SCHEDULE
12:30-Set Up/Organizing
2:00PM- Introduction
3:00pm-4:15pm - Workshop Sessions 1
A) Struggle for Bilingual Education
B) Women in the Struggle
C) Hip Hop and Media as a Tool for Revolution
4:30pm-5:50pm - Workshop Sessions 2
A) Know your rights
B) Hip Hop and Media as a Tool for Revolution
C) Why We Fight? Rise of the original Man
6-7:30pm - Announcements/Food/Networking/Survey
7:45pm-9:45pm - Performers/Edutainment
9:45pm-10:00pm - Clean up
WORKSHOPS
SESSION 1
A) Struggle for Bilingual Education
Lissette Castillo, a Spanish for Native Speakers teacher at Fenway High School, discusses the Struggle for inclusion of bilingual education in our school system.
B) Women in the Struggle
This workshop will provide a space to define and discuss the system of male supremacy/patriarchy and its affect specifically on women of color. The workshop will also give participants a chance to learn about little known women leaders in liberation movements.
C) Hip Hop and Media as a Tool for Revolution
Hip-Hop is one of the most influential cultural forces in today's media, yet often it promotes negative stereotypes and lifestyles within our communities. Find out how Hip-Hop can and is being utilized to promote a message of social upliftment and revolution and how other media tools can be used for grassroots organizing around social justice issues.
SESSION 2
A) Know Your Rights
Lalit Clarkson from the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement presents Knowing Your Rights in a Police Encounter, strategies and suggestions for how to deal with the police and know how to protect yourself and your rights. The Malcolm X Grassroots Movement is an organization of Afrikans in America/New Afrikans whose mission is to defend the human rights of our people and promote self-determination in our community.
B) Hip Hop and Media as a Tool for Revolution
Hip-Hop is one of the most influential cultural forces in today's media, yet often it promotes negative stereotypes and lifestyles within our communities. Find out how Hip-Hop can and is being utilized to promote a message of social upliftment and revolution and how other media tools can be used for grassroots organizing around social justice issues.
C) Why We Fight? Rise of the Original Man
Many young people in poor neighborhoods are descendants of some of the greatest nations in history yet few walk with the noble yet humble understanding of the ancient wisdom that should guide our daily walk through life. What made us resilient enough to survive oppression, colonization, and slavery, in addition to natural disaster and death, without loosing our sense of humanity? Could it be that, like other ethnocultural groups around the globe, we need to utilize those ancient tools as protective factors against today's hazards? Perhaps they will even help us thrive... Rise of the Original Human.
PERFORMERS & EDUTAINMENT
Hosted by: Andre Sparrow
Andre Sparrow is a 26 year old Boston native and has been performing spoken word and poetry around the city for past 4 years. He also teaches poetry and spoken word workshops and seeks to show how art can be used to promote a positive message.
Also Featuring: Natural Bliss
She goes by Natural Bliss, a name coined out of the notion that she needed no foreign stimuli to attain a mental state of utopia on earth. Upon vibing with the 57 passionate lyricist it is clearly evident that the name is suiting. She is as passionate about Hip-Hop, its past, present and future as she is about the plight of Black people across the globe, which already differentiates her from a slew of women in Hip-Hop. Natural Bliss is the preeminent female emcee in her hometown of Boston. Representing herself and others like her since 1993 she has taken the underground style from the male dominated ciphers and introduced it to female emcees, proving that it is not testosterone that makes one ill, but that ones skill is all in the mind.
The Foundation Movement
On February 27, 2003, the City of Boston declared the day “Foundation Day” The City of Boston not only honored the group for their musical talent, but also recognized Foundation Movement for their commitment to the community and for making positive changes in a city with a history of violence, racism, segregation, and political corruption.
Catch Wreck
Boston and Voices of Liberation's own up and coming conscious MC, Catch Wreck was born and raised in Roxbury and his music comes from the reality faced by its listeners and sheds light on what it means to not simply be a youth of color in the world today but also to be a voice of dissent in an industry of artists willing to place marketability before self-respect and integrity.
Deema Faisal
VOL's own Deema Faisal is a Spoken Word artist and Poet, who has performed at numerous local events and cyphers. Known for her pieces addressing the struggles in her homeland of Palestine, Deema uses her words to present powerful messages of liberation and justice.
Tatiana Barksdale
Tatiana is a powerful young poet and organizer representing Voices of Liberation. Currently a student at Fenway High School, Tatiana has performed throughout the city, utilizing spoken word to address injustice in all forms.
Urban Nerdz (The UN)
The Urban Nerdz are a collective group of three young talented males from different environments that come together and comprise future virtuosos in the game. The distinctive originality that The U.N portrays is what helps separate them and stand astray from the normal and usual group in music.
