All Events
Race Matters Series
The Struggle to Abolish Environmental Racism Pam Tau Lee
MCC Theater
This talk will highlight the Asian radical imaginings of environmental justice from the homeland to the frontlines. Rooted in 50 years of Asian American radical activism and environmental justice organizing, Pam Tau Lee addresses the question: “Can an Asian radical perspective contribute toward achieving environmental justice?” Pam Tau Lee is a veteran Asian American organizer and activist. She was involved in the San Francisco Asian American struggles of the 1960s-70s and helped found both the Chinese Progressive Association and the Asian Pacific Environmental Network. Pam has worked with some of the most important people in the environmental justice movement to insist that the movement focuses on environmental racism, Indigenous struggles, and include the voices and leadership of the most vulnerable.
Music Performance
Ismail Lumanovski and Inspector Gadje Balkan Brass
MCC Theater
Ismail Lumanovski (mastermind of New York Gypsy All-Stars) and Inspector Gadje released their debut album Live At Kafana Balkan in March 2017. There’s been a buzz from the start for this pairing, which consistently draws sold out crowds propelled by high energy, soaring, funky, dirty, ecstatic brass. The New York Times called Lumanovski a 'brilliant, fearless young clarinetist, “ and the San Francisco Chronicle calls Gadje 'an instant party atmosphere,' so you can imagine the virtuosity and sway this dynamic project inspires. While Lumanovski and Inspector Gadje each stand tall as performers in their own right, together they have a certain synergy and magic that take their music to new heights. Tight and adventurous arrangements, grooves that get under the skin and into the feet, and epic solos come together for music that touches the heart, stirs the soul, and moves the body. $5 for UCSB students and youth under 12; $15 for general admission.
Buy Tickets Here: https://events.ucsb.edu/event/ismail-lumanovski-and-inspector-gadje-balkan-brass/
Race and Literature Series
Brother, I’m Dying
This year, the MultiCultural Center kicked off a new series to explore the issues of race and belonging through literature. This will be an interactive space for lively discussions on various theories about race, a safe space for articulating perspectives on identity and belonging which are contextualized by different authors, and an intentional time for centering the narratives of marginalized communities. Discussions will be facilitated by various faculty members, graduate students, and staff members. Readings may be suggested but are not required for attendance. This series hopes to cultivate open dialogue, and a spirit of appreciation and intellectual kinship. Dessert will be provided! All are welcome.
Engaging Communities with Resilient Love
Civic Imagination: Roadmaps, Stories, Research and Calls to Action Sangita Shresthova
MCC Theater
Drawing on the work of the Civic Imagination Project at the University of Southern California, this interactive talk engages the imagination as a complex tool for civic action. Here, the civic imagination is defined as the capacity to imagine alternatives to current cultural, social, political, or economic conditions; one cannot change the world unless one can imagine what a better world might look like.This talk will offer a historical context and theoretical framework to situate our approach to the civic imagination. Sangita Shresthova, Ph.D., focuses on digital media, civics, participation, the civic imagination, and cross cultural dialogue. Her recent academic research has focused on storytelling and surveillance among American Muslim youth, the fallout from the Kony2012 campaign, and global Bollywood.
