Insurgency and the Globalization of Discontent

I really miss you all.

2008-10-03T01:32:00.001-05:00

A lot.

Final "exam" info Or, watch Angela abuse the strikethrough tag.

2008-05-10T07:09:00.006-05:00

~~From this page at the registrar's site:~~ (chart deleted)

~~It IS listed as a MWF course. The table doesn't offer single-day courses, just MWF, TTH, and Saturday classes. Down at the bottom, though, it cautions that~~

Tuesday/Thursday classes which meet only one day/week or Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes which meet less than three days/week may result in the same classroom being assigned for two different exams. Instructors: If you are giving a final exam during the week, and your class falls into the above description, please make a room reservation to ensure a testing place.

So as I understand it, this means that our meeting time is indeed at noon on Tuesday, but that if we were going to meet in our usual classroom (and not a restaurant) there might be conflicts.

BUT, didn't somebody say they already had a noon on Tuesday final? Apparently, classes that meet at 7:30 in the morning on MWF also have their final at that time. If that's the case, does anyone have any suggestions?

I know some people had found other dates/times for our exam. Where did you dates come from? I wouldn't put it past the university to say two different things in two different places.

~~EDIT:~~ ~~Ignore what I wrote above. Our real exam time is 7:30 in the morning on Thursday. Soo.... 8 o'clock breakfast?~~

~~Everyone's still cool with Lou Henri's, right?~~

EDIT the Second: In case anyone missed the email, instead of a final class, we're having final office hours, between 1pm and 3pm on Thursday, whenever it's convenient to drop by. If the weather is nice, Adrienne says she'll be on a bench in the Ped Mall somewhere, likely around the corner of Dubuque and Washington. If the weather sucks, she'll be in her office.

If you do a google search for images of prisons, you find a lot of stuff you sorta wish you hadn't.

2008-05-09T22:30:00.004-05:00

This reminds of Alamanac of the Dead. Big business in real estate to build prisons and promise to fill them, huh. They make it sound like a hotel.

"He said it was too early to predict exactly where inmates would come from, but federal prisons throughout the country are overcrowded. "

This is a Take Over, Not a Make Over

2008-05-09T22:19:00.002-05:00

yay community control!

okay, don't have much to say yet because i haven't yet read it, but i was searching for prison images and found this online mag written by political prisoners about what my skimming told me is some really great stuff! some of the images are pretty hard to handle, so enter prepared.

oh, i guess the link above is to a dated issue. try here for the home page.

Wow! this is even better than i thought! everybody check it out and let me know what you think!!! this could be some good resources for talking about the Prison Industrial Complex, among other things.

Updated Presentation Archive

2008-05-09T17:58:00.002-05:00

Hey Kids,

Click here to see the latest additions to the presentation archive. If any of you are willing to share presentations and haven't yet, please send 'em to me!

WHITE PRIVILEGE

2008-05-08T22:52:00.002-05:00

Yay for the first post on the liberated(hahaha) class blog! I've wanted to share this with you for the past week or so but it was never really appropriate. I'm so glad we now have the blog to share things with each other!

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a big thing for Radiohead. At the risk of sounding ridiculous, they have really changed my life. Ever since I heard the opening chords of "Planet Telex" in eighth grade I knew that I was getting into some real different type shit. My love affair started then and continues until this day. Entering the world of Radiohead was the starting point on my musical adventures, both playing myself and listening. It was also their message that really resonated with me and taught me to be more critical of our politics and culture. They have never let me down and their latest video is no exception. It's for the song "All I Need" off their latest album and it poignantly exposes our first world privilege. Check it out:

The only criticism that I have is that it was jointly produced by MTV, but they are using it as sort of a freely distributed PSA, so it's not so bad. From this article:

Under the music broadcaster's EXIT (end exploitation and trafficking) campaign, MTV and Radiohead have jointly produced a video for the "In Rainbows" track "All I Need," which will premiere Thursday on all of MTV's channels and sites around the world. (Watch video at left.)

Yorke said the band linked with MTV to highlight such issues as child slavery, enforced servitude and sex trafficking because it was "about exploiting a situation while you have the chance."

"All power to MTV for taking this on because its obviously going to be difficult for them in terms of the advertisers," he said. "With the ('All I Need') video, their lawyers had to beg to make sure there wasn't a single white trainer with a logo on it because the implication would be a little too close. But the implication is still there."

And now it begins ...

2008-05-08T22:13:00.004-05:00

Our class may be over in the sense that we won't be seeing each other each Thursday, but this space is ours, now more than ever. I just sent out invitations for 20 of you to be blog "administrators." That means you each can make posts any time you like. I will also come here at least once a week to send you all a message.

I know this will be the first time blogging for many of you. When you get your invitation, it will include some instructions on how to sign in and access the blog. Once you do, it's not too hard to find your way around. You'll see a "dashboard," and from there, you can click on the link to make a "new post." (Or, if you are savvy and feel like making changes to the template, adding links, etc., go nuts.) If you click on "new post," you'll be taken to a window that lets you write your post. There are two ways to do it, using either the "edit html" or "compose" modes. If you are new to blogger, the "compose" mode is easier. Just type in what you want to write. If you have an image to upload, there is an icon 3rd from the left above the window where you type to do that, and if you want to add a link to another website, use the icon on the 6th from the right up there. If you have any trouble, let me know.

To keep us feeling the love and the urgency, please enjoy this video of my (probably) favorite song performed by Diskarte Namin!

Who protects and serves us? Thoughts and information from Randy

2008-05-02T16:13:00.006-05:00

Randy sent me a great message last night. I'm posting part of it below (emphasis mine).

I found the spreadsheet of all data gathered through OSHA and another federal bureau that records occupational fatalities (http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/CFOI_Rates_2006.pdf). These are the numbers for 2006, but two numbers that I can point out specifically are Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers which had a rate of 16.8 (rater here is number of fatalities divided by number of total workers times 100,000, or the number represents how many thousandths of a percent of the total workforce is killed). The second, Military, had a fatality rate of 5.3 -- I don't know if this can be trusted though, since it seems to only factoring in 57 deaths for the year; maybe stateside deaths in the year minus suicides. If you do a quick scroll of the occupations and keep an eye on the right column (the rate for all occupations), you'll find that these are very low. I was wrong when I said farming. I'm guessing that the number I heard was a little old and before tractors had roll-over cages and other safety features. Their number is still rather high at 33.5 for Crop Production. The highest rate comes from fishers and fishing workers, although there are a lot more farmers in comparison. Also to be noted are truckers, who had a higher rate than farmers, although I suppose that isn't too surprising.

... Law enforcement, which the public is always led to believe is in constant dire danger as they "protect" us, is in much less threat than farmers. And farmers do a whole lot more to serve and protect us than any law enforcement officer.

Happy May Day, Everybody!

2008-05-01T21:55:00.002-05:00

I don't regret setting aside the May Day plans to deal with what we needed to discuss. That's how life is, right? We are often presented with situations that demand our immediate attention, and if we've learned anything together this semester, I hope it's that our lives and our struggles are connected. That's actually one of the reasons May Day is special to me and why it's the only holiday I celebrate. It is a time to remember that we aren't "criminals." I just posted a few things on my personal blog here that you might want to check out, but I really want to encourage you to find your own way to celebrate May Day, even if it's late.

Watching Matewan would be a great way to do it! That movie really gets to me no matter how many times I see it, and even though we didn't watch it together, I really hope you all make time to see it. Here is a synopsis from the director.

And you can also watch some recent footage of May Day demonstrations. Here are some. I'm sure you can find more.

Gitmo

2008-04-28T23:31:00.002-05:00

It's someone's birthday today!!

2008-04-22T00:29:00.002-05:00

That person is in our class!
That person is sometimes a tomato!
That person is always HMONG!
Yeah!

Figuring out the rest of the semester! Can you all help?

2008-04-19T19:41:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone,
How will we fit it all in?

For next week (April 24), make sure you've finished Almanac of the Dead and read the poem “Somebody Blew Up America” by Amiri Baraka. (Click on the poem title to access it.)

I'm planning to show you The Battle of Algiers (121 minutes) and Homotopia (27 minutes). The Black Panthers watched The Battle of Algiers, as have Pentagon officials trying to stop insurgent movements. I feel like it's a film this class needs to engage, and Homotopia invokes it in some neat ways. That leaves us only 30 minutes to discuss the book, which I'd like us to discuss in relation to the poem. Here's the basic question I want us to address: What is Baraka's history, and what is Almanac's future? We'll have to stay on schedule to make this work.

I have imagined May 1 to be our special May Day Class! We have presentations by EW and KW scheduled for this day, and I'd also really still like to show you Matewan, which is 135 minutes, but that would leave just 45 minutes for the two presentations, which isn't fair, huh? I know VJ really wants to see this movie, and I think it's some important issues we haven't addressed together. I have an idea for how to make it work.

Here's what I'd like to suggest: KW could do her presentation on the 1st, and EW could do hers on the last day, May 8 (if she's willing), when we'll also discuss Angela Davis' book Are Prisons Obsolete? on that last day.

MH still wants to fit a presentation in too. We could add him into the last day too. But I sure would like additional time for us to talk more. Can we figure something out? Can you all please help me come up with a time when we can meet together, maybe during finals week?

Here are some trailers and film clips to get you excited! I really do want us to see at least Battle of Algiers and Matewan. I'd like to keep Homotopia in too if possible, especially after JM's prez. But I am definitely open to suggestions and ideas.

Upcoming talk

2008-04-16T10:50:00.002-05:00

Chiaki Sakai, our beloved Japan Studies librarian, thought some of you might be interested in this public lecture:

Martial Guedron, art historian from Strasbourg, France, will speak April 21

Martial Guedron, a professor of art history at the Université Marc Bloch in Strasbourg, France, will speak about the "look" of race that was created by the earliest anthropologists in a University of Iowa guest lecture at

7 p.m on Monday, April 21, in Room 116 of Art Building West.

Guedron's lecture, "Nature, Ideal, and Caricature: The Perception of Physical Types by the First Anthropologists," is free and open to the public.

"People of color often first circulated in Europeans' orbit through words and images produced by anthropologists," Guedron notes. "These anthropological images arose at the intersection of aesthetic criteria, scientific accounts of human differences and racial prejudices in 18th-century physiognomic arguments about the 'look' of race. These same systems of representation then circulated even more widely and damagingly in the innumerable caricatures of the period."

Guedron's talk is sponsored by the UI School of Art and Art History; the 18th/19th-Century Interdisciplinary Colloquium of UI International Programs; the departments of English, French and Italian, and History; the African Studies Program; Caribbean, Diaspora and Atlantic Studies; the European Studies Group; and the UI Center for Human Rights.

VJ posted this poem on Facebook and told me I could share it!

2008-04-15T17:51:00.002-05:00

High Hood Pressure

The doctor told me the other day that I was sick, cause I could’ve eaten better
bad heart, frustrated, whole life’s just one big stressor.
He said “your dad died young, so did your uncle, typical of High Blood Pressure,
Evicted, broke, cops, dope, forget that, this is High Hood Pressure.
See I was thinkin the other day, “do niggas like to kill each other”?
Shootin each other over some shoes, do niggas like to struggle?
We run from cops, and so we should, they’ll kill ya before they’ll help ya
Sometimes we run and aint did shit, that’s a symptom of High Hood Pressure.
See I hadn’t seen a suburb or nice pool except on my t.v
but when I walk out my front door just pools of poverty.
One day I went to school, my brother got shot and dad locked away
But I was still alive with no felonies, so that was a positive day.
See I did good on a test one time, my teacher said “let’s call home”!
I said “my mom would like to know, but damn, we aint got no phone”.
See I was in like the 4th grade before I found out we were poor,
Teacher pissed me off cause my mom didn’t make 20 thousand or more.
So that day I was thinking are we just some broke down tramps?
Forget that, a nigga still felt good to eat from them food stamps!
So if you say something dumb, and I use my fist to check ya,
Don’t think that I’ve gone insane, I’m just suffering from High Hood Presseure.
“so doc is there a pill or shot to alter my angry vision”?
This High Hood Pressure gone get a nigga locked up in the prison.

Definitions and Food for Thought

2008-04-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

Big thanks to DS and SV for doing such excellent jobs!

Next week, the order of presentations will be SC followed by RE and then JM.

JM asked me to post some definitions on the blog in preparation for next week. JM plans to use some terms like queer, trans, and two spirit as shorthand next week precisely because many words involve exclusion or distortion. For that to make sense, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with terms that may be new to you. As always, we each come to the class with different associations and different vocabularies. You can prepare for next week by checking out the definitions available here, here, here, and here. One term in particular JM will use is discussed here and here, as well as on websites for groups like this one and this one. Oh, and check out this too.

