Category Archives: Work of Comrades
The Surrender of America's Liberals | Moyers & Company | BillMoyers.com.
Filed under American Politics, American Progressive Politics, Friends & Comrades, Political Ideology, Work of Comrades
Tagged as Adolph Reed
In the 20th century, Martin Luther King Jr. defined the problem of America under the weight of the "triple evils" of racism, economic exploitation and war. In the 21st, the case of Trayvon Martin has created an existential crisis for black Americans and allies engaged in the struggle for racial justice. It underscores, again, that for many millions of people the "ism" felt as the greatest threat is not capitalism or militarism. Yet these effusions of persistent racism are enmeshed in a context: of growing inequality under neoliberal economic regimes and of wide-scale state-sponsored violence globally. It is time for all people to revisit MLK's "triple evils" in forming a strategy for resistance and a vision of the future — re-imagining what freedom might look like and how it might be achieved.
Pamela Brown
Kopkind's 2013 Harvest Late Brunch fundraiser will be held Sunday, October 13, at 2 pm. Our speaker is Pamela Brown.
Pam was deeply involved in Occupy Wall Street and has continued in its offshoot organizing and educational projects, at the convergence of race, class and debt. She is a columnist for Tidal Magazine and an organizer with the People's Investigation of Wall Street. She was a founding member of Strike Debt and the Rolling Jubilee, and has been involved in campaigns and writing projects including the student debt pledge of refusal and the Debt Resistors Operations Manual. With a background in philosophy and media arts, Pam is currently a doctoral student in sociology at The New School.
Kopkind is a living memorial to the great radical journalist Andrew Kopkind. Each summer since 1999 it has been bringing together journalists, activists and filmmakers for week-long seminar/retreat sessions with the aim of thinking deeply, acting consciously, living expressively and extending the field for freedom, pleasure and imagination.
Out-of-towners, we have some rooms and cabins, so contact us if you'd like to stay the night.
Please Come! We Look Forward To Seeing You!
Filed under Actions | Events, American Politics, Black Culture | United States, Black Politics, Civil Rights, Feminist Leaders, Police Abuse|Brutality|Killings, Political Ideology, Protest, Work of Comrades
Tagged as Andrew Kopkind, Kopkind's Harvest Late Brunch, Pamela Brown, The Organ Barn
American roots-rock duo William Pilgrim & The All Grows Up return with a brand new episode of Live at the Ice House, the duo's socially conscious ongoing music web series. In the latest installment, titled "Rock & Role Models," Ishmael Herring, aka William Pilgrim, and his musical cohort PM Romero, take the show on the road to East West Studios in Hollywood, CA, where they are currently finishing a new record for Orange County-based label, Moonlight Graham Records that is scheduled for release in early 2014.
Exene Cervenka and Kevin Alexander Gray
In this episode, William Pilgrim and PM Romero are joined by the legendary Blind Boys Of Alabama, and other friends from previous Live at the Ice House segments including Modern Poet and Renaissance Man David "Judah 1" Oliver from Episode 3, singer Lesedi Lo-Fi from Episode 2, and Exene Cervenka of the celebrated band X, who narrated the series' debut episode that focused on teen homelessness. Social and political blogger/author Kevin Alexander Gray also stops by for a heated but good natured and insightful discussion with Pilgrim and Romero.
PM Romero with the Blind Boys Of Alabama & friends at East West Studios In Hollywood
The Blind Boys of Alabama are notably featured on a track on William Pilgrim & The All Grows Up's forthcoming sophomore release, titled Epic Endings. The five-time Grammy Award winning gospel group was in the process of cutting tracks at East West Studios and, drawn to the message of Live at the Ice House, asked to join in the roundtable discussions. The Blind Boys' soulful style and spirituality prove an ideal complement to William Pilgrim's haunting, bluesy vocals. X singer Exene Cervenka is also featured in a duet with William Pilgrim on the upcoming release and in this Live at the Ice House episode she speaks on the inspirations and meanings behind that song.
Ishmael Herring, aka William Pilgrim and Kevin Alexander Gray
"Last episode we tried to demonstrate the power we all have with the words we choose and how we use them," says William Pilgrim. "In this episode we move to focus more on music. Music was an integral part of the 60′s fight for civil rights and it spoke out against our destruction of the people of Vietnam and to the tightening grip of American business over our government and public policy. We believe music, performers and songwriters have a responsibility today to pick up where our 60′s predecessors left off."
"Music is a tremendously powerful force for change and can inform and raise awareness but also impact people on a deeply emotional level, and this is where the seed for real social change must take root," says PM Romero. "With no resonating voice within government or the media to challenge our misguided understandings of civics, economics and history, music and the artists that craft songs can become major influences to break through our corrupted common sense and reason. Music can be the voice that unifies and organizes people around a common good."
Live at the Ice House, "Rock & Role Models," is also available now on http://liveicehouse.com.
Live at the ICE HOUSE
Additional information on William Pilgrim & The All Grows Up Is available at: https://www.facebook.com/williampilgrimmusic.
Filed under American Culture, American Politics, Black Culture | United States, Movement & Message Music, Music History, Poetry, Political Ideology, R&B, Rock, Soul, Work of Comrades
Tagged as Blind Boys Of Alabama, David "Judah 1", Exene Cervenka, Ishmael Herring, Kevin Alexander Gray, Lesedi Lo-Fi, Live at the Ice House, PM Romero, Rock & Role Models, William Pilgrim & The All Grows Up