February’s Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind Potluck Discussion
Black Feminism Lives Worldwide!
(featuring the creative non-fiction of Mai’a Williams on Black feminist solidarity in the Middle East)
When I cyber-met Mai’a she was living in the occupied West Bank of Palestine, getting ready to bring her bright brilliant baby Aza into the world and she wrote me about using the activities in BrokenBeautiful Press’s “Emergency Broadcast” workbook in workshops she was leading between Palestinian and Israeli women. Mai’a, instigator of the Guerilla Mama Medicine Movement, Outlaw Midwife, Reiki master and creator of the Divine Survivors Clinic is has also been doing justice work in the Middle East with her partner Cal for many years. Check out the links above and email brokenbeautifulpress@gmail.com for a copy of a powerful piece she wrote called “Cleave” about surviving layers of state, imperialist and interpersonal violence and the possibility of response.
AND THEN…come bring food and discuss with Durham’s divine survivors and Mai’a via skype on
Wednesday, February 24th
5:30 pm
@
the Inspiration Station
Come as close to 5:30 as possible to eat and settle in because Mai’a will be joining us live via skype from Cairo @ 6pm EST!!!
Kids are welcome!!!!!!
email brokenbeautifulpress@gmail.com for a copy of Mai’a’s piece “Cleave”
AND
School of Our Lorde CONTINUES! March: Pedagogy ****Applications due February 25th 2010******
Pedagogy: Not everyone knows that Audre Lorde was breaking down the master’s house by being a master teacher and librarian. Do you teach students armed and ready to text message? Well Audre Lorde taught John Jay College of Criminal Justice students who wore loaded guns to class as part of their uniform!!! Participants in this session will get to see Audre Lorde’s syllabi, and course evaluations, practice their own interpretations of her teaching methods and transform the meaning of education. Participants also get to help design and facilitate the Audre Lorde Survival School. We will meet over dessert on Thursday March 4, 11, and 18th.
Apply for the pedagogy course here:School of Our Lorde Pedagogy Application (pdf version)
School of Our Lorde Pedagogy Application (doc version)
email applications to brokenbeautifulpress@gmail.com or drop them off at the Inspiration Station (email for directions)
IF YOU HAVE THE MISFORTUNE TO NOT LIVE IN DURHAM... sign up here www.schoolofourlorde.ning.com
Note on the applications:
I invited each of your because I really really want you in the course. ABSOLUTELY EVERYONE CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOL OF OUR LORDE REGARDLESS OF MOOLA AND OTHER NEEDS! Holler at me. I'm at your service ;)
What makes Eternal Summer of the Black Feminist Mind projects ETERNAL?
The second page of the application asks you to dedicate your participation to at least 7 people who learn from you. This is a key part of the educational experience. A mentor of mine reminded me that somehow those extra deep parts of our brains and hearts get opened up when we approach a learning experiences with our beloved communities in mind. Even more so when our participation is accountable to specific living folks in our lives and they know it!!!
One way to make that accountability tangible is for folks in your community to sponsor you for the course...one especially helpful form of support (for the short time that capitalism continues) is MOOLA (as not-so- subtly hinted by the dollar $ign$ on the application). But there are infinite ways for a supporter to sponsor you...I especially love it when folks contribute food, poetry, meditations that they know etc!!!
What makes Community Supported Education Possible?
Also the "asking people for money and other forms of support" exercise on the application is also about transforming our relationships to money and learning how to create sustainable educational spaces outside of/and past/and beyond/and in secret subversive collaboration with the dominant institutions of discipline and indoctrination. You might love asking folks for monetary support...you might absolutely hate it (like I do) but either way it teaches us a lot and is part of our educational process in the course.
I am so excited about the possibility of your participation. Get at me with any questions!
love,
lex