JM would also like you to watch the following video before class. When you do, please think about what Ellen says. JM would like us to think about "what is good about it but also how it might be harmful." JM also asks us to consider, "how we might be able to talk about situations like this in different ways so as to not cause harm."

There may be more to come, so stay tuned!

Proof you are not the only people who are reading or have read this novel

2008-04-03T23:01:00.005-05:00

These are just some of the essays people have written about our novel.

The Ecological Politics of Leslie Silko's Almanac of the Dead by Bridget O'Meara (PDF)

Envisioning a "Network of Tribal Coalitions": Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead by Channette Romero (Project Muse, so you need to log in through the UI library)

Death of Love/Love of Death: Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead by Janet St. Clair (JSTOR, so access while logged into the library website)

The Silko Road from Chiapas or Why Native Americans Cannot Be Marxists by
Tamara M. Teale (JSTOR again)

The Uses of Blood in Leslie Marmon Silko's Almanac of the Dead by Jane Olmsted

Counter-Chronicling and Alternative Mapping in Memoria del fuego and Almanac of the Dead by Virginia E. Bell (JSTOR)

Next week and another birthday!

2008-04-03T21:48:00.004-05:00

Hey, PL told me that someone else in our class has a birthday tomorrow!

That person makes jokes. That person isn't afraid to disagree. That person values the power of language.

Happy Birthday!

So, I'm thinking a lot about what I didn't make happen today and what I want to happen next week. Here's the order of events/topics for next week:

1. Mad Maps
2. Brando
3. Hmong

I want to allow ample time for all three. I'd also like us to start dealing with the book. If you want to help get us moving in that direction, pick a character (or a few) you like (or can't stand, find interesting, etc.) and say something about her/him/them below.

Let me help get the ball rolling by asking what you think of the following passage from p. 316

No matter what you or anyone else did, Marx said, history would catch up with you; it was inevitable, it was relentless. The turning, the changing, were inevitable.

The old people had stories that said much the same, that it was only a matter of time and things European would gradually fade from the American continents. History would catch up with the white man whether Indians did anything or not.

Hey, PL, can you send us the info on the article you mentioned in class? EO has jury duty. :)

Someone's Birthday is Today!

2008-04-02T09:41:00.001-05:00

That person is a member of our class.
That person is brave.
That person is beautiful.
And that person is sincerific!

Error in the paper today

2008-03-25T10:03:00.001-05:00

Today's Daily Iowan printed the wrong date for the speaking event featuring IVAW member Andrew Duffy and C.O. Jason Munford. IT IS NOT TONIGHT IN THE IMU. IT IS TOMORROW NIGHT, WEDNESDAY MARCH 26, AT 7PM IN THE SOUTH ROOM OF THE IOWA MEMORIAL UNION. See www.uiantiwar.org for all 'Peace Week' schedule details.

Massive Extra Credit Opportunity!!

2008-03-17T19:07:00.002-05:00

You might have heard of the upcoming Peace Week/Week of Reflection, organized by the UIAC, which we've discussed in class. Well, that group is bringing Eli Painted Crow to speak in Iowa City!! I am really excited. I couldn't think of a better speaker for our class given our readings and discussions. You can read about her and watch a video of her on my personal blog here.

She'll be speaking on Thursday, March 27th in the IMU #335 (the "Iowa Room") at 7pm! I'd like us all to go as a class, so please do your best to clear some time after class (and invite others to join us)!

Eli Painted Crow served 22 years in the U.S. Army and is speaking out about her experiences of racism and sexism. I think her talk will make even more real for us a lot of the problems we are encountering in the novel, in your presentations, and in our discussions.

I'm also interested in hearing some of the other speakers too, especially conscientious objector Jason Munford and Iraq Veterans Against the War member Andy Duffy, both of whom are speaking on Wednesday, the 26th (also in the "Iowa Room" at 7).

Have a great break!

2008-03-16T10:41:00.004-05:00

Great job on the presentation, V.J.!

What did you all think of Black August?

M.H., I.M., and F.Q. are scheduled to present after break! (I.M., I still don't know what your topic is.)

We'll also need to start talking about the novel "for real." You've read enough now that I think you'll all be ready to share a lot in class. Make sure you are up on the readings. You will need to have read up to page 431 (through the end of Part Three, Book Two) by the time break is over!

I've updated the archive of presentations. Please send me more!!

Finally, you all are great dancers! Here are some videos to get down to over break!

And I can't help including this one:

FYI

2008-03-13T08:47:00.002-05:00

Just in case you were walking around Phillips Hall and wondered, yes, yes, we are having class today. I decided to cancel office hours today just so I could save all my energy for class. (I have a bad cold. I'll wear a surgical mask to keep my germs to myself.)

Apropos of nothing

2008-03-12T19:56:00.002-05:00

This is a video of JERO, who is being heralded as the "first Black enka singer."

It's someone's birthday today!

2008-03-12T00:04:00.003-05:00

I'll give you a few hints.
It's someone smart, fabulous, and ruralific!
It's someone in our class!

Humbled

2008-03-07T00:04:00.002-06:00

That's how I feel after yet another class with you all. Wow. Each time one of you opens your mouth in class, we all get gifts. I find myself thinking back over what you all shared today and really want to find more ways for us to continue and sustain the conversations. This is such a precious and rare opportunity for all of us. I am treasuring it and wanting more. If I schedule some evening film screenings and discussions, would Wednesdays at 7 work? Let me know. I would like us to have some additional time together. I updated the archive of presentations. If anyone else who has already presented is willing to share powerpoints, let me know! Today's were amazing, weren't they?

How will you assert solidarity and act?

2008-03-03T09:13:00.004-06:00

As yet another reminder that what we are studying and discussing is not theoretical and is, in fact, urgent, heavy, and real, I want you all to know that one of your classmates has experienced racist aggression -- where he lives, at his home. You can read about it in this article.

Talley said someone drew pictures of nooses and Ku Klux Klan symbols, along with racial epithets, using a permanent marker. He and his roommate are both black.

Talley said they don't know anyone, including neighbors in their building, who could have done it, but he said he thought it had to be someone who lived in the area.

"I definitely feel like it's personal," Talley said. "We are the only two black people who live together in this complex."

Please also click here to read more about what exactly was written.

Old dog learning new tricks

2008-03-01T09:52:00.001-06:00

Hi everyone!

Look what I did. :) I'm very happy to make this available. If you are comfortable with me posting yours too, let me know.

Links from E.O.'s presentation on George Jackson

2008-02-25T20:21:00.003-06:00

Here are the great links E.O. shared with us in her presentation last week!

I hope you all take the time to check them out.
Websites:
George Jackson Brigade Information Project
All of Us or None
Books Not Bars

Video/Audio clips:
CYA violence
Attica Rebellion
Freedom Archives: Jackson

Thanks, E.O.!!

Event tomorrow night!!

2008-02-25T11:29:00.004-06:00

Click on the image above to view a larger version of the poster and please share this information widely and quickly.

At the very beginning of the semester, we discussed the incident last Halloween when white UI students went to an Iowa City bar (Brothers) in black face. Photos of the students in black face were even posted on the bar's website. In response to this and other instances of white racism in Iowa City, the Black Student Union is sponsoring a very important event tomorrow night, and I hope many of you will go.

If you do go, I will award extra credit if you write a short (1-page) response paper. Please don't summarize the event. Write about your thoughts and reactions.

The keynote speaker is Vershawn Young of Rhetoric and African American Studies, and the program begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Indiana Room of the IMU, tomorrow!

Eli Painted Crow

2008-02-23T19:39:00.001-06:00

Check out Turtle Women Rising!

Eli Painted Crow is a 22 yr. U.S. Army Veteran from the Tucson, Arizona Yaqui Nation who served in Iraq and is now making clear that her "biggest enemy" was her own company. I think you'll want to watch the following video too.

lyrics

2008-02-23T17:56:00.006-06:00

In response to some questions some of you have expressed in messages to me, I thought it would be a good idea to post some of the lyrics to the two videos R.T. showed in class.

To access the lyrics to "Animal in Man" by dead prez, click here.

Here are excerpted lyrics from "Hell Yeah (Pimp the System)" by dead prez:

Sittin' in the living room on the floor
Hunger pains got me on some migraine, shit
But I'm gonna maintain
Nigga, got two or three dollars to my name
And my homies in the same boat goin' through the same thing
Ready for a caper, steady plottin' for the paper
We been livin' in the dark since April
On the candle, gotta get a handle
My homie got a 25 automatic added to the gamble
Nigga, get the phone book look up in the yellow page
Lemme tell you how we gonna get paid
We gonna order take out, when we see the driver
We gon' stick the 25 up in his face, let's ride
Steppin' outside like warriors into the notorious southside
One weapon to the four of us, hidin' in the corridor
Til' we see the dominoes car headlights
White boy in the wrong place at the right time
Soon as the car door open up he mine
We roll up quick and put the pistol to his nose
By the look on his face he probly shitted in his clothes
You know what this is a stick up
Gimme the dough, from the pick up
You ran into the wrong niggas
We runnin down the block hot with these stack of boxes
So we split up and met back at the apartment

Hell Yeah
Yo ain't you hungry, my nigga?
Hell yeah
You wanna get paid my nigga?
Hell yeah
Ain't you tired of starvin' my nigga?

...

I know a caper
We can get some government paper
Ya' know food stamps, can we really do that
Hell yeah right there for the takin'
Fuck welfare we say reparations
Ya' know the grind
Get up early get on the line and just wait
Everybody on break
That's part of the game and when they call your name
Miss Caseworker, lemme state my claim
I'm homeless, jobless, time is hard
I'm hopeless, but I gotta eat regardless
No family to run to; I'm 22
Now tell me what the fuck am I supposed to do
My sad story made her feel close to me
I made her feel like it was in emergency
And when I came to the crib niggas couldn't believe
I came back with a big bag of groceries

...

We ain't gettin paid commission, minimum wage
Modern day slave conditions
Got me flippin' burgers with no power
Can't even buy one off what I make in an hour
I'm not one to kiss ass for the top position
I take mine off the top like a politician
Where I'm from doin' dirt is a part of livin'
I got mouths to feed dog I gotsa' get it

...

Mad Maps

2008-02-23T12:29:00.004-06:00

Because of the strong response so many of us had to what M.F. said about trust in class last time, I've asked her to give a different kind of presentation, one that will take a little time each week and will involve everyone's participation.

M.F. told me about an approach to mutual aid and support called "Mad Maps" last year, and I thought it sounded really neat. I've asked her to teach us how to make and use them together. (I've never worked with "Mad Maps" before, so it will be the first time for me too.)

My understanding is that folks develop "maps" to their feeling states. For example, you'd write down your various emotional triggers and what others might be able to identify as warning signs that you are freaking out, upset, agitated, etc. And, best of all, you provide folks with concrete ideas of "de-escalators."

For example, you might indicate that you get upset when you feel shut down in or left out of a conversation. A "warning sign" others might notice could be your sudden withdrawal from a conversation. Then, you would identify what others could do to help you in that moment. For example, you might indicate that it helps when someone makes an effort to listen to you.

I think there is a beautiful simplicity and directness to this approach. Because the material we are engaging is difficult, I think it would be wonderful to have what M.F. is suggesting -- some warning signs and de-escalators for the whole class. I think this will also be very helpful in making sure we think about communicating in ways everyone can understand and engage when we make presentations or share ideas.

M.F. is asking that we bring any drawing utensils we might like to class next time. She'll bring some stuff as well, but let's help her out by bringing our own papers, markers, etc., etc.

Finally, when something comes up that is hard or maybe even impossible to understand, please say so. It will help you get the chance to understand something that is unclear, and it will also help others better understand the value of explanation when engaging folks whose backgrounds might be pretty different.

Other stuff to think about ... or not

2008-02-21T09:54:00.004-06:00

My guess is that we will have a lot to discuss today. I know some of you want to talk about P.F.'s ideas from last week, and A.S. wants us to talk more about what it can mean or feel like to "speak for" a community on a panel. In the interest of creating as much space as possible for your questions, I'm posting my own here, and you all can pick and choose which (if any) we address in class together.

Let me start with a couple of quotes for you to think about:

We seldom think of conversation as commitment, but it is. I find that expressing what I feel and telling another person what is actually important to me at the moment is difficult. It requires a commitment on my part to do so, and I sense that this is true for most of us. It is equally difficult to listen. [...] Life is a struggle. Coping with a lifetime of change is a struggle, but through a lifetime of change we will experience ourselves as full persons only to the degree that we allow ourselves that commitment to others which keeps us in creative dialogue.
--Mwalimu Imara

In the United States, racism’s “traveling eye” has created and cordoned off race-based communities, affixing meaning to them according to the degree of threat they are thought to pose to the dominant culture at particular points in time. [...] Asian American identities are fluid and migratory: the Minnesota social worker who clings to the idea of Hmongs as limited-English speaking refugees from a pre-literate society may be surprised to encounter a Hmong teenager who composes rap music, plays hockey, and dates Chicano boys or girls. Cultures, whether Asian origin cultures or the “majority culture,” which is no more monolithic and unitary than “Asian” or “Asian American culture,” have never been fixed, continuous, or discrete. The notion of an absolute American past, a single source for American people, a founding identity or wholeness in America, is rooted in a racist fiction of primordial white American universality[...].
--Elaine Kim

In Ceremony, the narrator tells us that “old Grandma and Robert stayed away" from Tayo because “the sickness and the crying overwhelmed them.”

