MARCH CALENDAR
February 26, 2015, Hudson Valley Activist Calendar, Issue
#689
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Editor’s note: There will be more events announced during
this month. Check back in several days. We update each calendar online as new
events are announced until the next full calendar is posted. The additional
items will begin with this mark: √√.
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| We know how you feel about politics in the U.S., Ms Liberty, us too, but cheer up because March is Women's History Month. |
Sunday, March 1, NEW
YORK CITY: An Anti-imperialist coalition of peace, justice and Palestinian
groups will protest the impending appearance in Washington of Israeli Prime
Minister Netanyahu, who will seek to convince Congress to take even further steps
to cripple Iran. Rally at 1 p.m. in front of right wing FOX News, 48th St. and
6th Ave., and then march for a second rally at 3 p.m. outside the Israeli
Mission to the UN, 42nd St. and 2nd Ave. Information, IACenter.org,
(212) 633-6646.
Monday, March 2,
MIDDLETOWN: A forum titled “America in the Middle East” will take place 7
p.m. at Wallkill Town Hall, 99 Tower Drive. It is sponsored by The Middle East
Realities Forum, a new roundtable formed to discuss Middle East issues that
relate also to the U.S. This first public session will focus on Washington’s
relationship with Israel and the significance of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's
controversial scheduled appearance March 3 before a joint session of Congress.
Speaking will be (1) Leonard Grob, professor emeritus of philosophy at
Fairleigh Dickinson University, VP of Partners for Progressive Israel, and associate
director of the Jewish Peace Lobby; (2) Mark C. Johnson, retired executive director
of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and currently ED of The Center and Library
for the Bible and Social Justice. The moderator is attorney Michael
Sussman. The organizers say, “Please join us — all opinions are welcome.”
Information, (914) 213-9783.
POSTPONED from Tuesday, TO WEDNESDAY March 4 NEW
PALTZ (SUNY campus): A meeting on “Challenging
the Attack on Public Education: Carrying on the Legacy of the Civil Rights
Movement” will take place here tonight at 7 p.m. in Coykendall Science Building
Auditorium. Organizers state: “The legacy of
The Civil Rights Movement to challenge injustice calls on people today to
oppose high-stakes testing, inequitable school funding, and the privatization
of public education. Speakers will discuss the legacy and the test refusal
movement today.” Speaking will be Fairfield University professor and education
activist Yohuru Williams; Long Island teacher and “conscientious test objector”
Beth Dimino; and Nicholas Tampio, Fordham University professor. Sponsors
include: The Humanistic/Multicultural Education Program, Phi Delta Kappa (New
Paltz Chapter), College Axillary Services, Progressive Academic Network, and Departments
of Black Studies, Economics, Educational Administration, Educational Studies,
Secondary Education, Sociology and English. Information, (845) 257-2827, schniedn@newpaltz.edu
This demonstration will follow three days of actions in support of Palestinian rights coinciding with the annual meeting of AIPAC (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee). Another protest will begin at 4 p.m. at the West Lawn of the Capitol, sponsored by Jewish Voice for Peace.
WEDNESDAY March 4 NEW PALTZ — See above.
√√ Thursday, March 5, DELMAR: A
forum on intersectionality will take place 7-8:45 p.m. at Bethlehem Public
Library, 451 Delaware Ave. sponsored by Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace. The
panel will include Angelica Clarke, discussing the movement against mass
incarceration; Mary Finneran, who will talk about public education oppression;
and Mari Matsuo, who will talk about connections between racism against
minorities here in the U.S. and the lack of value for non-American, non-white
lives overseas.What is intersectionality? Put
simply, according to an intersectionality perspective, inequities are never the
result of single, distinct factors. Rather, they are the outcome of
intersections of different social locations, power relations and experiences. Each panelist will speak for about 15
minutes, followed by a discussion period with questions and answers. Free and public.
Information, (518) 466-1192.
Friday, March 6,
KINGSTON: The Films of Palestine Series presents the film "Newburgh
Sting" 7- 8:30 p.m, at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the
Catskills, 320 Sawkill Rd. This documentary is about the FBI’s sting operation on
four Muslim men involved in a 2009 Bronx terrorism plot. The men had been coaxed
and bribed into participating. The film reveals how the FBI targets Muslim
communities in poor neighborhoods and lures believers into planning acts of
terrorism. The discussion will include
comments by the mother of one of the men. This free public event is sponsored
by Middle East Crisis Response (http://www.mideastcrisis.org)
and Hudson Valley Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (http://www.hudsonvalleybds.org).
