All Events
Book Reading
Truth and Dare: A Comic Book Curriculum for the End and the Beginning of the World!
Online
The goal is to create a space to read and unpack articles, PDFs, e-books, etc written by and for communities at the margins. There will be a specific focus on race/racism; colonialism and capitalism, (eco) feminisms from below, environmental justice, and coalition building/solidarity networks.
Participants will be asked to read the texts beforehand, and will be given a couple guiding questions; however, you can still join even if you have not read the material or answered the questions! Please email Abire Sabbagh, asabbagh@ucsb.edu , if you need access to the readings.
Music Performance
Tufawon Live
Tufawon
MCC Theater
Tufawon (2 for 1) is a Dakota/Boricua hip hop artist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. His name is a representation of his mixed identity, and his music is an honest reflection of his life experiences and personal struggles, his hopes and dreams for the future, spirituality and connectedness to the land, love, and the realities of the world we live in. He has put his life on the line to protect water and our planet. His style is an embodiment of intricate lyricism with complex vocabulary balanced by a very clear, smooth, and concise delivery. With a socially aware approach, he touches on topics such as Indigenous resiliency, politics, health, defending Mother Earth, and fighting against oppressive systems. Another common vibe in his music is humor and lighthearted, fun and catchy songs that are intended to bring a level of happiness to the listener. The underlying message in his music is always connected to freedom.
The past few years have been incredibly active for the hip hop artist and activist. He was recently awarded the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship, one of his biggest accomplishments to date. He participated in the inaugural First Nations SongHubs, where he recorded with Indigenous artists from around the globe at the world famous Abbey Road Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He was also featured on the Breakfast Club and Hot 97 Ebro In The Morning speaking on issues that affect Indigenous communities. He completed his first headlining hip hop tour in Europe "Resilience", and he continues to stay active in his community. From fighting the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock to organizing efforts to Stop Line 3, to speaking at the United Nations in Geneva Switzerland and doing several hip hop tours around the world, Tufawon continues to live out his message and impact the world in a profound way.
Tufawon, along with a crew of incredibly talented Indigenous artists, recently released the LandBack album, a 21 song full length record executive produced by NDN Collective and lead by Nataanii Means and Antoine. This album features 10 Indigenous artists from around Turtle Island showcasing beautifully well-rounded and cohesive songs that proclaim what the message of LandBack means to them. It's energetic, powerful, uplifting and inspiring. Along with this record, Tufawon has been relentlessly releasing singles with 35+ song drops altogether, the most music he's released in a single year. On top of all of the music being released, he has also been actively releasing music video content. He plans to continue working on and releasing music in 2022 and touring the world.
Race Matters Series
Unbreakable Resolve: Building Free-Dem Foundations in New Orleans
Jerome Morgan and Robert Jones
MCC Theater
Jerome Morgan and Robert Jones will make a powerful presentation about mass incarceration in New Orleans and their efforts to rescue young people from its grasp through mentoring and community development projects.
Morgan and Jones spent more than forty years combined in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola before they were exonerated and released. While in prison, at a time when it appeared they had no real chance to be free, they made a pact to one day reunite in New Orleans to set up a cooperative business and mentoring program that would serve young people in danger of being swept into jails and prisons. They enrolled in prison education programs, studied law, and learned trades. With the help of allies outside prison walls they won their freedom. Today Morgan and Jones run the Free-Dem Foundations, a non-profit community-based youth organization in New Orleans that fulfills the vision they created while incarcerated. Morgan works as the Dean of School Culture at Rooted School in New Orleans while Jones serves as Director of Community Outreach and Lead Client Advocate at Orleans Public Defenders. Morgan is also the Dean of School Culture at Rooted School.
Their presentation will cover their own personal experiences with incarceration that they have delineated in their co-authored book (with Daniel Rideau) Unbreakable Resolve as well as a report on the curriculum, mentoring, business start-up, and apprenticeship programs they are implementing in the work of the Free-Dem Foundations. Morgan will speak about his participation in the collectively written book Go To Jail, an archive of twenty years of writing by public school students and teachers, people incarcerated in prisons, academics, attorneys, and their community allies.
Conscious Conversations Series
Understanding the Sacred: Listening to Indigenous People and Land
Mauna Kea Protectors, Uprooted and Rising, and Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation
Online
Under the leadership of Chancellor Yang, the University of California has invested millions of dollars into the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) despite the protest of Native Hawaiians. Join the MCC in learning from the Mauna Kea Protectors, Uprooted and Rising, and Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation who will lead a discussion and Q&A on the University of California and it’s ongoing legacy of land acquisition. Engage with the knowledge shared by Native elders, grassroots leaders, and activists; and learn how you can support Indigenous sovereignty in our local communities and on-campus.
Co-sponsor: Mauna Kea Protectors
Photo credit: @kapzphotography
