Support the Fight to end Racism

[damali ayo]

Friends, colleagues, fans and fellow artists and activists-

This November brings the first semi-annual pledge drive at damaliayo.com. This is the first time I've launched a concerted effort to bolster the work I do with financial contributions from those of you who enjoy and benefit from the things I create and offer to you free of charge.

You can visit http://damaliayo.com now to make a contribution. 

What does your contribution support?

Here's a reminder of the projects I've brought you during this past year:

January kicked off the year with the release of the free Now Art document "I Can Fix It: Racism," a collection of over 2000 people's solutions for ending racism. This project has become an invaluable tool for individuals and organizations working to combat racism. At my talks this year, I've distributed over 2500 free copies of this document. YWCA anti-racism trainers, independent diversity trainers, classes and non-violence educators across the country are all using the "I Can Fix It" solutions in their trainings. It's even been translated into Dutch for use in Holland. We're getting very close to developing a wide-based language and approach to improving our society. The more this document is disseminated, the more people will be working from the same playbook and we'll make progress in a more concerted way.

In February I launched "Now Art Grants" which through our donations, to date has distributed $1500 to artists creating social change work. These artists are busy creating work that both challenges and entertains. This work is accessible on a grassroots level and often delivered right to your email in-box.

In May I recognized Allison Jackson with the first Liba Nelson Vital Voice Award for one student whose story touches me deeply. It's so critical to support the voice of young people so that they can lead this fight with the vibrancy, passion, and heart that only youth have. This award will be given annually.

This Summer I created Black. Brown. Green. a web-portal dedicated to combining environmental sustainability with social justice. I've brought on Matt Nelson to be senior editor of this project which is a powerful black-brown connection and expands the damaliayo.com network into exciting new ground.

This year I also released damali ayo LIVE a cd of my book reading at Seattle's Elliot Bay bookstore. This cd, available for digital download on iTunes, Amie Street and other outlets, (thus creating no environmental waste) is an entertaining way to engage a conversation about race and racism. The Q and A section shows us how we can dialogue as a community as you hear white folks answering a black audience member's question "Why would white people want to end racism?"

Dose of Reality was launched, revamped and relaunched to bring you conversations about everything from race, to health care, to gentrification. This show gets people talking to each other.

I started a blog where I have regular columns about race, current events, five-things, Barack Obama, sustainable living, and patriotism. This is a place for you to dialogue with me and other readers about issues that affect our lives on a daily basis.

I created a eco-living page to introduce you to over 50 simple ways you can improve your life and decrease your footprint on this earth.

October 10 was the first annual National Day of Panhandling for Reparations where I coordinated 70 people in 21 states and 3 countries to take to the streets and join in creating a dialogue about reparations in this country modeled after my street performance "Living Flag."

This year I've spoken to over 15 schools to challenge them to take racism on as their personal issue, get off their butts and get to work.

I've been on numerous radio and newspaper interviews getting people to think differently about race in this country, and trying to add a diversity of voices to the mix of the conversation about race. This year I was asked to comment on any number of racial issues including Don Imus, the n-word, the b-word, reparations, diversity in the workplace, the "read a book" video, and a wide range of race-related news stories. I've become a regular guest on Weekend America's segment "Good News, Bad News or No News" adding a new voice to the public discourse about current events.

And of course, I write you on a regular basis to let you know what I'm up to, what other artists to check out, and to dialogue about race issues in our collective community.

Wow. That sounds like a lot of work to me, and it was! If it sounds like a lot of work to you, visit http://damaliayo.com now to make a contribution. 

But here's the reality. Even though I work packed hours on all of these projects, I am paid for very few of them. My lecture work is the single source of real income resulting from my anti-racist and art work. Though I feel so fortunate to be paid for my talks, it will take more than that for me to continue this work. It will take the regular support from this community.

There's a sad misconception that artists sleep late, drink a lot and walk around with our eyes to the stars dreaming about a fantasy world that could be. I'm working hard to demonstrate that artists are everything but that. I and the artists I support work hard days and long nights to inspire our world to change and live the visions we hold dear. A typical week of my work includes five 8-10 hour days working on projects, ideas, and concepts that force people to look honestly at racism challenge our collective society to get out of their comfort zones and start taking action to end racism. When I'm not working hard on these projects, I am visiting schools and universities presenting "I Can Fix It" where I challenge white people to take responsibility for ending racism and remind people of color to both take care of ourselves and bond together into a larger community. This year alone, I've visited 15 campuses and distributed over 2500 copies of the "I Can Fix It" document.

When you donate to damaliayo.com and my work, you can be confident that your contribution quickly becomes action. I work hard to get things accomplished and deliver that accomplishment to you.

Each month I personally make a donation to RAINN (the Rape Abuse Incest National Network), each quarter I contribute to Barak Obama's campaign, and I regularly support women's businesses around the world through contributions to Kiva, a micro-finance organization. I know how important it is to me to support the organizations that work on the issues that affect my life, and I know that supporting innovative, challenging, hard-hitting and accessible anti-racism work is just as important to you.

I ask you to make a contribution to this work so that I can continue to be your artist, working for the change we all want to see and experience.

I remain hopeful that we can change this deeply racist culture, I've re-committed to my passion for making that change and with your support I know that I will continue to push hard to make that change a reality.

Please visit http://damaliayo.com now to make a contribution. 

Thank you for reading this, for your time and for your contribution to damaliayo.com

damali

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damali ayo
http://damaliayo.com
Have you fought racism today?