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).
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Holiday Hiatus
I'm taking a few days off and will resume publishing actions sometime after the Fourth of July weekend. Have a safe and happy holiday. I'll be grilling, and you can follow my cooking adventures on my other blog, www.whaticook.com.
Thousands of activists across the country will welcome Independence Day with the AFL-CIO's National Workplace Week of Action to expose the employer war on workers who try to organize unions. Join the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO, on Tuesday, June 29, from 5 to 6 p.m., at the Farragut North Metro (Connecticut Avenue/K Street entrance). For more information, e-mail streetheat@dclabor.org.
A people's hearing on public financing of Major League Baseball in DC will be held on Monday, June 28, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library (901 G St. NW, Room A-5). Come out to hear experts discuss how residents lose when their taxes are used to create sports arenas for billionaire team owners, share your views on where $400 million should be spent, and tell the City Council to vote against this misuse of DC taxes! This event is sponsored by EmpowerDC. For more information, call 202/234-9119.
Celebrate full funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund! Meet the tenant leaders and activists that made this win possible, and hear about the exciting work of Empower DC at a fundraiser on Friday, June 25, from 4 to 8 p.m., at St. Augustine Church (1419 V St. NW). Admission is $5 and includes food and music. RSVP to Empower DC at 202/234-9119.
Help Emmaus Services for the Aging pack and deliver about 170 food bags to seniors in the Shaw neighborhood. Volunteers who deliver regularly will get acquainted with the folks who receive the bags. Meet in the alley directly behind Bread for the City (1525 7th Street NW; off of the 600 block of Q Street) on Saturday, June 25, at 9:30 a.m. To volunteer or for more information, contact Emmaus Services volunteer coordinator Sarah Tooley at 202/745-1200, ext. 13, or Sarah.Tooley@EmmausServices.org.
Join 1,000 hotel workers and their supporters as Hotel and Restaurant Workers Local 25 kicks off its contract campaign! Rally on Thursday, June 24, at 4:30 p.m. at Dupont Circle. For more information, call 202/737-2225 or send an e-mail.
"Freedom Song" is Danny Glover's wonderful, true portrayal of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement in 1964. The movie will be shown, free and open to the public, on Thursday, June 24, at 8 p.m. at the George Washington University (1957 E St. NE; 7th Floor). For more information, contact Chester Hartman, director of research at the Poverty and Race Research Action Council, at 202/387-9887 or chartman@prrac.org.
Empower DC, a grassroots organizing project, is hiring part-time summer interns to assist with its community-based campaigns. Empower DC's mission is to enhance and improve the self-advocacy of low- and moderate-income DC residents to bring about sustained quality-of-life improvements.
Possible intern projects include support work related to: affordable housing and anti-displacement work; quality, affordable childcare assistance for low-income families; voter education and registration; the neighborhood oral history project in Northeast DC; and organizing opposition to Mayor Tony Williams's proposal for a taxpayer-funded baseball stadium.
Interns should be committed to social justice and passionate about the empowerment of DC residents. Good social and oral communication skills are a must. Hours and days are flexible and can be worked out on an individual basis. Unfortunately, no pay is available at this time. For more information, contact Parisa Norouzi at 202/234-9119 or parisa@empowerdc.org.
Six labor choruses from around the country the Brooklyn Women's Chorus, the DC Labor Chorus, Fruit of Labor, the New York City Labor Chorus, the San Francisco Bay Area Labor Heritage/Rocking Solidarity Chorus, and the Seattle Labor Chorus will perform in the Great Labor Choral Convergence, a free concert for the public on Saturday, June 19, at 7:30 p.m., at the Washington Ethical Society (7750 16th St. NW). For more information, call 202/974-8040.
The Black Expressions Film Festival is a presentation of the highest quality of commercial and independent films by Black artists, and this year's theme is Black music. The one-day event will spotlight feature-length films, including Spike Lees "Mo Better Blues," and films shorts like "Beyond Beats and Rhymes." Filmmakers will discuss their work after selected screenings.
