DC Metro Action is a listing of local actions, entertainment, volunteer opportunities and the occasional rant on a wide range of socially just issues.
contact me at dcmetroaction@comcast.net
Action of the Day Many of these action alerts are found on the listservs and websites of organizations listed in our "Act Locally" section (Left).
Monday, February 28, 2005
Haiti: One Year After the Coup
A year after a coup ousted the democratically elected government of President Jean Bertand Aristide, Haiti is in political and socioeconomic chaos, and there's no coordinated international movement to restore democracy. Meanwhile, the U.S. has a blanket detention-and-return policy for Haitians seeking asylum to escape the turmoil.
Join the debate on Haiti's political future and the U.S. treatment of Haitian refugees at a town hall meeting moderated by TransAfrica Forum president Bill Fletcher Jr. It's on Monday, Feb. 28, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Plymouth Congregational UCC (5301 North Capitol St. at Missouri/Riggs NW). Jean-Luc Princivil, Haitian classical singer of Opera Bel Canto, will open and close the program. For more information, contact Joia Jefferson Nuri at 202/223-1960, ext. 131, or Jane English at 202/488-4375.
Update: The organizers of the Haiti Town Hall Meeting have decided to postpone the event due to the expected poor weather conditions.
Come to a panel discussion on the impact of the armed conflict in Darfur on women and girls and learn what you can do to help. Hosted by the women's human rights action team of Amnesty International DC, the George Washington University Amnesty International Chapter and the International Network of the Women's Information Network, the discussion is on Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 7 to 9 p.m., at GWU (800 21st St. NW; Marvin Center, 3rd floor ballroom).
Rally with the Fair Budget Coalition as it releases its budget recommendations for fiscal year 2006 for the District of Columbia. "Keeping Score – Where Will the Surplus Go? Using the Surplus to Help Families Live, Learn and Play in DC" states that District leaders should use the opportunity of the city's strong finances to make much-needed investments in DC residents – particularly low- and moderate-income residents who have not benefited from DC's economic revival.
Last year, District leaders voted to spend hundreds of millions on a baseball stadium. This year, it's time they put resources into real priorities. But this will happen only if Mayor Williams and the DC Council hear this message from a lot of residents. A big turnout is needed!
Rally at the Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, room to be announced) on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m.
Visit Maryland's first 90% renewable energy home. See a corn-burning furnace, solar panels, hybrid and bio-diesel cars, low-energy refrigerator and a tofu-powered lawn mower. Learn how to landscape your yard with native plants, and see a solar oven firsthand! It's sponsored by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 7125 Willow Ave., Takoma Park, Md. The open house is free; wind energy certificates and energy-efficient light bulbs will be available for purchase. For more information, call 301/920-1644.
The Howard County Coalition for Peace and Justice sponsors a monthly discussion group to exchange ideas and discuss political and social issues. The next one is on Saturday, Feb. 12, from 2 to 4 p.m., at the East Columbia Branch Library (6600 Cradlerock Way, Columbia, Md.). For more information, contact ForPeace@aol.com or 410/992-3255.
A silent Interfaith Peace Walk, open to people of all faiths (or no faith), will take place on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. Meet in the center of Lafayette Park by the statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse (16th and H Streets NW). After a welcome and short prayer/meditation, participants will mindfully and silently walk for peace around the White House. The walk is sponsored by the Washington Buddhist Peace Fellowship. For more information, send an e-mail here.
Charlie King and Karen Brandow are renowned folk musicians, storytellers and political satirists who sing and write passionately about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. They have sung in support of numerous groups working for peace, human rights, environmental sanity and alternatives to violence across the US. Their music has been sung and recorded by performers such as Pete Seeger.
See them on Friday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m., at St. Aloysius Catholic Church (900 N. Capitol St. NW; Union Station Metro) at a free concert sponsored by the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Community. For more information, call 202/882-9649 or 202/829-7625, or e-mail Colleen McCarthy.
Howard Dean as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee could be the jolt this party needs – or its kiss of death. Only time will tell. In the meantime, join Dean and other grassroots supporters at a rally to celebrate the success of Democracy for America candidates, and listen to the former Vermont governor discuss his vision for the future of the Democratic Party.
It's happening on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m., at Capitol City Brewery (2 Massachusetts Ave. NE; Union Station Metro). RSVP here.
"Give Your Heart to [DC Jobs With] Justice" at a pre-Valentine's Day happy hour benefit and help DC Jobs With Justice continue its work of protecting the rights of working people and supporting community struggles to build a more just society. The event is sponsored by Solidarity DC, which is committed to bringing the DC area's progressive community together to have fun and achieve justice, one happy hour at a time! You can sign up for e-mail updates from the group here.
The benefit will start at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, at Vida (1120 20th St. NW), and will feature live music from the U-liners and Sugoi. Solidarity drink specials will go all night, with Vida donating 10 percent of the bar bill to Jobs With Justice. The suggested donation is $8, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
"Women and the Civil Rights Movement: The Untold Story" – a presentation by Elsa Barkley Brown, associate professor of history and women's studies at the University of Maryland-College Park – brings to light not only the names and biographies of women who individually played an instrumental role in the Civil Rights Movement, but also sheds light on the role of women as a collective force. Brown will focus on the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott (and earlier transportation boycotts) and will draw from testimony, primary documents and historical chronologies.
