts.

What has been irritating becomes unbearable.

It is not the thorn in our side;

The burr under our saddle;

The stone in our shoe.

It is our fear;

Of becoming irrelevant,

Of becoming peripheral where we were epicentric.

It is the fear of being once again, and forever, alone.

Drowned in a desert;

Starving in the midst of bounty;

Dying of thirst in a river of your love.

The more I dwell on this the farther I move from my center.

I feel as if I’m the only one who is lost or hurt.

Then I see the sadness in your smile.

I hear the pain cracking the melody of your brave voice.

I realize then that we are both afraid.

I realize that it is, perhaps, why we are together in this place, now.

We are meant to add the strength of two often enough to become one.

2/07/04

Just because I like to look at this!

Countdown to Inauguration

The prolific Jennifer has a friendly site:
http://www.obamapresident.org/

Let America be America Again by Langston Hughes

Let America be America Again


Let America be America again.
Let it be the dream it used to be.
Let it be the pioneer on the plain
Seeking a home where he himself is free.

(America never was America to me.)

Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed--
Let it be that great strong land of love
Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme
That any man be crushed by one above.

(It never was America to me.)

O, let my land be a land where Liberty
Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath,
But opportunity is real, and life is free,
Equality is in the air we breathe.

(There's never been equality for me,
Nor freedom in this "homeland of the free.")

Say, who are you that mumbles in the dark?
And who are you that draws your veil across the stars?

I am the poor white, fooled and pushed apart,
I am the Negro bearing slavery's scars.
I am the red man driven from the land,
I am the immigrant clutching the hope I seek--
And finding only the same old stupid plan
Of dog eat dog, of mighty crush the weak.

I am the young man, full of strength and hope,
Tangled in that ancient endless chain
Of profit, power, gain, of grab the land!
Of grab the gold! Of grab the ways of satisfying need!
Of work the men! Of take the pay!
Of owning everything for one's own greed!

I am the farmer, bondsman to the soil.
I am the worker sold to the machine.
I am the Negro, servant to you all.
I am the people, humble, hungry, mean--
Hungry yet today despite the dream.
Beaten yet today--O, Pioneers!
I am the man who never got ahead,
The poorest worker bartered through the years.

Yet I'm the one who dreamt our basic dream
In the Old World while still a serf of kings,
Who dreamt a dream so strong, so brave, so true,
That even yet its mighty daring sings
In every brick and stone, in every furrow turned
That's made America the land it has become.
O, I'm the man who sailed those early seas
In search of what I meant to be my home--
For I'm the one who left dark Ireland's shore,
And Poland's plain, and England's grassy lea,
And torn from Black Africa's strand I came
To build a "homeland of the free."

The free?

Who said the free? Not me?
Surely not me? The millions on relief today?
The millions shot down when we strike?
The millions who have nothing for our pay?
For all the dreams we've dreamed
And all the songs we've sung
And all the hopes we've held
And all the flags we've hung,
The millions who have nothing for our pay--
Except the dream that's almost dead today.

O, let America be America again--
The land that never has been yet--
And yet must be--the land where every man is free.
The land that's mine--the poor man's, Indian's, Negro's, ME--
Who made America,
Whose sweat and blood, whose faith and pain,
Whose hand at the foundry, whose plow in the rain,
Must bring back our mighty dream again.

Sure, call me any ugly name you choose--
The steel of freedom does not stain.
From those who live like leeches on the people's lives,
We must take back our land again,
America!

O, yes,
I say it plain,
America never was America to me,
And yet I swear this oath--
America will be!

Out of the rack and ruin of our gangster death,
The rape and rot of graft, and stealth, and lies,
We, the people, must redeem
The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers.
The mountains and the endless plain--
All, all the stretch of these great green states--
And make America again!

Langston Hughes

Thank You, RI ACLU

ACLU of Rhode Island
128 Dorrance Street / Suite 220 / Providence, RI 02903
email: riaclu@riaclu.org / web: www.riaclu.org

NEWS RELEASE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2008


ACLU FILES CONTEMPT MOTION AGAINST GOVERNOR

OVER IMMIGRATION EXECUTIVE ORDER

I

The Rhode Island ACLU has filed a motion in R.I. Superior Court, asking that the state be held in contempt or subject to a restraining order for ignoring the dictates of a September 15th court ruling addressing the legality of Governor Donald Carcieri’s controversial “immigration executive order” requiring all vendors and contractors with the state to participate in the federal employment authorization system known as E-Verify.



The court had found that the state likely violated the Administrative Procedures Act (APA) by implementing the E-Verify mandate without providing the public any advance opportunity to comment on any regulations governing its implementation. The court directed the state to promulgate rules in accordance with the APA. However, the ACLU was recently advised that, although the state had commenced the rule-making process, it had also adopted “emergency” regulations for the program, to take effect immediately, thus circumventing the advance notice and comment mandate.



The APA allows for the adoption of emergency regulations, but only if necessary to address an “imminent peril to the public health, safety or welfare.” In attempting to justify filing the rules on an emergency basis, the state cited the July courthouse raids, which resulted in the detention of 32 janitors alleged to be illegally in the country, and the state’s high unemployment rate. The ACLU’s brief, filed by volunteer attorney Randy Olen, calls those justifications “specious,” and further notes that it has been seven months since the executive order was first issued and three months since the raids took place. The brief claims that the state is seeking to “reward itself for violating the APA” by suddenly claiming an emergency.



The brief asks the court to find the state in contempt or to issue a temporary restraining order to halt implementation of the emergency regulations. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for Wednesday. A copy of the ACLU’s brief is available at www.riaclu.org.



ACLU attorney Olen said today: “The APA allows for the immediate adoption of a temporary regulation only in exceptional cases involving a true emergency. The state’s attempt to justify the use of this extraordinary provision on the basis of the discovery of a handful of individuals cleaning offices without formal work authorization is nothing short of outrageous and a brazen misuse of authority. This transparent attempt to again circumvent the requirements of the APA is itself unlawful, and the Defendants should not be allowed to benefit from it.”

Madelyn Dunham

My heart is with Barack Obama on the news of the death of his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham.
I found this photo on the always wonderful site, Adult Christianity:


http://www.jesus21.com/htdocs/weblog.php