Roots to Resistance: An Art & Activism Project

On Saturday, July 24th at 7pm the Food For Thought Books Collective joins forces with local artist Denise Beaudet to celebrate the life and work of twelve women activists from around the world and raise funds for her most recent art and activism project: Roots To Resistance.

Join us for an evening of art, storytelling, music, food, and activism and contribute to this critical and inspiring project. There will be a $25-5 suggested donation at the door, and all proceeds will go to support Roots To Resistance.

Roots To Resistance is an art and activism project conceived and directed by local artist Denise Beaudet that features twelve women activists from around the world who are doing or have done courageous work to transform injustice in their communities and create a world that values our individual and collective humanity. From Yvonne Margaruna an Aboriginal activist who stood between her land and radioactive dumping crews to Natalia Estemirova the Chechen journalist who was recently abducted and murdered, these women's lives and work will move and astound you. Their stories need to be heard and shared so that more hands can join in their efforts for cultural and political transformation. To this end, Denise is painting twelve full size portraits of these women as well as producing and disseminating political postcards to raise awareness about their activist work.

Celebrating the Life & Work of 12 Women Activists

• Natalia Estemirova, Murdered Human Rights Journalist (Chechnya)
• Malalai Joya, Women's Rights Activist (Afghanistan)
• Chouchou Namegabe, Women's Rights Journalist (D.R. Congo)
• Aung San Suu Kyi, Human Rights Activist (Burma)
• Marina Silva, Environmental Activist (Brazil)
• Ditah Indah Sari, Labor Activist (Indonesia)
• Parvin Ardalan, Women's Rights Activist (Iran)
• Wangari Maathai, Environmental Activist (Kenya)
• Rebecca Gomperts, Reproductive Rights Activist (Netherlands)
• Zapatista Women, Environmental/Indigenous Rights (Mexico)
• Maria Gunnoe, Mountaintop Removal & Mining (U.S.)
• Yvonne Margarula, Indigenous Rights Activist (Australia)

Western MA heads to Detroit - Tag Sale Fundraiser

641 West St. (116 S). Amherst MA (map)

Saturday, May 29, 2010 from 8:00am to 2:00pm

Come get your tag sailing done AND support your community to get to the Allied Media Conference (AMC) & the United States Social Forum (USSF).

There will be all sorts of goodies and lemonade!

Come early for the best selection (8 am!)

And, while you're out, head over to the WESTERN MA. SAYS NO TO SB 1070! Rally (12pm - 1pm @ The Northampton City Hall)

((want to donate to the sale? drop your donations off at 641 West St. by Friday 5/28/2010))

Holyoke Fires Fundraiser

Food For Thought Books is having a 10% day on Saturday March 27th, during which 10% of our sales will go to the Lyman Street Relief Fund created by the Centro de Restauracion Emanuel and administered by New Alliance Bank in Holyoke, MA. We encourage others in the Amherst and Northampton communities to organize and host similar fundraisers to support our neighbors in Holyoke.

(Funds can also be sent directly to the Lyman Street Relief Fund at the New Alliance Bank. Checks should be made out to the “Lyman Street Relief Fund” and earmarked for account number 7070454149)

Over the last month and a half, Northampton residents and members of surrounding communities have shown tremendous solidarity with those affected by a string of arsons that took place in Northampton on the night of December 27, 2009 that left 8 people homeless and caused an estimated $850,000 of damage. Folks have come together to organize countless fundraisers, quickly raising over $60,000 (the fundraising goal set by Hampshire Community Cares) for those directly impacted by the Northampton fires. This outpouring of generosity and support is notable and well worth celebrating, and will certainly go a long way to helping those affected by the arson recover their losses.

However, Northampton was not the only community in Western Massachusetts affected by fires this winter. Only days before the Northampton fires, on December 23, 2009, an apartment building in Holyoke went up in flames leaving 42 residents homeless and sending at least 6 people to the hospital. This fire was not caused by arson, but was the result of a negligent landlord who did not provide his tenets with central heat forcing tenets to use electric heaters as their primary source of heat for the winter. Holyoke residents have rallied in support of their neighbors, providing for their immediate needs and gathering donations of clothes, furniture and other items to replace what people lost. They created the Lyman Street Relief Fund with the hopes of raising several hundred dollars for each household displaced by the fire (15 in all). Thus far, they have only been able to raise $2000, a mere fraction of what has been raised in Northampton. While the donation of goods is important, the people displaced by the Holyoke fire also need money to help them recover their losses and rebuild their lives.

We believe that the glaring disparity in the amount of money raised and attention given by the media and community at large for those affected by the Northampton fires versus the Holyoke fire raises important questions about the race, class, geographic divides that plague this Valley. How do racism and classism enable us to value the lives, homes and families differently across race, class and geography? What would it take for us to build mutually beneficial relationships based on solidarity, the sharing of resources, respect and equity, across the different communities that make up the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts? We believe that these tragic incidents and the disparity in which they have been dealt with provide us with a valuable opportunity to explore these questions and begin cultivating genuine solidarity across the differences that so often divide us.

Given that the Northampton community has surpassed its fundraising goal of $60,000, we also join others who are advocating that any additional funds raised by Hampshire County Cares (the website that has been raising funds for those affected by the Northampton fires) be re-directed to those affected by the Holyoke fires. This is a great opportunity for residents of Northampton to stand in solidarity and share vital resources with our neighbors in Holyoke.

Fundraiser for the family of Justin Gordon, RIP

In support of our extended community Food For Thought Books is offering our space for a fundraiser for the family of Justin Gordon, 17, who was recently murdered in Springfield this Saturday, February 13th, 2-4:30pm. We very much hope you can make it.

For more information, see our main website.

An Evening for Haiti

We are so proud to present this evening of powerful voices that join us as we honor the legacy of resistance & survival in the Haitian community. We very much hope to see you there!

Featuring: Djola Branner, Myriam Chancy, Dee Dee Desir, Martín Espada, Jean Dany Joachim, Lenelle Moise and Patrick Sylvain with the soul-stirring music of REBIRTH.

read more about this fundraising event on our main website