Information, Jane.toby7@gmail.com, (518)
291-6808.
 |
| Anti-drone march to Hancock Air Base near Syracuse. |
Friday, March 6,
POUGHKEEPSIE: Drone Alert-Hudson Valley is sponsoring a 6-8 p.m. Playback
Theater event at the African Roots Library at Family Partnership,
29 North
Hamilton St
. Several activists from the Syracuse area will discuss their
motivations for protesting the drone wars at Hancock Air Base, a drone command
center near their city. Their true stories, and audience responses to them,
will be dramatized for us by members of the well known Hudson River Playback
Theatre, who are donating their time and skills. Admission is free, though donations
toward a travel/meal stipend for our guests will be gratefully accepted. (There
are also legal costs for the various times Syracuse activists have been harassed
and arrested for their nonviolent demonstrations. Checks for the latter should
be made payable to "Upstate Drone Action." They will be accepted at
the event, as will cash donations, or can be mailed to Upstate Drone Action,
c/o Syracuse Peace Council, 2013 East Genesee St, Syracuse 13210.) Lastly, "If
you wish to join us for dinner after the event at a local restaurent, call or
text Andrew at (845) 699-8051 by Mar 3.
√√ Saturday, March
7, POUGHKEEPSIE: A screening of the historical film “The Abolitionists” will take place at the Sadie Peterson
Delaney African Roots Library (2nd floor) of The Family Partnership
Center, 29 North Hamilton St. It is part two of the PBS Series “Created Equal:
America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” We’re told: “The Abolitionists vividly brings
to life the struggles of the men and women who led the battle to end slavery.” The
screening of this three-hour film is in two parts, beginning at 10 a.m., with
an intermission for lunch (provided), then resuming. A. J. Williams-Myers, SUNY
New Paltz Black Studies professor will provide a local perspective of the time.
Williams-Myers has written extensively about the local history of African
Americans in the Hudson Valley.
√√ SUNDAY, March 8,
NEW YORK CITY: Today is International Women’s Day. A rally and march will begin at 12 noon at
Herald Sq. (34th St. & 6th Ave.) organized by the International Working Women’s Day Coalition. The
march begins at 1 p.m. after the rally, ending at
the Solidarity Center, 147 W. 24th St., 2nd floor,where a speakout along with
food and
√√ Saturday, March
7, POUGHKEEPSIE: A screening of the historical film “The Abolitionists” will take place at the Sadie Peterson
Delaney African Roots Library (2nd floor) of The Family Partnership
Center, 29 North Hamilton St. It is part two of the PBS Series “Created Equal:
America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” We’re told: “The Abolitionists vividly brings
to life the struggles of the men and women who led the battle to end slavery.” The
screening of this three-hour film is in two parts, beginning at 10 a.m., with
an intermission for lunch (provided), then resuming. A. J. Williams-Myers, SUNY
New Paltz Black Studies professor will provide a local perspective of the time.
Williams-Myers has written extensively about the local history of African
Americans in the Hudson Valley.√√ SUNDAY, March 8,
NEW YORK CITY: Today is International Women’s Day. A rally and march will begin at 12 noon at
Herald Sq. (34th St. & 6th Ave.) organized by the International Working Women’s Day Coalition. The
march begins at 1 p.m. after the rally, ending at
the Solidarity Center, 147 W. 24th St., 2nd floor,where a speakout along with
food and
presentations begin at 2 p.m. The event will focus on an “end to state repression, police terror
and U.S. militarization." Information, 212-633-6646, https://www.facebook.com/InternationalWorkingWomensDayCoalition
√√ Sunday March 8, POUGHKEEPSIE: In honor of the 50th
anniversary of the “Bloody Sunday” march for racial justice in from Selma to
Montgomery, Alabama, there will be a march on the Walkway Over the Hudson.
