WED ISO meeting - Update from Haiti & 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Sit-Ins

[Ethan Boyles]

 

Join us for this week's meeting 

Wed 1/20 at 7pm, Room B14
in the basement of the UW School for Social Work
(Corner of 15th N.E. and N.E. 41st) 

This week we will have a two part meeting to prepare for two upcoming meetings on the disaster in Haiti and on the History of the us Civil Rights Movement. All the info is below!





1. Fiftieth anniversary of the civil rights sit-ins --When the walls of segregation toppled (45 mins)

In the first section of this week's meeting we will discuss the ISR article When the walls of segregation toppled by Brian Jones





This is an initial discussion is preparation for our February 10th meeting on
The History of the Civil Rights Movement
with Guest Speaker Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor from Northwestern University in Chicago.

There are many lessons to be learned from how the Civil Rights Movement was built, and how it developed over the years into a mass movement that not only successfully challenged the US institutions of Jim Crow segregation but also inspired the later 60's movements against the Vietnam War and for Women's and Gay Liberation. Join us for this week's discussion and Save the Date for Feb 10th. 



2. Eyewitness in Haiti: an Unnatural Disaster (55 mins)
Jesse Hagopian, Seattle ISO member, and laid-off Middle School teacher, was in Port-au-Prince with his 1-year-old son to visit his wife when the earthquake hit. His wife, an aid worker, works until the evening on most days, but by sheer luck, she came to the hotel where they were staying early on Tuesday--just minutes before the quake struck at 4:53 p.m. This spared Jesse and his family agonizing hours or days trying to find one another amid the chaos.  Within hours, the hotel where they were staying became known as a place where some medical help was available, because another hotel guest happened to be an emergency medical technician. Jesse got a crash course in treating severe injuries--broken bones, head wounds and more--as people desperate for help kept arriving.

Jesse and his family were evacuated to the Domincan Republic on Sunday and returned to Seattle this Monday. We are currently working to build a large Eyewitness from Haiti meeting next Wednesday 1/27 at UW.

This week we will welcome Jesse back and hear a brief informal report from Jesse about his experiences (20 minutes or so) and we will spend the remaining 35 minutes working to organize for and coordinate outreach for next Wednesday's Meeting.


News Coverage of the Disaster in Haiti
 
  
Interview: Jesse Hagopian Witness to a nightmare
A Seattle activist and writer who was in Haiti when the earthquake hit talks about the desperate situation gripping the country, and how the U.S. made things worse. January 18, 2010

Interview: Olden Polynice We are a forgotten people
A former NBA player and longtime activist and advocate for his homeland talks about the post-earthquake calamity in Haiti. January 18, 2010

Analysis: Roger Annis Where is the aid in Haiti?
As the media report a massive international effort to deliver emergency aid, people in the shattered city are wondering when they will see help. January 15, 2010

A full list of articles from SW covering  Haiti

And be sure to check out this more in depth reading packet (PDF to download) NATURAL AND UNNATURAL DISASTERS: How U.S. policy has impoverished and devastated Haiti


Thursday morning Jesse was interviewed on Democracy Now, in the interview he describes the devastation on the ground and what he's been able to do to help care for the injured and dying. The Video is here

Other News Reports

Laid-off Seattle teacher Jesse Hagopian lauded for aid to quake victims  Craig Welch, Seattle Times, 1/16/10
 
Seattle couple in Haiti suddenly become medical workers

Hal Bernton, Seattle Times

Quake-battered Haiti hotel offers refuge for all
Andrew Cawthorn

Want to help Haiti? 
Consider giving to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund Since its inception in March 2004, the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund (run by the American solidarity organization Haiti Action) has given concrete aid to Haiti’s grassroots democratic movement – including labor unions, women’s groups, educators and human rights activists, support committees for prisoners, and agricultural cooperatives – as they attempted to survive the brutal coup and to rebuild shattered development projects.   Now they will attempt to funnel needed aid to those most hit by the earthquake.