she is always speaking to us if we are listening.

Women of Color in America have grown up within a symphony of anger, at being silenced, at being unchosen, at knowing that when we survive it is in spite of a world that takes for granted our lack of humanness, and which hates our very existence outside its service. And I say symphony rather than cacophony , because we have had to learn to orchestrate those furies so they do not tear us apart.

– Audre Lorde “The Uses of Anger: Women Responding to Racism”

student power

this is from the wooden shoe (phila, pa) listserve. i don't know its current status [UPDATE: SEE THEIR BLOG, LINK BELOW]. below i've posted a link to a nyt article and some photos from santiago, chile last spring.

From New York City:

We have just occupied New School University.
We liberate this space for ourselves, and all those who want to join us,
for our general autonomous use. We take the university in explicit
solidarity with those occupying the universities and streets in Greece,
Italy, France and Spain.

This occupation begins as a response to specific conditions at the New
School, the corporatization of the university and the impoverishment of
education in general. However, it is not just this university but also New
York City that is in crisis: in the next several months, thousands of us
will be losing our jobs, while housing remains unaffordable and
unavailable to many and the cost of living skyrockets.

So we stress that the general nature of these intolerable conditions
exists across the spectrum of capitalist existence, in our universities
and our cities, in all of our social relations. For this reason, what
begins tonight at the New School cannot, and should not, be contained
here.

Thus: with this occupation, we inaugurate a wave of occupations in New
York City and the United States,a coming wave of occupations, blockades,
and strikes in this time of crisis.

Be assured, this is only the beginning,
With solidarity and love from New York to Greece,
To Italy, France and Spain,
To the coming insurrection.
-The occupied New School


IF YOU CAN MAKE IT TO 65 5TH AVE BETWEEN 13TH AND 14TH WE CAN USE YOUR
SUPPORT!More information to come

NEW SCHOOL IN EXILE
nyt article

SANTIAGO, CHILE: june/july 2008

this is a university which is just a few blocks from my host family's house, in the neighborhood of Ñuñoa (south of Providencia). unfortunately, i can't quite remember the name of this school right now, but this picture depicts the student-occupied campus, with chairs stacked up against the gate. the sign on the left reads, "taken," or, occupied. "Nacional context of social mobilization. NO to the education of the market. Paralysis of administrative and academic activities. NO TO THE LGE [the general education law]."
inside the campus, Diferencial is a facultad, like a department. "en toma,"--occupied.
(from the inside, looking out on the street)

You put the Care in Care Package

My mama sent me a package today with little hearts all over it and with chocolate covered almonds from the Farmer's Market in Atlanta inside. She was in the post office for over an hour waiting to send it and doodled on the box. She wrote fragile twice on the box and after one of the "fragiles" she wrote in little letters:

fragile...

...lives
economy
weather
relationships
stories
countries
people
bones
homes
environment




over in the corner it said, "but, you be strong!"




Mama, thank you for acknowledging and saying that it's ok to feel fragile. it makes it possible for me to feel strong..