Three Dead Anarchists of Philadelphia, and Why I stalk Them: a talk about the place of local history in today’s struggle

  • January 28, 2016 11:03 am

from facebook

For over 25 years, Robert Helms has researched anarchism’s “golden age” in Philadelphia. Working as an independent scholar, Helms has uncovered nearly all of what is known about two leading women anarchists who were active between 1889 and 1917, Natasha Notkin and Mary Hansen, and many important facts and texts by the well-known anarchist public intellectual Voltairine de Cleyre. Helms’ talk will describe the major events and activities of the anarchist milieu in Philadelphia during this period. Focusing on the lifetime commitments and sacrifices made for the cause by these three women, and how their personalities and the circumstances of their lives informed their radicalism, Helms will address the question of why local historical research is critical to our struggles to create a just and happy world.

He will discuss his methodology for conducting research, as well as the intense thrill a researcher has when they are the only person on earth who knows an amazing, true story of long-dead anarchists. We hope this event will spark discussion about how people can conduct this kind of research in their own communities, the best ways to share the histories and generate future workshops on research in the New York area.

[February 4th at Interference Archive 131 8th St, Brooklyn, NY]

From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation

  • January 21, 2016 3:24 pm

from facebook

For most of US history, the police have used violence against African Americans with impunity—but after the murder of unarmed teenager Mike Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, mass protests erupted to challenge that impunity. In the process, a new generation of Black activists has come to question the old methods of struggle, puncture the Obama-era illusion of a “postracial” United States, and declare without apology that #BlackLivesMatter.

In this stirring and insightful analysis, activist and scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor surveys the history and current realities of US racism. Taylor examines how institutional racism has created and shaped the structural problems that affect Black people, such as mass incarceration and unemployment, even as more Black people hold political office than ever before. She paints a vivid picture of the context for this new struggle against police violence—and shows the potential of the Black Lives Matter movement to reignite and broaden the struggle for liberation.

[January 28 at 7pm at Friends Center 1501 Cherry St]

Reclaiming Our Future: The Black Radical Tradition In Our Time

  • January 1, 2016 9:03 pm

from facebook

On January 8th -10th, the Black Radical Organizing Collective (BROC) including grassroots activists, organizers, educators, scholars, and faith leaders will convene a conference on the Black radical tradition. The title of the conference is “Reclaiming our Future: the Black Radical Tradition In Our Time.” The conference will take place in North Central Philadelphia on the main campus of Temple University.

The mission of the conference is twofold. First, we wish to celebrate and illuminate the history of the Black radical tradition. Second, we wish to highlight the vital importance of today’s Black radical movements as we look to the future. The Black radical tradition represents a wealth of theoretical and practical wisdom. It is this rich heritage, combined with a forward-looking perspective that we wish to display at Temple University. Like critical perspectives throughout US academia, the Black radical tradition suffers at Temple. Radical approaches, traditions, and voices at America’s “imperial” universities face an onslaught of neoliberal policies which weaken students, faculty, and surrounding communities. In response to these circumstances, we seek to promote onsite critical analysis and collaborative solidarity among activists of today’s Black radical movements and those of previous generations.

Volume 2 Issue 5

  • December 18, 2015 3:25 am

from Anathema

Volume 2 Issue 5 (PDF for printing 11×17)

Volume 2 Issue 5 (PDF for reading 8.5×11)

In this issue:

  • What’s the Point of the Black Bloc? Reflections on “Don’t Let Paris Be A Pretext”
  • Anarchy In A Time of Civil War
  • A Reportback from Leif Erikson Day 2015
  • Recent Actions in Philly
  • Local and International Writings on Black December
  • Timeline of Action Against Gentrification

The Age of Extremes- Climate Change, Terrorism, and Capitalism: A Talk and Discussion with Journalist Arun Gupta

  • December 4, 2015 6:37 pm

from facebook

Award-winning journalist Arun Gupta, in conversation with Sally Eberhardt, will discuss the state of America on the eve of the 2016 election. In recent years Gupta has gone undercover to police conventions, investigated the migrant crisis in Tijuana, stood on the frontlines of “Blockadia,” uncovered an FBI terrorist-entrapment plot, examined profiteering in the prison industry, traveled through the marijuana industry in California, infiltrated the Tea Party, covered Occupy Wall Street, and told the stories of Iraqi refugees, low-wage workers, and Black Lives Matter activists.