1) Why are so many people afraid of Tayo’s suffering?
2) How does their fear affect Tayo?

And some more questions:

1) How would you characterize the reservation schools in Ceremony? What kind of impact did this education system have on Rocky or Tayo?

2) Who is Ts’eh? Is she real?

3) Why does Tayo begin to doubt the ceremony and Betonie’s vision (of stars, cattle, a woman, and a mountain) after his truck ride with Harley and Leroy?

4) What does it mean that Tayo’s mom’s purse was empty?

5) What does Auntie do with the photo of Tayo’s mom? When? Why doesn’t he ask for it back?

The following passages are taken from Judith Herman (M.D.)'s book Trauma and Recovery: the aftermath of violence – from domestic abuse to political terror (1997).

The ordinary response to atrocities is to banish them from consciousness. Certain violations of the social compact are too terrible to utter aloud: this is the meaning of the word unspeakable.

Atrocities, however, refuse to be buried. Equally as powerful as the desire to deny atrocities is the conviction that denial does not work. Folk wisdom is filled with ghosts who refuse to be rest in their graves until their stories are told. Murder will out. Remembering and telling the truth about terrible events are prerequisites both for the restoration of the social order and for the healing of individual victims.

The conflict between the will to deny horrible events and the will to proclaim them aloud is the central dialectic of psychological trauma. People who have survived atrocities often tell their stories in a highly emotional, contradictory, and fragmented manner which undermines their credibility and thereby serves the twin imperatives of truth-telling and secrecy. When the truth is finally recognized, survivors can begin their recovery. But far too often secrecy prevails, and the story of the traumatic event surfaces not as a verbal narrative but as a symptom.

[...]
Traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they rarely occur, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life.

[...]
Traumatic events produce profound and lasting changes in physiological arousal, emotion, cognition, and memory. Moreover, traumatic events may sever these normally integrated functions from one another. The traumatized person may experience intense emotion but without clear memory of the event, or may remember everything in detail but without emotion.

[...]
Trauma impels people both to withdraw from close relationships and to seek them desperately.

[...]
The most powerful determinant of psychological harm is the character of the traumatic event itself.

[...] There is a simple, direct relationship between the severity of the trauma and its psychological impact, whether that impact is measured in terms of the number of people affected or the intensity and duration of harm.

1) How does Tayo communicate his story?

2) How does Silko's narrative mimic the struggle survivors encounter in trying to communicate their experiences?

3) How does Tayo experience the following:

a. Dissociation: "a complicated, sometimes uncanny alteration of consciousness" that we often describe as "checking out."

b. Sleep disturbances: taking longer to fall asleep, being unable to sleep, sleeping much more or as much as possible, etc.

c. Hyperarousal/hypervigilance: a sense of "permanent alert, as if the danger might return at any moment."

d. Intrusion: traumatic memories seem unchanging, like you are reliving the trauma in the present or like the past breaks through in the present. (You can think of this as a "new old" feeling.)

There are lots of other feelings (self-blame, guilt, etc.) we can consider as well.

4. After reading Ceremony, a former student of mine (Futoshi N.) described the process of truth-telling after extreme trauma as akin to swallowing a "horse pill." The process is difficult, uncomfortable, and you may want to gag. It may hurt. When you've swallowed the "horse pill" (maybe even in pieces), you ultimately feel better than if you'd kept living with what had been ailing you. His idea generated a lot of class discussion at the time. What do you think?

5. Stories versus stories. [In class I will tell you about "Orphic" processes and storytelling. This will be an issue we study in much greater depth when we get to sexual abuse and rape, but it relates very much to Tayo's story too.] How can storytelling be a source of pain, further stress, and also strength and healing? 6. 6. Is Ts'eh real? Does it matter?

Finally, and this one will take a bit to explain, I think the concept of "Orpha" is helpful when thinking about this novel.

In some ways, this is a novel about the power of stories to transform reality. We see the transformative power of story-telling in the story of how white people were made up and when Josiah’s story about what he could do with the cattle starts to come true. The notion of Orpha offers one way to think about this sort of storytelling.

Elizabeth Severn (a patient of Sándor Ferenczi) came up with the word “Orpha” to describe the organizing life instincts that can propel the victim of trauma toward self-preservation. She had been sexually abused as a child. Severn saw her literal survival prior to analysis with Ferenczi as rooted in a fragmented self she called Orpha. This fragment was the part of her she saw as resisting, rising up against what she'd experienced. You can think of it like a fragment of someone's personality to which they might cling in a traumatized state and which somehow survives the traumatic violation (and/or makes survival possible). Let's say someone draws pictures and the drawing serves as a way of holding onto the possibility of feeling better. For Tayo, this fragment or “instinct” that propels him to survive, comes, perhaps, from the land and from stories -- from stories about land and people -- about community and intersubjective connection. J.B. can talk about this idea for us.

When Orphic skills can be drawn upon to reflect back and communicate their origin, the internal barriers to “telling” traumatic histories can serve as aids. A creative instinct can give someone the means to access that which may be too difficult to express in conventional conversation. This is, perhaps, what Ceremony is about -- finding stories to make sense of the atomic bomb, American Indians fighting for the U.S. govt. in the Philippines, racism after war, the falsehoods, deletions of history, and whatnot -- putting Tayo into a story that makes sense, one that is not imposed, but one that takes into account who he is and where he comes from, and also what he sees and how he feels.

I think we all probably see the narrative changing as Tayo changes. He is very disrupted at the beginning. Time, place, etc. can all seem jumbled up and disjointed. How, then, do you understand the meaning of the/a "ceremony"?

But Orpha is not all fabulous or wonderful. The reliance on the “Orphic process” might be proportional to the onset and severity of the trauma, and those who once desperately held onto a “fragmented portion” of their personality in order to survive might continue to do so even when it doesn't serve them well in the present. When this Orphic fragment is a person’s sole means of survival, other opportunities for growth, reflection, or experience may be precluded. If all you have is Orpha, you can't really make sense of much. It is only by moving away from a reliance on Orpha for survival and toward “intersubjective connection” that the once traumatized person can slowly begin to speak about that which Orpha sought to overcome. That's not to say we have to give it up. It's just acknowledging that sometimes, what enables us to survive horrific events isn't so helpful later on.

We all know that trauma affects memory (fraught with gaps, seemingly disconnected episodes, etc.) Silko’s use of a poetic memory, memory expressed through “poetic” means instead of a play-by-play "this happened and then that happened"-type narrative, is better suited to the way memory functions for traumatized people who recall piecemeal and by association -- bits and pieces here and there in relation to whatever activates those memories in the present. Essentially, memory functions like this for many of us to a certain extent, but for someone like Tayo, the “lack” of a chronologically coherent “story” is pronounced. Silko uses stories that make that so-called “lack” less important.

Link from J.B. (or Galacticus)

2008-02-20T08:48:00.003-06:00

J.B. sent this link for us to check out and discuss.

Links and References from A.J.

2008-02-20T08:27:00.003-06:00

A.J. sent the following links from her presentation:

•Bharadwaj, Ajay. "Punjab Youths Hoodwinked to Serve US Army in Iraq," DNA India, January 07, 2006.

•Branigin, William. "Foreign Workers Abused at Embassy, Panel Told," Washington Post, July 27, 2007.

•Brodsky, Robert. "House panel probes charges of human trafficking in Iraq embassy project," July 26, 2007.

•Cha, Ariana Eunjung. "Underclass of Workers Created in Iraq," Washington Post, July 01, 2004.

•Phinney, David. "Sweat & Tears: Asia's Poor Build U.S. Bases in Iraq," CorpWatch, October 03, 2005.

•Phinney, David. "A U.S. Fortress Rises in Baghdad: Asian Workers Trafficked to Build World's Largest Embassy," CorpWatch, October 17, 2005.

•Phinney, David. "'They Forcibly Brought Me to Iraq,'" CorpWatch, October 17, 2006.

•Phinney, David. "Caught in Trafficking," IPS News, June 15, 2007.

•Phinney, David. "A Dramatic Nighttime Escape," IPS News, June 15, 2007.

•Rodhe, David. "Indian Contract Workers In Iraq Complain of Exploitation," New York Times, May 07, 2004.

•Simpson, Cam. "Iraq: Rescue Spares Some Workers," Chicago Tribune, October 10, 2005, archived at CorpWatch.org.

•Simpson, Cam and Aamer Madhani. "Iraq: War Fuels Human Labor Trade," Chicago Tribune, October 13, 2005, archived at CorpWatch.org.

•Simpson, Cam. "US: Pentagon Stalls on Banning Contractors from using Forced Labor," Chicago Tribune, December 25, 2005, archived at CorpWatch.org.

•Simpson, Cam. "Iraq: Commander Says Contractors Violating U.S. Labor Trafficking Laws" Chicago Tribune, April 23, 2006, archived at CorpWatch.org.

The clip she showed in class is here.

So much to say and never enough time

2008-02-14T19:55:00.003-06:00

Well, my beloved class, I wasn't kidding when I said I wished our time together never had to end. You all were raising so many incredibly important ideas at the end of class, and, again, I feel like we just started to scratch the surface of more topics. After class, I got an email from one of you about some of what we discussed and thought, "Wow, we should be talking about this with everyone." I remain hopeful that we can cover a lot more ground together. This is a rare, special, and, to me, precious opportunity. I cherish our time together so much.

I also want to thank A.J. and A.S. for their very germane and informative presentations! A.S. used clips from the program Democracy Now. You can access the particular shows she used here and also here. I think the presentations today were very timely and also helpful in making visible for us some realities that are far too easy not to see.

Thanks to S.H. for the handout! We can start doing some activities with things like that together too. Those of you who've done the "step forward/step back" oppression activity, let me know if you think it would be good for our class. Making oppression and suffering visible, concrete, and understandable is going to have to be a critical part of our process. (I'm thinking of what V.J. said about when the guns are pointed at our own faces.)

I find myself thinking back over so many things you all said tonight. Doing so makes me wish we were still talking tonight. We could have used more time, for example, to think about panels where people "speak for" an entire community or group or what on earth we are to do when we realize it's not okay for the burden to communicate to be on the person who encounters the most obstacles when it comes to communicating. K.W.'s comment was really on point and was begging for further exploration. On the bus ride home, I thought of a poem by Kil Ja Kim (Tamara Nopper). You can see it here. The rage in this poem is worth some thought, I think.

And we could have spent a whole three hours on the poem about stories S.V. liked so much. I like it too.

Please come to class ready with your questions next week. If we covered ground you want explicated or explored more next week, we can do it. If there are parts of the novel you want us to engage, we can. I have my favorite parts. In fact, each time I read the novel, I touch or notice something I didn't "get" before. It's very much like getting to know a person in the sense that the layers are all there, right in front of you, but it takes some effort, some empathy, some work, and some time to begin to imagine what they might mean or feel like -- even for a fictional person like Tayo.

Finally, as a kind of sneak preview for what's to come with next week's presentations by E.O. and R.T., here are two video clips.

Here's the clip from the new movie about George Jackson that I can't wait to see!!!

Here's an interview with stic.man of dead prez. R.T. may show one of my favorite videos in class, so I'm posting this interview instead. You can find a lot of their stuff online.

Presentation Schedule

2008-02-12T18:47:00.007-06:00

Here's what I have so far. (I'm using initials for your privacy.)

We still need to schedule M.F. and P.F. if he wants to do one too.

Instead of a presentation, J.B. is writing a blog-friendly short version of Pacifism as Pathology. Go, J.B.!! A lot of people are going to thank you for this, I'm sure.

February 14th
A.J.: Something Corporate
A.S.: Something on Assata and/or Valentine's Day

February 21st
E.O.: Something on George Jackson
R.T.: Something on dead prez

Feb. 28th
S.H.: Something on Okinawa and rape
S.Y.: Something G8

March 6th
N.G.: Something Palestinian
P.L.: Leila Khaled

March 13th
C: Sylvia Rivera Law Project
V.J.: Black Public Schools

March 27th
M.H.: Something Evil
I.M.: TBA
F.Q.: Audre Lorde

April 10th
D.S.: Something Brando
S.V.: Something Hmong

April 17th
S.C.: Something Punk
R.E.: Something Historical
J.M.: Something Gay (Probably Stonewall)

May 1st
E.W.: TBA
K.W.: TBA
M.F.: TBA

Ceremony

2008-02-08T18:43:00.000-06:00

I really loved your ideas for the BSU! And even though we just started to scratch the surface, I was very, very happy, yet again, with our class. (Hi, Bill! We hope you are checking in now and then.)

