Modern Day Slavery Museum

We are writing to invite you to the Coalition of Immokalee Workers' (CIW) Modern-Day Slavery Museum exhibit. The museum exhibit will be traveling around the Northeast for the next few weeks, and will be in Northampton at Pulaski Park on Main & Masonic on this upcoming Tuesday, August 10th.

The centerpiece of the museum exhibit is a box truck outfitted as a replica of the trucks used to enslave tomato pickers in a brutal 2008 case (prosecuted in federal court in 2008). The truck was developed in consultation with workers who have escaped from slavery operations, as well as leading academic authorities on labor history and the subject of forced labor. The CIW has aided the DOJ in the prosecution of 6 farmworker slavery operations, leading to the liberation of well over 1,000 workers. A federal indictment for the 8th case of farmworker slavery to happen in the past 12 years was just unsealed this month.

The truck and the accompanying multimedia exhibit look at the history of forced labor, why it continues to occur, and the solution that is being forged to pull slavery up by its roots.

Local organisational sponsors: Alliance to Develop Power (ADP Worker Center / Casa Obrera), UMASS Labor Relations and Research Center (LRRC), Food for Thought Books, C3 Northampton, Verité, Western Mass Jobs with Justice (WMJWJ), In Solidarity With Immigrants (ISWI), Center for Popular Economics (CPE), Bill of Rights Defense Committee (BORDC), Northampton Farmer's Market (Tuesday), and the American Friends Service Commitee (AFSC).

If you are unable to catch the Modern Day Slavery Museum but are still interested in learning more about contemporary slavery in the U.S. today, please check out John Bowe's Nobodies: Modern American Slave Labor and the Dark Side of the New Global Economy for an excellent (and sobering) overview.

Calling all Carpenters & Other Handy Folk

Are you a carpenter? Maybe you know someone who is? We need some help with building some new shelves for our children's book area, as well as some tables for our sale books.

Here's the catch: it's been a super slow summer & we have little to no extra money at the moment. We can probably scrounge enough for materials but we'll only be able to offer store credit for the labor.

So, if you know someone who'd be willing to engage in this labor of love (& books!), please get in contact with us.

Email matthew@foodforthoughtbooks.com for more information. Thanks!

Nikki McClure Posters

If you've been to our store, you've no doubt noticed our love for Nikki McClure's wonderful papercut artwork. We've got a whole new crop of her poster prints in stock (only $9.00 each!), so please stop by & check them out. Guranteed to brighten up that blank piece of wall you've been wondering what to do with.

Not In My Country: A Tale of Unwanted Immigrants

Joe Sacco, author of the recent Footnotes in Gaza, observes the treatment of African migrants in his homeland of Malta in his new work: Not In My Country: A Tale of Unwanted Immigrants.

Harvey Pekar RIP

Sad news: Harvey Pekar, a pioneer of autobiographical comics, passed away last night. Harvey self-published & self-distributed his American Splendor from the mid-70s to the mid-90s, providing a raw and insightful working-class perspective on everyday life in middle America. As Harvey used to say "Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff".

Someday, please find yourself a copy of the American Splendor anthology and read the short piece "Hypothetical Quandary" - it's easily one of the best pieces of comics storytelling I've ever read.

Goodbye, Harvey. You done good.

(More on the irreplaceable Mr. Pekar from Alison Bechdel, Anthony Bourdain, & Michael Malice... and don't miss the Pekar Project at Smithmag,net, along with his 70th birthday tribute!)

INCITE! Reading Group update ♥!

INCITE! Reading Group.
First Tuesdays of the month. 7-9 pm.
Food For Thought Books Collective, Amherst.
Suggested donation $5.00, absolutely nobody turned away for lack of funds.

Dear Western Mass. Community,

As you may know, this past Tuesday marked our first INCITE! reading group time and I wanted to share with you that we had a lovely, inspirational, inter-generational group. It was a pleasure to learn with the folks who attended and I’m really excited about the process that we’re involved in! In preparation for our next INCITE! reading group I’m sending out these brief notes about the evening.

It is always touching to share the opportunity to read the words of radical people of color and share our thoughts on liberation and self-determination within a circle of women and gender-non-conforming poc. Collectively, we read the intro of Color of Violence (the INCITE! Book that we are currently focusing on). We were all deeply moved by the affirmation that the books introduction offered to us. We talked about ways that we actively combat imperialism, ways that we build community/ combat the culture of detachment, goals of our reading group (including creating media projects and possibly starting a Western Mass. INCITE! Chapter!). As you can see, there is a lot to be excited about. We are excited for other women and gender-non-conforming folks of color to feel welcome to join us, so don’t be shy… come when you can! ♥ !