“Join us 2-4 p.m. and show your commitment to justice, freedom, and human
rights marching from the east approach parking lot in Poughkeepsie to Highland
(or half-way and back from Poughkeepsie should the weather be poor).” This walk
will be in conjunction with the anniversary march happening the same day in Alabama. Marchers
are encouraged to bring their own signs and banners. Please dress warmly and
wear comfortable shoes with good grip. The march will happen rain, snow or
shine, regardless of the temperature. The Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of Poughkeepsie is sponsoring this event. Information, Jolanda
Jansen at jgjansen@verizon.net or
Merrill Sunderland at muirghiel@optonline.net
Monday, March
9, KINGSTON: The
End the New Jim Crow Action Network! (ENJAN), a Hudson Valley group dedicated
to fighting racist policies of racial profiling, police brutality, and mass
incarceration (the "new Jim Crow"), meets 6-8 p.m. at the New
Progressive Baptist Church, 8 Hone St. (Also meets here March 23.)
Information, (845) 475-8781, http://www.enjan.org.
 |
| Nazila Fathi |
√√ Monday, March 9, LOUDONVILLE: Nazila Fathi, Iranian journalist and author
of the recently released: book, "The Lonely War: One Woman's Account
of the Struggle for Modern Iran,” will speak on today’s Iran 4:30-6:30 p.m. in
the Boland Room of Father Benjamin Kuhn House of Sienna College, 515
Loudon Rd. From 2001 to 2009, Fathi was based in Tehran as the only full-time
New York Times correspondent in Iran; prior to that, she wrote for TIME magazine,
and Agence France-Presse. Sponsored by Women Against War, Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace, Upper
Hudson Peace Action, Siena College Fair Trade and Social Justice Program. Parking,
use lot U, on Turchi Rd. near the athletic complex. Turchi is off of Spring St.
Rd., which runs from Rt. 9 along the south edge of the campus. Map and
directions, https://www.siena.edu/about/visiting-campus/map-directions.
Information, Women Against War <women_againstwar@yahoo.com>.
 |
| Zephyr Teachout. |
Wednesday,
March 11, POUGHKEEPSIE: The
End the New Jim Crow Action Network will meet 6-8 p.m. at the Sadie Peterson
Delaney African Roots Library, Family Partnership Center, 29 N. Hamilton St.
(Also meets here March 25.) Information, (845) 475-8781, http://www.enjan.org.-
Thursday,
March, 12, WOODSTOCK: Middle East
Crisis Response, a group of Hudson Valley residents joined together to promote
peace and human rights in Palestine and the Middle East, will hold its
regular meeting tonight, 7-8:30 p.m. at Woodstock Public Library, 5 Library
Lane. (Next meeting March 26, same place.) Information, (845) 876-7906, http://www.mideastcrisis.org.
Saturday, March 14, KINGSTON: In honor of Black History Month, the film “Fundi,” the story of African-American civil rights fighter Ella Baker, will be screened at 5 p.m. followed by a lively panel discussion. This public event, the first of a series on Women of the Movement, will take place at the New Progressive Baptist Church, 8 Hone St. Baker was a key figure in the struggle against segregation in America. She was also an adviser to Martin Luther King Jr. The panel consists of Rita Worthington (Black Lives Matter), Teresa Washington (School to Prison Pipeline), Evelyn Clarke and Esther Taylor-Evans (Storytelling and the Arts as Teaching Tools). All are welcome; refreshments served. Information, Odell Winfield, odell_winfield@yahoo.com.
—Ella Baker as SNCC leader.
√√ Saturday, March 14, NEW YORK CITY: Women Rise Up: A Day of Education and
Action will take place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in
Harlem at the LeRoy Neiman Art Center, 2785 Frederick Douglass Blvd., near west
148 St. It is sponsored by Women Organized to Resist and Defend
(WORD), Party for
Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the ANSWER Coalition. They
say: “We call on everyone dedicated to the fight for women's liberation and
equality to join us for a day of workshops, panels and action. The event's
featured speakers include leading activists and women in the labor, immigrant,
LGBTQ, antiwar and police brutality struggles. Panels include — Sexism,
Patriarchy and Capitalism: The Roots of Our Oppression
; Organizing against
Police Terror on Women and LGBTQ communities
; and Women's Leadership and the
Need for Organization. There will also be spoken word performances and lively
discussions on the question of building women's leadership, the feminization of
poverty, and linking the women's struggle with the emerging movements against
racism and inequality. Childcare will be provided. (Click:)
RSVP online or RSVP on Facebook. (WORD IS Organizing Events in seven
other cities as well.)