With more hot air than action coming out of the U.N. summit on climate change in Paris, Gupta will explain how terrorism, capitalism, and climate change are interconnected, and why there needs to be credible alternatives to capitalism or most Americans will continue to fall for demagogues like Donald Trump or pro-Wall Street, pro-war Democrats like Hillary Clinton.

Arun Gupta contributes to outlets including the Washington Post, The Nation, In These Times, The Guardian, The Progressive, YES! Magazine, Telesur, ZNet, Counterpunch, and Al-Jazeera America.

This event is free. The space is wheelchair accessible though the bathroom is not.

[December 11 at 7pm at Wooden Shoe Books 704 South St]

Some History of Cedar Park Neighbors and the Barn

  • November 20, 2015 12:03 pm

Submission

Recently the Barn on Baltimore – a newer bar in Cedar Park – and some signs put up by the Cedar Park Neighbors (CPN) group were both vandalized. The Barn had “FIRST WORLD LOUNGE” spray painted across the facade. The signs – which stated “Cedar Park Neighbors Welcomes You” – had paint splattered on them. The Barn and CPN have been criticized for furthering gentrification in Cedar Park.
The building that houses the Barn used to be the home of a bar and club called the New Third World Lounge; Cedar Park Neighbors played an active role in having the place shut down, paving the way for the Barn. CPN spread racist rumors online that portrayed the mostly black clientele of the New Third World Lounge as dirty, drug ridden and criminal. They actively encouraged people in the neighborhood to file complaints against the bar for minor ordinance violations. CPN would follow up by publishing the contact information of the Licensing and Inspection officials in charge of handling the complaints to pressure the city to fine the building owners. As the building owners received more and more negative attention they eventually succumbed and kicked out management of Third World Lounge and eventually invited the current occupiers to create the Barn in its place.
The Barn, though well received by CPN, was heavily criticized by many residents for replacing a nexus of black social activity with a venue that mostly catered to young white transplants. Initially the Barn made attempts to cater to the neighborhood in the same way that the New Third World Lounge but these soon fell to the wayside. Indeed, the Barn has entrenched itself as a watering hole for the creative class.
With these kinds of histories it’s no surprise people are opposing the Barn and Cedar Park Neighbors.

Why Not Nonviolence?

  • November 12, 2015 12:53 pm

from facebook

This workshop is the first in a monthly series, *Anarchist Interventions*, that discusses and responds to current tendencies in the anti-authoritarian scene in Philly and beyond.

This workshop will look at anti-authoritarian views of nonviolent tactics and the current climate of social justice organizing and activism, examining the available terrain of tactics and strategies. Presentations and discussion will focus on why a critique of nonviolence is important in a decentralized and horizontal milieu, how official activism and organizations contribute to reproducing the socioeconomic order, and the relation pacifism and non-violence has to race, gender and identity in general. We hope to pose and discuss a few central questions: Can we return to the debate over the diversity of tactics? What styles of informal coordination and action are available, as opposed to activist organizations, and how do these work? How do we lend support to or create solidarity with those at risk of police repression? How do we organize with a heterogeneous composition of crowds? How can we adapt to shifting circumstances, such as the militarization of the police, and respond as anti-authoritarians?

[7:30pm November 19 at A-Space 4722 Baltimore Ave]

No Platform for Neo-Nazis Pamphlet

  • October 8, 2015 1:20 am

received via email

“Here’s a pamphlet made for the upcoming demonstration. Please share it.”

Daryle Lamont Jenkins on the far right in the U.S. and an update on the Menard hunger strike

  • September 28, 2015 10:04 pm

from The Final Straw

 

Airs on WSFM-LP 103.3 in Asheville / streaming at AshevilleFM from 3am EST on September 28th, 2015 through October 3rd , then podcasting at archive.org. Also airing this week on KOWA-LPFM in Olympia, WA, KWTF in Bodega Bay, CA, KXCF in Marshall, CA, and WCRS-LP Columbus Community Radio 98.3 and 102.1 FM. The show will later be archived at TheFinalStrawRadio.NoBlogs.Org. You can email us at thefinalstrawradio@riseup.net and you can send us mail at:

The Final Straw
c/o AshevilleFM
864 Haywood rd
Asheville, NC 28806

——————————————————————————————————

This week we’re speaking with Daryle Lamont Jenkins of One People’s Project based in Philadelphia, PA. Mr Jenkins is a writer, activist, and committed anti fascist. This hour we’ll speak about the state of fascism in the US and how to approach dealing with fascists and racists in your community. We talk about the One People’s Project, its history, and its goals. Keep an eye out for their new website at http://idavox.com/ to be up next month.
You can see our previous interview with Mr. Jenkins at The Final Straw’s website