Brown is the co-editor of "Black Women in America: An Historical Encyclopedia." Discounted copies of the book will be available for purchase at the event on Wednesday, Feb. 9, from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. at SALSA (733 H St. NW, Suite 1020). Admission is $10. For more information, call 202/234-9382, ext. 229.
Join members of the Blackout Arts Collective, DC Guerilla Poetry Insurgency, the Rhythm Workers Union, and other musicians, artists and poets in a benefit for Left Turn magazine, which is starting its fourth year of publication. The response from readers across the country (and the world) has been overwhelming, and for the second year in a row, three of the magazine's stories made Project Censored's list of the Top 25 Censored Stories. Left Turn also has received nominations for general excellence and international coverage from Utne magazine.
The benefit – which will feature a screening of a clip from an upcoming documentary on Palestinian hip hop, "Slingshot Hip Hop: The Palestinian Lyrical Front" – is on Saturday, Feb. 5, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Cafe Mawonaj (624 T St. NW). A $10 donation is requested, but no one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Neighbors United for Justice and Peace is holding a forum, "Weapons of Mass Destruction in Our Midst: Nuclear Power Reactors and Radioactive Waste Shipments" – the latest in a monthly series of public events that address the pressing social issues facing our neighborhoods, our country and the world. The group is made up of local residents from Mt. Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville and beyond.
The forum, which will include the short video "Chernobyl Heart," is on Friday, Feb. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m., at Mt. Rainier City Hall (34th Street and Rhode Island Avenue, Mt. Rainier, Md.). Refreshments and childcare will be available. For more information, call 301/864-1009.
Can the "Green" movement be inclusive of people of color? LaDonna Redmond, founder of the Austin Black Farmers' Market in Chicago, says it can, and she is proving that with innovative inner-city programs that bring organic foods and urban farms to communities that have otherwise been left out of the picture.
Come to a brown bag luncheon, sponsored by the DC Environmental Network and Chesapeake Bioneers, to see "The Color of Sustainability," featuring Redmond and her work, on Thursday, Feb. 3, from noon to 2 p.m., at Friends of the Earth (1717 Mass. Ave. NW, Rm. 600). The video will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Larry Bohlen. Please remember to bring a picture ID. For more information, contact Chris Weiss at 202/222-0746 or cweiss@foe.org.
For thousands of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Jamaicans, home is no paradise. Violent crimes against the GLBT community, including rape, beatings and even murder, are reported each year. Prominent recording artists incorporate graphic references to homophobic violence in their music. And government leaders refuse to address the issue.
One group is speaking out. Representatives from the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays (J-FLAG) will be speaking in Washington, DC. Come learn what's happening in Jamaica, and what you can do about it. This event – organized by OUTfront and the DC OUTfront Action Team, and co-sponsored by The Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Watch – aims to raise awareness about the current conditions in Jamaica for those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender.
It's on Thursday, Feb. 3, at the Human Rights Campaign (1640 Rhode Island Ave.; the Equality Center). There is a reception at 7 p.m., and the program starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information, contact info@dcOUTfront.org.
Come groove with the movers and shakers in DC! Mix, mingle and move with activist-trainers, community leaders and fellow activists at a festive evening to support one of DC’s premier social change training programs, SALSA. The party is on Thursday, Feb. 3, from 7 to 10:30 p.m., at Cada Vez Restaurant (1438 U St. NW). The live sounds of Cubano Groove will be featured along with special guest emcee for the evening, Jim Byers of WPFW’s Friday night Latin Flavor. There will be auctions, raffles and more! Admission is $20 for an individual and $35 per couple. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 202/234-9382.
DC Metro Action is published by Michael Schlesinger, a 32-year veteran of electoral and issue organizing who is committed to social justice and to increasing participation in the political process.
All original content (C) 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Michael Schlesinger
Visit Maryland's first 90% renewable energy home. See a corn-burning furnace, solar panels, hybrid and bio-diesel cars, low-energy refrigerator and a tofu-powered lawn mower. Learn how to landscape your yard with native plants, and see a solar oven firsthand! It's sponsored by the 
A silent Interfaith Peace Walk, open to people of all faiths (or no faith), will take place on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. Meet in the center of Lafayette Park by the statue of Andrew Jackson on a horse (16th and H Streets NW). After a welcome and short prayer/meditation, participants will mindfully and silently walk for peace around the White House. The walk is sponsored by the 
Howard Dean as the chairman of the Democratic National Committee could be the jolt this party needs – or its kiss of death. Only time will tell. In the meantime, join Dean and other grassroots supporters at a rally to celebrate the success of Democracy for America candidates, and listen to the former Vermont governor discuss his vision for the future of the Democratic Party.
Neighbors United for Justice and Peace is holding a forum, "Weapons of Mass Destruction in Our Midst: Nuclear Power Reactors and Radioactive Waste Shipments" – the latest in a monthly series of public events that address the pressing social issues facing our neighborhoods, our country and the world. The group is made up of local residents from Mt. Rainier, Brentwood, Hyattsville and beyond.
One group is speaking out. Representatives from the 