Remember that even though we'll still be discussing Ward Churchill's book, you also need to start reading Ceremony. Read about half of it for next week.

Here are some links to check out if you like:

An essay by Silko from the Tucson Weekly.

Part I of an interview with Silko.

Part II of the interview.

The first two photos you see here were taken at the Laguna Pueblo and the Jemez Pueblo, both of which are featured in the novel.

Since I'm guessing many of you might not be familiar with the Southwest and New Mexico in particular, I thought some visual references might be useful. Here are some pictures taken between Cubero and Laguna:

The summers can be pretty green. The most beautiful places I've ever seen are in the upper reaches of New Mexico and lower part of Colorado in the summer. But that's just me.

Don't be afraid to "talk back"

2008-02-03T15:06:00.000-06:00

If they are willing, I'd like the pacifists in the class to have both the first and last word this week. On the first day of class, Ian identified himself as a pacificist, and here we are reading a book with a title (and content) that is a slam against that position in a course about insurgencies taught by an anarchist. It's not hard to imagine that a pacifist might feel left out or even attacked by the very structure of this situation. I want to start off by noting that I don't think Ian or anyone else in our class is "sick" and that I think we all can engage Churchill's argument in complicated ways. In fact, the basic questions here matter to all of us.

Here's why:

Regardless of whether or not one considers herself a pacifist, violent responses to violence happen and are happening. One might disavow or object to such responses, but we still need to think about how and why they happen (even if only for purposes of sheer self-interest in the event that you fear something will happen to you). At the same time, that doesn't mean Ian or anyone else has to surrender or submerge strong feelings or "ride out" this week in silence. All of us bring personal experiences and values to this conversation that will make our conversation richer. And by looking closely at the differential power relationships that structure violent acts, we can open up room for theorizing creative responses and remedies.

If I could do everything I wanted to do with our class,

2008-02-02T21:34:00.000-06:00

I would take you all to LA for a field trip this month so we could see this exhibition of the revolutionary art of Emory Douglas, whose illustrations appeared in the Black Panther Party newspaper and on posters in Cuba. Douglas was the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party. Since it doesn't look like I'll be able to do that, I hope you'll take the time to look at the pieces the Museum of Contemporary Art has made available online.

Announcement

2008-02-01T19:20:00.001-06:00

Every now and then, the Japanese language program at the UI hosts "Culture Workshops" and other events for the campus community. I'll always tell you about them in class and on the blog. And if you or your group have events you'd like me to share on the blog, just let me know. You can click on the image above to view a larger version of the poster.

Tomorrow is Angela's birthday!

2008-02-01T08:41:00.000-06:00

And I don't mean Angela Davis, I mean our very own Angela!!

Happy Birthday!!!

What are we talking about anyway?

2008-01-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

We'll spend time Thursday talking about Malcolm X, nationalism, self-help, mutual aid, and, of course, oppression. I think we'll find that it won't take long for us to run into questions related to defining what "the problem" is. Malcolm X's speech may already have you doing this.

The following are two perspectives I'd like you to start thinking about as soon as you can. They are radio interviews available online, so you can listen while you eat dinner, clean, or exercise. :)

Click here to listen to an interview aired just today on a radio program called "Against the Grain." While the whole show is very educational, the first part with C.S. Soong interviewing Martha Gimenez, a recently retired professor of Sociology from the University of Colorado, will give you a good idea of one way to think about class, race, and oppression.

Click here and listen to the second half of another episode of "Against the Grain" with Dylan Rodriguez, a professor of Ethnic Studies at UC Riverside whose work was part of the last insurgency class. While he shares many of Gimenez's views, you'll notice some differences. :)

I think we can learn a lot from both of them.

Listening to both interviews will take about an hour.

Free Japanese Film Series Starts Tonight!

2008-01-25T01:01:00.000-06:00

The following announcement comes from the University of Iowa Center for Asian and Pacific Studies. I hope you can watch these films. I haven't seen any of them yet, but they seem to address issues related to our class topics. This is a rare opportunity to see some new Japanese movies on the big screen in Iowa City! And they are all free!
*******************
The UI Center for Asian and Pacific Studies invites you to the following 35 mm film screenings in the 2008 Japan Foundation Film Series with a theme of “Diversity in Japanese Society.” The screenings are free to the public.

Film Title: “All Under the Moon” (Tsuki wa docchi ni dete iru 月はどっちに出ている)
Color / vista/1993 /35mm/ 109 min with English subtitles, directed by SAI Yoichi.
Show Time: 6:00 pm, January 25, 2008
Venue: 101 Becker Comm. Studies Building

Synopsis:
Kang Chung Nam, a North Korean born in Japan, works as a taxi driver at a Tokyo company owned by his old classmate, Kim Seil. He is surrounded by an odd-collection of fellow employees, including a new driver with no sense of direction, an ex-boxer Hoso who claims he hates Koreans except for Chung Nam, and an undocumented immigrant from Iran. Chung Nan ignores these problems as well as the divisions between North and South in the Korean community to chase after women. Chung Nam keeps searching for a woman until he meets Connie, a Filipina who speaks Japanese with an Osaka accent and works as a hostess in his mother's bar. Connie, however, proves impervious to his advances until he half forces his way into her apartment and, tricking her, moves in.

Life does not remain settled for the couple. At the taxi company, the Iranian mechanic is caught by the police for illegally driving a cab and Hoso, who always asked Chung Nam for money, is arrested by the Niigata police for running off with his divorced wife's kids. Chung Nam and the other drivers' salaries are also in trouble when Kim Seil invests his fortune, with the help of gangster loan sharks, in a golf course. With Connie and Yong Sung always at odds, Chung Nam hesitates at Connie's idea to move to the Philippines together, a reluctance that drives Connie to leave him and switch to another bar in far away Nagano.

Film Title: We Shall Overcome Someday (Pacchigi パッチギ）

Color / Vista / 2004 /35mm/ 119 min. with English subtitles, directed by IZUTSU Kazuyuki
Show Time: 6:00 pm, February 1, 2008
Venue: 101 Becker Comm. Studies Building

Synopsis:
The background of the film is the turmoil of the 1960s and the relationship between Japanese and Koreans in Japan. The story begins when members of the karate group of a Kyoto high school insult two girls from a Korean high school. A war breaks out when the Korean girls get the boys from their school, led by a boy named Lee Ang-son, to seek revenge. The Japanese boys are reprimanded by their teacher, and two boys, Kosuke and Norio, are told to go to the Korean high school and make a peace offering: to have the two schools play a friendly soccer match. Kosuke and Norio are intimidated by the Korean boys but they deliver the invitation.

While they are at the school, Kosuke hears the sound of a beautiful song and follows the music to the music room. In the music room, he sets eyes on a flutist who turns out to be Ang-son's little sister, Kyung-ja. Kosuke is a non-violent, peaceful, 2nd year high-school student who is part of a band. He finds himself drawn to the young girl and the sound of the Korean folk song, "Imjing River." He steps over the ethnic divide and becomes friendly with Ang-son and his rough-neck gang.

Film Title: Hanging Garden (Kuutyuu Teien　空中庭園)
Color/Vista/2005/ 35mm/ 113 min., with English subtitles, directed by TOYODA Toshiaki
Show Time: 5:00 pm, March 28, 2008
Venue: 101 Becker Comm. Studies Building

Synopsis:
Eriko lives with her family in what used to be a thriving, modern suburban residential area, but which has now degenerated into something like a slum. Eriko has only one rule in her house - "no secrets in the family." This strangely "open" family consists of the father, Takashi, daughter, Mana, and a son called Ko. In fact every single member of the family harbors some kind of secret. Both children regularly play truant from school and the father is having an affair. When his lover turns up as Ko's home tutor all the skeletons threaten to come tumbling out of the closet, but the person with the biggest secret of all turns out to be Eriko herself. Her cheerful facade covers a dark and desperate past. When everyone's secrets finally come out, the family faces its greatest danger, but this crisis will become the catalyst to renew their deepest bonds. Although Eriko ends up living on her own in another apartment, her family all come to visit her on her birthday.

Legacy of Torture

2008-01-25T00:14:00.000-06:00

Hi, Bill! (We talked about you on the first day of class a bit. It's really cold in Iowa City.)

I've been teaching university classes since 1991 -- as a TA, adjunct lecturer, postdoc, and now assistant professor. I've had lots and lots of good days, great classes, and moments of joy with lots of amazing students (over 3,500, including Bill). Today was truly and uniquely special for me -- for lots of reasons. Needless to say, I'm really excited about this class. Those of you who had to leave early really should talk to a classmate to find out what you missed. I'm really glad each and every one of you decided to take this class.

To watch the rest of the short documentary The Legacy of Torture, click here.

Last semester, as part of the class radio show on KRUI, Nate and I interviewed Claude Marks, one of the producer-directors of the film. You can listen to that show by clicking here if you'd like. (The interview begins about 10 minutes or so into the program -- after a few technical problems.)

You might also want to check out the following links:

Free the SF8
Essay by Ron Jacobs

But don't forget you need to focus on Malcolm X for next week!

We quickly covered a lot of ground on the first day (from Nat Turner to COINTELPRO), and I am guessing you all already have lots of questions. (I hope you do!) Please feel free to send your questions to me at any point, and I can start integrating the issues you want explored the most into our class plans.

The "Insurgency Class" is Back ... and Better than Ever!

2007-12-26T21:21:00.000-06:00

And, we're starting off with Malcolm X again. But before I tell you more about that, here's some general information on the "new and improved" class.

This course is repeatable, and many of you are taking it for the second time this semester. The required readings, therefore, have been overhauled so that “old” and “new” students alike can enjoy a challenging and rewarding semester-long exploration of insurgent discourse and action. This time, we will use literary fiction instead of sociological or theoretical texts as our primary material. Specifically, we will read two novels by Leslie Marmon Silko, one of which is very long(!!!) and will take seven weeks to complete, to structure our discussions throughout the semester. Please review the syllabus carefully and contact me as soon as possible if you have any questions related to the course content or expectations.

The questions we will explore this semester are not new or unique to our current historical moment. In his autobiography written by Alex Haley, Malcolm X (pictured here) recalls evading the draft in the early 1940s by dropping hints to recruiters that he was "frantic to join ... the Japanese army." Expressions of solidarity with the Japanese "enemy" played into fears of a race war shared by Secretary of War Henry Stimson and many other white people at the time. That fear was perhaps most clearly articulated by Japan scholar Edwin Reischauer, who warned government officials that Japan was attempting to launch a "holy crusade of the yellow and brown peoples for freedom from the white race."

Beginning with this historical moment, our class will explore the political theories of radical African American, Japanese American, Japanese, American Indian, Asian American, Latino/a, South Asian, and Middle Eastern intellectuals, artists, and activists who have seen themselves as connected in liberation struggle and how those theories have influenced and responded to subsequent “insurgencies,” as well as arts and social justice movements in Japan, the United States, and beyond (through the present). You will be encouraged to introduce related material you want us all to engage and study in class along the way. In other words, this time, the "Insurgency Class" will entail a "choose your own adventure" component.

Our required readings will be supplemented in class with “case studies” so that we can explore key questions in a variety of contexts. We will use the themes explored in the literary texts we read to analyze real life events, including those you all choose. For example, many were stunned in 2003 when Lee Kyung-Hae, a 56 year old Korean farmer, plunged a knife into his heart while protesting the WTO at its meeting in Cancun. In the note he left behind, Lee expressed outrage at what he saw as the pernicious and murderous ("farmer-killing") effects of an "undesirable globalization" orchestrated by the U.S. and Japan. His suicide/protest letter is one example of the type of material we will use to better understand Huey P. Newton's concept of “revolutionary suicide,” one of the key theories examined when this course was first offered and which we discuss again this semester. Students will be asked to think critically about the specificity of Lee's desperation and discontent, as well as the complex contexts (both global and local) out of which it emerged.

Because the movements and individuals we study have forged concrete and symbolic alliances across (or irrespective of) national borders, our course material will extend beyond North America and East Asia to address insurgent discourse and action in South America, Africa, and the Middle East. The notion of “Third World Solidarity,” for example, will figure prominently in many of our discussions. Assigned material will include literary fiction, primary source material, secondary sources, music, poetry, art, and film. All readings will be in English. No prior study of Japanese, Asian Studies, African American Studies, or Ethnic Studies is required or necessary.

Your first assignment involves thinking about insurgency and “self-help” philosophy. Read carefully and listen to “The Ballot or the Bullet” by Malcolm X. If you have read it before, read it again, paying attention to as many details as possible.

