Today, Saturday May 18th, and tomorrow, Sunday May 19th, from 10am-6pm, at 101 East Broad Street, Richmond VA, there will be a Black Book Exposition, presented by the Richmond-based Elegba Folklore Society and the UBUSCS (United Brothers and United Sisters Communications Systems). The expo will highlight black literature, authors, and publishing companies.
This is a two day event. Live jazz and refreshments will be provided.
For more information and to RSVP, see the title link.
Today, Friday May 17th, at 6:30pm, at the Diamond (3001 N Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23230), activists opposed to the proposed stadium in Shockoe Bottom will support local team the Flying Squirrels, and let them know that they wish the team to remain in their current location on Boulevard.
This event will not be disruptive. If you wish to participate, RSVP through the above link and speak to one of the administrators of the event.
On May 15, 1948, 65 years ago Jewish Zionist militias launched a massive attack on the indigenous inhabitants of Palestine to ethnically cleanse them from their land in order to establish Israel as their Jewish state. This lead more than 750,000 Palestinians to flee their homes and become displaces as refugees in the neighboring countries. Most of the families that fled did not even have time to pack their belonging or anything in fear of being massacred by the vicious Jewish militias who went through villages massacring its inhabitants who refused to leave, most of whom were poor villagers and unarmed farmers.
“We must do everything to insure they never return. The old will die and the young will forget” David Ben-Gurion – First Prime Minister of Israel, 1949.
We won’t forget. We won’t forgive. And one day, soon, we will return!
Yesterday was the 65th anniversary of this event, called al-Nakba, or literally, “the disaster”.
(via cunthulhu)
A massive thank you to all of our business sponsors, donors, and supporters! Because of their generosity and encouragement we were almost able to match the ridiculous amount we raised last year, ensuring that the RRFP can continue with our monthly budget of funding $2,000 to folks in need across Virginia. RRFP’s funding capabilities have increased almost tenfold in the last 3 years because of the success of our Bowl-a-thons, and there are many people to thank for that this year.Thank you to each and every donor who supported a friend, co-worker, or family member. The vast majority of the $42,429 we raised came in donations of $25 and under.Thank you to everyone who came out to events and gave $5 at the door, dropped a twenty in the donation jar, or bought a shirt or patch. Thank you to all the teams that worked so hard organizing all of these fantastic events. From house shows to fancy dinners, from belly dancing to karaoke. Dance parties, drag balls, sidewalk sales, art swaps, photo booths, sober rides, and speakeasies- Of all the fund’s Bowl-a-thons across the country, no one does events like Virginia! Thank you for making Bowl-a-thon season, as always, so insanely fun!Thanks to all the businesses and collectives that sponsored us by donating gift certificates and lending their spaces, equipment, and resources:HALCYON VINTAGE//13AINBRIDGE//RE CYCLES//STRANGE MATTER//STUDIO TWO THREE//BUNNY HOP BIKE SHOP//AUTUMNATOPOEIA DESIGNS//IPANEMA//RAG & BONESBICYCLE COOPERATIVE//MARS BAR RVA//COMMERCIAL TAPHOUSE//SELBA//ESCAFE// THE ARTFUL DODGER//NEW YORK DELI//RUMORS//LAMPLIGHTER//PINE ST. BARBER SHOP// NILE ETHIOPIAN//VMFA//VIRGINIA SCIENCE MUSEUM//RICHMOND FLYING SQUIRRELS//RIVER CITY ROLLERGIRLS//HELEN’S//BSIDES//REAR GALLERY//DEEP GROOVE//CHARLES BERGER AT HEROES AND GHOSTS TATTOOS//DOGTOWN DANCE THEATRE//ASHTANGA YOGA// BABE’S//BLUE NILE//HARRISON ST. and of course HOLIDAY BOWL for once again letting us take over the whole alley!Thank you to Walker Allen, our awesome Bowl-a-thon photographer. Check out his photo booth pics, and feel free to download whichever ones you like. http://smu.gs/10mtlBaThanks to Mike Albrecht for spinning most excellent tunes for us to bowl and dance to!Thanks to Ramey and Charlie for cross stitching some truly wonderful prize ribbons. And speaking of prizes…Thanks to ALL of our bowlers,of course, but these folks really went above and beyond what we asked of them.TOP INDIVIDUAL FUNDRAISERS!!!ALLISON L.KIM R.SAFIYA B.MOLLY V.JESSICA J.LEE S.NATHANIEL B.JACKIE S.RAMEY C.SETH C.TOP FUNDRAISING TEAMS!!!TEAM GSEXXXYKATE BUSHCHURCH HILL HOBGOBLINSPICKLE SURPRISE!TEAM TOTALLY AWESOMECHARLOTTESVILLE VEGAN STRAIGHTEDGE BOWLING SQUADTHE PIN & TONICSVALLEY VAMPSTHE QUEEN BEESWINTER IS COMING16 of our 28 teams raised over $1,000. Holy smokes!Thanks to the entire RRFP collective and the volunteers that picked up the slack during such a hectic few months, and supported us Bowl-a-thon coordinators in any way they could.Extra special thanks to Lindsey O-Pries, a founding member of the RRFP, who five years ago tested out this Bowl-a-thon thing, setting off a nation wide chain reaction. This year 29 funds across the country raised over HALF A MILLION DOLLARS for abortion access. So thanks Lindsey, i’m just going to say it, on behalf of everyone.Thank you to everyone else that gave us encouragement, advice and support, and to the National Network of Abortion Funds for their tech support and helpful tips.If you’d like to contact the RRFP, you can through our website rrfp.net or message us on facebook or the Bowl-a-thon blog. And of course we are ALWAYS seeking more donations. If you’d like to become a monthly sustainer you can donate on our website or send check or money order toRRFPP.O. Box 7389Richhmond, VA23221and keep checking our blog and facebook for upcoming events!Thank you all for doing so much for reproductive access in Virginia!