We agreed that each month we’d discuss a certain section of the book and that each of us would do our best to come having pre-read the section and picked out a piece that we’d like to read aloud and discuss with each other. In addition, on behalf of To tell you the Truth (co-sponsor), I’m going to share some media making/testimonio skills with the group.

Here’s the schedule that we think makes the most sense:

• August 3, 2010 7-9pm
  –Section of the Book: Reconceptualizing Anti-Violence Strategies
  –Media skill: blogging
• September 7, 2010 7-9pm
  –Section of the Book: Forms of Violence
  –Media skill: tbd
• October 5, 2010 7-9pm
  –Section of the Book: Building Movement
  –Media skill: tbd

********************************************************************

If you don’t already have the book and are local you can pick it up at Food for Thought Books Collective, you’ll receive 10% off of it if you are a member of the reading group.

Here’s a little info about it:

Color of Violence: The INCITE! Anthology

In the tradition of This Bridge Called My Back, Color of Violence is an urgent, bold, and essential intervention in the war against women of color, their communities, and, ultimately, us all.

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, a national organization of radical feminists of color, announces Color of Violence: The INCITE! Anthology, an anthology of critical writings demanding that we address violence against women of color in all its forms, including interpersonal violence, such as sexual and domestic violence, and state violence, such as police brutality, militarism, attacks on immigrants and Indian treaty rights, the proliferation of prisons, economic neo-colonialism, and violence from the medical industry. Color of Violence presents the fierce and vital writing of 33 visionary radical feminists of color. These writers not only investigate the intersecting ways in which violence and oppression exist in the lives of women of color and our communities, they also map innovative strategies of movement building and resistance used by women and trans people of color around the world.

Hope to see you there!
tk (tanya karakashian)

The Crises of Capitalism

Check out this excellent animation by the RSA of David Harvey's recent talk The Crises of Capitalism.

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)

NO WAY SB1070: 3 EVENTS

WESTERN MASS SAYS NO WAY!

FFT Collective is organizing against SB1070 in coalition with IWRC/ Western Mass. AFSC. For more information about these efforts check out: http://www.afscwm.org/boycottaz/about/

Please check out this statement and look below for upcoming organizing efforts:

What We Believe:

We believe that the law recently passed in Arizona (SB1070) is not merely about Arizona it is about all of us; it is about criminalizing and targeting those most vulnerable and marginalized among us in this country.

We recognize that this legislation:

• is a diversion away from working people's real source of economic insecurity in this country, particularly, the ongoing exploitation by big business and corporation of marginalized communities and of our world's resources.
• promotes and legalizes racial profiling of documented and undocumented people of color.
• violates the rights of indigenous populations of the America's to freely move; criminalizing traditional migration patterns and not recognizing the increased need for migration based on the direct impact of unjust free trade agreements.
• further disenfranchises already marginalized populations (including poor & working-class women of color and gender-variant people by preventing access to social service resources and placing these populations at greater risk for individual and state enacted violence).

Therefore, we are calling on cities and towns of Western Massachusetts to join cities around the country, unions and non-profit organizations in boycotting Arizona - ending travel to and all business with the state of Arizona and all Arizona-based companies.

Press Conference:
Monday 6/7/2010 10:30 AM
FOOD FOR THOUGHT BOOKS COLLECTIVE
COME SUPPORT! BRING SIGNS! LET THE PRESS KNOW: WESTERN MASS SAYS NO WAYSB1070!

Town Hall Meeting:
Monday 6/7/2010 6:45PM
AMHERST TOWN HALL
The Amherst Select Board will be hearing the resolution to Boycott Arizona. Come have your voice heard! We need to have 3 votes from the select board to pass the petition!

Boycott Arizona! Community Knowledge Share and Organizing Meeting:
Tuesday 6/8/2010 5PM
FOOD FOR THOUGHT BOOKS COLLECTIVE
Want to learn more about what's happening in Arizona? Come learn about the bill and support organizing efforts to establish Boycott cities/towns across Western Mass!

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))

Talib Kweli - Papers Please

Happy May Day!

Today is May Day! International Workers Day! The Return of Spring!

So, please stay home from work. Eat a feast with good friends. Dance and Sing and make all manner of Merry.

And don't forget to raise a toast to the thousands, the millions, who have gone on before, struggling for freedom & equality in the face of violence & oppression.

Hooray for May Day!