Malcolm X gave slightly different versions of the speech in cities such as Detroit and Cleveland in the spring of 1964. Here is a version of the speech with a helpful introduction.

You also can find the text here.

You also can find “The Ballot or the Bullet” text and audio here.

You can access audio and commentary here.

If you haven't read or heard much about Malcolm X before, you might find this speech by Professor Manning Marable to be useful. And even if you read about Malcolm X morning, noon, and night, I'll bet you'll still want to listen to or watch this interview with Prof. Marable if you haven't already.

Finally, enjoy Mos Def reading Malcolm X! This particular speech is VERY germane to our class and will give us plenty to discuss from the get-go! Click on the "play" button to watch the video.

Radio Show Final Episode!

2007-06-11T22:27:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time coming, but those of you who missed the last episode of the Insurgency Hour can now hear Shiori Yamazaki's exclusive interview with activist-researcher and former hostage Noriaki Imai (pictured here). Big thanks to Nate George for producing all the shows and making them all available online!

I still have many papers and other stuff from you all that I hope to post when I get a chance, hopefully soon!

If you've been reading my personal blog, you learned about the amazing "Celebrating Protest" series at the University of Chicago. You can see the poster here and the series blog here.

Shiori went to Chicago to meet Noriaki Imai and attend some of the series events. While she was there, she recorded the interview with him. Click here to listen to the original interview in Japanese!

With the help of Jeff and Amanda, Shiori put together an English version of the interview, which you can hear along with some of the talk Imai gave at Chicago on the last Insurgency Hour show. The show also provides some background information.

Click here to listen to that last show, which starts with another amazing musical find from DJ Nate.

As always, you can also subscribe to the Insurgency Hour as a podcast.

To subscribe to the "Insurgency Hour Podcast" using iTunes, follow these steps:
1) Open iTunes
2) Select "Advanced" in the menubar
3) Choose Subscribe to Podcast...
4) Enter the following into the URL box
feed://www.kruiradio.org/insurgencyhour/InsurgencyHour.xml

If you missed any shows, here is a full list of the programs:

Insurgent Radio Archives

Every Thursday during the spring semester of 2007, from noon til 1pm, Iowa City residents could listen to "The Insurgency Hour," a STUDENT-RUN radio program on KRUI 89.7 FM. We regret that our first few shows, including amazing interviews with poet Chuck Miller and Dana Olds of the One World Foundation, were lost.

Program #3
Listen to Byron Stokes and Hai Binh Nguyen on the Insurgency Hour

Vernon Jackson interviews Byron Stokes of Students of Support and Amanda Seals interviews Hai Binh Nguyen of VietUnity (pictured here)!

Due to a technical problem, there is an unfortunate gap in the audio at the beginning of the interview with Hai Binh Nguyen. Please fast forward through the pause in audio and enjoy what she has to say! It's a really excellent interview!

Program #4
Listen to Owen Li on the Insurgency Hour

As part of our "How You Became an Activist" series, Amanda Seals interviews Owen Li.

Li discusses his background and his work with groups such as the Stanford Asian American Activist Committee and the Boston Youth Organizing Project.

Program #5
Listen to Brian Shearer and Ryan Merz of the UI Anti-War Committee on the Insurgency Hour

Nate George begins the program with some sounds from Fela Kuti, and then Amanda Seals interviews Ryan Merz and Brian Shearer of the UI Antiwar Committee. Both Merz and Shearer are UI students and antiwar activists. They discuss UIAC actions and provide information for students interested in getting involved with the antiwar movement.

Program #6
Listen to Claude Marks on the Insurgency Hour

The program begins with an audio commentary by Mumia Abu Jamal on "Black History Month," and DJ Nate George interviews Claude Marks of The Freedom Archives. Claude is a former political prisoner and also one of the producer-directors of the outstanding new documentary The Legacy of Torture: the War Against the Black Liberation Movement, which features interviews with many of the San Francisco 8. Claude discusses the history and significance of this very troubling case. For more information on the SF 8, check out The Committee for the Defense of Human Rights.

Program #7
Listen to Roger White on the Insurgency Hour

Amanda provides an update on the UI Antiwar Committee's sit-in at Chuck Grassley's office and the Cedar Rapids 11. Amanda Seals, Nate George, and Dylan Mooney interview anarchist, activist, and researcher Roger White.

Roger grew up in Baltimore and eventually made his way to Oakland, California (the birthplace of the Panthers), where he has been working as a criminal justice researcher at the Data Center for about 6 years. Prior to joining the Data Center research team, Roger (pictured here) was a campus organizer in college, a union organizer, and an organizer in poor communities for ACORN. In addition to his current activist “day job” at the Data Center, Roger is very active in the broad APOC (Anarchist People of Color) movement. He also is the author of Postcolonial Anarchism. Roger discusses the US prison regime, policing, and how anarchists of color in North America are working against white supremacy and all forms of social domination.

Program #8
Listen to Jeff Richter and Norma Field on the Insurgency Hour

DJ Nate shares more from Mumia Abu Jamal. Amanda Seals interviews UI student (and member of the Insurgency Class) Jeff Richter about the March on the Pentagon. She also plays excerpts of her extended interview with Professor Norma Field of the Univ. of Chicago (pictured here). Jacob Boss joins Amanda in studio, and they discuss Prof. Field's interview and the Japanese proletarian writer Kobayashi Takiji, who was tortured to death by the Japanese military police.

Program #9
Listen to Grover Stock and news on the Zapatistas on the Insurgency Hour

This exciting show begins with a technical problem (the phones wouldn't work), but DJ Nate George stepped in with Bob Dole (yes, that Bob Dole) and commentaries from Mumia Abu Jamal. Jacob Boss shares information about the Zapatistas and then interviews Grover Stock, who first went to Chiapas as part of a Global Exchange Reality Tour. He discusses the movement and his solidarity work in Chiapas. For more information, check out Narco News.

Program #10
Listen to artist Dread Scott on the Insurgency Hour

Jacob Boss interviews Dread Scott, who visited the UI campus to discuss his work. A multidisciplinary artist, Scott is perhaps best known for his controversial and powerful work "What is the Proper Way to Display the American Flag?" Jacob snagged Scott after the talk and met the artist later that night for an impromptu interview in a local bar. Enjoy this fascinating discussion of art and politics!

Program #11
Listen to Naima of Climbing PoeTree on the Insurgency Hour

Martha Franzen conducted this interview with Naima of Climbing PoeTree.

Naima (pictured here) discusses art, activism, creativity, and the need for activists to envision better worlds. Martha is one of the organizers of Art-Think and very active in creative protest in Iowa City. She and Naima engage in a lively and truly inspirational conversation. The program begins with commentaries from Dr. Cornel West and Mumia Abu Jamal.

Program #12
Listen to Jaron Varner on the Insurgency Hour

Vernon Jackson interviews Iowa City community activist and Youth Leadership Program Coordinator for the 6th Judicial Department of Corrections, Jaron Varner. Varner, the son of a murdered Black Panther, is currently involved with Iowa's DMC (Disproportionate Minority Contact) initiatives and projects. (He is described as working at Opportunity at Iowa by the program hosts, but he is not a UI employee.)

He discusses the disproportionate incarceration of Blacks in Iowa, struggles for justice in our community, and effective strategies for activists. The program begins with a commentary from Mumia Abu Jamal.

Program #13
Listen to Jim Fujii on the Insurgency Hour

Dylan Mooney and Jamila Yakubu interview Professor James A. Fujii of the University of California-Irvine. Prof. Fujii (pictured here) was in town for a public lecture and visited the KRUI studio for a live interview.

He discusses the experiences of some of his students in the aftermath of the V-Tech shootings, his own family background and childhood, local currency movements in Japan, Japan-US relations, and the perils of privatization (among many other things)! This is truly an hour of great radio!!

Program #14
Listen to Karen Kampwirth on the Insurgency Hour

Bill Hendrickson and Ian McClintock interviewed Professor Karen Kampwirth of Knox College. Prof. Kampirth has written two books, Women and Guerrilla Movements: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas, Cuba and Feminism and The Legacy of Revolution: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas. Bill contacted Prof. Kampwirth after reading her work, and he and Ian came up with some very exciting questions. Make sure to listen to this illuminating interview and opportunity to learn about women's roles in revolutionary movements in Latin America!

Program #15
Listen to Shiori Yamazaki's interview with Noriaki Imai on the Last Episode of the Insurgency Hour!

We also have a few "extras" that didn't make it to air if you check the directory or the Podcast. :)

Yuri said ...

2007-05-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

Jacob and Shiori's scrapbook will soon belong to Yuri Kochiyama. These are just some of the scanned pages from their year-long project.

To view larger versions of any of the pages above, please click on the image.

news too good not to share!!!

2007-05-10T09:47:00.001-05:00

I just now learned that Earlesha will have some of the outstanding articles she wrote for her MA thesis published in my very favorite newspaper!! I had no hand in this. She contacted the paper herself, and the ever insightful editor, Mary Ratcliff, recognized how important these articles are and agreed to publish them. Oh, I am just too happy for words!

Keep your eyes on the San Francisco Bay View newspaper and watch for Earlesha's pieces on Iowa City!!

A note to my Insurgentes!

2007-05-10T09:06:00.000-05:00

To my wonderful class,

It's taking a while to process and fully appreciate the power of the experience we created together. You are all so special, so filled with love and so truly and critically engaged. I can honestly say that the class would not have been as special without each of you in it. I suppose a class with a title like ours attracts a special group, but even with that in mind, I still feel like I "lucked out" in every possible way. I often think back on moments we shared and wonder how on earth I got so lucky to have all the right people take this class. As I look ahead to the last "Insurgency Hour" show that will begin in a few hours, I am filled with a bittersweet feeling. I feel sad that our time together couldn't last longer, but incredibly and deeply grateful that we had it.

I want to convey my heartfelt congratulations to Brand, Dylan, Earlesha, and Nate, all of whom are graduating! I have no doubt that you will do amazing things to make a lasting and meaningful difference in our world, which all too often creates the conditions that make insurgent resistance necessary and inevitable. Your very lives and your ways of engaging the world are insurgently beautiful.

To the rest of you, I look forward to having you in classes again. I can announce now that I will teach this class again next spring! You'll be able to repeat the class, and you all are welcome to help me develop the new syllabus. There's no shortage of related material for us to study and discuss together. I think we'll start out next time with The Battle of Algiers, which I regret that we didn't get to watch this semester. I hope you all make a point of watching it someday.

With love, gratitude, and solidarity,
Adrienne

The Insurgency Hour: The Last Two Shows

2007-05-07T12:53:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday, Bill and Ian interviewed Professor Karen Kampwirth of Knox College. Prof. Kampirth has written two books, Women and Guerrilla Movements: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas, Cuba and Feminism and The Legacy of Revolution: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas. If you missed it, you definitely want to click here to listen to that show. The guys did an outstanding job, and Prof. Kampwirth was very informative!

This Thursday will be our final Insurgency Hour! We've had a great run, and I have loved it so very much. Our last show will be, appropriately, a big one! You'll recall that Shiori went to Chicago, where she was able to meet Noriaki Imai, the student-activist and former hostage in Iraq. She conducted an extended interview with him, which will air this Thursday at noon on 89.7 KRUI FM! We'll also archive it, of course. If you are outside the KRUI listening area, you can listen online at www.kruiradio.org, where live streams are available. So, tune in at noon this Thursday if you can! Shiori conducted the interview in Japanese, and we'll eventually make that original interview available for folks who know Japanese, but Thursday's show will feature Jeff Richter as the voice of Noriaki Imai (and Shiori will be herself!).

I already miss you all sooooo much! Our class was such a wonderful and special moment in my life. I wish I could carry you all along with me forever, but I'll always carry the feeling and the experience of our time together.

Ian updated the design!!!

2007-05-05T23:53:00.000-05:00

This is now our official class logo, and I'll make it my own as well!

Thanks to Ian!!!

2007-05-05T11:11:00.000-05:00

No words to describe how I feel about you all. Just this – until I can gather my thoughts and write more...

2007-05-04T02:16:00.000-05:00

Bill and Ian have taken over the Insurgency Hour!!

2007-05-03T12:05:00.000-05:00

And Nate just got it started with Climbing PoeTree!

Tune in!!!

Two Big Announcements

2007-05-02T21:30:00.000-05:00

Nate has his own radio show, the Radio Attack. His last show will be tonight on KRUI 89.7 FM from 11pm-1am.

And ...

Tomorrow is Bill's birthday!

Wow!

2007-05-02T14:03:00.000-05:00

Joshua has a friend who made this short film. I think it's a brilliant exposé. I'll leave it at that for now.

Our last class of the semester

2007-04-30T00:52:00.000-05:00

This insurgent experiment is nearing its end, and we'll be meeting together for the last time this Thursday.