To write to the One People’s Project, address letters to:

One People’s Project
PO BOX 42817
Philadelphia, PA 19101

For more about Ida B. Wells you can visit the wikipedia article about her

For information about the TORCH Antifa Conference in November 2015 you can visit their website

And for more about the 0161 Festival in England, you can visit their facebook link

Anathema Volume 2 Issue 4

  • September 21, 2015 6:22 pm

from Anathema

Volume 2 Issue 4

In this issue:

  • Considerations on Baltimore Solidarity
  • Labor Each Day to Keep Freedom at Bay
  • No Cop Zone Reportback
  • Fracking Conference Sponsors
  • A Reportback from Montreal
  • Lief Erikson Day
  • Re-prints of Recent Local Texts
  • Local Actions

We Will Be Everywhere You Are, Commissioner Ramsey!

  • September 21, 2015 6:20 pm

from FTW/WTF

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey has complained that “…there’s no opportunity for dialogue” after members of the Philly Coalition for Real Justice (PCxRJ) and Trayvon Martin Organizing Committee/Action Against Black Genocide (TMOC/AABG) disrupted a meeting he was speaking at last week.

He’s absolutely right: our tactics are designed to force him to do something he doesn’t want to do; they’re intended as a demonstration of power, an act of war against an enemy, not a gesture of civility in a barbarous system.

From Anarchy to Animism, a night with Ben Morea former member of Black Mask and Up Against the Wall Mother Fucker

  • September 15, 2015 10:58 am

from facebook

“Having spent the 60’s as a voice for Revolution, political, cultural, artistic change I felt a need for a spiritual (not religious) dimension as well. And so Revolutionary Animism. The material domination of life is at best vacuous and must be addressed.” – Ben Morea

Ben Morea, a former major activist and revolutionary artist in the 60’s will speak on his journey from approaching activism from a place or anarchy to now coming from values of animism. He is well known historically from the 60’s for his involvement in Black Mask, Up against the wall Mother fucker, and his art. He left society for many years, spending time deep in nature, only to reemerge to speak all over the world around the ties between environmentalism and animism. This will be a special night at ahimsa as we enjoy the warm hearted and wise nature of Ben Morea as he speaks on his many years of standing up for and loving mother nature and her inhabitants.

[September 22 at 7:30pm at 5007 Cedar Ave]

To Change Everything: Anarchism and the New Social Movements

  • September 5, 2015 10:09 am

from facebook

An International Panel Discussion

This panel brings together organizers from Latin America, Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and North America to discuss the significance of anarchist ideas and tactics in the 21st century.

The participants will compare experiences from the wave of protests and uprisings that has swept the world since 2010—exploring the role of demand-based politics in both catalyzing and limiting movements, examining a variety of forms of repression, and critically evaluating experiments with direct democracy. They will conclude by assessing the prospects of contemporary struggles for self-determination in an era of globalized capitalism and state control.

All of the presenters are contributors to a recent outreach and dialogue project, To Change Everything, which appeared earlier this year in over twenty languages: http://tochangeeverything.com/

[September 12 at 7pm at Wooden Shoe Books 704 South St]

Anathema Volume 2 Issue 3

  • August 23, 2015 11:36 am

from Anathema

Volume 2 Issue 3

This month’s issue is tailored to celebrate the one year anniversary of the revolts in Ferguson, MO. In this issue you’ll find:

  • Accidents and Civilization
  • Local history of black struggle and Russel Maroon Shoatz
  • Reprints of Philly Fights Alongside Ferguson and Open Letter to Masked Comrades
  • Reports on unclaimed actions and bank robberies
  • Posters, fliers, and pictures

Crashing the Party: Revisiting the RNC 2000 with activist and author Kris Hermes

  • August 13, 2015 5:16 pm

from facebook

This August marks the 15-year anniversary of direct action against the prison-industrial complex and arrest of hundreds of activists during the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia. In response, dissidents confronted new forms of political repression by pushing legal boundaries and establishing new models of collective resistance.

Join activist and author Kris Hermes for a discussion on his new book, Crashing the Party: Legacies and Lessons from the RNC 2000, an engrossing combination of social history and courtroom drama that explains the origins of contemporary protest policing and the creative political resistance used to overcome it. Hermes will discuss his experiences on the ground in Philadelphia and how they relate to the movement today. Books will be available for purchase and signing following the discussion!
[August 20 at 7pm at Wooden Shoe Books 704 South St]