Fellows and Fellow Travelers:
Such an embarassment of riches, so many opportunities, so little
time. Here's what I have to offer --
1) Friday, 5:30PM -- Bernardo Alvarez Herrera, Venezuelan Ambassador to
the US, will be in the Weyerhaueser Board Room, first for a reception
and then to deliver a brief talk, "Envisioning 21st Century Socialism."
I urge you to make every effort to attend some of this. It fits so
nicely with our reading of Prashad, THE DARKER NATIONS. Hugo Chavez,
the President of Venezuela, might well be the key figure in a postscript
to this book. Identifying as a person of color with roots in the
indigenous communities of Venezuela, claiming the legacy of 19th century
anti-imperialist Simon Bolivar, and actively using Venezuela's
resources, particularly oil, to reach out directly to poor communities
and communities of color around the world, even INSIDE the US, Chavez
has become a key leader of a Third World project (which might/might not
coincide with Prashad's or ours!). This is a great opportunity to learn
a bit more, up close and personal, about these developments.
2) M.ANIFEST's CD release party at the Fine Line (18 and over) at 8PM.
For those who don't know, this is Mac alums, Amet Tsikata and Nisreen
Dawan, and our own Mandi Masden. I am unable to offer transportation to
this event, but I do want to encourage you to go. Here's what I propose
in terms of making this "a MMUF event" -- if you'll bring me your
tickets or a receipt next week, MMUF will pay you back for the entrance
fee. As far as getting there (318 First Avenue N, downtown Mpls),
please use this email list if a) you are driving a car and have room for
more passengers; b) you want to go but need a ride; or c) you're willing
to ride the bus but need fellow travelers. Just hit reply or send an
email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
3) Saturday night -- I strongly encourage you to attend the
"Non-English Spoken Here: Late Nite Series" opener at Pillsbury House
Theater (35th and Chicago in Mpls). This program, co-curated by the
wondrous Laurie Carlos and the loquacious e.g. bailey, will feature Mac
alum Taous Khazem and her one-woman performance piece about exploring
her Berber roots in Algeria; interdisciplinary artist and participant in
the project, "Latinanegra Flow," Florinda Bryant (from Austin, Texas)'s
"AMERICA: LOVE OUT OF CONTEXT;" and local artists Annelize Machado and
Kim Thompson's piece "am," that investigates a series of personal
questions and statements about being queer women of color, using
movement, music, text, and multimedia. As ever, the evening will begin
with a delicious buffet prepared by Ms. Carlos and her comrades at 8PM,
with the performances beginning at 9PM.
Here's a complication -- I have to attend a fundraiser for the
striking University of Minnesota workers at 7PM at the Communication
Workers' union hall on Lake Street. I will leave the fundraiser by 8PM
to go to Pillsbury House, since I don't want to miss Laurie's fabulous
food. You can join me and go to the fundraiser and get a taste of labor
culture (which I would love for you to do), and then proceed with me to
Pillsbury House, or you can meet me/us at Pillsbury House for 8 or 9PM
if you can work out your own transportation. If you are going in a
group, the 21A bus is a possibility. Get off at Chicago and walk south
5 blocks. MMUF will pay for your ticket to "Late Nite," whether you go
with me or attend alone. I'll write one check on behalf of the group
when I get there. Please let me know if you want to go with me, and
we'll plan to meet in the parking lot outside Old Main around 6:45PM.
Love and Solidarity,
Peter
_______________________________________________
Mellon Myers Undegraduate Fellowship Program at Macalester (http://macmmuf.org)
[email protected]
http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/maillist.html
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