√√ Saturday, March 14, NEW YORK CITY: Women Rise Up: A Day of Education and
Action will take place 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in
Harlem at the LeRoy Neiman Art Center, 2785 Frederick Douglass Blvd., near west
148 St. It is sponsored by Women Organized to Resist and Defend
(WORD), Party for
Socialism and Liberation (PSL), and the ANSWER Coalition. They
say: “We call on everyone dedicated to the fight for women's liberation and
equality to join us for a day of workshops, panels and action. The event's
featured speakers include leading activists and women in the labor, immigrant,
LGBTQ, antiwar and police brutality struggles. Panels include — Sexism,
Patriarchy and Capitalism: The Roots of Our Oppression
; Organizing against
Police Terror on Women and LGBTQ communities
; and Women's Leadership and the
Need for Organization. There will also be spoken word performances and lively
discussions on the question of building women's leadership, the feminization of
poverty, and linking the women's struggle with the emerging movements against
racism and inequality. Childcare will be provided. (Click:)
RSVP online or RSVP on Facebook. (WORD IS Organizing Events in seven
other cities as well.)
√√ Monday, March 16, ALBANY: Upper Hudson Peace Action’s Palestinian Rights Committee will conduct
a Rachel Corrie Remembrance Vigil 4:30-5:30 p.m. at Dana Park, (the Y intersection where
Delaware Ave. meets Lark Street).
Monday, March 16,
ALBANY: “Grounded,” one-woman play by George Brant, will take place at the
Capital Repertory Theater (111 North Pearl St.) at 7 p. m. This award-winning
play is about a female Air Force pilot whose pregnancy forces her out of
the cockpit. This performance is free and reservations are not required. We
understand Women Against War was involved in a previous production of this
theater event.
√√ Wednesday to Saturday, March 18 to 21, WASHINGTON: March 18 is the 12th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. A broad coalitiion of peace and justice groups initiated by West Coast peace activist Cindy Sheehan will take place here under the title, “Spring Rising: Oppose The World Police State.” On Saturday there will be a 12 noon- 1p.m. rally across from the White House, followed by a march to the Capitol where there will be a brief second rally. This is being organized by the ANSWER Coalition. According to Sheehan (who lost her son in the Iraq war) there will be “four days of creative resistance; theater, teach-ins; rallies and marches marking the anniversary of the United States ‘shock and awe’ attack on Iraq and its invasion and occupation in a completely illegitimate, immoral war. Together we will use this time to oppose the plans and calls for growing military intervention.... Did you or your organization join in the protests against police violence and murder, because Black Lives Matter? Are you with the Dreamers working for rights for all people to live without fear? Are you one of the many who have dropped everything to protest the global destruction of the environment because of our dependence on fossil fuels? Then, in effect, if you did — join up! About a hundred organizations are co-sponsoring, from Amnesty to World Can’t Wait. A ton of information is at http://cindysheehanssoapbox.com/spring-rising-an-anti-war-intervention-in-dc.html, including all the sponsors plus a link to the complete and impressive schedule of events.
√√ Tuesday, March 24, NEW PALTZ (SUNY
campus): The documentary “University of
Sing Sing” will be screened at 5 p.m. in Lecture Center 102. This new film is
described as being “an inside look at the notorious Sing Sing Correctional
Facility, located in Ossining, N.Y.,where one of the U.S.’s only in-prison
college programs, Hudson Link, offers long-time inmates an education – and a
new lease on life.” There will be a discussion with Hudson Link’s found and
staff members. Informatioon, Assiatant Professor Alexandra Cox, Sociology Dept.
Information, (845) 257-3756, (845) 257-2970.