The Black Expressions Series is the result of the ongoing partnership between Mason/Rhynes Productions and the Lincoln Theatre. In addition, the Black Expressions Film Festival is being held in conjunction with the 2004 Fete de la Musique DC music celebration sponsored by the DC Arts Commission.
The festival takes place on Saturday, June 19, from noon to 9 p.m. at the Lincoln Theatre (1215 U St. NW; U Street Metro). Tickets are $20 for an all-day pass, or $10 for a single event. The first 100 patrons at the box office on the day of the show will win a free single-event ticket or half off the price of an all-day pass, courtesy of the DC Arts Commission. For more information, call the Lincoln Theatre at 202/328-6000 or Jose Dominguez at 202/724-5614.
PMI workers are struggling for justice. The local parking attendants are trying to unionize, despite the worst intention of their employer. Local 27 has asked PMI to meet to discuss a fair and democratic process for the workers to demonstrate their preference on unionization. What has been PMI's response? Silence!
Join us as we demonstrate for justice at PMI. Show solidarity with PMI workers at the garage of the company's headquarters (1730 M St. NW, between Connecticut Avenue and 17th Street) on Thursday, June 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. For more information, call Krista at 202/545-1789, ext. 12.
The first workshop in a three-part series "Electoral Politics: How to Get Involved" is designed to help people with an interest in politics understand the spectrum of options for getting involved. Other workshops will spotlight job, volunteer, training and fundraising opportunities in the fall elections, and help organizations that are doing electoral work recruit volunteers, campaigners and fundraisers.
The first workshop will be held Wednesday, June 16, 6:45 to 8:45 p.m., at SALSA (733 15th St. NW, Suite 1020). The workshops are free and open to the public, but a suggested $5 donation to support the SALSA program would be greatly appreciated. Register in advance and receive a special gift! Call 202/234-9382, ext.229, or register online at www.HotSalsa.org.
SILVERDOCS opens this week. The documentary film festival, hosted by the American Film Institute and the Discovery Channel, runs from Tuesday, June 15, to Sunday, June 20. Click here for more information.
Capital Pride week winds up this weekend with a parade and street festival. The parade kicks off on Saturday, June 12, at 6 p.m., in front of Francis Junior High School (2425 N St. NW). The Capital Pride Street Festival is on Sunday, June 13, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue between Seventh and Third streets NW, and also on Constitution Avenue between Seventh and Fourth streets NW.
The flag of the United States of America can stand for beautiful ideals of truth, democracy, equality, freedom and justice for all. Unfortunately, our nation has behaved in ways that soil the purity of those ideals. The recent preemptive and unilateral invasion of Iraq is the latest in a series of examples of how the American people need to demand that their government take a step back and reflect on what real American values should be.
Join an ad hoc, interfaith, multiracial committee of people for peace and justice to scrub our flag and remove the stains of racism, classism, militarism, imperialism, injustice, oppression and other historic and current-day evils and to hold up the hope of a new United States based on real American values and ideals.
Thirteen speakers will each briefly address one of the stains on our flag. They will each wash one of the stripes and speak about what the flag truly should stand for. Bring your own flag US or any kind to scrub in the washtubs provided.
Join in on Flag Day, Monday, June 14, at noon, at the Archives Plaza (Pennsylvania Avenue and Eighth Street NW; Archives/Navy Memorial Metro). For more information, call 202-484-FLAG (3524) or send an e-mail.
The DC Dyke March, an annual march and rally starting at Dupont Circle and open to people from all parts of the queer spectrum, strives to celebrate the unique identity of dykes within the larger queer community by radically and unapologetically raising dyke visibility, educating the public, allowing dyke voices to be heard, keeping herstory alive and reclaiming queer territory. Join in on Saturday, June 12, at 1 p.m.
