These days, what with the whole financial crisis and all, fundraising is getting tight for all kinds of cool projects. One of them is the Commemorator, a newspaper put out by some former Black Panthers, who I really like a lot. They run a literacy program, too. As I mentioned in my book, Farm City, the BP started school gardens long before it became the fashion. So when Melvin Dickson called and asked me to have a fundraiser for his group, I was more than happy to oblige.
I’ll be talking for the first part, reading from Farm City and maybe showing some slides about urban farms. I will also discuss my recent trip to Kenya and things I learned while there. After a break with refreshments, Melvin will take the stage and discuss a history of self-empowerment that the BPs promoted. I think he’s going to show this video of the school started by the Panthers, which makes you think about history in a very different way.
Here’s the 411:
Neibyl Proctor Library
6501 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
February 12, 7pm
Free: but donations are gladly accepted to support the CCBPP’s literacy program. Books will be available for sale, and all proceeds go to the literacy program.
Hope to meet you there!
The Urban Orchardist 
This is a great idea. I learned more about the community-enriching roots of the BPs when I saw an exhibit of Emory Douglas’s artwork, who was the long-time BP Minister of Culture . Countless posters and newspaper lithographs of the breakfast programs, literacy programs, the upliftment of women, shout outs to the United Farm Workers and on . It was a beautiful and inspiring and well-hidden show. I’m going to look into the Commemorator and donate to the cause. Thanks for posting this.
I learned Quark at a printing press in Oakland that published the Commemorator. It was fun, reading about the Black Panthers, and talking to Melvin.