We'll celebrate Bill's birthday ("our" Bill, not Yuri's Bill), which is the 3rd, and also the birthday of Yuri Kochiyama and Malcolm X, which is May 19th. Feel free to bring birthday treats to class.

I'll bring the scrapbook Jacob and Shiori made for Yuri. I encourage you to write your notes to Yuri in advance, and we can paste them in the book.

There's plenty of room, so please feel free to include any artwork you'd like to send her. You will have the chance to write a note during class, but I hope that most of you will take the time to make something special for her in advance. Jim Fujii wrote her a really special note while he was here.

Our last discussion will focus on Yuri's book. We'll talk about what she "passes on" and how we can carry that with us. Be prepared to discuss her book, especially pages 3-106 and pages 151-188.

This last photo shows Yuri with Favianna Rodriguez.

Some of you might want to have your say on this story.

2007-04-30T00:13:00.000-05:00

I own several black hooded sweatshirts and have worn them to various events and meetings at the UI. I also have an actual ski mask, which I often wear during the winter months. While I take the mask off when I go indoors, I often pull the sweatshirt up high to keep my nose warm. After 15 years in California, I don't like being cold, and I was not happy about the weather last week. As you might imagine, I have some thoughts about the McBride Hall incident. Of course, I wasn't there. I imagine some of you have thoughts too. Why do you think Justin Walker was treated the way he was? How do you understand this incident?

Unasked Questions and Other Things Left Unsaid

2007-04-30T00:09:00.000-05:00

During last week's class, I am sure many of you had questions you didn't get to ask or other things you didn't get to say. This post is for you. You can direct your questions or comments to everyone or to Jim Fujii (I'll let him know). It sure was great having him in class, wasn't it? I think you'll now know what I mean when I say he was the best adviser and professor anyone could have.

The Insurgency Hour's last 3 shows

2007-04-29T15:17:00.000-05:00

This past Thursday, Dylan and Jamila interviewed Jim Fujii. It was great, and you can click here to listen to that show. He discusses the experiences of some of his students in the aftermath of the V-Tech shootings, his own family background and childhood, local currency movements in Japan, Japan-US relations, and the perils of privatization (among many other things). I really love it.

We only have two more shows, but they are going to be great ones!

Bill and Ian will be interviewing Professor Karen Kampwirth of Knox College. Prof. Kampirth has written two books, Women and Guerrilla Movements: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas, Cuba and Feminism and The Legacy of Revolution: Nicaragua, El Salvador, Chiapas. Bill contacted Prof. Kampwirth after reading her work, and he and Ian are developing some very exciting questions that are directly germane to our course work.

And we will also get Shiori's exclusive interview with former hostage Noriaki Imai. Mr. Imai was studying the effects of depleted uranium when he was taken hostage in Iraq (at the age of 18, I believe). Shiori went to Chicago last month so that she could spend time with him and record this amazing interview. The interview will be available in both Japanese and English language audio.

Those of you who are not graduating and who enjoyed being involved in the radio program ought to consider having a show of your own next fall. I think KRUI still has openings for the fall program schedule. I think there are also still some directorships open. I'm sure Nate can answer any questions you might have if you are interested. It's a student-run outfit and you do not need prior radio experience.

One last late-breaking extra credit chance

2007-04-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

Click on the image to view a larger version. To earn extra credit, you must attend the event and write a short (1-2 page) response paper.

Anyone who attends the Darfur event in Des Moines can also earn extra credit for that!

last minute announcement: Darfur event at 4pm in Des Moines today!

2007-04-29T13:44:00.000-05:00

I am a bit behind on email after Jim Fujii's visit, so I'm very late in announcing this event Bill shared with me.

At 4pm today (just enough time to get there if you read this now), there will be a forum on the crisis in Darfur in Des Moines. The event will be held at the Hoyt Sherman Theater at 1501 Woodland Avenue today, Sunday, April 29th. It will last two hours, and Bill is trying to get TV news coverage of the event.

Click here for more info.

Happy Birthday, Luveta!!

2007-04-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

She's an honorary member of our class and gets a big "happy birthday" from the Insurgency Class!

Reminder: Jim Fujii here this week!

2007-04-24T20:39:00.000-05:00

Professor Jim Fujii of the University of California-Irvine will visit our class on Thursday. Don't forget your things to share and questions to ask!

And don't forget about his public lecture on Friday:

"Local Currency Movements in Millennial, Occupied Japan"
Professor James A. Fujii

Friday, April 27, 2007
5-6:30pm
218 Phillips Hall
The University of Iowa campus

Dylan and Jamila will be interviewing him on the Insurgency Hour on Thursday at noon too!

Radio Archive and Podcast Updates

2007-04-24T09:40:00.000-05:00

Click here to listen to the interview Martha conducted with Naima of Climbing PoeTree of Brooklyn, NY. Naima discusses art, activism, creativity, and the need for activists to envision better worlds. This inspiring interview is a must-listen for activists and artists. The program begins with commentaries from Dr. Cornel West and Mumia Abu Jamal.

Click here for Vernon's interview with Iowa City community activist and Youth Leadership Program Coordinator for the 6th Judicial Department of Corrections, Jaron Varner. Varner, the son of a murdered Black Panther, has worked with African American youth through Urban Dreams and is currently involved with Iowa's DMC (Disproportionate Minority Contact) initiatives and projects. (He is described as working at Opportunity at Iowa by the program hosts, but he is not a UI employee.) He discusses the disproportionate incarceration of Blacks in Iowa, struggles for justice in our community, and effective strategies for activists. The program begins with a commentary from Mumia Abu Jamal.

This week, Dylan and Jamila will conduct a live interview with Jim Fujii of the University of California-Irvine, and the following week, Shiori's exclusive interview with former hostage and peace activist Noriaki Imai will air. So stay tuned to the Insurgency Hour on 89.7 KRUI FM. You can listen online if you aren't in Iowa City, and these future programs will also be added to the archive and podcasts.

To subscribe to the "Insurgency Hour Podcast" using iTunes, follow these steps:
1) Open iTunes
2) Select "Advanced" in the menubar
3) Choose Subscribe to Podcast...
4) Enter the following: feed://www.kruiradio.org/i nsurgencyhour/InsurgencyHo ur.xml into the URL box.

Choose Your Own YouTube Adventure

2007-04-22T14:42:00.000-05:00

Don't forget your assignments for Thursday: bring with you one thing you'd like to share (about yourself, your thoughts, your hopes, your fears, etc.) with Jim Fujii and the class and also one question you'd like to ask the class and Jim Fujii.

There are so many ways we could prepare for Jim Fujii's visit. I decided a fun way would be to create a "Choose Your Own Adventure" post. Below are a series of videos, all of which address questions and problems that are germane to our class and also to the issues that matter to Prof. Fujii. After you are done with your adventure, share your responses, questions, and comments below.

Everyone starts with Naomi Klein, author of No Logo. This video is 10 minutes.

Choose One of the Following:

Do you want to see folks take on the system? If you answer yes, check out the trailer for The Take

Do you want to know what the heck a corporation is anyway, watch "The Birth" of the Corporation.

Choose One of the Following:

Watch Cynthia McKinney throw down.

Watch George Galloway throw down on Sky News.

Choose One of the Following:

Watch Juan Gonzalez, Rinku Sen, Angela Glover Blackwell, and Winona LaDuke throw down on "the color line."

Watch Hugo Chavez throw down on George Bush.

Choose One of the Following:

Dolores Huerta on making a difference.

Mario Savio on the need and time to act.

Everyone ends with the Michael Franti and Spearhead music video for "I Know I'm Not Alone."

I think you will want to read this.

2007-04-20T01:12:00.000-05:00

Click here.

Latest "Insurgency Hour" uploads

2007-04-20T01:06:00.000-05:00

Martha interviews Naima from Climbing PoeTree

Vernon interviews Jaron Varner, community activist & DMC coordinator and formerly of Urban Dreams

Senator Jackson quoted in the Daily Iowan

2007-04-18T04:07:00.000-05:00

"I'm almost glad this happened," said UI sophomore Vernon Jackson, who attended the meeting. "It's sparking unity, and it's a great chance for us to show our solidarity and togetherness."
Click here to read the whole story.

Virginia Tech

2007-04-17T22:36:00.000-05:00

In 1997, I was visiting an elementary school in a suburb outside of Tokyo for some research I was doing. A student asked me to visit her music class, and the teacher agreed. I sat in the back of the room, listening as the kids played their recorders. While the kids played, an earthquake hit. It was substantial enough to knock some things off a shelf and rattle chairs and music stands. The teacher kept directing the students as if nothing happened. After the song was over, she put down her baton and gave students instructions for the next class. The kids looked around while they played and afterwards too, searching for signs of validation of what they'd experienced in their classmates' eyes. Maybe my presence somehow made the teacher uncomfortable enough not to acknowledge the reality that they'd all just felt an earthquake. I can't know. But I do know that it was weird for the students to experience something real and have their teacher act as if nothing had happened. I think the kids would have been less freaked out if she'd simply said, "That was an earthquake, wasn't it?" The memory of that day was enough to convince me I should do away with my class plan on the first day of classes at UC Irvine in late September of 2001. I told my students, all of whom were first year undergrads starting their college careers, to talk about how they felt about current events, especially their fears. Since then, at UCI and Stanford and now UI, I make it a habit not to act as if we lived in a vacuum when wars, tsunamis, hurricanes, shootings, etc. happen. This post is for you all to share your thoughts, feelings, and responses to recent events at Virgina Tech. While it's always the case, for this post in particular, I ask that you be very sensitive and generous with one another. Try to keep your comments focused on how you feel.

thursday afternoon: the official version

2007-04-17T14:07:00.000-05:00

Those of you are making plans might want to know that class will be dismissed at 4:30 this week so that you can have the rest of the time to work on papers and other projects.

Yuri Kochiyama

2007-04-17T04:33:00.000-05:00

That's a preview for Freedom Fighters, a documentary about Yuri Kochiyama and Kiilu Nyasha.

Remember to read for this week pp. 3-106 and pp. 151-188 in Passing it On by Yuri Kochiyama. Also, as I mentioned last week, I will bring the scrapbook project Jacob and Shiori made so that anyone in the class who would like can write or draw a message to Yuri. We'll send her the scrapbook for her birthday next month.

It's been a while since we heard from Yuri in our class. She opened our semester with her reflections on Malcolm X. But she is much more than the Japanese American woman who was by his side when he was murdered.

Listen to Tavis Smiley's interview with Yuri Kochiyama!

You can learn more about her by visiting the following sites too.

Learn to Question
Kil Ja Kim's interview with Yuri Kochiyama
Revolutionary Worker interview with Yuri Kochiyama
Melissa Hung's article on Yuri Kochiyama
Yuri Kochiyama nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Yuri Kochiyama bio at Discover Nikkei

Media Activism

2007-04-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

There are lots of ways to think about why protests against Don Imus had an impact this time when they hadn't in the past. One aspect of the story that hasn't received tons of attention is how the initial organizing happened. Who heard the broadcast and sounded the alarm? What were the steps that led to the larger discussion happening now?

If you are interested in this sort of thing, click here to access an archived radio interview with Karl Frisch of Media Matters for America. This interview starts about 24 minutes into the program.

Jamila sent us this story.

2007-04-15T17:14:00.000-05:00

Throughout the semester, our readings have reminded us that oppression (and also, therefore, solidarity and resistance movements) don't stop at borders (geographical borders, political borders, etc., etc.). For the rest of the semester, we'll be thinking about globalization as it relates to the issues we have studied thus far.

Jamila had very good timing in sharing the following news story with us. I know many of you will have related stories to share and discuss.

German soldier told to "think of blacks and shoot."

You might be interested to know that a zoo in Germany proposed putting Africans on display.

Extra Credit Opportunity on Monday

2007-04-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

Click on the image to see a larger version. I just learned about this talk, which I think definitely relates to our class material. You can earn extra credit by attending and writing a short (1-2 page) response paper.

Scholarship Announcement: for Japanese Majors Born in Iowa

2007-04-12T02:33:00.000-05:00

Helen K. Fairall Scholarship
2007 - 2008
For Students In
Asian Languages and Literature

The Department of Asian Languages and Literature is pleased to announce TWO scholarship opportunities of approximately $4000 each for two students in the Department who meet the following criteria:

1. Junior, Senior, or Graduate student majors in Asian Languages and Literature (non-majors and minors are not eligible);

2. Cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and enrolled full-time both Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 (12 s.h. for undergraduates and 9 s.h. for graduates);

3. Born in Iowa and educated in Iowa schools in grades one through eight and returned after completing their secondary education to enroll at The University of Iowa, or to persons born in Iowa who are graduates of Iowa high schools;

4. The scholarships are not to be awarded using need as a primary criterion.

5. Award recipients must be enrolled in a degree program both semesters of 2007 - 2008; and the GPA consideration is based solely on work completed at the U of I.

