DARFUR UPDATE ON THE DC AREA FRONT
(from my forum on blackplanet.com)
A couple of victories
Two HBCUs finally have divested: Hampton University and Howard University. Ya-aaay! *doin' my happy dance* :D
I can't say I played much of a role, but I did call and badger Howard University pretty mercilessly for several months and stayed in communication w/a friend of mine on the Board of Trustees. Sent her info whenever I could.
I know from trading e-mails with him that Joe Madison, "The Black Eagle," was in regular communication with HU prez Patrick Swygert on the matter.
So, kudos to all involved in these first two, important divestitures. It's fantastic news. (It's about damned time.)
Okay. So, that's two down and how many more to go...?
In the vinyards - HBCUs & divestment legislation
I've called several other HBCUs around the country, but so far there ain't much goin' on that I can see. Will renew my activities on that score in the late summer/early fall, when the schools and BoTs are ramping up for the fall semester. I've contacted the membership association of HBCUs -- not even a callback so far, but I'm persistent. I'm thinking of a conference call in the fall with HBCU prezzes and/or CFOs, with an online Power Point presentation (already put together by the Sudan Divestment Taskforce). Gee. I wonder if the CFOs or prezzes of HU and/or Hampton would be willing to participate and share their experiences with divestment up to that point?
Partly as a result of my efforts, we have a bill before the D.C. City Council! Right now it's in committee. I'll be wrangling people to testify in support of D.C. divestment, so if you're a D.C. resident, here's your chance to do something constructive. I've been going to demos & rallies -- most recently at the Holocaust Museum (the day Baby Bush spoke, backing down from his Plan B in the face of a request from Ban Ki-moon -- WTF?) and at the Global Days for Darfur rally in Lafayette Park a couple of weeks ago.
I see the NAACP's onboard on Darfur. Great. There was a representative of that organization at the rally. Maybe they have some ideas about getting black folks off they butts....
Networking
And on that note, I attended a invitation-only (not exclusive by ANY means, but presumably for Darfur activists/advocates) reception for Don Cheadle and John Prendergast at the Mayflower Hotel last week. Fantastic event. Rows of the book "Not On Our Watch" for purchase, a ballroom jam-packed w/people, the obligatory open bar, and attendants making the rounds with finger food. (Good grub.)
Most important, the reception was an opportunity to network. After I bought the book, I went around to many of the brown spots in the place and engaged them on strategies for galvanizing the African-American community.
Quite by coincidence, I happened to be standing near the podium when the presentation began. Cheadle is a relatively short, slight, almost tiny brutha. While I had no trouble hearing him, there's something quiet about him. He said what he had to say and little else. He's extremely knowledgeable and very articulate on the issue; I'd caught him the day before on WAMU (American University's radio station) speaking on the issue of Darfur and was suitably impressed.
Then Cheadle's co-author John Prendergast, a tall, easy- and outgoing white guy with shoulder-length hair, made his remarks. The whole timle, Cheadle, dressed unassumingly in jeans, a shirt and an outerwear jacket, mainly looked at the floor. I'm thinkin', "While this brother's out here on this issue, this really isn't his thing."
Immediately afterwards, as if on cue, the ballroom crowd surged forward toward the pair, who were standing there with no barrier -- not even a table -- between them and the surge. "I dunno," I thought. I could see the headlines "ACADEMY AWARD-NOMINATED ACTOR TRAMPLED AT D.C. HOTEL." So, I demurred and fought the wave of humanity, moving in the opposite direction. (I'd already met Prendergast, a D.C. resident, anyway, and I figured I wouldn't force the poor guy -- Cheadle -- to shake another hand.)
Book tours can be grueling undertakings. I let them be.
Mother's Day demonstration
THERE'S A MOTHER'S DAY DEMONSTRATION IN FRONT OF THE SUDAN EMBASSY TODAY, 12:30 P.M. BE THERE, IF YOU CAN. BRING YOUR FRIENDS. BRING YOUR MOM. THE CAT. THE DOG. THE GERBIL -- ANYTHING BLACK. WE NEED BLACK FACES THERE!
[We need everybody there! I don't give a damn what color you are....]
Staying motivated
Have you read the book? It's a primer for action. Have you seen it? The face of that beautiful, vulnerable child on the cover, with the furrowed brow and searing hazel eyes that likely have seen far too much brutality and depravity for his young years, haunts me. I see him (her?) in my mind's eye every time I take a meal. I wonder if he's still alive and what food or shelter, if any, he has for sustenance and comfort. It drives me to keep calling, writing, demonstrating, lobbying, networking, organizing.
Interested in working for the people of Darfur in ANY way? Contact me at: blkvoices4darfur@aol.com.
(AKOBEN, war horn. Adinkra symbol, Ghana. Meaning: A call to arms. Vigilance. An urgent call to action.)
"Justice is love in working clothes."
Time to suit up, people.
In struggle, deeceevoice.