Massive respect to all who participated, and to the folks who run the Richmond Reproductive Freedom Project.
Next year, Active-RVA will be participating in the Bowl-a-thon with our own team.
This man is Chris Dorsey. For at least several years, he has frequently shown up to progressive organizing efforts in Richmond and disrupted them, usually by demanding a leadership position, attempting to exercise some kind of authority over the proceedings, or demanding that libertarian rhetoric be inserted into the effort.
He has become violent on more than one occasion. He has solicited funds for an organization without permission, then, presumably, kept them. He has lied to out of town groups regarding the safety (arrest wise) of camping in certain public parks, in an effort to have them arrested for his own agenda. He created a duplicate Facebook page in order to pass himself off as an organization which wouldn’t give him a leadership position. Because he believes that he can issue orders to the Richmond Police Department, he frequently calls them, sometimes claiming organization affiliations which he doesn’t really have, generating police scrutiny toward the group.
He is often accompanied by a white terrier with a skin disease, likely mange. He has been claiming for several years to be running for sheriff. He frequently carries a handgun.
Thursday, May 16th, at 7pm, at Random Row Books (315 West Main Street, Charlottesville VA) in Charlottesville, there will be a discussion on whether, and how, to close Guantánamo Bay, where individuals declared dangerous to United States security are kept and tortured indefinitely without trial.
Luke Hansen, a reporter for a Catholic magazine, has covered the military trials of those prisoners who have been allowed trials, and has spoken in some capacity to detainees.
RSVP through the title link.
Demand the equal enforcement of new hospital regulations in Virginia. This public comment period ends on May 26th.
TRAP rules- Targeted Regulations of Abortion Providers, passed without grandfathering amendments last month- can’t be enforced exclusively on clinics which provide abortions, unless Virginia is able to prove that abortion care carries special risks that can only be mitigated by state-mandated outdoor awnings and compulsory linen closets.
If they want to run women’s health clinics out of business with spurious regulations, they’ll have to risk losing dentist, orthodontist, and cosmetic surgery clinics, too.
On Saturday June 1st, from 10am-3pm, Virginia Organizing will be holding a Restoration of Rights clinic in Richmond. Richael Faithful of the Advancement Project will be coming down from Washington DC to hold a training seminar for volunteers interested in helping people file the relevant paperwork to restore their right to vote.
If you are interested in volunteering, contact Zachary Hanson at hansonzl@vcu.edu.
More details regarding where to go to have your voting rights restored as more information becomes available.
Tomorrow, Wednesday the 15th, at 10am, outside of the John Marshall Court Building (400 North 9th Street, Richmond, VA), there will be a press conference regarding the Cradle to Prison Pipeline. The “Cradle to Prison Pipeline” refers to the mechanisms by which certain populations, especially black Americans, are consistently targeted by the criminal justice system, leading to imprisonment rates that exceed those of other racial demographics. The individuals holding this press conference have been examining cases, like the Ashley Williams trial, which appear to be conducted with significant bias on the part of the state.
The purpose of this conference is to announce a formal complaint against the criminal justice system, and to demand an investigation of the courts and the Commonwealth Attorney’s office. A 350 page report will be delivered to Judge Cavedo, detailing racial injustice in the courts systems here in Richmond.
The press conference will be brief.
Apologies for the schedule delay; I had my college graduation this weekend - Kat.
Ongoing
The comment period on hypocritical anti-abortion TRAP regulations is open.
Supporting Prisoners and Acting for Radical Change (SPARC) is raising money to by a passenger van to transport families and friends to visit their loved ones in prison.
Hip Hop from the Hilltop, the folks that bring us WMMT’s Calls from Home for Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee Inmates, are having a fund drive.
Monday 5/13
6-9pm: Alliance for Progressive Values May Salon
6-9pm: Remind City Council of Richmond’s school spending priorities.
6-8pm: “Bathing Suit Making, Part 2” Richmond Free School class
7-9pm: SPARC Membership Development and Study Course #1
7-9pm: WMMT’s Calls from Home for Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee Inmates
Tuesday 5/14
Part 2 of “Poetry: Alive and Accessible and Awesome with Julie Glover”
8:30am-4pm: Free Dental Care with Richmond Smiles, St. Augustine Church
3:30-7pm: Byrd Farmer’s Market
Wednesday 5/15
65th Anniversary of al-Nakba, Palestinian Exile
8am-4pm: Free Dental Care with Richmond Smiles, Bon Secours Community Hospital
12-2pm: Central Virginia Rainbow Partnership meeting
12-1pm: “Shakespeare and Galileo”: Lunch Break Science
5-6:30pm: Job Club 4 Teens: Intro to Job Services and Seeking
10-11pm: Women-Only Bike Ride
Thursday 5/16
8am-4pm: Free Dental Care with Richmond Smiles at Ramsey Memorial Church
7-9pm: Prisoner Letterwriting Night at the Flying Brick Library
7-8:30pm: “Two Pastors and Faithful Conversations on Gun Violence” Part 3
Friday 5/17
International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
Saturday 5/18
National Kids to Parks Day
9-11am: Richmond Clinic Defense
9-10am: Friends of the West End Library Meeting
10-12am: Master Gardener Help at Main Library
5-7:30pm: Peer Support with the Mindful Liberation Project
Sunday 5/19
Malcolm X’s Birthday
12:30-5pm: Richmond Food Not Bombs May Greeting Day