6. Recipients may apply the scholarship award toward a study-abroad program.

• A student who wishes to be nominated by the Department for this scholarship must submit the following materials to Merry Bullock, Asian Languages and Literature, 111 Phillips Hall, by Friday, April 27, 2007.

1. An updated official transcript (must include Fall 2006 grades) – (you may check with us to see if we already have a copy in your student academic file);

2. Cover letter describing your eligibility with regard to point #3 above;

3. Essay of no more than 500 words describing how your study in the department is important in your career goals.

Scholarships will be awarded for the 2007 - 2008 academic year. Recipients will be notified by the Office of Student Financial Aid in May 2007.

DEADLINE: FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 2007

Another story from the same former student (Cami-chan)

2007-04-11T19:04:00.000-05:00

who wrote, "The sofa came from Asia, but the racism is definitely imported from the West."

Racist Sofa Label

A former student's great questions for us to consider. What do you think?

2007-04-10T20:20:00.000-05:00

Click here to read what a former student of mine had to say about recent events.

April 26th and 27th

2007-04-10T19:00:00.000-05:00

Click above to see a larger version of the wonderful poster designed by UI student John Nedved.

Our class on April 26th will be very special. Professor Jim Fujii will visit our class to discuss issues related to social justice, neo-liberalism, and pretty much any and all of the things that matter to us. He'll be giving a public lecture the next day, and you can earn extra credit for attending. You can earn double the extra credit for writing a short response paper with your thoughts on his talk. I know some of you need this, so mark your calendars.

Here are the details on his public lecture:

"Local Currency Movements in Millennial, Occupied Japan"
Professor James A. Fujii
The University of California-Irvine

Friday, April 27, 2007
5-6:30pm
218 Phillips Hall
The University of Iowa campus

In 1999 Japan had only three or four alternative currency projects, where local currencies, instead of yen, were established to provide a variety of grassroots social and local community services. Two years later the number would jump to eighty programs, and in five years time the total would exceed 600, stretching from Okinawa to Hokkaido. How might we explain this dramatic surge in alternative currency based projects, and what do they have to do with a contemporary Japan that, I will argue, is effectively under U.S. occupation today, over sixty years after the end of WWII? This presentation uses currency as a way to examine present day Japan as a kind of case study revealing what globalization and empire mean today.

Those of you who study Japanese literature might be interested to learn about his groundbreaking book Complicit Fictions: the Subject in the Modern Japanese Prose Narrative and the first English-language volume of writings by acclaimed Japanese cultural critic Maeda Ai (Text and the City: Essays on Japanese Modernity), which Prof. Fujii edited. He has also written about the impact of railway technologies and cultures on Japanese daily life, fascism and the nation state, the discipline of Japan studies, and a wide range of international issues related to social justice. I am proud to have been his student and am really excited at this chance to share him with you all. Before earning his Ph.D. in Japanese literature at the University of Chicago, he was a VISTA (the earlier version of AmeriCorps) on affordable housing projects, and he also worked for over a decade in social services. He showed me (and continues to remind me) that a genuine concern for serving the people can be integrated into intellectual work in meaningful and transformtive ways. He's also super nice and a really easy person with whom to have a conversation.

Dylan and Jamila will be interviewing him on The Insurgency Hour that week too!

Happy Birthday, Brand!

2007-04-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

Today is Brand's birthday, everyone! Yay!!!

Conquest

2007-04-10T07:55:00.000-05:00

As a reminder, you should read pp. 109-91 in Conquest for this Thursday. In addition to continuing your excellent comments on the film below, I'd also like to see you comment on the readings under this post. If you have any questions you'd like us to pursue in class, note them too.

Skins

2007-04-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

This is a picture of Graham Greene as Mogie Yellow Lodge from today's film, Skins.

What did you think of the movie? Can you make any connections to the reading or to the material I shared before showing the film? For example, what kind of violence did you see in the movie? How did Rudy Yellow Lodge try to handle harm in the community? How was the criminal justice system depicted?

I'd also really like to see you discuss what affected you the most in the film.

Skins was directed by by Chris Eyre, who also directed Smoke Signals. You can see the full cast info here.

"Graham Greene receives Spirit Best Actor Nomination for Skins

Click here to read an interview with Chris Eyre.

Click here for an article on the film from Indian Country.

How might Andrea Smith's book help us understand Mount Rushmore?

The image from the movie above is the image on the t-shirt of Chief Joseph, Sitting Bull, Dull Knife, and Geronimo (L to R) where the US Presidents would be on Mount Rushmore.

Finally, you'll wanna watch this clip of Winona LaDuke, who wrote the intro to our book. She talks about how "America doesn't know how to say it's sorry."

Happy Birthday to Amanda!!!

2007-04-02T16:08:00.000-05:00

Today is Amanda's birthday, everyone!!

Happy Birthday to the woman who keeps everything together for us!!

Monasetah, Sambo, and Newt Gingrich

2007-04-02T06:44:00.000-05:00

Until last year, a restaurant-bar in San Francisco (Eddie Rickenbacker's) maintained and defended a display of what the bar owner claimed were the teeth of Monasetah. Monasetah was an indigenous "comfort woman" taken by Custer, who was said to have knocked out her teeth. Monasetah was taken at the Washita Massacre in 1868, a year when a lot happened. You can learn more about the Washita Massacre here.

It has been claimed that, following the Battle of Washita, Custer invited officers "desiring to avail themselves of the services of a captured squaw to come to the squaw Round Up Corral, and select one." Custer took first choice, Monasetah, and lived with her during the winter and spring of 1868 and 1869. The display has been around for years with little complaint. If the display is real, than it could be in violation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. If it is not real and is merely intended to add atmosphere, it shows acceptance by the bar's owners and patrons of a form of racism and misogyny that would never be allowed if the remains were claimed to be a person from any other ethnic group. The bar's owner, when questioned about why he has a Native woman's teeth on display, replied that concern for cultural sensitivity was "not living in reality." (Source)

Question:
What do I mean when I call Monasetah a "comfort woman"? Those of you who have learned about "comfort women" in some of my other classes can explain this to the others.

I'm sure some of you may also have heard about the letter corroborating what people had been saying for a long time – that Prescott Bush (grandfather of GWB) and some other pals robbed Geronimo's grave and now the Apache freedom fighter's bones are kept by the Skull and Bones Society at Yale. You can read more here and also here.

Question:
What does it mean and what does it tell us that so many white people can "enjoy" the remains of indigenous people? What does it tell us that a popular restaurant-bar in a major US city would put those teeth on display and patrons could drink or eat nearby?

Some of you may have seen Dave Chappelle's Block Party and may remember the scene where he is in a second-hand store and holds up a figurine depicting two Black people. He says something like, "I'd be furious if I saw this in a white person's home." You don't have to go further than an antique store in the Amana Colonies to find evidence of an "old timey" nostalgia for slavery. As an example of one person's response to this, see this site. (This is also an issue addressed in Spike Lee's film Bamboozled.)

Questions:
Again, what does this tell us?

What does it mean for there to be a market for fetishized images of slavery?

How do you understand white people owning items like those pictured here: the Black "lawn jockey" and the figurines?

It's also worth keeping in mind that this phenomenon has been exported. You can find similar displays and items in Japan. The market for white supremacist representation is evident, for example, in this Japanese book about "Little Black Sambo."

Finally, Jacob and Martha forwarded me the following story about Newt Gingrich's recent statements regarding bilingual education. This may remind you of what Ward Connerly said about Amiri Baraka's poetry. You can see the article from Jacob. Martha sent a Washington Post article that included the following opening line:

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich yesterday described bilingual education as teaching "the language of living in a ghetto," and he mocked requirements that ballots be printed in multiple languages.

Question:
What does it tell us that a major US (white) political figure could say this, and what does it mean that so many people might agree with him?

Asian Pacific American Heritage Week at UI!!

2007-03-29T23:11:00.001-05:00

There's a lot going on for Asian Pacific Heritage Week!

Next Wednesday, April 4th, you can attend Our History is Still Being Written: The Story of Three Chinese Cuban Generals in The Cuban Revolution at 3:30pm. Location: the Ohio State Room (343) of the IMU.

You can learn more here.

Click on any of these images to see larger versions.

Clips for the Day

2007-03-29T06:02:00.000-05:00

Rep. Maxine Waters asks about insurance claims made after Hurricane Katrina

Damali Ayo panhandles for reparations

"Terrorist" prisoners of war performing for visitors to a prison on International Women's Day in 1992. Not long after this, the Fujimori government killed many of the people in this prison.

A response to the First World "liberation movement annihilator" (KRS One, Last Emperor, and Zack de la Rocha)

Zapatista thoughts (listen to Jacob's interview on the radio show today for more!)

You can do something!

2007-03-28T10:58:00.000-05:00

Wow, I never can predict what will resonate the most with you all. I'm glad you are thinking about the urgency and the seriousness of mass incarceration and youth incarceration. As far as alternatives go, we'll get to that when we read Andrea Smith's book. For now, I want to make sure you all get the message that you can do something. I'd even go so far as to say we all must do something. I know these problems seem really big, really overwhelming. They are really big and really overwhelming. That doesn't and shouldn't serve as a reason to do nothing. In fact, it's the big problems that need our attention the most. Now that we have the radio shows archived (thanks to Nate), you can listen to how other young people have responded to injustice by taking direct and meaningful action. (All the links are to the right.)

You can do it too. In fact, I know some of you already are making a difference through your activist and volunteer work. It might take some initiative,creativity, and experimentation, but each of you can do something, and we all can do more than what we are doing now.

You can do a lot while you are a student too. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
When I was writing my dissertation and TAing multiple sections for my university's version of Rhetoric (which was actually a 6 semester hour course), I worked (without pay) as a volunteer court-appointed special advocate (CASA) with abused youth for 20-30 hours a week. No one told me about CASA, and I didn't have a model to follow in integrating community action into my grad student life. Sometimes we just have to jump in there and make something happen. By spending a few years as a CASA, I learned more about what is wrong with the system, and I had my life changed by the kids with whom I worked. Here's a little article I wrote 7 years ago. If you click on the images, you can access bigger versions.
I know many of you are familiar with a variety of action resources. Why not start sharing info and challenging one another to step up your activist game to the next level?

Since some of you are thinking about kids a lot, you might be interested in contacting one of the following local organizations regarding volunteer opportunities. These are not the only options - just some places to start. Earlesha can tell us about the Broadway Neighborhood Center in class. I can talk about YEA! too.

Cedar Rapids CASA

Urban Dreams (check out U-CARE in Iowa City under "Programs")

Jane Boyd House in Cedar Rapids

You might also feel like you want to introduce a kind of activism to the area that isn't here right now. Go for it! Here are a few organizations that address issues we've been studying:

Critical Resistance

Books Not Bars

October 22nd Coalition

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence

"Apathy is a luxury of the privileged." I heard that somewhere – can't remember when or where. But there's something to it. When we are under attack (or make common cause with those who are), there's no time to question what we can do, because we honestly have to do something, anything.

So, go out there and do something!!

One last note:
You can also ask a former president, Jimmy Carter, questions about Palestine or service/activism. He's coming to UI, as you probably heard. Click here for info. If you are a University of Iowa student, submit your question via the Lecture Committee website or at the University Box Office at the IMU. You can submit a question anonymously or put your name in for a drawing to meet with Carter.

From Earlesha

2007-03-27T22:11:00.000-05:00

Hey Guys,

I don't know if you guys heard about the 14-year-old black teenager in Paris, Texas, Shaquanda Cotton, who was sentenced to seven years in prison for supposedly shoving a hall monitor. Meanwhile, a white teenager committed a more radical offense and received probation. This is a true injustice, and since we are discussing this in class, I thought I'd forward it to the class. Maybe we can have a discussion about this on the blog.

To my surprise, the mainstream media has brought great attention to this injustice. I first learned about this in the Chicago Tribune and a journalism classmate of mine just forwarded me more stuff that was written by the Tribune reporter who broke the story. I'd like to know what you guys think...

Earlesha

Here's the actual story and commentary by the Tribune reporter:

Commentary (I received from one of my masters journalism classmates)

LETTER FROM CYBERSPACE
Tribune reporter Howard Witt hasn't seen a reaction to a story quite
like the one he got after writing about a controversy in the small
Texas town of Paris

Published March 26, 2007, 8:57 PM CDT

Sometimes, as a newspaper reporter, you write a story that touches
enough readers that a few write you letters or e-mails in response.

Less often, but even more gratifying, you write a story that actually
changes something, like getting a bad law fixed or a corrupt
politician indicted or a donation for a kid who can't afford
life-saving surgery.

And every once in a blue moon, you write something that literally
explodes across the Internet inways no one could predict.