√√ Tuesday, March 17, KINGSTON: The Ulster County Legislature is voting
on whether to protect the Hudson River Watershed and their local environment
from the impacts of polystyrene foam. The environmental group Riverkeeper urges
county residents to show up at the
County Office Building, 6th Floor, 244 Fair St. to make comments in support of “A Local Law
Regulating The Use Of Polystyrene Foam Disposable Food Service Ware By Food
Service Establishments in Ulster County.” You must sign up at least an hour
before the 8 p.m. meeting. Here are Riverkeeper’s innstructions: http://river.convio.net/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=23681&em_id=19161.0&printer_friendly=1
√√ Wednesday to Saturday, March 18 to 21, WASHINGTON: March 18 is the 12th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. A broad coalitiion of peace and justice groups initiated by West Coast peace activist Cindy Sheehan will take place here under the title, “Spring Rising: Oppose The World Police State.” On Saturday there will be a 12 noon- 1p.m. rally across from the White House, followed by a march to the Capitol where there will be a brief second rally. This is being organized by the ANSWER Coalition. According to Sheehan (who lost her son in the Iraq war) there will be “four days of creative resistance; theater, teach-ins; rallies and marches marking the anniversary of the United States ‘shock and awe’ attack on Iraq and its invasion and occupation in a completely illegitimate, immoral war. Together we will use this time to oppose the plans and calls for growing military intervention.... Did you or your organization join in the protests against police violence and murder, because Black Lives Matter? Are you with the Dreamers working for rights for all people to live without fear? Are you one of the many who have dropped everything to protest the global destruction of the environment because of our dependence on fossil fuels? Then, in effect, if you did — join up! About a hundred organizations are co-sponsoring, from Amnesty to World Can’t Wait. A ton of information is at http://cindysheehanssoapbox.com/spring-rising-an-anti-war-intervention-in-dc.html, including all the sponsors plus a link to the complete and impressive schedule of events.
 |
| Sing Sing inmate studying for his college degree. |
√√ Wednesday, March 25, NEW YORK
CITY: Today is the 104th anniversary of the historic Triangle
Waist Co. fire that took the lives of
146 workers, nearly all immigrant women. Join the AFL-CIO, the Remember
the Triangle Fire Coalition, the Jewish Labor Committee and others to commorate
this tragedy, The event will honor the legacy of progressive labor
reforms that followed, and stand with workers who face similar conditions
today. The 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. event will be at Washington Place
and Greene St., in Manhattan.
 |
| Young people at recent Bil'in demonstration. |
√√ Thursday, March 26, MIDDLETOWN: Long time Palestinian nonviolent activist
Iyad Burnat will speak at 7 p.m. in Mulberry House Senior Center, 62-70 West
Main St. Local activist Sam Sussman will also speak at this second session of
the Middle East Reality Forum. The meeting will focus on the highly acclaimed documentary
Five Broken Cameras by Emad Burnat. The film is a first-hand account of a
decade of nonviolent protests in the West Bank farming community of Bil’in against Israeli authoritarianism and
violence. Iyad Burnat is the director’s brother and a coordinator of the
protests. He will speak about life under Israeli occupation, his village’s
ongoing struggle for justice and freedom, and what inspires him to continue
nonviolent resistance. Sussman is the co-founder of EXTEND, an
organization dedicated to acquainting Jewish visitors to Israel with Palestinian
life on the West Bank. Information, (845) 569-9252.
 |
| Iyad Burnat will discuss Bil'in's many protests |
√√ Friday, March 27,
MILLBROOK: Colorado State University Professor Kurt Fausch will discuss his new
book, “For the Love of Rivers,” which builds on the award-winning documentary
“River Webs.” Learn about the living tapestry of river ecosystems, including
their connections to forests and humanity. This presentation will feature
several short films. This free public event will be held in the Cary Institute
auditorium, 2801 Sharon Turnpike (Rt. 44). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Books will
be available for purchase. Information (845) 677-7600, ext.121.
 |
| Four of the many Freedom Riders who were jailed in 1961. |
√√ Friday,
March 27, POUGHKEEPSIE: A
screening of the historical film “Freedom Riders” will take place at the Sadie
Peterson Delaney African Roots Library (2nd floor) of The Family
Partnership Center, 29 North Hamilton St. It is part of the PBS Series “Created
Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” We’re told: “The film chronicles the
story behind hundreds of civil rights activists called the Freedom Riders who
challenged the racial segregation of the American interstate transport by
traveling together in small interracial groups and sitting where they chose on
the buses and trains to demand equal access to terminal restaurants and waiting
rooms, and to bring racial segregation to national attention. These brave,
nonviolent Freedom Fighters encountered vicious police and racist violence in the South.
√√ Monday, March 30, NEW PALTZ (SUNY campus): The Black Studies
Dept. is sponsoring a free public lecture by Assistant Professor Zelbert Moore
on the topic of "Brazil in the World," 6:60-7:30 p.m. in Lecture
Center 104. Information, butterfd@zmail.newpaltz.edu.
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