Poetry Under the Stars is a weekly gathering of artistic expression (poetry, dance, film/video, hip hop, performance art, etc.) at Sankofa Video and Books (2714 Georgia Ave. NW; Howard University/Shaw Metro). This family-friendly event is free and open to all every Friday evening, 7 to 9 p.m., from June 4 to August 13. For more information, call 202/234-4755.
Join Amnesty International, distinguished speakers and fellow community members at a community forum to share perspectives and to speak out against torture and human rights violations in Iraq and around the world. Take this opportunity to learn more about how the treatment of Abu Ghraib prisoners undermines the legitimacy of the US-led occupation of Iraq and how you can take action against such atrocities.
Everyone is encouraged to attend on Thursday, June 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at World Vision (300 I St. NE; Union Station Metro). For more information, contact Anusha at 202/544.0200, ext. 275, or send an e-mail.
The DC Guerrilla Poetry Insurgency is a non-hierarchical, anti-authoritarian, pro-humanity artists' collective incorporating music, rhythm, spoken word, song, community and resistance. The group hosts free speech gatherings in public places. Join them tonight, Monday, June 7 and every first and third Monday of the month from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the fountain in Dupont Circle. For more information, call 202/236-7747.
The Amnesty International Capitol Hill Group and DC Indymedia present an evening of guest speakers and short films on Tuesday, June 8, at Visions Cinema (1927 Florida Avenue NW; 202/667-0090), starting at 6:45 p.m. Admission is $7. Click here for more information.
The Shaw EcoVillage/Chain Reaction and Manna CDC are hosting a family-friendly bicycle festival, which will include:
* Bicycle fittings and safety checks
* A helmet giveaway
* An obstacle course and "slowest person" race
* A raffle of bike-related services and items donated by local businesses
* A "petting zoo" featuring bikes and other human-powered vehicles
* Advice and workshops for adult bike enthusiasts, including commuting and technical skills
* A guided bike tour of the Shaw historical neighborhood.
The event was developed by EcoDesign Corps interns, and will be held on Saturday, June 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Shaw Skate Park (11th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW). For more information, call Noel at 202/265-2019.
For those of you who want to participate in this weekend's peace activities, the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) is sponsoring a Friday night Speak Out and a DC contingent to the march on Saturday. Meet at the DAWN banner at 11:45 am Saturday at the McPherson Square Metro, White House exit.
"Find your own language. Develop your own authority." Edward W. Said to his students
The US Campaign to End Israeli Occupation and Black Voices for Peace invite you to a celebration of the life, work and contributions of Edward W. Said to the movements against apartheid, against racism, against occupation, and for South African and Palestinian freedom.
Join in on Friday, June 4, at 7:30 p.m., at the New Bethel Baptist Church (Ninth and S Streets NW; Shaw-Howard University Metro). Admission is free, and there will be special musical guests and speakers, including human rights activist and actor Danny Glover. For more information, call Black Voices for Peace at 202/232-5690.
Come to an open house celebration to launch the Adams Morgan/Dupont Circle chapter of Amnesty International. Help navigate the course of this Amnesty chapter, meet other folks concerned about human rights, and find out what activists in your area are up to! Meet on Thursday, June 3, from 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Love Cafe (1501 U St. NW). For more information, e-mail Cheryl.
Confronting Corporate Violations of Workers' Rights
Join Jim Hightower, members of Congress and the new Jobs with Justice National Workers' Rights Board to hear testimony from Comcast and Wackenhut workers on their employers' illegal interference in their efforts to form a union. Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV company, and Wackenhut is the second largest private security company in the country.
The hearing will link the workers' experience with the broader need for passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (S. 1925/H.R. 3619). If passed, this bill would expedite recognition of unions and help prevent employer interference. It also would provide for mediation and arbitration to help workers reach a first contract, and meaningful penalties when employers violate workers' rights.
The event is Wednesday, June 2, from noon to 2 p.m., at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel (2660 Woodley Rd. NW, Maryland Room; Woodley Park Metro). For more information, contact Lynne Turner at Jobs with Justice, 202/434-1186.
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