That has now happened with a story I wrote two weeks ago, about a
14-year-old black girl from the small Texas town of Paris, who was
sent to a youth prison for up to 7 years for shoving a hall monitor at
her high school. A 14-year-old white girl, convicted of arson for
burning down her family's house, was sentenced by the same Paris judge
to probation.

If you had Googled the black girl's name, Shaquanda Cotton, the day
before the story was published on the front page of the March 12
edition of the Tribune, you would have gotten zero results. On Monday
afternoon, there were more than 35,000 hits.

The story has been picked up on more than 300 blogs around the
country, many of them concerned with African-American affairs. It has
generated thousands of postings to Internet message boards.

It was the top story on digg.com, a site that ranks Internet pages by
user popularity and recommendations. It became the most-viewed and
most-e-mailed story on chicagotribune.com more than a week after it
was originally published, which is particularly remarkable because
most news stories on the site automatically expire after just a few
days.

And now the story has jumped across the ethernet into the physical
world: Dozens of talk-radio stations across the nation were buzzing
about Shaquanda last week, protests on her behalf were held in Paris,
a petition- and letter-drive aimed at Texas Gov. Rick Perry and the
judge in the case, Chuck Superville, is under way, and civil rights
leaders from the NAACP and the ACLU to the Rev. Al Sharpton are
weighing whether to get involved.

I've written thousands of stories for the Tribune over the last 25
years, from around the nation and across the world, and I've never
seen a reaction like this before.

What's driving the attention to this story is outrage?most people who
come across it say they are upset at what they believe was an
excessive sentence imposed on a teenager for a moment of reckless
behavior. Many perceive racial discrimination, because, as the story
explained, Shaquanda's case occurred against a backdrop of other
discrimination complaints in the town.

"This sentence is unexplainable. Where is the justice in this?" wrote
one man in a posting typical of many others. "I cannot imagine my
daughter in this situation. I will pass this on to everyone I know."

There's been some outrage in the other direction, as well: A number of
residents of Paris have contended, in e-mails and articles in the
local Paris newspaper, that the Tribune story unfairly portrayed their
town as racist.

"Paris is being burned at the media stake by a journalist that didn't
get the whole story poking the hot irons and igniting the fire," wrote
Phillip Hamilton, a columnist for the Paris News. "...Does racism
exist in Paris? Yes, but not nearly to the extent the Tribune reporter
would have readers believe."

Now it appears all of this ferment might affect Shaquanda's case. Hers
will be among the first cases to be examined by a special commission
being established this week to review the sentence of every youth
being held inside Texas' youth prisons, because of concerns that many
inmates might have had their sentences arbitrarily extended by prison
officials.

The review panel was sparked by a wide-ranging scandal currently
plaguing the state's juvenile prison system in which numerous prison
guards and officials are accused of coercing imprisoned youths for sex.

While that scandal does not directly involve Shaquanda, the high
public profile of her case has caused the special master overseeing
the investigation of the juvenile system to say he wants to review her
case in particular.

Shaquanda also has an appeal pending with Texas' 6th Court of Appeals
in Texarkana, which has heard arguments on her case and could rule at
any time.

But what's particularly interesting to me, beyond the content of all
the reactions, has been the vehemence, and what it may tell us about
the powerful new Internet communications tools we all now have at our
fingertips but don't yet fully comprehend.

I had no idea, for example, of the extent of the African-American
blogging world out there and its collective powers of dissemination.

But now, after reading thousands of anguished, thoughtful comments
posted on these blogs reflecting on issues of persistent racial
discrimination in the nation's schools and courtrooms, what's clear to
me is that there's a new, "virtual" civil rights movement out there on
the Internet that can reach more people in a few hours than all the
protest marches, sit-ins and boycotts of the 1950s and 60s put together.

There's another lesson to be drawn from this episode: Newspapers do
still matter.

Many Americans are very skeptical about the health of the newspaper
business these days. Readership is declining as long-time newspaper
subscribers die off and younger consumers decline to take a paper in
their place. Advertising revenue is bleeding away onto the Internet.

Everybody seems to think they can just flip on their TV or bring up a
Yahoo! page or a blog and find all the news they need.

Well, it is quite true that uncountable hundreds of thousands of
people who had never heard of the Chicago Tribune before have now read
my story about Shaquanda Cotton, thanks to its broad distribution
across the Internet.

But in order for all of that to happen, people had to read it here first.

Howard Witt is the Tribune's Southwest Bureau Chief, based in Houston.
hwitt@tribune.com

Juvies

2007-03-23T00:24:00.000-05:00

So, we only got to talk about the film a bit. No matter how many times I watch it, I still cry. And even though certain aspects of how the story is presented might frustrate me, the voices of the youth and the reality of their experience are impossible for me to shake. I could tell many of you were also deeply affected by the film.

I mentioned some updates regarding Duc Ta's case. You can learn more at Justice for Duc. You'll notice that many of the (mostly white) folks who got this film made are artists, like John Densmore (of The Doors), who was the executive producer.

Here's the website for the film: juvies.net.

If you want to watch or listen to an interview Tavis Smiley did with the director (Leslie Neale) and Mark Wahlberg, you can do so by clicking here and selecting the March 15, 2004 program files.

Here's the website for the film: juvies.net. On that site, you can find a few updates and the following poem by Jeffrey, one of the youth in the film. We talked a little today about the frustration involved in communicating with people outside. Some of you with close loved ones in prison hadn't felt frustration directed at you. What do you think might be different for Jeffrey? Does it remind you of anything from Forced Passages?

"Prison Life"

It's waiting on letters when you're doing time and your family won't write

or send you a dime.

It's waiting on visits that never take place from friends or loved ones

who forgot your face.

It's making plans with someone who you thought you knew, but

their plans suddenly change and it didn't include you.

It's hearing them say how much they care, but in your time of need,

they are never there.

It's hearing them promise and it goes straight to your head, but

when push comes to shove, they leave you for dead.

It's feelings and love, honor and pride, pain and emotions and

hurting inside.

It's expressing yourself to your loved ones and friends, but they

can't feel your pain because you're in the pen.

It's calling and hearing blocks on the phone, but you maintain

because life goes on.

It's really messed up when you're doing time, but that's "prison

life," out of sight out of mind!!!

Asian and Asian American Film Festival at UI!

2007-03-23T00:13:00.000-05:00

Check out the upcoming Asian/Asian American film festival hosted by WAVES. The films will be screened next weekend (March 30th-April 1st), and they are all FREE and open to the public! Good times!

Check out their website by clicking here.

I will also award extra credit to anyone who attends and writes a short (1-2 page) response paper.

Upside Down

2007-03-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

As you read Upside Down, you'll notice that Eduardo Galeano addresses just about every issue we've studied so far. He also reminds us of MLK's comment (shortly before he was killed) that the US was the "world's greatest purveyor of violence." That doesn't make the list of appropriately "Santa Clausified" quotations, does it? Speaking about his experiences in "the ghettoes of the North" in 1967, MLK said:

"As I have walked among the desperate, rejected, and angry young men, I have told them that Molotov cocktails and rifles would not solve their problems. I have tried to offer them my deepest compassion while maintaining my conviction that social change comes most meaningfully through nonviolent action. But they ask – and rightly so – what about Vietnam? They ask if our own nation wasn't using massive doses of violence to solve its problems, to bring about the changes it wanted. Their questions hit home, and I knew that I could never again raise my voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today – my own government."

Please take a moment to think about that last part. And who were those "angry young men"? (Huey and Bobby started the Panthers in late 1966.) You can read the whole speech here.

Galeano mentions many other famous and not-so-famous figures in the "lessons" he lays out in the primer you are reading. When you get to page 121, keep in mind this book was written in 1998.

I'd like us to start off by trying to visualize the "upside down" world Galeano describes, so I decided to share with you some examples of collage pieces by Philadelphia-based artist Theodore A. Harris. He has collaborated with Amiri Baraka, which I'll tell you about in a week or so. For now, I'd like you to comment on the images below. How does Harris make an argument visually? What story does each image tell? What's up (or down) with the Capitol? How would you apply ideas from the Galeano reading to these powerful collage pieces?

Vetoed Dreams (1995)

Under Occupation (1995)

Collaged Eulogy for James Byrd Jr. (1998)
(Note: In case you don't remember, James Byrd Jr. was brutally beaten by 3 white supremacists and then chained to the back of their truck and dragged to his death in 1998 in Texas. Look it up; it's a horrifying story, but we should all know it. Byrd's arms and head were severed from his body. At the time, then-Governor George W. Bush opposed hate crime legislation. The James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act eventually passed after Bush left Texas to assume the presidency.)

A Target in the Theater of the Backward (1999)

What is fascism?

2007-03-08T21:39:00.000-06:00

So, we know George Jackson said it could be summed up as "reform." But why do you think he was able to sum it up that way? What about the word "fascism" lends itself to what we have discussed "reform" means (as a bad, bad word)? I gave you an assignment to look up 3 different definitions of "fascism" and then decide why you think George Jackson thought "reform" offers the most accessible definition? You can submit your answers here.

Also, our high school visitors said the class was "fun." Thanks for welcoming them. In the car ride home, they recapped the whole day, describing their answers to the activities (with Amanda and Vernon) and what they thought of the topics we discussed. You provided them with a really neat opportunity to see college students engaged in discussing topics that are very close to them.

For all that you do, including what you did today, you all have my love.
That doesn't mean those of you who didn't get to your presentations are off the hook, by the way.

(Click on the image above to see a big, beating heart!)

Angela Davis speaks on recent events!

2007-03-07T21:50:00.000-06:00

There's no video, but you can listen to the speech excerpt here:
You can also access the video by clicking here and then selecting the stream. (The transcript is there too.)

Support your library and get a free dinner!

2007-03-07T18:06:00.000-06:00

Does that sound too good to be true? Well, it's not if you are an undergrad. I just received the following message.

Adrienne,

Last semester you may remember completing a survey about the UI Libraries. We received lots of great data from this project, but we want some more focused information from our largest library user group: undergraduate students.

We have organized a series of focus group discussions for undergraduates in the Main Library during the two weeks after Spring Break:

Wednesday, March 21, Tuesday, March 27 or Thursday, March 29 from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 or Tuesday, March 27 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

I am contacting you, because Chiaki Sakai at the library suggested that you regularly work with undergraduates (teaching, advising, etc.). Can you make an announcement in your undergraduate classes about these sessions?

Students can sign-up online for the session that best matches their schedule at www.lib.uiowa.edu/events/students. Besides helping the UI Libraries make changes and improvements, student participants also get dinner (pizza) on us.

Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you for your support of the Libraries.

Kristi Bontrager
Coordinator, Public Relations
University of Iowa Libraries

OPEN POST: Tavis Smiley's interview with Cornel West

2007-03-07T02:26:00.000-06:00

Earlesha sent me this link to Tavis Smiley's recent interview with Professor Cornel West of Princeton University. Please take a listen! Earlesha suggested having an open discussion about the interview, especially the "santa clausification" of MLK, which Earlesha suggests can be applied to many other Black activist leaders. I think this is a great idea, so I'm post-dating this post so it stays at the top of the page for a while. What do you all think of what Dr. West has to say?

A note from the author of Forced Passages (who gave me permission to post it)

2007-03-07T01:11:00.000-06:00

Adrienne, how's the reading of my book going? I know there's some hesitation, resistance, overwhelmedness going on because it's being perceived as a difficult book. Well, be sure you pass along to the students that they have no excuse whatsoever to not read and comprehend this project in its entirety. If a number of imprisoned people, who are almost entirely self-educated (many of whom did not go to or past high school), will engage my project WITHOUT A SINGLE WORD OF RESISTANCE TO ITS FORM, CONTENT, OR VERNACULAR, then college students should (at least!) do the same. Let me know what happens!
d

Bobby Seale: animated in Chicago 10

2007-03-06T22:28:00.000-06:00

Have any of you seen this?

Congratulations, Senator Jackson!!

2007-03-06T21:21:00.000-06:00

In case you didn't hear, Vernon won!

Roger White interview this Thursday on "The Insurgency Hour"

2007-03-06T19:40:00.000-06:00

On this Thursday's radio show, Dylan, Amanda, Nate, and maybe Martha will interview Roger White, a criminal justice researcher and activist. Roger grew up in Baltimore and eventually made his way to Oakland, California (the birthplace of the Panthers), where he has been working as a criminal justice researcher at the Data Center for about 6 years. Prior to joining the Data Center research team, Roger was a campus organizer in college, a union organizer, and an organizer in poor communities for ACORN. In addition to his current activist “day job” at the Data Center, Roger is very active in the broad APOC (Anarchist People of Color) movement. He also is the author of Postcolonial Anarchism. Roger will discuss the US prison regime, policing, and how anarchists of color in North America are working against white supremacy and all forms of social domination.